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klaunee · 6 months

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Edit 2/12/2024: I wanted to add a disclaimer to my redesigns! I really appreciate all of the likes and comments that these have garnered, but I just want to add that these aren't intended to be "improvements" or "fixes" of the original designs in any way and were done as a character design exercise for my own entertainment. Looking back on them there's a lot I'd like to change about them and I'd never claim to be anything more than an amateur/hobbyist character designer messing around with these character concepts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Redesign of most of the main cast of Hazbin Hotel + Lucifer for fun and all that. I enjoy seeing other people's interpretations of these characters and wanted to try my hand at it. Elaboration below the cut.

(warning for some potential spoilers for Season 1 below)

Charlie

As you can see, the gist of my redesigns is exaggerating the qualities of whatever the character is supposed to be. In this case, I thought Charlie lacked qualities that identified her as a demon, and so I gave her permanent horns and a more goat-like appearance. I also gave her angel wings for a unique look and to identify her as Lucifer's daughter. Realistically these could be bat wings instead, since Lucifer was historically depicted as having said wings, but I thought the angel wings combined with demonic features would give her a unique appearance. Her outfit is inspired by bellhops and magicians. I wanted her to be based on a type of performer in the same vein as her parents, with Lucifer's supposed ringmaster theme and Lilith being a diva. This is also why I gave her red nose paint, because to me, her red cheeks and white face make her look clown-like. I gave her round shapes to represent her sweet personality while her overall body type is lanky in a somewhat awkward way, trying to depict her as a bit dorky. I made her hair a bit more prominent for a princess-y look.

Vaggie

Vaggie's moth qualities have been exaggerated here. I'm aware of the theories that she's actually not a moth demon but rather a fallen angel, but I wanted to disregard that because I really like bugs. She has four arms, black eyes, antennae, and her hair is actually a pair of functional wings. Her hair-wings have four "eye spots" on them that are actually functional eyes similar to Sir Pentious. Shape-wise I wanted to show her as a more combative, assertive character, with blocky arms and a shorter and wider physique compared to Charlie. I gave her a modern outfit with a fluffy jacket reminiscent of a moth's neck fluff.

Alastor

I gave Alastor a complete overhaul. My biggest gripe with his design is that he's not intimidating in the slightest and yet we're meant to interpret him as fearsome. Although I enjoy the idea of a character who is not physically intimidating while still being a powerful force, I wanted to depict Alastor as outwardly frightening while retaining the idea that he's underestimatable because... his entire body is shadow! Rather than having that Dr. Facilier expy (/j) shadow companion he has, I decided to make it so Alastor is actually the shadow himself. This grants him a plethora of abilities like a greater range of movement, intangibility, etc. I imagine he was disoriented when he first spawned in hell as nothing but a shadow, but slowly found that this could be exploited and became extremely powerful. His staff is based on a vintage style of microphone with the center modified to look like an inverted pentagram. No Voodoo iconography here. The skull itself does not move, rather the red light in his eye flickers in time with his voice. Outfit-wise, he's wearing a basic vintage suit with a boater hat to identify him as being from the 1920's. Of course, the most significant part of his design is his antlers, which are greatly underwhelming in his canon design (disregarding his "true form" which is still weak in my opinion). In addition to giving him a dramatic silhouette, these antlers can be manipulated by him as a pair of appendages similar to hands.

Angel Dust

I didn't change much about Angel Dust. I think he has a nice design. I just tried to make him a bit more spider-like, with pedipalps, extra eyes, and an abdomen. I tried to make the abdomen small so it's essentially like a cottontail. I modified his legs a bit like I did Vaggie's so they're bent in a way similar to bug legs. His suit has a bit more dimension to it as well. I initially wanted to make the stripes vertical for a true pinstripe suit, but the horizontal ones ultimately won out. The most notable part of his physique is his legs like it is in his canon version, but I tried to make all of his limbs longer as well.

Lucifer

This one was very self-indulgent. I wanted to make Lucifer more father-like in appearance to try and diversify the shapes of male characters in this show, similar to how I gave Alastor a stocky build. With a stouter appearance he is simultaneously less and more imposing depending on how he's depicted. I think it'd be nice if his wings were a permanent element of his design. I gave him a broken halo, which he obscures with his top hat. I modified his outfit while still retaining the ringmaster appearance, giving him a long, flowing cape for a dramatic look. He has a cane in the shape of a golden snake which can actually move freely if he wills it. I based his hair a bit on famous carnie P.T. Barnum, and I think he'd have a similar characterization as Barnum too, being an outwardly magnanimous and lovable leader while in reality wanting nothing more than to encourage hedonism, chaos and sin in his subjects. His pointy beard and moustache come from depictions of Mephistopheles. Like Charlie, I gave him red nose paint because like I said, they've got clown vibes. Charlie inherits her goat features from Lilith, who I did not draw (yet).

Thank you for reading!

I'm not 100% on these redesigns but I enjoyed the exercise. I may redo them eventually.

I'd also like to do more of these, especially Adam.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel redesign #hellaverse #alastor #charlie morningstar #charlie magne #vaggie #angel dust #hazbin hotel au

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an-idyllic-novelist · 4 months

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Lucifer Morningstar with Violet Evergarden!reader scenario in honor of Valentine’s Day

warning: aged up!reader [middle to late twenties], language, ooc, one-sided!Alastor x reader, possible spoilers from the first season of the 2024 show.

Hey guys, welcome to another Hazbin Hotel collaboration with @vikkirosko, starring Charlie's own goofy, duck-obsessed father, the King of Hell! Special thanks to @ladydoe8, and @illuminaresblog for their feedback so that I could write this fic in a timely manner before things got busy in the real world for me!

Just so everyone knows, the outfit depicted here is Jean’s ceremonial outfit from the game Genshin Impact, idea was courtesy of @illuminaresblog.

So with that being said, sit back, relax, and let's see what our short king is up to ~!

Reblog to support content creators! ❤️

Lucifer is someone who believes in second chances now.

Charlie had made something that had been impossible for the last ten thousand years possible, and he wanted to support her in any way he could. Thanks to him being an amazing, resourceful father they were able to rebuild the hotel in less than four months, and Alastor didn’t show up until they were finished. Ha! Take that, asshole!

But what has made him the happiest he has felt in a long time is the opportunity to be close to his daughter again. He was not going to ruin it by being a coward and not speak to her unless it was convenient for him. She is more precious than anything or anyone in Hell.

Don’t get him wrong, he is very happy that his little devil found someone that made her happy, but it was kinda awkward to see them being….intimate. That’s at least one other valid reason why he’s been coming to the greenhouse more often than isolating himself away in his living space of the hotel. It wasn’t healthy, and he couldn’t keep hiding himself from Hell forever after fighting Adam in the war. And why the greenhouse instead of the lobby bar, the rooftop balcony, or the parlor? Well, you were there. The hotel’s stoic groundskeeper, and one of the people who had been supportive of Charlie’s dream when he wasn’t around.

You always knew the right words to say to her without sounding like a jerk.

You would help out with creating group exercises, though some of your ideas were a little extreme.

If someone needed some assistance with work around the hotel, you were there in the blink of an eye ready to help.

You had fought against the exorcists to protect everyone, even at the cost of losing your prosthetic arms.

You were a lot of things that he wasn’t. And he was a tiny bit jealous about it, even when you had never intended to make him, the King of Hell, jealous. That job was exclusively reserved for the Radio Demon.

He did think you would look a lot cuter if you smiled more often, and he has said this to you one afternoon as he sat on a wooden bench, watching you carefully remove the weeds from the flower beds. In that moment he thought he had fucked up. The words that spilled out of his mouth had pissed you off so much that you were quiet and did not even look at him over your shoulder. He felt his apple red cheeks burn with embarrassment as he stammered out an apology, trying to make amends when your calm voice broke through the awkward silence.

You weren’t bothered by what he said. He was stating a fact that you’ve heard many times when you were alive. You explained to him that it was…difficult to express yourself for a long time. And in Hell, you couldn’t wear your emotions on your sleeve. It made you a target. To demonstrate your point, you slapped your cheeks and pulled the corners of your mouth upwards to create a smile, albeit a forced one.

Lucifer had a good laugh that day, and the frazzled thoughts that ran rampant in his mind came to halt. You were a funny sinner. And definitely strange, but hey, so is he! Kind of. Okay, he definitely is, but who isn’t a little odd down here?

When he realized that you weren’t easily offended like the others, conversations between the two of you had gotten…well, better. He would ask you questions about the stuff you grew, and you answered without hesitation. When you asked him about his rubber ducky creations, he babbled about his latest one and you would give him an idea on how to improve. “Perhaps instead of spitting out fire and water after the back flip, what if you did flower petals instead?” You said to him one afternoon as you hoisted a heavy pot up from the shelf, carefully placing it down on the workbench. “You can use the ones I remove when I prune the roses, if you’d like. All I ask is to not take too many of them. I am using them in an experiment to make soaps for the rooms so that Charlie doesn’t spend too much money on acquiring cleaning items.”

Lucifer immediately took you up on the offer, smiling so widely that it almost hurt his face before hurrying back to his workshop. In a matter of hours, he was cradling a brand new ducky that did release blood-red petals and golden sparkles! The ingenious part of it all is that, instead of doing a backflip, all someone needed to do was push its chest and poof, magic! It was amazing, the audience loved it and he actually liked it too!

Lilith used to pitch ideas on his creations…at least…until she left. He still missed her. She’s Charlie’s mother, and not even he knew where she was or what she has been doing for the past seven years. He could only hope that wherever she is….she is happy.

Instead of throwing this little gem with the rest of the ones he’d been working on since moving into the hotel, he gave this little ducky to you. A token of his gratitude, their friendship, whatever you thought the gift was! He just wanted to thank you for giving him that spark of creativity he had been looking for.

To this day, it sat on the corner of your workbench, glowing under the red light streaming through the stained glass windows and in pristine condition. It was obvious that you treasured his little creation and it made his heart flutter in a way it hadn’t in a very long time. Before he realized it, his conversations with you shifted to memories of the past.

He would regale the tales of Creation, how he’d tease his fellow angels and outwit them with harmless little pranks or showered their meeting assemblies with sparkles and ideas that…that they rejected in favor of order and obedience. It still hurt, that no matter how much he wanted to shower humanity with goodness and free will, it seemed like bad things had happened ever since he gave Eve the Fruit of Knowledge.

You told him about the Great War and how you served as a soldier in the Leidenschaftlich Army under Major Gilbert Bougainvillea. You could not remember your age, but everyone assumed you had been ten after being enlisted. You were fourteen when the war ended, and the Major had died saving your life. You never understand what his final words meant, I love you, until you yourself had perished. Not from old age or disease or famine, as most humans were known to succumb to back then. You had died protecting your friends, the people you had come to know in your line of work as an Automemory Doll, from being blown to smithereens by an anti-peace faction. Although the war had been over, men like General Merkulov could not comprehend a world without war. When the assassination attempt on the envoy failed, the bridge had been rigged to explode. Together with Benedict, you were able to remove the bombs…but when the last one you removed, the one that took great effort to remove…you lost your remaining arm, then your balance, careening off the train and into the dark waters below. That was the thing you remembered before waking up down here.

There were days when you wondered how everyone else was doing, if Cattleya and the Lieutenant were all right, if there were still Automemory Dolls helping others with writing letters when the clients themselves were not able to read, write, or had trouble putting the words on the page. But who knew much time had passed since then? All you could hope…is that they were still able to live long, happy lives and not mourn for your death.

Because in the end, you finally understood the Major’s last words. And you would no longer need to follow orders to live.

It made Lucifer a little sad when you finished your tale, it sort of made him wonder how you ended up down here when technically sacrificing yourself to save others should have gotten you into Heaven. You thought about that as well, drawing to the conclusion that even if you had died valiantly, it did not change the fact that you had killed many men in the war. Perhaps the blood on your hands will always be there, and you would have to live with that knowledge for eternity. Or maybe…no one really knows how to get into Heaven, as Charlie had informed everyone before, after the disastrous meeting with the Seraphim. Either way, if you were given the choice of being redeemed and going to Heaven, or remaining down here with everyone, you would choose to be here, in the Hazbin Hotel.

Just because there is such a thing as Paradise, that didn’t mean you could not find your own. And you had found Paradise, here, with everyone. The sinners who are your family.

Your words left him speechless. He had given humans free will, and all he had seen was the bad, never the good. But to hear your story, and how you are truly happy in a place surrounded by brimstone and the streets crawling with psychopaths, made him realize that you had used his gift as it was intended to be used. To have passion, to find love in one another than wholly dedicating your everything to the Big G.

This revelation might have been when he was starting to realize that he was starting to see you as more than a friend or someone who believed in Charlie's dream. He followed you around like a little duckling around the hotel, occasionally leaving small gifts at your door and mentally panicking if you’d like it or not, and using his magic to help with your work in the greenhouse. Moreover…he trusted you. He had never shared any of his stories with Charlie about Heaven because he didn’t want her to be crushed like he had been. Now? Well, his little girl is thriving. Which brought Lucifer back to reality when he realized that in less than a week is his daughter’s birthday and he had no idea what to get her for a gift. The last time he had gotten her anything was when she went through her rebellious phase, and all she wanted to do was stay in her room and listen to heavy metal music all day.

He immediately went to the greenhouse, bursting through the double doors and calling out to you in a panic. Ironically he found you in the apple orchard, standing on a ladder. You were picking the ones that were ready to be eaten and placing them in a wicker basket on the ground. When you saw him, you carefully climbed down the ladder and asked him if everything was all right. No, it wasn’t okay! He was not okay!

He explained his dilemma to you in a rush, the words tumbling from his mouth like a tidal wave until he felt your gloved hand on his shoulder. You looked at him long and hard, leading him to the bench to sit before pouring him a glass of lemonade from a thermos. You offered it to him, and half of your sandwich. You were starting to eat more food at regular intervals and taking breaks instead of working until your task was done. You were trying to take better care of yourself; if not as part of your redemption, then at least to not worry Niffty or Charlie.

He did take the lemonade, but gave you back the sandwich, scolding you needed to eat properly if you were continuing to skip meals periodically. You had the grace to look ashamed, carefully placing it back in the tin lunch box. You promised him that you would eat after you heard him out.

You listened to him carefully before offering your help. If purchasing a gift for Charlie is hard for him because he is still getting to know her…then you can help him create a special letter for a special occasion. After all, you were an Automemory Doll. It was your job to write the words to connect people, to bring them closure and be remembered. Lucifer blinked in surprise, asking if it was really all right to ask you to do something that…might still bring back painful memories of your past.

You shook your head. “If it were as painful as you believed it might be, then I would not have said something. Besides,” Your mouth curved upwards into a small smile. “Charlie deserved nothing but the best for her special day, right?”

It took all of Lucifer’s self control to not hug you right then and there. He could still make things work between him and Charlie, he can still be a good father!

Once you had eaten your lunch as you had promised, you asked him to meet you on the rooftop in an hour. You needed to wrap everything up here in the greenhouse, eat, and grab your Remington typewriter. Charlie was still trying to figure out what to do with the space, but right now there was a table with some chairs up there. It was a good setting to write a letter without anyone overhearing the two of you.

Lucifer wanted to start working on the gift right away, but he knew that you disliked leaving your work unfinished. So he left the greenhouse, letting you finish up. When it got closer to the time to meet up, he whipped some of your favorite tea and snacks with a flick of his wrist. Remedial creation for him!

Once everything was set up and you had removed your gloves, the two of you got to work.

He didn’t think writing a letter would be so difficult because he wanted to pour so much of his feelings into a single page. He was sorry that he missed her other birthdays, how he didn’t step up to be a father after Lilith left because he had been just as upset as her but didn’t have the courage to move forward, and how he wanted to make up for it all. How proud he is to have her as his daughter.

At one point, he realized that he was staring at your skeletal fingers and how they were fluttering from one key to another before he forced himself to look at you when you asked him a question. He didn’t have time to look at your shiny hands, he had a job to do!

Between your respectful schedules and small breaks in between, the letter was finished in a week. It was several pages long, folded neatly in a creme-colored letter with a red wax seal once he wrote his name at the bottom of the last page. He thanked you profusely for helping him, promising you anything in his power in exchange, you just had to name it. But you shook your head, saying that knowing his words in the letter will reach Charlie is more than enough. You were simply doing your job as an Automemory Doll.

And by God you did.

When Charlie read his letter, his gift to her on the morning of her birthday after presenting a plate full of her favorite caramel apple pancakes with maple syrup, bacon, and coffee in the kitchen, she cried. She cried and hugged him tightly, thanking him for this wonderful letter and how all she ever wanted was for him to understand her, to support her. He felt tears well up behind his eyes as he returned the embrace. It was already looking like it would be a good day.

Later that day, the hotel staff arranged a small party for his little princess in the Ruby Ballroom. Food, drinks, music, even a small mountain of gifts. Vaggie was of course the brains behind it all, wanting Charlie to have a special day too. Everything was perfect.

At least, until he saw you dancing with Alastor. You had changed out of your gardening clothes - a white long sleeved shirt and a green skirt with your hair pulled back in a loose ponytail - to one of your newer outfits. Or at least another one besides the white dress with the Prussian blue jacket you always wear. You actually looked more like a knight in this one than an Automemory Doll. Not that he was complaining.

A sleeveless black buttoned up shirt under a white vest with a long turquoise tailcoat attached to it, a pair of black sleeves that covered your arms and hands, with a short blue and gold cloak attached to a white collar. The emerald brooch glowed under the ballroom’s lights. White tights embroidered with a gold-diamond dot pattern covered your legs, alongside a matching pair of knee-high boots and white gauntlets.

In summary, you looked gorgeous and entirely out of place as you struggled to keep up with Alastor on the dance floor during the foxtrot. Polar opposites, oil and water, a pairing that doesn’t go well together.

So being the badass fallen angel that he is, he tapped Alastor on the shoulder and asked if he could have a dance with you. The jazz music screeched to a halt as the son of a bitch he turned to him, ears pinned against his head and eye twitching. He’s mad. Good.

“Well, well, this is a surprise~! To think that His Majesty would want to dance when he’s so much shorter than our dear groundskeeper! What a delightful disaster~! But,” Lucifer saw Alastor’s grip on your hands tighten, causing a fleeting expression of discomfort to wash over your face. “We are not done dancing. Yet.”

Lucifer felt his anger rise. “Listen here, you fucking prick -”

“Oh Al, there you are~!” Charlie suddenly appeared, smiling and oblivious to what was going on at the moment before she gently tugged the Radio Demon away from the dance floor. “There’s something I need to show you~!”

Alastor did not want to be separated from you, and while he did want to keep dancing, Lucifer knew this asshole valued his pride and reputation above all else. He wouldn’t dare act of character unless it benefitted him in some way. He then turned to you, who looked more than a little relieved to not be near Alastor and…your face was red?

He frowned. “Are you okay?”

You nodded. “Y-Yes. I’m…fine.” That caught his attention. You never stuttered. But with how you were smiling at him shyly…it wasn’t hard to let him have hope. To believe that his feelings towards you were actually reciprocated. He smiled at the thought, stretching his hand out towards you.

“Care to dance?”

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#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin lucifer #lucifer hazbin hotel #lucifer x reader #hazbin hotel lucifer #lucifer #an idyllic novelist #violet evergarden!reader #character!reader #fem!reader #viviziepop #lucifer morningstar #valentines day #happy valentine's day

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inhuman-obey-me · 6 months

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The Authoritarianism of "Father's" Celestial Realm (NB Season 2)

OKAY, life got crazy for a while, but we're finally all caught up on Nightbringer's main story, and PHEW we've got some things to talk about. So let's dive right in, starting with one of our favorite topics:

God and the Celestial Realm actually kinda suck in the OM universe!!!

(spoilers up to NB lesson 38!)

Now, this been a consistent pattern for most of OM's story and lore, but we're going to be focusing here mostly on Lessons 37 and 38 in particular this time, because they had a lot to talk about in that regard.

In Lesson 37, we are introduced to the underworld, specifically Cocytus at the very bottom layer of it.

One interesting note, however, is that this region is territory of the Celestial Realm, despite it being geographically in the Devildom, and the Celestial Realm is the one that doles out punishments relating to it -- usually. We'll dive more into that whole conspiracy in another post, but it's certainly an interesting geopolitical fact of the Three Realms.

As for the underworld itself, the idea of multiple layers of hell is a common one which originates from Dante's Inferno, the first section of the Divine Comedy, and we see that Cocytus here is taken pretty directly from that as well. Just like Dante describes in the Divine Comedy, Simeon informs us that there are four regions that make up Cocytus, made up of four concentric circles of growing intensity according to their corresponding offenses. Specifically, each layer of Cocytus is related to a type of betrayal: of family, of homeland, of guests, and finally, as the very worst type of betrayal, of "him".

The design of that is immediately very telling about how the Celestial Realm views these offenses. Other offenses may land a person in the underworld in general, but these specific types of betrayal are the worst. And among those worsts, betraying God is the ultimate offense, absolutely beyond anything else one could ever do.

Now, these levels of Cocytus almost directly match Dante's Inferno take on them -- with one major, interesting distinction. In the Divine Comedy, Judecca is for "traitors to masters and benefactors." In OM, it is traitors to "him." Considering that the rest of the levels are a direct match, this suggests that, in OM, their father is the master who must never be betrayed.

And as Mammon notes, that's exactly what our beloved demon brothers did, with Lucifer in the lead.

That brings us to the present situation, with Lucifer chained and suffering at the very center of the bottom of the underworld. The worst of the worst offenders.

Simeon, Luke, and MC arrive to find Lucifer in a screaming rage, noting that same fact. Lucifer is in such pain and rage that he's creating dangerously massive gusts of wind, and as he worries about MC and then his brothers, it only gets worse. Suddenly, Raphael appears to read Lucifer his charges. And then, we get this conversation:

There's a lot going on there, but to go piece by piece, Luke is obviously distraught upon hearing the brothers' decreed fate. He wants to protest it and argue against it. Simeon stops him because Luke absolutely must not say another word -- as a reminder, arguing against Lilith's punishment was the catalyst for the whole rebellion that ensued, which is the entire reason Lucifer is being punished like this now!

Simeon, however, has recently been demoted. We know he was a seraph at the time of the rebellion; the official Nightbringer website specifies that he was demoted for "covering for" the brothers, though we don't know the specifics of what happened there. Simeon has always been a little daring on speaking truth to power, and considering he's already been demoted, it seems he's willing to take the potential consequence of speaking up again here. So he does, expressing his questions and concerns about the whole situation going on. And, finally, he calls out Raphael on also feeling the same as he and Luke both do.

It is perhaps the most telling moment we've gotten to date of how Raphael has felt about this whole civil war between the angels. In the past, he's been fairly consistently strict about the Celestial Realm's rules, which essentially boil down to always obeying their father, and Michael by extension. And he holds himself to basically the same standards, obediently doing whatever Michael tells him to even as he's disgruntled or frustrated by the myriad requests. But when it comes to seeing Lucifer punished this way, he can't accept it either. It's wrong, and he knows it.

But he can't question decisions that come from on high. Even doubting is considered wrong.

We've heard the same from Lucifer once before -- that he questioned one who was never to be questioned. That is what he has been punished for.

This is the reason Luke must not speak up. This is the reason Raphael is crying. And it's the reason for Lucifer's current punishment. Simeon, Lucifer, and Raphael all know it implicitly -- what comes from on high is absolute. Questioning is unacceptable. Doubts are unacceptable. And rebellion is unacceptable -- the absolute worst thing that someone can do.

Anyway, now throw all that out though, because apparently Lesson 38 wants to attempt to bring us to a completely different conclusion!

Let's be honest here -- OM is a bit jumpy on its writing sometimes, and sometimes makes wild left turns. But we ended Lesson 37 feeling pretty excited because it's revisiting a common theme we've had hinted at throughout both games about what kind of leader their father is and what kind of place the Celestial Realm really is under him. And what we've seen, generally, is this: it is a very strict place, unforgiving of those who step out of line, where their father's word is absolute, and even feeling doubt is a grave offense. We even know that Simeon's greatest fear is their father!

So imagine our shock and disappointment when Lesson 38 suddenly decides that, no, actually, this punishment and everything else is actually God's love for them. What?!

New theory: exactly one person on OM's writing team is actually super religious and keeps trying to make this game about dating demons into a message that God is good. These lessons were not written by the same person.

Lesson 38 starts with a rather chaotic scene -- Lucifer has broken free of his chains and is lashing out in rage and despair, not thinking straight. Diavolo makes his appearance and tries to subdue Lucifer, though the two end up going into an all-out brawl as Lucifer lashes out at Diavolo as well. MC eventually intervenes and the brothers show up to protect MC from both Lucifer's and Diavolo's attacks. Lucifer is taken aback seeing that his brothers are all okay and present in front of him, and as MC approaches him to further calm him down, the Ring of Light glows and Lucifer momentarily transforms into his angel form, inspiring awe from everyone around at the sight of the Morning Star once more.

Earlier, Lucifer was begging to be shown some kind of sign from his father, of what it was that he wanted from him. Simeon comments that this might be Father answering that call for a sign -- a sign of his love. Lucifer seems to accept this, though with some bewilderment. But we have Lucifer straight up tell MC later in the lesson that he "must have forgotten" that Father loved them all along! That all he ever did was give, and never ask for anything in return!

Except for blind, unwavering loyalty. Something that Lucifer has actually forgotten about in this moment.

For that matter, why does Simeon automatically assume it's this grand sign of their father's love?! He himself just stated his own doubts and called Raphael out on his.

It's a huge 180 that gave us some intense whiplash for sure. But this isn't the first time we've seen that more religious trauma view from Simeon; we've seen it before in OG season 4, where he has obviously been deeply affected by being demoted out of being an angel altogether but tries to reassure himself that their father does everything for a reason, "even this."

However, even aside from the very sudden turnaround, this explanation leaves a lot to be desired, because it doesn't actually answer anything!!!

We just got told that Raphael was crying from the cognitive dissonance of obeying orders to read the charges against Lucifer while feeling deep down in his heart of hearts that this is wrong. Luke has been stopped from saying anything that could be construed as going against their father! Even harboring doubts is wrong, but somehow we are supposed to suddenly believe that it's because their father loves them?

If that's God's love, it's sure sounding like God is an abusive helicopter parent, because that's not a healthy loving relationship.

Think about it -- this is a scene of punishment. Lucifer isn't just chilling down here for fun; he is actively in pain when we find him, and it only escalates his torment at the thought that his brothers are being punished similarly. And even as we are told that Little D. No. 1 couldn't take material form because their father "just loved them so much," is it really a healthy form of so-called love to hold on to a piece of Lucifer's soul without his knowledge, even after casting him out?! We wouldn't say that a parent who throws their own child out to be homeless while keeping their old room intact is a good, loving parent; why should we think this is any different?

Plus, this is the case for Lucifer -- but what about the other brothers? Though they all managed to get free, Cocytus itself seemed prepared to punish each of them for their various transgressions, and as Mammon points out, all of them were guilty of treason against their father. Yet, it's only Lucifer whose Little D. was never able to take form. It is Lucifer specifically who is targeted for this Cocytus punishment, and the others would likely have been left alone if not for the fact that they came to save him. Lucifer is the one who, for that one moment, regains his angel form.

And what does this mean, if this is God letting go of the last of his grip on Lucifer? That he still loved his favorite son but is casting him away for real now? We know Lucifer has said that God would never forgive him in particular, and though he's been accused of just being stubborn himself (and make no mistake, Lucifer certainly is also stubborn too), it does seem in line with everything else we've been shown about their father. Does this mean that their father no longer loves Lucifer, from this specific point onwards?

And, if their father loves them so much -- then why did they need to rebel for Lilith's sake? The implication here is truly bizarre: their father was going to obliterate Lilith entirely from all existence so that not even her soul would remain, but he also just loves Lucifer so much, but is also so authoritarian that Lucifer trying to talk it out with him was met with a complete shutdown so that Lucifer felt he had no other choice but to start the war. Of course, conveniently, this lesson also just chooses to completely disregard the whole Lilith thing, both her existence at all alongside the brothers before the war and her punishment, so apparently none of that matters!

It's completely out of line with the rest of everything we've ever really been told about the Celestial Realm, and frankly, we don't like or accept it. This so-called love that's suddenly used as the explanation in Lesson 38 isn't a true or healthy kind of love, and we don't want it.

So in conclusion: God is gaslighting us but he really does totally actually suck. We're just supposed to suddenly believe now, out of nowhere, that he doesn't. But he definitely, really does.

Anyway so, Lesson 37 is 10/10 and 38 is -10/10, would not read again. Merry Crisis!

#is this too spicy to post on xmas? sorry not sorry #enjoy yet another long essay from us #obey me #obey me!#obey me swd #obey me shall we date #omswd #obey me nightbringer #obey me nightbringer spoilers #omnb #obey me analysis #obey me lucifer #obey me celestial realm #obey me raphael #obey me simeon #always ready to fight god #obey me nb lesson 37 #obey me nb lesson 38

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devildomwriter · 4 months

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An Angel’s Choice | Raphael x Reader

1.7K | GN! Reader | CW: very minor season four spoilers, very minor angst

The fellow partygoers applauded as the live music ended. Raphael smiled as you came back from the dance floor. Luke had asked to dance with you and since it was Luke and a more lively song, Raphael hadn’t minded.

He did however mind when Simeon asked you, and Michael, and Uriel, and a few others. He knew you were popular in the Devildom and the sorcerer community and of course, he knew of you before meeting you because of Michael, Luke, and Simeon. However, during his stay in the Devildom, he hadn’t realized how quickly rumors of you were spreading.

You had saved him by summoning Lucifer into a dream, the amount of focus and power needed combined with the risk was admirable and heroic. Michael had been quick to tell everyone about your heroic deeds and for Raphael’s sake left out why he had needed rescuing to begin with.

Ever since this event, Raphael was more attached to you and though he hadn’t noticed it at first he did once Simeon asked about his budding feelings.

Now Raphael was careful to act as usual. He was a guard and a Seraph, a protector and hitman. His duty was to the Celestial Realm and his Father above all else. But when he watched your smile, your somewhat graceful steps across the floor as you danced, and the joy in your eyes at being surrounded by your friends and his fellow angels, Raphael’s heart was stuck in his throat.

Raphael didn’t know these emotions and he didn’t understand them. He didn’t know when he was gazing lovingly until someone gave him a funny look. He didn’t know he was staring until someone managed to sneak up on him. He didn’t know he was swooning until you gave him a flushed look. He didn’t know his heart beating faster wasn’t a sign of illness but a sign of excitement.

He sat at the white-clothed table with a clean plate waiting for your food as you enjoyed the Celestial Ball.

Simeon took his seat next to Raphael and watched him for a minute. Simeon didn’t enjoy competition but he did have immense fun teasing Raphael about his crush.

Simeon gently poked Raphael’s arm. Raphael whipped his head around ready to draw out his spear instinctively but relaxed when he saw his friend.

“Simeon?” He questioned and Simeon pointed at you. Raphael looked at you as you were invited to dance by Gabriel.

Raphael clenched his fist jealously and Simeon chuckled. “Why don’t you go ask them again?” He advised and Raphael shook his head.

Raphael could waltz but he wasn’t a good dancer. His artistic talent lay in song, not dance.

“Why don’t you sing for them?” Simeon suggested next and Raphael shook his head again.

“Not in front of everyone,” he mumbled and Simeon laughed again. He was beginning to annoy Raphael so Raphael gave him a stern look and got up from his table to approach you.

Before he could reach you the music began and you began to waltz with Gabriel. Raphael grit his teeth and Michael noticed and approached him. He gripped Raphael’s shoulders, surprising him. Raphael glared at him and Michael backed away playfully defensively.

“Hey now, what’s with that look?” Michael prodded and Raphael sighed and glanced at you. Michael noticed and looked over at Simeon who was laughing in his seat. Michael sighed at his friends’ antics and pulled Raphael onto the dance floor after him.

Raphael turned red and was so flustered he could hardly move as Michael pulled him around until he was close enough to whisper to Gabriel. “Let’s trade?”

Gabriel knew this was more an order than a suggestion and with a swift movement he let go of your hand and it reconnected with Raphael’s.

“Oh, hi Raphael. I thought you were waiting for the food,” you greeted, a little confused. Raphael was not the type to dance so seeing him here more than once was a potential sign of the end of times.

He was at a loss for words but his face was flushed. You simplified your movements to allow him to think more clearly as he was hyper-focused on getting the steps correctly to avoid embracing either of you.

He glared when he heard Michael laughing with Gabriel from across the room. He glanced at Simeon who was no longer teasing him but instead filming Michael dancing as potential blackmail.

Raphael had no idea how Simeon remained an archangel and shook his head. Finally, the music stopped and Raphael held you closely.

You were tempted to joke “Leave room for Jesus” but you weren’t sure how well that would go over in a room full of angels so you held your tongue.

Raphael panted, he’d been holding his breath for so long without realizing it. Concerned, you led him back to the table but Raphael shook his head, requesting a breath of fresh air.

He held onto your wrist and led you to the hall and out another pair of doors to a balcony overseeing the Celestial Realm’s capital.

It took your breath away every time and your eyes glimmered as you overlooked it all. Birds flew by you singing harmoniously and in the hall, angels laughed and chatted with each other. You held Raphael’s hand as he breathed a sigh of relief to be away from the spotlight.

He didn’t mind addressing crowds but he didn’t like being thrown into them, it was stressful when he wasn’t sure what he should be doing. You knew this and rubbed your thumb across his hand as he took a few more deep breaths.

He was instantly relaxed in your presence but had no idea what to say now aside from, “thanks.”

A man of few words, you were happy he said anything at all. You gasped in surprise when Raphael squeezed your hand and brought you close to his side to look over the realm together. He rested his head atop yours and you blushed and melted into his side.

“Is this allowed?” You asked teasingly to break the silence.

He hummed, “right now…I don’t really care.”

You were stunned at his response. Raphael only cared about rules, to break one was unthinkable. But you suppose being partially angel yourself some affection was allowed. That was always the excuse Simeon gave when he wanted cuddles or kisses. But this felt different. A man so reserved as Raphael was never like this. This wasn’t flirting or passing affection this was a genuine connection and for a moment time froze as you felt completely in synch.

Your breathing matched and you were both relaxed as you listened to the birds sing and the music change in the distance.

The silence was broken by the ringing of a bell. You looked up and Raphael sighed. “Lunch is ready,” he informed, used to these balls.

You nodded and he gently held your hand pulling you alongside him into the room.

When the doors opened you both blushed as all eyes were on you, expecting the waiters instead. Raphael instantly let go of your hand but you grabbed it back making him blush harder and you led him to the table as Simeon and Michael snickered and Luke gave him curious looks.

Raphael sat down and looked down at the table, even the tips of his ears were red.

You chuckled too and the attention on you was broken as this time the waiters did arrive and the live orchestra played a relaxed tune perfect for dining.

You rubbed your hand on Raphael’s back and laughed as your food arrived. It wasn’t until after the meal and towards the end of the ball that you got a chance alone with Raphael again.

This time he led you to the observatory so you could see the night sky you were used to seeing at this time of the day.

“These are the human world stars, right?” You asked. He nodded.

“I’ve been here before,” you hummed and Raphael gave you a most confused look.

“Oh,” you exclaimed realizing he’d have no idea how it was possible. “I got hypnotized by some fairies and sent back in time to when Lucifer and his brothers were still in the Celestial Realm and Satan and I got invited on their picnic to looked the stars before Michael could get a chance.”

Raphael was silent for a moment but then began to laugh. “That sounds lovely.”

You nodded, “it was weird.”

He nodded too, agreeing that was a bizarre situation.

“Speaking of lovely,” you said softly and budged his arm. “I really enjoyed that moment on the balcony with you earlier.”

He blushed and squeezed your hand as you both gazed up at the stars. “I…enjoyed it too.” He admitted.

You nuzzled your face into his shoulder and he turned pink, “_-___.” He stuttered and sat up. “What are we doing…” he questioned and you sat up too and looked at him seriously.

“I’d like to know that too, Raphael,” you agreed. You blushed and looked down briefly before holding his hand tightly and confessing, “I like you, Raphael.”

“Likewise,” he said plainly, head tilted, and you shook your head.

“No, I mean like…I want you to be my partner and I want to be yours,” you said hurriedly and Raphael’s wings pipped out in surprise. It was startling but so adorable you couldn’t help but cover your mouth as you laughed.

Raphael took a moment to compose himself and nodded silently. “I would like that too.” He admitted to himself for the first time.

He didn’t know if this was allowed, neither of you did, but for you, he was willing to face the unknown and any consequences he might endure as a result.

“Really?” You asked, hopefully, and he grinned and nodded.

Slowly and cautiously he leaned down and gently brushed your cheek with his hand drawing your forward and your lips met.

Raphael pulled away after a moment and grinned. You’d never seen him so happy. Finally, all his confusion and doubt cleared away and what he was left with was certainty and joy.

He’d be your angel and you’d be his, and together you’d make sure that’s how it would always remain.

#obey me shall we date #obey me raphael #obey me raphael x reader #obey me x reader #obey me shall we date x reader #obey me shall we date raphael #obey me shall we date raphael x reader #omswd raphael x reader #omswd raphael #obey me luke #obey me michael #obey me simeon #obey me drabble #obey me fic #obey me short fic #obey me fan fic #obey me valentines

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misc-obeyme · 5 months

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Hi! I hope you're well. I'm sending you a request for Headcaons for Simeon, if it's still possible, rather Hurt/Comfort on the theme that Simeon's become human. I loved the text you wrote for him for the 500 followers event with the word Fear. I really wanted to get into the fic to give him a hug and reassure him. Take care of yourself and have a nice day!

Hi there, anon!

Oh wow, I kinda forgot all about that little scene I wrote! It's right here in case anybody would like to read it. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

So okay, I really tried to do this theme justice. I have a lot of feelings about Simeon and him becoming human. I hope it turned out okay! I think I could write quite a bit on this theme and never tire of it. There's just so much potential.

Thank you for participating!

COZY COMFORTS EVENT

GN!MC x Simeon on becoming human

Warnings: spoilers for season four of OG

Simeon will never forget how it felt when he became human. The reassuring warmth of his angelic power dissipated, leaving him feeling empty and incomplete. Throughout the many years of his existence, that power was always within him. It defined him, heralding him as an angel, giving him the means to survive in all three worlds - places where magic and demons also thrived. The second that power left him, it was replaced by an endless barrage of questions. Who was he without it? Who was he without his wings? What did it even mean to be human? Would he ever feel like he knew himself again?

He can't tell you. Whenever he looks into your eyes, he thinks about sharing this new truth with you. And yet every time, he holds back. He's too full of the need to protect you from the burden of it. It's the only way he has to protect you. Once he could watch over you, he could be your guardian angel. Now all he could do was keep his secrets.

He can tell that you're aware that something has changed. He wants to confide in you, but just thinking about speaking to you about it makes his gut twist. He's sure some of the others already know. He's noticed how Solomon and Lucifer seem to be watching out for him more than usual. Will you catch on? Will you guess what has happened without him having to say it? Is that better or worse?

Simeon had given up so much to stay in the Celestial Realm when Lucifer and his brothers fell. Deliberately standing on the sidelines so he wouldn't be ousted himself, but unable to join the fight on the side of the angels he cared so deeply about. A demotion to archangel was only a small sting in comparison to the guilt of knowing he had left Lucifer and the others to fall without him. This time he couldn't stay out of it. This time he had made the choice to help Lucifer. This time it had cost him more than just his angelic rank. Without his wings, he could never go back to the Celestial Realm. He had lost more than just his understanding of himself. He had lost his home, too.

Simeon thinks perhaps he should feel guilty. Perhaps he should be ashamed. But though he maintains his calm and collected exterior, inside he knows that he would make the same choice a million times over. And beneath that there boils a secret rage. His choice saved the worlds, his choice kept you safe. Despite everything, Simeon knows he did the right thing. He did it for you, but he did it for the state of the three worlds, too. Maybe he deserves this punishment, but he can't bring himself to regret his decision. Every time he sees your smile, his conviction strengthens.

You learn the truth eventually, of course. And when you do, Simeon is blown away when he sees your eyes fill with the deepest love. He's baffled by your reaction. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting. Disappointment? Confusion? Outrage? And yet, you're all softness and warmth. You encompass him, a light he didn't realize he was missing until that very moment.

It takes some time. Simeon has to learn what it means for him to be human now. He has to find his purpose again, find himself. You stay by his side, a steady presence, a gentle comfort, and a reminder of what a human can be. You're stronger than him now, protecting him where he can longer protect you. And yet, he finds he doesn't mind. You're an inspiration to him, MC. You are something special, something he can never become, but perhaps he can learn to be something new, too.

A day comes when Simeon looks at you and realizes that you have filled the empty hole where his angelic self once was. Your smile, your patience, your endless love, how you accept him no matter what. And he sees that he would rather have you than all the angelic power in the Celestial Realm. He had been confused and frightened for so long, not knowing his place in the world any longer. It was an ache so wide within him he didn't think he could ever move past it. Now he sees he hasn't lost his home. It's always been right here, with you.

cozy comforts | masterlist | Thank you for reading!

#obey me #obey me spoilers #spoilers #obey me nightbringer #obey me shall we date #obey me headcanons #obey me fanfic #obey me simeon #om simeon #simeon obey me #obey me simeon x reader #om simeon x reader #simeon obey me x reader #obey me x reader #obey me simeon x mc #om simeon x mc #misc cozy comforts #misc writes

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agerasiaa · 5 months

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Hazbin Hotel ep 5 and 6 spoilers!

I’m sorry but WHAT was that? I loved the first 4 episodes even when I could agree they were a little rushed and introduced us to way too many new characters without really letting us see the main cast. But the new eps were next level. Introducing characters, past reveals, lore left and right. All emotional moments have zero weight because they come out of nowhere. No one is having an actual arc— stuff just happens faster than you can chew the stuff that happened 1 minute before.

Alastor suddenly claiming him and Charlie have a father-daughter relationship? Like yeah he was probably just doing that to piss off Lucifer (WHO HE HAS NO REASON TO DISLIKE AS MUCH AS HE JUST DOES? it’s so funny) but we have literally seen Charlie and him interact like what? Once in the first ep and suddenly they have a dynamic that hasn’t developed at all to how they act around each other. And this is just one example of the many problems I have with the new eps…

The hotel is helping Angel. HOW? We have seen no actual redemption stuff that would help someone out of drug addiction or change his attitude. The one that helped was Husk and the only thing he did was have one conversation with Angel and suddenly Angel has gone through sooo much character development—even standing up to Valentino who he has no reason to suddenly not fear. (To be fair, it has been probably a few months since the events of ep four, but for a watcher it doesn’t feel like that. So the development seems a little sudden.)

Other notes:

Heaven having no rules who gets to heaven and who not, and no one just ever questioned it

Why are we even introduced to Heaven yet? Many types of reveals that happen are not season 1 material at all (or it would be if they had more episodes)

Charlie and Lucifer had a distant relationship and Charlie supposedly had ”daddy issues” and then they are just— so happy with each other and everything is resolved SO EASILY / FAST

The whole premise of the Hotel seems to be meaningless. Charlie’s great plan for redemption was… trust falls. Didn’t work. Now they must get to Heaven bc how could that be!? Like girl…

Everyone needs their own episodes! Lucifer and Alastor and Mimzy stuffed together. Vaggie and Angel Dust again and the entirety of heaven all together in a 20 minute episode—

I really wanted to love this show because I’m invested in the characters due to waiting 4 years, but it’s just… it’s so badly written. The actual plot is likeable, but the pacing and the amount of off-screen stuff is just too much. (From episode 1 to 6, 5 months have passed, but it feels more like a couple of weeks at best.)

(I still love the show tho. For the songs and the characters.)

#hazbin hotel #alastor #charlie morningstar #angel dust #my first time ever critizing something on social media #hazbin hotel… I love your concept and characters but… what #the unnecessary beef between Al and Lucifer is so funny tho XD #also Alastor had zero chill I love him #it feels like we have the key moments but are missing the actual show #a deeply flawed show but I still love it :)

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mlsofh · 5 months

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Theory Eight - Alastor Will Die

Hello Wayward Sinners!

Before we get into the theory, I wanted to say I have a Kofi to start funding the inevitable Youtube channel! The youtube channel will be dropping on Valentines day this year! I've been trying to make a career out of theories and stuff. It's harder than you'd expect. But I have the analysis skills to do all of that! I'll also be having a twitch where I talk to you all via discord call, podcast style, while we dig into theories together!

Click Me! for the Kofi link! !!SPOILERS FOR HAZBIN HOTEL FROM HERE ON!! Now, lets get into why the name Alastor foreshadows possible death! Firstly, there are so many meanings for the name Alastor. Two of which being defender or avenger. The others are all based around mythology.

"Alastor, a Pylian soldier who fought under their leader Nestor during the Trojan War.[13] He remembered for having, together with Mecisteus, carried the wounded Teucer off the battlefield as they later did also with Hypsenor.[14]" "Alastor, an epithet of the Greek God Zeus, according to Hesychius of Alexandria and the Etymologicum Magnum, which described him as the avenger of evil deeds, specifically familial bloodshed." "Alastor, a Lycian warrior who was a companion of Sarpedon. He fought in the Trojan War and was slain by the Greek hero Odysseus during the battle.[11]" -Wiki On the name Alastor

So, lets dive into why his background could be very telling for the cast of the hotel. Alastor, the Pylian soldier who fought under Nestor. Nestor was known for the things Charlie is known for, her bravery, speaking abilities, and her advice to sinners. She could also be represented by Teucer, who was naive about the world and was the kings son. But he was skilled too and survived through determination. Alastor in the trojan story dies by Odysseus who is known for similar things Adam is known for. Adam is known for his hubris, strength, courage, nobility, a thirst for glory, and confidence in his authority. Hubris for my audience that doesn't know what that means, "Hubris is over-bearing pride that leads to the suffering of a hero, those around him, or both." For Hazbin Hotel, Alastor is very clearly important to the plot, and we can almost guarantee that Alastor has connections to Lilith (but not Lucifer, which is interesting.) and we know he is now positively affiliated with the hotel. Alastor dying to Adam while he protects the hotel isn't actually all that far fetched right now. I think Adam also has a chance of dying. If Alastor is protecting everyone, Charlie may get violent and try to help. This could cause Alastor to tell Husker and Angel to drag Charlie off the battle field. We now know Charlie is willing to get violent at other demons in the name of the ones she cares about, as seen by episode four with AngelDust and Valentino. Maybe she'll try to protect Alastor and be too late. She will be carried away like Teucer was. Alastor working for Lillith and protecting the hotel, then dying in the process, possibly in a very heartfelt way doesn't seem impossible. Showing he was Charlie's "guardian angel" of sorts. Alastor protecting the hotel, possibly while everyone gets away, he dies by Adam who sees him as a genuine threat in the moment. Something that I notice is that in the fixed Hazbin Hotel card, there is no radio tower.

There's Husker and AngelDust themed sides, but there is nothing suggesting Alastor stays. This card confirms for me that AngelDust and Husker live through the first season, but that Alastor may have a different fate. It doesn't seem good for Alastor, due to the nature of the show and how they seem well thought out with names and background. I think Alastor will be meeting a poor fate by the end of the season, or by the end of the series. That's all I have for now, what do you think? Comment and reblog! Stay Tuned!

#hazbin hotel alastor #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel theory #hazbin hotel adam #hazbin hotel lilith #hazbin hotel charlie #hazbin hotel husker #hazbin hotel cards

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jeschalynn · 6 months

Note

hand over the ship lore you have for yourself and barbatos and nobody gets hurt. 🔫 i want *all* the details on why you love that petty butler and the scenarios that come with it,,,, for science. - gifter cryptid

My selfship for him follows the canon story (from the original game) very loosely. It's a slow burn interspersed with moments of domestic affection and intimacy but also a lot of pining and angst. It takes him a long time to realize the depth of his feelings, and by the time he does, I've already tried to move on.

This is a more general timeline of how I picture things unfolding over the course of the og game's four seasons. The story ended abruptly and a lot of potential relationship moments haven't happened yet, so I went with what I thought might happen next.

(My poly!ship lore with him follows a different path entirely.)

Note: The content below includes vague spoilers for season four/hypothetical season five events.

My initial opinion of him was similar to most of the other demons I met after arriving in the Devildom: he was handsome and intimidating and totally unapproachable. He had a role of such high importance, serving a literal prince, and I assumed we had nothing in common.

I felt like a small, insignificant human in that place. The other demons treated him with respect and reverence. He was professional and polite and kind when we interacted, but it was hard to figure out what he was really like at first. We didn't see each other very much unless we were at RAD or at Diavolo's castle.

Mutual interests brought us together slowly throughout the course of the exchange program: the types of human world teas we both liked and how the Devildom blends compared; cooking and sharing recipes that took into account my limited tolerance for the Devildom's spicy cuisine; and he appreciated my interest in his world and my eagerness to learn new things with an open mind.

We spent more and more time in each other's company. He pointed out books in the RAD library he thought I might like, or he invited me and Luke to the castle to bake something, or Diavolo invited me to have lunch (he knew I found the House of Lamentation a bit suffocating at times).

Sometimes Barbatos invited me to accompany him when he visited one of the Devildom markets. He quickly learned which foods I liked or didn't like. When the demon brothers and I were guests at the castle, he prepared my dish with careful consideration.

When he traveled to the human world to run mundane tasks for Diavolo (or peruse his favourite tea vendors), he brought back something for me as well. He even took me with him on a few occasions; it was an excuse to show me places I mentioned in passing that I'd like to visit someday. (Those sorts of feats were easy for a demon of his status and power, but my excitement and earnest appreciation made it worthwhile.)

I attended parties at Diavolo's castle with Lucifer and his brothers. Asmo enjoyed dressing me up in the latest Devildom fashions and I felt self-conscious in whatever extravagant dress he picked out (or had made for me). Barbatos watched the other demons take turns leading me onto the dance floor, but he recognized the anxious look on my face when I got overwhelmed and needed a break from the crowd and the attention.

He usually led me somewhere quiet, an empty balcony or a sitting room nearby. He offered me a cold drink (knowing I don't like the taste of Demonus) and promised that I could always ask him if I needed space away from the festivities. He stayed with me the entire time and when I was ready, he rested a gloved hand gently on the small of my back as we walked together. He rejoined Diavolo and offered his apologies for an absence that couldn't be helped. He watched me as I made my way back to the demon brothers nearby.

(If Diavolo had any assumptions or thoughts about his butler's keen attention to my comfort or needs, he kept them to himself.)

Time passed and eventually I learned more about him. He wasn't simply the prince's butler anymore. I appreciated his expertise and attention to detail, and how he could be so kind and considerate. I enjoyed his company even if we spent it in comfortable silence. He smiled more often and found ways to tease delighted reactions from me. If I did or said something amusing - sometimes on purpose, sometimes not - his laughter was warm and genuine. I adored that sound.

It was hard to look him in the eyes sometimes because he was so beautiful, and I was afraid he'd read all my secrets like an open book. The thought of him finding out about my less-than-platonic feelings for him made me want to crawl into a hole and die. Unfortunately, I had a terrible poker face and couldn't lie to save my life. Despite my best efforts, it became painfully obvious when I started acting strangely around him.

It didn't take long for him to figure out why my voice trembled when he stood too close, or when our hands touched when we walked side by side. He noticed that my cheeks flushed pink when he complimented me. I avoided his gaze too - my eyes darted to his face quickly before looking away again, like I was trying to hide something from him (I was).

He thought whatever I was experiencing - simple attraction - was nothing more than a passing fancy. He thought ignoring it was kinder than bringing it up. When it started to affect our friendship, he realized things were changing and not in a way he liked.

I found excuses to avoid spending time alone with him and I refused some of his offers to visit the castle gardens with him, or the library, or new places in the Devildom he thought I'd like to see. It bothered him that I was nervous around him now, similar to how I was when I first arrived in his realm. He didn't demand an explanation and simply accepted my answers - refusals - with grace. Any dissatisfaction he felt was easily ignored.

Even if he did ask me what was wrong, what would I say? I have a crush on you but I like you too much as a friend to risk it all for nothing? I couldn't admit my feelings so easily. I was convinced someone like him wouldn't be interested in someone like me anyway. Romantic fantasies of him made me feel like such a fool.

I couldn't spend the rest of my year in the Devildom fretting over my feelings for someone who didn't feel the same for me. My genius plan was to try and stomp down those feelings instead. I needed to find other things to occupy my thoughts, other friends to spend my time with. I considered the possibility of trying to date someone else, should anyone else show an interest in me. (I wouldn't have the courage to ask them first.)

I spent more time at the House of Lamentation and got to know the demon brothers. Each of them grew to love me in their own ways. Some of them were like the brothers I had to leave behind in the human world. Some of them became my dearest friends. Some of them wanted to be more than that, but the end of the exchange program arrived and we were all out of time.

The last night of the Devildom was turbulent with so many conflicting emotions. I dreaded going home and I wondered where I truly belonged. I couldn't stay in this world, but the thought of leaving everyone behind was painful. I regretted so many missed opportunities and I wondered what might've happened if I were a bit braver, if I were more willing to share my feelings instead of guarding my heart from the burning sting of rejection.

I made my pact with Lucifer that final night, but spending the night in his bed was not what I expected. Perhaps we were both in need of a little comfort. Neither of us regretted it afterwards, and he never complained or asked for more than I was willing to give. I realized that maybe I could find someone else to love. Lucifer seemed to understand our night together was not likely to be repeated. I told him I still cared for him, and he cared for me too, and that was enough for both of us.

After I returned to the human world, Lucifer still missed me the way his brothers did. Maybe my sudden absence affected him more than anyone else thought it would. At times he was unusually distracted, but he perked up whenever my name was mentioned. His brothers noticed this, and Diavolo noticed, and inevitably Barbatos did too. He made his own assumptions about what would cause the Avatar of Pride to act this way, and part of him was...surprised when he considered all the possibilities. He ignored the thought and decided it wasn't any of his business. Why should he care?

No one expected my sudden return to the Devildom, or Solomon's slippery excuses for why he brought me with him. Most of the demons were just happy to see me again, and the ones that wanted more than our friendship were eager for a second chance to pursue me.

I missed the Devildom and the demons too - some more than others, and one above them all. Much-needed space helped me come to terms with my unrequited feelings, and we fell into our friendship easily as if I'd never left. I reminded myself that it was foolish to think about a future with him and I felt ready to move on. My feelings for him lingered, but I tried not to let that stop me from living.

I had relationships with some of the others I'd grown close to. They were fun distractions in an attempt to find someone who could love me in ways Barbatos never would.

Asmo was my first relationship when I returned to the Devildom. If he knew about my feelings for the prince's butler, he did his best to distract me from thinking about him - or anyone else - while we were together. I was with Solomon after that, a natural outcome after we spent so much time together during my sorcerer's apprenticeship trials. Later, Simeon and I found comfort in each other when he told me about his punishment for stealing the ring he gave me, the one I still wore. He soothed my guilt when I realized he risked his future to save me and smiled when he told me he'd do it all over again if he had to. I promised myself that I'd find a way to help him.

It wasn't until the incident with the dark crevasse that Barbatos had his own belated epiphany. In the windy chaos that ensued, something in him changed. Was it the fear in my eyes when I realized he could barely hold himself upright, or the way my voice cracked when I begged him to pull himself together for Diavolo's sake, or my arms wrapped around him to keep him from falling over and giving up?

Once the drama had ended and the castle guests retired for the night, he laid in his bed and started pulling apart all the tangled feelings he had when he thought of me. He recalled all those times he watched the other demons bicker for my attention at parties and sleepovers, how they elbowed each other out of the way so they could sit beside me at the table, how they bickered to have the first dance with me, to be partnered with me in class, anything that would let them be that much closer to their favourite human.

I was friends with all of them, but he knew I was intimate with some of them too. Asmo wasn't very subtle about his feelings and neither was Solomon. He feigned indifference when he overheard them speaking about me and believed it was no concern of his who I spent time with or invited to my bed. He snuck away quietly on the very rare occasions when he caught me and one of my lovers sharing a private moment away from prying eyes (or so we thought); he swallowed thickly and looked away when hands and mouths wandered too far, and he always wondered why those images plagued him with restless sleep the nights that happened.

Was it stubbornness that kept him from admitting what caused the bitter churning in his stomach - jealousy, regret, and the first stirrings of desire. The jealousy that others got to experience the most intimate parts of me, the desire to have what others were brave enough to take for themselves, the regret that it took him this long to admit he wanted me like he knew I wanted him.

Barbatos thought I would welcome his feelings. He woke up the next morning with new purpose and caught me off-guard with his affectionate touches and flirtatious words. He didn't expect the disbelief, the discomfort, or the anger that clouded my face when I confronted him about it later.

Why was he teasing me like this? Was this a joke to him? After all this time of trying to move on from him, he suddenly wants me when it's convenient and I'm supposed to just accept it? I couldn't imagine what would cause his opinion of me to change so drastically, because that's what it felt like. I couldn't risk getting my hopes up if his feelings weren't genuine. I thought about the fleeting moments in the past when he admitted he didn't want to get close to me, when he doubted what could possibly make me so special, how it wasn't long ago that he admitted that he still couldn't trust me. I doubted his sincerity.

Of course, the timing for his declaration was terrible. I promised to help Simeon from his precarious fate and some of the others thought appealing to Michael personally might be the best solution. Petitioning the Celestial Realm to allow me to negotiate on the Devildom's behalf was a convenient excuse to stop thinking about Barbatos, if only for a short while. I felt vulnerable and reckless in the Devildom with everything that had happened recently and I couldn't think straight with him so close.

When he learned what had been decided, he approached me in a rare moment of privacy and asked me not to go. He knew I had a habit of running away from things that made me uncomfortable. It hurt that I wanted to run away from him.

He knew his plea to stay would fall on deaf ears. Someone I cared for - a friend (and a lover, he thought bitterly) needed my help.

Don't light yourself on fire to keep others warm.

He couldn't refuse the wishes of his lord, even if that meant summoning the portal that would take me somewhere even he couldn't follow.

Once I was gone, he planned to use that time to find a way to fix what was broken between us. He turned to friends he trusted for guidance because they knew me as well as he did.

Asmo and Solomon were both willing to give their input on the subject, after they recovered from the initial shock to learn that I refused him.

Oh, hon. It couldn't have been that bad. You probably just surprised her.

You weren't there. You didn't see how she looked at me.

Look, once she gets back, you two can - Solomon, please stop laughing. It's not funny!

She ran off to another realm to avoid him. Barbatos, all you had to do was tell her that you loved her. How could you mess that up so badly?!

While I was in the Celestial Realm, he promised to give me the space I needed. He resisted the urge to text me or call me while I was gone.

After a couple days and many long lectures from his friends, he tentatively reached out to Luke to ask about me discreetly. Part of him regretted that choice.

He loathed the photos Luke sent him after that: angels standing far too close to me for his liking, or the beautiful clothes he assumed Michael had made for me to wear while I visited. He loved and hated how radiant I looked in the Celestial Realm's unending sunlight, as if I belonged there more than in the darkness with him.

Luke even sent him a photo of Michael and I walking through one of the vibrant gardens in full bloom. He wondered what Michael said that made me smile at him like that.

There was a time when I used to look at him like that too. During the early days of the exchange program, Barbatos showed me rows of night-blooming roses in the castle gardens. I leaned down and breathed in their delicate scent, admiring the sparkling petals while he watched nearby; he never told me about those fleeting moments when he thought I looked lovely.

Perhaps his feelings for me rooted in his heart even earlier than he realized.

All he needed was one chance to make amends for all the things he should've done differently. He vowed to himself that he'd show me what it was like to be romanced by a demon properly, if I was forgiving enough to accept his proposal.

When I returned, he presented me with a heartfelt apology and the promise that I wouldn't regret giving him that chance. No matter how hard I tried, my stubborn feelings for him burned defiantly and as strong as ever.

How could I possibly refuse him when he was the one I wanted all along?

Demon courtship? That sounds awfully formal.

It's a traditional way of proving love and fidelity for another. Most of the violent customs have been adapted for modern times, of course. I doubt there will be any need for bloodshed so long as the others respect my claim on you.

That’s very...intense.

It can be.

And a little possessive.

Mm, precisely.

I would never ask you to do all something like that for me. Being together is enough.

I know you wouldn't, but I promise you that the only thing I'll ever regret is not doing this sooner.

Read more: Jes x Barbatos Masterlist

#selfships #jes.selfships #jes.selfships: barbatos

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chaosheadspace · 7 months

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Oooh for femslash how about Lucifer/Mazikeen for "Inspired by a photo from your camera roll"?

hello, hi, this is much too late for the femslash weekend and I confess I straight up forgot it with being sick and irl stuff, so hopefully you'll enjoy it regardless.

Mazikeen/lucifer "Inspired by a photo from your camera roll"

Okay, so I still had a photo of a poppy from June. Here goes. (Comic spoilers for Season of Mists ahead.)

The sun is beating down relentlessly, the air heavy and thick, every breath almost singeing the back of Lucifer's throat. If they didn't know better they'd think they were back in hell. But no. No, that's behind them for good, and good riddance.

No, they're taking a walk in the August heat, because they can, because the club doesn't open until eight, because Lucifer knows that Mazikeen secretly sometimes misses her old home. Just like they know that Mazikeen would follow them everywhere, regardless of consequences.

Lucifer stops to pick a stray poppy from the overgrown edge of a golden wheat field, the blood red petals big and silky. From the corner of their eyes they can see Mazikeen scowling. Ah.

"None of that. He only did what I asked of him."

Mazikeen hums and Lucifer can feel fingers ghost over their spine, right between their shoulder blades. The scars to the left and right sting, but the soft touch turns it into a smokey, earthen ache, like a good whiskey.

"He still hurt you."

The possessiveness in Mazikeen's voice makes desire curl over the back of Lucifer's tongue, washes pleased warmth into their stomach.

"Yes," they say, drawing Mazikeen close by her waist. "And now we're here. Isn't this better?"

The fingers of their right hand caress Mazikeen's rough burn scar before dipping around to hold onto her neck and tug, drawing her in so Lucifer can press their lips to hers, insistently nudging her mouth open.

Mazikeen makes a hungry sound, grabs at the lapels of their red suit, hauls them closer. Oh yes, this is a thousand times better than hell; the heat of the sun is nothing compared to Mazikeen’s movement and fingers and touch. Once invited, Lucifer does not have to insist further. Mazikeen is not shy about taking, never was, and they have more than enough to let her take what she wants. To indulge her.

To be perfectly honest, Lucifer had forgotten what it felt like to tempt someone themselves, and even without most of their power, without their realm, it makes them dizzy. Euphoric. Hungry.

When Mazikeen draws back, her eyes seem huge, almost black. She licks her lips.

"We still have four hours," she says, her voice spiced honey, her right thumb caressing the soft divot next to Lucifer's hipbone.

"Lead the way then." A tiny smile plays at the corner of Lucifer's mouth. Time to let Mazikeen enjoy her own small temptation.

#the sandman #lucifer x mazikeen #mazifer #luzikeen #lucifer the sandman #mazikeen the sandman #idk if its any good #have it anyway

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autisticandroids · 1 year

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Have you read Apokteino's Bone Trilogy? What did you think of it?

i have! i've actually read all four of apokteino's big four darkfics. i like bone in that it's interesting and well written, but i really wouldn't recommend it or reread it, except in certain circumstances. this is because it's just like, a super miserable read. like it's not very fun and it's SUPER depressing.

however, it's a really interesting fic to compare to the rest of the big four because it has some unique elements, so i definitely recommend reading it if you're interested in it for that reason. all of the lesser triad can really be seen in various ways as dry runs for with understanding, though of course they also have their own merit outside that context.

i'm gonna try to rewrite the big comparison essay that tumblr ate on saturday. so, the following discussing will assume familiarity with the plot of with understanding, but not with the lesser triad of major apokteino darkfics, which are: hesitation, the when series (when all is lost/when the road is as dark as my fears), and the bone trilogy (bone/scarred/unbroken).

here are some various sources to read the now-deleted fics

also, before we start i'd like to thank @astermacguffin, who i've had a lot of conversations about all these fics with, and whose various posts on apokteino and darkfic and evil deancas i might not always agree with but have absolutely influenced me and my opinions on these fics. they're worth reading as background for this post. honestly i'd really just like to dedicate this post to aster because he's gonna love it.

anyway, four thousand words of discussion below. spoilers for all four fics, and obviously, trigger warnings for discussion of rape, abuse, and general violence under the cut.

so i'll start with plot summaries of the lesser triad.

hesitation

hesitation is a canon divergence from season four. in this fic, as part of his metaphorical seduction of dean to the angels' cause, cas is ordered under pain of death to literally seduce dean in order to ensure his loyalty. cas does not want to have sex with dean and is terrified, however, dean does not know this and thinks that cas is coming onto him of his own free will. dean is sweet and kind to cas during sex and works to ensure cas' pleasure, which kind of fucks with cas' head because the sex isn't actually consensual.

canon continues as in the show up through the beginning of season five, with the addition of dean and cas' sexual relationship (which continues consensually after cas rebels). however, cas has some obvious issues and trauma that dean doesn't understand, plus he gets slutshamed by some other angels, so dean eventually figures out something is up and gets cas to talk about what's going on. when dean finds out that he has been unknowingly raping cas, he freaks out, goes into a huge guilt spiral, and they break up.

however, eventually they work through their issues and get back together. happilyish ever after.

2. when

when is a canon divergence from swan song, the only difference being that instead of being resurrected as an angel at full power, cas is resurrected in the same state that lucifer exploded him, i.e., as a human/fallen angel. dean and cas continue hunting together instead of dean going to lisa.

dean resents the fact that cas was resurrected and sam (and to a lesser extent bobby) weren't, plus the fact that cas, now human and useless, cannot resurrect them. as a result, and for some other more complex reasons i will get to in the discussion, he channels his rage and grief about sam's death into beating and raping cas, which eventually evolves into just raping cas when he feels lonely and needs comfort.

cas accepts this because he is entirely alone in the world except for dean and basically trapped with him because he is cut off from heaven and has no human connections, but also because he feels on some level like he deserves it (as a representation of the heaven that has taken everything from dean), that he's useless and that to serve dean or be used by dean is his purpose. cas develops some extreme trauma responses to dean's treatment of him, most notably he blacks out whenever dean gets violent or makes moves to start raping him. cas also prays for mercy on sam's soul.

eventually, an angel comes down from heaven and informs dean that sam is no longer in hell and his soul is in heaven, because heaven heard cas' prayer. dean freaks out but doesn't really talk about it, and the violence against cas stops completely, but they don't discuss it. they continue hunting.

like in both canon and with understanding, law enforcement believe dean to be a serial killer. like in with understanding and unlike in canon, they are extremely motivated to catch him and a credible threat to his and cas' lives and freedom. dean makes a mistake that leads them to his and cas' temporary home base and cas is captured and arrested.

initially cas is treated as dean's accomplice, but once the police? fbi? i forget who catches him, i think it's the police, but who gives a shit, notice his extreme trauma responses and the signs of physical abuse on his body, they reconsider and classify him as a brainwashed victim. a police officer comes and talks to him and tries to get him to work through some stuff.

eventually dean turns himself in out of guilt for the shit he's done to cas and to save cas. he works through some stuff with police officers and eventually they let him see cas, who he apologizes to.

cas breaks out of protective custody and rescues dean, but forces dean to promise that cas will be in charge of everything from now on, and they go on the lam together. happilyish ever after.

3. bone

bone is the most extreme canon divergence. dean stays in hell much longer than in canon and becomes a hardened torturer. instead of season four happening, the angels decide to create their own apocalypse. dean is resurrected to a world where humans and angels are in open warfare against one another and angels are losing.

dean is a torturer for the human side, and tortures angels for information. but eventually he decides to try to brainwash and stockholm syndrome an angel instead, and he happens to pick castiel. it works, and castiel breaks and is taught to serve and obey dean.

however, once cas is broken, dean starts to develop affection for him, then sympathy, and then finally guilt for what he's done. they begin a sexual relationship. due to the brainwashing and stockholm syndrome, cas is intensely traumabonded to dean, but no one, including dean, knows how to undo that, and cas is given his own free choices, but he always chooses dean anyway. also, the tragic twist is that cas is the only angel this brainwashing could have worked on, because it turns out he is the one who raised dean from hell, which changed him, making him capable of emotion in a way other angels are not.

cas and dean exist in a society with other people who know their history, including anna and gabriel who are both unequivocally on cas' side, and their relationship is very much overseen by other people. everyone thinks it's fucked up, but there really isn't anything to be done about it. cas is brainwashed to a super extreme degree, and no one knows how to fix him, so they just let him stay with dean. happilyish ever after.

okay. now discussion.

so, hesitation is kind of the odd man out here, inasmuch as... it has the same basic premise as the other three, which is essentially that cas experiences sexual trauma that bonds him irrevocably to dean, despite the fact that dean was involved in creating that trauma, but in hesitation, it's not dean's fault. dean is in fact as much a victim as cas. i think hesitation is probably sort of... the furthest flung from the other three. there's definitely some stuff you can see that's connected to with understanding, particularly cas' self-victim-blaming and complicated relationship to his own desire for dean, but i think the nature of that difference puts hesitation in a really different category than the other three. because even if the traumabond was created with dean, it's still essentially the difference between a victim remaining involved with their abuser, and a victim of abuse getting involved with someone else and having to work through that. zachariah is the perpetrator in this case, not dean. and that's not to say hesitation is unrelated to the others! i used to think of hesitation as, well, rapefic for cowards, on account of the fact that it had all of the trauma of rapefic but dean's complicity was totally sidestepped. now that i know that it was part of this greater series, i like it a lot more. i would also definitely say that hesitation is the only one of apokteino's lesser triad i would genuinely recommend outside of the context of supplementary reading for with understanding. it's just a genuinely good fic and you should check it out. i recced it, actually.

when is kind of... well, when is definitely and fairly obviously the closest to an actual dry run for with understanding. and that makes it really frustrating because like... well, when isn't very good.

when basically has three major flaws, and one big virtue which makes the flaws even more frustrating.

the first flaw is that dean's characterization is just like. it's just nothing. like the justification given for him to be horrifically beating and raping cas is like. well, okay, in the first one, which is entirely cas pov, cas speculates about his motivation. the motivations he comes up with are that either 1) dean is punishing cas as a way of lashing out against heaven, since it's heaven's fault sam is in hell, or 2) dean is actively trying to send himself to hell to be with his brother. there may be more reasons that cas postulates, i forget, but those are two big ones, and they make sense. however, in the second one, we see dean explain himself:

Dean looks away. He's not sure if Fitz is acting like he wants to be convinced – or isn't convinced, and trying to prove it – to get Dean to talk, or because he actually isn't sure. Either way, Dean needs to the be the killer, for Cas's sake. "It's more like … more like long periods, where I'm out of my head. And I do things because that's what there is. Hanging on the rack or off of it." "The rack?" Dean makes an aborted attempt to wave a hand, cuffs pulling. "Tortured or torturer." "And you chose the latter." Pretty sick that he does – did – put Cas on the rack, instead of himself. "And I guess that's what makes me evil, isn't it?" He looks at Fitz.

and like, i'm sorry, but i'm not gonna mince words: that's dumb. it's essentially a semimystical answer to a psychological question. it just doesn't make much sense. and frankly it's out of character. i hate it.

the second flaw is that it's just too short. when you read when, you gain an instant comprehension of why with understanding needed to be four hundred thousand words, because in thirty thousand, when really can't quite cut it. the characters just don't have time to develop and change and learn in the same way.

the third flaw is the ending, and it's actually a flaw that when shares with with understanding, although in with understanding it's not quite as drastic. essentially, in the end, cas is back in the exact same position as he was at the beginning, with only dean's word standing between him and a resurgence of the abuse. dean's brutalization of cas, like in with understanding and unlike in bone and hesitation, is essentially domestic abuse behavior. dean isn't engaging with cas as an enemy, and he isn't engaging with cas under the influence of false beliefs. he's engaging with cas as his friend cas when he brutalizes him. while dean is no longer under the psychological stress of believing sam is in hell, and has had an epiphany about exactly how bad he fucked cas up, that doesn't necessarily mean things will change, or remain different. old habits die hard. nothing is stopping dean, once a new psychological stressor appears, from treating cas just the same as he had before, except his moral convictions, which didn't stop him the first time. he could easily find ways to justify himself. and on cas' end, he's just as totally dependent on dean materially as he was at the beginning of the fic, and while he's worked through some stuff and might run if dean started up again, he also might not, because it's not like a few conversations are enough to really teach new habits of mind.

and then like... the big virtue of when is that in concept it's soooooo good and juicy. the heavy emphasis on outsider pov, especially the law enforcement pov which is really a treat just like in with understanding, except i like it more in when because it's about canon cas rather than fbi agent cas who is a good protagonist for wu but way too comprehensible to his colleagues at the bau. the way that dean and cas escape and hide by depending on the kindness of someone dean's saved. the idea that dean is brutalizing cas because he's actively trying to go to hell to be closer to sam, which is just so juicy i can't stand it because it simultaneously gets at the horror of the brothers' codependency and also gets at dean's tendency to not care who he's hurting as long as he hurts himself worse. the fact that cas is like if you had asked i would have given you my body willingly!! the fact that cas was already in love with dean when the violations start!! that's so crazy to me!!

a version of when that's a hundred and fifty thousand words, where dean stays in prison for months while cas recovers and goes to therapy in some kind of group home but is also unable to really integrate into human society because he is genuinely alien. more emphasis, almost hesitation style, on the idea that cas already wanted dean, and cas having to pick apart what desire remains there from the horror of being repeatedly raped. like the most unsatisfying thing about with understanding, to me, is how cas isn't really cas, and how dean and cas have no prior relationship. and like i do like some of the stuff in with understanding that comes from that, such as the fact that cas kind of becomes canon cas via trauma in some ways, and the fact that with understanding is like a dark subversion of the soulmate trope, but it does kind of make me crave a version where cas is himself and deancas are themselves you know? and when could be that. a much more complex and comprehensive outsider pov where we dig into juicy elements that when leaves on the table, such as the speculation that cas may have been in a cult (and we dig into how the outsiders are obviously wrong but maybe on some level they were right). maybe also some outsider pov from hunters and/or people dean has saved such that we actually see outsider pov on the nature of dean and cas' relationship from people who understand more of the context, and also such that when cas breaks dean out and they go on the lam, they can at least partially integrate into a community that will keep their relationship stable. or perhaps, for a tragedy, we see their relationship begin to deteriorate again once cas is dependent on dean again. make dean's motivation be about going to hell with sam, and really dig into that, explore dean's willingness to hurt other people as long as he's also hurting himself. when could be the perfect fic. it literally could. just for me.

and then bone is like... the thing about bone is that most of my thoughts about it revolve around it being a kind of counterpoint to with understanding and when. like before i talk about it i'm gonna say a couple of the things i really like about it which don't have that much to do with that.

the experiential descriptions of cas' brainwashed state are so fabulous and chilling, and that is i think the thing from bone that really made it into with understanding, although in bone it's so much clearer and more visible, which, you know, on the one hand, feels less real, but on the other it's soooooo chilling, you're really forced to think about it, to consider cas' experience, plus it draws your attention to similar moments in with understanding and makes those much more unsettling.

the side character stuff is fabulous, i especially liked ellen and anna, but really all of it is good.

the thing where angels can't feel and therefore could never have been broken like cas was, but the fact that cas had saved dean from hell, had been changed by him, on some level already loved him, and that's what made him vulnerable to dean's brutality is like such a juicy little tragedy.

but like. now let's compare.

like, i already pointed this out, but when and with understanding both start from like, a kind of domestic abuse situation that is enabled by circumstances that don't really change. bone, on the other hand, is like... dean is originally engaging with cas as an enemy combatant, and this is enabled by the fact that they are on opposite sides of a war. but these circumstances do genuinely change. bone creates a situation almost more akin to hesitation, where the main conflict and question is: you end up with a cas who has this trauma bond created by trauma which is absolutely in the past, and it can't be gotten rid of, so how do you live with it? as opposed to with understanding and when where it's more like how do you keep dean and cas from backsliding into an already established abusive dynamic. and the thing is bone dean is still culpable, and the level of like... so traumatized he's barely a person anymore that cas is on in bone is unreal. but it's more a question of: dean is not going to backslide into traumatizing cas again, but how can dean be prevented from accidentally or on purpose taking advantage of cas' traumatized state? how can cas be helped to rebuild his sense of self, is that even possible? cas wants to stay with dean, but can that desire be taken seriously if it's a result of horrific damage inflicted on cas that must be recovered from? is cas' consent meaningful? what if cas can never recover, does that change the answers to the other questions? if he can never recover, is it alright to allow him to be happy with dean? these are all super crunchy questions and they're like a really fun alternate take on the same basic premise that hesitation, with understanding, and when are all taking on.

and like the thing about. okay i'm gonna talk about with understanding for a moment. the thing about with understanding is that it rests on all of this exceptionalism and individualism and psychologizing of dean's behavior. when actually a lot of it is circumstantial? like the thing about with understanding is that with understanding dean if he was in normal circumstances would probably be a manipulative, emotionally abusive person who would be likely to pressure people into things including sex, have absolutely zero boundaries, and might even be inclined towards some light stalking, but he wouldn't be kidnapping anyone. he would probably stay in the category of "super shitty boyfriend" rather than "fbi manhunt." but the thing is his circumstances aren't normal. like, if you are dean winchester in the world of with understanding, it's almost a sane thing to do to temporarily kidnap your soulmate just so you can meet once and then let him go. it's still really awful, but it makes circumstantial sense because you KNOW that that will allow you to meet in heaven, and otherwise he would arrest you. it's really bad, but it's not as insane a move as it would be if nearly anyone else did it. it makes sense. and then once you have your soulmate kidnapped temporarily, it's not that big of a leap to just... give into temptation and not let him go. add onto that the fact that dean is just used to kidnapping and torturing people (those people are usually demons, but still), has access to all of these sometimes magical tools and weapons and equipment and a bunker in the middle of nowhere, is totally outside society and has no external observers in his life to sanity check him and no one to really hide from, and is used to being on the wrong side of the law and totally confident that that won't be a problem for him, and it's like... yeah. like the thing is if wu dean had all the same personality traits but was a car mechanic, cas would never have been in that situation. and like, the way everyone reacts to dean like they're so shocked that he treated cas "well" and that he's so capable of a certain level of basic self-awareness it's like... well of course! most people who commit crimes like the one dean has are probably way more dysfunctional than dean is in various ways, because they need to get over more barriers like "fear of being caught" and "the realization that oh my god i'm planning a kidnapping" and "having to go to work and leave their victim at home" and other such trivialities that dean's lifestyle makes irrelevant. of course every crime is made possible by circumstance, but dean's situation is particularly unique.

but that doesn't mean that because wu dean is less dysfunctional than the average kidnapper, he's easier to fix with psychotherapeutic solutions. indeed, quite the opposite! the barriers to him committing horrific acts are inherently lower due to his circumstances, which means that he could be the healthiest guy in the world and he would still be a lot more dangerous than john q. average. to pull an example from canon: one time sam has a sexual fantasy about rowena and it freaks him out so bad that he yells at her and slaps her in manacles. this is a pretty horrifying and misogynistic act, but sam is like... he's a fairly regular guy. he has some hangups about sex, but not to an abnormal degree. but he does have a set of magic manacles, and an occupation that has desensitized him to violence and chaining people up, and a pre-bottled justification (she's evil!) that says it's okay to be violent to rowena, and so this happens. you get my meaning? so fixing wu dean with therapy is like... it's kind of the last thing i'd reach for, you know? it's cathartic for cas, but it's not effective.

and like wu dean's circumstances don't really change! hell, in the end, dean and cas are ONCE AGAIN isolated together in the wilderness. and sure, cas is kind of choosing to be there, but he's also trapped by the fact that he's a wanted fugitive. it's so much more effective than the cuff because there's no more soft landing waiting for him back in normal society, only a hard prison cot.

anyway the thing about bone is that in bone the change is almost all circumstantial. like yeah dean does have like a guilt epiphany and shit, and obviously the pathology of hell trauma does affect dean's actions as a torturer. but the problem and solution are not situated in that pathology. in the end, the main thing that happens to fix things is that cas is no longer considered an enemy, and he is integrated into a society which contains people who care about and can care for, keep an eye on, and sanity check both him and dean. there will never again be circumstances in which it is easy for dean to torture and brainwash him. you know? and that really highlights what's going on in when and with understanding.

#rape tw #abuse tw #spn #asks #anonymous

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imaginethedragon · 5 months

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I’m so disappointed with Hazbin Hotel.

Big spoilers for the whole show, episode 5 and 6 in particular

The first four episodes were a bit fast, a bit packed, but they had promise, and the next two episodes just squandered it.

The first batch set up the Vees as the antagonists for season one. Valentino as Angel’s abuser and the force pulling him away from the hotel and back into sin. He was a bit less... intimidating than I was hoping he was going to be, being played more as a joke compared to Vox and Velvette, but it could have worked. Vox was being set up as a rival for Alastor, one who Alastor didn't seem to take too seriously, but would have been fun to watch their interactions, and would have been a good lens to learn more about Alastor. Velvette being the only one without any sort of tie to the main cast was a bit strange, but they could have leaned into episode 3 and her antagonizing the overlords. It would have been a cool B-plot, and a way to show hell itself and flesh out the lore, along with learning about the overlords and their dynamics. She only interacts with Carmilla and Zestial; what do the other overlords think about her and the Vees plans? How do they feel about taking on heaven and the exorcists?

The time jump after the first four episodes was, in my opinion a huge mistake, and a MASSIVE missed opportunity. That time should have been used to develop hell, establish the hotels presence. Why does no one want to join the hotel? Angel is only there (at first) for the free rent. Why aren't more demons taking advantage of that? Why aren't people showing up to creep on Angel? What are the Vees up to? Based on episode 3, they're quite eager to go to war. What in specific are their plans? What are they doing to work towards that goal? Skipping 4-5 months ahead makes them feel toothless, and not in an intentional way. Carmilla killed that one exorcist. How? This could have been a cool and fun mystery for Velvette to solve over the course of a few episodes, but we just get handed "Oh Carmilla did it to defend her daughters and she doesn't want to go to war." Okay, well, again, how did she do it? That should then be what Velvette is trying to solve. Lucifer has next to no build up, and his song with Charlie feels like unearned catharsis for a conflict that was barely established before it was resolved. Him not having a relationship with Charlie not because he's a bad father, but because he doesn't know how to, is a super interesting plot point, and I'm so disappointed it was resolved in the same episode it was introduced. He should have been way more established before being physically brought in. We should have learned how he runs the pride ring, what the people living there think of him, what his reputation is. Those 4-5 months should have been used to build him up as the powerful but reclusive ruler of hell, maybe invoked as a threat (against the Vees by Carmilla for example, "stop provoking the overlords or I'll call Lucifer in to deal with you"). We should have seen more from Charlie talking about her relationship with him, building up their strained dynamic, and how it came to be. Did Lilith keep them apart? Was Lucifer busy and not make enough time for her when she was a child/pre-teen? We could have seen him interacting with an underling, or even talking to himself, lamenting that he doesn't know what he's doing as a father, seen more of him being locked away in his workshop and learned why he keeps to himself so much. Or not, if that's being held back for future plot reasons, but we needed SOMETHING more than what we got.

Vaggie being a fallen exorcist was introduced and then revealed to Charlie in the same episode and feels like a wasted opportunity. I know they don't want to make Vaggie the bad guy or show her directly harming Charlie, but Adam and Lute threatening her and then exposing it to Charlie almost immediately seems wasteful and incompetent on their part.

Angel's growth is all happening off screen, and I think that's a shame. He's such an interesting character, and I want to see more of him gaining confidence in himself. I think a character that's not CHOOSING to be better, but is GETTING better by experiencing genuine love and friendship is so interesting, and it's just not shown. He goes from "I'm staying here for the free rent. Crack is expensive" to standing up to Valentino in front of a crowd of onlookers with what seems to the audience as one song of development in between.

Overall there's too much happening too fast. In my opinion, the first season should have been the Vees time to shine; they should have been the villains. We should have spent the whole first season learning about the dynamics of hell, exploring what the deal is with the overlords, even a monster-of-the-week type plot with demons showing up to the hotel and the cast evaluating if they want to redeem themselves or if they're just there to creep on Angel. Everything in episode 5 and 6 should have been season 2. Mid to late season 2 at that. I think the episodes themselves were fine, they just should have come later in the show.

This isn't even going into my issues with the first episode and how the pilot relates to it, and the choice to recast everyone.

I wanted to like this show. When the pilots initially dropped, I thought Hazbin had a lot of promise, and I was really looking forward to it. The first 4 episodes made me cautiously optimistic about the show's chances. But episode 5 and 6 really just shot that in the foot for me.

There's so much promise here that's just... being squandered. And I can't for the life of me understand why.

#hazbin hotel #imagine speaks #i don't even know if i should tag this #i'm not interested in getting into an argument #constructive conversation welcome though

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raayllum · 2 years

Text

S4 and Tests of Love

Warning: spoilers for 4x01 of The Dragon Prince.

These two lines from Aaravos were ones that jumped out at me right away. Season two goes a long way to establish the thematic relevance of Love - History as a Narrative of Love as something that can break the cycle, juxtaposed with History as a Narrative of Strength that keeps perpetuating the cycle. Therefore our villain, Aaravos, commenting on Love, and beginning to sow seeds that the dichotomy between love and strength can be complicated, interested me greatly.

And now I think we’re going to finally see it come to fruition in season four, particularly with the characters of Callum and Claudia. For starters, they are paralleled in the poster and singled out specifically in having ‘fates’ that are beginning to unfold in Aaravos’ master plan.

Discover what different fates await two powerful young mages, Claudia and Callum, in the first official clip from SEASON 4 of #TheDragonPrince! (1)

And secondly, Aaravos has tethered Claudia’s tests of love to her father to his own plans for freedom. Claudia had to work tirelessly to bring Viren back from the dead after two years, not moving on or letting of this loss. Then, the plot is kicked off, as Aaravos tells her that she has one month to free him from his prison, or her father will die all over again. This is perfectly in line with Aaravos’ lines from S3.

Claudia has passed one test, and now she has to pass another, presumably by the end of S5 at the latest (so that S6 can have the heroes try and miserably fail to stop Aaravos, for ex). Aaravos knows how to use people’s emotions against them; he did it with Viren in S2, appealing to his loneliness, frustration, and sense of importance. He’s been quietly doing it, tugging on Claudia’s love for her father, and now putting that to the forefront in order to get himself out of his prison for good, because he knows she’ll do anything for Viren.

Aaravos doesn’t believe in just forcing people to do things; he believes in giving them tests to prove themselves - for better and rn, just for worse. (As he’s been given Lucifer comparisons, think the snake goading Eve to eat the apple as a Test of Faith, for ex, that she failed.)

As for Callum, I think it’s pretty clear where his Test of Love is going to be.

This is for a few reasons I’ve highlighted before, as Rayla is (unknowingly) charging right at Aaravos, and would be the perfect bait for the boy with his Key still in his possession. It would give Callum more agency in terms of choosing to go after her, help dismantle some of Rayla’s beliefs that led her to leave him in the first place, and be a choice the audience understands but also despairs at because we don’t want anything to happen to them, but we also know Aaravos getting out of his mirror is going to be terrible long term.

Additionally, this isn’t the only time Claudia and Callum’s Tests Of Love have been set up in contrast. Remember in 3x09, where they both commit powerful acts of magic, regardless of the cost to themselves, to save their loved one from the brink of death?

Callum and Claudia have always paralleled each other quite strongly, especially throughout seasons one through three. Although it seems like Callum will have even more parallels with Viren than he previously had, Callum and Claudia are currently two of the most vulnerable characters in the show, with something to lose and with something to protect.

I think it’s likely that just as Aaravos has laid out a Test of Love for Claudia to pass or fail, he’ll do the same for Callum in order to achieve his own ends - and although I think both characters will Pass those Tests, the consequences for the world will be disastrous.

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smtown-tourist · 3 months

Text

A SHINee Poem:

Excuse Me Miss,

Why So Serious?

Wowowow!

Girls, Girls, Girls, calm down!

Don’t have a Heart Attack.

I know this Breaking News can’t seem Real,

and it’s HARD for Y.O.U. to comprehend The Reason

for why Onew and Taemin would Runaway from SM

after they’ve been there for what feels like 1000nen.

You might not Like It at first,

getting The Feeling that SHINee will become like Atlantis,

lost and never seen again,

that this announcement is like they Kiss Yo

and all those SEASONS they worked for SM good-bye.

You might feel like the Onew and Taemin are saying,

“Farewell My Love.”

and it might make you Shout Out,

“Please, Don’t Go!”

I’m With You. I felt that way, too,

at first,

but I have Good Good Feeling that these Up & Down times

that move like a Seesaw are only the beginning

of the next Beautiful SHIFT in SHINee’s career paths.

Signing with a new company might sound Dangerous and as if it might

all blow up in their faces like Dynamite, but it’s time to Close the Door

on Onew and Taemin’s Days and Years at SM.

Senorita, I Get It.

A new company will feel like a Stranger is Hitchhiking off of their Perfect 10 fame.

Set those feelings Aside and look at it from this View:

A new company might Rescue them from the Evil that was SM,

pretending to be their A.MI.GO

and always telling our boys, “U Need Me to be a SUPERSTAR.”

A Trigger, I know,

since some of you have gotten a Clue about the Symptoms,

like Insomnia,

malnourishment,

and questioning of their Identity, as a person and artist,

that comes from being Married to the Music

and working for someone like SM.

You don’t need to be Sherlock to crack that CØDE.

A new company could be a Savior and a Sweet Surprise

for You & I, who Wish Upon A Star every night,

hoping that our boys will break out of their Sweet Misery.

Wishful Thinking it might seem,

this company might not be Mr. Right Guy,

the Best Place for our leader and maknae,

and everything Onew and Taemin have worked for

might Become Undone.

It Hit Me, though, that for Onew,

he has Nothing to Lose.

Almost Four Seasons and 365 days have passed without his return,

and for a while, it felt like his Life in SHINee

had come to an end,

like we were that much Closer to losing another member.

But the Note that we got reassured us

that his hiatus wasn’t a Spoiler,

that the last album wasn’t An Ode To You,

a Last Gift to The SHINee World,

that SHINee World VI wasn’t an Undercover farewell,

that this transition is a Hello to fresh beginnings,

An Encore to the Beautiful Life that Onew and Taemin already lived

while at SM.

Their departure might leave a Black Hole

in SM’s solo artist lineup as they Kiss Kiss Kiss them good-bye,

but it’s not the end for SHINee.

Onew and Taemin will be Better Off at new companies

where they can be like Picasso and create something magical.

Trust our boys’ Chemistry for it is Electric.

They SHINe like a Colorful Prism,

a Lucky Star in the Diamond Sky.

and trust their Honesty to Keeping Love Again

for as SHINee once said, “Love Should Go On,”

and our Love Still Goes On

because the bond between SHINee and SHINee World

is like Romeo + Juliette.

They need our Love Like Oxygen

and we will Always Love them.

To SHINee, we are their Juliette,

their Jo Jo,

their SHINee Girl,

their Lucifer,

their One,

their Dazzling Girl,

their Dream Girl,

their Selene 6.23,

their Queen of New York,

their Odd Eye,

their 1 of 1 girl.

Boys Will Be Boys and our boys Don’t Stop loving us.

They will wonder about your blood type.

“Aboab?”

But then they will tell themselves, “If You Love Her, it doesn’t matter.”

They will come to your door and Ring Ding Dong that doorbell,

asking, “Do Me Right and Tell Me Your Name. Give me Your Name and Your Number.”

They might play hard to get and tell you, “Don’t Call Me,”

but then show up like a Gentleman with flowers and Chocolate in their hands.

They might make you mad and then they’ll start begging,

“Don’t Let Me Go. You are the One for Me. Stand By Me.”

They will ask for the Password To Your Heart

so you won’t have to feel that Love Pain anymore

like a sad, lonely Quasimodo.

“Woof Woof,” goes their puppy-love as they Hold You in their arms.

They will want to Marry You and Lock You Down

like a Love Sick Romantic.

On the days when the Green Rain falls,

they will be your Sunny Day Hero,

showing you the Sunny Side of Love’s Way.

They Talk To You about the Colors of the Season

and shower you with Attention because you're their new Obsession.

They will help you Bounce back from those dark days

by shouting, “A-yo!”

They might mess up your Lipstick as they give you a little Kiss Kiss

in this Winter Wonderland.

So, I Say, Run With Me into this new future with SHINee.

I Want You to take a Drive Downtown Baby,

listen to that Retro Melody as you

DXDXD to the Moon River Waltz

and feel the Body Rhythm as you Get Down and JUMP

to SHINee’s Countless hits.

I Really Want You to Graze through that collection that I know

you have, just like I have In My Room, and find

your favorite Photograph that makes your Electric Heart

feel as if it’s on Fire.

Can you feel it Burning Up!?

It’s Like A Fire, isn’t it?

It makes you feel Alive and wish that you could

turn the clock One Minute Back

so you can relive it all again on this Good Evening.

Ready or Not, we have come to our next Destination

of Our Page in SHINee’s story.

In 3 2 1, the Orgel plays on the Alarm Clock.

Everybody, wake up, wake up!

The Boys Meet U in a new Area of their lives,

and right now, Onew and Taemin might feel far away,

like a Satellite orbiting the night sky.

You might have a Sleepless Night followed by a Nightmare

as you don’t Feel Good about this new change,

but the Gravity of SHINee World’s Love, so Kind, patient, and everlasting,

keeps The Name SHINee from disappearing into outer space.

Our crazy Punch Drunk Love keeps them fighting

for this Romance that we have that’s So Amazing.

It’s the kind that when people ask, “Who Waits for Love?”

You say, “All Day All Night, I’ll wait for SHINee.”

From Now On, you don’t have to Tell Me What To Do.

I’ll Get the Treasure because Kimi Ga Iru Sekai.

Forever or Never, I always want to remain by your side.

Kiminoseide, I Wanted to become 10X better, and now, I have the JUICE

to make that happen.

You’ll never have to say, “Y Si Fuera, Ella,” to me

or any other member of SHINee World.

You, SHINee, have said to us, “We are SHINee 5 and we’re right by your side.”

Now, it’s our turn to Replay that back at you.

Onew and Taemin,

as well as Minho and Key,

and of course, Jonghyun, too, our Moon Drop diamond in the sky,

as you embark on this new adventure,

and everyone else in SHINee world say,

“We are SHINee World and we’re right by your side.”

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devildomwriter · 6 months

Note

Is Simeon actually a human now? Like, is it official and canon in the storyline? I haven't caught up with the OG storyline yet but I've seen spoilers that he has been stripped of his angel title and lives as a human now. Is that true? I thought it might be a card or something..

Yes. In season two he stole the ring of light from Michael in the Celestial Realm. Even though it was to save MC and Lucifer he still broke into the castle and took an item Michael cherished so for this reason he was demoted to human.

He didn’t fall from grace necessarily and in season four Lucifer promises Simeon they’ll find a way to make him an angel again to which Simeon is grateful. Simeon is still accepting that he is a human now and believes he’s made personal progress but he still misses the Celestial Realm.

#obey me spoilers #obey me major spoilers

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misc-obeyme · 5 months

Note

Listen idc about spoilers but what do you mean? That Simeon is human now?? Why?? When?? How?? Please I need answers

Oh gosh okay. Well I don't know how far along in the story you are, but it all begins with the end of season two in the OG. I'm gonna put the rest under a read more because it's all spoilers for anything after that. If you truly want to read them, I will outline the basics of the situation! I know I sometimes spoil myself on purpose so I know how emotionally invested to get lol.

So yes, at the end of season four in the OG, Simeon is now considered a human.

It started with the end of season two when he gives MC the Ring of Light in order to protect the three worlds from MC's out of whack magic. The other option was using the Night Dagger to sever all seven of MC's pacts. And in order to give the Night Dagger the power it needed to do that, it had to kill a really powerful demon. In this case, Lucifer. So at the end, MC is faced with killing Lucifer with the Night Dagger and then using it to sever their pacts. MC can choose to turn the knife on themselves instead because certainly killing themselves would stop their own magic from going haywire.

However, the Ring of Light can also control MC's magic and make things safe again. The Ring of Light used to belong to Lucifer, but Michael has had it since Lucifer fell.

Simeon shows up at the last second with the ring, thus saving Lucifer or MC's life. As well as giving MC the means to control their power and thus saving the three worlds from continued destruction.

It turns out that Simeon essentially stole the ring from Michael because he took it without asking. His punishment is to have his angelic blessing/grace removed. I think they refer to it as his angelic blessing in the game, but I can't quite remember. It's basically the magic that makes him an angel. This causes him to have zero magic and no wings, without which he can't return to the Celestial Realm at all. This essentially classifies him as human.

Season three of the OG takes place in the human world. The brothers come to visit MC there, but Simeon is also running a cafe with Luke nearby. So for an entire season, MC is unaware of Simeon's human status.

Season four returns us to the Devildom where Simeon continues to wear his human world outfit. Despite this, he still doesn't tell MC the truth until the end of the season. He's in the Devildom under the protection of Lucifer and Diavolo because he can't technically participate in the exchange program anymore. Thus why Raphael shows up. (I may be misremembering some of these details... it's been a minute since I played season four.)

This is why a lot of people were upset about Nightbringer happening in the past. Because we kinda just finally get Simeon to tell us the truth and then BAM he's an angel again lol. Anyway, now that we're potentially going back to our current timeline, we'll see what his status is.

#hopefully this helps #definitely some major spoilers though #obey me #obey me nightbringer #obey me simeon #spoilers #obey me spoilers #anxious-chick #cc mutuals #misc answers

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with-love-from-hell · 11 months

Text

5 Sides of Human

{Part Twenty-Four}

Genre: Mixed WC: ~5.8k CW: mentions of blood, mentions of death, Verbal abuse/physical abuse, choking implication, use of the word "Bitch," Heavy Illusion to past trauma, sexual jokes, swearing, use of some ableist language (e.g. dumb, stupid, idiot), Storm has a stutter but I am not depicting it with written word consistently, prolly lots of typos lol, spoilers for season 1&2, I'm skipping over/changing some things I didn't like in the main story so it will be a bit different from canon! Series Masterlist

As the group entered the cave behind Solomon, they were at first faced with what one would expect when walking into a hole in the side of a mountain. The air was cold and stale, and surrounding them was complete darkness, other than the light from the outside of the long tunnel ahead of them. Suddenly, the dark grey rock around them fizzled out, and soon they were standing in the middle of a hillside. Small yellow dandelions and white wild flowers littered the area between seas of long blades of plush emerald grass. The bright sun beat down upon them from the bluest of skies, and any sign of a cave, or the entrance to it, was completely abandoned.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Levi stopped dead in his tracks, causing Fern and Mammon to run straight into him. "We're supposed to be in a cave, so why are we in a field? I mean, this totally feels like something out of a video game."

"Please tell me we didn't get sucked into one of Levi's games again." Vivi sighed in irritation, remembering back to a fiasco shortly before Storm's arrival where she, Levi, Mammon, Fern, and Satan were thrown into one of Levi's dating simulators.

"Honestly, this whole reaper's cave thing isn't that different from being inside a video game to begin with, so it doesn't really matter." Satan shrugged, casting a teasing smirk Vivi. "At least this game doesn't have anything to do with intimacy points."

Vivi scoffed, but Satan saw the small smile that formed on her lips.

"Solomon, what's this?" Heart stopped just in front of Levi, pointing to the ground at his feet. Right above the tip of his shoe was a message written in the same scrawled font as the cave entrance.

"Ah, a message written in blood?" Solomon swiftly paced to Heart's side, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That would be the rules for level 1."

Storm stood on her tip-toes, trying to read what was written in the grass over Fern's shoulder. She felt a chill run up her spine as she re-read the statement, the cryptic message sinking in deeper as her eyes passed over the words.

Satan raised a brow in disbelief. "'Don't look back?' Really..? that's it?"

"So we just have to keep walking right? That'll be easy!" Levi grinned, stepping over the message quickly. Heart walked around it with Asmo at their side, matching Levi's pace. The others followed, with Storm and Lucifer taking up the rear.

"Knowing my reaper friend, I wouldn't be so sure about that." Solomon cast glances around the group members in front of him, resisting the urge to ensure everyone else followed behind. "You're liable to get yourself in trouble if you assume it's going to be that easy."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Vivi snarled, about to turn to face Solomon, but was stopped by Satan frantically gripping both of her shoulders. She immediately shook him off, casting a scowl at him. Though it faded when she saw the fear present in his eyes, now realizing that he had saved her from whatever punishment breaking the rule would bear. She cast her gaze downward, trying to figure out how to respond.

Solomon shook his head as he stepped on the other side of her. "It just means that you shouldn't let your guard down. Now let's keep going."

They continued on for a short distance, the field seeming to stretch on and on. The discomfort Storm felt didn't cease as they walked, and nearly doubled as a faint, familiar voice tickled her ears. Her movements were roboticly slow as she tried to convince herself it was all in her imagination.

"Storm...What are you doing?! Get back here, NOW!"

Lucifer noticed her gate falter, slowing down himself to ensure she wasn't left behind.

"Hey...Did anyone hear that?" Mammon looked to his side to get confirmation from the twins and Fern that they had also heard something.

"No?" Fern looked to Belphie who also shook his head.

"I didn't hear anything either." Beel shrugged.

"It sound's like...'" Mammon scrunched his brow, trying to listen for it again.

"Ignore it." Lucifer sighed, noticing the gap between him and his brothers widening slightly.

"I expect you to look at me when I talk to you, bitch."

Storm's movements now stopped completely as a wave of fear washed over her. She recognized the owner of the voice.

That voice...It-it couldn't be...

Lucifer paused as Storm did, but was careful not to turn completely around to face her.

"There it is again!" Mammon also stopped, causing the others to now pause their movements as well. "That voice...It...Storm, you ain't talkin' ta me, are ya?"

"Huh?" Storm glanced up to the back of Mammon's head several feet in front of her, cast out of her fear-laced stooper. "No, I-I didn't say anything."

"Are ya sure? It sounds exactly like ya." Mammon hesitated, now hearing a slight difference in the inflection in Storm- the real Storm-'s tone. "I can hear it callin' out to me...Callin' my name in the sweetest way!"

"I'm not saying anything, Mammon." She reiterated, now ignoring the increasing volume of the voice she heard behind her. It sounded close; much closer than before.

"You guys seriously can't hear that?" Mammon asked the others once more, who only had looks of confusion on their faces.

"I...I do hear something too..." Storm added, swallowing hard.

"I guess I can hear some meows, but I haven't heard Storm talking..." Satan murmured, looking uncertainly to Vivi, who shook her head in disbelief.

"All I hear is my fans saying how much they love me, but that's not unusual, hehe." Asmo grinned, squeezing Heart's hand. "But...it would be rude of me to just ignore them..."

"No, Asmo!" Heart yanked on his hand to re-shift his focus from the noise.

"None of what you're hearing is real." Lucifer stated sternly. "Ignore it. It's the reaper's cave playing tricks on you."

"I'm not hearin' things! I'm tellin' ya, it's as real as can be!" Mammon snapped, now becoming irritated with the other's denial of what he was sure was the truth.

"That's exactly what the reaper wants, yes. It's all to get you to break the rule for this level." Lucifer crossed his arms. "Don't look back. You have to resist the urge."

"Don't you dare ignore me!"

"T-this is starting to freak me out a little." Storm felt her knees begin to tremble slightly as her breath became uneven. The last thing she wanted was to have to experience this nightmare all over again.

Lucifer heard the fear in Storms voice, making him wonder what she was hearing from behind her. He reached back toward her without looking, trying to provide his hand for her to hold on to for comfort.

"Pfffhaha, sucks that you guys could fall for something that-" Levi paused, his eyes widening. "R-rui-chan!? Ruri-chan is calling to me!"

"What?!" Mammon blinked at him, now focusing on Levi's frantic attempts to turn around, which were only halted by Sarah holding him firmly in place.

"If you don't turn around right now-"

"She needs me to fight along side her! I can't let her down!" Levi whined, trying to pry Sarah's hand out of his.

"Levi, Ruri-chan isn't real!" Heart sighed, still trying to force Asmo's gaze to the front.

"-I'll make sure you regret it..."

"I'm telling you, it's a trap!" Lucifer snapped, trying to walk backwards slowly toward Storm, who still stood frozen in place. Trying to be cautiously soft toward her and harsh toward his brothers at the same time was proving to be a lot more difficult than he had thought it would be.

"Even so, I can't risk abandoning Ruri-chan now!" Levi confidently puffed out his chest, finally ripping his hand out of Sarah's. "Hold on, Ruri-chan, I'm coming!!"

"...Do I have to remind you of the last time you turned your back on me?"

"Wh- LEVI! You idiot!" Belphie shouted as Levi turned and pushed past him, running in the reverse direction of the group.

As Levi ran past her, Storm began to feel the sensation of hands trying to wrap themselves around her neck. She shrieked, closing her eyes and bolting forward, rushing past everyone as fast as she could. If the voice behind her was trying to get her to turn around, the effect it had was the opposite.

"Shit." Lucifer hissed through gritted teeth, trying his best to keep his grip on Levi's jacket without turning around accidentally. "Somebody, grab Storm!"

Just as the words left Lucifer's lips, the scenery around the group fizzled and a doorway opened in the distance. Storm headed directly toward it, bursting through in a fit of pants. She tripped and fell to the floor, gasping for air.

Vivi was the first to be at Storm's side, having a faster reaction time than anyone in the group. Part of her recognized the type of fear she exhibited in her scream and frantic escape, and made her feel angry at the fact that she had clearly suffered similarly to what Vivi herself experienced in the past. As she helped to comfort Storm, she wondered if she should ask what it was she had heard. Though, she thought better of it as the rest of the group came rushing into the room behind her.

"-Well, Lucifer told you it was a trap." Belphie snorted as he sauntered into the room. He shook his head as the group turned to look, some gasping, and others erupting into a fit of laughter at the sight that was in front of them. A basketball sized and shaped, soot-colored figure was being held by the scruff in the hands of the eldest brother, kicking and flailing as he screamed at Lucifer to put him down. It had a long, snake-like tail, bright orange eyes, and coral-like horns sticking out of its head. The voice emitting from the small creature seemed to sound...a lot like Leviathan.

Lucifer kicked the door closed behind him, dropping the creature to the floor with a thud. He whimpered at the impact, cursing at the others who laughed at his plight.

"Laugh all you want!" Leviathan pouted, crossing his small, stick-thin arms. "But I would do it again if it was for Ruri-chan!"

"Aww Levi! Look at youuu!" Sarah cooed, rushing to him and taking him up into her arms. "You're so cute!"

"He kinda looks like a little D..." Beel chuckled as Sarah squeezed Levi.

"AHHEE...Sarah! GAHHH! S-Stop kissing me!" He squealed as she peppered his face with kisses. Fern, Heart, Mammon, and Asmo collapsed to the floor into a fit of laughter, finding Levi's current state of being amusing.

Lucifer clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes at the immaturity of the others. He refocused his attention to Storm, who had been finally helped to her feet by Vivi. She looked as if she was breathing more evenly now, though the remnants of fresh tears still littered her cheeks.

"You okay?" Vivi asked quietly, placing a hand on her back to try to comfort her.

"Y-yeah. Thanks." Storm gave her a weak smile, dusting off her clothing from the fall.

Lucifer watched on, finding himself grateful for Vivi's aid in whatever had happened to cause her to flee so quickly from the first level of the reaper's cave.

"I suppose we're in level 2 now." Satan glanced around the humongous room they found themselves in. "It looks like a giant library."

"We'd better make sure to keep facing forward." Beel nervously fidgeted with his fingers. "If you're not careful, you'll end up like Levi."

Satan glanced toward Levi, who was still screeching and trying to wriggle his way out of Sarah's over-affectionate arms.

"We're out of the first level now, so that rule no longer applies. See?" Solomon turned around, smiling at everyone. "Though we should find the second rule quickly, we don't want to accidentally break it."

"Yeah, I don't really wanna end up like Levi." Belphie grimaced.

Levi finally got out of Sarah's hold, waddling his way over to Storm to hide behind her legs as fast as he could. "Ugh, yeah, no kidding! I might as well face it...I'll be doomed to look like this for the rest of my life now. It's so embarrassing, I would rather die than be stuck like this forever!"

Heart frowned. "You're still you, no matter what you look like, Levi."

"Yeah, and you look so adorable now! I just cant get enough of you! Ahh!" Sarah squealed, squishing her cheeks. "I mean, you were cute before, but now you look like a squishmallow!!"

A deep red hue formed on Levi's dark cheeks. "Eh...Thanks, I guess."

"Hey, check this out!" Fern called out from behind a book case, peaking their head around to beckon the others toward them. "I think I found the next rule."

The group meandered towards them to find the next message. This time, it was smaller, but the message had been scrawled over numerous books on the shelf.

"'Do not touch...'" Beel read aloud before shrugging.

"I can't believe someone would actually deface such perfectly good books like this." Satan scowled, "it's unforgivable."

"Pff, this is so dumb. Who would wanna touch a buncha lame books anyways?" Mammon scoffed, crossing his arms. "Now, if these shelves were packed with stacks of cash or gold bars instead'a books, then I'd do more than just touch 'em."

"Yeah, yeah. You get a boner for money and wanna stick your dick in a wad of bills. We get it." Fern rolled their eyes.

"Oi! T-that's not was gonna say!" Mammon glowered, closing his arms tighter around himself to fight back against the embarrassment. "I was gonna say- I'd throw 'em up in the air and let 'em rain down on me!"

"So...like a stripper?" Heart snorted before bursting into laughter, joined by Fern, Levi, and Asmo.

"Shaddap!!" Mammon's cheeks burned as he tried to maintain his cool.

"Mammon, hold still a second..." Beel cocked his head, pointing to Mammon's wrist. "What's that?"

Mammon looked around him, flipping up his jacket to try to see what Beelzebub was pointing at. "Huh? Whatcha talkin' about?"

"You've got some sort of mark there. It sort of looks like some ink rubbed off there- right by your thumb." Beel pointed again, but leaned closer to get a better look.

"I dunno what that is, it could be anything!" Mammon rolled his eyes, yanking his sleeve back down.

Satan caught a glimpse of the mark as Mammon tried to hide it from view. "Wait...that looks like a Midas Crest, I think."

"My-dass...what now?" Mammon slowly rolled back up his sleeve, observing the mark more closely now.

"Midas crest." Satan repeated getting a closer look at Mammon's arm. "From that old human-world fairy tale: The man who was cursed by a witch so that everything he touched turned to gold. This looks just like the mark that reflects that curse."

"All riiiiiight! I'm gonna be loaded! Ahahah!" Mammon cackled.

"Mammon, remember what happened to Levi." Lucifer narrowed his eyes. "This is likely a trick. If you touch anything..."

"Yeah, it's probably fake, dude." Fern scoffed before pausing. After a few seconds of silence, a wide grin spread across their face. "Though...maybe you should test it out, just to be sure."

"That means...this whole room..." Mammon looked around him, his pupils dialating like an excited cat. "That means everything in this room could turn to gold! All of it!"

"Yeah, yeah! So get touchin'!" Fern snorted, relishing in how riled up Mammon seemed to be getting.

"Fern!" Storm hissed as they stifled a laugh. "Mammon, if you touch anything, you'll turn into...whatever it is Levi is!"

"Like I give a shit?!" Mammon cackled running toward the fullest book shelf in sight. "I'll be rich! Rich, I tell ya!"

"Mammon!" Storm called to him, lurching forward to try to stop what he was about to do. Her hand was grabbed and she was subsequently pulled back by Lucifer, who shook his head and sighed in a dismissive manner.

"Let him learn, Storm."

"Sweet, sweet gold! Come to papa!" Mammon cheerfully sang as he reached out to the shelf. A bright white light burst from the book that his fingers grazed, blinding everyone in the room. When the light finally dimmed down, Mammon was no where to be seen. In the place that he had been, stood another basketball-soot-demon. This one had spiral horns and bat-like wings sticking out of its back.

Fern doubled over in laughter as Mammon shouted in anger, furious that the "Midas crest" was clearly just a trick.

"DAMMIT! STOP LAUGHIN' AT ME FERN!"

"We tried to warn you, dip shit." Belphie rolled his eyes. "But you just had to go and touch something."

"Heeey! Now we're twins, haha!" Levi laughed along with Fern. The fact that Mammon now also had to share in his misery made the experience a little better.

"SHADDAP, LEVI! Don't go lumpin' me together with a loser like you!" He roared, but it only made the others laugh harder and how pathetic the tiny demon looked when trying to be intimidating.

Lucifer rolled his eyes, unamused by the scene unfolding before him as Levi and Mammon began bickering. He glanced toward Solomon, Vivi, and Satan, wandering toward where they stood near the opposite wall.

"What are you two looking at?"

"This library...it's covered wall-to-wall with rare books." Satan leaned in, reading the spine of a book on a lower shelf. "Look at this! Magical Fungi of the Three Worlds: Distribution and Ecology- and it's in perfect condition!"

"They may be rare, but make sure you just look at them. Is that clear, Satan?" Solomon shook his head.

"I know the rule, Solomon. Don't mistake me for a certain idiotic brother of mine." Satan crossed his arms, glaring at the sorcerer.

"Oi! I heard that!" Mammon growled from the other side of the room.

"Good." Vivi gave her voice a teasing inflection made a face at him before turning back around, causing Mammon to again start another tirade.

From the corner of the shelf, a soft mewling emitted, causing Satan to freeze.

"Did...did you hear that?" Satan snapped his attention in the direction of the sound, abandoning the book that had previously caught his attention. He squatted in front of the shelf as Solomon groaned, trying to see where the noise was coming from.

"Satan, it was probably just your imagination." Vivi warned.

"No, I didn't imagine it. It was the sound of a cat meowing..." Satan ducked and turned his head, trying to see between the books on the shelves.

"Uh oh." Storm's eyes widened as she quickly paced to where Lucifer stood.

The meow sounded off again, this time in the direction of another room. Satan immediately bolted toward it, leaving the others in the dust. After a moment of pause, they quickly followed, only to be blinded by another bright light.

They blinked as the light fizzled, rounding the corner to the next room where Satan- or rather, who they assumed to be Satan- stood in the doorway. The small demon had deep green eyes, curled horns, and a tail swishing back and forth in irritation, but he said nothing.

"...Is there something you'd like to say, Satan?" Lucifer snickered, putting his hands on his hips.

The small creature paused. "...I...Well! If a tiny kitten who'd just opened its eyes started meowing at you in a weak fragile voice, hungry and trembling with fear...would you be able to resist the urge to scoop it up in your arms?? Hm!?"

"You're a fucking idiot!" Vivi snorted as she began to laugh, clearly enjoying the view of the small, pudgy Satan that stood before her.

"The rule here was 'do not touch', remember?" Lucifer smirked, trying to resist the urge to join in on Vivi's laughing fit.

"I take responsibility for my actions...and I regret nothing." Satan stated, finishing his statement with a "hmpf" when it was met with laughter.

"That was real smooth, bro...but ya can't pull off a confident line like that when you look like this. Ya just sound dumb."

"The lot of you...Your lack of self control is embarrassing." Lucifer sighed.

"Well, it's not our fault, right? We are demons, after all." Levi shrugged.

"You may be demons, but you can't lose your head in situations like this. Need I remind you that we are here to save your brother? Not to screw around."

"We had no idea what these curses would do. What if it would have killed you?" Storm squatted down with a frown, petting Mammon gently on the head. Mammon flushed, trying to hide his shame from worrying Storm.

"You all need to learn some sense of self-control." Lucifer shook his head in disappointment.

"Whatever. I left all that behind with the celestial realm along with them stupid angel wings." Mammon grumbled, but leaned into Storms touch as she continued petting his head.

"Aahaha! There's never a dull moment with you brothers. You really are a lot of fun." Solomon laughed. "Wouldn't you agree, Storm?"

Storm sighed, shaking her head. "Well, "fun" is now always the way I would describe things like this...but I love them to death."

Solomon smiled, but behind it was a slight grimace. "Well, I'm sure you're pleased to hear that, aren't you Lucifer."

Lucifer side-eyed him. "Pardon?"

"In any event!" Solomon moved on, ignoring Lucifer's suspicion. "I honestly thought that something worse would happen if you broke the rules here. Considering the sort of reaper my friend is, being turned into a cute little d seems like an awfully mild punishment."

"Good thing you were wrong..." Beel mumbled sadly, not liking to think about the fact that his carelessness had put his brothers in danger.

"Well, the thing is...I can't help but wonder if you have something protecting you." Solomon pondered aloud, giving Storm a cheeky grin.

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