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#Picture Book for the Demon Lord
wizzard890 · 5 months
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okay so picture this.
You're a man named Jim Steinman. You are one of the most prolific songwriters of the 80s. In your spirit, output and essence, you are eternally popping a wheelie on a motorcycle while a hot half-naked woman clings to you and bats wheel in the sky above.
You wrote a song in which Meatloaf plays a hideously disfigured hunk who steals a nubile lady back to his crumbling manor and introduces her to the pleasures of magic lesbian group sex.
You wrote a song in which Celine Dion sings as Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, dancing with Cathy's corpse on a beach in the moonlight; a scene which you, Jim Steinman, believe should have been in the book. (The moors of Wuthering Heights are landlocked, but you, Jim Steinman, are too fucking real to care about that.)
You wrote the song for the opening scene of the movie Streets of Fire, in which evil leatherdaddy Willem Dafoe leads his malefic motorcycle crew into a concert to abduct Diane Lane while she's wearing a skintight satin jumpsuit.
You wrote a song in which Bonnie Tyler wanders a haunted boarding school as literal demon twinks gyrate at her out of the fog.
There is no peak of goth camp that you, Jim Steinman, have not summited, no horny energy you have not tapped. They say that Alexander the Great wept when he saw there were no more worlds to conquer. But you, Jim Steinman, are not Alexander the Great. You, Jim Steinman, are better. You, Jim Steinman, have vision.
You take your most successful song, the song everyone knows, the most big-haired, white dress, gothic arches, doves flying, possessed choir boys chanting, bombastic song you have, and think: what if this, but with vampires.
And so you change the lyrics to be about death and infinity and a powerful bloodsucking lord seducing a girl who is ALL ABOUT IT, and then toss off a whole musical for this song to be the centerpiece to, and the musical is bad but it's also a weird hit that's been staged in fourteen countries and revived seven times, because nothing has ever whipped as campily, as ridiculously, as perfectly as this:
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It never takes off in America. A prophet is without honor in his own land. But that doesn't matter. How could it matter? You are perhaps the most creatively self-actualized man who has ever lived. Look at that vampire. He's coming in hot and a hundred Venetian nuns gave their lives to make his ludicrously capacious lace sleeves. Look at that girl. She was born in a fog machine. She wore her best red velvet cape. She's down bad. She's singing Total Eclipse of the Heart the whole time.
You are Jim Steinman, and you have reached apotheosis.
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colleendoran · 8 months
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I was curious how you manage to keep features consistent when you draw them? Do you use models? Is there a model for Crowley? He is very handsome.
I don't use models per se, but I sometimes keep files of photos or art that resembles the subject.
Crowley is based a bit on the French actor Alain Delon who was once considered the handsomest man in the world. He doesn't look exactly like Delon, but that is in my head when I draw him. I recall reading Neil and Mr. Pratchett once considered Peter Sellers for Crowley.
There is no reference for Aziraphale because he is entirely in my head and I can't really find anyone who looks exactly the way he does. I recall reading that Neil and Mr. Pratchett thought of Brian Dennehy at one point, but my head canon Aziraphale won. I think a Brian Dennehy Aziraphale would have been amazing, though. Anyway, he is actually kind of hard for me to draw because his facial structure is a bit outside my usual style. His face is a bit long and his eyes closer together than I normally do, and if I'm not careful, he slips away. He appears younger and more classically handsome as an angel than he does in his corporeal form, but I think he's quite fetching as a bookseller.
Michael Sheen is so perfect in this role it is really hard not to leak bits of his performance into the graphic novel edition, but I have to resist the impulse. I am not allowed to use any of the show actors as models.
I adore Michael Sheen. Who doesn't?
Adam is also a head canon character. He is a perfect young Greek God, so that's kind of drawing on a day with a Y in it for me.
The inspiration for Newt I'm keeping a secret. I submitted a number of sketches for Newt. The show Newt dug in deep and I had a hard time shaking him off.
The Them are based on kids I knew. They're in my head, I don't need any photos. They don't really look like the kinds in the show. The book version of Pepper, for example, is a freckled red-head.
Anathema is an amalgam of features that don't come from one person, which I think fits the description of the character. She's also unusual for me to draw but she's easier to draw than Aziraphale. I nail her every time.
Hastur is a caricature of the stereotypical English upper class you'd see in broadsheets 200 years ago. I have a file of pictures of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury for Hastur. I considered making Hastur more handsome in a Duke of Hell sort of way, but I think Hastur likes to be scary. I keep thinking of Peter O'Toole when I draw Hastur, too.
I feel kind of bad basing Hastur on Lord Ashley because he was a wonderful person and I'm sure he didn't go to Hell.
Ligur is a broad caricature of Danny Devito. I obviously can't use a DeVito portrait. That would be wrong. But I can tweak from there and come up with a general idea of the face I want to use.
Beelzebub and Metatron are head canon, and don't look a thing like they do in the show. I postulate some demons prefer to look like their angelic selves, and at other times prefer to be fearsome. Crowley can look fearsome when he wants, for example. In the book, Beelzebub appears as a young man in red flames.
Shadwell was drawn from reference at the direct suggestion of Neil.
Madame Tracy is based on a certain person, but no one you would have heard of. The original source might not be flattered, but I love Madam Tracy. She's really easy to draw because she's a bit over the top. I'm sketching around her scenes right now because I don't have final approval on some things yet. So she might need some changes later.
War is head canon, very easy to draw. She's a knockout. No reference required.
Famine looks a lot like Famine in the show, actually, but that's what Famine always looked like, pretty much. Except he has the grey eyes he has in the book.
Pollution is initially described as being a forgettable white guy, but later described as looking like a romantic poet, which strikes me as being memorable. Because he's only on one page in his forgettable white guy phase, I chose not to make major changes in his appearance between those panels and later when he appears as his true self, because that's a bit more confusing than it needs to be in the graphic novel edition. He's rather glamorous as the essence of Pollution, though. No reference needed.
Dog is a dog.
While I do give every detail a lot of thought, I am sure other people have other opinions. I understand that, and hope you enjoy what I do anyway.
Thanks for your question.
I'm still a bit under the weather, so may be stepping away from the net for awhile so I can concentrate on work. I have a lot of sick time to make up.
But don't think I don't appreciate your interest in the Good Omens graphic novel adaptation. Your wonderful support is acting on me like a tonic, let me tell you.
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onyourowndaisymae · 8 months
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when satan falls in love
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content + warnings: satan x reader, satan's in his demon form and his tail is Not Cooperating, fluff // [masterlist]
word count: ~1.4k
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satan's feet drag along the floor as he journeys from the front door to his safe haven. he stopped hiding his demon form the moment he trudged through the door-- now his heavy footsteps and the ominous drag of his tail against the ground are what tell people to stay away. the barbs catch a little along the wood floors. lucifer will bitch at him again when he notices, but right now satan isn't the least bit worried about his older brother's opinions.
the door to his room shuts with a loud thunk! the bookcases shudder with effort, the disorganized book stacks groaning with a quiet threat of toppling over. the noise echoes to his high ceilings, then dies amongst poetic words and fantastical novels.
he collapses on his bed and groans testily. his tail flicks about, impatient, looking for things to destroy-- he knows if he gives into his destructive urges he'll only regret it later. he's lost countless tomes to a fit of rage, spent hours cleaning up his messes only to piss himself off more.
satan rolls over and closes his eyes, practicing his breathing exercises to calm himself down. what had him worked up this much, anyways?
lots of things. his brothers had been especially rowdy today, starting his day off with an unusually irritating breakfast. then he had a surprise quiz early in the day. at lunch, you were whisked away by lord diavolo for some bullshit reason or another. he can still picture the apologetic look on your face, waving over your shoulder with a slight frown as you had to abandon him in favor of your responsibilities. pair that with a few hellish classes and another surprise student council meeting, and you'll understand why satan is particularly testy today.
damn. after all this time, he'd grown much better at making sure he could handle massive slights that pissed him off. it's the stacking of little things on top of each other that presses his buttons.
in truth, he'd probably be better if he'd seen more of you lately. lunch just seemed to be a tipping point in the drought of your love. how long has it been since he's been able curl up with you at his side? since he's gotten a moment to have a proper date with you? the tangled emotions only make his blood boil more.
his emerald eyes catch something unfamiliar at the edge of his vision. he knows the layout of his room top to bottom-- any minor changes to his disorganization are noted fairly quickly, regardless of what others might think.
there's an envelope peaking out of a nearby bookshelf. it's subtle, but noticeable enough when he believes he was intended to find it. his first instinct is to be angry. who the fuck thought they were entitled to access his room when he was gone?
satan rises from his bed and angrily snatches the envelope from its hiding spot. he's ready to rip it in half in a destructive fit of rage when he spots your handwriting on the front. the fire inside of him settles to embers as his eyes follow the curl of your letters as you wrote his name. he could spot that handwriting anywhere. the "s" in his name swoops with grandeur, like you're going out of your way to be fancy, and he can't help but smile a little. he opens the letter carefully-- there's no way he won't keep whatever this is, all because it came from you-- and begins to read your familiar scrawl across a nice piece of stationary.
my beloved satan,
i've missed you! that's odd to say considering we live together, but... life seems to find new ways every day to keep us apart. it's weird to look back on my day and realize i've barely seen you. we barely get a peaceful lunch together anymore! there's always someone joining us or pulling one of us away before we can settle... i don't mean to sound clingy, but i don't think it's bad to want to have some alone with your boyfriend!
as i'm writing this, i'm cooped up in diavolo's office during a little break in some meetings. there's some trouble with some of their human world contacts, so i've been brought in to act as a "bridge" between the two. that apparently means sitting through lots of boring, professional talks and trying to pretend like i'm not about to fall asleep. barbatos made some really nice tea, though, and that's been my saving grace so far.
i can't wait until we find some alone time again. i've never found something more peaceful than cuddling up to you while you're reading and listening to you breathe. if i rest my hand on your chest, i can hear your steady heartbeat, too. you always tease me for being so sleepy and run your hand along my back, but who wouldn't fall asleep under those conditions? i just feel so at peace when i'm with you. nobody else can make me feel so safe and cared for. even when we're not together, knowing you're there for me makes each day better.
was it weird of me to write this as a letter? i hope not. you hear about people writing their lovers romantic love letters in the movies and books. i thought i'd give it a try. it's nice to have a physical reminder of someone's feelings for you. ticket stubs and stuffed animals are nice, but i wanted to give you something that illustrates my feelings more clearly. i adore you. you mean the world to me. i feel like it's harder to say things like that when you look at me, but here in the letter i'll say it as many times as i want to. you are my best friend, satan, and i'm glad to have you as my partner.
i hope this letter makes you smile. i'm planning on hiding it in your room, so hopefully it'll take you a bit to find it.
yours always,
mc
so much for him waiting to find the letter.
in the quiet of his room, devoid of all distraction except the gentle whir of the air leaving a nearby vent, satan realizes he's in love with you.
his body freezes. for these past few weeks, he's intellectualized his feelings for you-- it's not love, but adoration. infatuation. lust, even. but no. he can feel the realization settling on his shoulders like a warm blanket fresh from the dryer.
when he was created, all satan would feel was reckless, horrifying, world-ending rage. it consumed him like a wildfire during a dry season, devouring any part of him that might be redeemable with the crackle of wild grass and the unforgiving heat. but meeting you changed him. his smiles were no longer plastic, but easy and natural. his irritation often simmered in his chest instead of exploding from his lips as harsh words, now just huffs and sharp glances.
you made him better. he knows now there's more to him than wrath. every single positive change in his life ever since you came to the devildom was driven by you.
he takes a deep breath to calm himself. instead of wrath, he's fighting the flush creeping up the back his neck. he reads the letter again, then again, each time sparking something in his stomach that he had to push down.
love. so this is what it feels like, huh?
he's read his fair share of sappy stories, but they all pale in comparison to the real thing. it's unsettling for him to be bursting with positive emotion, but here he is. flushed, stiff, listening to the silence as his heartbeat pounds in his ears. it takes him too long to realize that his tail was swishing behind him, thumping against a nearby chair enthusiastically. that only embarrasses him more-- is he really so in love with you that he's wagging his tail like a dog?
originally, he thought to corner you right now and show you just how much he appreciates the letter. but with his body acting out like this...
satan takes a seat his desk, digging around until he finds some suitable stationary, a writing feather (pretentious, he knows, but he can't ignore the urge to be so traditional), and an inkwell. if you were exchanging letters to express your feelings, now, then expect him to write you the best damn love letter you've ever seen.
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taglist for this series: @deepseafragments // @darkflowerav // @annoying-and-upset // @katerinaval // @lurkingsnails // @chirikoheina // @all-mights-wife // @notareum
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johannestevans · 9 months
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Yentl: A Trans Man Studying Talmud is Distracted by Gay Thoughts
Yentl (1983, dir. Barbra Streisand) and Yentl the Yeshiva Boy by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
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Any of us would be distracted from study by Mandy Patinkin. Via IMDb.
It’s a sad thing, hearing cisgender people talk about Yentl — especially the short story — and think they understand it, that they’re getting everything from it, while at the same time, they can’t conceive that transgender people even exist.
It’s a strangely joyful short story to read as a trans man, as sad and complex as it is, and the film has a similar bittersweet warmth to it.
“Yentl — you have the soul of a man.” “So why was I born a woman?” “Even Heaven makes mistakes.”
From Yentl the Yeshiva Boy, by Isaac Bashevis Singer
At the beginning of Yentl (1983), we see Barbra Streisand as the titular Yentl walking around in Yanev, ostensibly to buy groceries — including a fish — for dinner. She’s bored and distracted as the other women discuss how to study a fresh fish or how to distinguish between the different types — the bookseller is coming through town, calling out that he has novels and picture books for women and sacred books for men.
Yentl approaches the bookseller and surreptitiously takes one book from the men’s shelf, a book exploring the mysticism of creation and the similar mysticism of language that was being discussed by some yeshiva students a moment ago, and the bookseller interrupts her — “You’re in the wrong place, Miss. Books for women are over there.”
He tells her it’s the Law that women can’t study such books; she retorts, “Where is it written?”; he says, “Never mind where: it’s a Law.”
She says the book is for her father, Reb Mendel, and the bookseller finally relents, whereupon she goes home and reads the book herself.
Mendel is a widower, and although he scolds Yentl gently for not being an adept cook and tells her that studying is for men and not for women, he studies with her anyway and teaches her — it makes Yentl the subject of gossip in town, with one of Reb Mendel’s students remarking that his father says a woman who studies Talmud is a demon — it doesn’t help that Yentl is unmarried.
From the short story:
But Yentl didn’t want to get married. Inside her, a voice repeated over and over: “No!” What becomes of a girl when the wedding’s over? Right away she starts bearing and rearing. And her mother-in-law lords it over her. Yentl knew she wasn’t cut out for a woman’s life. She couldn’t sew, she couldn’t knit. She let the food burn and the milk boil over; her Sabbath pudding never turned out right, and her challah dough didn’t rise. Yentl much preferred men’s activities to women’s.
From Yentl the Yeshiva Boy, by Isaac Bashevis Singer
As a trans man, I’m always keenly aware of the things many of us cite in childhood of the first things we knew weren’t right for us and the things that were — Yentl has no skills that should be right for a woman, mentions that she cannot sew or knit or cook, and she prefers to study.
Many of us played with “boy’s toys” or took interest in “boy’s activities” instead of girl’s ones, wore “boy’s clothes” and did “boy things” — the label as to the boyishness or girlishness to most of these being arbitrary.
But Yentl’s first thought here is the rebellion in it — not only will she be forced to begin bearing children and raising them by the circumstances of her marriage, but she’ll be forced to submit to her mother-in-law’s will and orders.
In my experience as a trans man, cis men are rarely the biggest enforcers of the gender binary, nor the ones who most policed my incorrect or flawed gender expression as a child.
When cishet men do complain and correct gendered behaviour, it’s often to do with what they perceive as a desirable woman or girl being kept from them — their complaints are far more to do with dress or physical appearance because, to a cishet man, the first thing that matters in a woman is her sexual availability and her aesthetic value, particularly in regards to her sexual appeal.
Cishet women’s aggressive and virulent desire to correct what they feel are gender transgressions are more subtle than that and are far more about the deeper social value a woman holds — about her ability to cook and clean, to raise children, to exist in a space with other women, to manage the men in her life and to willingly submit to parenting adult men as if they’re also her children.
What would Yentl experience from her mother-in-law? Picks not just at her appearance but at her behaviour, her priority, and her thoughts. It’s not enough to perform gender correctly — they want you to internalise it and to be entirely beaten down with it.
All your thoughts as a cishet woman, especially in a traditional M/F marriage, should be about the men around you and their needs — sacrificing your own needs and desires should come naturally to you. A lot of cishet mothers will completely confidently say that sacrifice of the self, of personal identity, of privacy, of rest, is an integral part of motherhood, and they will become very angry at the idea that it isn’t, or that it shouldn’t be — pointing out that the same expectations are not made of fatherhood will if anything make them angrier, and they’ll say blandly that men and women are different, and refuse any further word about it.
Why are men and women different?
They just are.
Why do they have to be?
They just are.
There was no doubt about it, Yentl was unlike any of the girls in Yanev — tall, thin, bony, with small breasts and narrow hips. On Sabbath afternoons, when her father slept, she would dress up in his trousers, his fringed garment, his silk coat, his skullcap, his velvet hat, and study her reflection in the mirror. She looked like a dark, handsome young man. There was even a slight down on her upper lip.
From Yentl the Yeshiva Boy, by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Obviously, trans men and mascs’ gender shouldn’t be judged by the extent of their ability to pass, but a thing that I really like about this aspect of Singer’s short story is that it puts aside the argument of sex essentialism.
“Men and women are different, and you can tell they are different because they look different — if they were meant to be the same, why wouldn’t they look the same?”
And here, Yentl has the soul of a man, and his body is not wholly that of a woman’s and can easily be “disguised” as a man’s because it already has some men’s characteristics — tall, thin, bony, not much to the chest, without the wide, child-bearing hips people often want or expect of a cisgender woman. Once Yentl is dressed in the right clothes, she looks like a dark, handsome young man.
If men and women are truly so irrevocably different, if they are truly two sides of a wide binary with a great chasm between them, everyone would always be able to tell trans people and crossdressers and intersex people and anyone else outside or in-between from a line-up, and you can’t.
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tyrantisterror · 3 months
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Who's THE Devil?
You know, from, like, The Bible?
One of the things the various takes on Hell more or less agree on is that there is one demon among the legions of Hell who more or less reigns supreme - The Devil with a capital The. What they rarely agree on, however, is which devil that is. So, for funsies, let's look at all the candidates for The Devil, shall we?
Belial
The concept of demons arguably predates Abrahamic religions, at least if we take it at its most nebulous definition of "supernatural people from an Other world who are somewhat antagonistic toward humanity." But the more specific and probably more familiar version of them began with The Book of Enoch, one of many texts that were deemed non-canonical by Christians yet still holds a great deal of influence on Christianity as a whole. It's an extended account of the Noah story, positing that a group of angels rebelled against heaven because they wanted to sleep with mortal women, and created a race of giant half-human half-angel offspring called the Nephilim (Goliath, of David and Goliath fame, was one of the nephilim). God wasn't happy with this, and sent the rebel angels to a fiery pit before killing most of the nephilim with the big ol' flood (though Goliath's lineage survived somehow I guess).
It's not quite how most people picture the War in Heaven and rebellion of the angels, but it's nonetheless where that story started, and that makes it important. This is the first take on what would become the classic origin story for demons and Hell itself. And who is the leader of the rebel angels in this story? Why our good friend Belial, of course. Belial would remain a prominent demon from hereafter, but despite having the earliest claim for the crown of The Devil, Belial has not remained the frontrunner in the race, and is generally demoted to just being a high ranking demon, rather than the Highest ranking one.
2. Beelzebub
I've talked about Beelzebub before and I don't want to spend too much time rehashing that post, so brief recap: Beelzebub began as a mean nickname for a god from a rival religion to Judaism who was named Baal Zebul, which means Lord of the Heavenly Place. Baal Zebub, by contrast, means "Lord of the Flies." Eventually Baalzebub becomes Beelzebub and, divorced from the original context of its creation, becomes a character in his own right, being a prominent demon. And because Beelzebub appeared in a lot of texts, many of them very old as demonology go, he became a major competitor for the title of The Devil, and remains so to this day. I think it's partly because the name "Beelzebub" is really fun to say, but the sheer history and volume of demonology texts portraying him as a big, powerful devil also help. In the rare stories where Beelzebub appears but does not get to be The Devil, he's still portrayed as fairly high ranking, with both Milton's Paradise Lost and Marlowe's Faust making him The Devil's right hand demon, second in command of Hell. So even when he loses the crown, Beelzebub takes home a good silver medal
3. Asmodeus
Asmodeus is another of our "predates Christianity" demons, right up there with Beelzebub and Belial, and as far as I can tell from what I've read he was originally intended to be The Devil rather than just a devil. It's kind of right there in the name - "deus" means god, so Asmodeus having that name marks him as a demon who thinks himself equal to God.
(well, ok, there's some debate about the full origin of his name, with some arguing the "deus" part was originally a play on "deva," which in turn is loosely translated as... demon. The fact that Asmodeus's name is pronounced/spelled differently to a preposterous degree is part of why the water is so muddy - Asmoday, Asmodai, Asmodee, Osmodeus, it goes on and on)
One of his better claims to the crown comes from the story of Solomon - you know, the wise king who told people to cut babies in half. Solomon's less canonical feats include enslaving a shitload of demons to build a temple for him by way of the rite of exorcism, using a magic ring and the power of Christ to compel the damned to do manual labor for him. Asmodeus is specifically stated to be the strongest demon he summons in part because he is the King of all Demons, i.e. The Devil - and the other demons weep at the sight of their king being reduced to a slave by mortal hands.
Why is this a strong claim? Because the story of Solomon in turn inspired The Lesser Key of Solomon, a text about using the rite of exorcism to summon and use demons to do your bidding. The Lesser Key of Solomon includes the Ars Goetia, which is basically a big ol' bestiary of demons, and where many of your favorite pop culture demons - like, say, Stolas the owl guy - come from. Being the King of all demons in the story that inspired one of the more thorough and exhaustive lists of demons and their hierarchies should count for a lot.
There's one other great claim to fame Asmodeus has in his favor. While not directly named in Dante's The Divine Comedy, the description Dante gives of Satan's physical appearance matches with the most popular descriptions of Asmodeus - in particular, his three heads, one of which is yellow, one red, and one black. Granted, it'd be more of a smoking gun if one of those heads was a bull and the other a goat, but they're all very ogre-like, so I still think it stands. Dante's Devil is, more likely than not, Asmodeus, and that's a BIG point in Asmodeus's favor.
4. Hades/Pluto
Ok, so, a great deal of the Old Testament was originally written in Greek, and the New Testament was written in Latin, both of which happened when belief in the Olympian Gods was pretty strong. As such, the word "Hades" appears in the Bible a lot when talking about the place where dead people go, though it probably wasn't meant to literally be the same underworld as that in Greco-Roman mythology. Probably.
But because Christianity was spread primarily by the Roman empire once they converted to Christianity, and because Europe ended up getting a centuries-long case of stockholm syndrome for the Roman Empire that involved many people in power declaring that Greco-Roman mythology was super important literature and Latin was the language of God Himself, there is a good chunk of Biblical apocrypha that treats the use of Hades as, well, a literal crossover of sorts. Which is to say that Hades the god is sometimes treated as, like, a figure in Christianity, generally a demon specifically. And because he's, you know, Hades, from, like, The Odyssey, people feel he needs to be prominent. I mean, Hades RULED the underworld in Greek mythology, so if we're stealing him for Christian folklore, he should at least be in upper management, right?
The strongest case for Hades being The Devil comes from The Book of Revelation, one of the few books in the Bible that actually contributes to demonology (despite what people tell you, demons really don't show up in the Bible that much - most of what we think of as iconic demon lore come from non-canonical works). You know the four horsemen of the apocalypse? War, Famine, Plague, and Death, right? HA, WRONG! It's Conquest, War, Famine, and Pestilence & Death, you fake horseman fan. Well, anyway the line that introduces Death/Pestilence & Death ends with "And Hell followed with him." Except, no, not really, because the specific word used is... Hades. "And Hades followed with him." Which, depending on how you want to interpret the line, could very well mean a literal, King of the Underworld Hades.
Of course, the problem with using Revelation as proof is that Revelation itself is pretty unclear on who's leading the forces of evil. Is it the Seven-Headed dragon who's cast out of Heaven at the beginning of the end of the world? Is it the seven headed leopard monster that the dragon gives his crown to? Is it the monster who crawls out of the ground to speak for the seven-headed leopard with the voice of a dragon? Is it Hades? Is it God, the one who's allowing all this violent shit to happen and frequently sending his angels to make it way fucking worse? Who can say.
So, while it's not super common, there are more than a few works where The Devil is none other than Hades himself. Disney... might not have been completely off the mark, I guess?
While I think Hades's claim is pretty weak, I should note that one of the works that puts a LOT of Greek mythology into Hell is none other than Dante's The Divine Comedy. 70% of the demons in Dante's Hell are just Greek monsters, with the remaining few being Asmodeus and some OC demons he made up with portmanteu names a la Pokemon. Notably, Hades is one of those demonized Greek figures - presented as the Judge who decides where in Hell sinners end up based on their crimes. He's not The Devil, though, so while Dante kind of helps Hades's case, he also kind of ends up making a counter argument to it.
5. Abaddon/Apollyon
Ok, so, the word "abaddon" is used in some texts to refer to Hell, and sometimes it's personified as well. It literally means "ruin." Well, in time, Abaddon is personified and become a demon, which should feel like a familiar story to you by this point. And because Abaddon can also literally be Hell itself, it's only natural that some stories posit Abaddon the demon as the rule of Hell, much as Hades is the ruler of Hades in Greek mythology. This is Abaddon's big claim, and it's not bad, but it's not super strong. Nonetheless, it was enough for at least one prominent Christian text, Pilgrim's Progress, to make Abaddon (under one of his synonym names, Apollyon) to be The Devil, so we can give him that too.
6. Sheol
The sections of the Bible that are written in Hebrew use the word "Sheol" to refer to the underworld/afterlife rather than Hades. Now, Judaism doesn't have the same Hell as Christianity, or the same concept of Heaven either for that matter, and Sheol is less a place of torment for the damned and more of a waiting room for the dead to hang out in until the Messiah comes.
Nonetheless, Sheol did get personified like Abaddon and Hades, and that personification (which, in some versions, is a batty old lady, which is fun) later became a demon in its own right, and thus, for the same reasons as Abaddon and Hades, has a claim to being The Devil by dint of also being, you know, Hell itself. Not the strongest, most popular claim, no, but a claim nonetheless.
7. Satan
Feels rather obvious, doesn't it? Ok, so, in The Bible, one of the characters who was retconned into being The Devil is the angel in the Book of Job who takes on the title of Satan. In the original context of the story, "Satan" is not a name, but, again, a title - a job title, really, roughly akin to "prosecuting attorney." The Satan in the Book of Job isn't a rebel angel, but an angel whose job is to argue for the opposing view point to make sure everyone is doing the right thing. Less "The Devil" and more "the devil's advocate."
But! Christians fucking LOVE the devil, and they want more devil in their Bible, so many translations treat (the) Satan not as the hard-working servant of God he was originally written as, but as, you know, The Devil, arch-enemy of God and justice. And so Satan becomes synonymous with The Devil, and over time more and more appearances of The Devil give him the name Satan.
I can see an argument for this being the strongest claim, because the sheer amount of works where "Satan" is treated as The name of The Devil is enormous. But I think it's important to note that many of those works actually treat it as a name for the devil, which is to say, not the only name. I guess a lot of modern works think the name is so commonly used that it lacks its punch, and so they have The Devil pull the "I have many names" schtick to sound more imposing.
8. Lucifer
So there's a part of the Bible that talks about a star falling out of Heaven as a sort of metaphor for how people can fall from grace. Well, good ol' King James translated this as not just a falling star, but specifically The Devil himself, giving him the name Lucifer, which means "light-bringer." The King James translation of the Bible is bad in that it's immensely inaccurate, but good in that it's a beautiful piece of poetry in its own right, and since it had the authority of a goddamn king behind it, it quickly became a prominent Christian text and is still the preferred translation of many Christian sects to this day.
So, you know, that's pretty fucking big as claims go. There is one incredibly prominent (if woefully inaccurate) translation of the Bible where Lucifer is The Devil. Kind of hard to fight that one.
But it doesn't end there! I would argue that the most influential origin story for Christian devils, the one that has become ingrained in the cultural consciousness as THE story of the War in Heaven, is Milton's poem Paradise Lost. That's where most of the tropes we associate with The Devil and demons and Hell really come together to form the great devil mythology - well, it and Dante's The Divine Comedy, anyway. You know which name Milton chose for The Devil?
Lucifer.
Well, ok, he also calls Lucifer "Satan" with about equal frequency, but still - Lucifer is The Devil of Paradise Lost. And because of the sheer weight that both Paradise Lost and the King James Bible have in culture, Lucifer has ended up being used as The Devil in countless works since! Not bad for a translation error, right?
While the sheer number and notability of literature that uses Lucifer as The Devil is kind of argument enough for him having the best claim, I'd like to add one more argument in his favor: dramatic irony. I think what draws people to Lucifer is the meaning of his name - "the light-bringer" - and how it contrasts with his role as the king of a pit of darkness and misery. "Light-bringer" is a heroic name, the name of a character who brings hope and joy, which makes it so delicious when it turns out our "light-bringer" is an utter bastard. It's just irresistible, isn't it?
9. Mephistopheles
A good number of demon stories - arguably the majority of them - focus on mortals who make deals with demons and end up damned to Hell for doing it. We call these stories "faustian pacts," and we do that because the most famous story of this kind is the story of Faust, a scientist/alchemist who makes a deal with a devil named Mephistopheles to learn the secrets of the universe and ends up doing a lot of sinning in the process. Since Faust is such a famous and influential story, it only follows that its main devil is frequently viewed as The Devil.
...except
In most versions of Faust, Mephistopheles is not presented as The Devil within the narrative. He's a henchman, a flunkie, with one of the bigger names like Lucifer or Beelzebub pulling the strings. So while there are a number of stories (including a few versions of Faust itself) where Mephistopheles gets to be The Devil, it's far more common for him to be a devil - perhaps a prominent devil, maybe even one of the strongest and a close member of The Devil's inner circle, but rarely the one in charge.
10. Baphomet
Baphomet is a god whose name and appearance was repurposed as a demon by The Church of Satan, and so while I have to admit that is a claim to the crown, I don't think it's a great one. First, nothing about the Church of Satan's belief system is meant to be taken genuinely, with them admitting that they view Satan/Baphomet as a symbol rather than a literal supernatural being they believe in. Second, by rights Baphomet should be allowed to be Baphomet instead of being literally demonized. I honestly think it's better for Baphomet to lose this race than to win it.
11. Iblis
Demons in Islam work differently from demons in Christianity. Rather than being fallen angels, demons are wicked Djinn - a race of people made from fire and smoke rather than ash and dirt like humans. Djinn aren't quite as powerful as angels in Islam, but do have significant supernatural powers that humans lack. Like humans, Djinn have free will and can choose whether to be good or evil - and those that choose to be evil reside in Islam's version of Hell, where they are ruled by Iblis, the first Djinn to choose the wicked path and the ruler of Islam's Hell.
Unlike Christianity, there isn't really any debate on this. Iblis is, for all intents and purposes, the CANONICAL ruler of Hell, The Devil of Islam, and thus has the strongest and really ONLY claim to be The Devil of that religion.
...but, at the same time, Iblis can't really be the Christian devil, because Christianity doesn't have Djinn, and all the iconic parts of Christian demonology kind of hinge on the idea of demons as rebel angels, which demonic djinn very much aren't. So while Iblis's claim in Islam is irefutable, he doesn't have one in Christianity. Ain't that wacky?
I think it should be noted that there are more-or-less canonical texts where Iblis isn't treated as purely evil, either, including one where he actively asks for help in repenting and is turned down because, well, evil has to exist, and someone has to rule over it, and like it or not, that's Iblis's job now. It ends with Iblis wailing that he has become the greatest martyr of Islam. Which is so fucking hardcore, I love it. In Christianity, the texts where we humanized demons are non-canonical at best and deemed heresy at worst, but Islam allowed it to be more-or-less canon. They saw the coolest takes on the Devil and said "yeah we can allow that" - so much more rad than what Christianity did with them.
~
~
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So, who do YOU think is The Devil? You know, from, like, The Bible?
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ladykibutsuji · 10 months
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“Writing”
> Writer!Reader x Uppermoons
> Headcanon: Reader's favorite hobby is writing and the Uppermoons took interest in her hobby, What do the uppermoons thinks of reader's excellent skills in writing?
> SERIES: I'll be making more for each hobbies (Such as painting, sports etc.)
> Normal Timeline
> Requested by: sleepykye
> ‼️WARNING‼️: Mention of disturbing things at douma's part
> I don't own the pictures used
|KOKUSHIBO|
Reader is a Upper Rank Demon
- You and Kokushibo was sent on a mission together by no other than Muzan Kibutsuji Himself, Your mission was to investigate a certain place where the blue spider lily could be located.
- Investigating for the whole night you still couldn't find the whereabouts of the blue spider lily and it was almost dawn so you and Kokushibo decided to continue searching once the sun goes down.
- The both of you stayed in a abandoned inn and since demons don't really need sleep you are just passing time by doing your favorite hobby which is writing
- You have been writing for a few minutes and Kokushibo is just observing you curious on what you are writing about
- it was silent for a while until kokushibo finally decided to ask you
- "What's...that?"
- you stared at him for a short amount of time before inviting him to come closer so you can show him what you are doing
- He was hesitant at first to come closer but he eventually did and you showed him what you are doing
- "I'm writing books based on my imagination, I have different kinds of them do you want to read them?"
- Kokushibo thought about it for a while before finally saying 'sure'
- You showed him a few books you wrote and his eyes landed on a certain book that have the title of "Brother Stays Together"
- Needless to say after reading it he was OBSESSED
- "Impressive." That's all he said.
- He doesn't say much but he is really interested and invested in your books.
- For the whole day you are writing new chapters for a certain book while kokushibo reads them after you finish
- He thinks you are very skilled in writing and he wouldn't mind reading your books over and over again.
- Reading your books gives him a peace of mind
- Starting from that day on He kept some of the books you made with him just so he could read them after training
- Sometimes he would help you with suggesting ideas for your book
- Kokushibo is your Biggest #1 fan even though he won't admit it.
|DOUMA|
You are one of douma's followers
- Douma was planning to consume you
- He was about to enter your room until he stumbled upon a book that you made on the floor
- he was curious so he decided to pick it up and read it
- The book contains disturbing things.
- If other people read your book they would be horrified but for douma he was Impressed
- He loves every detail you put onto the book and praised your skills in his head
- You who just exited your room found douma reading a book, at first you thought it was a normal book but as your vision became more clear you noticed that it was the book you created inspired by your unexplainable and angry thoughts
- 'fuck I'm screwed' you thought
- As soon as douma spotted you in a corner you thought he was going to be disgusted or be horrified of you but he just smiled at you while waving
- "Hello my dear Y/N~ did I woke you up?"
- You greeted him back as you immediately started walking towards him
- "I-i'm sorry for what I wrote, I promise to never do it again!"
- You apologized while bowing your head and douma was confused to why you are apologizing, he then chuckled while placing a fan on his mouth
- "Keep your head up dear, there is no need to be sorry afterall what you just wrote excites me! You should make more of these"
- You were stunned, you didn't expect him to react this way but you are also glad he didn't kicked you out of the cult because you have no where else to go
- "if you wish, my lord"
- Starting from that day on, douma thought that it would be a waste to consume someone who have such talent in writing so he kept you alive
- He always praises your work and treasured the books you gifted to him
- He also uses the disturbing things in your book just to piss off akaza and of course it always work especially if it's with women
|AKAZA|
Reader is Human
- Akaza was just walking around the place trying to gather information about the blue spider lily until he heard a girl crying from a distance
- He tried to ignore it but at the same time he got curious and curiosity got the best of akaza so he followed the noise
- After walking he found you sitting on a bench alone while uncontrollably sobbing with ripped papers around you
- He decided to approach you and you didn't noticed his presence until he spoke
- "Are you okay?"
- You flinched a little and wiped your tears as you stared at the man before you
- at first you wanted to ignore him and continue to have a mental breakdown but there's something inside you that's telling you that you can trust him so you spoke
- "A bunch of teenagers ruined the book I was making and they criticized my work... what's wrong with putting my imagination into a book?"
- Akaza felt pity for you as he gently rubbed your head
- "There's no need to cry about it, I'll help you with making another one."
- Delighted you immediately stopped sobbing since this was the first time that someone offered to help you with writing
- Luckily, nobody else was in the house with you so you invited akaza over to rewrite your book
- Even though akaza still has a mission to finish it wouldn't hurt to stay over a little at someone else's place right? It was almost dawn anyways
- At your place, Akaza gave you inspiration and ideas as you wrote them down in a piece of paper
- The whole time he was admiring your facial features while you are writing
- After a few hours, You are still not halfway finish but akaza could see your talents in writing stories
- You offered to let him read some books you have done before and he reluctantly agreed
-He's a bit scared to hold the book you are giving afraid that he will somehow ruin it
- After reading for a while, akaza was mesmerized by your writing
- He finds it heart-warming and calming
- Because of you he develops such likings to book
- Even though he only likes books when you are the writer
- "You are really good at this Y/N, I don't get why those people would look down at your skills."
- When the sun comes down he had to take his leave since he didn't want to upset his Lord Muzan but luckily for him you let him take some of your book for him to read when he's bored
- at first akaza didn't really like the thought of having to take your book with him
- He's worried that it might get destroyed when he's fighting a demon hunter and he didn't want to destroy such masterpiece
- But again he's afraid that he will hurt your feelings if he refused so he just made sure to take care of it properly
- btw the teenagers who made fun of you are missing
|HANTENGU|
Reader is Human
- You found hantengu near your house and thought that he was just a normal elderly man so you decided to take him in your house just to take proper care of him in a short amount of time
- He only stayed for a day and as soon as the sun goes down he decided to leave as he have a mission to fulfill
- "wait! Isn't it too dark for you to go out?"
- He flinched when he heard your voice and apologized that he really has to go
- You didn't stop him understanding that he probably has a home to return to so you gave him a book before he leaves
- He hesitantly accepted your gift before leaving and gave you a thanks before running off like a scaredy-cat
- At the mission, Hantengu got bored and decided to read the book you gave him
- After finishing the book he was speechless
- Too good that he was speechless
- He lets also lets the other clones read your book
- What the other clones think:
- Sekido, Finds peace in your writing
- Aizetsu, Finds Comfort in your writing
- Karaku and Urogi won't get tired of re-reading the comedy in your book and they find it fun
|Gyokko|
Reader is a Upper Rank Demon
- Gyokko was giving his fellow uppermoons a pot as a gift
- He also gifted you a pot with Sakura inspired design and you happily took it
- You decided to exchange gifts with him, as he gave you the pot you gave him a book that you made just a few days prior
- He was happy that you also gave him something so in order to appreciate your gift he started reading it
- Now, Gyokko isn't the type to appreciate someone else's work but when it comes to you he feel head over heels for your writing
- He thinks it's 'Art'
- He loved the details and the calmness that it brought him
- He treasures your book now
- He even made a pot inspired by the book you gave him
|DAKI \ GYUTARO|
Reader works under daki
- Even though daki was cruel towards you this doesn't stop you from wanting to give her a gift
- You gifted her a book that is about 'Siblings Love'
- At first, Daki seems uninterested but she took your gift anyways
- At first she was debating whether to burn it or just rip it apart (poor reader)
- surprisingly she did none of the above when she saw the title which is 'Siblings Love'
- She decided to give it a chance so she read it
- Daki didn't even noticed how much time passed by when she was reading the book you gifted her
- At first, daki seems confused to why she was suddenly feeling crying
- It's as if there's something in her head that she couldn't describe
- As expected, she called gyutaro just because of unexplained feelings
- After departing from daki's body, He quickly patted his sister's head
- "Why are you crying..your face is too beautiful to cry.."
- "Listen brother, This book...it made me feel something unexplainable.. I don't know just read it"
- Gyutaro raised an eyebrow at his younger sister as he started reading the book that his sister gave to him
- An hour past by and He finally figured out why daki's crying about the book
- it made him tear up a little too
- "Whoever wrote this surely knows how to get to my beautiful little sister's feelings eh?"
- Starting from that day, daki won't admit it but she did love your writing as much as gyutaro does
- Daki insulted your skills in writing and told you to make more better books She only insults you just so you could keep making more
- of course you thought that daki didn't really liked your creations until she said something surprising
- "I like the books you made..but just a bit! So don't get too full of yourself."
- That's where you understand that daki is just indenial
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amuseoffyre · 9 months
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Since watching the show, Aziraphale’s choice to return to Heaven made me think of Magrat in Lords and Ladies (one of the Discworld books).
Magrat is a nice character. She’s a witch who likes to do good and be kind and gentle. People describe her as a “wet hen”, seeing her as weak and easily led simply because she is kind and good and a bit too optimistic about being able to make things better for people around her.
In Lords and Ladies, Magrat (along with her fellow witches) is put in direct conflict with the fae. There’s a running metaphor in the latter parts of the book comparing the presence of the fae to bees and a quote that “there can only be one Queen in the hive or SLASH! STAB!”
When faced with the loss of her loved one, her friends, her country, her kingdom, her world, Magrat straps on borrowed armour and goes head to head with the Queen of the Fairies. The Queen tries to use psychological warfare against her, pointing out how she’s nothing, will always be nothing and is completely unworthy and worthless, much like the demons do to Aziraphale and Maggie in S2.
She was nothing. She was worthless. She was insignificant. She was so worthless and unimportant that even something completely worthless and exhaustively unimportant would consider her beneath contempt.
And this quote, this line, is what I see for Aziraphale in S3:
“And the ablation of Magrat Garlick roared on, tearing at the strata of her soul... ...exposing the core.”
Aziraphale’s strength has never been fully revealed. He has defied Heaven time and again. He had done the Right thing no matter the cost. But this is the Big One. But he’s always been afraid of doing it, he’s hesitated and faltered and wavered and doubted himself.
This is the one where his core, his essence, the very heart of him will be shown for the powerhouse it is.
There’s a quote a little earlier in the book as well, which I feel fits the coming tone of the S3 and I can picture it in an exchange between Aziraphale and the Metatron:
Elf Queen: Humans always need us. Granny Weatherwax: They don’t. Sometimes they want you. That’s different. But all you can give ‘em is gold that melts away in the morning.
Crowley always described the coming second armageddon as “The Big One”. Heaven and Hell against humanity. And Aziraphale is going to be all guns blazing for humanity and it’s going to be glorious.
Eta. I forgot the most important thing! When Magrat gets close enough to the Queen, the glamour and influence loses its power. "Why, you're nothing!" she says . It's all illusion, maintained by emotional and psychological control. I Yearn to see Aziraphale have that moment.
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7-wonders · 2 months
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what if jessamy lived and matthew was brought in by lucienne as extra help and matthew gets a little crush on jessamy and you notice how matthew seems to be strutting around a lot, his feathers are shiny and he always puffs out his little birdy chest when ever jessamy calls him handsome and theres something that seems familiar but you can't quite place it
until you call morpheus gorgeous when you see him in a new outfit and he somehow seems a little taller, his hair is extra fluffy and he has whatever the dream lords equivalent of a spring in his step is
When Morpheus finally freed himself from his captivity, Lucienne had been faced with a decision to make. Her Lord was determined to find his missing tools immediately, never mind the fact that he was still weak and without any sort of help. While she couldn't do anything about the first part, she could certainly assist with the second. Though Morpheus didn't approve (he was still traumatized by the death of Jessamy, but he would never admit it to anybody, least of all himself), he begrudgingly allowed this new raven, Matthew, to travel with him to Hell.
Imagine their surprise when Lucifer revealed they had taken Jessamy's soul for their own in the hopes that they could use it as a bargaining chip with the Lord of Dreams. This was unacceptable, and so a wager had been made. If Morpheus won The Oldest Game, he got his helm...and Jessamy. If Morpheus lost, then the demon Choronzon got...him.
Thankfully, the former had been the outcome, and Morpheus left Hell with his helm and one more raven than he entered with. But to say there had been some growing pains as the two Ravens of the Dreaming adjusted to both being the Ravens of the Dreaming would be a gross understatement.
That was then though, and this is now. By the time you came into the picture, there were hardly any signs at all that there had been animosity between Matthew and Jessamy. They worked together in harmony now, the perfect team. One could even call them friends...even if Matthew maybe had feelings that were a little more than friendly.
You're in the library with your two feathered friends when Jessamy's head perks up, an obvious sign that Morpheus is summoning her via the mental link he has with his ravens.
"That's me, then." She sighs as though it's a chore to have to go attend to Morpheus, but you know how much she enjoys it. How much she enjoys every moment of her second (third, really) chance at life.
"Official raven business?" you ask.
"The most official." She stands and shakes her feathers out, but stops before taking flight. "Matthew?"
He looks at her in surprise. "Yeah?"
"Your feathers look nice today."
"Oh! I—uh, I flew through a waterfall this morning because I wanted to try something new. Wasn't sure if it would work out."
"It certainly did."
Matthew tries to stutter out an answer. You can hear Jessamy laugh as she swoops off to catch up to Morpheus. If Matthew could blush, you're sure he would be.
He's still staring after her minutes after she's gone, and you can't help your amused smile. "You okay?"
"Absolutely." He nods, his chest puffed out in pride. You stifle a laugh and replace it with a hum, pulling your book up past your face so he can't see just how well you believe him.
These instances, of Jessamy playfully flirting with a head over heels Matthew, are not rare. She enjoys doing it, and who knows? Maybe she feels the same. Their routine is rather sweet, actually, but you can't help the weird sense of deja vu you get when you watch those two dance around each other. You've seen this act before, but where?
The next time you and Jessamy are together, you're both in a position that you did not ever think you'd find yourself in: watching Dream of the Endless play fashion show.
Normally, Morpheus just conjures up whatever look that he wants without a second thought. He can change his appearance at a whim, even though he prefers sticking to his familiar, all-black wardrobe. But this week, he's hosting his siblings. All of them, save his wayward brother, are to be in the Dreaming at the same time for the first time in centuries (Morpheus can't say for certain how long it's been, which is how you know it's been a long time). A "conclave of the Endless," he called it.
Weird way to say you're having a family dinner, but whatever.
Though he'll never admit it, he's nervous. Nervous about his siblings being in his realm, nervous about how the Dreaming looks after having spent so long returning it to its former glory prior to his imprisonment, nervous about proving himself and his power once more. This dinner matters to him, and since you can't be there to support him—he refuses to possibly put you in harm's way and/or at the mercy of cunning and powerful beings who enjoy making mortals their playthings, which you appreciate immensely—he's trying desperately to control the few things that he can, including his outfit choice for the evening.
And there have been a lot of potential choices. Seriously, he's tried on so many outfits that you're starting to lose count. Coats and cloaks, robes and rubies, boots and blacks. It's a dizzying blur by now, and Morpheus looks as done as you feel. He's nothing if not relentless though, so the rigamarole shall continue.
He turns to face you when he's settled on a new choice, and you both look at his outfit with the discerning eye of a critic appraising a work of art. After a few moments, Jessamy, sitting on the back of your chair, is the one to speak up first.
"The collar does not suit you, my Lord."
His gaze goes to you, and the helplessness in his eyes almost makes you say that Jessamy's wrong and you like the look. You'd be lying, though, and you like to think that a core tenet of your relationship is honesty. With that in mind, you grimace and shake your head.
"She's right," you begrudgingly agree.
Huffing is an action that's below Morpheus. It's a very mortal thing to do, so naturally the Ruler of the Nightmare Realms does not huff. If he were to pretend to huff, though, the way that he abruptly turns back around and sighs heavily through his nose would be a very good impression. Your lips twitch when you glance at Jessamy out of the corner of your eye only to see her pulling the exact same move towards you, but you stay silent and go back to the watching and waiting game.
About three outfit changes later, something clicks, and you sit up in your chair in excitement. "Ooh, that's it!"
"You're right," Jessamy echoes your earlier words, only this time in a far more positive connotation.
Morpheus raises an elegant brow. "Elaborate, please."
"That's your outfit for tomorrow," you insist. "You're gorgeous, my love."
He stops fussing with his outfit and looks at you through the mirror. "You truly think so?"
"You look so handsome in that outfit. I mean, you're handsome all the time, but c'mon!" You grin, because how can you not? He's one of the most attractive men (-shaped beings, if one were to be picky) you've ever met in your life, and he's yours.
He holds your gaze for a moment longer, as though attempting to detect any deceit from you, before inspecting his appearance one final time. With a nod and a very small, very self-satisfied smile, he says, "Then I shall wear this tomorrow."
"Perfect." Next to you, Jessamy sighs in relief, and you shoot her a furtive thumbs-up for a job well done.
Since your part in ensuring Morpheus has a successful dinner is complete, you leave the Dreaming hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. What this means is that you're expecting to fall asleep the day after the dinner is scheduled and walk into the worst hurricane that would ever be recorded were it in the Waking. Morpheus likes to act like he has no emotions, but the reality is quite the opposite. In fact, he has so many emotions, and they're all so strong. He just doesn't know how to deal with them, and chooses instead to hide them away until they burst.
Instead of the anticipated disaster zone, everything is...calm. Actually, it's a beautiful day. Think of the nicest spring day, and multiply it by at least 10 (maybe more). That's what this weather is. The sun is out and shining, the temperature is warm but not hot, and everything is in full bloom. Hell, there are actual flower petals dancing through the air right now. Flower petals!
You snag one of the petals and hold it gently between your thumb and forefinger, feeling the silkiness against your skin. "What kind of Disney movie am I in?" you mutter.
You feel Morpheus's presence behind you a mere moment before he asks, "What was that?"
Even with the environmental warning, he still makes you jump, and you turn around to face him. "Hi! How did it go?"
"Far better than I could have expected."
There's something...different about him. His hair looks especially messy and windswept (not that you're complaining, you love that), he's still wearing his special dinner outfit, and did he get taller? You feel like you have to look up just a little bit more to truly look at him so yeah, he definitely got taller.
"Good. I knew it would, though."
"You did?" he asks curiously.
"Of course. I had complete faith in you."
Those starry eyes of his twinkle brightly as he smirks at you, and the realization hits you like a truck. Now you know why Matthew's mannerisms have been so familiar! Because you've seen them before, and you're seeing them now. Morpheus thrives off of your compliments. How...interesting, and a theory that you need to test out immediately.
"I'm really proud of you, y'know." His lips turn upwards into something that's almost a smile, so you continue. "I know how hard this was for you, how much you worried, and you handled it beautifully."
The beautiful flowers surrounding you burst into the air, their petals falling down around you in the multitudes. You start to laugh, but Morpheus doesn't let you make another sound, instead ducking down (from his markedly taller height, mind you) to kiss you. Though you're caught off-guard, you quickly get with the program and return his affections.
"I would like to celebrate with you." He says before moving his lips to your ear, even though nobody around can hear him whisper, "In my chambers."
You pretend to think for a moment, because a moment's all you can spare. "I'm certainly not opposed to such plans."
He pulls you to him in a way that suggests you didn't really get a choice otherwise and grabs his sand from his robes. You press your lips together to hide your smile and happily hold onto him. Oh, you are so using this to your advantage from now on.
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ms0milk · 2 years
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hashira relationship hcs !
| hashira x gn!reader (sfw)
a/n: + Muichiro is a literal child, so no i’m not diving into that one– thanks for the reqs y’all!
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Tengen
he’ll charm parents
he’ll charm siblings
he’ll charm pets
Tengen’s the kind of man that makes your great grandma horny you feel me
i just know being in a relationship with this gentleman is out of the mfing galaxy
Tengen wants to comb your hair slowly in the shower no matter hOW LONG it takes
he wants to sit and talk with you for hours over delicious food
he wants to make you laugh so hard you cry
Tengen is an experience
like he’s the concierge at five star luxury hotel but the hotel is just his fucking body
If anyone was going to be that irritating mfer who always wants to wear matching outfits it’s this guy
and when he’s finished with you, you’re always just slightly too dressed up for the outing
you two are gonna be the most fuckable people at the grocery store and that’s an Uzui guarantee
and don’t get me started on your girlfriends
the Uzuis are the gift that keeps on giving
Tengen is the boyfriend that just never stops taking your picture
or bragging to anyone who’ll listen
his teammates
his boss
fucking demons– i mean anyone with ears
“They’re just, just– you know?”
“Yes, Tengen we all know.”
“Like,, picture a spring morning– probably like 76° because that’s the perfect kind of day– and there’s laughter in the dis–”
“WE KNOW TENGEN”
adoration doesn’t take time off sorry
Sanemi
one single solitary word
Clingy.
Sanemi Shinazugawa is too embarrassed to admit you’re the first person that he’s truly, fully in love with
he’s too cool for puppy love!
you don’t push him to be physical, you don’t overstep his boundaries
aagbpebepbk do you want him to be obsessed with you?? you’d better stop being so goddamn respectful of his trauma
and still he somehow shows up in the corner of every room you’re ever in
“Sanemi, do you um, need something?”
“Huh? I’m concentrating, leave me be.”
Sure he’s concentrating, but he’s also kneeling in the doorway of the living room pretending to read a book on the floor
“Um..Nemi, I can weed the garden on my own.”
He’s squatting next to you, handing you the tools he thinks you’ll need before you can reach for them
“You’re too slow, this is faster.”
Right, of course.
“Are you sure you don’t need to talk about something?”
Your bathroom isn’t even big enough for two people to brush their teeth at the sink side by side like this
“You said my morning breath was smelly, make up your mind– y’not want me to fix it?”
This..is simply not what you meant
Sanemi also prides himself in his masculinity!
He’s carrying groceries
He’s taking out the trash
Massaging that spot on your back that’s always tight for some reason
He’s tending to the yard
Defending you from the sputtering cooking oil at dinner time!
but not because he’s obsessed with you or anything oh god no
Rengoku
my knees fold backwards from how weak he makes me
Rengoku writes you love letters
pride & prejudice levels of longing
letters you gotta take breaks from while reading or you’ll just implode
when you’re both too busy with work to see each other as often as you’d like, he knows this is the fastest way to feel close to you again
y/n wrote these thoughts with their own hands
he could stare at the page and run his fingers over the lettering without reading a single word, just lost in imagining what the world around you looked like while you were writing this to him
Rengoku is also an excellent houseguest
no clumsily broken dishes, not a pillow out of place, not even a single heavy footstep
and oh my lord
does he do chores like a champ
he knows you have a busy work day ahead of you?
that laundry’s going to be washed, folded, and dried before you get home
you’re not feeling well?
the bathroom is clean, the kitchen is stocked, there’s fresh cut flowers in your bedroom
you’re recovering from a mission?
househusband activate
he’s strapping on his haori and BLASTING the house into perfect working order
the only downside is that this man cannot cook to save his life
it’s Rengoku’s dream to take you home with him and introduce you to his brother
to stop you from assaulting his father
to visit his mother’s grave together
he just KNOWS you’re what he’s always been looking for
and that anyone who loves him, will love you even more
Obanai
the definition of fangirl behavior
this is the man that’s gonna take a knee to tie your shoe in public
cuz he’s got that phat ooey gooey crush on you
Iguro’s a pretty quiet fella when there aren’t any assholes to antagonize
so this sweetheart just lives to provide for you
he likes to know you’re feeling full because you ate his cooking
he likes to see you wear the clothes he bought you while away on missions
(he never comes back from a mission empty handed, oh my god can you imagine)
similarly he likes to know you’re sound asleep because he’s the one who tired you out
even though he’s not the most flamboyant, everyone around you is just about blinded by how bright his eyes shine for you
they’re a fucking traffic hazard
they’re sending ships to their doom on the coastline in a storm
from your perspective he’s just thoughtful and loyal
like you fit together effortlessly
but to everyone looking from the outside in
they can clearly see Obanai frantically pulling all the parts of his plan together so your day goes without a hitch
i’m talking,, filling potholes in town with his own hands so you never even have to avoid a puddle
goat bf behavior
Kaburamaru is even more clingy, and likes to wind across your shoulders as you work, or snuggle in your long sleeves on rainy days
the best part of Obanai’s day is falling asleep with you knowing he spent yet another day worshiping the ground you walk on
he likes to cuddle with either one of your heads on the other’s chest because no matter which position he’s in, he gets to fall asleep listening to the sound of your hearts beating together
Mitsuri
you’re not leaving her house without lip balm, sunscreen, and a full belly
the queen of absolute pampering
Mitsuri in a relationship is simply a top tier emotional fluffer
“baby try a bite of this and tell me what it needs”
“Y/n honey hold still, you’ve got leaves in your hair”
“come to me baby, i’ll zip that up for you”
Mitsuri LOVES spending time in the garden with her apiary
and her little beekeeping hat is too goddamn cute for you not to join her
she wants to share the things that make her happy with you more than anything!
well, not more than she wants to spend hours staring at you longingly from across the dinner table
you’re shopping at markets together
learning to cook new things together
going on trips to the beach, city, and countryside together
she’s big on casual PDA
wants to walk hand in hand, or at least pinky in pinky
makes sure her feet are at least touching yours under the table when you’re out to eat
loves LOVES when you ask her to wash your back in the shower
she’s so fucking sappy she wants to fall alseep with your foreheads pressed together, hand in hand
i’m trembling as i write this oh my god she’s perfect
basically just a life of luxury and companionship
and learning the secret to how she smells so goddamn good
Shinobu
she knows one of your favorite parts about her is her voice
so she loves reading out loud to you when you both have some down time
actually, one of her favorite things to do with you is nothing at all!
chatting a bit here and there, but generally doing your own separate things together
= Shinobu’s happy place
her brain is always going a million miles a minute, so the fact that you’re more than happy to take a nap in her lab while she works is seriously soothing
it’s an insecurity of hers don’t tell anyone that her lifestyle isn’t compatible with having a partner or a family
so the fact that you’re happy to work around her chaotic schedule is more comforting to her than you can know
Shinobu isn’t big on PDA but she capital-L Loves showing you off like her trophy
to people working the stands in the market
at pillar meetings
to her patients in the infirmary
if it wasn’t so dangerous she’d take you on missions just to brag about your beauty in every village across the country
she’s also stern
and so hard on herself
so don’t forget to call her something silly a few times a day
“hey hey now Crabapple, we can’t beat the patients just because they’re irritating”
“ahoy Sunshine! look at the butterflies in the garden today!”
you’re a nice balancing force in her life
you make her feel vulnerable and brave
oh, and don’t forget to help her channel her simmering rage!
take her outside by the hand with a soft smile, hand her a dish, and just smash that shit!
“c’mon Ko! you’ve been tense all day, break something with me!”
she’ll follow you to the ends of the earth
Giyuu
touch starved sonofabitch
that and an unwavering loyalty is what he’s bringing to the table
literally just run your fingers through his hair when you wake up and he’ll be fully recharged for the next 12 hours
in all seriousness, Giyuu has always found that the people he loves the most are taken from him
so before he can even admit how much he cares for you
before he even really realizes it
you need to be patient with this poor man
the actions that mean the most to him aren’t monetary or service-based
just show up
if you say you’re going to do something, do it
you say you’re always going to be there for him?
you better prove that shit baby
it’s the very second you burst through the doors of the butterfly mansion infirmary that it fully hits him
“Tomioka! Oh my god–”
“You came.”
“I–! I– what? Of course I came! You’re injured!”
“How did you know?”
“You weren’t at your house when I went over to check! Tomioka I can’t– you said you would be careful!”
sure you’re screaming at him and throwing the nurses into a tailspin with demands of ‘more pillows’ and ‘i need a chair goddammit’
but you’re so worried about him all he can do is smile
i think the best way to love Giyuu is just so overtly is feels silly
love him loudly
and he’ll just fall in love with you right back
he’ll always invite you to join him even if it seems ridiculous
“um, no thanks. I don’t really want to go to the bathroom with you baby.”
“okay, just checking.”
cutie
“i’m going to get a glass of water, do you want to come?”
“could you just…bring me one back?”
he’s just a perfect scrungly boy who’s new to the whole, being-loved-out-loud thing
Gyomei
doesn’t ever and i mean EVER open up to people
even when you start dating
he’s the toughest goddamned nut
he’s caring sure
i mean
is there even a word for the way he cares for you?
he’ll meet you at your work to walk you home everyday
he’ll tuck you in if you fall asleep hanging out and then sleep on the bare floor beside your bed so you don’t get uncomfortable
he’ll peel those little white strings off your clementines– i mean truly he does want to take care of you
and you love the attention don’t get me wrong
but sometimes you want him to just let loose a bit!
joke around with you
so you remind him sternly one morning that you’re “not a child!” when he offers to help you get dressed
“Of course you’re not.”
“No Himejima, listen to me!”
what else would he be doing
“You don’t have to protect my feelings, I’m your equal.”
it’s a small little comment, but it’s effective
right
you’re not like the people from his past
you’re not going to trick him
you’re not going to use him
if you were, you would’ve done it already!
it takes a few weeks but he starts to smile more
starts asking for help
he even laughed when you splashed him in the bath, so hard it startled you!
he fluctuates, but overall his adventurous partner is helping him to open up slowly but surely
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2K notes · View notes
devildomwriter · 5 months
Text
Satan & Cats Vol 1-4
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21-14
Satan: “…The cleanup is going to be a nightmare.”
The floor is now littered with books which all seem to be about cats
Satan: *blushing* “Hey, why are you looking at me like that?”
MC: “Have you been cheating on me? …With cats?”
Satan: “If looking at pictures of cats in books counts as cheating on you, then…I guess? Heheh, are you actually jealous of the cats?”
21-14
MC: “Do you like cats that much?”
Satan: “Well, I wouldn’t collect books about something unless I like it, obviously.”
27-16
Cat: *HISSSSSS*
Satan: “Come on, it’s okay. Come here. If you get all angry like that, you’ll end up opening up that wound and making it worse, you know?”
Cat: *growl*…
Asmodeus: “Is that Satan with…a cat?”
27-16
MC: “What’s going on, Satan?”
Satan: “…! …Nothing. I just happened to spot a cat over here, that’s all.”
27-16
MC: “What’re you doing here?”
Satan: “What, is there some problem with me being here? I just happened to spot a cat over here, that’s all.”
29-7
Satan: “Go ahead, see if you can seduce me.”
MC: “Meow?”
Satan: *blushing* “…! …You pass.”
35-14
Satan: “That’s not MC. That’s a cat. It’s a newborn kitten that can’t find its mother, I’m sure of it. And it’s crying out, desperate for help…”
35-19
Satan: “No, I didn’t imagine it. I definitely heard something. It was the sound of a cat meowing.”
35-19
Satan: “I mean, think about it! If a tiny kitten who’s just opened it’s 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?”
Lucifer: “The rule here is “Do not touch.””
Satan: “I take responsibility for my actions. And I regret nothing I did…nothing.”
35-16 Hard
Lucifer: “Satan, when it comes to anything having to do with cats, you’re incapable of thinking rationally. That’s a problem, and it needs to change.
Satan: “…I regret nothing. I just like to help cats in need. That’s all.”
Lucifer: “You may not have regrets, but you still need to consider the consequences of your actions. First of all, anytime you happen upon a cat, you immediately decide to bring it home with you, which…”
39-15
Satan: “Oh, right. I heard you’ve got this place in your world known as “Cat Island.” …In Japan, I think. Have you hear of it? Because I’d really like to go check it out sometime. With you, naturally.”
41-9
MC: “Cat documentaries.”
Satan: *blushing* “Wait, what? You have documentaries about cats in the human world…? Oh, I want to see these documentaries. No, I have to see them. Actually, let’s watch them right now.”
42-16 Hard
Satan: “I don’t believe it…”
Asmodeus: “Satan, do you recognize this thing?”
Satan: “I do. I’ve seen one of these on DevilTube. There was a cat riding on it.”
46-7
MC: *Put on the cat ears*
Lucifer: “The cat ears? How exactly are those supposed to help…”
Satan: *gasp*…!
Satan takes 222 damage.
Beelzebub: “The cat ears actually worked…”
Lucifer: “…Huh?”
Solomon: “Still, they barely did any damage at all. The Demon Lord Satan has 870,000 HP total.”
Lucifer: “Damn…! Someone get us a real cat, and fast!”
47-9
Satan: “I was planning to spend the day thinking up new cat video hashtags to search on Devilgram…”
47-17
Satan: “I also want to get home soon…so I can watch more cat videos… I can’t wait to watch my cat videos…”
47-19
Satan: “I’d like to head back soon, too. I want to watch cat videos on Devilgram. …So bad it’s killing me.”
47-19
Lucifer: “Uh oh, the TV screen… It’s showing video footage of cats now! Be strong, Satan! Don’t give in to them!”
Satan: “…!”
Leviathan: “Oh no, we’re really in trouble now! It’s a group of sleepy kittens…and they’re starting to doze off!” *gasp* “…look! They’re all nestled up against each other and are falling asleep…!”
Satan: “They’re… They’re so cute…”
48-12
Asmodeus: “What are you looking at, Satan? …What am I saying? As if I even need to ask. You’re watching cat videos, aren’t you?”
Satan: “I’ve never thought of searching the hashtag “FrolickingWithADuck” before. Wow, have I been missing out… And don’t you just love this one too, Asmo? “FriendsWithAHamster.””
48-A
Satan: “What I wouldn’t give to be able to watch a nice, soothing cat video right now…”
49-10
Satan: “And a Pretty Kitty special to go with that.”
Simeon: “…Wait. What did you just say? They want a Pretty Kitty Special…?”
Satan: “Yeah. It’s a new menu item I came up with. They’re pancakes in the shape of a cat’s paw. They’re soft, fluffy, and flavored with maple syrup. These are guaranteed to become the café’s signature dish.”
Simeon: “Ahaha… They really are cute…”
Mammon: “Man, he’s sure is crazy about cats.”
49-12
Luke: “Aha… Looks like we found Satan. Hmm, he’s staring at his tablet with a really serious look on his face. I wonder what he’s doing… Trying to understand the current economic conditions in the human world? Or studying a foreign language, maybe? Wow, he really is committed to the pursuit of knowledge…”
Mammon: “Nope, wrong. That’s the face he makes when he’s watchin’ cat videos.”
Luke: “Watching cat videos…?”
49-12
Satan: “As you can see, I’m busy.”
Mammon: “Busy?! You’re just sittin’ here watching cat videos!”
49-12
Luke: “…! Right! Right, exactly. Simeon’s totally obsessed with the cat cafes they have here in the human world! He’s now seriously considering turning the Angel’s Halo into a cat café as well…!”
Mammon: “For real?”
Luke: “Shhh! Quiet, Mammon! Which is why we’ve come to you. As a cat lover, we were really hoping you could advise Simeon… And you know…to do that, you’d need to understand how the business is run, right? And what better way than by working there part-time?!”
Satan: “Why didn’t you say that to begin with? In that case, I’m glad to help.”
49-12
MC: “You know, every day cats show up at the café…”
Satan: “Cats…?”
Luke: “…! Right! Right, exactly. Really, really cute cats…kittens, in fact!”
Satan: “Did you say kittens?”
Luke: “Mmhm. Three of them…actually, wait. Maybe it was five?”
Satan: “Five kittens…”
Luke: “They always show up as soon as they get hungry, and we feed them! Wow, they’re just adorable! They like to hang out in front of the café and play. When they wrestle, it’s like little balls of fur rolling around!”
Satan: “Let’s go. Now.”
Luke: “…Huh?”
Satan: “You said you needed someone to work at the café, right? I want to let Simeon know I’m interested before he gives someone else the job.”
49-12
Satan: “Looking forward to working with you.”
Simeon: “Likewise! I have to say, you’re a lifesaver. I feel much better knowing you’ll be here.”
Satan: “Okay, so…let’s talk cats.”
Simeon: “…Excuse me? Cats?”
51-4
???: *meooow*
Satan: “Just a second, all right? I’m on the phone. Calm down.”
???: *meooooow*
???: *mrooowr*
Satan: “Ow! …Hey, don’t climb onto my shoulder. Quit digging into me with your claws!”
???: *rrraaaar*
???: *hiss*
Satan: “Whoa, hey! Da Vinci…Michelangelo! No fighting!”
51-7
Satan: “You see, I was in the middle of testing out a new flavor to add to our drinks…That’s when the cats started going crazy…and long story short, I ended up wearing the flavoring instead of tasting it.”
Simeon: “You know, that wouldn’t have happened it you hadn’t let them into the café to begin with…”
Satan: “Well, can you blame me? They’re such an improvement. I mean, what’s a café without cats?”
Simeon: “Right. That’s my first point of confusion, actually. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Simeon: “Anyway, don’t blame me when Barbatos makes you pay for this later. He looked QUITE angry about being forced into filling in for you at the café.”
Satan: “I mean, he should be happy, right? He’s surrounded by cats, after all. Sounds great to me.”
52-19
Satan: “I do like cats, sure. But you know I don’t have a pet cat, right?”
52-A
Leviathan: “Well, apparently he was in charge of yesterday’s cleanup, which was a total nightmare. Something about there being cats everywhere? I don’t really know what the deal was.”
Lucifer: “So this was another one of Satan’s messes, then…”
52-C
Satan: “They’re gone! I don’t see them anywhere! Where’d they go?! My little Monet! Da Vinci! Munch! Rembrandt! Vermeer…!”
Barbatos: “Ah, looking for that group of cats with the fancy names? I returned them to the various witches and sorcerers that owned them. They’re back home now.”
Satan: “Wh…what…?!”
52-C
Solomon: “Satan, get ahold of yourself. This is no time to be standing there in a stupor because the cats are gone.”
Satan: “…Yeah…yeah, I know.”
52-16 Hard
Satan: “But I’m waiting on a little friend of mine, a cat, who’s going to show up outside on the terrace soon. They’re looking forward to some tasty kitty treats courtesy of Satan.”
52-16 Hard
Satan: “…MC. If a white cat shows up on the terrace outside, do you think you could feed them a few treats in my place?”
53-14
…a movie about three adorable cats who set off on a journey together starts playing…
Satan: *blushing* “Wh…! …It’s a black and white bicolor, a tortoiseshell, and a tabby… and they’re relaxing in the sun, all curled up against each other. That’s so…so cute!”
53-14
Satan: “Those cats are so cute…”
58-15
Lucifer: “My hobby is music, whereas you prefer reading, don’t you? And you love cats, but if I had to pick one or the other, I’d go with dogs.”
58-16 Hard
Lucifer: “…I just got a call from Barbatos. From what he says, Diavolo suddenly transformed into a cat just now.”
Leviathan: “C…come again…?!”
Belphegor: “You say Lord Diavolo…turned into a cat…?”
Leviathan: “Ooh…not that… That’s treading on the most sacred of sacred ground…”
Satan: “Okay, what type of cat did he turn into exactly? I’m curious to know the breed and color of its fur. Are there pictures?”
59-1
Satan: “I was trying to say it can ALSO be used as a vehicle for cats, even though it was designed to be a vacuum cleaner.”
Leviathan: “Oh no…uh-uh! That’s a lie, and you know it. You were totally convinced it was a thing cats ride on!”
59-4
Satan: “Crowe, play the theme song to “Another Purrrfect Day for Kitties in the Devildom.” At max volume, please.”
60-22
Satan: “…There are several cats who come by the manor for food each day. Make sure to take care of them for me. If you’re on the job, I feel like I can rest easy knowing they’ll be okay. But keep in touch. Let me know how the cats are doing every day. Got it? Every day.”
60-22
Satan: “…Anytime you want to give me a ring, do it. It doesn’t have to be about cats.”
63-9
Satan: “You told me to come, so here I am. But I don’t see any cat—“
Mammon: “MEOW!”
Satan: “…?!”
Mammon: “Meoooow!”
Satan: “What the…? What’s going on?”
63-9
Satan: “…He looks like Mammon, but he sounds like a cat…”
Mammon: “Meow meow meow!”
Satan: “…Come here, you. Who’s a good kitty, hm?”
Mammon: *hiss*!
Satan: “Aww, there’s no need to be frightened. Come here, it’s okay.”
Mammon: *HISSSSSS!*
Belphegor: “…I guess Satan just loves all cats no matter what?”
63-11
Belphegor: “Satan said he’s going to hang out with Mammon for a while. Apparently he enjoys watching cat-Mammon play with cat toys.”
64-A
Satan: “Because the truth is that I don’t want to be stuck here with cat-Mammon, either.”
Mammon: “Meow?!”
Satan: *blushing* “But every time he starts meowing at me, I feel this urge to keep playing with him. I can’t help myself.”
64-A
Mammon: “Meow meow meow meow meoow!”
Satan: “…!”
Mammon: *purr* “mrrooow.”
Satan: *blushing* “Gr…so cute. I know it’s Mammon, but he’s just too cute…!”
67-14
MC: “Cats, books, number four.”
Luke: “Cats, books, number four? That has to be Satan!”
67-17
Lucifer: “By the way, Satan…you forgot your “cat cookies” back at the house. You know, those cat treats you normally carry around with you everywhere. I grabbed them and brought them with me. Here.”
Satan: “Oh, thanks.”
68-19
The sorcerer MC commands you…Come forth, feline… Satan: “What the…?!”
Cat: “Meooow!”
Satan: *gasp* “You’re… YOU’RE SO CUTE! Come here, kitty! How’d you like some cat treats?”
70-15
MC: “A cat!”
Leviathan: “Can you summon a cat here, MC?”
MC: “The sorcerer MC commands you! Come forth, feline…
Cat: “Meooow.”
Satan: “…! What’s going on? Where’d you come from, little guy?”
75-12
Luke: “Satan, are you planning on drinking that milk off of a plate? Wouldn’t you prefer a cup?”
Satan: “Oh, um. Yeah, I find it’s easier this way.”
Luke: “Aha… …What do you think, MC?”
MC: “I’m thinking that’s for a cat.”
Luke: “Yep, my thoughts exactly.”
Or
MC: “He’s taking that to a cat, isn’t he…”
Luke: “So you were thinking the same thing I was, huh?”
Or
MC: “That has to be for a cat!”
Luke: “You wouldn’t think that Satan would be so easy to read, but sometimes he is…”
Satan: “Wh…what? Why are you two looking at me like that?”
75-12
Satan: “On the way home from school, a kitten came up and started rubbing up against me! So I took it home! And I’m secretly keeping it in my room!”
76-2
Asmodeus: “MC showed us the pictures of you as a puppy. You were just adorable!”
Mammon: “Wh…! MC! I told ya to keep that a secret!”
Asmodeus: “That was the result of a failed potions experiment on your part, right?”
Beelzebub: “Mammon looked pretty cute in that picture.”
Satan: “Yeah. So much so that I started thinking a dog might actually make a good pet. You know what a cat demon I am. I thought I was going insane.”
80-19
Leviathan: “A cat bookmark? Aww, Satan, isn’t that cute…” *nudge* Satan: “MC and I bought a matching pair of them when I went up to the human world that one time.”
80-19
Satan: “That was a really nice gift shop, they had all sorts of cat-themed stuff. We should go there again the next time we get a chance, MC.”
130 notes · View notes
xxstraymoonchildxx · 5 months
Text
This Couple is unusual
Synopsis: You and Satan are currently hyper-fixating on the human world’s Victorian-era and True Crime. Since your birthday is coming up, you ask Barbatos for a special gift - a trip to Old London to find out the culprit behind the Jack the Ripper case. Who would have thought you’d met one Hell of a Butler? (Kuroshitsuji x Obey Me! Crossover)
Next
Prologue
cw: none
You and Satan sat hurdled together in his room, a book in each of your hands. It was quiet, only your calm breathing and the occasional rustling of a page being turned filled the room. It was pleasant. The other brothers knew better than to bother you two when engaging in your weekly reading session, only Lucifer forced the both of you to eat when lunch or dinner was ready. The two of you were currently inhaling the Sherlock Holmes series from the human realm and after finishing the current edition you’d usually engage in various discussions. Occasionally, Simeon was part of your little book club, being a writer himself, but he was sometimes unavailable when Lord Diavolo called for meetings and such. 
“Did you know that they never solved a famous murder case in England in the 1800s?” You threw the question into the room when both of you closed your editions at nearly the same time. “Huh, I think I’ve heard about them. Jack the Ripper, if I’m remembering correctly”
You hummed “Right, it’s one of the most popular serial killer cases that is still unsolved. Victims were all women, prostitutes to be exact and they were mutilated from the inside, really nasty if you ask me.”
Satan nodded curtly “Some humans are definitely up to par with our kind regarding violence and brutality.”
“True, true. Still, I am strangely fascinated by that mystery. Makes me want to travel back in time to solve it.”
A pause.
Satan’s lips curved upwards, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Well, I think there could be a way. If we can manage to persuade a certain demon that is.” 
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“Not fair, I wanna go, too!” Mammon hollared, glaring daggers at his blond younger brother. Satan, joined by Belphegor, rolled his eyes at his antics. “Lololol, Mammon’s being desperate again” Leviathan snickered while the others decided to ignore the Avatar of Greed’s tantrum altogether. Everyone knew he was interested in swiping up valuable items from the past to sell as authentic antiques in the present and being jealous on top of that. 
“Sorry Mammon,” you tried to calm him with a soothing tone “We do something together when we come back, okay? I’ll even bring souvenirs for everyone~”
“You better,” Mammon huffed and pouted, cheeks dusting pink from your cute expression. 
“Don’t forget to wear the outfits I picked out for your trip!” The avatar of lust chimed in “And make lots of cute pictures!”
“Will do, Asmo.”
Satan huffed, growing agitated by the minute “We should take our leave”
“Satan,” Lucifer stepped closer, signaling his brother to step aside for a private talk while you were being encircled by the other five  “I entrust that you protect her from any harm. You know how careless she can get.” Satan mentally huffed, glaring at his brother “I’m very much capable. She’s safe with me,” Lucifer nodded, unaffected by the harsh tone. “Good, come back safely”
“Don’t need to tell me that”
You left the House of Lamentation, each of you carrying a large suitcase, and headed over to the demon lord's castle, leaving a bunch of disappointed brothers behind.
On your way, you ran into Simeon and Luke who were on their way back to Purgatory Hall. They greeted you two; Luke gave you a tight hug as well. “Simeon told me you’re about to go to the past in the human world, is that true?”
“Yep, we want to do some hands-on research. We won’t be gone for long, so please don’t be worried about us”
“I’m not worried,” Luke denied with a blush (he was). “Of course you don’t have to be, I’m with her as well” Satan chimed in with a smirk. Simeon chuckled “I must admit, I am a bit jealous. It sounds like quite the adventure. I can’t wait to hear about your experience.” Luke let go of you “Uh-huh. Me too! Simeon told me the 1800s are a bit dangerous, so please accept my blessing!” 
“I thought you weren’t worried, Luke,” Simeon said with a chuckle. The child’s cheeks burn brightly “S-still. Just to be safe! Better safe than sorry, right?”
“That is kind of you. I make sure to bring you a gift.” 
His eyes sparkled and his smile widened. Then he closed his eyes, muttering a blessing. A colorful light engulfed you and you felt suddenly very light and warm inside.  
“Stay safe you two!”
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Barbatos greeted you near the entrance, standing proudly in the entrance area; looking fiendishly handsome like always.
“I was awaiting you, please follow me” He led the two of you through the majestic golden Hall down to a familiar room. You went there back in your first year when you had to prevent Belphegor from killing you (You prefer not to think about it)
“Diavolo sends his best regards but he is currently buried in work and is unable to leave his office” You don’t doubt it was thanks to Barbatos but didn’t comment on it. “We appreciate him thinking about us,” Satan stated and you nodded in agreement. “Thank you again for my early birthday gift, you’re the best” The butler smiled with closed eyes “Don’t forget the rare tea leaves for my payment. And try to not make too much of a mess” You feigned a gasp “I would never!” 
“Are you ready?” Barbatos opened a portal in a mirror.
Satan met your gaze, a soft smile on his lips as he grabbed your hand.
  “Let’s go!”
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Alright, so what do we think?
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tagedeszorns · 20 days
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So here's my live reading of "Lord of Excess"!
May contain Spoilers!
I'm only a quarter of the way through the book, which is because (apart from the fact that I only downloaded it this morning) the weather is sunny and warm for the first time this spring, so I've tended to be out and about so far. And being out and about led me to the Warhammer store, where I not only bought some colours for the Beastmen and had a little chat, but also got the miniature of the month (a very nice Terminator) and put it together. And during a little hike I thought about whether I should make him a Salamander, Word Bearer or Emperor's Children.
But I digress. A quarter of Lord of Excess. And so far the verdict is: holy shit, we finally have an author again! This is not a drill! There's a new Emperor's Children writer who understands their mindset, background and motivation!
Yes, Rich McCormick still has to find his way into some things and perhaps take a less narrow view of others - but in principle he's well on the way to growing into Josh Reynolds' huge shoes. (that sounds like Reynolds is a Harlequin. Clown shoes! Honk!)
This makes me very, very happy.
Quick summary of highlights (besides the quotes I've already posted):
McCormick lets Fabius be himself. I want to kiss his eyes for that. (No, Fabius has no appearance - but he's mentioned and speaks through his actions)
He understands that Emperor's Children are not just insane junkies, but gives them different obsessions with perfection (a logistician!).
He incorporates their history and gives space to the wounding they collectively suffered with the destruction of Harmony.
He's able to capture their incredible arrogance and narcissism without ridiculing them (Watch and learn, McNeill!).
He creates personalities that aren't all defined solely by their gene-seed.
The list will certainly be expanded.
But of course it's not all sunshine and roses. I find it difficult to accept certain things when I'm told them but then very consistently not shown them.
If Xantine and Vavisk are such incredibly close friends, I want to see that in their interactions too.
Why do the Adored follow Xantine? So far, it's not clear to me. Too much telling, too little showing. I mean, isn't it funny that Fabius, the man whose picture is next to "Caustic Bitch" in the dictionary, can apparently build and maintain healthier and more stable friendships than a charismatic warband leader with a Slaaneshi demon in his pocket?!
But that's just a minor annoying aspect so far - albeit one that makes it hard for me to like Xantine as a protagonist. Please don't get me wrong - I don't need a main character to be a classic lawful-good Hollywood hero to like him! I adore the characters with flaws, with bad habits and the ones who fight tooth and nail against being heroes. But at least a basic sympathy that makes me care why the protagonists are in trouble and makes me eager to see how they resolve the situation - that would be nice!
In any case, so far: I want to know more! The book is fun! So much!
(Okay, the usual Black Library mantra "There have to be little people in it, not just Astartes!" is getting on my nerves, as it does every time. But, hey, it'll be fine!)
One last thing: Lucius and Fabius pointing and laughing at Xantine, because Clarion/The Composer and Wolver/Key are so much cooler than a stinking heap!
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ao3cassandraic · 8 months
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Angels, demons, language, and culture: part 2
(Part 1, for those interested)
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." --John 1:1, King James Bible
A better theologian than I could perhaps write a meta in which the Starmaker is the Word. I'm not prepared to go that far, honestly. I am fully prepared to say that written words, in the GOverse, are very, very important -- but curiously neither angelic nor demonic. They're human.
I mean, watching s1 I noticed that there's not a whole lot of written words in Heaven, to the point that I was wondering whether angels are even literate. There's the Quartermaster's list (which now I'm wondering about again -- we don't see whether there are words on it; perhaps it's just pictures and maybe checkboxes?), and... and... um... surely there's more... there's got to be more, right? ... huh, go figure.
Word of Gaiman says that angels mostly don't read the Bible; it's not angelic, it's human, and as such rather déclassé. In s2, we do see Gabriel's name written across his file -- but inside it? Not forms, not written documents, but video. There's an Ursula K. LeGuin line -- I think from The Telling? or maybe Four Ways to Forgiveness -- about a society that's postliterate, having left the written word behind for video, and is for that reason extra gullible. Yeah, that line sure does remind me of Heaven.
No wonder Muriel doesn't get much respect from their colleagues or reporting line. If words aren't angelic, how can respect be due to a mere scrivener?
Jimbriel can read, though his grasp on the alphabet is a bit shaky. He can't really read, though -- just as angels can speak human language but not think human thoughts. Only someone who can't quite get his head around the idea that written words convey meaning would try to organize books alphabetically by first word. (Aziraphale does understand this, of course. "But nobody would ever -- yes, fine, go ahead." I love that line. Aziraphale would hate my metadata class -- or he'd love it, just to do the opposite of every organizational principle I teach!)
Hell uses writing, but very inexpertly: the typography on its signs is (with full Doylist intent) execrable, and in s2 we learn that most demons can't spell for beans. What Hell can do with written words, apparently, is contracts, like the one Crowley has to sign for the baby Antichrist -- and after the Job minisode and its miles-long bet contract, I don't actually think contracts come from Hell in general, I think it's Satan specifically who writes them. (Maybe Satan used to be the Word. That'd be interesting. GO theologians, start your engines.)
Hell does seem to have a lot of paper around, shuffled into various overflowing cabinets and stamped at various desks. Hell even has a Lord of the Files! Even so, Furfur relies substantially on a visual display at his desk, a camera, and a surveillance video display. Most of the paper seems to be for handling former humans -- once again, written words and humans are inextricably entwined in the GOverse.
As for angelic and demonic magic, I notice a substantial absence of grimoires, chanting, or incantation, and a whole lot of picture (as we see in the Starmaker's book) and gesture. The Starmaker says "Let there be light" (and so does Aziraphale in s1), but I don't think by internal GOverse logic it'd have worked without the pull-down gesture.
All of which is to say that Aziraphale doesn't need the written word to be an angel; the written word is distinctly unangelic. Writing has to have been something he picked up from humanity, and decided he liked. It's one more thing that distances him from Heaven, as we can see in Gabriel's open contempt for Aziraphale's books, and even the well-meaning Jimbriel's instrumentalist use of books as fans and flyswatters and gravity testers.
Notably, when Nina asks to use Aziraphale's books instrumentally -- as weapons -- she rationalizes it to Aziraphale by indicating that the information in the encyclopedias will still exist online. Aziraphale accepts this! Not without pain, but he accepts it. He, unlike Jimbriel, can separate the meaning of a writing from its carrier. Hi, hello, yes, I am a librarian and I have read my Suzanne "Madame Documentation" Briet and Paul Otlet and Michael Buckland. I've even taught them. Content vs. carrier is a Whole Dang Thing in the history of librarianship. (Also, I am now headcanoning liek whoa that Aziraphale learned French to better understand Briet and Otlet. If he ever starts waffling about antelopes, I will know why.)
But that still leaves @thundercrackfic's actual questions: what exactly attracts Aziraphale to the written word? and how well does he understand it? And my additional question: what about Muriel? I'll get there. I promise! But I still need to talk about rules.
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antiromanticbaby · 8 months
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Kingdoms - Obey Me TSL
[✧] ー Have you ever wondered how each kingdom in the Tale of Seven Lords looks? Part 2 of my TSL rants <3 all of them will come with the tag #♡ ┊ tsl rants by pk.
[✧] ー extra: Lord Diavolo, Barbatos, Simeon, Luke and even Solomon's places are mentioned too :)
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The Main Three:
♡ ┊ There are three empires over all. Where angels, the holy creatures of light reside, is named Aurum. And where the Demons, creatures of darkness and sin reside, is named Sumbra. And then there is the land of humans, the place were creatures hold both darkness and light within themselves, known as Equilibrium.
♡ ┊ Aurum is ruled by a group of higher up angels named 'Father'. That father doesn't exist, but many believe it to do, especially the humans of Equilibrium. Some of the angels are known of these dark truths, and flee. The angel Simeon and the young angel in training Luke are two examples of the ones who flee, and live in Sumbra. The kingdom of demons, Sumbra, has one main Emperor, known as the King of Lords. That is where Lord Diavolo stands. That part of Sumbra is pretty much like a capital and has its own dukes, counts, etc. The roles are mostly based on Ars Goetia, much like Duke Barbatos. There are six kingdoms in Sumbra, ruled over by the seven overlords.
♡ ┊ And last but not the least is Equilibrium. The main king is King Solomon the wise, but the king himself is not seen much and is only named in stories. King Solomon the wise has disguised himself as a traveller between the three worlds and is known as a sorcerer.
Lord of Corruption:
♡ ┊ The Lord of Corruption's kingdom is by far, the coldest. Full of tall mountains and snow, and corrupted shadows. It is as if clouds are always looming over the kingdom throughout the daytime, and it's very rare for the people to see the sun. Nights are usually clear, but the shadows are ever lasting. The people in Lord of Corruption's domain are known for their harsh exterior but soft hearts, and they're very good when it comes to taming and controlling others. People are mostly wearing warm clothing, and they're very formal.
Lord of Fools:
♡ ┊ A deserted area, but full of glory. Imagine ancient Egypt, but make it eve more magical and elegant. The weather is usually hot, even in winters. As I stated in my other post, I like to imagine that his kingdom has multiple mines of gold and diamond, and many palaces like ancient middle eastern asian countries. The people are known for their good trades and they have connections all over Sumbra, some having connections in Equilibrium too. While Lord of Shadow's domain is good at training knights and war, Lord of Fool's domain is known for their wealth and connection, which makes them very scary.
Lord of Shadow:
♡ ┊ A fantasy kingdom, surrounded by water. The weather is amazing, if you enjoy being around seas a lot. Most of the people have their own sea pets and are great swimmers. I've once read that Levi trained and lead soldiers in wars, and so, I believe his kingdom in the TSL series is also good at training knights. The best knights in Sumbra are trained in Lord of Shadow's domain and have a badge that indicates that they've been trained there. They have huge troops of soldiers for wars and are known for their shape shifting abilities.
Lord of Masks:
♡ ┊ Have you ever seen pictures of magical forests where elves live? Where fairies fly around freely and magical animals walk around? That's the vibes I get when I think of the Lord of Masks. Also, many mystical animals are there. From golden deers to six eyed cats. The weather can be like rainy forests in summer, or as cold as the night in a desert. The whole kingdom, overall, gives cottagecore vibes. The people are known for their talent in plays and theatres. And if you want to read a good book, the best writers are from Lord of Masks' territory.
Lord of Lechery:
♡ ┊ Again another kingdom within mountains, but unlike Lord of Corruption's kingdom, Lord of Lechery's kingdom has warmer weather and more colorful flowers. Lord of Lechery's kingdom, or Asmo's kingdom, is also home to colorful birds and creatures that can live in mountains. Mostly birds though. The people are known for their fashion and amazing taste in colors. They're not that strong when it comes to war and magic, unlike Lord of Masks or Lord of Shadows, but the kingdom is supported by many. Many of the people don't see a reason for war either, why fight when all the other kingdoms love them and their lines of clothing?
Lord of Flies and Lord of Emptiness:
♡ ┊ The kingdom of sun and moon, the empire of light and dark. Where the skies are truly a sight and miracles happen. The kingdom is huge enough that it has been divided to two sides: The Sun, The Moon. This kingdom attracts many tourists, because sun and moon co-exist, they see each other everyday and even if they move, they're still together in the sky (which makes a very beautiful sight).
♡ ┊ Much like the kingdom itself, the people also have two sides. But that doesn't make them 'bad'. They have very delicious food and galaxy themed art. Things you can never find in other places of the world. There many accurate fortune tellers there and people who can read stars for multiple purposes, not just finding their way. The weather depends on where you are, the part dedicated to Lord of Flies? Pretty warm. Mind you, flies do exist there, and they adore the temperature. The part dedicated to Lord of Emptiness? You might need a blanket or too, but don't worry, it's not as cold of Lord of Corruption's domain.
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These have been done for RP purposes. Shoot a message if you'd like to rp <;3 what should the next part be? wedding traditions? souvenirs? [Part 1]
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elysianhades · 9 months
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Hi! I would like to request mammon x mc fluff. Maybe something like a painting date where you pass the canvases back and forth? Up to you, but just some mammon please!!!
Here you go! Thank you so much for requesting! I hope this is acceptable!
I haven't ever written Mammon before so hopefull he isn't too ooc
Somplace Only We Know
Mammon x Mc
Downy Fluff ahead!
“What’s the point in this again?” Mammon asks, watching you pull out the pencils and sketchbooks out of the bag you brought with you.
It was a smart decision on your part, for you both to ‘sneak’ to the human realm. If any of the other brothers knew about this little date the two of you had planned, you knew they would try to sabotage it, but seriously, you put too much effort in this outing for it to be spoiled by pouting demon lords. You both were sitting on a beach, a bluff actually, if you wanted to get technical. It was nice, being in weather that wasn’t actively trying to kill you. The Devildom is nice, but being able to wander around and not be sweating a concerning amount or literally bundled up is something you will never take for granted again.
“My older brother and I used to play a game like this when we were younger, granted I was 5 and he was terrible at drawing, but I also used to do this before I went to the Devildom, it helps warm up skills. Besides, I wanted to spend time with you and what better way than by doing this? It’s fun I swear!” You laugh, nudging the demon next to you with your knee.
“I trust ya, precious. It’s not everyday the Great Mammon has time off ya know? Imma very busy demon, I’m sure whatever ya planned is gonna be entertain’.” He boasts, chuckling and puffing his chest out.
You roll your eyes lovingly, a small smile on your lips as you flip one of the sketchbooks to an open page. For all the comments he was making on the way here, he did seem like he was looking forward to this and he did look like he was enjoying himself.
“Here you go, oh Great Mammon.” You tease, watching Mammon’s ears flush a rosy red when he meets your eyes and sees your smiling face. You swear you see his eyes dart between your eyes and lips once or twice before he carefully takes the offered book out of your hands. He taps his fingers on the cover as he looks around at the mini picnic you had set up. He swallows and looks at the open sketchbook on his lap, quickly flipping through the other pages, not looking at the art there but seeing how much of the book is filled.
“Ya know, one day ya should show me all the sketchbooks ya have. I’d… I’d like ta see what else you’ve made.” He quickly says, looking at you out of the side of his eye. His cheeks now are a little more colorful than they were a second ago.
“If you want to see my older art you can, be warned though, I wasn’t always as adept as I am now,” You snort at his attempt to sound nonchalant, when he is practically vibrating with the want to peek through the book in his hands, “also be warned that there are sketches of you in there.” You add on almost as an afterthought, looking at him head on to catch his reaction.
It takes a couple seconds for your statement to actually register, but you can tell when it did. His eyes widened a tiny bit and his jaw unclenched before the red covered his face and he was choking on nothing. His head whipped over to you as he tried to catch his breath and at this point you were struggling to breathe as well because you were trying not to laugh at him. It was a funny concept to you though, how he could get pictures taken of himself all the time in different positions and not bat an eye but the thought of a few messy drawings are enough to derail any thoughts in his head.
“Well- ah- I mean, of course ya have sketches of me in here, I’m pretty great aren’t I.” He coughs, clearing his throat and looking away from you to try and regain his composure, “seriously though treasure, ya have ta warn me before ya say sappy things like that. Oi! Wait! I better be the only one who you’ve drawn! My brothers better not be in here as well! Just me! I’m yer first after all!”
You chuckle and shake your head as you pull another (almost full) sketchbook out of your bag. This one probably has two or three more pages in it until it’s full, you figured now would be the best time to finish it. You hum as you turn your shoulder so the flustered demon next to you can see the contents of the book. There are a lot of drawings of sceneries around RAD, the castle, even the House of Lamentation, but if the few drawings of people that could be seen, they were all different poses and styles of Mammon doing different things.
Mammon counting grimm, Mammon talking to one of the crows that always follow him around, him grabbing the popcorn bowl from a movie night, him mid-stretch, and so many workshops of his hands in different positions and holding different things. What can you say? He has some attractive hands. You hear a strange dying noise from right beside you. A noise you know is his ‘I don’t know whether to feel giddy or be embarrassed’ he’s made it enough times for you to know what it means.
“Come on, let’s start! I’m going to set a timer on my phone for 15 minutes! During those 15 minutes I want you to draw what you see, could be the beach, could be the water, could be the sky, it doesn't matter. After the timer is up, we are gonna switch books and I’ll continue what you are drawing and you’ll continue mine! I think we should do this two or three times just to be safe. You can use any of the pencils here, anything I’ve brought is free range! Have at it. Do you need some time to think of something to draw or should I start the timer now?” You explain, bouncing lightly, excited to start.
It takes a minute for Mammon to find his words again, but eventually he is able to form a coherent sentence. He looks at the jar full of different colored pencils you have sitting on the blanket, at the pens that are being held together by a rubber band, and finally at the scene around him.
“Yeah, I think I got somethin. Jus no peekin til the time’s up!”
“Ok then! I’m starting the timer!” You cheer, pressing the ‘start’ button on your phone and get to drawing.
The thought to draw Mammon does cross your mind, for multiple reasons, but as soon as those thoughts appear you brush them away, you think he would combust if he saw that right out of the gate. The place that you decided to sit for this date is a bit of a walk away from the trail you had to take to get here. The way to get to this particular bluff was a tiny bit of a walk but it was worth it. Normally, you would park on the side of the road and then walk through the trail to the beach, but since magic was a thing, you were able to teleport right to where the trail through the forest meets the ocean. The beach looks like it's separated into two parts, there's a sandy side where driftwood is littered all over the sand, some pieces so big that people who have visited before have made little forts out of them, broken seashells are scattered throughout the beach as well, sandbars, old sand dollars, huge clumps of seaweed and crab shells are in sight as well.
The other side of the beach is where you both haven’t gotten to look at yet, but it has rocks covered in barnacles everywhere. The rocks are practically on top of eachother, and you can’t even see the sand without having to move rocks. You also know however, that if you lift up the little rocks, that you’ll see tiny crabs. If you guys are lucky, you might even be able to see a sea snail. You hum, since it is the first round, you decide to draw something easy. You start sketching the part of the beach that meets the forest, with all the driftwood and the trees.
As you start getting into your drawing, you hear Mammon start muttering to himself, he is talking too quietly for you to hear what he is saying. Angling your body towards him, you can see he is hunched over to ensure you couldn’t see what he is drawing. His tongue is poking out of his lips in concentration, and every now and then he’ll look at what he has on the paper hum, then nod before getting back to drawing. Smiling, you go back to your own piece, relieved that he is enjoying himself. Before you know it, your phone is going off, signaling that it’s time to switch books.
“Now remember human, no judgin’!” Mammon all but shouts, hiding the book to his chest and mock-glaring at you.
“Yeah, how about we make a deal then? I won’t judge yours and you won’t judge mine? We’re doing this for fun anyway, it’s not like I’m gonna grade you on it.” You smile, making grabby hands at his book. He grumbles before slowly handing the sketch and the pencil over to you. You are much more enthusiastic about trading with him.
Both you and Mammon are still as you look over each other’s work. You can’t imagine why he thinks you would judge him for what he has done so far, it looks so good. He chose to draw the scene in front of both of you, with the water, the islands in the back, and the sun in the middle of the sky. The lines are good and you can clearly see what he was drawing. He also whistles when he is done looking at yours.
“Wow, baby, ya sure are talented. Like actually, this is damn good.” Mammon praises, smiling as he looks over it one more time. He held up the book so he could see the comparison side-to-side. You feel heat rush up to your face and ears and try to hide your face by grabbing your phone to start the timer over and clearing your throat to swallow the giddy embarrassment you feel. “You’re telling me that? Honey, you should have told me you could draw, we would’ve done this sooner.” You say, determined to fluster him as well and make him know he is talented. God knows he isn’t told enough.
Your compliment works, he chokes again and whips his head over to you. His eyes are searching yours, you can tell he is trying to see if you are teasing him or making fun of him. You tilt your head and look at him, giving him a smile. When he finds no trace of a lie in your words, you can see a sheepish smile break across his face. He slowly reaches over to grab your hand, giving you time to move yours away if you didn’t want him to hold it.
“Yer the best thing to happen to me treasure,” he starts, pausing and looking back over to the beach and the picnic you set up when you first got here. “I know I don’t say it as much as I should, but ya really mean everything to me.”
“You might not be able to say it as often as you want, but you show me everyday how much I mean to you and that’s more than enough. I love you, Mammon.” You smile, squeeze his hand as you talk. You sigh and look down at the sketchbook in your lap. “We have a tiny problem, honey.”
“Yeah? What?” He looks around to see if he can see what you are referring to. He doesn’t notice anything that could have dampened your mood, and you don’t look unhappy. You tsk and lightheartedly shake his hand still in yours.
“I don’t want to draw anymore, I just want to focus on you.” You don’t mind how warm your face feels being this vulnerable, you know you’re safe with Mammon here.
He snorts at your confession, shaking his head and squeezing your hand. He grabs both books and closes them before putting them back in your bag with the pencils. He carefully pulls you into his chest and shifts so you can lean on him comfortably. He promptly ignores his own blush as he holds you.
“Well, we are here for the whole day, I’m sure we can get back to drawin’ after ya get yer cuddling fix out of the way. An I love ya too by the way, more than anythin’.”
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elliebyrrdwrites · 23 days
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Dramione Blurb 2.5
The Time Turner
Once upon a time, there was a boy who loved a blah blah blah.
The book snapped shut and was thrown across the room, landing beside the latest copy of the Daily Prophet. On it was a moving picture, a reel that repeated over and over and over.
Draco sneered at the paper, eyeing the boy who loved the girl who didn’t look like a girl anymore. The boy didn’t always love the girl. He was intimidated by the her. She was a full of knowledge and heart that was uncanny. The boy was lucky that she had fallen for him.
She had, somehow, been blind to how much he loathed the way she saw the world. The way she was able to pick it apart and piece it all back together. She could manipulate stories and she would show the world, and the people would ooh and aah and say, of course, what a wonderful story!
And all it took was a mere glimpse from her. And she would pierce through all of the bullshit and manage to create something new and beautiful.
So why, then, hadn’t she seen through the bullshit that was the man she had chosen to marry? Why had she said yes to the boy who hated her. The boy who coveted keeping her all to himself, determined to tamper the light that was so fucking brilliant, he should have been blinded!
Draco paced the length of the parlor room. He retraced the space that had once held the girl. Had held her crying bleeding body while this boy had done nothing. Which really doesn’t make him any better than the boy who had won her heart.
But still! Draco was fraught with unreleased tension. With regrets and indecision.
Draco Malfoy was in a bad place.
Which is what might had led him to seek out that Time Turner his father had stolen once upon a time and hidden in the back of his study. Behind a spelled book case that would only reveal itself to the lord of the manor.
Which, with his father now in prison, was him.
And so, it was with little regard and a lot of Fire Whiskey, that Draco tore from the cursed parlor and down the long hallway that would inevitably lead him into his father old study.
He remembered when his father had brought it home. Draco was six years old at the time, having no idea that his life would come down something as mundane as blood. Which every single person possesses. Blood was plenty! In the Muggle world, they had types of blood like O and A and B or C. He really didn’t know what or how they labeled a persons blood. All he knew is that they used it to save lives, not determine if it allowed a person to be hunted by a dark lord or not.
Little Draco, who knew nothing of blood status and wouldn’t until he was eight years old, watched as his father presented it to him. Like a bit of show and tell his class would sometimes do on Fridays. He held it in the palm of his hand, and pivoted it back and forth.
“Look at this, Draco.” His father said, his voice eerily quiet. “This is going to bring our family luck one day. One day, we might need to use it. But until then,” His father cleared his throat and turned to the book case behind his desk. Draco watched in awe as he reached out to place it into the book case. Only it didn’t appear on a shelf. It disappeared and Draco had been amazed. How wonderful and powerful his clever father was.
The nerve of the youth and their ignorance.
But now that he was Lord of Malfoy Manor, he could see it. The glamor of the book case wilted away and in it’s place sat a different kind of shelf. It held at least two dozen little intricate items. Urns and orbs. Jewelry that looked like it had oxidized and wooden crosses. Pearls that were silver and black. Candles that Draco wasn’t entirely sure about. Probably cursed to summon a demon when lit, he thought, just before his eyes fell on the Time Turner.
It sat just between an old wooden shoe — whatever the hell that was — and a painting of an old house by the sea. It was all rather odd but it wasn’t important.
He reached out for the Time Turner.
And hesitated.
What would he actually do, if he went back in time? Would he save Granger from being tortured? If he did, would she have been able to aide Potter in his victory against Voldemort?
If not, that would be...disastrous to say the least.
He paused and looked at the door to the study. Beyond it was the hall that led back to the parlor.
Where he had thrown the book.
It was a book somebody had written about Ronald Weasley after the victory of the battle. A book that was written using interviews from him, his friends, acquaintances. They hadn’t interviewed Draco, of course. Not hat he would have agreed.
But if he could, somehow, go back in time and stop her from going back with Weasley. Stop her from agreeing to be his fucking wife! he had to try.
And so, with only a hint of apprehension, Draco put the chain over his head and rushing through the calculations in his head, he quickly did the math that would cause him to turn the dial several times. Giving him, he assumed, the opportunity to best win her over. To make her his.
Draco finished turning the hourglass and watched as days and months passed.
He felt dizzy, watching it all morph with elapsed time.
When everything settled and he found himself in the same quiet house, Draco took off. Tucking the Time Turner into his shirt, he stepped through the Floo and stepped directly into a home he didn’t belong in.
A home that belonged to the only Pureblood family who wanted nothing to do with Draco Malfoy.
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