#{{lilith stop lying to children challenge

[necroticrose]

"The version on the textbook page is a picture of a globe that's been pressed flat. Simple."

"Well, yeah, the earth is flat. If it were 3d, how would they print it in a text book?"

[dandelion-sugar]

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐟𝐞 『Adam x Reader』

Summary: Reader was Adam's first wife before he married Eve.

Warning: Angst, a little fluff, death, deities are really cruel

15,8k

Author's note: Requests for Genshin have not been forgotten! I'm working on it BUT I just finished season one of Record of Ragnarok and needed to write about Adam. I think he deserves more writing about him...he's the best husband and father Earth could have!

"A demoness? A succubus? No! A human whose legends turn her into a fearsome ruler of the underworld! She rules an entire army with an iron fist! Made of the clay of creation, she is made in the image of the gods! N°00000000002 : Lilith!" shouted Heimdall to announce your entrance.

You have been chosen to save humanity. The creation of Adam and Eve. You don't know why Brunhilde trusts you to save the humans. What could she possibly have been thinking in choosing you? Were you the best choice for this? Protecting the beings conceived by your ex-husband and his new wife. Unlike your ex-lover, you refuse to walk around naked. Your body is far too precious to be revealed to the world. You stand in the middle of the arena waiting patiently for Heimdall to finish presenting your opponent.

Your eyes rest on your army led by your only son. The only being you have ever given birth to. The third human born. A slight smile appeared on your lips. Your son resembled his father, and you found that particularly funny. You couldn't help but think that Adam's genes were particularly strong. But the way your son stood proudly at the head of your army...he took that from you. Even if you were to perish in this fight, you know that your army and your son will come through.

Your right hand will be around the shaft of your spear. You hear the mocking laughter of the gods, announcing your crushing defeat. You hear the hesitant whispers of humans about your place among the fighters of humanity. You are known in human legends to be a danger to pregnant women and newborns. To be honest with yourself, you hate this legends. You are a mother, how can humans think that you would harm a woman and her child? Your eyes drop slightly to the floor and your lips pucker into an unpleasant pout. After a few seconds, your face frees itself of all displays of emotion and your hand rises to challenge Heimdall.

"Yes, Lilith?" asks the god who has the role of announcer.

"I will not fight under that name," you announce.

"Huh?" he blurts out in surprise.

"I will not fight under the name of the monster the humans wanted to make me," you reply immediately.

"So...what do you want to be called?"

Lying in a meadow, you enjoy the sun and the soft breeze on your bare skin. Rabbits and foxes quickly surround you to enjoy the comfort with you. Everything is perfect in the Garden of Eden. A shadow covers your face, forcing you to open your eyes to discover the obstacle between you and the sun. It is a pleasant surprise when you discover your husband's welcoming smile, his blonde locks framing his face. Adam sits down beside you, placing his fruit basket between his legs. He pulls out a bunch of grapes and takes one between his long fingers. He then brings the fruit to your lips to let you savour the sweet, pleasant taste of the fruit. A sigh of contentment crosses your lips. Your husband's smile widens as he notices your relaxed state.

"You have grape juice running down your chin, Lilith," Adam informs you.

Your eyelids droop slightly as your eyes express your displeasure. Adam only lets a laugh emit from his throat as he leans forward to lick the grape juice off. Your hand gently but firmly pushes him away. You want him to understand that his gestures of affection will not be tolerated again until he realises his mistake. And you know perfectly well that he has understood what he has done.

"Stop teasing me," you say, a frown appearing on your face.

"I like to see your eyebrows furrow. You look like that kitten that was trying to scare us." replies Adam, running his hand over your hip stroking it in lazy circles, as if to soothe you.

"But unlike that kitten, I can bite," you reply sharply.

"I know you can..." he hums in the hollow of your ear. "Y/N."

This memory was a moment of pure happiness that you experienced in the Garden of Eden before you were forced into exile. This name you chose with Adam was the beginning of your independence from the gods. You had never accepted the principle of being subject to a man and Adam always supported you in this choice. But the gods did not like this and in response you abandoned the name they gave you at your creation. Perhaps this is why Eve was created from Adam's rib? To prevent her from becoming like you.

"Y/N. Call me that," you proudly announce.

The gods of your creation frown but do not protest. They hope that you will perish against one of their own and that your soul will disintegrate in space and time.

Adam had slipped out of the room where he was locked up. When he learned of your presence here, he did not expect you to fight for the humans. The children he had with another woman. He snuck into the bleachers to get a better look at your figure. A sense of nostalgia stirs in his heart as he sees that you haven't changed in all this time. You stand with dignity, your weapon in hand. You are strong and independent, you have become the woman you always dreamed of. A woman you could not have become if you were in his company because...everyone wants his wife to be submissive to him.

Adam does not regret his married life with Eve, he enjoys it too. But he has enjoyed the life he has lived with you. He believes in your victory. He wants you to win. He does not want to witness your complete disappearance from the universe without any chance of reincarnation. Your first separation has already split his heart in two, Adam does not want to experience this intense pain a second time.

You swing your divine spear with one hand, deflecting your opponent's first blow. The strength in this attack was not worthy of a god, was he testing your abilities? Your eyes meet. The victorious and arrogant smile on the god's face already irritates you. He underestimated you because you are a human AND a woman. His leg comes to sweep over yours but you manage to dodge by gaining height. You position your spear, blade towards the ground to pierce his skull. The god quickly dodges in a backward leap, leaving you to land on the ground, puncturing the concrete floor which cracks under the impact.

Your exchange of blows lasts for a while. Or should we say: the god throws blows at you that you deflect with your spear. But suddenly, his paterne changes. The force that the god uses becomes more powerful. His leg comes to meet your stomach. You prevent the blow from reaching your skin by placing your spear between your stomach and his leg. Unfortunately, the attack sends you flying a few metres away. You manage to land with difficulty and before you can regain a stable footing, the god launches himself at you. You are forced to fall to the side in a roll to narrowly dodge the punch. Your cheek begins to bleed.

"Mother!" your distraught son shouts.

"Commander! Get up!" your soldiers shout to encourage you.

You let out a breath, your muscles relax, making your movements more fluid and lively. Your eyes fall on the figure of your opponent. The aura around you changes completely, causing the small smile on the god's face to disappear. Your hands grip the spear and your feet anchor themselves to the ground to give you a good foothold.

"Answer my question before we resume this fight. Why are you fighting for the humans?" the god asks.

"Do I need a reason to fight? The gods have forced me to be submissive and men have clothed me in a veil of monstrous lies. It's like choosing between the plague and cholera," you explain. "But I had to choose and I chose my ex-husband's children.

The humans observing the exchange begin to stir, either out of guilt or because they were moved by your story. Humans get teary-eyed easily, you think. But you can't help but find this side of them very touching. Perhaps it was a good thing that Eve was the Mother of humanity?

"Humans have the will to survive and a strength that allows them to constantly evolve. This is a strength that the gods can never possess," you say with contempt.

Your hatred for the gods is much stronger than your hatred for humans. On your words, the fight resumes. You manage to follow your opponent's movements. Like Adam, you were forged from clay in the image of the gods. You are Adam's equal, you have the same ability as him to copy the techniques you see. Your movements remind the gods of Athena. You had copied the movements of this goddess a long time ago.

Your body and that of your opponent are covered in blood. You are bleeding from the wounds inflicted on you, but you were able to avenge yourself by seriously injuring your opponent as well.

Adam clenches his lips into a thin line, his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands but he still believes in your victory. You must win. You can't give him up a second time...you can't.

"They've created a second wife for you," you scream indignantly.

"You're the only one for me," Adam admits in an attempt to calm your nerves. He can't bear to see you cry.

"It's only a matter of time before the gods kick me out of the Garden of Eden! I don't understand their desire to have me submit to male authority! Do goddesses submit to male deities?" you growl in frustration. The anger was so strong that you can't hold back the tears.

"If they chase you away then I'll go with you," Adam announces, interlacing your fingers together.

A soft warmth spreads through your chest as a gasp of surprise passes through your lips. A slight blush marks your cheeks as you look away from your husband. You can't help but enjoy the tender feeling. Adam wraps his muscular arms around you in a soothing embrace. His scent calms your restless nerves.

"Spend the night with me tonight," you whisper.

"We always sleep together," he says, tilting his head to the side, not understanding the meaning of your words.

"Adam..." you gasp shyly. It almost sounded like a soft moan.

His blue eyes widen slightly as the implied request is processed by his brain. A teasing smile spreads across his face as he leans in to your blushing ear to whisper provocative words.

That was the last evening you spent in his company before the gods kidnapped you and threw you away from the Garden of Eden. You never tried to return to that place, you knew it wasn't possible. So you did your best to survive. You were able to thrive and enjoy your newfound independence.

That night Adam gave you a gift, your son: Eurynome. A child identical to his father, who grew up with you as his only role model. He has become an independent young man capable of leading an army. But he remains a child... a child afraid to be alone without the reassuring presence of his mother.

It is impossible to understand the pain of losing a parent when you have not experienced it. No one could understand a tenth of the pain of Eurynome's scream as the god's fist plunges into your chest.

Your eyes crinkle under the sudden fatigue your body feels. Your right hand struggles to hold the spear. The humans weep in despair as the gods celebrate the downfall of Lilith, the woman who did not obey divine orders.

Nausea takes hold of Adam's body. All that blood, your blood spilling on the floor. Will you die? Disappear forever...you don't even know that he witnessed your fight. You will never know that he missed you terribly. You will never know that he wanted to feel your warmth in his arms again and whisper those three words to you.

Your eyes linger on your son's tear-streaked face. A peaceful smile appears on your lips. A fire of determination shines in your eyes. Your hand tightens around the spear and you slice the god's jugular before collapsing to your knees. If you must die...then you will prevent the gods from achieving a victory as well.

Your eyes slowly close and your hearing becomes increasingly blurred. The voices are now just an indistinguishable din.

Adam could only watch as your body and the god's dematerialize into a smoke of green glitter. His legs move towards the battlefield as if trying to retrieve the flakes that represent your soul dissolving into space. But your son's crying snaps him out of his trance. His eyes fall on a miniature version of himself.

Cain and Abel have some characteristics of their father but Eurynome is a carbon copy of Adam and you would have to be blind not to notice. Adam walks over to your son and takes him in his arms, sharing his pain. Adam fully understands the tug of war that Eurynome feels.

That night Adam gave you a gift, your son. Today, this gift will show the world that you existed. That you are not like your legends.

You are an independent woman, a mother and Adam's wife.

"Adam," you call to your husband, who is perched on a tree branch.

"Yes?" he hums, keeping his eyes closed.

"Don't you think I'm strange?" you finally question him. "Do you think I owe you obedience too?

Silence passes between the two of you. A pain assails your heart at this lack of response and you instantly regret having asked him the question. The disappointment was much stronger than you had thought. You look up abruptly when you hear a thud only a few feet away. Adam had just jumped from his branch. His back was to you. He turns towards you, his face devoid of emotion. He encircles your cheeks with his warm palms. His piercing blue eyes almost seem to probe your soul and you struggle to hold his gaze. But your desire to know the answer prevents you from looking away.

"We are husband and wife, I accept you as you are. Don't change for the world, for anyone," Adam says with conviction.

"So...you love me like this?" you ask aloud, wanting to sound confident.

Adam looks at you slightly surprised at this sudden question. He hums softly before leaning in to kiss your forehead. The smile he flashes makes your heart race.

"I love you," he says.

"I love you too..." you admit after a few moments.

[ellewritesathing]

Infernal  -  V

Summary: In your sleepy little town of Greendale, nothing ever slept for long. And ever since October, everything felt like it was waking up. Everything except for you, that is. One teensy trip to Hell (and an infuriatingly cute guy) later and suddenly you felt wide awake.

Word-count: 4.1k+

Masterlist Prev. | Part 5

A/N: it’s been a rocky few days for me but!! here we are!! i hope you guys enjoy this 💕

Earth felt more otherworldly than Hell did when you got back. Roz and Dorcas were back to themselves, Lilith was nowhere to be found, and your lips still burned where they’d met Caliban’s. You’d had to put on a cool expression when you were with the others - no, you didn’t find anything, it was just a boring research session - but you let yourself feel as you stashed the sword and helmet. 

Caliban had said they (and you) weren’t safe in Hell. Caliban. You’d kissed him. He’d kissed you. Caliban. You got tangled up in his hair. He got tangled up in you. Caliban. Even his name was pretty, rising and falling like a wave in the ocean. Caliban, Caliban, Caliban. The only problem was that you didn’t know if you were afraid to swim.

You hid your feelings away with the helm and the sword, and then shut the door on your cupboard. Taking a breath, you thought clearly for the first time since you’d gotten home about everything that had happened in the past few hours. Your head was clear enough to notice the sinking feeling in your stomach and how quiet the house was. Something was wrong with your dad. 

You checked his room before tiptoeing to all his usual hiding spots. You circled back to find him curled up in his covers. You’d missed him the first time because of how messy the room was and how much stuff was strewn around him on the bed. Stepping around the piles of junk and trying not to notice all the broken glass, you knelt in front of the bed and put a hand on his back. 

“Dad, what happened?” you asked as gently as you could. No reply. “Where’d Lilith go?” He wasn’t even blinking; he just stared straight ahead at the wall like you weren’t even there. Sighing, you changed tactics. “What happened to Kali?” 

“They took her,” he said, voice sounding far away. Any sparks leftover from your trip to Hell were extinguished with that ghostly shell of your father’s voice. “I- I tried to stop them but … they dragged her out by her hair.” 

Despite the bad lighting, you could make out a very nasty bruise forming around his eye and a split in his lip. Keeping your voice level and dropping your gaze, you asked, “Who were they?” 

“The Dark Lord and his puppet.” The venom in his voice made you look back up. He was looking at you - staring at you - for the first time since you came home. You almost stopped breathing. “She needs help, little lily, but there's nothing I can do.” 

“I’ll figure something out, okay?” you promised. “Get some sleep.”

Sleeping was easier said than done, especially when Sabrina sent a text about waning powers and a banshee outside her house. Your lack of sleep made the next day foggy, but you had a vague idea of what you needed to do: tell your friends about Lilith being your mom and then figure out what the hell happened to her when you were in Hell. 

You tried telling Theo and Harvey the whole morning, but the words died on your lips almost as soon as you started to say anything. And Sabrina had the final challenge to deal with, so she wasn’t there to tell you to stop being a coward. Deciding just to bite the bullet, you leaned over in your chair and motioned for your friends to do the same. “Okay, so I know we all freaked out when Sabrina told us-” 

“Shh! Settle down, children!” Mrs. Wardwell cut you off as she rushed into the classroom, closing the door behind her. “Please, I am not in the mood today for your foolish …” she looked around like there was a fly buzzing past her head. “Chitter-chatter.” 

She had the exact same face as your mother, but the way she wore it was impossibly different. Always nervous, always scared. 

You and Harvey shared a look while Roz and Theo exchanged some side-eye before each of you sank back into your seats. Your revelation would have to wait. 

“Jeez, what’s wrong with her?” Theo whispered. 

The intercom rang out with one of Mrs. Meeks’ announcements before any of you could answer. The carnival was inviting the entire town for their Final Night Festivities; free admission, rides, and caramel apples to anyone who came. And if that wasn’t unsettling enough, she kindly requested the four of you to report to the principal's office to collect some exclusive prizes. 

You all knew that something bad was going to happen as you gathered up your things, but you didn’t exactly expect it to happen as soon as you rounded the corner in the hallway. The carnival ringleader stepped out and your breath hitched. This was the first time you’d ever actually set eyes on him, and he was terrifying. 

Harvey was the first to react, shoving you and Theo to the side and yelling at you guys to run. Once he was sure the three of you were inside, he locked the library doors and shut off all the lights while the rest of you scrambled for places to hide. 

“Lilith,” you whispered, closing your eyes to help you drown out the sound of Theo and Harvey’s bickering. “I don’t know where you are or if this praying thing even works, but get me and my friends out of here and we’ll talk about you training me, okay? Now.”

“Guys, shh!” Roz warned. 

The doors to the library creaked open, but you weren’t in the library when you opened your eyes again. You were in an empty classroom. Why would Lilith bring you to an empty classroom? 

“Seems I got to you just in time.” 

The voice clearly did not belong to Lilith. Relaxing muscles that you didn’t know were tensed, you turned to Caliban. He wasn’t the same as before; he had a dark cloud of his own today. His face was hard and his eyes were cold. 

“We have to go back for the others,” you rushed out, reaching for his hand and ignoring whatever was going on with him for the moment. He didn’t waiver from his spot. “Caliban, come on. What’s wrong?” 

“You’d go back there, with Pan and the Gorgon, to rescue your friends?” he asked. Even his voice was cold, and he wasn’t answering your question.

“Yeah, of course.” Something was unshakably wrong, but that didn’t stop you from trying. You raised a hand to the side of his neck and softened your hold on his hand. “I’d go back for you, too.”

Something inside Caliban seemed to click and his gaze faltered, eyes falling down to your hands on his skin. So much had changed. “Your friends are across the hall. The hobgoblin got to them before anything happened to them.” He took a step back, out of your grip. So much was still changing. “I need to see to the final challenge of the Unholy Regalia.” 

“Caliban, wait-” 

And then it was just you and the leftover heat from the hellfire. 

Cursing, you cut your losses with Caliban and bolted to the classroom across the hall. When you got there, Harvey was arguing with Robin. Clearly, you’d missed something. Clearly, they hadn’t missed you.

“-can’t just leave!” Harvey was using his I’m-not-yelling-at-you voice to yell at Robin. “We have to fight. We have to stop that from happening. We need-”

“Sabrina,” Roz interrupted. “We need Sabrina, we do. Except that I think she’s still in Hell.”

“Yeah, they’re still busy with the final challenge of the unholy regalia,” you said as Theo wrapped you in a hug. You tried to shake off the weirdness of your last interaction with Caliban. “I don’t know if we can get to her down there.”

It was quiet for a second before Roz bounced slightly and clapped her hands together. “We can use that magick marker of hers. The one that she used to IM Nick. It’s in her locker.” 

“Do you know her locker number?” Robin asked. 

“And combination,” Roz grinned.

You and Roz went to grab the magick marker from Sabrina’s locker while the others waited in Harvey’s pickup truck. After piling in and sending Sabrina a message, Harvey drove you all back to his garage to wait for her to answer. It didn’t seem like it was coming any time soon. 

“Still no word back from Sabrina,” Roz sighed. 

“What’s taking her so long?” Harvey asked.

“Harvey, we don’t even know if she got the message,” Roz said, leaning back and shaking her head. 

Nick appeared in the corner without you noticing. You were so used to Caliban doing that that you didn’t even jump this time. “She didn’t, but I did.”

“That was meant for Sabrina,” Roz told him as you got to your feet.

“Well, that’s not how the magick marker works,” Nick said. There was a bite to his words. “And I wouldn’t expect her back anytime soon. Now, who needs help, and why?” 

Before you got the chance to answer, Sabrina materialized in the corner. “Guys! You’re okay,” she said as she rushed in. She had the relief on her face of someone who was incredibly stressed but just had found their favorite chocolate bar at the bottom of their bag. “It’s not too late.” 

“What do you mean ��too late’?” Theo asked. 

“And where did you come from?” you asked. If she was here, was Caliban still in Hell?

“The pagans are coming,” Sabrina said. “You have to come with me, now.” 

“Okay, I don’t understand,” Nick said, grabbing her arm to stop her from running off again. “I just saw you walk through a portal at Dorian’s to beat Caliban.”

“You were right, Nick,” Sabrina said, shaking her head. “I let everything in Hell pull me away from what really matters: my family, my friends, and everything I love. But not anymore.”

She shut down any questions you asked and made you all hold hands. Sabrina said some words and in a flash, you were back in Dorian’s Gray Room. Zelda was lying on a table but bolted upright, shouting that she had the answers, almost as soon as Sabrina touched her. 

But Hilda … she hadn’t resurrected yet. 

One very inspiring speech from Zelda later and you were holding hands with Sabrina and the witches in a circle around the Cain Pit. Electricity coursed through you as Zelda called on the Triple Goddess, not just because it was a powerful moment but also because this was your first ritual. You didn’t want to stop that electricity.

The power you felt when Hilda’s hand shot up through the dirt was indescribable. You’d never felt that way before, but you were determined to feel it again. Helping the Spellmans with the town’s lullaby was a close second, but it was just a taste of the real thing. You wanted to know what you were capable of. 

Getting rid of the pagans was the exact opposite of those feelings. You couldn’t chase them through the woods and hunt them for sport. It left a bitter taste in your mouth and made you feel sick.

What you needed was someone to show you how to use these powers, and despite everything you’d been through with your friends - or maybe because of everything you’d been through - there was only one person you could think of to help you.

And he was still in Hell. 

At least, you thought he was still there. Sabrina was very vague about what happened to her in Hell, only that you didn’t have to worry about it anymore. She’d tell you if she won, right? She’d at least tell you if she’d taken Caliban up on his proposal - if that proposal was even still on the table, which you hoped it wasn’t. 

You were driving yourself crazy. Standing still before you paced a rut in your bedroom floor, you took a breath. The necklace would take you to Caliban, wherever he was, but it wouldn’t bring you back. You grabbed the borrowed spellbook and took off the necklace. The shell was pretty, more shades of blue than you remember, and it made an equally pretty crunching noise as you ground it under your shoe. 

The shell sucked all the air out of your lungs and darkened your vision. When it faded enough for your vision to return, you found yourself in a cold, dusty cave. The wall in front of you was carved with the names of Cassius, Brutus, and Judas Iscariot and the catacombs behind you were all dim and drafty. Either the shell was a bust or Caliban was skulking around these tombs somewhere. 

“Caliban?” Your voice echoed through the tunnels and made your hair stand on end. Debating whether to take your chances in the tunnels or wait around and hope the best, you leaned against one of the carvings and thought about it. Wraiths or tunnel demons, wraiths or tunnel demons, wraiths or- 

The cave wall started shifting under your side and you jumped back to the middle of the tunnel. Caliban stared at you under the Iscariot nameplate, looking equal parts relieved and distrusting. 

“Here to punish me again, are you?” The distrust won out. He hadn’t seemed this cruel since that first day in Hell, putting on a show for the Lords of Chaos. At least then he looked cocky, now he just looked sad. “The imitations are getting better, Izamael, I’ll give you that.” 

“What did they do to you?” you asked softly, reaching a feather-light hand to the side of his face. His eyes flickered at the touch and anger flared under the stone. “Hey, if you bite me, I’m going to set the wraiths on you. I don’t quite know how it works yet, but I-” 

“How are you here?” 

“Magic necklace.” You drew hand back and straightened up, folding your hand over your chest. “Your turn.”  

“As it turns out, you can’t betray just anyone to satisfy the betrayer challenge,” Caliban said with a sigh. He was shifting under the stone and he looked pained for a moment. Did it hurt him to be like that? You didn’t think he’d tell you if it did. 

“So they just stick you in here, then?” you asked. You looked around at the dark rocky walls and shifted uncomfortably. “Additionally, where is ‘here?’” 

“The seventh circle of Hell, love,” Caliban answered. “You should get back to Earth. I’ll find you as soon as I can.” 

“I’m not leaving you when you’re stuck in this stone,” you said. “How do we get you out of that?” 

“I’m made of clay, remember?” Caliban said like it answered your question. He almost laughed when you rolled your eyes at him. “Now that I’m awake, I should be able to get out of this just fine.” 

You didn’t understand how that worked, but you didn’t feel like arguing so you just nodded and took a few steps back to the cave wall. “I’ll be right here if you change your mind.” 

“You shouldn’t stay here. It’s not safe.”

“Don’t get all martyr-like on me,” you said as you eased yourself down the side of the rocky wall. “I need your help to get out of here, Clay Boy.” 

“I don’t think you need my help to do anything,” Caliban said, small smile on his lips. 

Neither you nor the butterflies in your stomach knew how to answer that one, so you settled for trying to make yourself comfortable. The problem - other than just about everything about being in Hell again - was that no matter how you sat or laid down, there was always a rock poking into your back. Or a pebble sticking into your side. Or dust on your face. 

With every twist and turn, your body went a little bit more numb and the tunnel became a little bit more bearable. You weren’t sure when exactly the whispers of the tunnel put you to sleep, but then someone reached out to wake you up and you bolted up to push them away. 

When you saw it was Caliban, you slumped back against the stone. “Jesus, what are you-” you sighed and rubbed your face. “Where are your clothes?” 

“Rather difficult to bring clothing through the minutiae of stone,” Caliban said. He reached out for you again and felt your neck for a pulse. His hands burned your skin. “Your heartbeat is slow. You’ve been here too long.”

“Next time I’ll just leave you with the wolves,” you said as you pushed yourself up a bit straighter. Your brain was pounding against your skull. “Can you take us back now?” 

“It took most of my strength to break free of the stone, but I can recite the spell and you can repeat it,” Caliban said. “Can you focus on my voice?” 

“I can focus on a lot of things, but I don’t know if I can do that,” you said. “I’m not- I’m not like you and Sabrina. I’m just … me.”

“And you are far more powerful than you think,” Caliban said. “There is something more to you.” 

Something more. 

Damn Caliban and his appeal to your sense of vanity. You nodded and listened carefully to the words of the spell before reciting them to the best of your sleep-deprived abilities. You had to repeat it before anything happened, squeezing your eyes shut and hoping for the best. 

When you opened your eyes again, you, Caliban, and the spellbook were sitting on your bed in the dark. Your insides felt muddled, making you worry that you’d done something wrong until Caliban laughed next to you. 

“I wasn’t sure that would work for a second there,” he confessed, still shaking his head. 

You reached for a pillow and smacked him with it. “What do you mean you weren’t sure that would work?” 

“I was thinking of all the places I could hide you until we sneak out of Hell,” Caliban said. He looked amused as you glared at him. He shook his head and collapsed back onto your bed. “Pandemonium was never an option, though with Lilith’s blessing … We could have gone to the Shores of Sorrow, but there are more places to hide in the- Why are you looking at me like that?” 

He’d caught you thinking that he almost looked happy on your half-made bed and in your messy room. You bit your cheek and shook your head. “You’re getting dust all over my bed,” you lied. 

“Dust,” Caliban repeated. You nodded again and he smiled to himself. “Where can I go to clean myself up?”

 “Uh, down the hall and to the left,” you said, pointing in the direction he should go. “I’ll bring some clothes and leave them outside the door. Just, um, be quiet, okay? My dad isn’t the best with visitors.” 

Caliban nodded, not pushing your flimsy excuse as he stood up and wandered out the door. He took all the air of the room with him, but at least it gave you a chance to think. 

You had no idea how you’d explain this - whatever this was - to your friends. You didn’t know if Caliban would go back to Hell after losing the challenges. You weren’t sure what to do about your newfound magic. But you knew that Harvey left some sweats and a giant hoodie here for whenever he needed to get away from his family, so you dug them out and left them outside the bathroom door. 

Your dad was still passed out in his room when you went past, upper body at an uncomfortable angle and lower body dangling off the bed. You tiptoed in and fixed his legs before shutting the door and heading back to your room. After a quick change and tidy up, you climbed under the covers. The cold from the tunnels was unshakeable, no matter how much time passed. 

The door creaked open and you peeked around the blankets. Caliban hovered just inside your door, looking more unsure than you’d ever seen him in Harvey’s old clothes. He was too tall for them, too ethereal for your bedroom. 

“Are you just going to stand there or are you going to come sit with me?” you asked, sliding yourself up to lean against the wall. 

He tilted his head at you. “You’re inviting me into your bed?” 

“I’m inviting you to talk,” you corrected. “But if you’re going to make it weird then you can take the chair.” 

“The chair that is piled high with clothing and books?” 

“Make. Your. Choice.” 

Caliban shook his head and padded over to the side of your bed. He motioned for you to make space and got under the covers next to you. He sighed as he made himself comfortable. “What do you want to talk about?” 

You looked down at your hands, choosing your words carefully. “Do you remember what the wraiths said before they came after us? What they called me?” 

“The daughter of the winged and taloned demon of night,” Caliban said. “Names hold a certain power, especially a name like Lilith.”

Her name hung in the air, poisoning the space between you. You couldn’t tell if the feeling in your throat was anger or something softer as you looked up at him. 

“How long have you known?” 

One thing about Caliban that infuriated you was that he never looked away. Eye contact with him was both a personal invitation for something more and also a challenge. He never backed down from a challenge. Except now. 

“When we met in Hell, I knew you weren’t entirely human but I only pieced it together later. Lilith is … softer towards you than she is to your friends.” He chose his words carefully, seemingly deciding whether or not to hold your hand. “The wraiths didn’t leave much room for interpretation.” 

“Were you ever going to tell me?” 

You watched his face carefully for any flicker of bad intentions. He didn’t change. 

His voice was soft when he looked up and said, “I’d like to think so.” 

You made the decision for him and reached for his hand, giving him a small smile as you tried to figure out what else there was to say. He beat you to it. 

“I shouldn’t hope to know the way you feel about me,” he said, holding your gaze. 

An invitation or a challenge?

“And yet here we are,” you said, deciding it was a challenge. 

It made him smile, a hollow laugh escaping through his lips. You thought he was going to say something witty - keeping the back and forth going until it became unbearable - but in a swift movement, he untangled one hand and used it to cup your face. He kissed you and every part of you lit up. 

He pulled away slowly, forehead resting lightly against yours. Your heart raced at the thought of what he might say. “You’re still very cold.”

You didn’t think he’d say that. “Uh, yeah, I guess. It’s from the tunnels.” 

“Your soul drifted too far as you slept,” Caliban said. He cursed himself before repositioning as you stared at him. He nodded his head for you to lay with him and then placed his hands around yours. A shiver went down your spine. “Repeat after me.” 

You wanted to argue that you weren’t going to say spells without knowing what they did, but you wanted to lie in his arms more. You repeated Caliban’s words slowly and watched as a tiny blue flame sparked between your hands. It grew until there was a ball of flames prickling your palms. White and blue, just like the necklace.

“This was the first spell I learned when I awoke on the Shores of Sorrow,” Caliban said softly. His breath tickled your neck as he did. “These balls of light were the only things that kept me company while the souls of the damned drowned. Now they can keep you warm.” 

You turned your head to look at him and found him still looking at the fireball with a vulnerable sense of familiarity. It broke your heart. “You know, you’re a lot nicer than I first thought.” 

He frowned and turned to face you as best he could without disturbing the way you tangled together. “Don’t call me nice.” 

“What’s wrong with being nice?” you asked. 

“Nice is what you call someone who lacks a spine or someone who wants something from you.” He leaned in close enough to kiss you, but instead he stole your breath to say, “You’d get bored of nice within an instant.” 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of you.” 

Like a wave in the ocean.

Were you still afraid to swim?

Part 6

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[sepublic]

Covention Revelations!

Okay, so the biggest thing that sticks out to me is that Witches are essentially encouraged, if not outright required by society to join a coven. A coven is essentially a ‘club’ where you gain membership and a sense of belonging, but in return you get restricted to only a particular type of magic and have to specialize in it.

(Jeez, now Willow’s predicament in her debut is worse knowing that once she reaches a certain age, she’d have no longer been able to perform plant magic. Thank goodness for Luz!)

These rules are enforced by the Emperor, who has his own personal coven of witches that can use all forms of magic, but just so happen to report directly to him. What a surprise...

From a world-building perspective, I can see why this is a rule. If everyone had access to every form of magic... Well, I could see certain people viewing that as chaotic and a society impossible to control. And anyone with the title of Emperor presumably is used to having a LOT of power and authority over people’s lives. It certainly re-contextualizes what Eda (or should I say, Edaline... Edalyn?) had to say about her disdain of magic school. How schools teach you to do it a ‘proper’ way, but in her eye it’s wild, uncontrollable, unpredictable. It’s literally a system that -maybe even permanently- dictates exactly what you can do with magic. 

If I had to compare it to another show, it’s like Homeworld from Steven Universe. Everybody has to have a set role, because every society has specific requirements (some more important than others... sorry Tiny Cat Coven). Everyone having access to every form of magic is chaotic and hard to control. Ergo, establish a school system that encourages people to focus on a particular subset of magic, the one they happen to be the best at, and then have that witch focus on that single role for the rest of their lives. That way, everyone who’s doing a certain job in society happens to be the best one most suited towards it.

(At least ideally- Willow was pressured to be in the Abomination track despite her skill with plant magic. Luckily, Principal Bump recognized her talent, but it makes me wonder if there are ever shortages of witches for certain covens? Could this lead to pressure from parents to want their children to seize an open opportunity for an established role in society?)

Also, I like Lilith (Yes it’s one L, I checked the end credits)! Yeah, she’s mean, but she’s not heartless, and her and Eda’s conflict is like Stan and Ford’s, namely one is a troublemaker who’s unorthodox while the other is very proper and all about being the best at something. They’re at odds, but not to an extreme degree- They’ll squabble and get in trouble with one another but they don’t seem to seriously want the other one hurt. 

There are many moments where Lilith is genuinely excited to invite Eda to the Emperor’s Coven, and her stopping her attack for Eda’s curse shows a bit. And despite being required to arrest Eda, she never once makes any moves to do so- She even goes against this mission by removing the Wanted Posters for the sake of the duel. And not once in said duels does she ever dictate a term of having Eda turn herself in. We know at the end that Lilith is tasked with arresting Eda... but in all seriousness, for whatever antagonism the two siblings have with one another, it seems that Lilith is low-key complicit in Eda’s continued escapes from the law.

Also worth noting;

-Willow and Gus! I didn’t expect to see them here but I love it! Also Gus is confirmed to specialize in illusions!

-That pen given to King by the... Scrying Coven, was it? It was a Coven involved with telling the future... We didn’t see it do anything. While it could just be a joke that she SAYS it’ll do something but she’s just lying and trying to dump merch onto him, it does make me wonder...

-We see the Abomination Teacher at the coliseum, as well as the Snaggleback! The teacher is missing his abomination and the Snaggleback either got back his shell or grew a new one, I can’t tell which.

-Amity Blight! I’m sure others saw it coming as well, but it’s neat to see that she’s a person who’s clearly very concerned about proving one’s worth, and while that means she can use her hard work and progress as a justification for looking down on others, it’s not a double standard either. If she fails, then as far as Amity is concerned, she deserved to fail. I wonder if she wants to be in the Emperor’s Coven so she can practice all magic, or simply because it’s for the best- Maybe both. Either way I liked that neat foreshadowing of Amity being surprised at her Abomination’s size in the duel, hinting at Lilith adding the power amplifier.

-Also, I love how Eda and Lilith at first look like they may have a serious feud... But then quickly it just dissolves into petty, immature jabs and it’s clear that their antagonism isn’t legitimately serious. At least, not for now- Pressure by the emperor may cause Lilith to act more seriously, perhaps.

-I still can’t tell if King is lying or not about the whole ‘King of Demons’ backstory. It was part of his official description but now it seems like it’s just a fanciful lie he likes to make up? It’d be hilarious if later on it’s revealed that, yes, he really WAS the King of Demons and everyone is surprised because they thought he was making that up. Or maybe only Luz is surprise, who knows? Top-tier, late-game casual reveal would be King mentioning he was once called Bill Cipher.

-DANA GOING SUPER SAIYAN

-I know just yesterday I was gushing about Willuz, but honestly Luzity has gained its canon appeal. I love how Luz, after seeing how upset Amity was, didn’t just ignore her predicament but actively went out of her way to make sure she was okay. It was sweet to see Luz acknowledge that, yeah, she didn’t mean to embarrass Amity back in Episode 3 and felt bad about it (as I speculated earlier). Obviously neither party is at fault here, no one really is... But I love to see Luz’s compassionate nature resonate from her looking at things from other points of view. And seeing Amity willing to give Luz some pointers on Magic was just so sweet...

-Small and obvious joke, but Luz invoking Azura’s challenge to Hecate happening at the Bog of “Immediate Regret” was too funny to me.

-I love how they’re now lampshading Eda’s mysterious past and she’s just all for it. Teasing Luz about it. In general I just love Eda’s troll-ish nature. When she brought up her curse at the end of the duel I wasn’t sure at first if she was being genuine or just faking out Lilith. I love her.

[pinknerdpanda]

Heaven Sent - Part 3

Word Count: 1,601

Characters: Y/n, Castiel, Dean, Sam (Mentioned)

Warnings: Snark, Heaven-Induced Insanity, Language, Angst if you squint

A/N: This is Part 3 of a mini-series I wrote for @ellen-reincarnated1967’s “Andi’s Back in the Game” challenge. Beta’d by @hannahindie and @wheresthekillswitch who also helped me to brainstorm and nail down exactly where I wanted to go. Thank you both so very much!

A/N 2: This takes place roughly midway through Season 4

Tags are at the bottom - please send me an ASK if you would like to be added (or removed).

Need to Catch up? - Series Masterlist

Heaven Sent Part 3

Y/N

“Come again?” Dean’s face is twisted up like he’s just smelled shit. Idiot.

I sigh. “Exactly which part is it you are having trouble with, Winchester?”

“Oh I don’t know...all of it? Guardian angels. That’s a thing?”

“So you have no problem believing in the existence of angels in general. But the guardian bit is what gets you?” I frown up into his big, dumb face. “That’s a bit racist, don’tcha think?”

“There is a specific class of angels that were created to protect and guard over certain humans as they live out their days on earth,” Castiel drones from behind me and I grind my teeth together.

“Certain humans, but not all,” Dean looks down and his eyes flick back and forth like he’s reading a book. “Why not all? Why me?”

“Well, ya see Deano, there are certain humans that have a...oh what’s the word...predisposition for poor life choices. And sometimes those humans have integral roles in the ‘grand scheme of things’.” I sound like a kindergarten teacher talking to their class on the first day of school, and it’s obvious from Dean’s expression that he’s not happy about it. Oh well. “So angels like me are assigned to follow around imbeciles like you and keep you safe.”

“So wait, your job was to protect me?” He raises an eyebrow at me and narrows his gaze. “Let’s see; broken bones, electrocution, gunshot and stab wounds, death...you’re terrible at your job. No wonder you got the sack.”

I’m on my feet poking him in the chest before he can react. “Actually, I was the best at my job.”

“Right. That’s why they locked you up in angel-jail then, huh? For being so awesome?” He towers over me in an attempt to intimidate me. It’s laughable, really.

“Tell me, Dean. How’d you enjoy your stay in hell?  I think you may have been standing a little too close to Lucifer’s butthole. That whole hellfire-tan thing is so last season.” The muscle in his jaw quivers and I am close enough I can hear his teeth grinding together.

“Enough! Both of you!” Castiel shouts and flicks a finger in our direction. Dean and I go flying in different directions and land ass-over-teacup on opposite sides of the room. We both glare at him and he returns the looks, sighing.

“We have bigger problems at the moment than whatever grievances you have against each other,” Cas turns to face me. “Y/n, how did you get out? What is wrong with your grace?”

“I don’t really know. While you were busy rescuing Ken Doll over here, and requesting reinforcements, things got chaotic, they must have forgotten about me. My cell was just open and I just kinda...walked out and made a break for it. I didn’t realize until after I’d gotten to Earth that my grace was so diminished. Apparently the journey zapped most of what little I had left.” I tuck my feet up, placing my chin on my knees. I hate feeling powerless, but more than that, I hate having to admit my weakness in front of him.

“That stuff can just run out?” There’s no mocking or accusation in Dean’s voice as he looks at Castiel.

“Once admitted to the HARP facility, they limit the amount of grace you’re allowed for the duration of your stay,” Castiel looks at me, his nose wrinkled up. “You are unable to teleport then. And the frequency of the angel communication? Can you hear it?”

“Not since I got here,” I swallow back tears that are threatening to fall from my eyes. Stupid humans and their stupid emotions.

“So what can you do then?” I can tell he’s not asking to be a jerk, but really? He couldn’t have phrased it better?

“I can still kick your ass at pool,” I snap.

“Touche,” Dean smirks and then sighs. “Ok, so stopping Lilith, getting your grace back, curing cancer...just another day at the office.”

“Wait, what?” Surely I hadn’t heard him correctly. I’ve done nothing but call him names and insult his intelligence...though I would argue neither was unwarranted nor unfounded...and now he’s gonna help me get my grace back? There’s gotta be a catch.

“What?” He looks as confused as I’m feeling. “Your grace? Well, I mean it sounds like it was my fault you lost it to begin with. I figure we can use all the help with Lilith we can get, and when we’re done and that bitch is back in the pits of hell where she belongs, wouldn’t the God-Squad be willing to reconsider their stance?”

He looks to Cas for confirmation and he nods noncommittally. I manage to contain my remark about Dean knowing his fair share about bitches in hell. It’s a shame really; it was a good one. I appreciate his offer, but the idea of being anywhere near him or his abomination of a brother, much less Lilith and all of her seal nonsense is marginally less appealing than roaming the earth mostly human.

“You know what, I think I’ll pass, but thanks anyway, Dean.” I stand to leave and he charges across the room.

“So what? That’s it? ‘I think I’ll pass’?” He grabs my upper arm in a furious grip. “You don’t care that Lucifer could be coming back topside at any moment? That the world could be ending?”

“I mean, I know I should care,” I jerk my arm from his hand. “But ya know? Turns out, insanity has it’s perks.”  

I wish I could say that the decision to leave that hotel room has had no effect on me; that the image of Dean and Castiel’s faces - all disbelief and anger - don’t haunt me as I’ve wandered from town to town. I mean I could, but what’s the point in lying?

That’s not saying that my “world tour” as I’ve deemed it has not been completely void of small victories. It’s not like I lost 95% of my grace and suddenly I’m not an angel anymore...ok well, bad example. That’s basically exactly what’s happened. But I am still compelled to help people; that’s one thing that no one can take away from me. Which is good, because apathy is certainly a plague upon humanity as a whole.

In Des Moines, I performed the heimlich maneuver on an elderly man at a Biggerson’s who’d literally bit off more than he could chew. His wife was quite emotional and asked how she could repay me. I explained I was just passing through and high-tailed it out of there before the paramedics could arrive.

I was people watching at a mall in Peoria, enjoying a delicious Sbarro calzone when I saw two men flanking a teenage girl. Thanks to the convenient portability of said calzone, I was able to continue enjoying my lunch as I caught up with one of the two men. It’s amazing how fast flashing a long, silver stabbing object and mumbling threats of bodily harm around mouthfuls of cheese and pepperoni can make a couple of hooligans rethink their life choices.

Huntington though, that’s where I had my epiphany. I’d found a lovely park on a lovelier day. The sun was burning bright and warm overhead as the sounds of birdsong intermingled with the laughter of the children playing. One thing I’ve noticed about humans these days is their inability to be present. The worst is when parents get so wrapped up in capturing the moment digitally that they completely miss the subtle nuances of those moments as they happen. That day in Huntington, I’d watched this mother take at least 18 different photos of her young son swinging, completely ignoring his pleas for “higher Mommy!” until he’d crawled to a stop entirely. When she finally did give him a second gentle push, she immediately went back to her photo taking.

I could tell by the look on his face that something was wrong, but I suppose she was too concerned about the composition and lighting to realize what was happening. Having a full charge of grace certainly would have made the whole thing easier, but even running on nearly dead batteries, I made it there in time. Just as he slid off the seat of the swing and fell backward toward the ground, I was able to scoop him up; no harm done.

As he looked up at me with those large, hazel eyes, still shrouded in fear, he said “Mommy says there are angels watching over me; to protect me and keep me safe. You must be one.”

I know in his childlike naivete, he was simply trying to reconcile things he understands as fact, with the realization that a stranger was now holding him, having saved him from harm. But it was like he was seeing into the essence of my being. “You must be one.”

I must be one. It is my job. I must perform the duties I was created for and assigned to accomplish - not out of obligation, but because that is who I am. I can save a dozen kids from unnecessary ER visits or even 100 young girls from being attacked, but if Lucifer rises and destroys the earth, none of it matters. As much as I hate to admit it, Dean was right. But mark my words, I would rather die than let him hear me admit that. Those two idiots are the key to stopping the apocalypse and I have no idea where they are, but I have an idea of who might.

Read Part 4 HERE

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