#🌒 astaroth | faithful as a gun

[singthesongsofsin]

🌒🌒 | @holyfurnace | Taylor and Astaroth

The problem with making plans with Mephistopheles was always the same, and came from being at the whims of man and Hell. On more than a few occasions, their drinks got interrupted halfway through by a summons-- either from down below or, quite literally, having magic drag them away. Without fail, they would stand, knock back the remains of their drink, and try again... whenever it was an option.

This had been just one more case of that: an ornate letter appeared in front of her rather than a cheque; a problem with the Ars Goetia, they were all so old fashioned, he could have just sent her a text. The letter is clear enough, he wants her to do the dirty work that comes from being on earth, old deal, et cetera, et cetera.

She sighs, and nods apologetically at Mephistopheles. "Work calls," she says, and salutes mockingly. She downs the rest of her drink, and then, with nothing more than a soot smudge left on the floor, vanished.

The road is empty, and it takes her a moment to orient where she is, aside from not Brisbane anymore. And ah, right there, on time, a figure in running down the road. She grins, and holds up a hand, as if waving to get his attention across a crowded room "Hi," she says. "I'm really sorry, but I'm afraid I'm the person you're running out to meet." They never could outrun it, and they always did try. Samarra was at the end for everyone.

She checks her phone again, and hums. "But I got pulled away from a date, and am not being paid overtime, least of all by Paimon who seems to have no respect for anyone, and certainly not me, but I digress." She shifts her weight, and considers the offer. The poor kid was already going to die, the least she could do is salvage the evening. "Do you gelato? Because I do, so here's the deal: I can bring you down to Hell, or we can go to Italy for an hour and get it. Your choice."

[singthesongsofsin]

She laughs and shrugs. "Can't say much. I've stayed out of Lust more or less since the fall." She and Asmodeus collided in a flurry of desperate attempts to recapture the familiar or to at least control something when it was all changing around them. It hadn't worked. But nor had Satan and Mephistopheles, which was why he was technically on Bee's payroll, and she was Sloth's main delegate. "You'll find every vice you can imagine down here, and some you didn't. It says something when the demons aren't half the freaks some of the sinners are."

She tilts her head in acquiesce. "I never have quite figured what the fuss is with a lot of it-- buying wine's a gambit in Italy anyway; one place prays over all of theirs, and I want a nice buzz not burning."

She blinks, not quite certain if she should take that as a compliment or not. "Terrifying all who see you as you do..." She pauses, twisting to lean over her legs curled under her. "On one hand, most of the people I get would be coming here already, but a lot would be going to you otherwise, and shouldn't that be what you want? I was expecting revilement for what I do not a commendation."

"Well, if the king of Lust is any indication, I would say I know far more then I would like to." He snorts, rolling his eyes.

"I don't wish to be wined and dined. I do not travel to Earth and I only come to Hell to make sure these disgusting creatures remain here. You do, do me a favor though. The more you do on Earth, the less I have to allow pass the gates so, I will give you that."

[singthesongsofsin]

MULTIMUSE QUESTIONAIRE

Tagged by @e-m-p-error

RULES: Answer the questions with the Muses that would best fit the answers. Bonus if you give details why. If tagged, copy and paste into a new post – DO NOT REBLOG!

1) Rank your softest Muse and your toughest Muse. (Personality-wise)

Jayden is the softest by far. He's here for a good time. He's not scary. He's here because he was an idiot. He's a cupcake.

The toughest... is either Hellaina or Tara I think. They're both pretty stable, take no shit muses. Hellaina is Vox's second, and Tara is many things, one of which is a Fallen Angel and a mercenary.

2) Which Muse would blow through $1000 quickly?

Vox or Metatron for two entirely opposite reasons: Metatron only mildly understands money, and just Would Not Get it. Vox has enough money that he just doesn't care. He'll make it back in a day or two.

3) Do any of them have nicknames? Is there a meaning behind them?

Yes! A few of them do! Depending on how much of a nickname one considers Vox, he counts, which was the pretentious gay's use of latin coming in clutch for his name in Hell because he couldn't be Vincent.

Dia's name is already a nickname from life.

Tara's has a few motivations behind it. On one hand, it's more subtle when on Earth, but it's also more casual than Astaroth-- Astaroth is the name of the Fallen Angel, and delegate to Earth and the other Rings. She is a greater demon. Tara is Belphegor's best friend, she's the one who's eating gelato in Italy because she spends so much time in Italy.

Svetlana uses Lana a lot of the time, because it's more recognizable to non-Russian people, but she has a whole list of diminutives with specific usage meanings behind them.

4) Are any of them up-to-speed on the latest trends? Anyone more old school?

I know we all expect Vox to be the most up to date, but he's not. He owns the trends, and he runs them, but the person who spends the most time online, keeping up with them is Jayden. Hellaina also knows as a result of her job.

Adelard barely understands the modern era. He's not up to date on the trends, he doesn't have a cellphone. He thinks radio is too complicated some days. Metatron also has no idea.

5) Who has the best relationship with their siblings?

...Belphegor? The bar isn't super high. Most of them are only children, and while Hellaina has a sister that relationship is... not good. And at least some of Belphegor's are also down in Hell as the other Sins. He has their numbers. It's... well it is. He misses them despite them all, in theory, being there.

6) Karaoke night! Who is likely to grab the mic first and bust out a tune?

Jayden. Jayden is lord of the pop sensation. Dia also is likely to! She'll drag people into musical theatre duets.

7) Who is least likely to enter a beauty pageant/model?

Hellaina wouldn't, Dia... I can see her doing it, but it would be more for fun, some sort of fashion show Cannibal Town is putting on. Vox would be dragged into it through like... Velvette and Valentino, it's a press thing, he would not do it of his own volition. Adelard, Belphegor, Svetlana, and Astaroth wouldn't. And honestly I think Jayden would.

8) If your Muses visited a haunted house where actors scare you, who would panic and who would be unfazed? 

Hellaina wouldn't be phased. Dia is having a great time, she's not scared at all, but she's having fun! Svetlana... honestly, I think, might be spooked, but depending on what it is, but has a decent poker face. Tara is unafraid, Belphegor is more likely to be. Metatron would have the like... funny moth-eye effect in which he is shocked but not scared. Honestly I can't decide if Adelard is scared of them, or if he's just been down in Hell for so long nothing even registers anymore, it's just another Tuesday. Vox isn't scared. Jayden is livestreaming the whole thing, he's going in unafraid of anything! And at the second scare immediately spooks and drops his phone.

9) Are any of your Muses particular about taking certain modes of transportation?

Vox has been Hell's foremost advocate for a subway system for literal decades. He cannot drive, so mostly he is driven or walks. He's sort of the one with an interesting answer.

Metatron can fly but doesn't usually.

10) Share a little-known fact about any Muse.

Of the sinner muses, Adelard has the highest body count. He has killed far and away the most people, and considers it wholly justified.

[singthesongsofsin]

Can you fight god?

Dia oneshots god.

"Ooh! ...What do you think happens if I eat God?"

Hellaina totally has the composition to fight god.

"I would hope so, I'd expect no less-- certainly no less than Vox."

Jayden has killed god and you're next.

Queue the wails of "It was a mistake! An accident!" (This was almost certainly the result of a Tiktok recipe gone so terribly wrong).

Metatron can kill god easily.

"I wouldn't quite put it like that. I don't fancy becoming one of those poisoners who kill their husbands in their sleep,"

Tara has a five episode fight with god. Astaroth is god.

"...Does this mean after my five episode fight I just become God? Hey Lucifer-- you've got a new Dad."

Belphegor can kill god easily.

Like father, like son.

Tagging @themosthatedbeingg, @halcyonterror, @holyfurnace, @shadowofthehost Tagged by @e-m-p-error

[singthesongsofsin]

@themosthatedbeingg | Tara starter

it wasn't often Belphegor called her back from Earth-- usually for important inter-ring events he couldn't attend for some reason or another. But Mephistopheles was busy on contract, some twenty-something edge lord who thought selling his soul would give him all the power he could wish for, and that he wouldn't be creative enough to utilize.

He hadn't told her exactly what he needed her to do, aside from telling her it was something with Lucifer, so here she was on Pride in regalia, her slightly more demonic traits on display. She waves to the Clydes who float past, and leans against the doorframe into Lucifer's meeting room.

"Lucifer," she greets, with a curt bow, because while she might not like the ponce of the courts all that much, there are still expectations that must be observed. "It's been a while, how are you? How's your daughter?"

[singthesongsofsin]

🌒🌒| Me: Yeah it’s pure accident the people Tara has been most attracted to are men-

Carmilla: -exists-

And suddenly I have a potential new ship dynamic for Tara! Trust her to like the pretty woman who deals weapons. They would be a terrifyingly competent couple.

[singthesongsofsin]

Tara | In Battle, Your Muse...

bold what applies - italicise sometimes. repost, don’t reblog.

fights honorably / fights dirty

prefers close-quarters / prefers range

chats during / goes silent

low pain tolerance / high pain tolerance

attacks in bursts / attacks steadily

goes for the kill / aims to disarm / fights defensively / strikes first

is provoked easily / provokes their opponent / teases

gets visibly frustrated / shouts while attacking

uses strategy / focuses on the battle / experiences conflicting thoughts during battle

rushes in recklessly / tries to read their opponent before engaging / fights wildly / fights calmly / fights apathetically / fights with anger / fights with excitement

fights because they have to / fights because they want to

fights without regard to wounds / runs away when wounded / hides wounds / takes a blow to protect another

prefers a blade / prefers a gun / prefers hand-to-hand combat / prefers a bow / prefers a shield / prefers a personalized weapon / prefers magic alchemy or spells

their greatest weakness is physical / their greatest weakness is mental / their greatest weakness is emotional

transforms for battle / fights as they appear

relies on strength / doubts their strength / relies on speed

uses everything they have / proceeds with caution / hides their full potential

exhausts quickly / has high stamina

behaves arrogantly / brags after landing a hit / belittles their abilities

uses psychological tactics / uses brute strength

avoids civilians / strikes down civilians

damages surroundings / avoids damaging surroundings

signature fighting style / makes it up as they go

mastered skill-set / learning their skill-set

messy fighter / elegant fighter

accepts defeat / refuses defeat / begs for mercy

compliments their opponent / insults their opponent

uses unnecessary movements / moves efficiently / barely moves

prefers to dodge / prefers to block

defends their blindside / has no blindside / leaves blindsides vulnerable

uses all available advantages / strictly uses one main method

plays around / holds back / fights ruthlessly / shows mercy

waits for an opponent to be ready / strikes when opponent isn’t ready

fears death / fears pain / fears killing

has ptsd / avoids fighting

has lost a fight / has won a fight

has killed / refuses to kill

wants to die standing / would succumb slowly

[singthesongsofsin]

🌒🌒 | Tara’s relationships tend to be casual. Her best friend is a narcoleptic unionist who’s half a step off quitting, her friends with benefit’s idea of stress relief is finding her for a night of drinks or a fight. Her ex is lord of lust.

Beyond Belphegor and Mephistopheles, the people she interacts the most are mortals she’s temping to making deals with. They want an assassin or a mercenary for hire that can’t be tracked? Alright. They want to sleep with her? Well their soul seems too high a price to pay, but she’s not going to complain. They want money, power, and a brand new car? Well people never change.

Sex is a game, or a fight, or a curiosity, but it’s not… serious. It’s on the same level that anything else is. Lust is part of the job, it’s monetizable. She didn’t love Asmodeus, and she doesn’t love Mephistopheles, and she especially doesn’t care about the random mortals so that has no part to play in it for her.

Sin is a part of the job, this is just something she gets more out of than playing the demon behind the magicians curtain.

[singthesongsofsin]

🌒🌒 | Like this post for an Astaroth starter!

[singthesongsofsin]

🌒🌒 wishlist | Apparently it’s time for Astaroth thoughts: a thread with her and a human who’s summoned a demon, or maybe someone she found and tempted away from the way of the Good Lord. What’s the dynamic like between someone aware their time is limited and the person they should their soul to? Is she around all the time or only when needed?

In the end, are they treated with a soft kindness or dragged?

[singthesongsofsin]

🌒🌒 | Benefits of having NPCs for a character: they have a well rounded cast of people they know and upon whom I can draw for dynamics, and experiences, memories, etc.

Consequences of having NPCs for a character: Now that I want to do up one for Mephistopheles, I need to actually find a fc… or several (he’s a fallen Angel, he’s allowed to shapeshifter) for him. So if anyone has someone you think could be fun, or interesting hc fell free to toss them my way. He’s Tara’s FWB, and yes, the one from Faust. He’s vibing on Earth most of the time.

[singthesongsofsin]

An example of the sort of outfit Tara wears most days! Her earrings tend a bit dangly, her hair stays tied back. The boots are a pretty continuous thing, but her whole aesthetic tends a bit punk, a bit goth.

[zenlesszonezero]

Join Zenless Zone Zero with Tsukishiro Yanagi, the deputy leader of Hollow Special Operations Section 6! Beneath her ordinary office lady exterior lies a meticulous, emotionally intelligent big sister to the team.

[singthesongsofsin]

Makers in order: top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right

[singthesongsofsin]

Tara's tags!

[singthesongsofsin]

✨✨| I was going to do up a fun ranking of which of the muses have the highest death counts, because I was amused at the idea of Vox, the big bad Overlord having a very low one before realizing something important: it would be a list of two. Astaroth, who was a soldier and now is a part time mercenary, and Adelard. Who has killed A Lot of people, and didn’t flinch. I need to do up a headcanon about that.

[singthesongsofsin]

"Of Baalim and Ashtaroth, those male, These Feminine. For Spirits when they please Can either Sex assume, or both; so soft And uncompounded is thir Essence pure, Not ti'd or manacl'd with joynt or limb, Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones, Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they choose Dilated or condens't, bright or obscure, Can execute thir aerie purposes, And works of love or enmity fulfill. For those the Race of Israel oft forsook Thir living strength, and unfrequented left His righteous Altar, bowing lowly down To bestial Gods; for which thir heads as low Bow'd down in Battel, sunk before the Spear Of despicable foes. With these in troop Came Astoreth, whom the Phoenicians call'd Astarte, Queen of Heav'n, with crescent Horns; To whose bright Image nightly by the Moon Sidonian Virgins paid thir Vows and Songs, In Sion also not unsung, where stood Her Temple on th' offensive Mountain, built By that uxorious King, whose heart though large, Beguil'd by fair Idolatresses, fell To Idols foul."

Paradise Lost, Book 1, written by John Milton