#And then I combined it with the things the avatar was holding on the side

[coconut530]

Bump in the Night & Sleeptober Day 10: Open Graves & Ascend

[ghost-proofbaby]

fictional boyfriends (e.m.)

summary: eddie gets jealous of your newest fictional boyfriend from a game he got you into.

warnings: kinda sweet. kinda cringe. eddie is jealous of astarion. twilight reference jumpscare. not edited. biting and vague mentions of sex at the end.

wc: 2.5k+

a/n: this is the dumbest, cringiest thing i have ever written. but on this side of town, we embrace the cringe <3 happy valentine's day, enjoy me combining my current favorite fictional men (astarion and eddie) for my own personal delight. maybe one day i'll write a serious fic regarding the biting kink

It’s not that biting had ever been off the table with Eddie, per se.

Nips between kisses, using a little more teeth when he’d kiss across your neck, a joking sinking of your teeth into his shoulder when you were vying for his attention — they were all normal occurrences between the two of you. There was just never much discussion about it. No conversation explicitly had in which the two of you said, “Why, yes. This is something I’d like to bring into the bedroom.” 

Until that damn game.

When Eddie introduced you to Baldur’s Gate 3, the last thing he expected was to watch all your free time you used to spend pestering him suddenly handed over to some fictional vampire. He thought it’d be a game you tried, grew tired of, lost interest in, and that was that. Nothing more, nothing less. He didn’t expect a sudden competition for your goddamn affections. 

“Baby, please come to bed,” he all but whines as he drapes himself over your shoulders, trying to nudge off your headphones. He could feel just how warm your ears had grown beneath them. He swears he can feel your back crack from the slightest bit of his weight on your shoulders. And, sue him — he was tired and he wanted to cuddle. 

“One more minute,” you mumble the same phrase to him that he has used a million times on you; he instantly knows it’ll be far more than just sixty more seconds if he agrees, “Let me just finish this-“

“No,” he’s still whining, but it’s more stern now as he properly removes your headset, earning a glare from your bloodshot eyes, “You’ve been playing this game all afternoon, sweetheart. I think I might die if you don’t offer me some immediate attention. Truly.”

For emphasis, he lays more of his body weight on you, your chair creaking from holding up both of you now. 

“Eddie,” you moan out, wiggling beneath his dead-weight, “I swear to God, get off of me-“

“I’ll get off of you if you come to bed.”

You pause. Your hands hover near your keyboard and mouse, but you’re no longer walking your avatar across the world of Baldur’s Gate, and he knows he has you considering it.

More weight. More groans. At this rate, he’s questioning if your chair won’t break from his outrageous method to get your attention. 

“Fine.” 

The small yes he lets out only earns him a punch to the shoulder. But it gets you off the game, and that’s still a win for him.

He doesn’t even care about appearing over eager as you follow him back to the bedroom. He’s gone as far as preparing the bed, pillows fluffed and comforted pulled back while awaiting your arrival. He’s already washed his face and brushed his teeth (something he usually fights you on as you nag him before bed), and the moment he’s got you in the room with him, he’s dragging you right onto the mattress with him.

“You’re gonna hurt us!” you yelp as he wraps his arms around you and flops down, dragging you with him, but it’s through a laugh. He knows you really couldn’t care less — he’d never deliberately injure you, irritated about your newest fictional boyfriend or not. 

“Oh, no,” he mocks, rolling so you’re laying on top of him, “What ever will you do if I injure one of your precious wrists, and you can’t use it to flirt with your new boy toy tomorrow?” 

“Astarion would be devastated,” you giggle into his chest, not moving off of him despite all your protests. It’s nice — to feel the full weight of you, to just get to bury his nose in the crown of your head as he shamelessly inhales the sweet lingering scent of your coconut shampoo, “He’s even needier than you.” 

“Yeah, ‘cause you serve as his functional juice box.”

“I do not!” you wiggle against him, and it only makes him tighten his arms, “He’s needy because he loves me.”

“Well that makes one of us.” 

Your head lifts off his chest in an instant, faux offense shadowing your features, “You tryin’ to say you don’t love me, Munson?”

He smirks, pressing his lips together tightly, making you huff in frustration. 

Of course he loves you. There wouldn’t be a ring in his sock drawer that he’s terrified of you finding if he didn’t. 

You pout, subtly and adorably so, starting to lift off of him, “If you’re going to be mean, I’m just going to go back to someone who appreciates me-“

“Mean?” he scoffs, enjoying himself far too much. He’s missed your attention, your affection. The effect it has on him is similar to a high, making him dizzy on serotonin as he rolls over and pins you between him and the mattress, “Oh, baby, that’s not me being mean. I can show you mean, if you want.” 

He’s always thought you looked prettiest like this. Under him, eyes wide as you look up at him as if he’s the only thing in this room worth looking at. Worth more than your prized bookshelf, more interesting than all the various posters the two of you have hung on the walls. You look at him as though he’s the greatest thing to exist in these four walls, and he doesn’t take it lightly when your favorite albums and candles are right there.

“You don’t have a mean bone in your body, Munson,” you whisper softly, face going soft for him. The two of you are still surely joking around, the playfulness of it all thick in the air, but there’s something genuine in your words that makes him even more enamored with you. 

He should have predicted you’d fall for Astarion when he showed you the game. You had a thing for people who put up the tough front, but who really just needed a little extra softness and patience under the surface. He was living proof of it.

Unlike your fictional vampire boyfriend. 

“Yeah?” he taunts, leaning down until the tip of his nose brushes yours. His hair works like a curtain, messy as ever as he shields the two of you from the outside world. One of your hands have crept up so that you palm rests against his cheek, and he can hardly remember that flare of jealousy that had gnawed at him when you’d spent your entire afternoon absorbed in the game instead of him, “I bet I could be meaner than Astarion. Although, I’m not sure just how mean that man has ever been to you, given all the war crimes you commit for his approval-“

He’s cut off when the thumb of the hand cradling his face trails up, pressing on his bottom lip. It only makes him grow even closer to you, pressing in, drawn by your touch.

You squint your eyes at him jokingly before cooing, “Someone sounds jealous.”

“Damn right,” he doesn’t even try to deny it, caught in the web of your trap with ease, “Does your pixelated lover even know what a catch he’s got?” 

You snort adorably at that. He pulls away to see the full force of your laughter, lifting up into his elbows to admire how your face scrunches with your smile. He bets Astarion would make some sarcastic comment about it — about the crinkles by your eyes that he aches to pepper with kisses, about the indents in your cheeks when you smile this wide, about the sound of your genuine laughter when you unrestrained and entirely comfortable like this. But there’s not a single joke forming on Eddie’s tongue. He’s all but hypnotized. 

God, he fucking loves you. So much so he’s jealous of a video game character.

“I’m not sure I’d consider this,” you lift the hand not holding him carefully still to motion at your current state of being, “A catch, my love.” 

He has to disagree. Messy hair or not, wrinkled pajamas or not.  You’re the greatest catch of this entire existence; not just Eddie’s, but the Universe’s. Nothing you could say or point out would deter him from this belief. He loves you, mess and all.

“My love?” he chooses to tease instead, all the words of affection threatening to choke him if he so much as considers letting them pour out, “I like the sound of that. If that’s the Astarion effect, maybe he isn’t so bad after all.”  

His elbows are sinking deeper into the mattress. With every passing second, his face is dropping closer to yours, and he’s not sure if it’s by instinct or choice. But when his lips finally brush yours, he decides it’s all the same — it doesn’t really matter what sort of gravity is at work here, as long as it keeps bringing him down closer to you.

“Shut up about the game and kiss me, Eddie.” 

He doesn’t have to be told twice.

The kiss is as sweet as ever. A comfortable dance that still sends shivers down his spine. If either of you looked closer at his arms bracketing your shoulders, you’d see the goosebumps raising as you eagerly returned all his affection.

You taste like the chocolates you’d been snacking on during your gaming. You taste like the greatest gift ever given, and he doesn’t care if he’s exaggerating or not. You’re divine — his favorite good morning and his only goodnight. 

And he’d say all that, but you’d probably accuse him of trying too hard to be like Astarion. Probably bring up that ridiculous line the character once said about you being made by the Gods, just to ruin him.

You were, though. Made by the Gods, specifically to ruin Eddie. Fuck the game. 

“You know,” he whispers against your lips, breaking for air as he adjusts positions. Your thighs open up and welcome him home, letting him slot right between your legs comfortably. He’s not trying to seduce you, but he can’t even be mad about it. He feels like a starved man now that your attention has been divided as of late, “If you wanted a lover who bites, all you had to do was ask, darling.” 

If you weren’t so wrapped up in the kisses he was pressing down your jaw and along your neck, you would have ripped him to shreds for the awful impersonation. 

But you’re already far gone, lost in his touches and his adorations. You let the half-assed attempt at a British accent slide, and you even bare your neck to him at the minute threat. 

Biting had never been off the table, per se, and Eddie was really fucking glad for it.

When he presses one, two, three greedy kisses to that sweet spot just below your ear, he has one intention in mind. Not his usual sucking and nipping and soothing, not leaving behind one of his ordinary love bites. No, he lets himself get caught up in the moment, and when he catches that quiver of excitement the moment he drags his teeth over your neck carefully, he’s fully committed to his decision.

He bites.

Not hard enough to draw blood, or even be terribly painful. He knows it’s nothing like the game or any of your subsequent fantasies you might have had from it. His canines are fairly dull, even as they dig carefully into the skin of your neck, holding for a moment for effect. But your legs tighten around his hips, and he almost wishes he was a damn vampire, able to actually pierce your skin in the moment. Drink your blood. Whatever the allure was with the origin companion.

You let out a soft gasp which has him keeping your skin between his teeth a few extra seconds, and then he’s letting go. Lifting his head and looking into your eyes, a silent exchange of is this okay?

If the glazed over look is anything to go off of, it’s more than okay.

He returns with reckless abandon, switching between his usual desperate kisses and the newer, sharper ones. He has one goal in mind: to mark you up as his, to the point in which you’ll be scolding him in the morning. It’s like a drug, to feel you writhe beneath him as he paints the picture. 

Love notes of freshly born bruises, the imprints of his teeth – a letter across your delicate skin that reads, he was here, and he loved you, more than anyone else in this Universe may ever be capable of. 

“If I had known how much biting would rile you up, I would’ve started doing it ages ago,” he mumbles into the crook of your neck, finally pausing his assault. 

He settles for softer presses of his lip, peppering the affection where he had been a bit more violent. 

Your hands that had taken to tangling into the curls at the nape of his neck have gone more relaxed, no longer tugging but instead just lingering. Pulling him closer. Touching him with softer hands than he’s ever felt deserving of. 

“Guess you’ve got a certain vampire to thank for that,” you tease, but he can hear just how breathless he’s left you. He had sworn he could feel the pulse of your facing heart beneath his lips, even if just for a moment. Even if he just imagined it. 

“Please. Astarion is not getting the credit for that,” he scoffs, lifting up onto his elbows again to just look at you. His lover, his favorite person. It’s nice to see your face when it’s not washed over with the cast of a computer screen. “That was all me. And even if it wasn’t, I won’t forget that you had a Twilight phase.” 

Your hand quickly drops between the two of you, only to smack at his chest. The thump holds no weight as you whine, “I told you that in confidence.” 

He dips down, capturing one last kiss, “It’s okay, baby. It’s good to know that you have a type.”

“I do not-”

He cuts you off with a more playful bite to your neck. Less about marking you, and more just to make a point. 

“Just,” another nip, “admit,” another graze of his teeth, “it.” 

You’re fighting a smile when he looks down at you again, impossible to hide behind your mask of annoyance. “I am not admitting that I have a thing for broody, pathetic vampires.” 

“Well, I’ve got broody and pathetic down-”

“Eddie,” your thighs still bracket him, one hand still clinging to the back of his neck. When you say his name, the game is over. “We can spend all night bickering over the fictional men I love, or you can give me a reason to forget their names. It’s up to you.” 

His eyebrows jump up his forehead, and he’s just about to give up the bit, but not before one last snide remark.

“Kind of hard to do that when I share a name with one of them, but as you wish, sweetheart.” 

Another bout of beautiful laughter from him. Another smack on the chest from you. It’s good – it’s everything Eddie has ever wanted, and it is good.

He does, of course, make you forget their names. And if you find it difficult to get out of bed the next moment, dramatically unable to make the walk to your gaming computer, well – he won’t try to hide his smug smile in between the soft rays of morning light.

eddie's taglist: @capricornrisingsstuff @thisisktrying @hideoutside @vol2eddie @corrcdedcoffin @ches-86 @alovesongtheywrote @its-not-rain @feralchaospixie @cheesypuffkins87 @thebook-hobbit @babez-a-licious @eddies-acousticguitar @aysheashea @kellsck @cosmorant @billyhvrgrove-main @micheledawn1975 @eddiesxangel @siriuslysmoking @witchwolflea @tlclick73 @magicalchocolatecheesecake @mizzfizz @nanaminswhore @mikiepeach @ali-r3n @hawkebuckley @alwaysbeenfamous @darkyuffie-blog @vintagehellfire @lilmisssiren @elvendria @loveryanax @stylexrepp @princessstolas @fangirling-4-ever @eddiesguitarskills @babez-a-licious @josephquinnsfreckles

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[another-lost-mc]

Hello! Hope your doing well, I just wanted to request how Lucifer (and his brothers if you want) would react to an MC with a birthday on the same day or near their birthday? I am requesting this because I only just found out my birthday is the day after Lucifers, I really don’t know how I never realized this, but yeah. You don’t have to do this right away I know your busy, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day/night!

- 🥀

a/n: that could lead to so many fun and touching moments! my birthday is the day after solomon's and I think a combined party with him would be awesome, as long as he's not allowed to cook anything.

sharing the same birthday with mc | the demon brothers + dateables

1.2k words | sfw | fluff | gn!reader

cw: slightly suggestive in belphie's section because it's him. hints of possessiveness if you squint (mostly the dateables).

There are different reactions to knowing your birthday is on or near their own. Almost all of them will try to prioritize your own preferences instead of their own. If you do (or don't) want to celebrate your birthdays together, they'll accommodate you so that you have the best birthday possible. ♡

Lucifer — He's the Avatar of Pride and one of Diavolo's closest friends. A large celebration is inevitable and he has a certain image to uphold. If it were anyone else but you, he might be offended about sharing the spotlight of his birthday with someone else. Since it is you, he's not only open to the idea, but he's suddenly more invested in making sure the others take the preparations seriously. He also realizes that throwing one party (and dealing with the chaos that ensues) might be better than trying to throw two parties.

Mammon — He's totally onboard sharing his birthday party if it's with you. Everyone goes all-out to make the party bigger and better, and he's not going to complain about that. He still wants to do something special though, just the two of you. Maybe the day before or the day after the big party, nothing fancy, as long as you can focus on each other. Plus, he just happens to have another present he got for you, one he didn't want to give you at the party in front of everyone else. It's more sentimental, and he blushes when you open it and your eyes sparkle happily like the most beautiful gems he's ever seen. Without the others around, he gets to keep this perfect moment all to himself.

Levi — This works out great for him and he's more than willing to share the spotlight with you. It draws attention away from himself which means he's not as anxious. He doesn't usually like how much of a fuss everyone makes about his birthday. He might actually enjoy himself more knowing that he has something else in common with his Henry you. When the celebrations get too intense and completely unbearable, he can sneak away while everyone is distracted by the other guest of honor. Honestly, he thinks you deserve more attention than he does anyway.

Satan — He knows you have excellent taste and is completely fine to let you choose what kind of party to have. His brothers complain about his boring birthday ideas: going to a museum or gallery, seeing a play or obscure film in the human world. It's painfully transparent when they're more enthusiastic about doing those things if you want to. Satan can't find it in his heart to be (too) angry about it, because he holds your hand or sits next to you the entire time. He's going to make the most of it and no one else can complain. It's his birthday, after all.

Asmo — The only thing better than a big party celebrating his birthday is an even bigger party celebrating both of you! He's almost unbearable during the planning stage - he insists that everything must be perfect because you deserve nothing less than that. By the time he's done organizing everything, his birthday almost feels like an afterthought because he gets so caught up in making it the perfect day for you. He holds your hand and tucks you against his side when the party guests greet you and offer their birthday wishes. He takes countless selfies of both of you, but he keeps most of them for himself because he just can't bring himself to share them. You're stunning in the matching outfit he gave you as part of your gift, and he feels like the luckiest demon in the three realms every time you return his happy smiles with a bashful one of your own.

Beel & Belphie — They're already used to sharing birthday parties with each other, and they're happy to share with you too. They love their brothers and appreciate their friends, but on their birthday, they would rather spend the day with you alone. Their dream birthday is the perfect blend of all three of your interests. Beel gets to splurge on his favourite foods, and Belphie clings to you like an overly affectionate sloth. He's half-serious when he asks you to feed him because he's too tired to feed himself, and Beel just smiles around a mouthful of food watching the two of you bicker across the table. Beel gives you his gift, something thoughtful but practical, something he knows you wanted. Belphie nuzzles against your shoulder and slides his hand under the hem of your shirt and promises, "When we get home, we should have a nap - and I'll give you your present then."

Diavolo — His birthday is already one of the grandest celebrations in the Devildom, and he likes that it also falls on Halloween. Adding your birthday celebration to his is the best excuse to throw the biggest party in the three realms. Even if you share a party together, he makes sure that all the attendees acknowledge your birthday as much as they acknowledge his. He makes a toast in your honour and invites all your other friends to do the same. It's a glimpse of what it feels like to treat you like royalty, and Diavolo thinks he wouldn't mind sharing his birthday (or more) with you.

Barbatos — He doesn't usually like it when the others make a fuss over his birthday. It feels sort of pointless to someone with his power - time has strange meaning to him now. He softens his resistance to big parties or elaborate plans when he realizes he shares that special day with you. He would gladly take a personal day to celebrate his birthday (or yours) if you ask him to, since it's your company he enjoys the most. The Little Ds work hard to make sure Barbatos has nothing to worry about on his day off, but he's suspicious that they're only behaving so well because of you. Every year he looks forward to his birthday because he can spend the day spoiling you, and since your birthdays are so close together, he has the rare luxury of being spoiled by you too.

Simeon — He would prefer to spend his birthdays with you alone. He doesn't have many desires, but your company is something he craves constantly. That doesn't change when your birthday is the same as his, or is very close to it. If he's smart about it, he can make your combined celebration work to his advantage. It's not a lie when he tells everyone that an outing or special trip might be more exciting than a party at the castle, and it's hard to resist when there's still so much of the Devildom for you to experience and explore. (Simeon mostly counts on having more opportunities to sneak you away for some alone time if the others are distracted by their own activities.)

Solomon — He gloats that your birthdays are (nearly) identical, as if you're kindred spirts that share a special bond the others don't. (He brags about it so much that if they didn't care before, they're annoyed by it now.) The month of December in the human world can be so festive and nostalgic, but he understands why having a birthday during a holiday season can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes your birthday felt second-place to the other celebrations going on that time of year. You're his adorable little apprentice, and he promises like an oath that you'll never be disappointed or alone on your birthday again. You've never felt so special because you know he means it. (Your only request is that he lets someone else handle the birthday cake.)

read more: when it's mc's birthday (nsfw) | obey me masterlist

[black00olive]

With you, always (unfortunately)

A/N: Reader can be interpreted as any gender

Pairing: Lucifer x reader

Wordcount: ~1,300 (very lightly proof-read)

Summary: It was Lucifer’s turn to cook dinner but student council work had forced the two of you to stay back late. So, instead you propose the idea of buying some takeout on your way home for everyone. As always with your wonderful ideas, Lucifer agrees and the two of you head to Hell's Kitchen. However, as he opens his wallet to pay for our giant order (the curse that comes with living with the Avatar of Gluttony) something catches your attention— rather a photo tucked safely into a clear slot of his wallet. A photo of you. There's no way you're not going to take this opportunity to tease the hell out of him. Or, Lucifer keeps a photo of you in his wallet and quickly grows very embarrassed when you point it out. In public, as well.

The unfortunate side effect of becoming part of the student council is days like these. Granted, you had willingly agreed to stay after with Lucifer at RAD to finish up some of the work for the upcoming event (which event was it now again? Diavolo holds so many you can barely keep track of them anymore) but that wouldn’t stop you from complaining a little. In your mind of course. You gather the papers Lucifer had finished going over and put them in their respective folders. Silence fills the room as the two of you harmoniously work to at least make a little dent in the giant pile of paperwork. Why do these events always result in so much paperwork?

As if Lucifer could sense all the complaining you were doing in your mind he speaks up: “Let us wrap it up here.” Shock is the primary emotion that takes over once you process his words— glee being the secondary emotion. Lucifer, workaholic, Morningstar is willingly not working on the paperwork until you force him to stop? You glance at the pile of paperwork that had just barely changed in size since you had started then turn your gaze back at him.

“I can tell you’re growing tired with all of the paperwork, soon enough you would start whining about it out loud,” he sighs as you send him a glare, a little offended at how accurate he was. “And furthermore, I am incharge of dinner tonight. We’ve already stayed out far too long for me to make a proper dinner, we stay out any later and we might end up with Beel destroying the house again.” You accept that, you had wanted to head home as soon as possible anyway. Lucifer straightens out his uniform as you subconsciously end up doing the same, not missing the small smirk that forms at his lips once he notices.

“Hey, let’s just buy some takeout on our way home. I’ll be quicker and the sooner we get Beel food the better, y’know?” You suggest, Beel isn’t the only reason you suggested it though. You can tell Lucifer is quite tired himself and cooking for what could basically count as 16 people is something that takes a lot of energy. However, if you were to point that out he would glare at you, claim that he’s the furthest thing from tired, and stubbornly cook a dinner for 32 people instead.

“Alright,” he nods, “you’re right that the sooner we get food to Beel the better. So, I suppose we can have takeout today. Let us pass by Hell’s Kitchen then.”

We enter Hell’s Kitchen as servers rush past. No surprise, they are a very popular restaurant. You follow as Lucifer heads up to the register. Effortlessly he starts listing his and each of his brothers’ favourite orders, Beel’s order taking about twice as long as all of the brothers’ orders combined. The worker’s face grows paler and paler as Lucifer continues without pause. Once he finally finishes he turns towards you and you say your order. The poor worker hesitantly repeats our order back to us and Lucifer nods as he pulls out his wallet. Mammon must have been rubbing off on you too much as your attention instantly strays to the wallet as you look at everything he keeps in there. Several different credit cards— Goldie included—, some receipts, and a couple of membership cards for different services’. That’s all to be expected in the wallet of someone like Lucifer, but what really catches your attention this time is a photo. Tucked safely into one of the flaps of the wallet that has a clear side.

What catches your attention even more is the fact that the photo is of you. Just you. It would have made sense if it was a family photo, with you and his brothers, but nope. You feel a smirk pull at the corner of your lips at the same time you feel your heart melt a little at the prospect that Lucifer had wanted to keep you with him at all times. Your urge to tease him about it was just as strong as your urge to coo at him. Satisfyingly, both would be equally as embarrassing to Lucifer.

Lucifer puts his wallet away after he finishes paying and the two of you go to stand further away as you wait for the unfortunate workers to finish your order. You have enough self-restraint to not point it out right in front of the worker and wait until you are at least a little more obscure from all of the other guests when you point it out. “It’s really cute of you to keep a picture of me in your wallet, Luci.” Of course, being a little more obscure didn’t mean that demons weren’t keenly paying attention to the two of you (when you’re out attention tends to always be on you anyway), both the curse and blessing of being a part of the Student Council. A blessing in this case as Lucifer knows just as well as you that the demons are desperate for anything they could gossip about, and in your opinion “Lord Lucifer keeps a picture of the newest Student Council Officer, the former human exchange student, in his wallet at all times?!” is a great header for the tabloids.

Lucifer glares at you, probably both for pointing out the picture and for using that nickname out in public, as he scoffs. “I do not keep a photo of you in my wallet, we must get your eyes checked soon. Humans shouldn’t be seeing things that are not there.” You roll your eyes at his response, you know very well what you saw and he wasn’t going to make you seem insane. As quickly as possible with your human body you grab onto his uniform and reach for his pocket where he kept his wallet. Lucifer is faster though, not super shocking news, and grabs onto your wrist. It doesn’t hurt, you note as you try to free yourself, but you really aren’t given any wiggle room here.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He sighs as you try to get your wrist out of his hold again, to no avail.

“I was going to grab your wallet,” you say as nonchalantly as if you were talking to him about the weather, “I mean, if I was really seeing things you should be okay with me checking your wallet, right?” A deep scowl starts to form on his face as you continue to press him with a face full of mock shock. “Unless…” You gasp. “You were lying to me, Luci? Don’t tell me you were trying to gaslight me! Really, what am I supposed to do with you? There’s no need to be ashamed of keeping a picture of me in your wallet. Really, I support it, I know you can be pretty desperate and clingy so this way you can still keep me with you at all times,” you tease him.

Lucifer’s scowl deepens even more— you didn’t know how that was possible— as he practically sends you a death glare. You’re sure that if you had been anyone else you would have withered away on the spot, but you’re not anyone else and you can tell he’s just trying to hide how flustered he is. “You humans always spout such inane things,” is all he says as he lets go of your hand. You carefully note how he hadn’t really disagreed with what you had said. Of course he wouldn’t, you both know nothing you had said had been nothing but the truth. You also manage to catch how the tips of his ears are bright red before he quickly walks to the pick-up area.

“Our order isn’t ready yet. You know that right, Luci?”

[lost-in-lamentation]

more of you.

a/n: self indulgent fic today because i've been borderline sick these days and i literally cannot afford to be sick right now (so i'm pushing my illness onto MC)

content: mammon's not great at taking care of sick people, but he'd do it for you anyway.

non-established relationship. pining mammon. sick fic.

fluff. comfort. mammon × gen!reader. 1k words.

the first sign was the persistent headache that had been following you since the night before. of course, not wanting to miss your classes at RAD, you blamed it on the combination of too much caffeine and not enough rest. you practically dragged yourself to RAD, ignoring the second sign of dizziness while you walked. by the end of your first class, your headache had grown into a full blown migraine, much to your disappointment. you didn't even register the fact that the lecture had ended until mammon had his face hovering dangerously close to yours.

"oi, human. why's your face all red?"

you groaned and waved him away from you, slowly starting to pack away your things. "it's not red," you muttered.

mammon drew back with a click of his tongue, hands on his hips while he looked you up and down. "liar," the demon retorted, poking at your forehead. "jeez, you're all hot too. this doesn't feel normal."

"maybe i've just always been hot." you hissed at mammon's hand, the touch on your forehead hard enough to send the room spinning.

mammon scoffed at you, shoving his hands into his pockets while turning to leave the classroom. "i didn't mean it like that- stop thinking weird stuff!"

you would have laughed if you had the energy, but with the way your head was pounding, you didn't have it in you to do anything. with shaky legs, you pushed yourself up out of your chair, trying your best to stumble towards the doorway. you crashed into doorframe with a loud thud, landing on the floor seconds later with your head in your hands. despite your blurry vision, you saw the white haired demon rushing back towards you, his panicked voice ringing in your ears. "mammon?"

"what the hell's wrong with ya?!"

when you felt him crouch in front of you, you acted without thinking straight (not that you really could), reaching up to wrap your arms his neck. "don't feel good," you mumbled into his shoulder, slumping against his torso.

"oh, now you're admitting it," mammon growled at you. "and stop clinging to me!"

you shook your head as much as you could without making it hurt worse. "you're too loud, my head hurts."

the avatar of greed inhaled deeply, stopping himself from shouting any more. "why'd i have to be put in charge of ya in the first place?" begrudgingly, mammon hoisted you up into his arms, one arm locked under your knees and the other close to your waist. the last thing you heard before knocking out was mammon calling for one of his brothers down the hall.

when mammon finally made it back to the house of lamentation, he debated kicking the door off its hinges just to get inside, but quickly changed his mind when he remembered he still owed lucifer money for the last time he did it. he was also afraid he'd wake you up in the process, but that wasn't a real reason, he had told himself. instead, mammon shifted you in his arms so he had just enough leeway to turn the doorknob. he repeated the same process when he got to your bedroom, finally clicking the door open and shuffling over to place you down on your bed. after making sure you were still breathing, mammon turned away, ready to leave. he wasn't good with taking care of others, let alone a sick human; but when he took another look at you, dishevelled and almost helpless, mammon felt something in his stomach churn. the demon began his way back to your side, tentative fingertips brushing away the hairs that had started to stick to your forehead.

mammon frowned at the feeling, knowing that you usually never ran this hot. he only knew that because he poked at you often, and not because he had tried (and failed) to hold your hand on multiple occasions. the eldest brother had ordered mammon to come back to RAD if nothing else needed to be done, but mammon decided that maybe the human needed his care just this once.

he wasn't confident in his abilities, but he had seen what to do once while watching an anime over leviathan's shoulder. and so, mammon left your room for a few minutes, returning with a bucket of cool water and a small towel in hand. as carefully as he could, he pushed you further onto your bed so he could sit on the edge by your side. the towel, now damp, was placed onto your forehead moments after, accompanied by mammon draping a blanket over your now trembling figure. "what's your deal, getting sick all of a sudden…" mammon talked to himself every few minutes, constantly replacing the towel as it needed to be replaced. "get better already so we can go hit the casino. or somethin'." internally, mammon wished he was better at enchantments so that he wouldn't have to keep switching out the towel. the idea that satan or lucifer would be better at taking care of you made his blood boil.

the longer he stared at your face, the more his own heated up, the blush on his cheeks beginning to match yours. "so rude, ya won't even talk to me right now. if ya think getting sick gives ya an excuse, it doesn't. just so ya know!"

softly, the pads of his fingertips began to wander along your face, tracing your jaw and dancing over your cheeks lightly. a part of mammon had always wondered what it'd be like to hold your face in his hands. with a sigh, mammon pulled the towel off your forehead and dipped it into the bucket.

"it's not fair, human," he said under his breath, swirling the water with a hand. "when did i start wanting you more than anything else?"

he gazed at you longingly, setting the cloth down on your bedside table before scooting closer to you. slowly, he leaned in towards you, taking a shaky breath for courage before pressing his lips to the crown of your head. being greed incarnate, mammon wanted more of this, more of you, but he held back, not wanting to ruin what he had with you already. he pulled away from you, but couldn't get far before leaning down again and pressing his forehead to yours.

"one day," mammon murmured onto your skin, stroking your cheek delicately as he placed the towel back in its rightful place.

a/n: when i get sick and delirious i immediately just want mammom tbh

[starlight-bread-blog]

My Interpetation of The Southern Raiders: Part 3 – Katara

Part 1 Part 2

Hello! Welcome to the final part of my series navigating through the discourse surrounding The Southern Raiders. In the first part I discuss A\ang and in the second part I discussed Zuko. Now that we've understood the people around Katara, I can discuss how they affected her and her choices. So, without further ado, let's begin!

——————

1. Where did this side of Katara come from?

Katara didn’t just become more intense and angry for an episode out of nowhere. It came from years of fury and grief simmering in her.

Kya’s death was a very defining moment for her. As opposed to her brother, whose defining moment was his father leaving him, it molded her as a character. It’s who she sees at the swamp, whereas Sokka just sees Yue. It’s how she connected with Jet, Haru, Hama and even Zuko.

Ever since that dark day, her mother’s death was looming over her, while also being an integral part of her. She lived her life knowing that incredible injustice had been done, and she was furious. At the same time, she wanted to be like her mother, taking care of everyone’s needs. But her anger festered inside of her, and her grief didn’t let go. This anger is what we see in The Southern Raiders.

Additionally, some of the anger she displayed during her arguments with Aang and Sokka can be traced back to Aang’s insensitive behavior I discussed in part 1. Katara is notorious for her maternal emotional labor, especially for Aang. In The Desert she puts herself in danger in order to pull him out of the avatar state, and she always offers her help when needed.

Now she wants to do something that goes against his personal beliefs and that’s how he’s treating her. Still, she doesn’t insult him. “I knew you wouldn’t understand” is what she said. His disapproval is to be expected. Then, her brother, who suffered the same loss, backs him up. And when combined with her anger at Yon Rha, she lashed out.

——————

2. Why did she spare Yon Rha?

Because it was never in her to kill in the first place. That’s not who she is. The anger was in her all along, but murder wasn’t. She was given a choice, and she chose not to. Zuko’s offer sounds bad, but there was never any danger of Katara killing Yon Rah in the first place, she simply wouldn’t do it.The only things that were on the cards were seeing him. The supposed dangers of it weren’t actually going to come to fruition, and in the end, Katara is in a better place after the trip.

But I do think it goes deeper than that. Katara is an idealist, often to the point of naivety. It’s why she trusted Jet over her brother, it’s why she was going to use the spirit water on Zuko back in the crystal catacombs and it’s why she thought blowing up the factory in The Painted Lady was a good idea.

For years the ideal of the perfect revenge on the Fire Nation who took her mother burned inside her. Suddenly she has a chance to execute this ideal, but reality smacks her in the head.

Katara: I always wondered what kind of person could do such a thing, but now that I see you, I think I understand. There's just nothing inside you, nothing at all. You're pathetic and sad and empty.

The man isn’t some scary boogeyman, and she will not kill him.

——————

3. How did her trip affect her?

Katara: [Rises from boardwalk.] But I didn't forgive him. I'll never forgive him. [Smiles at Zuko and walks up to him.] But I am ready to forgive you.

As I previously established, seeing Yon Rha was somewhat a reality check for her. It was her final step in her arc of becoming less naive. With this final ideal gone, she no longer holds this pent up anger at the Fire Nation. Thus, her arc is concluded, and she is ready to accept that the Prince of the Fire Nation can be her friend. (None of this would’ve happened if Zuko hadn’t made the offer. And that’s why ultimately, their trip was a good thing).

——————

In conclusion, Katara's anger stemmed both from years of it building up and a lack of support from her peers. But when it came down to go through with murdering Yon Rha, she couldn't do it. Because even if she forgot it, he is a person. She had a reality check and lets go of black and white notions of the world. Thus, she could forgive Zuko.

[gaybananabread]

Could I get ler!Toph and lee!Aang from ATLA with Day 17?

TickleTober Day 17 - Raspberries

~It’s been a hot sec since I’ve written anything ATLA-related! Toph and Aang are the best duo over and you cannot prove me wrong (if you can, shhhhh). Thank you for the request, and I hope you Enjoy!~

Lee: Aang

Ler: Toph

Summary: While the group is on a calm streak, Aang is stuck with a killer lee-mood. Toph catches on after some fumbling by Aang and, with some persuasion, makes sure he gets the tickles he deserves.

Warnings: none! This is a tickle fic, so if you don’t like that, scroll away!!

The Gaang were having a lucky streak as of late; there had been no attacks, no close-calls during supply runs, and fresh water at every one of their campsites. They were allowed to relax amongst themselves, each enjoying the rare leisure.

Well, they were all trying to, with varying levels of success. Zuko rarely ever relaxed, Katara was almost always on edge, and Aang…

Well, he had his own problems.

On the second day of their streak, he woke up with a rather inconvenient feeling in his stomach. It wasn’t painful or sickening, but it definitely made things difficult. Especially when it didn’t go away, even after three days of trying to ignore it.

A bubbly, fuzzy feeling hummed in his chest, making him giddy and a tad jumpy. The stubborn blush on his cheeks refused to leave, no matter how much water he drank or air he’d bent to fan himself. The mood itself was nothing dangerous; it was how it affected him around others.

Aang could not handle anyone’s wiggling fingers. And, just his luck, Toph was insistent on practicing her more refined bending techniques.

The girl flexed each of her fingers deliberately, causing jagged and thin spikes of rock to jut up from the ground. It really was impressive to earthbend at such a fine scale, though he was more focused on the movement of her hands.

Why did the technique have to look so much like tickling? It was truly unfair; the butterflies in his stomach spread all the way up to his throat, turning his ears and cheeks pink. He didn’t even notice he was staring until she called him out.

“Hey, twinkle-toes! You need something, or are my hands just that pretty to ya?” A pebble hit the side of Aang’s head, startling him out of his daze. If he thought he was blushing before, it was a thousand times worse now.

“S-sorry, Toph!” Averting his gaze, Aang quickly found an interesting rock to stare at. He forgot she could sense his heartbeat; she knew something was off within a second.

“What’sa matter with you? You’re all…jumpy.” It wasn’t the right word, but it was the only one she could think of at the moment. While she couldn’t literally see him, her gaze was still intimidating; Toph was demanding a true answer.

“Uh…nothing?” Wow, his voice was so squeaky. That wasn’t even close to believable, was it?

“Seriously, Aang? Try again.”

Nope, not at all.

“...you’re gonna make fun of me.” Aang pouted, sighing as he tried to keep his voice level. He knew Toph wouldn’t be cruel, but it was still embarrassing.

“Woah, hold it. If you’ve got a problem, I promise I’ll listen. I care about you, dummy.” Toph punched his shoulder just gently enough to let him know she was there for him. Wow. He felt ridiculous and supported; it was an interesting combination.

“I…okay.” With a resigned huff, he told the truth. Well, vaguely, but still. “It’s the thing, you know?” He wiggled his fingers in emphasis, hoping she could see it with her bending.

Toph obviously could – the wording alone gave him away – but she wanted to push just a bit. “What thing?” She wasn’t being mean, as she promised – just antagonistic. “Are you doing something with your hands again? You do know I’m blind, right?”

The Avatar groaned, knowing he was gonna have to out-right say it. Jeez, why was he always the one being forced to ask?

“The…tickling thing. Mood. Thing.” He sounded very embarrassed to admit it, which made Toph’s grin soften. She knew his mood had to be pretty strong for him to act that shy.

“Alright, alright. C’mere, twinkle-toes.” The earthbender plopped down in the grass, crossed her legs, and patted her lap expectantly. No judgment, no weird questions, nothing. Man, she was a good friend…

Aang tried to suppress the already-building giggles as he laid down, a nervous grin tugging at his lips. Anticipation always got to him, especially when it came to Toph’s “assistance.”

“Okay, smiles. Try not to hit me in the face.” Pushing Aang’s arms above his head, she got to work. Slow, teasing fingers walked down his arms, going from his wrists to his armpits. Barely two seconds in, and he was already struggling to keep them up.

“T-Tohoph, thihis is- EEK! COHOHOME OHOHON!”

Toph had gone from slow teases to drilling into his pits in mere seconds, quickly driving him up the wall. Sure, he was loving it, but that drastic change had sent a tickly jolt through his whole upper body.

“I’m barely getting started, twinkle-toes. Better buckle up!” She gave him the playful warning before targeting his stomach, causing his arms to come crashing down in an instant. It was his worst spot, and she knew it.

“NAHAHAHAHA! TOHOHOPH! IHIT- IT TIHIHICKLES!” Aang started rolling around in her lap, and she let him, loving the mental sight of her wiggle-worm-ing friend. It sounded and felt so cute; she could hear his heartbeat, helping her guess what level of blush he was currently at. It was almost supernova already.

Man, he really was in a mood, wasn’t he?

“Do you want some fruit, Aang?” They both knew what she was really asking, his spike in heart rate tattling on him. His tells really were too easy to point out.

Toph let out a small hum of approval when he nodded, shoving aside his robes for the day. He was left in his shorts, the flowy fabric of his top bunched up at his shoulders.

Aang was already wiggling, fake-shoving at her head whenever she teasingly got closer. Toph’s goal wasn’t to fluster or tease him, though; her mission was to wreck the living daylights out of him. So, that’s what she did.

The second her lips buzzed against his skin, he knew he was done for. The boy shrieked, thrashing and kicking and bucking beneath her tickly torment. Not once, she noted, did he put even a fraction of real effort into pushing her head away. He really was enjoying it…

“Aww, you’re being so loud! You’re lucky nobody’s dumb enough to attack us right now; I might not even hear them coming.” Okay, now she was teasing. It was still light-hearted, but more geared towards flustering rather than amusing.

“SHUHUHU- *hic* OHOHO NOHOHO!” Aang couldn’t help but whine as he felt the hiccups begin. If he was really getting it, like he was then, little hiccups wormed their way into his diaphragm and made breathing that much harder. They also sounded completely childish, embarrassing him as the cherry on top.

“Oho yeah! Squeaky’s back!” Toph had named his hiccups “Squeaky” after the sharp, shrill noise they always produced. It was so dumb, but they both loved it.

Toph continued to blow raspberry after raspberry, making his poor stomach turn red from all the contact. The noises were utterly ridiculous, only making Aang laugh and hiccup harder.

The silly form of tickling had always been one of Aang��s weaknesses. Besides his general affinity for them, the intense sensations never failed to render him a laughing, squealing mess. Raspberries were any ler’s “Get Out of Jail Free” card for wrecking him.

His mood was definitely subsiding. He felt the constant buzzing and fuzz die down, replaced with the jolting electricity of the tickles running through his nervous system. It always amused him how he pretty much traded one embarrassing sensation for the other, but he didn’t say anything. Not that he even could, what with all that laughing.

When his hiccups became more violent and his laugh wheezy, Toph stopped her tickling in favor of patting and running a hand along his upper back. She could feel his shoulders shaking as he recovered, giggling off after effects and general giddiness.

“O-oho my…wow. Thank you, Toph.” Aang grinned sheepishly, obviously feeling a lot better after that pesky lee mood was dealt with. It had been both fun and relieving: a perfect combo.

Toph waved a hand, feigning indifference that Aang could tell was faker than Sokka’s fire nation beard. “Don’t worry about it, man. I’m always here if you need your butt handed to you again.”

That statement, no matter how juvenile, warmed his heart. Toph really was an amazing friend to him and the others. He didn’t know what he’d do without her. Knowing her, that declaration would probably get him lovingly socked one for being mushy, so he said the next best thing.

“Hey…can you show me that needle-rock thing? It looked really cool, and it’d probably be useful in fights.”

“I guess I can try. Just keep up, twinkle-toes!”

[moonlight-blue-rose]

Continuing with my screaming for the 1863rd round, so SPOILERS + this one is a little long

Ch 288:

Kdj petting yjh's head ahhhhesophjeapgsh

Good, it's the least he deserved after kdj broke his spirit in the last chapter

And Gabriel being reminded of herself and Uriel?? Pls tell me more, I'm listening

Pffff, I didn't expect this XD yjh completely obediently eating the soil lmaoooooo

Oh, but you don’t have the heart to kill your favourite protagonist, do you? You don’t have the heart to kill the person you’ve come to know and love

*vibrating in my seat* *sees the next chapter* awwwww it was just knw

Ch 290:

Han Sooyoung my queeeeeeeeennnnn

Doksoo’s back and forth is fun as always

Uriel, my love! I wasn’t expecting her to appear ahhhhhhh

Ch 291:

Ohhh, is this what the Forth Wall did? Giving flashes of memories to yjh? Sneaky sneaky if that is true.

But!!! Yjh saying Uriel's name softly, "like a child first learning to speak"... ahhhhhhh them!!!

Ch 292:

NOOOOOOOOOO I didn’t expect to be crying for both yjh and Uriel in this arc, you can’t do this ;-;

And oh sweetie… A world where Uriel isn’t a friend is so strange after spending so much time with the 3rd round Uriel.

1863rd hsy’s 'Predictive Plagiarism' sounds really interesting. And combined with her Avatar ability, she sure is terrifying

Once again I can hear my heart shattering. A world in which the ending is possible without sacrifices. Except one. One single sacrifice that nobody of this world would mourn. Only the original protagonist and no one else (Yoo Mia isn't here. She is gone, isn't she ;-;). I’m just (╥╯^╰╥) 1863rd hsy may not need yjh to reach the end but I want him to. Can’t you let him get away with it, at least once? Can’t he too, reach the end with everyone else? But even if he does, will it be worth it? In a world he has no one by his side, in a world he isn’t wanted? Oh Yoo Joonghyuk…

Hsy’s last words in this chapter feel so final, so unforgiving. The only feeling they induce is quiet despair (it wasn’t supposed to end like that)

Ch 293:

YES TELL HER SWEETIE

Okay, not the time for this but six-winged kdj sounds so hot…

Kim Dokja saved her,,,, It’s not his Uriel. Her fury against Yoo Joonghyuk is justified, he said,,, And yet, he didn’t have the heart to let her die… I’m just *ugly sobbing noises* (╥╯^╰╥)

Ahhh being surrounded by the people who look exactly like his colleagues, friends, and yet standing amidst strangers. It’s such a lonely feeling, the 1863rd round. I wonder, is this how yjh has always felt each regression?

Kim Dokja sounds so tired here. “What’s new about this story”, you wonder as you gaze at the broken protagonist. What’s so different about this world, when in the end, it ends the same. Someone has to die for everyone else to reach the end. But that’s the same as every other round, isn’t it? (╥╯^╰╥)

“They could never be the original” – I’m dying oahgsohsapoegg  KIM DOKJAAAAAAA

The original always holds a special place in a person’s heart… Maybe they don’t like the way the story was handled or the way it ended or some of the characters’ actions… Maybe they liked a lot of things and disliked an equal amount of them… But still, it’s the original. It’s the thing you fell in love with, the thing that gave you something to hold on to, something to cherish… Of course a reproduction could never surpass the original...

I can’t believe that he’s wormed his way into their group already… Actually, no. I can believe that. It’s Kim Dokja after all XD

He fought all alone,,,,

*Shaking 1863 hsy upside down* What do you mean he promised to die! What do you meannnnnn

TELL ME WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT YOU CRYPTIC BASTARDS-

Ch 294

wheeze Poor lhs

He’s thinking about his kids!!! He wants to go back, even if he doesn’t admit it ;-;

Look at him praising yjh even now awwww

…. Kim Dokja… He really should stop being so mean with knw, poor guy

I’m having too many emotions rn helloooo. They are his friends! He cares! He wants to go back!!!! Ahhhh

Oh no. Oh no. I have one (1) fear

*screams into the void* I shouldn’t read this while sober *I say and drink a whole cup of tea ‘cause I’m sick rn* Honestly though, this part... Kim Dokja's desperation, effort, love, his resolution... I think this part will stay with me for a long long time...

It's just… this whole part to the end of the chapter. Kim Dokja tried. He tried so hard. He gave his best. He knows how this story is supposed to end. And once again, just like with 41st sys, he tried his best. He tried to find a way to change the ending.  I love him so much. God, I love him so much (╥╯^╰╥)

“It was an effort that perhaps no one would understand” *screams* *insert crying gif here*

ALSO ALSO, KDJ’S EYES BEING COMPARED TO STARS… AHHHHH

Yoo Joonghyuk listened. He listened. I can’t even explain how much this means to me, nor the way my heart is shattered on the floor right now (╥╯^╰╥) It was a story he didn’t know. It was a story written by someone who wished, from the bottom of his heart, for Yoo Joonghyuk’s happiness ahhhhhhhhh

This arc will be the death of me ahhhhh

[atla-confessions]

I can't stand Zutara but something about Zutaraang makes me so happy.

I'm convinced every zutara problem could be fixed via zutaraang. (Before I move forward, while I understand if this is tagged anti zutara, I am not anti zutara, I quite like zutara, when I speak of 'problems' it is because there are problems and conflicts in every relationship. There are also plenty with kataang and zukaang but this ask wasn't abt those two.)

So one of the biggest things I think they'd struggle with is they're both so strongwilled, you just KNOW they're gonna bump heads sometimes. Both of them have a tendancy of lashing out with harsh words when they get angry or frusterated. That combined is a recipe for disaster.

Enter Aang, who is repeatedly shown to be a peacemaker. Enter Aang who is repeatedly shown to be able to take bad bahavior and just shrug it off. Enter Aang who'd be the number 1 zutara shipper whether or not he was in that relationship lmao and would be estatic to scheme to set them up toward getting along. (A lot of locking them in a closet tbh)

I also think zutara just tend to make bad decisions together, namely going to kick people's asses (which is also something I love about them lmao, you cannot leave them alone for five minutes before they're plotting some raid on an asshole)

Enter Aang who's literally that meme of the person holding the leash with the gremlin only there's two kwbdjsdbb one of my favorite zutaraang ideas is Aang having a set of rules like, sure, go off and kick ass, but don't get caught and no more than three broken bones please. I think it's a good compromise.

Zutara are neither very subtle. They'd be causing drama and political problems All The Time lmao, collectively the thorn in everyone's side.

Enter Aang who can lie like a snake and be like "that doesn't sound like my Katara and Zuko :0 besides, they were with me that night :) you trust the avatar don't you? :)" And like, who's gonna disagree? That's the avatar. This works almost every time but they're all aware that EVENTUALLY he's not going to be able to pull that off, which is why "don't get caught" is one of the rules ksnfnsndnd

Also, Zuko and Katara have shown to have a tendancy of giving a certain kind of attention that the other would struggle with. Zuko has his severe possesive issues, and Katara gets a little Too determined to help everyone even when they make it clear they want to be left alone. Katara would not react positively to someone trying to control what she can do or who she can talk to, and Zuko tries to fight anyone who dares make him feel even slightly vulnerable when he's not in the right mindset for it jsbdnsndnd

Enter Aang, who would be a fatastic distraction. Zuko's trying to be possessive? Well he can't be posessive over Katara AND Aang at the same time now can he, Aang's probably perfectly happy to let Zuko scare people off sometimes (being the avatar has got to be socially draining.) Katara's prodding at Zuko a little too much? Aang's perfectly happy to have deep conversations about emotions to quell her need for that until Zuko's ready.

I'm just saying, Aang is the perfect bridge between them. I love zutaraang so much. I love these trigger happy idiots and their long suffering pacifist nsbfnsndns

X

[tumb1rprincess]

Uuuuugh, Mag 152 was interesting yet chilling to listen to. Being buried alive, nobody coming to help, slowly suffocating, it’s my worst nightmare. But this statement is the flip side of that, it talks about the Buried lovingly and how peaceful and restful it is, Interesting to hear the other side of it, but still had me tense the whole time.

Jon and Helen’s conversation, God. Their developing relationship has been interesting. He knew her when she was still human, and he knew the Distortion when it still had Michael’s face, and then the two combined. She’s had this long journey of becoming something not human like Jon has and they both struggled with how to deal with what they were feeling. Jon’s still struggling, trying to avoid taking statements in an effort to hold onto what little humanity he has left while Helen decided to stop feeling guilty about it. And she sounds different from when the Distortion first started wearing her face. Her voice is colder, more cruel. And she laughs like how Michael used to laugh. Did the same thing happen to him when the Distortion first took him? How long did it take for him to lose his voice and sound cruel and have that echoing laugh that the Distortion has? And Jon is viewing all the avatars we’ve heard about in a different light now that he’s one of them now. Can he really see them as monsters when he’s becoming more like them? His hunger is scaring him and he doesn’t know what to fear more: fading away if he resists or what he’ll become if he gives in. Sorry, I just have a lot of feelings about this.

[marathedemonoverlord]

Got back into the swing of things. It's more expositional, but I'll try to get better at this.

OG Obey Me x MC ( Mara ) - First Year in Devildom Part 4

Mammon walked over to a clearing in the room, his eyes glowing a shimmering glittering yellow as he summoned the portal to the Greed Ring. It had been a long time since he had visited the ring, he had all but neglected it when he got entangled with the Witches who dared ensnare him and bleed him dry. Heh…. As if they truly could bleed the Avatar of Greed of his wealth, he liked letting them think they had one on him. As the portal formed, Mara watched from the side, her eyebrows raised and arms crossed as it formed.

"Well, there we go human, you ready to go?" He asked, looking at Mara as if daring her to back down. Mara stared at the portal; glittering gold, crow feathers, jewels, and dollar bills of all types, some from her world and some she couldn't recognize coating the portal. Greed…. She could feel the itch of greed to collect it all and hoard it to herself. Mammon's mouth twitched, his fangs showing slightly as her pact burned on her ankle. The more she felt, the more drawn he was to her. Mammon had to resist the urge to spoil her in the riches, blind her eyes with the sparkly gems and crystals, deafen her ears with the sound of paper money, crush her bones and spine with mountains of gold…. Humans were food, and this Exchange Student was feeding him nicely right now. It was like layers he was peeling into getting closer to the real treat in her but it was like a barrier preventing him from engulfing her completely, something warding him as Mara shook the feelings of greed aside. "I'm ready. Is there anything I should know before we go in?" Mara asked.

Mammon chuckled slightly at the question, arrogance glimmering in his eyes. "Well, for starters, don't look into the eyes of greed demons, they make ya feel real selfish. Next, humans who go into the Greed Ring can't survive seeing all the gems and shinies. You're gonna need some glasses if ya wanna navigate my turf without going blind." Mammon said with a smirk, holding his hand up as a pair of highly reflective glasses materialized in his hands. Mara put them on, the mark of Mammon making her skin itch as she fixed them over her eyes. Was this what it was like looking at the world with Mammon's eyes? She could see all types of shiny things of value to pocket. However, when she looked at herself in the mirror, she didn't see herself. She saw the pact mark glowing on her ankle but her whole outline. Her whole essence was pink. She moved her hand in the mirror, seeing it glow slightly, a small shimmering silver blue outline there as well.  It was like looking at her heat signature.

"Mammon, what is this? Why am I in thermal?" She asked, still wearing the glasses. Mammon scoffed, laughing at her words. "It's not thermal idiot. That's how greed demons see things." He snorted as Mara glared at him. "Shut up." She snapped, moving her other hand, her silver ring sparkling on it as well. "Why am I pink?" She asked as Mammon paused, the faintest of blushes dusting his ears. "Err… Well… Look, does it really matter, human? Ya wanted to go to the Greed Ring, didn't you? Hurry up before I change my mind!" He huffed as Mara snorted, rolling her eyes at his catty nature.

"Alright, fine, let's go." She said, walking into the portal as her Avatar of Greed followed behind. Stepping into the portal, Mara could only see glimmers before the world formed around her. The skies were a murky gray, almost green, emeralds and gold lined the buildings as Mara could only describe it as…. Modern. Like a big city with skyscrapers and corporate downtown businesses. Like fat cat executives and stock marketers ruled the area. A combination of New York and Las Vegas in one. Mara took in the sights, there were Greed Demons walking the streets, some in suits that almost looked like they were from the 70s or 80s. The glasses helped her see their greed. It was like twitching tendrils illuminating their fingers, like an urge to grab and keep to themselves. Mara looked at Mammon, his glasses down somewhat as he whistled.

"Haven't been here in a hot minute… Looks all cleaned up." He remarked, taking in the sights. Mara took a moment before speaking her eyes still on the gold and precious metals that accentuated the buildings. "So this is your realm? The Ring of Greed?" She asked, looking around. Mammon nodded, stepping forward to step before her as he grinned. "Yep, this is the Greed Ring. Where only misers and the smartasses who claw their way to riches lie. It cleans up nicely, don't you think?" He said, smirking at it. Mara took another look before speaking up. "It's nice, but it almost feels too… Uniformed. I didn't realize you were this organized, " She said, her words making Mammon shift slightly. "Welllll…. That's just because Lucifer takes care of things now. If I set it up, then things would be slightly different." He shrugged casually.

Mara's attention was caught by this, the woman turning to look at him again. "I don't understand, you're the Avatar of Greed. This is your realm. Why is Lucifer having anything to do with it?" She asked, letting Mammon guide her as the two walked through the realm, watching as demons, humans, and all manners of species tried to get money. It was like Lucifer painted the realm to look like Manhattan or a corporate downtown while the inhabitants were like Mammon still in a Los Angeles, Las Vegas, or New Jersey mindset that craved money and attention.

"Eh, running a whole circle is a lot of work when I'm trying to make my own money. Some of us let Lucifer take the reins so we can focus on other more important things. Like Goldie." Mammon said, smirking as he held up the credit card. Mara snorted, rolling her eyes. "So you're lazy. That's what you're telling me." She said bluntly, causing Mammon to scoff. "Oh please, I've lived for millenniums. I can go back whenever I want to." He said as Mara shook her head. "Great excuse." She snarked, finding it annoying. How could a demon lord of sin, an Avatar of Greed, be so blasé about the area they govern? It was irresponsible to just lord it off on someone else and on Lucifer of all people? No wonder the bastard was arrogant.

Mammon rolled his eyes at her. Humans were so annoying about the little things… "Yeah, whatever now I should warn you, almost all of these rings bet and gamble on humans. Your people are like stocks, and it's actually more of a problem than Princey wants you to think." He said, crossing his arms before her. This caught the woman's attention as she tilted her head. "How so? I thought Diavolo said he was making Devildom "welcoming" to Human and Angel Exchange students." She asked, emphasizing the "welcoming" sarcastically with her fingers. Mammon snorted at that, rolling his eyes. "That's bullshit. He's not really doing anything. He's making some very public changes and announcements, but it's just to save face. What really goes on behind the scenes is a different matter entirely, and one that has more to do with the underground gambling rings that have only increased in number as a result of his changes." This caught Mara's attention as she was able to connect the dots. So what Mammon was telling her was that Diavolo was trying to clean up the Devildom and make it clean and censored for the angels and humans while in reality the Greed Ring and underground casinos was still actively going on. Why was she not surprised?

"Hah, good to know Diavolo's just like every other politician that ever existed, but does the Devildom still have some that traffic humans, or is it just in the Greed Ring?" Mara asked the two, walking together as Mammon kept her close, his blue eyes sparkling with gold. "Mostly in the Greed Ring, Diavolo has been good on trying to make the Devildom look clean for you and those angels. Think of it like a resort. Ya guys are gonna be on a resort while the Rings are like stepping off that resort." He said as Mara conceded with a nod "Okay that tracks… But wait, if it's such a problem, why the hell would Diavolo choose now to bring a non-magic human into the Devildom?" She asked to walk with Mammon. It made no sense to her; if humans were seen as food, animals, or chattel, why bring them here? Was it just to tease demons with a human like a bunch of starving wolves with a piece of raw meat? What a bastard.

"Human, we're demons. If we want something, and we have the means to get it like Princey does, then we're gonna get it. It's like a kid no longer waiting to open up a present. It happens all the time." Mammon said with a smirk, adjusting his glasses down as he grinned at some other Greed Demons. It was strange how in Devildom, no one took him seriously, yet here in the Greed Ring, demons and inhabitants of his domain admired and smiled at him. Guess it came with the territory.

"So he's just impatient." Mara said bluntly as Mammon shrugged. "Guess so…" He replied before noticing the other demons' looks. "And don't worry, they'd be fools to mess with you with me here." He said, looking ahead with a grin. Mara cocked her head at him in surprise. "I'm sorry, but you're saying this even though your brothers hardly respect you or are kind to you to begin with?" She asked as Mammon smirked and shrugged. "There's a difference. They're my brothers. These other demons however…" He remarked, looking at their destination. The place looked like a common bar. "They'll see why I'm the second strongest. Now come on." He said, taking them to their first stop. 

[lostonehero]

My first fic for this Fandom I know I just finished season 3 but I hope you guys like it

JonMartian romance obviously

Web avatar Martin

:)

A voice if you could call it that sounded as if metal was grinding on metal combined with nails on a chalkboard. It wasn't loud, more so quiet, barely a whisper for one listener. "Gifts for you."

Martin yawns as he puts his book down, leaving a bookmark to mark his page. He rubs his eyes. "I keep telling them to leave, but they never stop." He stretches. "I'm not starting a cult in your name."

The voice makes what seems to be a noise of agreement.

"Do you want to share?" Martin hums, looking to a dark corner that seems to grow darker, and he knew that meant yes. "Alright, hopefully they brought tea and biscuits, and maybe enough I can share with my coworkers."

The voice lingers in the air. "Jon?"

Martin stiffens as he closes the front door. "No, I haven't asked yet. Things are not exactly good since everything. I also have to keep things distance due to Peter."

"Martin." The voice hisses louder.

"Right, sorry, rambling." Martin knew that isn't what he meant, but it was a reflex from his childhood.

"Tea?" The voice sounded lighter as if it was trying to comfort Martin.

"Oh yes, I think they brought over some fruit ones. Oh, they brought your favorite peach. Uh want... no, I know you don't like sweets." Martin frowns. "Do you mind if I close the blinds? My back is getting itchy, and my eyes are watering."

"Remeber your shirt." The voice hums, and the tea Martin holds vanishing and the sound of his kettle turning on filled the soft quiet.

"Oh right, thanks. I don't want to ruin this one." Martin removes his shirt and folds it neatly on the back of a chair. Soft creaks of bones stretching as he seems to grow taller as spider legs erupt from his back. His eyes multiply as he has eight on his face. His mouth stretches, and a pair of mandible grows and drips a green liquid. His hands closed, and a scale like armor is on his hands and in random splotches of his body. He returns to his human feet and sighs. "Forgot my socks, but they are easy to remake. Oh, thank you." He quietly walks back over to the table where a hot cup of tea rests at his spot on the table.

"Molting, you need vacation." The voice seems less harsh as the sound of sipping is heard.

"I have to ask Mr. Lucas for that, but I don't know if he'll approve it. I don't know if he figured out what I am. Things have been uh tense at work." Martin hums opening a tin of biscuit.

The voice pauses as another phantom sip is heard. "The beholder thinks you are a human. Not that it matters. They should be happy to have you on their side."

Martin blushes a grey against his pale skin. "Thank you, mom. I know you're neutral in this, but I'm glad you're with me."

The voice chitters happily. "Tell the archivist your story."

Martin huffs. "Mom, we've been over this." He relaxes and taps his legs against the floor. An empty mug appears in front of Marvin. "Oh, do you want another?"

The voice is quiet. Marvin knows this means his father has gone back.

........

It's been a while since Martin knew normalcy. He was 8 when he met the being, the god, the spider. He was a lonely child he liked spiders, and his mom seemed to always be sick, and he didn't know his father. He was curious he followed a thread to a place that seemed like it shouldn't exist, but he was a curious thing.

"Wow!" Martin was full of awe and curiosity. "You're very pretty."

There was a creature a spider like being. They were just going to eat their newest prey caught in their web, but they've never heard anything like that. A human willingly touched them. Small for a human as well.

The first meeting went well in Martin's mind he tried to tell other kids about his new friend, but that didn't go well. Bullys picked him, outed him out of everyone.

Martin led food to his better mother figure, but that was never their relationship. They never wanted to say that he didn't want a follower. He grew close to this human and gave him a gift. The boy grew into his gift.

Martin grew up, and he had to leave schooling for his mother. He didn't mind that, but they knew he did. When he got the job he was so excited and they applauded him for it was a highly regarded place to them.

The incident with the living hive, they were worried. If their little favorite being was killed, and then they weren't going to be neutral after that. They used their minions to find him, not the worms were an issue, but they took care of it to get in. The archivist did destroy his minon, but they couldn't fault him. He wasn't his Martin.

Martin was alive he came back. They understood why the beholder was enamored with stories as they listened to Martin rattle on about his adventures. There deaths seemed to concern their Martin, but they were able to soothe him.

Jon he was the new archivist, the new eye. They didn't have strong feelings about that, but they knew Martin was what mortals called love or a crush they didn't exactly know the correct term. However, they knew Martin just needed a push, so they tried to convince him to tell his story and reveal himself. If it meant they would have to take a side, so be it. They didn't like to see Martin struggle with his emotions it made them think about how his mother drained him.

Things were on edge, and they had been trying to convince Martin to push him to reveal himself to protect the object of his love. The beholder doesn't exactly protect as well as they do, so extra help would be for the best. Martin still isn't convinced, but to be fair, they haven't explained. Maybe they are being selfish keeping their Martin safe like a mother protecting its young. They didn't know when they became so protective but they don't think they want it to change.

.....

"Don't look at me like that. I tried! I don't like lying, you know that." Martin frowns, scratching at his arm. There's banging on the front door. "Oh.... I don't want to entertain..."

The door opens, well it's kicked open by two young adults dressed in pure black and has spider webs all over their bodies.

Martin sighs. "I told you guys to stop breaking my door down."

The two young adults bow in respect.

A voice creaks out. "Fix my Martin's door."

Martin frowns. "Don't scare them. Come on, I'll make some tea."

The two young adults are frozen in fear until Martin taps them.

"Come on. I'll get some water boiling. You two must be new, but I don't want a cult following me around, neither does... er Spider. However you two have to fix my door. I don't exactly have sick days I can use at work to stay and fix it myself. Oh, right, as I tell the others, I can make you each a sweater with silk and spider like peach things like flavored things that are peach. However, I like chocolate or coconut or like little sweets. I don't expect anything though, just relax." He turns on his kettle.

"Avatar Web." One speaks up.

"My name is Martin, I don't go by my title." Martin smiles. "I just want you guys to do nice things like charity or public services. However, sweets and teas are also nice, and please tell the higher-ups in your group, er cult, to stop sending you guys over here like this. I didn't mean to frighten you guys."

The two stare up in awe.

"Thank you for your mercy." The two say as they head to fix the door.

Martin groans. "No, I'm not.... do you want tea too?"

The corners grow dark as a yes.

"Ok." Martin smiles and picks up the boiling kettle. "Oh shoot, almost forgot I need to get new towels molting is annoying. You promised to remind me."

"Forgot list." The voice echos like rusted metal.

"Ah, I guess you're right. I could just make new ones, but they are never rough enough. Oh, right, I should ask what kind of tea they like as well." Martin hums but stops his door is fixed, and the two are gone. "It's a shame they never stay. I always offer."

The voice sighs like grinding metal and shattering glass.

"Oh well, I think I still have some preserved peaches for you." Martin hums going through the cabinets.

.......

His body felt wrong. He knew he shouldn't be here, and he knew well enough whatever brought him back... no, that thing that wretched thing grabbed him from his peace. He knew how he died it was that explosion. Did they win? Probably not since he's been dragged back. Was he still him?

The sound of the door opening pulled the man out of his thoughts, and he opened his eyes, and the bright sunlight burned his eyes. He didn't even look at himself till he heard a voice, a kind voice he knew all too well.

"I'm back." The cheery male voice seemed to echo in the quiet home. "The cult left some gifts but don't know how they know what today is, but I assume you have something to do with it. Granted, it's been decades now, so I really should be used to it."

He could hear the shuffling of feet until the voice he knew attached to the body came into view. He didn't know if he could talk, but he could move. He didn't have a chance to test his voice.

".... Tim?" The cheery voice seems to faulter.

A voice rough and screeching. "Happy birthday, Martin."

Martin groans and covers his face. "We talked about this. Tim, I'm so sorry." He sighs and smiles. "I uh I have a lot to explain. I should get your clothes first."

"Mar...tin?" Tim stopped his voice was the same he felt normal his body looked normal except for the tattoos the designs looked forgein and familiar at the same time.

Martin rushed out up the stairs.

"Martin, wait!" Tim got up his legs shaky and full of pins and needles like he sat on them too long. He stumbles forward but easily composes himself. He jumps back as Martin is suddenly back in front of him. "How?"

"It's a long story." Martin gives a nervous smile. "But uh, this will be complicated. It's been six months, give or take, Jon's been in a coma, but he's fine now, and uh, your funeral was nice."

"How? Are you one of them?" Tim cautiously takes the clothes they were big on his frame the belt helped.

"Well, I mean, I am an avatar. Uh, avatar of the spider or the web, but they prefer spider over web even though web is the term people cling to. I uh was 8 when I found them, and I guess we both got attached. It's not exactly important, but uh, my so-called god is neutral like really neutral so they don't enjoy a cult even if one exists and they prefer to enjoy peach things and uh watching over me I guess. I don't mean to be self-centered, but I guess they got attached when I was a child." Martin shifts and can hear the kettle being turned on. "Uh, well, you're not human anymore, uh The End owes the spider a lot never understood how or why, but uh, they have done this before for my birthday after my mother finally passed." He shakes his head. "Not important again, are you ok?"

"I was brought back from the dead, and you're not human. How do you think I feel?" Tim hugs his chest. "What now do I have to eat bugs and serve her?"

"N-no!" Martin motions to the table where three hot glasses of tea now sits. "Well, I mean you can eat live and do whatever you want. Fire will permanently destroy you if you want that. It is nice to see you again, but I won't force you to stay. I do have a spare room, and I maybe could get you some new papers if you want to leave that way."

Tim sits at the table, staring at the cup.

"It's not poisoned, but that wouldn't hurt you now anyway." Martin sits down as well. "I never wanted to tell any of you guys about this. Elias never looked into me beyond the surface level, so I don't actually know if he knows, but he's in jail now. I wanted to tell Jon since he's becoming an avatar of the eye, but he's been in a coma, and then things happened. He also doesn't like spiders. We have a new overseer since Elisa is in jail, but you probably don't care." He frowns. "I apologize. I'm rambling."

Tim shakes his head. "I don't know what I will do." He pauses, taking a sip of tea. The fruity drink was soothing his confused nerves. "Do you think I could go back to the archives? I don't think I could work any normal job again. It's not like I would be killed again."

"Fire would kill you." Martin pauses. "I can ask. I might as well reveal myself. Oh, the new director is Peter Lucas he's not so bad." He seems to wince at the last comment.

"Bring me in with you." Tim was smiling at Martin's surprise expression.

"W-what?" Martin could hear eerie laughter like nails on a chalkboard.

"I want to make a grand entrance on my accord. I would like to see a look of shock on Elias's face, but he's in jail. I will accept the shock on everyone else, however." Tim smiles. "Besides, think of it as payback from you being too happy."

Martin huffs.

.......

A loud scream, well Tim wouldn't call it a scream that wouldn't be a proper word for it, but he did yell in shock and slight fear. "What did... who... i"

The spider creature humanoid seemed to step back. He seemed hurt by his reaction. "Tim...." That voice.

Tim swallows. "Martin?"

"I uh forgot you were here..." Martin hugs his chest. "I uh well uh... I told you I wasn't exactly human anymore." The spider legs seem to suck back in slowly, and the inhuman features melted from his features till he looked normal. "I have blackout curtains for a reason. I uh sorry I didn't mean to scare you."

Tim rubs the back of his neck he had a feeling of guilt in his chest bloom from embassment. "Well, I should apologize. I didn't mean to shout. I should have expected something like this, is uh will Jon be different?"

Martin shrugs. "I don't know. I haven't been with a full avatar of the eye, and Spider won't tell me." He sighs. "I uh, can I go back to that form? I'm uh molting, and it gets itchy until the skin flakes off."

"It's your home, and I am a guest. Go ahead." Tim shrugs. "I do have a question."

"Oh?" Martin stretches back out and rubs his now eight eyes. "I don't like lying."

Tim snickers. "That hasn't changed. Uh, right, does it hurt?"

"At first, but I was really young when I was given this. I didn't really know what was normal in my body or around me. My mother didn't help she was sick and didn't like that she could see my father in my face. I knew she resented me even if I cared for her until she checked herself into a home. Spider was kind to me even if I didn't understand that they shouldn't exist or that I should be scared. I loved spiders I still do. The molting doesn't hurt it just itches, and when I do go to this for long periods, my eyes get watery, and I get very itchy. I can't really explain it since it happens once a month, and explaining that I'm not Trans is kind of more frustrating than anything." Martin looks away. "Sorry, I tend to ramble."

Tim shakes his head, seemingly feeling more comfortable in his situation. It's only been a week, and he hasn't reintroduced himself, and this spider was unnerving but means no harm. Martin hasn't changed, or he has, but he feels normal like he has always been him. "I also have to ask why you get things delivered to your home so often."

"I don't actually order things. Spider has a cult even if they don't want one. I know I don't want it, but it's better than dead things, and spiders likes peach anything." Martin chuckles. "Don't mind them they are kind. It's the newbies that are the trouble." He sighs, looking at the growing pile. "You can take whatever you like they always give too much. Only can donate so much."

Tim frowns. "You don't encourage it?"

Martin shakes his head. "They started when I was 9. I was too frightened to say anything. I wasn't a brave child, and my mother didn't exactly help or know." He clicks his tongue. "No, that's enough of that. I'm sure you need rest or more time. I'll be in the bath helps with the molt."

Tim nods, realizing Martin always spoke more than he needed as if he was testing the person he was talking to. He didn't understand why, but he wanted to comfort him.

......

"Do they know?" Tim asks one day the question eating at his mind as he tries to grow more confident to send a letter to his parents.

Martin sighs. "The web is made for secrets unlike the beholder they have connections everywhere hidden and tucked away. Nobody notices the small spider in the corner." A mask seems to lift on his face. "Elias never figured it out he clung to my thoughts about my mother and underestimated me. Peter also doesn't realize he is trying to make me like him, but you can not change an avatar to another god. Like Jon, I do have other abilities that aren't just physical. Spider calls them commands, I don't use them. You've noticed how I have never told others what to do for the most part. Jon still hasn't entirely accepted his status yet, which is good for me because he doesn't know."

Tim swallows and looks away. "Are you keeping me here?"

The mask back on Martin looked offended and panicked. "No, never! I like you as a roommate. You're much more talkative than Spider, but I just thought you wanted to do this on your own time." He sighs.

Tim snickers. "I'm just fucking with you." He hums. "I'll come back on my own time, as you said. You're still pretending with Peter, so I think I'll rejoin after that. Or I will come back when I think it's the funniest."

Martin huffs. "Tim, be serious."

"I'm dead serious." Tim smirks

Martin groans. "I'm leaving."

......

"Martin!" It Jon, the smaller man, managed to corner him, it seems.

Martin looks down at the smaller man. "J-Jon I uh I told you not to find me." He swears he could hear his mom laugh in his head and see spiderwebs attached to himself to Jon. He knew she was getting annoyed with his slow behavior and complaints about Peter. However, the ability to affect the eye well their avatar to this extant, did she make a deal with the beholder?

"Martin, what..." Jon stops himself. Martin, of course, knew why.

"I'm Peter's assistant. I can't talk tight now." Martin stops he glances over to the corner. A spider sits in a fresh web in the shape of an eye. That confirms his suspicions, the Web and the Beholder have formed a bond or an alliance. He isn't surprised the Web is secrets and the Beholder wants all the knowledge like the hidden stuff. He didn't exactly know what it meant for the two of them. "I uh well tea!" He stutters out. "Tomorrow?"

Jon looks back surprised. "Tea... of course, yes, tomorrow."

"After work, Cafe by my home." Martin says too quickly as he rushes out.

.......

"Martin." There is static in the air as Peter comes up from behind.

Martin can feel his body move without his control. Shifting and contorting as he towers over Peter. He honestly never liked this form it's too big, and he feels bad about towering over everyone, but the best he can describe it as a spider centaur. He still has the extra eyes clawed hands and webs that flow like a cape behind him he tries his best to use as a shirt when he is like this. The extra arms aren't bad, persay he just thinks it's odd. He turns and faces Peter. "I think our game is over." His voice was not his own.

Peter steps back, startled and surprised. "You're the web?"

"We never liked the name. It's always a bit on the nose. Isolation, the money never liked your kind, but we mean no harm to you, unlike you to us." Not Martin hums. "I would tell you to stop, but unlike you, we like to keep to our shadows listening and collecting. We never needed anything like yours. We overindulge already in this world the way it is. However, I will keep this short. We've come to an understanding with the Beholder." They laugh like they knew a joke nobody else knew. "Leave our Martin alone they aren't your pawn."

Peter nods and vanishes. The Web and the Beholder formed an alliance he needed to figure this out. Did Elias even know that would happen?

.....

Martin groans and rubs his legs. The pins and needles are always a thing every time he fully transforms. He was tapping against the table in his home and nearly jumps when he hears someone behind him.

"Martin, we've been living together for three months at this point. Haven't you gotten used to the dead lingering." Tim snickers at his own joke.

Martin sighs. "Sorry, Tim. I did some er avatar things today, and uh, I think I asked Jon on a date."

"Did you kill someone?" Tim's voice now lacks the humor.

"No, Spider doesn't enjoy death. It doesn't get anything out of it unless it's a secret or other stuff. We aren't the end." Martin sighs. "They didn't like me working with Peter he's one of the lonely and well they stepped in. I'm sure Peter already told Elias."

"Ok, that makes me less concerned." Tim has his smirk back. "So a date with Jon? Fucking finally."

Martin huffs. "Oh shut it. I panicked, and I don't know it just happened." He frowns. "I should probably ask if Jon's ok with that. If he's ok in general."

"Alright." Tim pauses. "Could I ask something about this Web?"

"If you want, again, I don't like lying." Martin rubs the back of his neck.

"Do they get along with... uh, why the cult?" Tim switches his question quickly, and Martin knows, but he doesn't understand why.

"We don't actually need the cult, but they told me it always happens. The web has weved throughout the world. Secrets are easy to consume when you are everywhere and nobody notices. There's other stuff, but again, I really don't like commanding others." Martin sighs.

"Show me." Tim crossed his arms. "Show me what you can do. What do you even mean by commands?"

"I can show you my spider powers." Martin tries his best to derail Tim, but he knows it doesn't land. "Ok, fine. Tim, go to the kitchen and get me a jar of jam." He watches Tim's eyes glaze over as he heads to the kitchen and returns with a jar of jam.

"I..." Tim swallows. "I see."

Martin frowns. "Sorry. I don't like doing it when it isn't needed. I try not to do it at all."

"I get it." Tim pulls out a chair next to Martin. "So this date."

Martin gives a heavy sigh. "It's just tea. I mean, actually, do you mind if I tell you something regarding the beings?"

"I mean, I do plan on going back to the archives, so I might as well know." Tim raised his brow. "Does it have to do with the eyes in the webs around your home?"

"Eh?" Martin looks around at the cobwebs. "Y-yeah uh the beholder the one Jon is becoming an avatar for... I should check on him. I don't think he's ready for the body changes. The wait date we have a date. Uh, right off track. The Beholder has agreed to the Web, and they seemed to have an alliance, but I don't think that's the right term. Uh, maybe partnership that's closer, but I don't know. A pact of protection? I don't know, but we have come out of hiding. I don't know what that means for the future, but uh, yeah."

"So they want you to get freaky with Jon?" Tim wiggles his brows.

Martin groans. "No! I mean, I don't know. I hope not. I don't want our relationship built on er false pretenses."

"I can understand that, but would you consider soulmates like that?" Tim hums.

"I... I don't know." Martin has a puzzled look on his face.

.......

Georgie paused, staring at her ex blankly. "If you wanted to see the admiral, you could ask not just show up with... why is Melanie here?"

"The man has a date." Melanie chuckles. "The man has a date, and he panicked because he has no social skills."

A laugh rushed out of Georgie's mouth as she ushered the two inside. "So you came here."

"I know..." Jon covers his face. "I just I don't know I look awful and I know you're good at makeup and I don't want to frighten him off. I'm already not exactly entirely human anymore."

"Don't sell yourself short, Jon. Our time wasn't the worst." Georgie smiles, brushing his long hair back and frowns. "Did you develop a new allergy because of this watcher?"

"I don't think... I don't think so. Why?" Jon covers his mouth with an apologetic gaze.

"You have blisters on your neck and shoulders." Georgie walks around and pulls down his sweater. "There on your back, too."

"They don't look like an allergy. It kind of reminds me of burns but also like a bug bite." Melanie pauses. "Does it hurt?"

"No?" Jon frowns. "I mean, maybe, but I just thought it was from lack of sleep, I think. I haven't been eating great either, so I guess it's normal to ache and have pain."

"Ok, you need major help." Georgie sighs. "Makeup will help, but you seriously need a vacation."

"I don't know if that's possible." Jon jumps when Melanie grabs his shoulders.

"Ew, they feel gross. But I'm sure with enough concealer you can hide anything." Melanie wasn't confident, but she wanted to help him.

......

Martin raised his brow, staring at Tim. He got off early since Peter told him to. He knows they ruined whatever the lonely was planning to use him for. "Why are you here?"

"Undead support." Tim hums. "Also, I work here part time. Your patron helped me get paperwork, and I got bored of sitting around."

"Oh right... I didn't think I was keeping you." Martin pauses. "I uh sorry."

"Martin, you weren't, and neither was that. I told you I got bored and I don't exactly think going back suddenly would be good." Tim shrugs. "What are you looking to get?"

"I think I'll wait for Jon." Martin smiles softly. "Thank you, Tim."

"Don't, you've done for me then I could ever repay." Tim hums. "I'll be behind the counter."

Martin nods and smiles.

......

Jon walks in, pulling up his turtleneck. Even with the extra rest, he felt awful. The so-called blisters have started to hurt and felt like pressure was building, and he wanted to take a knife to his skin. He also had a new hunger. He knows he doesn't eat enough, but he never felt hunger like this he's craving meat. He's craving more statements. He wanted to ignore it he wanted to pretend it didn't bother him. He knew it had to do with the thing that owned him now. He knows it's turning him into a monster. He couldn't stop it, and it scared him. Makeup barely covered anything he probably looked awful.

"Oh Jon!" Martin waves from his seat.

Jon is pulled from his thoughts like a life preserver was thrown to him. "Martin, it's nice to see you."

"Come sit, they do lovely fruit teas here if you want to try one. You uh you look nice. I like your hair tied up." Martin rubs the back of his neck as a red blush goes across his features seemingly to highlight his freckles.

Jon shares his blush, and even if he felt awful, Martin was a glimmer of the safety of something happy. He pulls a chair out across from Martin and smiles. "I uh thank you for asking me on a date. I missed you."

Martin's smiles fade as he stares at Jon. He knows what is happening, and he knows Gertrude never did get this far in her own transformation even if she was considered by Elias as better suited. "Jon, are you alright?" He knew he would lie.

"I'm fine Martin, just a long day in the office." Jon smiles again, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

Martin remembers that when it happened to him, it took years his bones twisting and breaking to reform. Growing new organs was the worst. It started only a month after he met them bonded to them. He was the perfect fit, he guessed. The previous avatar tried to kill him as they were torn away from their purpose. They didn't like that. He frowns. "Jon, please don't..." He bites his tongue. "Jon, you have to sleep now."

Jon felt something, something pulled at his mind as if it flicked a switch. He couldn't fight it as the world went black.

......

"Why did you think this was a good idea?" A voice Jon knew was impossible to hear unless he was finally dead.

"He's changing, and we- I know he isn't taking care of himself enough to survive it. He's so thin, and I don't think uh." The voice Jon knew was Martin was speaking. "I covered him. They need to form, and it's a bit of a sensory overload having them all open at the same time."

"I was going to ask how you knew, but then again, that's a dead brained question."

"Tim, please." Martin sighs.

"....Tim?" Jon croaked out.

"Didn't you uh do your command thing?" Tim paused.

"Tim, it doesn't last forever it lasts as long as he needs to be asleep." Martin takes a breath. "Jon, don't take off the towels on your face."

Jon freezes his arms now stuck at his side. "Martin, what.... are you still Martin?"

"Of course I am." Martin groans. "I accidently commanded you. I'm sorry. I uh do the thing I can feed you, er you don't really understand that yet uhhhhh ask me for my statement." He winced another command.

"Martin, tell me what happened. What are you?" Jon spoke before he knew what he was saying what he was doing.

......

"I was 8, my father just left at the news of my mother getting sick. I, of course, didn't know at the time I don't really recall him either. I was a small kid who always looked Ober or bullied when noticed. My mother, well, she never helped or cared truly. So nobody noticed when I wandered off to somewhere that shouldn't exist."

"It was a room, I think, to a home covered in webs. A woman welcomed me as if I were a sacrificial lamb. I was elated. I always loved spiders, and they were everywhere, and I know I made it known. She listened to me she listened to me a kid who just loved spiders, and for some reason, she let me go. I know why now, the Web, as you know, it took a liking to me. They made me an avatar. Like you're becoming. It was so painful, but I was young, and I didn't know any different. Nobody helped me. My mother didn't care, and the Web was like a new better mother who listened and cared they even helped feed me when mom tried to hurt me by not feeding me. I don't know why they care for me or why it's me, but it is. I was never scared, and that's probably why they were curious and eventually grew attached."

"Now I actually have three forms: human, obviously, the spider legs and eyes, and fully. I'm kind of like a spider centaur with extra eyes and arms. You'll have another form, too, but you're in that weird teenage phase kind of where your body is just getting used to change. I'll be here to help. The Beholder and the Web have formed a kin bond thing I don't know, but I'm here for you and again sorry about the commands. It's like how you ask questions, kind of, I guess."

......

Jon swallows. He feels full. He doesn't understand why he didn't eat, and he still feels hungry for actual food, but his mind feels calmer. "You're not human."

"Not anymore." Martin sighs. "Haven't been for a long time, but I'm still me."

Jon pauses. "Will I still be me?"

"You are you." Martin hums. "Extra bits and powers don't really mean much unless you reject it. That would kill you outright. However you did accept it, you came out of the coma. Can't stop it now." He pauses. "I uh can answer more questions, but I should make you something filling first, and no, I don't eat bugs. I'm actually allergic to crickets kind of weird considering. Anyway, you need statements old or new to sustain yourself and then actual food for your body, especially now with the changing. Don't worry. Your voice won't crack."

Jon actually smiles. He felt more at ease. Martin seemed to do that to him. "Can request something warm?"

"I will happily make that." Martin smiles, and somehow Jon knew he was smiling.

"Can I say something now?" Tim interrupts.

"You're dead." Jon swallows as a fear claws at him.

"Dead tired from work." Tim chuckles. "No, actually, this web patron pulls some web strings and brought me back. All joking aside, it's been three months since I came back. I'm free to do whatever I please with this second chance, but I'm aimless. I'm glad we won, and I'm glad I'm back, but I don't exactly have a plan yet."

"He keeps claiming he'll come back to the archive when it's the funniest." Martin sighs, and Jon can hear him walk off.

"And I will." Tim huffs.

Jon felt his fear drain, with a new one taking its place. How powerful is the Web? "...right."

"Glad to see you're still a downer, former boss man." Tim sighs. "Seriously, get some rest. You look like shit."

"I can't see that." Jon mumbles.

......

There was a soft knock followed by a rougher one. Martin got up and headed over. "Oh, hello, Daisy, Batista, and Melanie. Well, I guess you're coming in. Welcome."

"What did you do?" Batista scowls and spots Jon, who was nursing a cup of tea and had a blanket on.

"I didn't do anything." Martin frowns.

Jon sighs. "He's helping me with some changes."

Daisy grimaced. "You look awful."

Melanie frowns. "The blisters aren't blisters are they."

"I suppose not." Jon huffs, putting his cup aside.

"It's gross if you ask me." Tim sips his drink from his mug.

The three stare st the walking deadman.

Martin pinches his brow. "I can explain."

.......

The tension in the room is thick. Jon stared into his cup of tea as if it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen.

Martin clears his throat. "I mean, that's about it, I guess. I would rather not speak of my childhood before the Web."

Melanie speaks up first. "So Tim's back because your god wanted to wish you happy birthday?"

"I mean, they did it before with my mother." Martin looks away. "The End owes them many favors. Never asked why, nor do I want to know why."

"To be fair, Martin did give me a way out he explained how I would be gone for good with fire. I don't want to, but the choice is there." Tim shrugs. "Anyway, I have a shift at the cafe, and I really don't want to deal with any more well this."

Now, there were five left in the apartment. Martin hugged his chest. "Look, I'm just trying to stop Jon from dying through this. If he does, then another will take his place."

"What about the one before you?" Baisa glared at him.

"The Web took care of her." Martin frowns. "I really would not like to discuss what that did and what I had to do."

Melanie sighs. "Look, are you still that Martin? Are you still you?"

"I mean, I think I am." Martin shrugs. "I've been like this for so long I don't know different."

"Right." Daisy sighs. "Ok, I believe you, but you better hold your promise to keep that man alive."

Martin nods. "Of course I will."

Jon swallows. "Do I get a say?"

A glare answers that question.

[echos-girlfriend]

Hey!! I absolutely LOVED what you did with the Tech and water fic, so if you’re still taking requests for the character + one word challenge, I have a couple ideas! Following the theme of bad batch guys and natural elements, I was thinking either Hunter or Echo with either fire or wind as the word, any combination of these you prefer! Obviously no pressure to do this if you don’t want to tho😊

Howdy!

Hello there!! Well I have two requests with hunter in it so I’ll pick echo! As for the element I like fire!

Fire

Echo x reader

Master list

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Warnings: forest fires caused by separatists. You get burned. Echo is fine tho..

After my horribly broken and bad fives fic.. I think this one is definitely better and everyone deserves a better fic to read from me.. but it also showed me that not all writings you do will be zingers (as my mom says all the time) so! Anyways.. This is totally not inspired by the fires that happened In avatar :).

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The calm sounds of the woods brought you comfort.. being on your home planet was a joy you haven’t experienced in years.. you and echo sat on a tree, year head resting on the leaves of the trunk.

“The forests of your planet remind me of kashyyyk.”

“Yeah.. I can see that. Echo?”

“Yes?”

“.. what is that?”

You sat upright, looking towards the sky. Echo looked up with you. His eyes going wide.

“It’s a separatist ship..”

You looked to him, terror on your face. He took your hand and let you down the tree trunk.. both of you running towards your village.

“Echo! What are they going to do!?”

“I don’t know Mesh’la.. but we have to warn your village.”

You nodded and helped him warm the village of the separatists’ arrival.. but what happened next.. was like something out of a horror story.

You heard a scream from a woman next to you. Looking up at where her finger pointed you saw fire spray from the sides of the ship.. setting the trees on fire.

Your mouth dropped as you watched your home catch fire and the trees falls.

“Cyare! Cyare can you hear me! We need to get out of here!”

“No! No no no.. my home echo! Everything is burning!!”

He tried to pull you away from the flames but you couldn’t stop.. you had to get to your home.. it was the last thing you had other than echo.

Echo ran after you. Watching as a tree fell next to you, the stray flames from the fall attacking your skin.

He finally got a hold of your waist and pulled you to the riverside with the rest of your village.

“No! Let me go!”

“Mesh’la.. look at me”

You turned to look at him tears staining your face.

“It’s gone.. it’s All gone.. you can’t go back into that fire..”

You didn’t say anything. You just sat down on the ground.. the fire took more than just your home and the forest you loved.. it took a piece of your heart out..

“Hey.. look at me.. please?”

You looked up at him. His brown eyes looking into your (e/c) eyes..

“We will get through this.. that fire took your home.. it took the forest.. but we have each other”

“We will.. won’t we?”

He nodded and pulled you into his chest. Encasing you in his warm arms. His heartbeat.. reminded you of fire. The fire within him. The flame of his love for you.

“Of course we will.. because we have each other. I love you ya know..”

“I know echo.. I love you too

Taglist

@padawancat97 @umbramoons @starqueensthings

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[duckapus]

Alright so last time I said in the tags that what Frenzy found at the Arles' meeting place would have to do with that one mannequin-looking character I drew a little while back, and that's because...well, as you might expect from an emotionally unstable Avatar combining code she only sort-of understands with a complicated spell from a magic system she only just started using, there were some unforeseen side-effects. The biggest of which is the creation of an echo, of sorts, of the part of Blue Arle that identified as an Avatar (it ended up being that aspect of her identity in particular since it was the one she was least secure in).

It technically has Arle's memories and emotions, but in a detached sort of way, and it doesn't quite see itself as Arle so much as just An Avatar. Also, in terms of how it would be portrayed in a video, it would have grey subtitles with dull red borders and absolutely no dialogue sounds. When it speaks it's completely silent but people can still "hear" what it's saying.

Anyway, Frenzy realizes it has something to do with Arle thanks to its eye color, and it confirms it and explains what exactly happened. He ends up giving it the nickname "Ava" (obviously short for Avatar) since he's gotta call it something, and the two of them start heading back to Primp Town.

Meanwhile, the rest Avatars are also in Primp right now, having decided to meet there instead of in the Mushroom Kingdom "as a change of pace" (really because most of them have noticed that Arle's not quite acting like herself lately and want to make sure she's okay), and Satan's group have pulled together enough evidence to figure out that Doppel's involved in Arle's strange behavior somehow, so things are about to get a bit hectic.

Well, not quite all the Avatars. Nimbus and the rest of the Luminos Crew have Important Business in Magnamiel. That unfortunately gets put on hold because Dapple is missing and Bolero and Peony are freaking out. The only clue, if you can even call it that, is an abandoned attempt at a note where the only message that's still legible is a messily scrawled "I'm sorry." They hadn't thought of checking her "secret" lair for answers yet (again, they're freaking out), and after the suggestion is made they're about to head down, but they're stopped by an unusually large portal command appearing near the top of the throne room and dropping...well, I guess you'll have to wait and see.

[typingdyslexiaisathing]

Banding Together (Obey Me!) fanfiction part 3

summary: the battle with the Ancient beast of Carnage draws to a close. With those left standing soon tending to their wounded or dying companions.

characters: basically all of them. It's going to be a full baseball team dynamic.

content: battle, fighting, blood, injury, violence, danger, death, this is an actual fight to the death type scenario so be advised this isn't fluffy!

Links to part 1 and part 2 provided for your reading. Part 4 here.

Credit to the actual owner of the provided image not to me

The moment of anticipation felt like an eternity as I tried to regain my senses after that magic blast. With my pacts searing with multiple sensations as several things became more focused to me. That of Lucifer falling as Diavolo vaulted up to his closest friend to catch him as he plummeted. Solomon openly distressed as he was on his hands and knees to gasp for air. Barbatos knelt beside him as Simeon called out for me to hear, "It had a shield! Watch out!" Meaning that there had been backlash for me to grit my teeth and pray with all my being.

Yet there was one whisper against my senses as that hidden figure in the storm clouds made their move. Another bolt of pure light and sheer overwhelming power to cascade down onto the Ancient Creature of Carnage for pure holy might to rip the monster in half. The damage from the first combo of spells combining with this sheer force of angelic power to leave the beast cleaved in twain as the younglings close to it turned to dust. So it was that the demons were left picking their senses back up to gather a defensive line against the remaining younglings. Most of the enemies still in the sea for the fish and Lotan to be dealing with. Which left many of us to see to the ones still wounded or barely clinging to their lives. My waves of pain and anguish leaving me gasping for air as Luke kept me upright. The little cherub looking to the sky with his eyes as wide as they could. "That- That was Michael! Michael came to help us!"

My brain took an extra second to click before I huffed out a laugh. Since Luke soon squeaked when the mentioned archangel touched down right next to us. My eyes struggling to focus from all the pain and emotions coming through my pacts as Luke ran up to hug tackle Michael. The archangel taking a moment to hug Luke back before kneeling down next to me. I finally got my eyes to work to meet the legend of the Celestial Realm. My gaze landing on a face of serene elegance yet shy warmth. His hair was in a messy braid to be cascading waves of muted violet. Eyes of multiple cozy hues to remind me of Lantana flowers. He was thin underneath his garments to look more like a scarecrow that warrior. Yet his gentle touch at my face spoke of timid concern as he spoke with a voice that was more honey than words. "Marzena. We finally meet face to face. It took longer than I guessed to fell the Beasts mate in the Celestial Realm. But I am here as you openly goaded me to do."

My huff came out unbidden as my energy started to wane. So I made my words count despite my oncoming fatigue. "Glad you showed up. Now. Before you chicken out on all of us. Lucifer is seriously hurt. If he dies on us because you didn't heal him up, I will hold it over your halo for the rest of eternity." Luke's jaw dropped open as Simeon made his presence know to shout, "Marzena!" But Michael shifted his weight to then look highly conflicted. But he nodded as Diavolo laid Lucifer next to me for the Avatar of Pride to be completely unconscious and bleeding. His wings completely burned to stumps for his sides to also be ripped open. Mammon giving a squeak of pure terror to lurch over and grab Lucifer's hand in his. "No... No! NO! LUCIFER!" My hands soon took Lucifer's other hand as I focused all of myself into prayers of love and healing. Satan soon knelt down to keep me upright as I pushed myself. So Luke gave a sniffle to then ask, "Michael? Is Lucifer... Is he going to..." But Michael gave a heavy sigh to move and place his hand over mine. A sweet scent taking to the air as he spoke in soft words. "No. We aren't going to lose Lucifer today. Let this be my atonement for my previous regrets. Just don't let him find me afterwards. I'd rather not deal with that just yet."

Lucifer gave a shudder to gasp in air as the healing took almost instantly. Simeon turning to help with Solomon's injuries as Luke rubbed at his eyes. Asmodeus and Beelzebub soon beside us to be stunned silent. Although Asmodeus looked extremely pale from his previous stunt to have an IV in his arm and several elixers in the IV bags. Belphegor and Leviathan soon there as well for Leviathan to be out for the count as well. His head covered in blood for Luke to gasp and rush over to help with Leviathan's healing. Diavolo staying standing to watch with arms crossed as Michael finished the healing spell. Leaving Lucifer whole for his wings to be restored yet slightly crispy. Lucifer was still unconscious but taking full breaths of air. Michael soon tuning his gaze to Mammon as the Avatar of Greed openly cried in relief. But Mammon soon looked to Michael to then give a curt nod. So Michael smiled and gave Mammon a gentle pat on his head. "Always wearing your big heart right on your sleeve. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Mammon. Try and behave yourself more." Mammon nodded to whisper out, "I'll give Luke some Devildom sweets to send to you later."

Michael pauses in visible surprised to then nod. His attention now on Leviathan as Luke gave a sob of sadness. "Oh Leviathan. Something ripped his horns clean off his head. I think they poisoned him too." But Leviathan gave a hard cough to try and cover his gaping wounds on his head with his hands. "Don't... Don't touch... It hurts so much..." So Michael placed his fingertips to Leviathan's hands to heal his head and ensure the wounds closed. Leviathan giving a groan of relief before he touches Michael's fingers without thinking. His squeak soon having him look up in stunned shock for his tail to go all over the place behind him. Leviathan openly panting for air. "Michael?! It's- You- I- Oh thank you for coming to help us!" Leviathan rubs a hand to his eyes before he gives Michael a beaming smile. "I am so glad to see you! So very glad to see you!" Michael looks a tad uncertain before he gently pats Leviathan on the shoulder. "Levi. I am glad to see you, too. Stay still and rest, though. This was a fierce fight." Leviathan nods tot hen look like all his energy gave out. So he sighs to lay himself down as Michael moves to Asmodeus and Beelzebub. With Beel giving a soft smile as he speaks to Michael. "We're all glad to see you. Really. Since it let's me say something I have waned to say for a very long time."

Michael stills as Asmodeus helps Beelzebub get closer. The Avatar of Gluttony pulling Michael into a group hug to give the mantra I always use. "Love always." With Asmodeus tearing up to sniffle and give Michael a tender squeeze. Leaving Michael speechless before he pats them on the back. "Yes. Love always. Something I am sure you learned to say from a certain stubborn human. A good influence on you lot." But then Michael lets go to look to Beel's ruined leg. But Beel shakes his head to point over at Belphegor. Who is standing a ways away to look completely torn as Beelzebub speaks. "Go and have a talk with Belphie. I can have my fill of potions and food to get better." So Michael nods as Satan soon stands beside him. An unspoken conversation given in their body language as Satan walks Michael over to Belphegor for that private talk. My whole body going through so many feelings at once I finally fall over. Letting the black wash me away in pure relief as Diavolo caught me in his arms.

********

Waking up felt terrible. My head feeling like someone bashed it into a million pieces of rubble. The first thing I noticed being the chiming of several heart monitors. One attached to me and the other attached to Solomon. Since we were in the same bed for Solomon to look like he went through a tumble cycle. Bruises and scrapes all over his face and neck as he breathed in gentle wisps close to my head. Which explained why my feet were tangled with his own in the bed to be keeping my toes warm. IV lines in both of us for me to heave a huff of air out of my mouth. Since I had a nose piece in my nose to give me oxygen as I gave several choice words. But Barbatos sounded amused when he made his presence known to me. "Don't be too mad, Marzena. You burned yourself out on both ends with how much magic you gave. Lord Diavolo was adamant we give you all the bells and whistles for your stay in that hospital bed." My grump had me ache in places before I closed my eyes. My words hurting as I asked, "How many did we lose...?" Barbatos sighed to place a hand to my head and gently rub at my scalp. "Seven vampires ended up passing on. Two sorcerers died according to the reports in the human world from a few of the younglings getting through the portal. Three angels in the Celestial realm were lost. With nine demons having been killed on the battlefield for five more to pass away soon after the battle ended from their wounds taking their toll."

My word reeled at the news for me to grit my teeth and hiss in air. The heart monitor giving an alert as I gripped both hands in the sheets hard. "No... So many people... So many priceless hearts... Oh no..." My eyes leaked freely as my sobs cut off my air. Barbatos taking a moment to rub my back with both hands as I came undone. My wails and coughs waking Solomon up for him to place his hands in mine. Kissing my knuckles to then blow on my chilled fingers as Barbatos spoke further. "It's been a full day since the end of the fighting. We were able to save over eighteen of those that fought against the Ancient Beast of Carnage on our end. With sixteen of the angels healing with the help of the potions we provided to them. Thirteen gifted humans have also lived to see the dawn due to our contributions. So many are able to hold tight to their loved ones and be glad for tomorrow. You did that, Marzena. You helped with that."

I gave a hiccup to force myself to relax. Which hurt so much as Solomon gave me a kiss to my nose. "It doesn't make up for the loss. But it is something to be proud of. Marzena. I know it hurts. It will always hurt. But we won." I huffed as Barbatos kneaded his knuckles into my back right at my waist. Making several discs shift and pop with his ministrations. His words calm and kind. "Indeed. So rest and let us all help each other heal. Once you are ready, we will get the both of you a hot meal as well as a heated body massage. Such should help with circulation and restoring your energy. Asmodeus will be overjoyed to have both of you join him in a special spa treatment."