#I just imagine she's doin a research but keep failing so she's just in bad mood the whole week lol

[ohmaosama]

From the moment I saw her, I just knew I had to draw her!

I love the concept and her overall outfit

Design by: @purpletyrant @thornswoggled

Here's the full reference!

[meenah-chan]

Requested by: @zimelu-eloni-nova-lycan (hope you see this since I can't tag you ಥ‿ಥ)

My apologies in advance if Malleus is OOC. Other than wanting to play TW and doing a bit of research of him, I know nothing 😂 I never thought of taking requests coz I'm a slow writer but it was quite interesting so I did it anyways. (And took daaays to finish 😂)

To Thine Own Self Be True

An OM! Brothers x GN! Dark Fae MC (slight OM! X Twisted Wonderland crossover)

5.47k words

Genre: flangst

Trigger warnings: self harm, violence, self depreciation? (cringe jk) Read at your own discretion.

"You're an incomplete puzzle... I hope you find your missing pieces." And thus, they were sent to someplace they didn't know...

They... have always been alone. But Y/N is not lonely. They have Malleus, a powerful yet caring brother. They have their grandmother, that even as busy as she is, tries to show her love as much as possible.

They are the only one they need. As long as they have them, they needn't anything else. Or atleast they think so.

"As a part of royal family, you have to broaden your horizon." But they think otherwise.

Before Malleus' departure for Night Raven College, he left Y/N a word, "You're an incomplete puzzle, Y/N. I hope you find your missing pieces." and that was months ago, and they were still confused by it.

Incomplete puzzle... It doesn't feel like they are. They are content of what they have. They capable of doing most tasks perfectly. They fulfill their responsibilities impeccably. It's not like they can't live on their own either. Having no friends and acquaintances but they're two family members is also fine. They don't need any more. No one who could stand their presence anyways.

The intimidating dark energy far more destructive than a fae possessed, in which Y/N could never control. Those menacing, sharp green eyes. Their skin as pale as the dead corpse, and lips charred black. But most of all, those pair of disgustingly sharp, black horns that keeps on growing back no matter how hard they try to get rid of it.

Y/N is the epitome of fear. They knew it more than anyone. If they were to be reckoned that way, it is better to maintain distance from everyone.

But I should fulfill my duty, atleast. They thought, fortifying their resolve as they stood before the future King of Devildom and his butler. "Welcome to Devildom, Y/N Draconia."

"It's an honor to be of your acquaintance, Prince Diavolo." Placing a palm on their chest, Y/N bowed.

As per the two Kingdom's agreement, they were to live in a safe place different from a lavish lifestyle they have been used to inside their gold plated walls. And thus they were led by the Future king's shadow, Barbatos, to their new home. The House of Lamentation.

House of Lamentation. What a gloomy and dreadful place, befitting a sinister being like me. they scoff.

But the sight the dark fae witnessed within that walls was not within their expectations.

"Beel! Don't eat the my wallet! H–Hey, I said let go! My goldie'll snap! B–Belphie, help me!" A white-haired man is pulling a leather wallet from the teeth of a bulky orange-haired one.

"Smells chicken mushroom oil." While the orange head kept their teeth sunk into the wallet almost ripped into two. "It's just a drop, stop going crazy over it!"

"Belphie, wake up! You promised you'll help me with clearing dungeons today! The raid will start anytime now!!" A violet haired male violently shakes an asleep man in blue but the man is far from dazed at all.

"Hrmm... Five more minutes—" "We have no more time!! I can't play with a missing player!"

A feminine faced guy appeared right in front of them, instantly invading their comfort zone and kept locking eyes with them. "Ohh? Who is this with you Barbatos? Ahh, The one moving in! You're quite early, darling. Ignore those bunch in the back and play with me?"

"Behave, you fools!!" A booming voice reverberates and in an instant, the rowdy bunch is silenced. "Such a disgrace..."

Except for one, who didn't make any ruckus until that very moment.

A bucket came flitting up in the air and in the next second, all of its contents all poured on the man who controlled the ruckus a while ago.

"SAAAAATAN!!" It was an utter chaos. This place far from the gloomy place they have in their imagination. It is filled with rabid demons that could obliterate them were they to join forces, and now Y/N have to adjust in this new environment.

"I see it's not a great time to introduce myself." Said Y/N, yet the only one who probably heard them is the butler beside them. "If you'll excuse me, I would like to know where my room is."

"As you wish, your Excellency. Allow me to lead you the way." The butler responded to them. They left the common room, where the rowdy ones moments ago, were trying to suppress the supposedly-most decent of the seven, from destroying the mansion.

Y/N usually do not receive a normal greetings on the events they've been into or more like, forced to come by either their grandmother or by Malleus. It could be the fairies either— gives them space with no one dare shorten the distance; reluctantly greet them before leaving them as fast as they could or; flat out ignore them.

Yet so far, the experience I have today is by all odds, the most insulting way I have ever been greeted. Y/N clasps their trembling hands as they sat on the bed.

I wish this will end sooner. This will be a hell for me...

Almost everyday is a crazy, eventful day. Far different than their everyday life in the Valley of Thorns, their homeland. First impression doesn't really matter to Y/N, but for some reason, they couldn't stand them since day 1. Sure, they haven't done anymore distasteful things like the rude way of welcoming them. Still, the members of the family are crazily weird in their own ways. And they hate it.

Lucifer is the eldest of the brothers. The one who leads the brothers and manage everything in place.

"As your family have wished, you were to live differently than you have thus far. So I won't exempt you with the cooking and housework."

"As a part of Royal family, I expect great things from you. I won't tolerate screw ups."

"Remember to complete your tasks. I am assigned by Diavolo to take care of you, so I will check on your activities throughout your stay here." He is an ass. A bossy and dominating dictator who think he could order a royalty like them.

But one time, when they entered his study, they saw a scene they never thought they'll ever perceive.

*Tak* A fountain pen falling from his gripless hand.

He was splayed on his desk filled with tall stacks of paper, out cold. Y/N didn't know they would witness such vulnerable side of such condescending demon.

So they chose to put off their business for tomorrow, placing his coat over him and letting him rest.

But the event didn't occur only once. Atleast twice a week of exact time before midnight, he's always been unconscious on his desk. That's when Y/N realized: he is not strict and short tempered for no reason.

As the eldest, he took it to himself to be the father figure to the brothers, all while perfectly doing his job as Diavolo's right-hand man. He fulfills his job with perfection. But perfection doesn't come without hardwork nor sacrifices. For the sake of his great responsibility he sacrifice himself, working so hard until he drop on his desk.

With thoughts of him made Y/N ponder over something.

Does having a father feels like having a Lucifer in my life? Maybe it is, they never knew since they never remember their's. He isn't as bad as they thought he were if they think it that way. That is praiseworthy, as they think so themself and deserve some respect.

No more stern expressions whenever speaking to him. Being more compliant if his instruction is reasonable. Thanking him even for a simple thing he does for them.

Soon, they noticed he doesn't nitpick them either and praise them for every job well done. The dark fae may still be annoyed with him but that's not a bad outcome at all.

And then there's Mammon, the second eldest, who is supposed to assist the eldest.

"Ye're a royalty right? So ye're loaded. I'm in a pinch right now so let me borrow from you." He leans on their shoulder, with his smug grin.

"Don't listen to that fool. It's past 200 years and he still haven't paid his debts to me yet."

"Shut up, you otaku!"

Behind violet-haired appears the black haired demon. "MAMMON..."

"EEK— W–Wait!! Lucifer, this is not wha–ACK—!!" Mammon is a scum. A rude demon who could care less of his words and language. Trouble is where he is. Even so, in his tough exterior, Y/N took note of a soft side.

Y/N saw him one time, poking at the mopping otaku demon outside his room. "Yo Levi. What you doin' there?"

"Just let me be... I lose my raid last time because I couldn't play... Now I can't even bear looking at my PC... No one would want to play to a no-show gamer like me..."

"Hmm... Then, it can't be helped. C'mon, your big brother Mammon will play with you!"

"R–Really..?"

"Yeah, Yeah. Let's play to your heart's content" He pulled him up and push him inside his room.

Consoling a sad brother, lending a helping hand when they need it. He may not look like it, but Mammon is also taking good care of his brothers. All the emotional support Lucifer fails to give his brothers, Mammon provides.

So before Mammon entered the room, the dark fae decided to tap his shoulder, earning his attention. "You really love your brothers."

"W–Wha... Where does... who loves—"

"That's really admirable." They promptly reach out a bottle of a jet-black faerie dust only they could concoct. Mammon gingerly took it from them and scanned the inside. "That may help you settle some of your debts. Then..." After giving the bottle, they went on their way.

"AAAAHHHH!! THIS IS ULTRA RARE!" As expected to a man who could appraise goods.

They remember Malleus from his caring side, they couldn't help but smile and commend the yellow demon. I miss my brother...

Leviathan on the other hand, has a different case. He is the third-born of that household. A timid person... At first glance, atleast.

They just can't understand him. He spoke in language they couldn't wrap their head around like, "LOL! ROFLMAO!", "Tss, normie..."

It is tolerable, at least. What they can't tolerate is the fact that,

"UUWAAH!! MY RURI-CHAN LIMITED EDITION COBALT PIN AND FIGURINE IS HERE!!" He is, by far, the loudest. His sudden and unexpected outbursts kept on triggering every jumpy cells in their system.

Leviathan is too hyped he seemed to enter his own dimension. He skipped through the corridor, he sung a Ruri-whatever song that is, until, "Ahh—" he made a misstep in the stairs, a few steps away from them.

Y/N dashed and caught them barely in time, with firm hold between his shoulder blades and another to his package, which should be flying right now but was pressed secured to his chest.

"You should be more careful or you'll hurt yourself. Your treasured package almost fell." They sighed.

"... An angel has descended." He stared at them in awe. As he move his hand to the box, he touched their hand. That's when their position fianally sinks in to him. His face flared beet red and in a few seconds blew a fuse, passing out right on the spot.

"... What a troublesome demon..." With no other choice but to bring him themself, he carried the unconscious Leviathan up to their room. After opening the door, what welcomed them is a messy room.

No, not messy. The room is filled with items and materials of all sorts. Tons of CDs, figurines and posters on shelves and walls. Stuff toys and pillows of all shapes and sizes. Hanged intricate costumes and clothes, which in just a glance, they knew is made with effort. Even pins, threads and needle atop a... Sewing machine? Did he made all of this?

Y/N took another glance on the other side of the room. There he saw three monitors with various programs registered. A game, video editor and a Photoshop... I wonder what else can this man do?

Is this what they call a hobby? Such passion and dedication in pursuit of doing what he loves... An unfamiliar feeling for this dark fae.

They... can't really understand this man. Not at all... But I can now see him in another light, I guess...

The one who sought Y/N first were Beelzebub, the sixth-born. A bulky, tall demon who loves to eat. They were having a snack on the balcony when the older twin sniffs his way in. Such action that freaked the dark fae out internally, considering the sight they witnessed when they first moved in. The fact that they saw a few times 'accidentally' eating inedible things doesn't helped at all either.

"I followed the smell from the kitchen. Your cake smells delicious!" The drooling giant stood by them, and they couldn't take another sip from their tea.

"Hmm... Help yourself." Or you may help yourself with my flesh if I didn't satisfy your hunger.

"Really?!" He sat oposite to them and within minutes, all the plates on the table were wiped clean. "That was delicious!... Ahh that's right. Y/N, why aren't you eating with us during meals?"

"I'm used to eating by myself."

"But why? Eating with someone make the food taste better." Y/N doubt that'll be the case if that someone is him, who could definitely eat them if his appetite cries its needs.

Beelzebub touched his chin, thinking. "Hmm... How about I eat with you during snacks time? I'll bring food you'll definitely like!"

"Ah—" And they lost their timing. His eyes sparkles like stars and the pure happiness in his voice made it impossible for them to refuse. They wouldn't know what he could do were they to decline what he desire.

Since then he would appear without fail during Y/N's snack time, sharing both of their food with each other.

They tried to slowly end such dangerous activity yet, the enthusiasm in his eyes whenever he eat held them back. In the end, Y/N conceded, increasing their baked goods everyday to sate the needs of the ball of sunshine before them– who could bring warmth or burn them. As a response he will also eat it all like it's his first time eating their goods.

He is a man of few words yet, also quite easy to read, especially when eating the sweets they made themself. A straight forward person who means just as he say.

He would even sometimes bring his other twin, who will eat a few bites before snoozing.

"Beel really likes you, you know..." They glanced from their teacup to the youngest, seating beside them as the gobbling twin is busy with his food.

Belphegor stares in an ever-drowsy eyes. He is the man they least interacted with. How can they? Whenever they see him, he is always asleep. And it's not like Y/N is interested in communicating with him or anyone at all. "He even does his research for everything he brings you here. I don't know if you knew, but he really want to convince you to eat meals with everyone."

"...Ehh? Why? We're not even..." Y/N raised an eyebrow.

"Because he loves everything you make. He wants to talk to you ever since the first time you cook, but you're too antisocial to even eat with us."

"Says the demon who is always sleeping whenever I see him." Y/N snorts before taking a bite from the cupcake Beel brought. Hmm... this is good...

"...You, are you getting enough sleep?" Belphegor peers at their face.

"...None of your business."

"Whatever..." He frowns before burrying his face on his pillow.

What a keen observant. Y/N thought.

They've also been observing him since the first day. They share a lot of classes together and the dark fae knew, he is someone who rarely attend his classes, and whenever he does, he is always asleep. They also never saw him hold a book, much more read it. Yet, when they have exams, he finishes halfway the alloted time, almost the same time as them and sleeps after. The worst thing is that he could pass them easily.

He... is a dormant monstrosity. They conclude as they unlock the door to their room the day after. But before they do so, they noticed something.

Beside the door is an unfamiliar paper bag and inside... is a pillow, a bit caved it to the top center—similar to the one they use back to their home to be able to sleep well. It also comes with a note:

'The caneles and the stew is passable. You can throw away the pillow if you don't want it. Just know that it took me a great deal of effort to buy that.'

Really, what a frightening observant.

And there is Satan, the fourth-born, a pretty decent guy who craves for nothing but knowledge. If Y/N may say, he is the one they spend the most time with, though it's not that much.

"What are you reading?" Voicing not a word, they faced him the book cover.

"L’intelletto e Il Cuore... Hmm, that's a good choice." With at least 3 meters away from him, and few to no words exchange between them inside the library, it's not really that much.

He is a rational and intelligent man who respects personal space. Though, from time to time he would snicker eerily between the silence they have, holding either a cursed or homicide book. Creepy.

"What did you say...? The books you borrowed from me... Fell in the river? And it was washed away...?" And when he is angry, all his rationality is thrown out of the window.

"I–I will replace it I promise–" Pleads the peach-haired demon, kneeling before him.

"Replace, you say...? Didn't you know they were a Century membership gift to me from the Bibliomagicus Guild? Do you think that's replaceable...? Ha... Haha...HAHAHAHA!! THEN WHY DON'T YOU REPLACE THEM WITH YOUR WORTHLESS LIFE, HUH?!"

His wrath makes Y/N tremble, like all the bookshelves and books present in the library. Right, the books, the bookshelves. He'll destroy everything if this continues.

"Somnus Enim a Dum." So in a snap they cast a spell, amplified by their own dark pixie dust, and render him unconscious.

"Y/N!" That night he showed up in the library, frantically and still disheveled clothes and hair.

"Thank you. I don't know what would've happen if you're not there. And I also apologize you get to see that side of me." It's the first time they ever saw him smile without looking at the book. A smile similar to their brother.

"You're weird. You got so angry because of books that you'll ruin all the other irreplaceable books here."

"..."

"Don't mind it. I'd feel bad if the books are ruined."

"...Right." He chuckled, brushing his hair with his fingers and fixing his clothes to place. He then picked up the book he's reading, pulling the other sofa to sit beside them.

Now that's annoying. Nevertheless they let him. For they're a mere guest.

The fifth-born, Asmodeus, is not a problem back then. Having only a few occasional invitations for salon and parties, they could decline politely. But after the book incident, everything about his approach changes.

Since then, there was Asmodeus, everywhere!

In the classroom, in the library, in the music room, in the planetarium, in the balcony, in the bed, even the bathroom! He won't give them a break!

"Y/N~ I noticed you're always with Satan in the library. Are you getting along well? Beel too, you always bake and eat with him. That's so unfair! And you invite Belphie without me? Don't tell me you already like one of them?"

"If you'll choose one of us, shouldn't you choose me, the most beautiful demon of them all? I swear I can love you thousandfold than any of them, but... of course you can only be my second~~"

"What's with you and Lucifer? You always went to him every night. Is it a nightly endeavor? Hey~? Y/N, don't ignore me~!" He is a complete chatterbox. A motormouthed demon who don't know when to shut up.

But being with him comes with a few merits. Despite not looking like it, Asmodeus is a real gentleman. He maybe not as keen as Belphegor's capability to observe, but Asmodeus is an attentive and thoughtful demon. He does his everything to provide every small help he could give to them.

Whilst not needing help, it's much better than him being a clingy, dead weight. Y/N tries to look at the bright side.

"But this is tiring..." Y/N sighed, closing the book they are holding.

"Are you tired of reading? C'mon, let's go out and breathe fresh air!" I'm tired of you, you idiot.

"If you want to go out, you can go." The dark fae massaged their temple. It's been throbbing from time to time after that incident with Satan and Asmodeus bugged them.

"No! You've always been cooping yourself here or your room since coming here. You have to go out from time to time or you'll wither away!"

"You're so noisy Asmo. Y/N said they don't want to go." Asmodeus pout at Satan sitting beside Y/N, before pulling the dark fae out of the library and House of Lamentation.

"I'm telling you, I don't need this." Asmodeus holds 5 hangers of clothes, pondering which one fit them best.

"But~ It's such a waste for a beautiful person like you if you don't try dolling yourself up..." They stare at Asmodeus as if he just said the most ridiculous thing he could ever say.

"Don't tell me..." Asmodeus stared at them in disbelief, gasping dramatically like he always does,t "Y/N, YOU'RE GORGEOUS! DON'T EVER THINK YOU'RE NOT! YOU'RE A DROP DEAD BEAUTY AND—" They covered his lips before he could even shout louder in such a public place.

He then pulled their hands off after a few moments. "And look! A bit of blush suits you! And black lipstick—" Y/N let him dressed them up— in exchange of shutting up. He chose meticulously, accenting every parts that they consider an abomination. A dizzying position they were in.

But the real deal has yet to come. What's worse than being bothered by a bug? More bugs...

"Asmo, are you nuts! You're hogging them all to yourself!" Mammon barged in their room as Asmo is applying makeup to them who gave up on him for a while now.

"Y/N couldn't come to our snack time because of you." Beel and Belphegor followed close behind, clearly unamused of Asmo's action.

"I haven't even got a chance to introduce them to the wonders of anime and games!" So do is Leviathan.

"They prefer reading in the library more, right Y/N?" Satan rest his back on the door frame, crossed arms.

"Excuse me? If I may say, Satan, Beel and Belphie are the one who took their time more than I!"

"YOU—" And their greatest fear since living in Devildom occurs. All hell broke loose. An all out brawl of the short tempered demons before them with all the six brothers, a thread away from transforming and blasting everything they touch. No... That's not it. Without transforming, they're already smashing everything into pieces.

The dressers. The desk. The chairs and mirrors. Everything but the bed they are sitting on.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE!" The last and the strongest of the brothers made his appearance, yelling in his most intimidating voice.

And they...finally snapped.

"Each and everyone of you... GET. OUT!!!" Such horror reflected on their eyes, with their whole being trembling uncontrollably. Tears poured down one after another. All of the emotions the brothers have never seen them make all spilled before them. As if a predator threatened to the end of their life.

On their hands...

were horns severed from their own head. The seven demons were so taken aback their bodies moved on their own to comply to Y/N's order... or more like, plead.

And the doors were completely closed.

They never left their ransacked room. They wouldn't open their doors to anything. No food, gifts nor even apologies. All but the brothers' words received a single response: "Malleus... I want my brother."

Hence the brothers and future king have no choice but to call him as soon as possible, or they will perish inside such place, alone like they've always been.

"Thank you for taking good care of my sibling. I hope you will continue so in the future."

"We also hoped we could. Yet considering the circumstances, I doubt they would want to stay here a second longer."

"Let—" but before Malleus could even finished his sentence, Y/N came flying down on him.

The distressed fae buried their face in their safe haven's chest. He then proceed carrying them in his arms, assuring them they are safe.

Lucifer led them to the music room, giving them privacy in their conversation.

"You've become so light, Y/N. And what happened to your horns?"

"...I wanna go home."

"Why? Do you hate this place?"

"I'm scared of them since the first day."

"That's understandable... But is that all?" Y/N stare at him in disbelief, while Malleus smiling softly at them.

"...Then what else... should I feel? I know I'm a monster... But that doesn't mean I could live with such monstrous demons! I'm just a monster with a weak heart!"

"Then you can blame it all on me. I'm the one who chose this place for you after all." All words were blown off Y/N's mind. The furrow between their eyebrows disappears as their face relaxes.

"Brother... But why?"

"I want you to realize your own self."

"..."

"Now answer me. You said you're scared of them, but do you hate them? Do you want to leave this place so badly? Is that really everything you've felt in this place?"

"Of course! I... I..." Y/N already knew the answer to his question, way before he even asked.

"They were annoying, noisy and self-centered bunch who does things as they pleased. They keep dragging me on their antics, I never had a peace of mind... I hated it, I despise it. I..." They bit their lips.

"I felt so frustrated! Why do they look so lively and happy despite being so unruly? They're always on each others neck yet they were having fun? Why?! And hobbies? How can they have such thing? I have nothing of sort! I just wake up day after day, desperately searching for something and fill this empty void inside me!"

"I fulfill my responsibilities without fail, on what cause? I have no purpose! Seeing that demons made me feel so miserable with my existence!"

They looked on their lap, holding back the tears on verge of falling. "What do they have that I don't? They're also the strongest, incredibly so that even I shook when they unleash their power! So why aren't they isolated like I am? How can they live a normal life unlike me?!"

"I think you already know the answer."

"...Because... They rely on each other. I never relied on anyone nor let anyone rely on me..." Malleus' smile widens when they hit the nail on the head.

"You're a strong person, Y/N. You won't even depend on us, not until today. You're capable of anything. You're just afraid of any more rejection, of being left behind." He paused and lift their face to meet his eyes, "Diavolo and others explained to me what happened. They said the incident frightened you. Yet knowing you, I doubt it is fear. Will you tell me why you blew off?"

"...I was overwhelmed. They were fighting over me. It never happened to me before so don't know what to feel. The attention was too much that I hated it. And I don't know how to respond to them..."

"So you brushed them off and isolated yourself." They nod weakly.

"And you snapped your horns to show them you're not who they think you are; to scare them off."

"Something like that..." Malleus smiled at them as he pet their head. "See? It's not bad being honest to yourself. Do you still want to leave, now that you let it all off your chest?"

Y/N shooked their head. "I want to stay."

"My Y/N is amazing... To surpass all the beings who estranged them. You're all grown up now." He held them in his arms, Y/N nuzzling onto his chest.

"Come on, they've been waiting for you for the longest time. You know what to do, right?"

"Yes." They left the room, Y/N clinging to him like never before. As childish as it seems, Malleus knew they grew a lot in just a few months of living in Devildom. It is indeed a great decision to choose the brothers to take care of them. They were no longer the incomplete puzzle he saw before he left for his studies.

"Y–Y/N..." Waiting in the common room are the seven brothers with Diavolo and Barbatos.

"W–We understand if you really want to l–leave." Mammon looked down as he clenched his fist.

"It was our fault." Leviathan followed.

"We've been insensitive, pressuring you despite knowing you're not accustomed interacting with a lot of people." Satan said with a serious frown.

"We even destroyed your belongings." Asmodeus glanced away, holding onto Satan's jacket.

"We'll make it up to you in any form."

"Y/N, sorry." Belphegor and Beel voiced respectively.

"It was due to my negligence you have to experience such incident. I also want to apologize." Lucifer held his palm to his chest for a slight bow.

"N–No!" Y/N strongly shook their head, "I should be the one to apologize! I'm so sorry!!" before bowing deeply.

"Y/N!? No, please raise your head—" Diavolo held Lucifer's shoulder to stop him like Malleus cued to let his sibling continue.

"It was all my fault! I've been a coward all this time. I was wrong for trying to push you all away when you don't mean harm. It was all my fault for venting all my frustrations to you. Please, if you would still allow it, I want to stay a bit longer."

"Y/N you are more than welcome here so please raise your head now. We don't deserve your apologies." Satan was the first one who walked towards them to raise their head.

"Y/N?!!" But as he did so, a crying Y/N appears in the brothers' view.

"This is the first time I will ever ask someone but," they sob and sniff, "will you guys be my friends?"

"Y–Yes, so please stop crying!" As conflicted as the brothers are, being asked such question that could hinder their future plans with them, they were forced to agree to their wish instantly.

Let's leave it for another day... The same phrase runs in the thoughts of the brothers, a very rare occurence to happen once in a millenium.

With Asmodeus' lead—he, Mammon, Leviathan, and Beel wrapped their arms around them to console the crying faerie. Lucifer, Satan and Belphegor stood a feet away from them, watching the five in the middle.

As things calms down, they decided to sit on the same dinner table for the very first time. Food were served by Barbatos, who prepares who knows when. He could actually have predicted such outcome for all they know.

The place were so warm, and lively. "This tastes wonderful." That's an understatement. The food have the richest taste than everything Y/N ate in their entire life. "You're right, Beel. Food were best eaten with someone." Beel have them a toothy grin. "I'm glad you get me."

After the meal, Y/N fell asleep on the spot. "Hehe, they're so carefree now." Belphegor played with their fringe. They didn't woke them up and instead carry them in a new room, letting them have the deep sleep they couldn't have for days.

"Congratulations, for being Y/N's first friends. I'll leave them in your care." Malleus bid his farewell to everyone, not bothering of waiting for Y/N to wake up. "I also hope this incident will be the last one."

"Yes, we won't let such thing happen again, and ensure a comfortable life for Y/N throughout their stay here." Diavolo answers in stead of everyone. The brothers are not in the shape to reply as they absorb Malleus' first sentence.

First friend. Such a bitter-sweet word. Whether the word stings them or not, it doesn't matter. It won't stop the brothers from trying to achieve the same goal as subtle as possible.

And so, a not-so-obvious scramble goes on.

This took longer than I expect 🤣😂 In all honesty, it was quite challenging, making a blatant All Brothers x MC. I also don't have a plot and flow until I actually wrote it sksksk dunno if that's a good or bad thing 😂🤣 and this was the longest one I wrote for the past half a year.

Masterlist

[pandawritespoorly]

Overworked

Author’s Note: I have been up far too long for someone running on however many hours of sleep I got last night. I keep forgetting what I want to say. I'll think of something, and in the time it takes to hit a key everything is gone.

Summary: Ladybug assures Chat that she'll be fine when he has to leave for two weeks. Then everything falls apart.

Things are not going well.

Marinette is behind on all of her classes, and is this close to failing a few of them. Of course, her website chose now to gain traction, and she has a backlog of commissions like never before.

She hasn’t slept since Tuesday, and it’s Saturday. She’s running on coffee, energy drinks, sugar and basically anything caffeinated she can find. Not that it’s doing much besides keeping her conscious.

Sort of.

Once she’d started spacing out and hallucinating she’d done some research to make sure that caffeine pills didn’t have some crazy side effects she’d been previously unaware of.

Nope. She just needs to rest.

Thanks, Google, as if she didn’t already know that.

The final straw (or two straws, depending on how you count), is that Chat is gone. He’d told her that he’d be gone for two weeks. He didn’t have a choice. And had apologized a million times.

Ladybug had assured him that she’d manage. With plenty of temporary heroes, she’d have plenty of help to choose from if things reached that point. She’d told him not to worry, and to have fun on his trip.

He’d clearly still been worrying

For the first week things had been fine.

She’d had a few stressful moments, but things had been manageable. Soon enough though, Hawkmoth had caught on that she was working alone.

Without her partner.

From there things had begun to fall apart as he sent an endless barrage of akumas after her. She couldn’t even keep count due to how utterly exhausted she was.

She can’t remember how many times she’s had to come up with a fake excuse to leave for an attack. Or how many times she’d thought that a battle would be her last. Too tired and weak to fight properly.

Some fights would probably have benefitted from help, but in her loopy, feeble-minded state sometimes she forgot that help was an option.

Or she hallucinated that Chat was with her, or another teammate.

Or she couldn’t find her way around the city for the life of her.

Or- what was she saying?

Anyways, all of this has brought her here.

To another evening akuma.

An angry, violent one at that. Fantastic. Just what she wanted.

She’d stopped paying attention to their names. Their stories. Their reasoning.

It’s all just too much for her to hold onto. Keeping it simple, she’s devolved to the formula of find object, break object.

Easier said than done.

Dodging another swipe from the akuma’s arm, she feels something slam into her back. It takes a moment for her to realize that it was the guy’s other arm.

Right. People usually have two arms.

She’s sent flying into the pavement, but she doesn’t even wince at her skinned cheek. She’s too tired to properly process pain.

Shakily making her way to her feet, she scans the akuma for it’s object.

Goodness she really needs a nap.

Something slams into her chest, knocking her to the ground and along the road.

Now is not the time to go into micro-sleep. During her brain’s momentary shut down, Hawkmoth’s latest victim had lobbed some debris at her. Direct hit. Ladybug is pretty sure at least one rib is broken.

All the more reason to finish this fight quickly so she can sleep.

After her physics homework. And she might as well work on that commision while she’s up…

She feels herself being lifted, and realizes she’d been distracted again. The akuma’s arm swings back, and suddenly she’s flying. This isn’t so bad-

Ladybug slams into a wall, and before she can even process the pain from that, gravity kicks in, and she falls several meters to the ground, landing in a heap.

She hears groaning, eventually realizing it’s coming from her.

Huh, her body does kind of hurt.

She still needs to go after the akuma though.

In a moment. When her lungs don’t feel like pincushions.

The world is blurry, and her ears are ringing. She’s not quite sure what’s happening. Why is everything spinning? Is that from the akuma?

She’s pretty sure she’s hallucinating again. From the looks of it, the akuma is fighting someone else now. That’s nice. At least she can pretend her kitty is back already.

He’s mad. Why is fake Chat Noir so angry? The real Chat wouldn’t be so harsh on an akuma unless something was really wrong.

Kwami, even her hallucinations can’t go right.

At least the pretend fight is short. She doesn’t like how upset her kitty is. She hates to see him sad. Regardless, pretend-Chat has beat the akuma (is that the real akuma or a hallucination too? If so, where’s the real one?) senseless. It looks unconscious.

Lucky. She wants to be unconscious.

Pretend-Chat finds the (maybe) pretend-akumatized object and approaches her.

Wow, her brain really outdid itself, this is the most convincing hallucination she’s had yet.

“Hi, pretend-kitty,” she rattles out, fluttering her fingers at him weakly.

He frowns - why is he so worried-looking?

“Oh, Bug,” he murmurs, tucking her hair behind her ear.

��When you gonna’ leave?” This pretend-Chat seems so real, she wants to be prepared for him to go.

“Never. I’m not leaving again.” It seems like he’s looking over her, inspecting her. Goodness, even her hallucinations think she looks awful.

Not nearly as awful as she feels, but it does come close.

“Y’ gotta’. When real Chat come back, he w’dn’t wan’ me to be talkin’ to a fake still,” she whispers. She can’t manage anything louder at the moment. He’s sweet though.

“What?” His soft voice is the only thing that isn’t aggravating her headache, and she loves him so much.

“What?” Surely if she knows he’s a hallucination, then he does too.

“What do you mean I’m fake?” His voice is full of concern, and he rests a gentle hand against her face in hopes of comforting her some.

“Silly kitty, don’ you know? You a hall-oos-nation,” she stumbles out. It’s a big word.

He smiles a little, but his worry hasn’t ebbed, “Why is that?”

“‘Cause I’ve been doin’ that a lot now,” she states a-matter-of-factly.

“You have?! Ladybug-”

She weakly lifts a finger in an attempt to shush him. At least, she tries. It would seem she can’t quite feel that arm at the moment.

“Don’ worry. Google said it’sss norm’l.”

“That’s not normal.”

“Yeah, is. Sleep… deb-er-ate-on.” Another big word.

He connects the dots, “...Ladybug. When was the last time you slept?”

“Tuesday.”

His eyes grow wide, and he grabs her hand tightly, before letting go abruptly, “Sorry, that probably hurt.” 

“Nah, can’t feel that arm,” she reassures him.

For some reason, he doesn’t look reassured.

“Right. Okay, let’s get this cleansed so you can go home and sleep,” he lifts the hand that holds whatever the object was.

“Can’ sleep yet. Gots’ homework, and som’ commissions.”

“Ladybug. Sleep should be your priority,” he reprimands, breaking the object and grabbing the butterfly before it can escape.

“‘ve got coffee.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” he shoots back. Frowning in confusion, he hesitantly slides open her yo-yo and stuffs the akuma inside.

The yo-yo seems to accept this.

When the white butterfly goes by, she tries to shift herself to sit upright and cast her cure.

Only to slip further down as she squeezes her eyes shut against the bright lights that fill her vision. She can hear pretend-Chat’s voice from far away.

Breathing carefully, she manages to come back to herself despite the pain everywhere.

If she thought her partner looked worried before, then it was nothing compared to now.

“Don’t move,” he reminds her, “Just say the cure.”

She gulps, preparing herself, “M-miraculous Ladybug,” she breathes out, unable to muster up the ability to say it any louder.

Immediately she feels all her injuries heal. Her breathing becomes less labored. The magical beetles also seem to connect the dots in her mind that this is her real partner.

Inhaling deeply, she sits up slightly, “Hi Chat. I’m glad y’re back.”

“I am too. I don’t want to think what would have happened if my flight had been delayed, or if I hadn’t known about the attack, or-” his voice cracks as he speaks.

“‘t’s fine.”

“It’s not! LB, you’re not okay! You haven’t slept since Tuesday, and I imagine you haven’t been eating enough.”

She pauses, “There were so many akumas, Chaton. I couldn’t justify taking a bre-”

“I was keeping up on the news. He was trying to wear you out. He almost succeeded,” he interrupts, “That doesn’t change the fact that you need to take care of yourself.”

“I’m fine.” To emphasize her point, she makes her way to her feet, though his watchful eyes note the way she leans against the wall.

“Promise me you’ll sleep the minute you get home.”

“I’ve got hom-”

“No. Ladybug, I’m serious. You’re burning yourself out, and I’m not a good partner if I just stand by and watch.”

Her earrings begin to beep, Tikki agreeing with him, she’s sure.

She loops her yo-yo up above her, pulling herself up and forward to get home, “Bye, Chat.”

“Ladybug,” he warns. He’s probably going to follow her. She’s fine.

As soon as the thought enters her mind, her body goes limp, and she blacks out momentarily.

She comes to, maybe a minute or two later.

She’s on the roof, and Chat is holding her in his arms. When he sees her eyes open, he lets out a sigh of relief, rubbing his cheek against her happily. Then he grows serious, “Ladybug. You’re in no condition to do… anything really.” She remains silent, thinking through everything. He lets her, holding her against his chest and purring. She’s not sure if it’s to relieve his stress, or calm her.

He’s warm, sturdy, and safe. She could fall asleep right here if she let herself.

She rests against him, making up her mind.

“Take me home, kitty,” she murmurs.

“What?!”

“You heard me. Spots off.”

Before the pink flash has even faded, she’s loosened her grip on consciousness. Marinette is faintly aware of her partner standing, lifting her with him, and taking off across the rooftops.

She barely registers the sound of his boots landing on her balcony, and the quiet creak of her trapdoor. The hushed conversation between hero and Kwami.

She’s only just cognizant of the soft mattress she’s placed on, and the blankets pulled snugly around her.

When her bleary eyes catch sight of him turning away to leave though, she takes action. Gently, she grabs his tail, her fingers hardly even having the energy to properly curl around the belt. He pauses nonetheless.

“Yes?” He whispers, evidently having assumed she was asleep.

“Stay?” Her voice is heavy with exhaustion and her eyes are unfocused.

“If you want me to,” he concedes. Turning back to her, he lies next to her.

She huffs softly, Fidgeting slightly to toss the blanket over him and snuggle closer. He moves past the momentary surprise to return the hug, purring loudly.

Marinette’s eyes finally slip fully closed, staying that way for sometime. The deep sleep she enters lasts well into the next day, even when Chat has to go. She remains asleep, resting soundly, when three friends stop by to check on her.

Nino and Alya are relieved that Marinette is finally sleeping, while Adrien gazes at the sleeping girl and wonders how he didn’t notice sooner.

---

Author’s Note: I might edit these notes later, when I'm less tired. I hope you guys enjoyed!

Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave any thoughts, theories, constructive criticism, or anything really in my ask box, in replies or through reblogs. I love seeing what you think!

[eledritch]

10 Tips for Writing (Good) Smut

so. let’s do this.

About a year ago, I had to read a book for my school’s summer reading assignment called How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster. It’s not a bad book, pretty decent actually, but there was this one chapter about sex scenes in literature. And one of the first sentences was along the lines of “writing sex is boring.”

and I did a double-take. Bc in my experience, that is absolutely not the case, and if you do find yourself bored while writing smut, then you’re not doing it right. See, Thomas’s main argument was that there’s only so many ways you can write sex scenes, because there’s only so many sex acts you can choose from. (My boy Thomas is clearly a vanilla dude, but let’s not hold that against him.) 

But one of the most important things to keep in mind while writing smut is that it’s not necessarily just about the act itself. So while Thomas is right that there are limits as to how many ways ppl can have sex, he failed to realize that writing sex is about a LOT more than that. And I’m gonna prove it to you.

Just to get it out of the way, I’ve been writing smut for about 6 years now. I’m 18 now, so yeah, been doin’ this since I was 12. Which is a little weird, thinking back on it, but honestly I think it’s healthy for adolescents/young teens to explore their sexualities and learn about sex in a safe, controlled setting like writing fanfiction has been for me. 

It was a better sex ed than anything else I got in Arizona, that’s for sure. And for the record, I’m a virgin and I don’t believe you need to have sex to be good at writing it. Conversely, you could have sex a hundred times and still not be good at writing it. The important thing is that you EDUCATE yourself and do your research so you know what the heck you’re writing about.

When I first started writing smutty fics in middle school, they were pretty bad. Not the worst, but not good either. Don’t let the seemingly simple nature of writing sex fool you - it can be really hard (ha, ha). Even if you’re a good writer, you might try to write a sex scene and find yourself slogging through it because you, like my boy Thomas, are focusing only on the act itself. that’s a mistake. don’t do that. 

Which brings me to this list of 10 things you SHOULD do:

1. You gotta get in the right mood. By this I don’t mean you need to be horny to write smut, you absolutely don’t, in fact you probably shouldn’t bc you're likely to get distracted. What I mean is that if you wanna write vanilla, sweet, slow love makin’, then you should be in a good or at least halfway decent mood. Get comfy. Make yourself a warm drink. 

Don’t try to write sweet sex if you’re angry or upset or sick or in pain - it’s either gonna turn into not sweet sex, or it’s gonna take you a long-ass time. Case in point, I tried to write a tender blowjob scene shortly after getting my wisdom teeth removed and just couldn’t do it, because ow, can you even imagine.

But you can use those negative moods/emotions to your advantage, too. If you're having a bad day, it’s actually a great catharsis to take those feelings out in your writing. You can apologize to your characters later - or maybe you’ll work out all your pent-up rage halfway through a brutal scene and turn it into something a little less intense, that works just as well!

2. Do your research. Research is important before you dive into any piece of writing, but it’s a necessary step for writing smut. If you’re a virgin or have no experience with the kind of sex you’re writing about, you’re gonna have to do some Googling. You don’t need to look up porn, porn honestly grosses me out and isn’t my favorite thing to draw from, but you do need to know the complete ins-and-outs (ha...) of whatever act you’re writing about. 

A good way to do research is to read other fanfics, popular fanfics by seasoned authors who have gained a large following/a lot of attention by writing the right stuff. You can also check out posts by people who actually gave tips to fanfic writers, there are several by gay guys which are helpful if you’re not a gay guy and you’re writing a sex scene about gay guys. They’re the authority, listen to them over the fanfic authors.

If you’re delving into something like BDSM in your writing, do your research on that, too. Don’t misrepresent people and practices just because you didn’t bother to learn about them. If you’re not willing to learn about them, you’re not going to be able to write about them. 

Oh, and lastly, but not leastly, LUBE. if your characters are having anal sex especially, they need to use lube, my dude. the human body made that rule, not me.

3. Write empathetically. It’s unavoidable - when you’re writing smut, you have to learn how to put yourself into the shoes of the POV character. This can be kinda challenging if, for instance, you don’t have a dick and having a dick is very important for the POV character to make that scene work. But that’s what your imagination is for - use it. 

Think about how this character would experience this situation not just in terms of the obvious sensations they’re feeling, whether pain or pleasure, but also in terms of their thoughts, their emotions, their memories, etc. A lot of good characterization can happen during sex scenes, and it makes me sad that all too often writers don’t take advantage of that. 

4. Don’t be afraid of using repetitive words. Sex is a repetitive act, get that through your head before you write it. One of the most irritating things I come across while reading smut is the author’s need to use endless synonyms for ‘cock.’ Stop. Please stop. Cock is fine. You can use ‘dick’ too if you really wanna add some variation. But anymore than that, and it’s just downright distracting. Don’t use member, penis (just...not a sexy word, at all), organ (NOT SEXY), etc - use length, prick, and erection sparingly if at all, and boner is more of a funny word than a sexy word, so keep that in mind. I’ve also seen ‘manhood’ used and i mean....i guess??? but why would you use that when you can accomplish the same thing in 4 much better letters? C O C K. just do it.

alternately, when referring to parts of a cock, just stick to the basics. shaft, head/tip/crown, balls. that’s it. maybe talk about veins if you’re gettin real detailed. you don’t need to wax poetic about it, or about the actions within the sex itself. you’ll find yourself reusing a lot of verbs and that’s ok! the usuals may include (but are not limited to) - thrust, buck, shove, press, slide, glide, ride, fuck, bounce, drive (into), arch, kiss, suck, bite, stroke, smack, slap, rock, embrace, squeeze, tremble, shudder, moan, groan, whine, whimper, hiss, shout, scream, gasp, curse, beg, sob, grunt, sigh.

5. Understand connotations vs denotations of words. This is an important tip not just for smut writing but for any writing. Words that may be ‘synonyms’ in terms of definition may not actually be synonymous. This can be an issue if English isn’t your first language - even if it is, it still trips people up. ‘Shudder’ and ‘tremble’ are both defined as someone’s body shaking, but they have different meanings! Shudder is more violent/intense, more of a full-body kinda deal and often more negative in connotation (i.e. ‘shudder of fear’). Tremble is more subtle, and more of a localized thing (i.e. his hands trembled) and connotates nervousness or apprehension more than outright fear - or it can be used to convey a more subdued/internalized fear. There are situations in which they can be interchangeable, and situations in which they really aren’t.

Understanding exactly what words mean will help you know when to use them and make your writing more fluid, comprehensible, and realistic for the reader. 

6. Avoid using cliche/overused phrases. For the love of god, don’t use the phrase ‘their tongues battled for dominance.’ I’M BEGGING YOU. listen, i’m guilty as charged, i’m sure i wrote it at some point in my earlier days, but don’t make the same mistake! not only does the phrase have some troubling implications about the perception of m/m relationships (in which the phrase is almost exclusively found) as little more than a fight for dominance, it’s just...that’s not how kissing works? 

Your tongues don’t battle, that’s not a good description for it. Why would you use a cliche phrase like that when you can talk about teeth clashing, tongues pressing, mouths sliding/slipping, biting at lips, hair pulling, nails scratching, hands grasping, pulses racing, and everything else that goes into kissing? Using phrases that many have used before you is a lazy way out and it dulls your imagery and the reader’s immersion into the story. 

7. Think for yourself while writing and be original! It’s the only way you’re going to find your unique voice, or writing style, which often shines through in smut-writing and sets yours apart from the rest. Writing mediocre smut is easy, but if you’re reading this, you don’t want to go that route. While it’s helpful to draw from other smut writers when you’re getting started, you need to be able to draw from your own mind above all. 

Yeah, it’s true that your fifth grade teacher probably didn’t mean ‘brainstorm new and exciting sex positions and scenarios’ when she said ‘be creative.’ But you’re not in fifth grade anymore (or at least, you better not be), and that’s what I mean when I’m telling you to be creative right now. 

Developing your voice/originality happens through a variety of ways, including plain old practice, trial and error, and understanding the technicalities of writing. What I mean by that is remembering all the stuff your English teacher taught you about - imagery, figurative speech, idioms, irony, dialogue, diction, syntax, figurative devices, metaphors, simile, etc. Speaking of which...

8. Everybody loves a big, dramatic sex metaphor once in a while. This is tricky, because you really shouldn’t overdo this - if you do, you risk making your smut the most pretentious, unreadable piece ever. Metaphors tend to do that when you use them without discretion. But when you choose and use them carefully, you can turn a sex scene into something more meaningful, both for the character and the story as a whole. 

If you’re just writing a quickie in a club bathroom, don’t bother with this (unless that quickie was life-changing and birthed the spark of TRUE LOVE between your characters, which is entirely possible, no judgment, I’m happy for them). But if you’re writing about your character losing their virginity, having sex with someone who means a lot to them, having sex with someone who just returned from a long absence/is leaving them for a long time, etc...you may wanna make things a little ~deep~ for a second. 

I’m not gonna tell you exactly how to write your sex metaphors because you’ll know when and how to use them if the occasion presents itself and if you have your voice figured out. Talk about bodies being more than bodies, lips being like brands of fire, whispers being sacred vows, orgasms being fuckin’ nirvana, idk, orgasms are tricky because sometimes people will write ‘his orgasm RIPPED through him’ and you’re like ??? is he okay? that sounded painful...

You can see how metaphors can quickly make a story exhausting/confusing/unenjoyable if you use them too much. But once in a while? Man, go for it. 

9. Humor is key. This is perhaps one of the most important tips I have for you, because personally it’s improved my smut writing the most, as well as made the whole activity a lot more fun. Smut is supposed to be an enjoyable thing to read. But no matter how arousing/hot/absolutely obscene you make it, some readers are going to get bored. I said earlier that sex is a repetitive act, it just is. Your goal is to make it sexy AND entertaining. You want to keep the reader engaged. 

And humor is the best way, I’ve found, to do that. A lot of fanfiction sex is guilty of being too perfect. Try to steer clear of that. As tempting as it can be to make a sex scene where everything works without a hitch and everyone is serious, fully consumed with love/arousal, etc, there is something genuinely delightful about writing the awkward, funny parts of sex, too. They don’t have a place in every scene, but in many, especially first times/trying new things, they’re great. Not only does adding humor make your characters seem more human and likable, it makes the bond between them seem more real and makes the reader more attached to them.

And isn’t that the point? Your readers aren’t gonna to want to read about flat characters they can’t relate to or straight-up dislike, no matter how hot the sex is. 

10. Don’t forget the little things. This final point goes back to what Thomas got wrong in his book. Sex should NOT be boring to write. Don’t write on the surface about what’s happening, adjust the lens through which you, the character/s, and the reader view it. Write about the sex itself but also write about the little things (not your character’s dick, don’t be mean) - the freckles on their lover’s shoulder, the fading bruises on their neck, the way their lover’s hair feels against their skin, all the not-obvious sensations that add realism and a spark to the scene that sets it apart. 

This goes for non-tactile things as well - maybe your character has ADD or is just distracted easily, and goes off on tangents of thought (or speech) during sex. Maybe they’re really fascinated with a certain aspect of their partner/s, like their eyes or mouth or hands or the sounds they make. Maybe they notice small details about the setting - the smell of the sheets is comforting, the crack on the ceiling reminds them of their bedroom back home, the weird deer head on the wall looks like it’s staring at them, the possibilities are literally endless. It’s up to you how you want to use them, but please - use them. 

So in summary, no, Thomas, writing sex - and reading it, for that matter - shouldn’t be boring. It’s an excellent way to further characterization, improve your writing, find your voice, and make your story overall a better one.

[terrifyingrenegadelibrary]

Volume 2, Chapter 1

Sorry for the delay!

Absence Makes the Hate Grow Stronger

-Morgan and Holly are getting off the train-

Holly: So…magic is…

Morgan: Yep.

Holly: Important?

Morgan: Apparently.

Holly: And everyone is—

Morgan: Yeah.

Holly: …I see.

-she purses her lips-

Holly: Well, we’re outnumbered, outgunned, and distinctly out-organized, which leaves surprise as essentially our only option. We need to find someone we can trust, tell them what’s going on, and mount a counteroffensive before Zaresi follows us here, which she’s definitely going to do. And we need to do it fa—What?

-she breaks off, as Morgan is staring at her in shock-

Holly: …What?

Morgan: …You’re taking this a lot better than I did.

Holly: It’s this or curl up and cry.

Morgan: Yeah, I was definitely going to do the second one.

Holly: I can’t imagine what that would accomplish.

Morgan: …Holly, everyone but us is dead. It’s okay to cry.

Holly: Okay. Not helpful.

Morgan: I’m going to cry for thirty minutes. You’re welcome to join me.

-cut to a motel room. Morgan has just finished crying. Holly is holding her with one arm, and is using the other to look at her phone-

Holly: I don’t understand it at all. The population of an entire town simply vanishes, and nobody at all is discussing it?

-no response-

Holly: Morgan.

Morgan: (in a small voice) Evan.

Holly: Right. The mind-wipe.

Morgan: There’s probably some kind of side effect to his murder ritual.

Holly: We can’t count on anyone learning about this until we’ve told them, then. Making that still our priority.

Morgan: Right…

Holly: So, you can’t use magic without a god helping you, right?

Morgan: …Right.

Holly: In that case, let’s find one.

Morgan: That would be a decent idea if I knew how to find one.

Holly: Seriously?

-she sighs-

Holly: You said that each god had a meeting place that appealed to their Domain, right? So we just look for the kinds of places where you find gods. City Hall, graveyards, bookstores, coffeeshops…parking garages?

Morgan: We’re not likely to find any other gods hanging out in parking garages. It’s not exactly classy.

Holly: Don’t be so negative. Come on, let’s go scare up a god.

-cut to the two wandering through town-

Holly: So what are we looking for?

Morgan: You’re not looking for anything. You can’t see magic unless you’re a Magician, and I don’t think you can see Spirits normally unless you’ve made a Contract at some point in your life.

Holly: Oh.

Morgan: I don’t really know though. I guess keep an eye out for anything glowing.

Holly: You know, you probably could have stood to ask more questions.

Morgan: Do soccer players research mechanical physics?

Holly: You’re maddeningly incurious. Doesn’t any of this interest you at all?

Morgan: Not really. It was a party trick, then it was my secret life, then it got almost everyone I care about killed.

Holly: …Would you like a hug?

Morgan: Yes.

-Holly hugs Morgan-

Holly: This isn’t a good situation we’re in. It’s, in fact, probably the worst situation I’ve ever seen. It quite frankly redefines my standards for bad, actually.

-she looks Morgan in the eye-

Holly: But standing around moping about it isn’t going to solve anything. We can mourn properly when we’ve figured out where to go from here and gone there, and I need you to do that, because I understand things even less than you do. So please. Where do we want to look?

-there’s a pause. Morgan’s face hardens-

Morgan: …Let’s start with a library. I have an idea.

-at the library-

-Morgan is chatting with the librarian, a young woman who doesn’t seem much older than her. She has deep brown skin, has her hair covered with a tight cap, and is wearing gray from neck to toes-

Morgan: Hi!

Librarian: Do you want something?

Morgan: I was wondering if you have any books on magic theory?

Librarian: What?

Morgan: Magic theory. That’s a thing, right?

Librarian: Are you in college?

Morgan: Uh, no, why?

Librarian: Why would you be interested in magic theory then? It’s all very complicated, and it’s usually not something relevant to the lives of high schoolers.

-Morgan coughs-

Librarian: Yes?

Morgan: Oh, uh, it’s just for fun. (stage whisper) My sister’s a nerd.

Holly: I value knowledge. Is that a crime?

-the librarian raises an eyebrow-

Librarian: Well, they’re in the same section as theoretical physics textbooks, so…enjoy.

-the two walk off-

Holly: That seemed weird.

Morgan: Didn’t it?

Holly: Where are you going?

Morgan: Like you said. To study some magic.

Holly: Were you serious about that?

Morgan: Of course. I thought you knew that when I called you a nerd.

Holly: …You always call me a nerd.

Morgan: Let’s just find a book.

-Holly follows behind Morgan-

Holly: Nobody studies magic unless they have to for a reason. It may sound interesting on the surface, but it’s just a lot of numbers and guessing.

Morgan: Well, it’s the best chance we’ve got.

-the two are poring over a book-

Holly: …This is ridiculous. There’s almost nothing here.

Morgan: Is studying finally failing you?

Holly: …Don’t go there.

Morgan: You were right when you said nobody studies magic. Only a tiny percentage of the population even sees it, and most of them aren’t about to explain. I couldn’t imagine some physicist figuring anything out with approximately zero percent of the information she’d need.

Holly: So this was for nothing?

Morgan: Not exactly.

Holly: You know, Morgan. I know you’re used to not explaining anything to me, but I would hope you might start now that there’s no reason to keep so many secrets anymore.

-Morgan pauses-

Holly: Hmm?

Morgan: …Right.

-she looks guilty-

Holly: So what’s your game plan?

Morgan: Keeping up appearances, mostly. I figured nobody would ever be interested in books on magic.

-she looks up slightly-

Morgan: And if someone was—

Holly: Were.

Morgan: If someone was, that would draw a little attention.

-she snaps her head to the left-

Morgan: Hi! Overhearing anything interesting?

-the librarian peeks her head out from behind a bookshelf-

Librarian: Smart thinking. And here I thought I was cleverly discovering a pair of undercover Magicians.

-Morgan holds up the book defensively-

Holly: Are you a Magician? Morgan, is she using magic?

Morgan: No to the second.

Librarian: Yes to the first. My name is Dinah. Call me Dee.

-she extends a hand, which Morgan shakes. Dee does not let go-

Dee: Now, you’ve got twenty seconds to explain why you’re in my library and explaining things to some non-Magician.

Holly: How did you—

Dee: You just asked your sister—And don’t bother telling me she’s not, by the way, given as you’re literally identical twins— if I was using magic, which you wouldn’t have done if you could see it for yourself. QED, not a Magician. So what’s up?

Morgan: Let me go and I’ll tell you.

Dee: Better safe than sorry. Things have been too weird lately to let a stranger just hang around.

Holly: Weird how?

Dee: Couple rumors of a strange Spirit wandering about. Not aligned to any Domain I recognize. You know what a Spirit is?

Holly: Um, yes.

Dee: Then you know that when there’s a Spirit, there’s probably a Magician. And your stunt double here seems like the type.

Morgan: Wait, Spirits? What do they look like?

Dee: …Huh.

Morgan: Huh what?

Dee: You’re not practicing right now, are you? You’re new in town, but you’ve got no connection to the mystery Spirit, and you haven’t done anything to fight back yet.

Morgan: Well—

Dee: New in town, looking for magic but don’t already have any, so you just got out of a Contract. But you’re running, and you’ve talked your sister into coming with you, which means she knows about formal magic. You wouldn’t be telling a non-Magician about formal magic if there weren’t a really good reason, so either you did something really bad or you’re trying to avoid something really bad. Either way, I think it’s time you told me what’s going on.

Holly: …That was impressive.

-Morgan grunts-

Dee: Thanks!

-she smiles brightly-

Dee: So! Your turn!

Holly: Uh, Morgan, should we—

-Morgan’s face goes oddly blank-

Morgan: I used to work for a goddess of Death named Zaresi. At first I thought she was trying to maintain order in my town, but it turns out she was just biding her time. She had one of her other Magicians make a ritual that drained the magic out of the entire town and absorbed it, and she’s using all that power in a bid to try and take over the world.

-Dee makes a face-

Dee: Wait, what?

Morgan: Holly and I are here because I need to be able to use magic again so I can stop her.

Holly: What?

Morgan: I had this dream about a Dragon where—

Dee: Okay, that’s enough!

-she lets Morgan go, Morgan’s face readjusts to normal levels of emotional expression, and then to a deep red-

Morgan: Wait, what just happened?

Dee: Truth ritual. Don’t take it personally.

Morgan: Wait, then you’re—

Dee: Magician of Knowledge. At your service.

-she bows-

Dee: Well, not really, obviously, but you know what I mean. Sorry about the whole prying information out of your brain by force.

Morgan: Is that really the kind of thing you can just apologize for?

Dee: …Yeah, you’re right, I shouldn’t bother. I had to make sure you were on the level, after all.

Morgan: And are we?

Dee: No!

-she flaps her hands agitatedly-

Dee: You are such an incredibly dangerous person to be around! You ran away from your Contractor because she killed everyone in your town, you’re trying to fight someone who’s capable of doing that, and you’re coming to me to ask me for my help? There is absolutely no way that’s not going to put me and everyone I associate with in danger!

-beat-

-beat-

Holly: Contractor?

Dee: Someone calling themselves a god doesn’t make them one.

-Dee finger guns at Holly-

Dee: But that’s beside the point! I should definitely not introduce you to my Contractor!

-Morgan and Holly stare at her-

Dee: …So I’m going to do it anyway!

Morgan: What.

-Dee claps her hands together-

Dee: Way I see it, Zaresi’s probably gonna come by to tie up loose ends either way, so if I’m going to die horribly I may as well do it doing the right thing, don’t you think?

Morgan: That’s a refreshing attitude.

Dee: You must have known some very disappointing Magicians.

Morgan: You have no idea.

Dee: Well, let’s make some introductions! Right this way, please.

-she leads the two behind a desk and into the back-

Dee: Right then!

-she spins around. Morgan immediately grabs a book, holding it up defensively and standing between Dee and Holly-

Dee: …Aren’t you paranoid?

Morgan: It’s been a long day.

-Dee turns to a bookshelf-

Dee: Tirali, are you busy?

???: Hmm?

-several dozen books glow with a soft gray light, which seeps out, forming into a tall, androgynous figure-

Morgan: Whoa!

Holly: What’s happening?

Morgan: A god—

Dee: Contractor. Please.

Morgan: Just oozed out of the books. They’re kind of monochrome.

Tirali: Ah, you brought me recruits? It’s a little unorthodox to keep a non-Magician around, but given the extenuating circumstances, I can allow it.

-suddenly, a speaker starts emitting a monotone voice as Tirali speaks-

Holly: Aah!

Tirali: My apologies, miss. Normally non-Magicians can’t detect my presence, so I had this made on the occasions when I might have to speak to one. Now, as to business.

-they look thoughtful-

Tirali: We don’t have a lot of ability to hold off an offensive of that kind of strength, so Dee, if you could talk to Xenn about preparing for an attack, that would be appreciated. Morgan, I understand that you are reticent, but the organization of powers in this town is nothing like your home. The gods—My apologies, Dee, the Contractors, work together in a non-unilateral system to keep order. As we all depend on each other, no one Contractor could ever make any real motion to take serious power. With that settled, yes, I accept your offer of a Contract.

-gray light flows between the two-

Morgan: What…

Tirali: Holly, while you aren’t a Magician, if you are interested I would be happy to attempt to make you a Witch.

Holly: Huh?

Morgan: Whoa—

Tirali: I recognize, Morgan, that you don’t like the idea of your sister being involved in this sort of thing, but she is, as things stand, already neck-deep. Becoming a Witch would be an effective avenue through which she could protect herself, and no, I don’t believe you are sufficient to do so. My apologies, but this is a delicate situation and all firepower is welcome. Your sister is, I suspect, possessed of similar latent power to yourself, and having access to it would be a boon. Very well, I suppose it isn’t necessary. Still, Holly, my offer stands. Down the road is a motel, Dee has no interest in escorting you, but I imagine you can find the way on your own. I can lend you a book on the scrying ritual you need, of course, I’ll just consider it my favor in exchange for your Contract, in addition to the protection of course, but given your general history with rituals I don’t know if you’ll have any more luck with this one.

-they wink-

Tirali: Dee doesn’t seem to want to help you, I’m afraid, so once again, my offer to your sister stands. You would make an admirable Witch, Holly. All the same, I do have studying to return to, so goodbye for now!

-and they dissolve back into smoke and reenter the books, leaving Dee smirking and Morgan staring openmouthed-

Morgan: …What was that?

Dee: That was Tirali.

Morgan: What were they doing?

Dee: I think your sister figured it out.

-Morgan turns to Holly-

Holly: They’re a mind-reader. They read our minds.

Dee: Bingo.

Morgan: That’s incredibly creepy.

Dee: You’ll admit it’s a time-saver though. So, Holly, you’re sure you don’t want to become a Witch?

Holly: Well—

Morgan: Not happening. Holly, come on, let’s get to the motel so I can work on this ritual.

Dee: Good luck!

-she hands them a book, and they leave-

Dee: …Why do I feel like I should be writing my will?

-cut to Morgan’s old town. Liz is reading a map while leaning on Iggy, Zaresi pacing around irritably behind her. Evan and Laura walk up-

Evan: Are we moving on anytime soon? Turns out my ritual rotted most of the food in range, and Laura and I can’t exactly survive on salt alone.

Laura: You can’t?

Evan: Hush.

Liz: We’ll be moving on as soon as we can figure out where Morgan and her sister have gone.

Evan: Eeee…

-he rubs his knife excitedly. Laura looks disturbed-

Liz: Evan, can you go bother someone else?

Evan: Who’s to bother? We killed everyone but the Reapers.

-Laura winces-

Liz: Um…Iggy. Entertain Evan.

Iggy: Why me?

Evan: What? No!

Liz: You heard me. Both of you, shoo. Get some food from the town over or something.

-she brushes them away. Laura makes to follow, but Liz holds her back, moving her off to the side and away from Zaresi-

Laura: What is it?

Liz: You seem perturbed.

Laura: What else is new?

Liz: I know where Morgan and Holly are.

-Laura’s eyes go wide-

Laura: Wait, what?

Liz: I figured it out pretty much as soon as they left. They’d just take the first train they could, and I checked where it goes. It’s a small town, not so many gods, a lot like this one. Well, a lot like this one used to be.

Laura: …Right.

Liz: I’m going to give them a bit of a head start, I think. Just in case they’ve decided the best course of action is to keep running and stay out of our way. I’ll tell Zaresi where they are tomorrow.

Laura: I…okay.

-there’s a pause. Liz leans in, staring into Laura’s eyes. Laura looks startled-

Liz: You do believe we’re doing the right thing, don’t you?

-Laura’s face hardens-

Laura: …We are.

Liz: That’s what I thought. We’ll leave tomorrow. I hope you’re prepared. Go do something else now. Maybe rescue Iggy from Evan.

Laura: Do I have to?

Liz: You do now!

-Laura walks off. Liz remains in thought, reading her map-

-cut to Morgan and Holly in the motel. Holly is waking up. Morgan is sitting on the floor, a number of sigils drawn out in gray Knowledge magic and pencil. There’s a mirror in the center-

Holly: Morgan, have you slept?

Morgan: Yeah.

Holly: For how long?

Morgan: …Few hours?

Holly: How much coffee have you had?

Morgan: I don’t know, but they’re sending out for more downstairs.

Holly: …That isn’t healthy.

Morgan: Sure isn’t.

Holly: Have you at least had any luck?

-Morgan turns around, to reveal that her face is covered in ashes-

Morgan: …I’m not very good at rituals.

Holly: That’s not surprising.

Morgan: Supportive.

Holly: I’m your sister. It’s my job to insightfully point out your shortcomings.

-she sits up to look over Morgan’s shoulder-

Holly: It might just be me, but I think you’re looking at rituals too much like art. From what you told me about Evan, it sounds like they’re a lot more like math.

Morgan: Well, that’s your thing. But I’m an artist.

Holly: You know, it might be easier if you’d let me talk to Tirali. I’m pretty sure I could figure out the ritual. I could—

Morgan: No.

Holly: But—

Morgan: It’s not happening, Holly. Being a Magician is dangerous. I’ll figure out the ritual on my own, don’t worry.

Holly: Can you at least get a little sleep? You might have more luck if you’re less…completely exhausted.

Morgan: …Fine. But I can’t imagine I’ll get a lot of—

-cut to Morgan snoring softly, and Holly awake-

Holly: …Sorry about this.

-Holly leaves the room, heading back towards the library. A pale blue glowing hand is reaching around a corner that she passes-

-at the library, she loiters around until just before closing, and then slips in-

Holly: …Hello?

-a voice comes from behind her-

Dee: Welcome back.

-Holly spins around, raising her hands-

Dee: Hi! I’m assuming you’re not here for a textbook this time?

Holly: Now that you mention it—

-Dee giggles-

Dee: Holly, right? You’ve decided to take Tirali’s offer!

Holly: How did you—Wait. Don’t tell me. Morgan wouldn’t leave me alone, so if I’m on my own and coming to visit you, it means I’m not her.

-Dee’s smile grows wider-

Dee: I knew I liked you for a reason. But you don’t actually look that much alike. Identical twins never do.

Holly: Fair enough. But how do you know I’m here to become a Witch?

Dee: You can’t figure it out?

Holly: I could just as easily be here to ask for more help, or just try and find out more about the world I seem to be living in.

Dee: Nice bluff, but… you’re here without your sister. You’re joined at the hip, but now you’re here alone? If you just wanted information, you’d have brought her with you. You want something she wouldn’t be okay with. And unless I’m completely misinterpreting the situation and your sister just really doesn’t want you dating, that would be Tirali’s Witch ritual. Am I on target here?

Holly: …Yeah, you are.

Dee: Well then, right this way.

-Dee brings Holly back to Tirali’s study-

Dee: Tirali, she’s back.

-Tirali flows out of the books-

Dee: They’re here, Holly.

Holly: Um, hi.

-the microphone begins speaking again-

Tirali: Welcome! I’ll get the ritual started right away.

Holly: …Mind-reading, right.

Tirali: Dee, if you could assist with the circle?

-cut to a chalk circle outlined on the floor. Dee sits cross-legged next to it. She’s humming softly to herself-

Holly: Why are you doing that?

Tirali: The ritual requires sound to organize the magic. It’s quite complicated, and I’m sure Dee would rather you not interrupt it. You don’t have to trust me, but I don’t see you as having much choice. Of course I’m not wrong. I’m never wrong. Now kneel in the center of the circle.

-Holly does so-

Tirali: In the interest of gravity, I’ll allow you to respond verbally at this juncture. Why yes, that is gracious of m—whoops, sorry.

Holly: Apology accepted.

Tirali: Do you, Holly Stein, accept the power offered you, with the understanding that it is granted in exchange for your service, however minor and/or temporary your service might be?

Holly: …Yes?

Tirali: Dee.

Dee: Reading rainbow!

Holly: Really?

Dee: It was that or the bridge to “Music of the Night”, and I’m not really a singer.

Holly: I’m just saying it’s—

-there’s a flash of gray light-

Holly: Ah!

-the full scene comes into view. Holly is surrounded by dozens of floating eyes and sigils, and Tirali is resting on the table in front of her-

Holly: …Oh my god.

Dee: Contractor.

Holly: I…what?

Dee: Welcome to formal magic.

Tirali: And back to the status quo.

-they turn off the microphone-

Holly: …You’re real.

Tirali: Well, of course I’m real. Now, as to the ritual. You are correct in your assumption that you can manage it, but if it comes down to it, I think it’s best if you’re prepared for other eventualities as well. To those ends, I’ll treat this as the favor you’re owed.

-they reach forward and tap Holly on the forehead. She reels back-

Tirali: Isn’t that more convenient than spending weeks learning magic? Yes, you do. Not everything, of course, I don’t owe you anywhere near that much, but certainly enough to keep yourself safe.

-they wink-

Tirali: You should be getting back to your sister. I doubt she’ll be pleased if she awakens to find you gone.

Holly: Uh…right.

Tirali: You’re welcome.

Holly: …Thanks.

Tirali: You didn’t need to say that.

Holly: And I did anyway.

-she leaves-

Dee: …I remain worried about them.

Tirali: Mm.

-cut to the edge of town, at night. Zaresi and her Night Parade are slipping in-

Evan: Really? You think Morgan came all the way to this backwater?

Laura: Like our town was so much better.

Liz: Quiet, you two. We don’t know who’s listening.

???: I am!

-a bright spotlight shines on Zaresi’s group. It’s coming from a humanoid figure with a glowing light for a face-

Liz: …An Archon?

Archon: I am a servant of Xenn, God of Light! State your business!

Liz: All yours, Z.

-Zaresi steps forwards-

Zaresi: Our mission here is to enter your town, destroy or subjugate anything that tries to stop us, recruit the Spirits and Magicians that are willing to assist us, and move on from there. Which part of that sentence would you like to be involved in?

-there’s a pause-

Archon: I was warned against you! Prepare to be—

Evan: Necrosyrtes!

-shank-

-the Archon vanishes-

Laura: So much for stealth.

Zaresi: It was bound to happen.

-she turns to Laura and Evan-

Zaresi: Liz and the other Reapers can take care of the local gods. You two, find Morgan and her sister. It seems as though they have already given this town warning to be prepared for us, so subtler approaches may no longer be an option. I am tasking you with finding out who else they have told. Do what must be done.

Evan: Got it!

-he runs off-

Zaresi: Laura?

Laura: …Right.

-off she goes as well-

-cut back to the motel room. Morgan’s waking up. It’s clearly a little while, later, as the sun is coming up. She looks at Holly conducting some rituals, glowing gray Knowledge magic fluttering around her in the shapes of words and flowing into various sigils as she hums, and goes back to sleep-

-wait-

Morgan: Holly! What are you doing?

Holly: You needed the ritual. I’m conducting it.

-the scrying circle begins to glow-

Morgan: You took Tirali’s deal?

Holly: Yep.

Morgan: Without even talking to me?

Holly: Yep.

Morgan: While I was asleep?

Holly: Yep.

Morgan: …Why?

Holly: Because as much as you think you’re here to protect me, I’m here to protect you just as much. In this case, that means not deliberately blinding myself on your say-so, and it means equipping myself better to deal with any threat that comes our way.

Morgan: Holly, now that you’re a Magician, if Zaresi finds you, she’s going to kill you.

Holly: I’m pretty sure she was going to try anyway. Now I can do something about it.

Morgan: But—

Holly: Besides. You were never going to get this ritual to work. I, on the other hand, just did.

-and the circle bursts to life, darkness pooling in the center around the mirror-

Holly: Now. Tirali says we’re going to need a little bit of whoever you plan on scrying on. I don’t suppose you have Zaresi’s skin samples or something?

Morgan: Pretty sure she doesn’t have those. I’ve got the next best thing though.

-she takes out a hair-

Holly: …Oh, please don’t tell me that’s—

Morgan: (blushes) Shut up! I just happened to have it on me when I left, and I figured it would be useful for the ritual!

Holly: Well, you’re not wrong.

-she takes the hair, and places it into the circle-

Holly: Mirror, mirror, on the floor, show us who we’re looking for!

Morgan: Really?

Holly: I know, I know, “the ones for whom we’re looking.” But that wouldn’t rhyme.

Morgan: That wasn’t even close to my first complaint.

-beat-

Holly: You’re sure you’re okay with seeing her again? Even through the ritual?

-Morgan’s face hardens-

Morgan: It’s fine.

Holly: That’s very fortunate, because I really should have asked that a few seconds ago.

-the view on the mirror resolves…and it appears to be looking through Laura’s eyes, because it shows a hotel door-

Morgan: I guess she’s checking in somewhere?

Holly: …Wait. Isn’t that our door number?

Morgan: Wha—

-there’s a knock-

-the two turn to the door in shock-

Holly: (mouthing) What do we do?

Morgan: (mouthing back) Just pretend we’re not here!

Laura: I know you’re in there, Morgan. The light’s on.

Morgan: (in a falsely deep voice) Who’s Morgan? You must have the wrong room!

Laura: Right. That’s plausible. I believe you.

-there’s a bang, and the door is knocked off its hinges. Laura steps into the room-

Laura: …Hi again.

-Morgan, predictably, is speechless. Holly stands up slowly-

Laura: Sorry we always seem to end up meeting under difficult circumstances, Holly.

-Holly shrugs, but Morgan steps between the two-

Morgan: Don’t say her name. I don’t like hearing it in your mouth.

-Laura sighs-

Laura: Please don’t make any other sudden moves, Morgan. I don’t want to hurt you.

Morgan: You’re a little late on that one.

-Laura winces-

Morgan: You know, when Liz and I were vampire hunting that one time, she told me that spells came out as whatever you thought of the Domain you were using. So I made scythes and Liz made wings. (aside) I still don’t get the wings… (to Laura) But I couldn’t figure out what your deal was. Little skulls? Spiders?

-Laura stares impassively-

Morgan: But I get it now. That’s supposed to be DNA, isn’t it?

-Laura’s eyes widen-

Morgan: Your parents died and your brother got sick, and maybe you’ve got the same thing waiting for you somewhere down the road, so you think death is just something in our blood that we’re all ready-made for and so you don’t care about it when it happens to other people either. But that doesn’t make you right! It just means you couldn’t get over your parents and you’re taking it out on everyone else!

-Laura presses her lips together, clenching her fists. Small spheres drift out from her palms before vanishing-

Laura: Think what you want about me.

Morgan: It doesn’t matter what I think! It matters that you still think you’re doing the right thing!

Laura: You…you still don’t get it, do you, Morgan?

Morgan: What?

Laura: I don’t like what Zaresi’s doing. You think I want to kill people? I don’t. I know what happened back home was wrong. But it was necessary.

Morgan: You’re not exactly the first person to make that argument.

Laura: Zaresi’s going to fix the world, but she needed the power to make sure people don’t try and stop her. Now that she can do that, nobody else needs to die.

Morgan: Except me, right? And Holly? So we don’t interfere?

Laura: …That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.

Morgan: What?

Laura: You and Holly are clearly up to something, but Zaresi’s already plugged the leaks. There’s no harm done.

Morgan: …Except to the leaks.

-Laura presses on-

Laura: You’ve got another chance. You don’t even need to agree to help Zaresi. Just…go. Stay out of our way. For real this time. I’m not going to be able to do this for you again, but if you leave now and never come back, I’ll tell Zaresi I killed you and she never has to be any the wiser. You two can find jobs, go to school, try and live a normal life without magic. You’ll be happier in the long run, but just stay out of our way.

Morgan: …You’re joking, right? I’m not going to stay out of your way now that I know what you’re up to! That’s just as bad as helping you!

Laura: You’re being myopic.

Morgan: You’re being an idiot! If you came here to explain yourself, then you suck at it, because I haven’t forgiven you and I never will! You killed my friends, you killed my parents, and you’re going to have to kill me too because I am never going to agree with anything you say or do!

-she punctuates this by snapping a hand out, Knowledge magic bursting off of it. It arranges itself into the shape of a massive textbook and smacks Laura out of the room-

Laura: Argh!

-her eyes flash gray, and she seems stunned-

-Morgan stands there, breathing heavily-

Holly: …That’s really what you think of Knowledge?

Morgan: Is this the time? We have to go now. Get to Tirali and get this town ready for an attack.

-she begins pulling Holly out of the room, when strands of Death magic bar her way-

Morgan: Crap.

-Laura picks herself up, dismissing the strands-

Laura: Nice shot. But you’re not getting another, and if that’s how it’s going to be…

-she sighs-

Laura: It’s probably better if I do this than Evan.

-she shifts into a fighting stance. Morgan does the same, immediately hurling another book at Laura-

Laura: Nope.

-she ducks to the side. Morgan conjures another book-

Laura: I guess you wouldn’t have ever fought a real Death Magician before. It’s more annoying than you might think.

-she generates twin spheres which slash through Morgan’s book, disintegrating it. The spheres then loop around, plunging towards Morgan, who takes a step back. As she’s on her back foot, Laura  suddenly fires a twirling burst of Death magic, striking Morgan in the chest and knocking her backwards-

Laura: You can’t keep running. I realize that contradicts my earlier statement, but…circumstances have changed.

-she places her palms together, Death magic swirling up in a spiral pattern around her hands as she prepares to fire a blast at both Morgan and Holly. Morgan summons a book as a shield, but even the convection from the attack starts to tear into it-

-suddenly, pan to Holly, who has been muttering softly into an eraser-

Holly: Hey, Laura.

Laura: Hmm?

Holly: Morgan’s not the only Magician in the family anymore.

-she hurls the eraser at Laura, who instinctively catches it-

Holly: Occlude!

-the eraser erupts in Knowledge magic, surrounding Laura, who slumps back against the wall. She struggles to move but can’t, and no magic is forming around her-

Morgan: What was that?

Holly: Tirali showed me a few rituals in exchange for my working for them. Laura won’t be using any more magic, or most of her somatic nerves, for another few minutes.

Laura: Nngh…

-Morgan glares at Laura-

Morgan: You’re really lucky I don’t go around killing people like you do, you know.

-she turns to Holly-

Morgan: Come on. We’re gonna go talk to Tirali.

-the two run for it-

-outside, there’s a clear aura of tension in the air. Though there’s no sign of the branches that signal Evan’s kill ritual, a number of burning yellow sigils are floating in the air, and almost nobody is out on the street-

Holly: Those marks. They must be like what Vorn used to keep people inside during her attacks.

Morgan: Which means either this town has a lot more internal tensions than Tirali suggested, or Zaresi’s making her move.

-an Archon rushes up to them-

Archon: Are you Tirali’s new Magicians?

Morgan: That’s us.

Archon: Do you know where they are? Xenn’s been trying to get in touch all day, and nothing! Our battle plan’s in shambles, and—

-it’s cut off by a Reaper darting past-

Archon: Excuse me! Please, find them though!

-it dashes off after the Reaper-

Morgan: That’s problematic.

Holly: We should still check the library first. At the very least, it’s the only place we know they frequent.

Morgan: Right.

-they reach the library…and find it closed-

Morgan: … (nervously) Well, that makes sense. Usually rituals like the one the Light Spirits were casting make public spaces close up. We can probably still get in though.

-she approaches the door. Music can be heard softly playing from it-

Morgan: See? There’s music.

-she tugs at the door, and it opens-

Holly: That isn’t ominous at all.

Morgan: I’m sure it’s just Dee trying to make it look empty.

Holly: Then why the music?

Morgan: …Ambience?

-Holly listens-

Holly: …”I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” isn’t very ambient.

Morgan: She probably just has weird tastes in music. Let’s find Tirali’s room.

-the two move cautiously behind the counter, walking towards Tirali’s place…-

Holly: …Wait a minute. That song—

-they round the corner, and find Dee being held at knifepoint by Evan-

Evan: See? Told you they wouldn’t get it.