#a promise to uphold

[pyro-les]

A promise to uphold part 1

Radioapple🦆🦌

Warnings: none -1.2k words

A/N: this is the first part of a series which I will post both on here and AO3. First time writing for Hazbin Hotel so sorry if it's a tad ooc

It had been over 100 years since Lillith had left taking Charlie with her, she left Lucifer nothing. Well technically not nothing, she had left him the palace but what was the point of somewhere so big with no one in it? It just made the fact that he was now truly alone even more obvious.

It was because of this that he went searching for something to fill the time and space at home, he searched alot of hell but found nothing new or interesting, everything they had on sale was something he had already owned and was long getting boring by now. Lucifer rarely kept his interest in things for longer than 10 or so years, the only thing that had ever really stuck was creating rubber ducks. He had been creating them since the start of hell, they had always brought him joy and pride, but as the years went on the pride faded and faded, the one person he loved to show them to interest in them had rturned abysmal. Where there was once a soft look of love and amusement on her face there was now only disinterest as she mumbled on about Lucifer wasting all of his time playing around making stupid children's toys instead of actually ruling hid kingdom.

He hadn't made any ducks since Lillith had told Charlie to stop accepting them as gifts.

And that how he found himself now walking the streets of New Orleans searching the human world for something new and fun to distract him. He wandered by shop windows peering inside each one hoping to find something interesting.

"You're not from around here are you?" A voice asked from just behind Lucifer.

He turned to see the person who had spoken standing almost a foot taller than him with a soft smile on his face. Lucifer instinctively smiled back at him with a slight blush as he had to turn his head up to look in the other man's eyes, the human disguise showing the blood rushing to his cheeks red, a poor imitation of his usual crimson beauty marks.

He chuckled lightly before responding, realising that he had been stood here staring at the man for far too long "No, I'm just visiting. I'm trying to find something new to do to fill some of my time."

"I thought as much, I would've recognised such a pretty face." The man spoke cool making Lucifer's blush increase by tenfold. "I'm Alastor, and you are?" He added as he took Lucifer's hand I his own to give it a sweet kiss.

Lucifer definitely was not falling fast.

"I'm Lucian, it's a pleasure to meet you." Lucifer managed to say calmly, shocking even himself. For a man who had been married for along as he had it was shocking how easily he could be turned into a blushing bumbling mess. Perhaps his mental barriers were alot easier to bypass then his physical ones, immune to lethal attacks but not sweet words or harsh insults. Or perhaps it was the fact that throughout the whole time of his infamous relationship with Lillith she had rarely complimented him or even attempted to flirt with him. Maybe this was simply due to her nature, she had a much more physical approach to love or much more often lust. It had been jading to Lucifer at first, him being a creature of pure angelic grace, created not for the heated actions she loved ao much but for creation and passion. And that is the argument she had used against him, that these acts she loved so much were simply her showing her passion for him and much later that it could be for creation too. He hadn't been the fondest of either idea but had played along in fears of losing the only person he had left, in the end it didn't matter anyway though, thousands of years of playing along to her games all for her to leave anyway.

"A pleasure indeed." Alastor replied with a charming smile, snapping Lucifer out of his spiral of depressing thoughts. "So you are looking for something to fill you're time, huh?" He asked smoothly.

"Yes, I've got alot more time on my hands than I used to. Everything at home feels too quiet and empty." Lucifer explained briefly, telling himself not to dump too much depressing information onto Alastor as easily as it would've been. He seemed as though he could tell him anything, that this human he had just met would somehow understand that the palace felt all too lonely, hearing only the echos of Charlie's laughter as he bypassed what had been her bedroom. But he wouldn't say that to him, he didn't want to risk scaring him off.

Alastor hummed for a moment, clearly contemplating something. "Too quiet you say? Well I may have just the thing for that." Excitedly Lucifer asked what it was, the joy clear in hid voice making Alastor chuckle lightly before replying "Why a radio of course! You can listen to it at home while doing anything you'd like, it would keep you entertained and updated with all the important news and any new hit songs all while filling the silence at home."

It was a brilliant idea, this could keep him busy for hours on his own and continue to fill the silence while he does other things too. "That's perfect!" Lucifer exclaimed. "Where do I get one from?" He added on curiously.

"I can gift you one of mine if you so please." Alastor replied with a soft smile.

Lucifer paused, "Why would you do that?" It didn't make sense, he barely knew him and surely he needed it for himself.

Chuckling again Alastor replied easily "It would be useful for you, help fill the silence. Besides I have multiples, I wouldn't miss it so you need not worry about me." Seeing the look on Lucifer's face he added on "If you would like, you could give me something too, make it an exchange?"

This made Lucifer perk up a little more, he wouldn't just take from this mortal but a deal he could make. "What would you like?"

Alastor didn't hesitate for even a moment, clearly already knowing what he wanted "To listen to my radio show. It will debut this Friday and I would love to know I have even just one devoted listener." His excitement died down while he spoke, turning more into doubt as he tried to disguise it with a smile. Lucifer didn't know much about radio or Alastor but from what he did know he was sure that people would listen to anything that Alastor said, his voice was soft and smooth and combined with his undeniable charm it was entrancing. Surely he would get countless listeners in no time, but still the doubt in his voice hit a soft spot in lucifer, he vowed to himself then and there that he would never miss a broadcast. He didn't know what it was about Alastor but something about him was different, important and he for some strange reason would do anything he asked of him.

Lucifer smiled at Alastor and truthfully replied "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

[no-title-currently]

Starting off strong with the first track on disc 2- “A Promise to Uphold”. This track is a remix/extension of “Promise of the West” from the gameplay reveal trailer (It’s 1:22 longer), so I can’t say much about it quite yet. However what I can say, is that it is one of the most emotionally charged tracks in the second disc. This track can be heard upon overriding a Tallneck, discovering the Tallneck in Cauldron: IOTA, as well as flying on a Sunwing mount for the first time.

We immediately hear synth at (0:07), which is interesting, as it’s primarily used in music for fights. However, that’s quickly overshadowed by another interesting choice- starting off the track with a buildup. After a quiet percussion starts at (0:13), everything speeds up and gets more intense at (0:17). While a unique choice, this does make sense. If we’re looking at it from a plot standpoint, this is the track that plays when you first get to fly using a Sunwing. It’s a big moment, so the music is supposed to amplify how the player feels in that moment.

There’s a lot more buildup with much heavier percussion, but it becomes closer to a backing around (0:30), when the first parts of the main melody begin to kick in. By the (0:50) mark, it’s incredibly dynamic and fast paced, the strings in this segment are stunning, they’re probably one of the strongest parts of the track, and allow for so much emotional depth to be put into such a small segment. Of course, by (1:11), things slow down. It’s not slowly either, it’s more abrupt.

This stop is actually because of the fact that the track is intended to loop. The music starts again at (1:30), but is actually finished at (4:19).

[peonycats]

[dayurno]

I really wonder how aftg would change if Kevin was dead

if kevin was dead at the start aftg wouldn’t happen if kevin was dead at the end tsc wouldn’t happen it’s all a very simple matter really

[wardensantoineandevka]

I should get an award for my restraint in not automatically blocking people who say things like "I hate paladins, they suck so much, they're the worst class bc their vibes are so bad" on my posts that even just mention paladins.

RIP that you and most people do not understand paladins as a class and do not understand that their narrative is not just "stick in the mud who loves being a cop", but I'm different and I think they're incredible and they're one of the classes with the best inherent narrative

[baeshijima]

the itoshi brothers through the years ...

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

I know this may sound crazy but remember how in No Way Out, Sonic told Nine that he still considered him to be a friend while getting down on one knee and Nine calmed down? Later in Nine’s Lives, Nine says “Typical” when seeing Sonic run to the others and accused Sonic of betraying him when Sonic called the others his friends.

Nine was sort of acting like Sonic proposed to him and then cheated on him by being friends with the others.

Okay so first of all, I don't think you're crazy. During S3 there's actually plenty of evidence that Nine is jealous, both of the Tails variants and Sonic considering everyone else his friends.

One example that presents his specific kind of jealousy is during Episode 2 of Season 3, when Nine first appears to Sonic in New Yoke.

"Everything is collapsing... This is terrible!"

"Is it? That seems odd coming from you. As far as I can tell you only care about your own home."

Essentially what I'm getting at is this. I do believe that pre betrayal, Nine admittedly considered Sonic to be the most important person to him, and thought Sonic may have felt the same way. And the "betrayal" at the end of S2 hurt Nine very deeply. He had this image of Sonic in his head that was shattered by the finale, so he sort of instinctively switches to thinking the worst about Sonic because he can't trust that anything he thought before wasn't a lie. This is one of the reasons that he can't fathom Sonic caring about shatterspaces other than his own home.

But it's not just that he can't fathom it, it's that due to this deep hurt, Nine cannot allow himself to believe it.

Because if Sonic genuinely cares about the shatterverse as a whole, if he genuinely cares about saving all of these people, then to Nine, what made him the exception?

Sure, we the audience can see Sonic’s journey in Prime. We can see that by the end of S2, Sonic wanted to keep the shatterverse safe just as much as he wanted to bring back Green Hill. He wanted everyone to be alive and happy. But from Nine's pov here, he's just learned that Sonic lied to him, spoke honeyed words and manipulated him just to get to the prism. None of that is true, but he doesn't feel like Sonic actually cares for him or wants him. So at this point, for Sonic to put saving all of these people over saving his own home or genuinely worrying about their home makes Nine feel like the exception or that his feelings about Sonic must be wrong. Either one of those ideas he'd understandably like to avoid (because one means that Sonic is genuine with everyone except for him, and the other would mean to him that his feeling of betrayal and hurt feelings post S2 finale are misplaced and not allowed to be had, though he feels justified feeling hurt)

And that scene in S3 E3 No Escape is actually another big exemplifier of Nine's brand of jealousy and just how hurt he is.

"Don't worry. Beneath the surface, my new friends are far simpler than the flawed creatures you knew and loved. And all the more loyal for it."

Starting out strong, Nine takes a not so subtle shot at Sonic's friends while taking subtler shot at Sonic's loyalty, since Sonic had been his first and only friend.

"Ever wonder where we'd be if things had gone differently between us?"

"...Not anymore."

"I do. All the time."

"Not anymore." Implying that post the S2 finale he really had dwelled (at least for a time) on thoughts of how things could have been different. How he wished things could have gone differently.

And Nine gets visibly angry/frustrated when Sonic confesses he's always thinking about how things could have been different. Perhaps because it feels like a slap to the face, or feels hard to believe.

"Tch. You had your chance."

"...Right back at ya, bud."

And then, despite his anger, despite how he's been trying to get Sonic all along so he can drain his energy and save his home, Nine ignores Sonic's "should we get this over with". He puts on another one of those faces, similar to earlier when Sonic arrived and Nine talked about his "new friends". Perhaps to cover up exactly the way he's feeling in this moment with a veneer of superiority (he always did something similar when talking up Sonic to the Chaos Council).

"You know...after all this time...I think I finally understand you, Sonic."

...

"You wanna save everyone. Friends. Foes. Total strangers! You say it's because you're a hero and that's what heroes do, but deep down... After what you did—destroying your own home—it's the only way you can ever live with yourself. Even if that means you won't live at all."

And while I think Nine isn't incorrect—that there is a part of Prime!Sonic who's been acting out of selfishness, caring more about feeling like a good person than actually being one—these are still words from someone who feels betrayed by Sonic. I think there's a level to which Nine is seeing a part of Sonic no one else did, and also to a level which Nine is trying to recontextualize Sonic's more heroic/selfless seeming actions so he can reconcile them with how he feels about Sonic and sees him at this moment. In other words, while he's seeing a facet of Sonic he didn't see before, this is not all encompassing of who Prime Sonic is. It's just that perhaps by believing that Sonic's every seemingly selfless action is disingenuine, that all those nice words and intent to save people is just so Sonic can feel good rather that actually caring about anyone, then Nine doesn’t have to feel like the exception. Then he can see Sonic as someone who is pretending to care about all of this, and Sonic's other friends as fools who don't see what he (Nine) has seen.

But as I said, it's more complicated than that. Perhaps Nine is seeing a facet of Sonic that other people don't see or don't want to see, but Prime!Sonic is multifaceted. Perhaps he does want to hurry up and sacrifice himself in this scene because then he can finally feel like he's atoned for what he's done and he's absolved of/paid for his crimes, but that also doesn't mean he doesn't genuinely care about the lives of people in the shatterverse.

"If I don't make it, and you do, how do I know you'll keep your promise."

"Don't worry. Your 'friends' are safe. Once I have your energy, I can restore everything. They can have their silly lives in their silly spaces, as long as they leave me alone."

"Fair enough."

...

"And for what it's worth...I wouldda done the same for you."

"Don't lie to me..."

"I'm not–"

"DON'T!"

"Think whatever you want, but it's true. Even after everything you've done, everything we've been through. Together. Against each other. You're still my friend, Nine."

I really couldn't express more just how hurt Nine feels. That he doesn't believe Sonic would give anything up for him, even if he were to accept that Sonic would do that for everyone else. When he tells Sonic not to lie to him, frustrated, angry, voice wavering, I think it's because he can't take this again. If Sonic is lying just to manipulate him, if this isn't genuine, if he's just using him again, he can't take it again.

This is an incredibly intimate scene. With Sonic, standing face to face to Nine, inside Nine's safe space, his home that no one else has been into, behind the physical representation of the walls surrounding Nine's heart post betrayal, this is his first time all season really being allowed to speak to Nine directly. Here there's no one to perform to aside from each other.

But you can see that despite everything, Sonic still reaches Nine in this scene. It's not easy, but he reaches Nine's heart, leading Nine to start to believe in him again.

And that's why it's a pity the other variants show up when they do, using Sonic to breach Nine's walls. With the way Nine reacts after this happens, Sonic may as well have made Nine believe in that image of him again. Sonic may as well have made Nine believe that Sonic does care about him, that he'd do anything for him (or, at least, would give his life for him like he would for the others if it meant they could live), only to be the trojan horse that allowed the enemy™ to breach his safe space. The pretty lie.

At the beginning of S3 E4 Nine's Lives, Nine says "Predictable" when Sonic runs over to his friends. And, as anon mentioned, Nine says that Sonic has betrayed him for the last time, calling the deal off.

I wouldn't necessarily say here that Nine feels as if Sonic had cheated on him so to speak, but I would say that even if Nine doesn't see Sonic as a willing "trojan horse" here, Nine still feels like a fool for "falling for it again", for believing in Sonic. I think it's enough betrayal to Nine that Sonic would convince him that he cares about him and wants him to have a future too, only to then side with a bunch of people who want to beat Nine down and who would not let Nine be happy if Nine surrendered to them (from Nine's pov at least).

So in short, anon, I think you are seeing Nine's jealousy here. Even if he also has to believe Sonic is secretly fooling the others, to him this is a scene where Sonic is not only choosing them over him, but another example of Sonic (from Nine's pov) proving that he's a liar who doesn't care for Nine or his future/safety at all.

[kavennnn]

told yall we wouldnt be getting year 3 from allegory

[average-hua-cheng-fan]

it's actually so important to me that in the memory loss extras xie lian finds out he doesn't have spiritual power anymore (because he's been having sex). it means

he feels comfortable relying on hua cheng

he's able to be 'selfish', and choose what he wants rather than what other people think is correct

he's free from the responsibility of being the most powerful martial god in heaven

he's getting thoroughly dicked down

[yoshifan456]

Okay @yeah-w-r-i-t-e, you've convinced me. Time for me to add to the Benthantag for a second time. More chapters might come now or later or tomorrow, I have no idea. But I am determined to finish this piece before the movie comes and shows how wrong I'll end up being with my predictions, so yay me! Enjoy!

[vryivs]

I always forget that monarchists exist and then I see someone with the username duchessofmyheartforever or williamisababe posting about how it's mean to giggle at an ultrarich economic leech experiencing just a fraction of struggle and inconvenience (because lets be honest, he probably wont kick the bucket—his doctors are paid to keep his corpse animated long after it ceases to be humane)

[crosaidi]

whatever the verse, he puts on a certain impression of being a little devil-may-care about what he does, but the heart of it all he takes it all so very seriously.

he takes his oaths as a paladin, a grey warden, a soldier, a fighter — he takes them all for life or death, as much a part of himself as anything else. he may not be traditional in what he does, but he still somehow manages to throw his heart into it completely, utterly.

he'll say i'm a shit example of what i am, but on the same breath be fundamentally a better example of it than most.

[coulsonlives]

Re-reading the comics and I totally forgot how dark they are

[diazheartsbuckley]

Oooo I’d love to know more about “ Bratty probie Buck/ new lieutenant Eddie” and “Confessions in the dark” pleaseeee 🙏🙏

Hi Matt! 🫶

I answered bratty probie Buck/ new lieutenant Eddie here (be sure to check out @disasterbuckdiaz’s fic about it, I got the inspiration from her 😘)

Whispers of the dark is one of the first fics that I made an actual moodboard for and I can’t wait to provide y’all with another little snippet 🌹 (dw, he won’t be Evan the entire time but it’ll last a while)

(Ask me about my wips 💌)

Snippet under cut ✂️

As Evan moved his hand out from his jacket, the priest turned to face him, backlit by the glow from the burning candles, his features bathed in the golden light.

It wasn’t exactly what he had in mind when he pictured a priest - this man was young but older than him, Evan’s bet would somewhere in his mid to late thirties, tall, with caramel skin and dark brown eyes that appeared to be looking right through him. Below the clerical robe, Evan noticed a faded white scar, tracing from the middle the priests collarbone to the side of his neck - it was wide and appeared to have been fairly deep, the scar tissue thick and bumpy.

It ended right below his pulse point and Evan raised a brow, a puzzled expression on his face as he searched the priests face for a reaction.

“Unburden yourself and this house of worship will be a place where you can feel the light of your own soul and be able to feel the peace that you so clearly long to feel. Otherwise you would not be here. Am I correct?” The priest stepped closer to him and Evan stood his ground, not trusting his actions. Or showing any signs of weakness. But he also knew that the priest was right. He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t looking for some sort of absolution or a break from being who he is, who he was always destined to be.

“No” was the only word that came out of Evan’s mouth. He didn’t know what he was saying no to. To unburden himself? To feel peace?

Eddie looked at the man in front of him - blue eyes that looked like they contained the weight of the world, pink lips pursed together and an unwavering stance in a suit that seemed to have been tailored to his exact measurements. Eddie knew who he was. He was pretty sure everyone in L.A. knew who he was. And that he was completely and utterly untouchable.

“Then I’m afraid that you’re going to have to leave the premises. I do not want guns in my church. If you truly seek to change your ways, you’ll come back unarmed” Eddie stood his ground, the subtle bulge underneath Evan’s jacket more than visible.

“You and I both know that I can’t do that, Father” Evan said, a flicker of defiance in his eyes as his jaw tightened.

Eddie, with an unwavering gaze, felt a pang of recognition deep inside of him. There was something in Evan’s behavior, a silent echo of a past that he couldn’t quite place.

“Then perhaps it's time to confront the shadows that haunt you, my son. Come back when you're ready to lay down your burdens and find a new way of life” Eddie spoke, his eyes never leaving Evan’s.

Using this as my seven sentence sunday (although it’s way more than seven sentences lol)

I was tagged by @tizniz @daffi-990 @diazsdimples @dangerpronebuddie and @theotherbuckley 😚

Tagging!! @cal-daisies-and-briars @watchyourbuck @honestlydarkprincess @jeeyuns @jesuisici33 @thewolvesof1998 @butraura @giddyupbuck @actualalligator @hippolotamus @spotsandsocks @puppyboybuckley @poughkeepsies @wildlife4life @elvensorceress @wikiangela @underwater-ninja-13 @devirnis @disasterbuckdiaz 🦋🩵

[extraordinarilyextreme]

Xue-gongzi: Don’t cry anymore. Remember to lay me to rest someplace closer to you, and don’t erect a headstone either; it will look a bit too desolate and lonely. Plant a cedar tree instead, alright? It can stay green for all four seasons, yet will appear a head of white hair when covered with snow. The snow of the back hills will never melt. Bury me beneath the tree. In this way, I will always be able to accompany and brew tea with you in the snow. Xue-tongzi: There won’t be a next year. Have you forgotten? The Burial Snow Heart Sutra that I cultivate with, it will reverse my aging and restore my youthful vigor once every four years. The spring of next year will be the time that I break through the last level. If I break through it, my body and memories will be restored anew. I will forget you; I will forget you entirely. Xue-gongzi: If you forget me, that’s good too. I can’t bear for you to always hold a grudge against me. Xue-tongzi: How could I hold a grudge against you? Xue-gongzi: You will. You will resent me for abandoning you, and for making you live all by yourself in loneliness. Xue-tongzi: You bastard good-for-nothing! Then you can’t die! Xue-gongzi: Didn't we always say that the weather outside is sunny and cloudless for ten thousand li on end?

Xue-gongzi: Is the outside really as good as he claimed? If there is a chance, I would really like to go out to take a look. Xue-tongzi (Adult): Is it that you feel this place is no longer fun, so you wish to leave? Xue-gongzi: This place really is boring, indeed. It’s a world of ice and snow, every day of the year exactly the same. But rest assured. As long as you don’t leave, I won’t leave either. I will always accompany you, so we can be bored together. Xue-tongzi (Adult): That’s more like it.

Xue-gongzi: Such a vast and dazzling place, I seem to see it now. It really is as I dreamed. I’m going to go first and take a look for you.

Xue-tongzi (Adult): Long time no see. Are you well?

[kavehater]

Chappel Roan saying she’s sad she’s demisexual and then there’s me being aroace as a whole like don’t you think I’m even more sad 😭