#Obey me! belphegor

[still-a-morosexual-help]

Belphie & Satan tried to make the Anti-Lucifer League into an official club at RAD except they named it the Fuck Lucifer Club and Diavolo showed up so they joined the astronomy & literature clubs instead

[ilychld]

the brothers would definitely tag-team MC. they'd take turns and when deciding, it's not the most pleasant thing.

the brothers would probably decide who fucks MC first by making it a game to who can make you cum with their hands the most, they wouldn't care if you're a sobbering mess or when you scream for them to stop. they just know you could handle more than what their hands are giving, you just have to wait.

and you did, you lay nearly motionless as your hole ached to be filled. you wanted to scream, to tell them to just fuck you at the same time but you can't. your mind has turned to a puddle, alongside your sheets and words couldn't form anymore. you could only babble until they were done with you.

using you, or fucking you with only their hands lasted for an hour or two until you were able to scream beelzebub's name as you came undone for the upteenth time. and when you did, they stopped. grunts and muttering filled the room shortly, cursing as they stepped away for beel to ravish you.

"say beel, we're twins right? how about we share MC together?"

[jackalopesao3]

Satan, you just suggested pinching Beel’s nose closed to see if he’s alive. You know exactly what that’s supposed to mean.

[zephyrexxia]

Hii.. sorry for randomly disappearing again LMAO

So.. anyway

[rayofsunshyne]

Post-Shower Belphie 0_0

[bluewolfangel01]

How would the brothers act during an argument?? Have a good day btw :3

Thank you anon, hope you have a good day too

Brothers during an Arguement

I feel like there's 2 levels of how they'll act depending on what happened; the "I'm going to kill you" where they'll rough up each other like typical siblings, or the "I'm going to kill you" where they'll leave whichever brother offended them on death's door

We often see Mammon owing Levi either money or something else for example, that's a typical siblings quarrel, the result of which is either Mammon doing a favor for Levi, Levi choosing a punishment for Mammon, or if it gets to the point where it's disturbing everyone else in the HoL Lucifer is going to intervene and string them both up

Such other examples include: Beel eating all the food in the house, misfired prank devised by the Anti-Lucifer League, destorying/stealing a personal item, etc

Now Satan may be the avatar of wrath but when any of the brothers get truly pissed off, it's hard to tell who's the true avatar of wrath

They can get so beyond angry, so beyond pissed, their aura can and will become so fear inducing that even Mc can't help but be scared of their beloved demons if there's ever a "I'm going to kill you" type arguement

Of course one of them must have done something almost unforgivable for any of the brothers to get to that level of pure wrath, except for Satan of course, he's a ticking time bomb but he's ours :)

Lucifer: any arguement he's apart of (where he didn't have to intervene in the first place) is typically because one of his brothers didn't listen to him, a more destructive than typically Anti-Lucifer League prank is pulled, or his belongings are messed with

Mammon: ... it's Mammon, almost any arguement he's apart of is because of money to some form or another, if it doesn't involve money then the next likelihood is that he's had enough of being called a scumbag or some variation of degrading name

Levithan: the topic, most of the time, involves his otaku collection, whether he's being hindered from getting more stuff to add to the collection, it's been defaced to any capacity, or it's been sh!t talked to such an extent that Levi can't help but to defend it with all his might

Satan: everything and anything, it's Satan, though if you want to get a bit more specific the topics might typically be the brothers being loud, a Lucifer prank gone wrong, or his book was damaged

Asmodeus: he'll probably get into an arguement if one of the brothers messes with his room, his clothes, his makeup, his beauty/self care routine, his chance to get with a potential partner, stuff like that

Beelzebub: he's not one to get mad or into arguements easily but if he does it's because of something like one of the brothers ate something he had his name on, one of the brothers picking on Belphie (mainly when Belphie isn't in the mood/isn't doing okay) ... I'm going to be honest I can't think of much Beel would get into a fight about rn

Belphegor: He'll typically get into a fight because the brothers are being to loud for his liking, for some reason or another the brothers stop him from sleeping for an extended period, or he's to tired to deal with the brothers' schemes/shenanigans

Im dealing with a bit of writer's block so the ideas started to fizzle out towards the end there. Sorry for taking a bit to answer your ask

[rainiishowers]

Scenario: The brothers and MC are at a ball at the castle, and this is how I imagine each of the brothers would ask MC to a dance

A/N: Sooo… Had this idea super late at night, and wrote it while sleep deprived (although edited it). The tone may be wayyy different from my usual headcanon sets. I was finding bullet points… a bit boring, so I thought I’d spice it up a little bit, hope you enjoy!!

@mammoneythegreat @crazyyanderefangirlfan

———

Lucifer

Of course will be all gentlemanly and proper, whether he catches MC in the corner of the room or talking to someone else, he will get their attention with a little clear of his throat or a tap on their shoulder before holding out his hand with a small bow, asking if they would have the pleasure of having this dance with him. If they agree/go along with it, he’ll be extremely happy, which would be crystal clear on his face. He’s a very good dancer and will make up for the mistakes MC makes if any. He ends up being on cloud nine for the rest of the night, even after the dance ends.

Mammon

This man will probably do it in one of the shyest ways possible, and get flustered just at the idea of asking them to dance. He will stick close by and subtly hint at the idea and if MC were to ever propose dancing with him, he’ll try to play it cool and be all like “Of course the Great Mammon will dance with ya!” But when they actually get to dancing, he will look at MC with the most lovestruck eyes. Surprisingly, good at dancing, a few missteps here and there, and they will hear him humming the rhythm to himself. Not very graceful at the beginning, but it’ll become a pattern Mammon learns quick.

Leviathan

He will probably do everything asides from asking MC if they wanna dance. Levi will sulk in the corner, eyes following MC around the room, will almost get the confidence but chicken out at the last minute. If MC were to ever walk by him or check on him (why would they do that, Levi has no idea), he’d be a flustered tomato. It may be the alcohol served at the party or just his little confidence, but whatever may be the reason, he stutters out a question about if they want to dance with him, awkwardly holding out his hand. When MC agrees, he is ecstatic, and glad he had the confidence to ask them. As he is less familiar with ballroom dancing and more familiar with dancing along to anime openings/songs, he isn’t the most graceful. Levi apologizes every time he steps on their toes or makes them stumble. However, he has enough familiarity with footwork to be able to scrape by.

Satan

Much like Lucifer, will be a gentleman about it. However, will be a lot quicker to offer MC his hand and ask them for a dance. He is determined to be the first person MC dances with. He isn’t boasty about it, but definitely enjoys seeing either his own brothers or other partygoers look at them as they dance. He is graceful about it, and definitely throws in a few dips and spins in there for the dramatics. He’s gonna whisper some praise for MC being able to pull off certain moves well, or if they are less familiar with dancing, he’ll walk them through it and warn them of possibly harder moves to pull off. His graceful dancing makes up for the mistakes MC may make. Graceful but a tad dramatic, will obviously give their hand a kiss afterwards.

Asmodeus

Ah the king himself. Of course he is fully expecting all eyes to be on him and MC when they start dancing. While that nice image plays in his head, he walks over to MC with a pep in his step and not so subtly asks them for a dance, or if MC asks him first, he will swoon and happily accept the offer. Either way, it’s different with these two dancing. Both of them are doing graceful spins and dips, and if you thought Satan was up for dramatics, you should see Asmo. He shares the spotlight with MC, and looks amazing doing it. Graceful and more much more dramatic than Satan.

Beelzebub

Ah Beel, bless his soul. MC might have to be the one to initiate it. He is at the snack table, no surprise there, and sees MC. In the case that he initiates it, he’ll finish his snacks and walk over, seeing their gaze follow the people already dancing. Beel will put two and two together and ask if they want to dance together. In the case they initiate it, they will have to walk over to Beel and ask in a straightforward manner, MC probably shouldn’t be cryptic here because he will not pick up on it. Either way, they end up dancing. He isn’t… the most graceful, he’s still decent, don’t get me wrong, but since he hasn’t done this a lot and probably hasn’t had a lot of practice, he isn’t on the supreme level of grace. He might apologize and say that he wasn’t really used to it and he wasn’t really the greatest dance partner. Maybe someone should sign him up to dance classes…

Belphegor

This lazy mf will not dance unless MC somehow coerces him to. Granted, it surprisingly doesn’t take a lot to get him to agree to something when it’s MC. They will have to give him something in return if they want him to dance with them, though. Let’s say for this, they do manage to coerce him, he will probably do the asking to dance in a more joking/mocking way, with a smirk on his face. While he isn’t too passionate about dancing, he’ll go along with it so MC is happy, because if they are happy, he is happy, or at least content. He barely remembers the lessons in dance that he took with Lilith and Beel, but at least that is something. Surprise surprise, not all that graceful, and will probably quit a quarter of the way through, or a half if he’s especially tired (which is very likely). Why am I not surprised that the twins aren’t the best dancing partners?

[noxinara]

what i'm used to:

what i got after putting on belphie's shower art:

😳😳😳--

[still-a-morosexual-help]

WHAT KIND OF LIFE HAVE THEY LIVED THAT THEY CAN JUST CASUALLY DROP THAT IN CONVERSATION!?!?!?

I want to dissect them

I want to study them under a microscope

They're either the biggest troll alive or this was legit. Either way I'm obsessed

"WHAT!? WHY!? WHEN!?" Belphie asks.

"That time you killed me." MC says.

And Belphie's so distraught he completely forgets they poofed back into life almost immediately

[ahcrie4help]

My Personal HeadCannon(s) on the Demon Bros’ (+ Dia) Height(s) ~!!

Now, I know their heights have been “confirmed”-ish, but I just don’t accept that they would have just “normal” height measurements 🤥. Even in their human forms, I think they would be way above average heights cause they are still DEMON AVATARS OF HELL- or whatever so.. I also believe some of them vary when in their human and/or demon forms 😌

From Shortest to Tallest:

Asmodeus - 5 ‘10 (Stays the same in both forms)

Belphegor - 5 ‘11 (6 ‘0 in demon form)

Mammon - 6 ‘0 (Stays the same in both forms (not including horns tho))

Leviathan - 6 ‘2 (stays the same in both forms (not including horns))

Satan - 6 ‘2.5 (6 ‘3 in demon form)

Lucifer - 6 ‘4 (Stays the same MAYBE 6 ‘4.5 🙄 (not including horns))

Beelzebub - 6 ‘6 (6 ‘8 in demon form)

Diavolo - 6 ‘8 ( A whopping 7 ‘0 in his demon form 🤭🤤)

Extra:

I like always felt that Belphie was the shortest but apparently that is not the case, so I tried to at least stay a little cannon 🤷

[shrimpwithglasses]

Okay, I just passed the lesson dealing with the boogeyman & I just… can we talk about their biggest fears for a sec???

With all due respect, it’s kinda funny that the follow up to Asmo’s fear of being ugly and Levi & Mammons’ shared fear of majorly pissed Lucifer in his demon form were:

Belphie’s biggest fear being to be abandoned/alone again, very likely the trauma resulting from having been locked away for so long, away from his family.

Beelz’s biggest fear being those he loves die by his hand, specifically Belphie. Again, very likely the trauma resulting from the guilt he has over Lillith’s death and believing that he let her die during the war.

Satan’s fear being that he is nothing but a worse version of Lucifer. That he will always be tied to him because he was once a part of him and that he has no real identity of his own aside from being Wrath.

And don’t even get me STARTED on Simeon & Lucifer’s possibly shared fear of MICHEAL. Lucifer obviously because of Micheal’s wrath and how he casted Lucifer and his brother out from the Celestial Realm. And Simeon for reasons I’ve yet to learn…

Like… those are some real deep and complex fears??? I cannot take the others seriously, I’m sorry.

[jinxthejubilee]

HAPPY DEVILDAY! 💝😈💝

Happy anniversary to Obey Me! Nightbringer!

Even though I haven't played the game yet and have kind of fallen out of the fandom, I appreciate how you all are still going strong!

It's been an amazing ride, so thank you all! And a very special thank you to all the voice actors. I wish you all the best!

[jackalopesao3]

🚽 The House of Lamentation Installs A Squatty Potty 🚽

No we were just installing the new squatty potty together!

Oh chill out, Belphie! I know you’re the toilet demon and everything but it will make pooping easier!

See?! You look so miserable in your old photos because you don’t have your colon unkinked!

Asmo, it was just installing a squatty potty! It’s not a three person job. It’s not even supposed to be a two person job but someone couldn’t be bothered to read instructions!

Don’t try to change the subject, Levi! I’m referring to you! The instructions are so simple Mammon could do it! C’mon, dude!

[loafbud]

I made my Leviathan design pixelated again 💥

[rainiishowers]

heyy, I have a request for the brothers:

so imagine the mc was chosen for the exchange program as a child (like 10-12 years old) and after they leave they don't have contact with the cast for whatever reason.

how would the brothers react to seeing mc again 10 years later when they're all grown up, with their own job, apartment, maybe a partner and stuff?

if you don't feel comfortable doing this request I totally understand, no worries :)

Scenario: MC came to the Devildom as a child exchange student and touched the hearts of all the boys. However, they didn’t stay in contact with any of them after the year was up. 10 years later, guess who calls Lucifer and invites the brothers to come visit them in the human world?

Genre: Fluff

Content: GN! MC (They/Them), partner uses They/Them as well, platonic relationships between brothers and MC, brothers be protective

———

Lucifer

This man was very relieved and extremely happy when MC called him during dinner time, it honestly felt like a weight lifted off his shoulders. Obviously had to try and calm the others down, which did not work at all. Agreed right away to coming to the human world and visiting them, and worked extremely hard to get his brothers in order during the days upcoming to visit.

He nearly teared up upon seeing them again, and these tears only well up again when MC tells the brothers about their new apartment and job. He really did feel like a proud father, even if it was only a year they were in contact, a year can change a lot of things!!

Of course, when the new partner is introduced he, like mostly all of his brothers, immediately grow protective. He’ll do the whole “anything you do to them, I’ll do to you” shtick. Will probably rigorously test their partner with questions and possibly inhumane challenges if MC doesn't stop him

Mammon

The overwhelming amount of emotions this man felt when he heard MC’s voice. He was extremely happy to hear from them again and so glad that they seem to be doing well. He did settle down but was clearly bouncing up and down as the plan for the brothers to visit MC was set up. Despite his own excitement, he helped Lucifer get the brothers in order.

He would not shut up as they arrive in the human world. They met MC at a restaurant and he was superrrr shell shocked to see how MC matured. What do you mean it’s only been 10 years??? What the fuck??? Will be endearingly annoying about how much they have grown.

Of course, makes it extremely clear to the partner that he and his brothers will fuck them up if they ever do anything to hurt MC in any way. Will do a gesture as to say “I’m watching you.” And he will be, along with having his crows do some spying

Leviathan

He will live in denial for like.. a minute before asking Mammon if this is real (Mammon slaps him upside the head gently to prove to him it’s real, he’s not impressed). He also feels some sort of relief, knowing that MC actually did care about them. He also starts thinking about the anime that he can introduce to MC now that they are now an adult, since some of the stuff was way too violent for them when they were younger. Upon meeting them again, he let his tears fall, but they were tears of joy. Levi will not shut up about the DVDs he bought and will ask MC if they bought anything nerdy that he might like. Will demand to see their anime collection if they have one. Of course, when the partner comes into the frame, he starts to think that the partner is the reason they weren't in contact with the brothers, which causes a fit of jealousy that could only be stopped if MC comforts him. Like all of his brothers, will be keeping a close eye on them.

Satan

Is in a moment of disbelief for a second. Did… Is MC really wanting to meet up with them again? He’s a bit surprised too, did they save their contacts for when they grow older? Either way, it’s clear that he’s happy that they will all be able to see MC again.

Impressed and proud when they actually see them again. He’ll voice how proud he is that they matured so much, although does remember times when he got the 10-12 year old MC in on his pranks (because let’s be real, he would). When not many people are paying attention, he’ll ask MC if they wanna pull one (1) prank of Lucifer. (Totally not 7 or 8 pranks)

It doesn’t need to be said again that he would be extremely protective of MC when the partner is introduced, but he is also glad that they found love. May or may not recount embarrassing memories MC had (someone has to shut him up, probably by recounting some of his own embarrassing moments).

Asmodeus

He was waiting for this moment! Will probably be like “I knew our dear MC wouldn’t abandon us!” And probably make the phone call 10x longer than it is with the brothers freaking out.

Like Mammon, a bit shell shocked to see how much 10 years can change a person, which is understandable because in a demon’s life, 10 years is nothing. Asmo is also glad how much information MC took in from the brothers, for example how to do skincare properly. Of course, there are lessons that MC was taught that he would rather them have forgotten Mostly ones taught by Mammon

Is probably one of the only ones not giving their partner a death glare. He’ll say something like “You picked a good one, MC~” If MC or the partner asks of him, he will not flirt, although will throw in a ton of compliments.

Beelzebub

He is over the moon excited. He's so glad that they even want to see them again.. Especially considering what has happened in the past... Oh well, MC has said long ago that he shouldn't dwell on the past, so he should try not to. Over the course of the days leading up to the visit, he gets all the non-perishable foods and other foods that he remembers MC likes and puts them in a container to take with them. Beel actually gives it to Lucifer so he can hide it, so he doesn't accidentally eat it himself. He will give MC the biggest hug when the brothers see them again, forgetting his own strength and needing to be shoved away by MC as a gentle reminder. Beel will marvel at how much MC has grown, asking if they have been staying healthy and listening to their body. They better have, and if they haven't, they will get the biggest puppy dog eyes/frown combo from Beel, who will insist that they eat some of the snacks he brought. Obviously, he can't help but be cautious of this partner, but if MC trusts them, he can trust them as well. He's more imposing then some of his brothers, and he will use that imposing look to make sure that MC isn't harmed.

Belphegor

Has mixed emotions. Obviously very excited that they will get to see MC again, however, he is almost sure that he left a mark on MC's psyche, probably a negative one. Although, the others who attacked them probably did as well. Belphie pushes that aside and focuses on trying to be excited for the visit, trying to "catch up on sleep" (he tries to use this as an excuse to skip RAD). Surprised and gladdened to see MC is doing better. Perhaps they got professional help or there is another cause for it. Although, he still notices that MC is a bit.. cautious around him, seeming to be careful with their words when talking to Belphie and not really keeping eye contact with him. This is understandable. He tries his best to make it lighthearted. He definitely pulls Satan and MC into a few pranks on Lucifer.

Will get all hissy and protective when the partner comes into frame. Will not stop from glaring daggers into their soul. If they prove themselves to be worthy of MC, he won’t give them nightmares but if anything gives him a bad vibe, he’ll give them the most violent nightmares.

[curatoroffiction]

Seductive Speechcraft Midterms: Part 4

Summary:

It's Belphegor's turn to attempt to vie for your soul in the setting of an exam. His attempt is very different from the ones you've encountered so far.

Warnings: - Unreality tag for this one. Belphegor's magic messes with the reader's mind and alters their perception of reality ----- Previous Chapters: - Intro Chapter - Satan's Seduction - Mammon's Magnetism -----

Belphegor's Beguilement:

You don't end up going back into the exams until the next day. When you originally came back from your lunch with Mammon, the teacher checked your energy levels and told you to take the rest of the day off.

So when you come in today, you're fresh and ready, and once again excited to be here.

You have no idea who'll come through that door, but you've brought your collection of props again. The proctor assessing your performance in this exam motions for you to get ready for the first exam taker of the day, and to let her know when you're ready.

You reach into your bag of persona prompts and you pull out "Busy". Okay, you can work with that. You grab your laptop and set it up on the table and you pull up a game to play. You have headphones that you connect and use to immerse yourself. Whoever is coming in will be testing on hardmode. You motion to the teacher that they can send in the first student, and you begin playing.

The game you've chosen is an open-world RPG, so you're following quests and collecting goods and unlocking story lore.

You almost forget that you're in the middle of an exam, until you smell the soft scent of warm melon and honey. A scent you're most familiar with from the youngest of the brothers. He moves to sit beside you, and you can see that he's brought his own book.

He's planning to ignore you?

Well that's fine. You're pretending you're a busy person.

You choose to ignore him right back. You're playing a particularly difficult questline. Given that this is a game you've played a lot, and you're actually invested in the plot, it's not hard for you to ignore him. Especially given that you're wearing your headphones.

You gently yawn. Despite it being the first exam of the day, and having had caffeine just beforehand, you feel the gentle lull of every warm delight of slumber tugging at your mind. Ah, so this is his impact. Interesting.

You're a little interested, given that you've never really gotten to see Belphegor use his power in an attempt to attract you and make you want to know more. Even when he was in the attic, it was less.. 'Dreamy' and more 'Nightmarish'. But you find yourself yawning again, and this time it feels like you're struggling to keep a straight thought towards your video game. You're distracted and thinking about Belphegor.

How is his power affecting you? You're not looking at him, you haven't looked him in the eye- It can't be his scent.. Can it?

Ahh.. Dammit.

It's definitely his scent. That's how he's invading your senses. You have to cut that off, or you'll find yourself lulled out of your work. You reach into your book bag at your feet and take out a small balm of vapo rub. You usually use it to help yourself when the air of Devildom is particularly horrible - But you know it'll work in this instance. You apply a small dab under your nose to replace the scent, and your senses are flooded with the thick scent of vapo rub.

And it's no surprise to you that you suddenly feel much more awake.

You put the balm back into your book bag, curious to see how he'll deal with your resourcefulness. You return to your game, and for a while, it seems like he's not even trying. No approach. No attempt to connect.

Is he capable of affecting you in other ways?

It's not until a little while later that he produces a small soft drink and slides it across the table to you. You pause your game and look up to see the can. You glance up to him and see that he's looking to his book as he wordlessly offers you the drink.

"... Are you offering that to me?"

"Sure. You look like you could use some refreshment."

You pick up the drink, looking it over. It's a can, unopened. There's no reason to believe that it's what poses the danger here. You look him over once and pause, but you can't find a reason that a typical human wouldn't accept aside from preference. Right now, he's coming across as a gentle stranger.

You decide to take the drink, cracking it open and taking only a sip, just to test the waters.

When you do, you expect for him to ask something about it. Or maybe to follow up and see if you're responding to his influence yet.. But he just continues to passively read his book. You expect to feel his power ebbing at the edges of your mind - You expect for yourself to be overwhelmed by drinking the drink.. But nothing comes.

You feel as in control of yourself as ever.

You return to your game, once again refocusing yourself. You're meant to be busy. The game takes you into a small village where you have to use your character's senses to solve a mystery- And you can still give it your whole attention. Still, in the quiet moments, when the work is mindless and you're killing monsters that are attacking you, you can't help but to feel the... Monotony of it all.

Your mind keeps coming back to Belphegor, who is sitting only a chair away from you.

You feel his voice dancing on your thoughts, and you feel drawn to look towards him. What is he reading? You only take a glance, but you quickly catch that it's a book about artificery - Which piques some deep part of your mind that dances with the fancy of the unknown.

You realize at once that you're under his influence again, but how did he do it? His voice soothingly plays in your mind once again. 'You look like you could use a break' - But that's not what he said, right?

He knows exactly how to tantalize a human, how to play into their deepest desires. The demon of dreams. He can tell when he's got your interest piqued, and he'll make you think every point of engagement is your own choice. How is he doing it?

Was it sound?

You're not sure, because as soon as you disengaged, all you can hear in your mind is the sound of your game.

If that was his influence, did you break it, or did he release you?

It's driving you a little nuts that you can't tell the difference. Mammon's influence was easy to see because he was trying to impress - But.. Belphegor's playing a much longer game. A much slower game. The avatar of sloth. He can afford to wait.

You can hear through your headset as he opens himself a drink, sipping it as he reads. You feel a yearning tugging at your chest, wanting to engage. He seems so gentle and easy to approach. You want to ask about his book. You want to know about his interests. You want to hear his gentle, warm voice envelop you with every answer. What's wild is that it feels so.. organic. Like he's a stranger passing you on a rare chance, and you can take it.

And unlike some demons' influences, you're not feeling fear when you tell yourself not to engage. You feel regret, but it's like the soft regret you feel when you want to tell a stranger that they look nice, but you're too shy to get it out. It doesn't feel like you're being pulled by strings.

You decide to break the silence and engage with him to see where it goes. A typical human would engage. You pause your game and look to the demon. ".. Do I know you?"

He pauses in his reading, glancing to you as though surprised that you're engaging with him. He makes it seem so natural. He really does make it feel like you're the one approaching him. "Hmn? I'm sorry, I was really deep in my book. Can you repeat that?" He grins sheepishly, his hand holding the book resting in his lap as he gives you all of his warm attention. You feel shy, warm, as though you're basking in the soft glow of the embers of a campfire.

"... I was asking if I knew you." You feel almost embarrassed that you ask again. You find yourself yearning to make a good impression. Like you need to match his energy.

"Oh, no. Sorry if I confused you. I always bring extra drinks for the people around me. You looked busy, so, I figured you could use one." His smile is so warm and organic. Like he thinks your misunderstanding is funny, but in an endearing way. Wait. Your misunderstanding?

This isn't a misunderstanding.

He's really worming his way into your mind.

You have to disengage.

You turn back to your computer. "Ah, well.. Thank you."

"No problem." He's back to reading his book. It's easy for him to disengage from you. There's no pressure from him. You feel no pressure. The only pressure you really feel is the pressure to reach out. You want to reach out. You want to ask more. You want to know more...

But you keep disengaging.

He turns the page, and you can hear it through your headphones. Even when you're disengaging, you can hear it, and feel it, and each turn of the page, however slow, however long it takes... It anchors you back to him. You get lost in your game, but soon enough, the turning of the page comes through once again. It's not invasive. It's almost exciting. You almost look forward to the sound of the turning of the page as you try to lose yourself in the escapism of the game.

Soon enough, you find yourself slowly.. bored. The plots of the game are too.. Overdone. You've played RPGs before. Fight the monsters, collect the treasure, learn the lore.. But even learning the lore seems so.. Unattractive in this moment.

He turns the page, and your mind sparks with excitement. He's interesting. He's an unknown. You have no idea who he is, and yet, he seems so.. Inviting. And what of artificery? Is it a real study? Is it a fiction book that he's playing with? Who's the author? You feel like you want to know more.

You've forgotten what artificery even is.

You've forgotten who he is.

You've forgotten that this isn't real.

All that's real is this moment, and it's a chance to get to explore something magical.. Magic doesn't exist. You know that there is no magic in this world. You have no magic.

You look to your game and you feel like you're just busying yourself with escapism - But he could be a real escape from the monotony of the world around you.

You hear the distant scribbling of the proctor's notes as they watch, and it brings you back to the moment.

You know that magic is real, and that it's real because you're not in your world anymore. Artificery is your biggest passion. You're a leading mage in the field.

How did he make you think it wasn't real? How did he revert you back to a time when it wasn't real to you?

And wait, you know him. This is Belphegor.

In this brief moment of clarity where you can remember who you are and what's going on, you remember you need to stop this. You have to completely disengage. If you don't, you'll lose this. You close out of your game and close your laptop and begin getting up to leave. As you leave, you hear him call after you - "Hey, do you want your drink?"

And you look back to him reflexively, your guard being completely down as you catch a dooming glimpse of his eyes. His violet eyes soothe your soul, gently beckoning you to come back, to sit with him in this escape. He can take you to places you've never thought could exist. He can make every dream you've ever had feel insignificant with the excitement he can bring to your life.

This is a chance.

No.

This is a choice.

You gently wave your hand. ".. No, thank you." and break eye-contact, walking out of the scene.

When you reach the wall, you lean against it, the pressure of his influence still making your heart yearn - Because his influence, though he's ended it, was tugging at your deepest dreams and desires. He stoked a flame inside you and made you want to know more. You feel like you missed out, even though the scene is over.

Seeing you lean against the wall, he breaks character to check in on you. "Hey, ___, are you okay?"

"Yeah, that was just.. intense. Still is." You look up to him and see his concern. But what you don't see is his thought process.

So when he says "I'm sorry, I tried really hard not to push it, and to not use too much of my influence on you. I didn't want to remind you of when I-..." He cuts himself off, sheepish at his own faults, worried that he's hurt you.

".... That was you PULLING your power??" Your exclamation surprises him and he is visibly startled. You begin laughing as your previous emotions bubble away. "God.. It's no wonder I'm still feeling like I missed out. You made it so real, and SO organic, I thought it was all me - And I think it was."

The professor cuts in and motions for you two to come over for your assessments.

"You did an amazing job of discretely cutting off points of influence from Belphegor. This was absolutely an instance of him just knowing his power and strength well enough to keep finding new points of contact." She explains, looking over her notes.

You cut in - "How WAS he getting through? Was it the sound?"

"Yes, absolutely. Originally, he got through to you through the scent, then through sound, and something you didn't catch onto was that he got through to you through the drink."

"But the drink was closed and felt so.. Normal. I didn't get ANY whiff of magic off of it."

"Yes, but he wasn't just getting through to you with magic. He was toying with you by tantalizing your natural human curiosity. It was truly an amazing display of cunning and an in-depth understanding of humans and how their minds work." The proctor sounds genuinely impressed with Belphegor's performance in the exam.

"It really was." You nod in agreement. He absolutely would have gotten you if you hadn't been able to distract yourself and tether yourself back to reality with the teacher's distant sounds of scribbling. Honestly, it took a great amount of effort to pull yourself back from that. You grin to him, and see that he's visibly shy about your praise.

- ".. Thank you." He smiles softly, looking away.

The teacher motions to you. "Back to you, I'm especially proud that you avoided eye-contact. You're getting better at that. He definitely pulled some tricks out to get you to make eye-contact. If he weren't so good at helping humans bring their guards down-"

You can see how Belphegor's shy warmth shifts into embarrassed guilt as the teacher goes on about how great he is at manipulating humans. You clear your throat. "And my performance?" redirecting her focus away from him, so he doesn't have to listen to how good he was at manipulating you.

"Ah, yes, your performance was admirable. You held your own, you stealthily protected yourself, and you appropriately disengaged when it became apparent that you were outmatched. Can I ask, how did his influence feel?"

".. Ahhh.." You pause, glancing over to him. He seems to be cautiously watching you. "Well, it felt.. Real. Like he was a magical stranger in the sense of being someone who was exciting and new and charismatic without even trying. I found myself forgetting core details about myself, which I think was the height of his influence. He somehow made me forget artificery, even though it's something I love dearly and am very passionate about. He somehow made it feel like it was a dream he could show me existed. I have no idea how he did that, but.. Damn."

Belphegor looks away, feeling guilty that he even did that to you. Having gotten his feedback, he heads towards the door.

The teacher is ecstatic though. She gives you both high marks for the occasion. She's about to tell you to get ready for the next one when you go "I'm gonna need a breather after that one. To get my head straight, if that's okay."

"Oh, absolutely. Please, take your time. Return soon though, we do have others waiting."

You follow Belphegor out of the room. He pauses and turns to see you.

And for a moment, you're both quiet.

"... Are you okay?" You ask, worried that he's shutting down.

He nods. "... Are you?"

You nod, giving him a gentle smile.

He feels embarrassed that you're checking in on him. "..."

"Do you wanna hang out later? I'll be pretty exhausted after the exams, and I'll definitely need someone to help me wind down."

"... Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I still feel safe with you."

He looks away, extra embarrassed, but he holds his arms out for you. You close the distance and warmly hug him, giving him a reassuring squeeze. He hugs you back, and you can hear how he decompresses into you, his exhale sounding like he was holding a lot inside. You two stand like this for a long moment, soaking in the comfort of each other's arms, and the safety you've built with each other.

You take as long as you need to recover from this one, and he does too. ----- If you like my writing and wanna check out other works I've done, check out my Masterlist/Rules I write pieces like this and more on my AO3 too!