#And it speaks to his utter incompetence that he didn't even know enough about the issue he was referencing to explain it clearly

[prideofcelestia]

❝when you turn into a rat and the only way to turn you back is a kiss from your true love — barbatos❞

« characters - barbatos »

« gender neutral reader »

« pairing - romantic »

« based on a discussion with @obeythedemons »

i. maybe don't touch what isn't yours

The package was meant for Barbatos so maybe you should not have touched it. But then, it would have been him who had turned into a rat — the fate that had currently befallen you.

You tried to speak but only timid squeaks came out — no doubt as a reflection of your panic. The sounds, however, had a very different effect on your boyfriend who usually could not get enough of your voice.

Clutching the wall nearby, Barbatos closed his eyes with a painful expression before proving his efficiency. It was no time to be planning the extermination of pests! It was you, not a… not a you-know-what!

Barbatos, deep breaths. Barbatos, tap the rational part of your brain. The Young Master would be very disappointed if the human exchange student vanished from the face of the world. Heck, his heart would shatter and he would be a shell of a demon if he were to be separated from you... er in any form other than that. And all of it was because of his carelessness, no less. His love clashed with his fear and the result was him understanding that the situation was beyond his ability to handle alone.

Opening a portal that led to the R.A.D Council Room, he made sure you entered it before passing through it himself after a considerable lapse of time. He didn't dare to move at the same time as you in your new form.

After shakily explaining the situation to Diavolo and glancing at you with a shudder, Barbatos took his leave to lie down because of the shock. But not before profuse apologies of his incompetence and his intentions of submitting his resignation as the royal butler and breaking up with you had been made.

Diavolo looked distressed and your squeaking in protest only made your boyfriend look more resolute and a little unnerved. Not only did you lose your human form and ability to speak but now you were also about to lose the love of your life. Could rats die of a broken heart?! You were about to find out!

Diavolo glanced at the package that was the source of the mayhem. His golden eyes widened when he saw the card that came with it.

"Turn into your lover's worst nightmare. Only true love's kiss can break the curse!"

ii. the kiss of death

Deadly silence filled the room as every pair of eyes focused on you, who was seated on the table like a garnished plate of delicious food. Beel could hardly control himself anytime his eyes fell on you. Your coat stood up straight and a sense of dread filled you.

At that precise moment, Barbatos entered — looking as haggard as you had last seen him — but averted his eyes the moment he glanced at you.

"Di-Did you find a solution to the predicament, Young Master?"

Diavolo's usual mirth had left him while his mind raced to think of a solution. Quickly. Since ideas were not forthcoming, he looked crestfallen as he told Barbatos the truth.

Biting the insides of his cheeks, Barbatos grimaced as he tried not to puke. Bile rose to his throat and burned his mouth. In all his existence, he had never once wished to be blasted into smithereens until then.

He also realised that if given a chance to think, he would only be inclined to refuse kissing a… a you-know-what. Even if it was technically you in disguise.

So, taking a deep breath, he locked eyes with Beelzebub and Lucifer.

"Do what you shall — tie me, use a spell, restraint me, knock me out — but make sure I kiss [Name]. Do it right now before I change my mind. I'll owe Lucifer one and for Beelzebub, I'll cook you something to show my gratitude."

Beelzebub moved behind Barbatos at once with a happy grin and wrapped his arms around him tightly to hold him in place. Lucifer, meanwhile, chanted a spell that prevented Barbatos from moving his body at will before putting a blindfold on his eyes. Losing no time, Asmo grabbed you and ran towards Barbatos.

Nobody uttered a single word — especially you since if Barbatos heard you, chances were that he'd start wriggling like a dying fish and refuse the kiss.

The short peck made Barbatos' entire being shake and he saw sights that he believed to be his life. Possibly, that's what most people see before death devours them and now, it seemed to be his turn.

The silver lining in the dark times was your face — the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness.

[the-nerdy-goddess]

Innocence

A little Loki blurb I did because I needed a little break from my FATWS book which is already halfway done!

Warnings: mentions of torture but nothing too bad

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I did my best to stay still in the shattered marble as my magic started to wind it's way through my body. Now that the Other's mind control was gone, my magic was unleashed, although I feared what might happen if I used it for anything other than healing.

Thanos would know of my failure and would eventually come for me. I'd sabotaged his plans, giving way to the Avengers to rise and take control.

Had the mad titan sent someone other than his puppet, Earth might be subjugated at the moment.

I managed to open my eyes, blinking hard as the sun filtered in through the broken windows. In front of me stood the mighty Avengers team.

"You've lost Loki" said the man suited in metal armor. Tony Stark, I believe. He was rather smug as the rest of his fellow comrades held some sort of weapon toward me, all except Thor who was looking at me with a level of disappointment.

"Silly mortals" I closed my eyes in relief. They weren't as incompetent as I originally thought. "You think I've lost, when I won"

"Why do you speak in riddles brother!" Thor demanded. I looked to him now, a laugh bubbling in my chest, although it hurt to let loose.

"Don't you think if I was really trying to win, I would have?" I struggled to push myself into a seated position, my own body protesting the movement. The Avengers looked at me with a mixture of confusion and suspicion. "I lost on purpose! Had I failed, this world would have wished something as sweet as death."

"And you suddenly care so much about earth?" Bruce Banner raised a skeptical brow. "Aren't you supposed to be the god of lies?"

Rolling my eyes, I sunk back carefully into the crater. "I care not for earth but for Asgard, had Midgard fallen, then the nine realms would have followed soon after. Stopping the attack here, remedied the situation"

"Who threatens the nine realms brother" Thor knelt down next to me, silently pleading with me to expose the truth.

"It's much more delicate than simply saying the name Thor" I took a deep breath. "When I fell, I was found by the chitari."

Thor paled at the implications. "No, brother, he is dead"

"Not as dead as we all believed" I supplied.

"Can someone fill us in on who this 'He' is and why he's so bad." Tony asked impatiently.

Thor turned toward his team, his face ashen. "My brother was under the control of someone we thought to be a legend. One told to children to make them behave. He speaks of Thanos"

I flinched at the name, wanting to get away from Thor for even saying it, as if he would suddenly know where I was simply by uttering his name.

"And why is Thanos so bad?" Romanoff quirked a brow in suspicion.

I ignored the redhead, trying to get my oaf of a brother to understand the gravity of the situation. "He probably knows what I've done and is coming for me"

Barton narrowed his eyes. "What is it exactly that you did?"

Feeling some strength fill my muscles, I slowly stood, despite the Avengers raising their weapons in defense. I moved toward the island and leaned against it. "I manipulated everything, including taking control of Agent Barton's mind. Once I heard your director fury refer to him as the best agent, I knew I needed you, although it really was just luck that you happened to be so close to a member of the team"

"You killed Coulson" Stark crossed his arms.

I looked to him, confused. "The agent that was in the room where the hulks cage was, is that correct?" At the nod I continued. "He should be alive. I merely wounded him, although midgardian anatomy might be different than I thought. I stabbed him in the shoulder"

"Why should we believe you?" Steve Rogers, who had up until now been quiet.

"My wounds go far beyond this battle" I began, unhooking the chest plate to my armor with one hand, pulling it away slightly to show the damage done by the Chitari. "They tortured me until I was broken enough for the Other to reach into my mind. Then they gave me the scepter to strengthen their control"

"And then the hulk hit your head hard enough to shatter the control" Romanoff nodded to herself, gesturing toward the crater in the center of the room, Barton rubbed his forehead while the other Avengers looked to her confused. "I had to give Barton a concussion to snap his mind control"

So it's not as fool proof as the Other claimed it to be. I inwardly smirked in victory. "After I was captured, I realized that if I could band the six of you together, you might be able to stop the invasion."

"So you manipulated everything from the moment you got here" Bruce Banner summed. I nodded, pulling my chest plate back into place. My magic was slowly mending the torn flesh and it needed some sort of protection.

"If this Thanos person is so powerful, why didn't he come here himself?" Stark questioned.

Swallowing, I forced the images of the mad titan out of my memory. "I was a pawn in a much larger scheme. He intended to see Earth’s defenses, you all have proven to be formidable foes.”

Over the next several hours, I strategized with the defenders of Midgard, gaining their weary trust when they realized I was nothing more than a victim manipulated by a power hungry tyrant.

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