#also I may get some ideas for demon things to use on this blog

[hells-greatestdad]

// ....huh. I need to catch up on the Blue Exorcist manga.

[elsa-fogen]

Ok, Rosie headcanon for you!! Might be a slight AU but whatever lol

I like to imagine that Rosie is actually REALLY old. Died in the 1400s or something (maybe for being a suspected witch 👀) , and she just sort of kept up with the times until she found a period that suited her (getting there on that). This also ties into Cannibal Town/Colony name thing!!

Idk how much you know about American history (I know if I didn't live in this crazy country I'd know nothing by choice lol), but in the late 1500s Roanoke Colony was established where North Carolina is now. They struggled with supplies and relations with native people so the founder left to get supplies/help etc; when he came back 5 years later everyone had disappeared without a trace, no graves, bodies, only the word "CROATOAN" carved into a rock. It's a mystery nobody has solved since.

BUT.

WHAT IF.

They ran out of resources, right? What if food ran so low that people began to resort to cannibalism? And things were going so badly that some desperate person tried to summon a demon, anything to help them?

And Rosie, twisted and dark as she may be, took her own sort of sympathy on the poor, struggling colony of Roanoke, and took them all down to Hell as her own colony of souls: Cannibal Colony, leaving Roanoke empty without a trace of its inhabitants. From then on, she just sort of adopted any cannibals who fell into hell as part of her little town, so long as they assimilated and didn't cause trouble. She owns all their souls, yes, but they have some level of peace and security knowing she'll take care of them.

With the "updating culture" thing, I also headcanon that she liked to keep up with the times and stay current until sometime after slavery ended, a little before Alastor arrived (depression era) she didn't like where modern times were headed and just sort of...stopped progress, like a time capsule. Modern times started progressing too fast, and she didn't want everything to be forgotten in the rush to the future, especially the way the human world was looking with the depression. She did rename them to Cannibal Town eventually, since it was more than just her original Colony that gave her Overlord status.

I love Rosie 👁👄👁 sorry for the giant text block lol

P.S. Your art inspires me so much!! And your characterizations are *chef's kiss* I feel like your blog is consistently one I can come to to get canon-accurate character content without facing an onslaught of r********e (finally someone who can't stand it as much as me! Sending all the love 💓

oH WOW! This is really damn good and interesting headcanon! You almost convinced me to change mine to this (well, i like the idea of Rosie being SUSPECTED witch gshssh angssssst yessss). I realized that actually I don't have much that keeps me from just accepting this. Only 2 things

one is that she in her life was fighting for women's rights, and keeps doing it in hell, but i guess she still can even being older.

second one is more important. Rosie and Alastor are roughly same age (30-40 age gap is nothing in hell, were age gaps can be thousands of years) and this is one of the reasons they get along, i think.

Plus in my plot Rosie being a relatively young overlord plays significant role...

But as i said, you headcanon really cool! Maybe i'd use it for some new AU haha

P.S. Your art inspires me so much!! And your characterizations are *chef's kiss* I feel like your blog is consistently one I can come to to get canon-accurate character content without facing an onslaught of r********e (finally someone who can't stand it as much as me! Sending all the love 💓

GAHYHHHAFGS THANK YOU! I'm really happy to know that i'm not alone on this hate board hsbfsdhfj

Here you can be safe, never ever you'll see anything positive about this ship on my blog 😂 (no offence to those who likes it) Love you too 💖💖💖

[skeletal-butterflyy]

D&D subtext in Stranger Things

Highly, highly requested analysis (no it’s not) of some interesting things I noticed going on with D&D in stranger things. This includes my personal thoughts based on my credentials of; having watched the show more times than i can possibly count over the past 7 years and current knowledge of DnD classes, worldbuilding, monsters, character creation. I’ll have this on the pinned post on my blog and i’ll add a text break because it’s…a lot.

Misc. :

The show starts with and is based off of Dungeons and Dragons, a table top rpg that the characters like to play. In the first season we don’t get much insight into the boys characters or the game itself, it’s used as a device to further the idea that these kids are nerds, they play a nerdy game that involves fantasy and math. As the show progresses it continues to be used to push across certain ideas, like establishing each character in the party and in season three showing how the game might represent the boys as social outcasts and their childhood.

DnD, is used throughout the show but we get to see actual play of the game in season one and four. It’s also used as a way to name the monsters they face (the monsters do get the right ideas across but the game and show versions are actually quite different from each other, especially the demogorgon)

In season 4 the idea of satanism connected to DnD really interested me. Why was everyone connecting DnD to satanism? I mean we know that everyone thought that Eddie was killing all of these people but that doesn’t mean that his club had anything to do with it. The duffers interestingly incorporated the real stigma that was widely held in the 80s against the game. At the time people were going on witchunts against anything regarded as being possibly related to satan. The most interesting part about all of this though is that, Dungeons and Dragons was made by two very devout christian men, Ernest Gygax (one of the founders) was even a Jehovah’s Witness! The two being christian’s though, incorporated a lot of religious themes into the game including clerics and paladins (calm down you fiends i’ll be getting to that) who carry a lot of religious themes and monsters that may represent demons. Outsiders might have seen a game presenting such themes as a mockery of their faith or a way to promote satanism simply by having monsters.

Characters:

I want to preface this by saying the classes that I’ll be talking about aren’t actually time period accurate. The boys would have been playing D&D 1e which had the three classes of : Fighting-man, magic-user, and cleric. While the classes listed are from D&D 2e which didn’t come out until 1989. Anyways.

In season 1, in the first scenes of the show we get to see what is the middle of DnD session before it gets interrupted. We get the basic ideas of their game across, Mike acting as DM presenting the adventure he created to his players while the rest of the party waits in anticipation for what they have to fight next. We also get to see some of will’s drawings of the party and his character

Keep these pictures in mind.

In season 2 when mike and max are arguing in the gym we hear mike say, “I’m our paladin, will’s our cleric, dustin’s our bard, lucas is our ranger and el is our mage.” At first glance it seems like nothing, oh he’s just listing off the party members and their roles and how max doesn’t fit into the party. But when you look at it properly it’s so much more.

Lucas and Dustin could not be more perfect for their chosen classes. Lucas is a ranger which means the ideal stats to be highest would include dexterity, constitution, and wisdom. Dexterity refers to, in this case the hand eye coordination and general reflexes. Constitution refers to a characters stamina and toughness, and wisdom is well, wisdom. Sounds like a certain character that has quick reflexes, has a tendency to take punches pretty well, and has good problem solving skills huh? All of these apply to lucas quite well, AND his weapon of choice is a ranged weapon, the slingshot (wrist-rocket you know what I mean), it’s really quite perfect. As for Dustin, he’s said to be a bard and the highest ideal stat for that class is charisma. Dustin has been proven to be very charismatic, he gets along with people and he can very comedic. Another thing about bards is they will tend to be very eloquent, inspirational, and persuasive, it comes with the territory of having a high charisma score, and we know dustin has a way with words. Dustin’s known for being a an eloquent and persuasive character; he convinced Mike to make up with Lucas after their fight in season one, he convinced a hesitant Mr. Clarke to tell him how to make a censory deprivation tank, he convinced steve to join him in looking for dart, and convinced erica to go through the vents (sort of). So, it makes complete sense for dustin to be a bard.

Taking a look at Mike’s character, his class also makes a lot of sense. Mike plays a paladin when he’s not the DM. A paladin is a “devout warrior” they fight with a cause, to serve their patron deity. They’re often compared to knights because of their values and the armor they usually wear. A paladin is the perfect representation of mike, especially for how will described him during the painting scene, he’s a leader and will throw himself in dangerous situations for the sake of the party, like when he jumped off the cliff for dustin.

Now, remember how will’s drawings, specifically of his character? Remember how mike said that will was a cleric? Will’s character is complicated. Will’s character being a cleric doesn’t make sense but makes so much sense at the same time. His character doesn’t look like a cleric. Clerics might be spellcasters but they don’t traditionally carry a staff or wear robes like we see will’s character does. He wears wizard clothing and has wizard abilities, not to mention in the first scene we see him play DnD and attempt to cast fireball, a spell that is most commonly associated with wizards and sorcerers and he does not seem to get his magic from a deity like a cleric traditionally would. (Clerics can cast fireball but only if they are part of the light domain) So, his character seems to be more of a wizard than a cleric, which is odd.

My theory relating to Will’s character:

Looking back at what mike said, Will’s character class doesn’t make much sense. But, I personally feel like Mike wasn’t being totally honest. First, he listed el, who they might consider to be part of the party but she doesn’t have an actual role in the game, but of course she would be the magic-user/mage. I think that mike made the list based on his feelings about the party specifically regarding will and el. El has powers in real life so it makes sense he assigned her the role of mage, and replacing will for him to become a cleric. It’d be interesting if Will was simply a cleric in mike’s personal thoughts about the party because it would make it so mike views them as very close. Paladins and clerics are very similar in relation to the fundamentals, a paladin is a warrior that swears an oath and serves a deity while a cleric is the servant of a deity that heals and fights. Basically, a cleric does more spell casting and less fighting while a paladin does more fighting and less spell casting. Since the two are so similar it would give a lot of depth to the characters being best friends, who have a much deeper understanding of each other than the rest of the party would. And even if he wasn’t simply a cleric in mikes mind and will the wise is actually a cleric, this would still show that the two having a much deeper connection and understanding of each other was hinted at from the beginning.

[thatpodcastkid]

Magnus Archives Relisten 19, MAG 19 Confession

The Magnus Archives reinforces my stance that religion-based horror is the genre's peak.

Yes I was raised Catholic why do you ask

Spoilers ahead!

Facts: Statement of Father Edwin Burroughs regarding his "possession." Statement given May 30th, 2011.

Statement Notes: My biggest question is how the institute got this statement. Burroughs says it was probably difficult to arrange and is grateful for the chance to give the statement, so it implies that he sought out the institute. If so, how did he find out about them? It's also possible that the institute sought out a statement from Burroughs, but why? Gertrude would likely understand his importance or at least would have attempted to follow up on the Hilltop Road Case, so it's likely if Burroughs did not actively seek out the institute, she found him.

The idea that Father Burroughs would reach out to give a statement is really great to me, though. He's coming from a culture that stresses the need to admit every transgression in order to remain perfectly morally pure. In giving his statement, Burroughs is seeking absolution. It's literally titled "Confession."

Though likely unintentional, Jon reading this statement furthers the idea that, at least in the world to come, he is the closest thing the TMA universe has to God. By Season 5, he is omniscient, all powerful, and simultaneously merciful and punishing. He takes Burroughs confession, judges it, and then moves on. Burroughs is haunted his entire life, but Jon--the absent God--hears hundreds of people's confessions and doesn't do anything. He just watches.

Continuing with the idea of religious horror as an extension or offshoot of eldritch horror, this episode utilizes fear of the sin inside oneself really well. In my experience, the fear of going to Hell or being punished for one's sins is lesser in Catholic circles than the fear of being a sinner. The idea that something inside of you is inherently wrong or evil is a common one across religions, so it makes sense that to destroy Burroughs mind and bring his worst fear to life, the entities would make him believe there is a demon inside of him. The evil isn't attacking him, but is a part of him. His worst fear is himself.

The demon attempting to "steal" Burroughs faith is really terrifying. The implication that something so immutable and intangible cannot only be taken away, but can be used by another being. The demon isn't destroying Burroughs faith, but keeping for itself.

What I find really interesting is how different the things Burroughs describes in this statement are from the second part of his statement. The pace really picks up between MAG 19 and MAG 20, in addition to the subject shifting. Burroughs changes from an observer of other people's torture to experiencing his own. This change really amped up my anxiety as I went from 19 to 20.

Entity Alignment: Anything Hill Top Road related is immediately a mixed bag of nightmares. Being a demonic possession episode and the "mentis" writing on the wall, the Spiral comes to mind. Bethany's degrading mental health after moving into her new home does align with the environmental triggers that usually accompany a Spiral episode. Additionally, Bethany and Burroughs both lose control of their minds and bodies, in line with the Spiral.

The eventual cannibalism does implicate the Flesh, however. I wonder how often the Flesh interacts with a religion that literally consumes the body and blood of its lord. (Side note, but "We'll get to the cannibalism," is now up there with "I feel like I should be upfront with this, I'm probably a cannibal," as my favorite lines a character says within the first 10 seconds of a statement.)

Hill Top Road does implicate at least some connection to the Desolation. But either way, in MAG 20, many more entities come into play as Burrough possession and hallucinations develop. Read my next blog for some thought on that if you would like.

Character Notes: Sarcastic Jon re-enters the arena with a steal chair!

"When it is found by myself, or given the state of the Archive's mismanagement, by my successor when I pass away from old age."

Oh sweetie, you think you're going to get an old age? That's adorable

[slowd1ving]

.・゜゜・NAVIGATION

about me .゜ call me res! I go by he/him and I'm 18. I typically write longer fics but could probably drop some headcanons and drabbles later down the line! usually my fics are more plot and world-building based but I do write nsfw occasionally (sometimes I write plot solely so I can get to that lmao). I generally stick to writing for male/neutral readers but might eventually write for female readers too (genderfluid legend) - but male readers are more of a priority due to the content drought for them. honestly went awol on here for a while because I post more on ao3 but I decided to bring my newer works here too <3 so enjoy the blog

fandoms I've written for .・ in the past I've written for bleach, genshin, and jjba. some of my newer stuff includes that's not my neighbor, twisted wonderland, more jjba, and some itsv i wrote when it first came out. however, check out the current interests section to find out different fandoms I might write for in the future, as well as the requests + asks section :)

current interests ゜・ started playing honkai star rail recently, honestly really enjoying how interesting the character stories are. some manga I'm currently reading include blue lock, jjk, sakamoto days and jjba. I read a wider variety of manhwa and novels though, including orv, lookism, how to fight, return of the mad demon, solo levelling, concubine walkthrough (really recommend this one), legend of a northern blade... I can't list them all since I've read over two hundred lmao (please ask me for fic recommendations I've got so many) in terms of my other hobbies since I do have a life (I hope this is obvious) I like art, history, and the sciences (fuck I use so many science metaphors in my work...), so if you ask for scientist!reader... yeah you know what's up

things of note •. yeah don't follow me or interact with my work if you're racist, homophobic, ableist, or if you don't believe in a free palestine. idc who you are that's an immediate block.

requests + asks ・゜ I write as a hobby and honestly just to blow off stress! currently am doing my studies in a myriad of subjects and have lots to do, but my ask box will be open; just keep in mind I may not reply immediately (sorry about that). I probably won't be able to write longer fics but less than 2k is light work fr, especially if it's something like headcanons or drabbles or things of that nature. again, will write for neutral/male readers so please keep that in mind when requesting. my ask box will be open for just discussions or other things :) as mentioned previously, I write for male/neutral readers, but I might extend it to female reader eventually (or depending on the fic idea?? really does depend). while the majority (all...) of my work is x reader, I don't mind doing character x character I won't write any weird ships (no incest, big age gaps, just weird ships in general), and I won't write nsfw of aged-up characters that are minors in the original work!! in terms of fandoms you can request for, any of the aforementioned should be good, I just may not be very familiar with the character so it might take a while to find their 'voice' to write for. however!! if the fandom in question has not been mentioned above you can send a request anyway because I've extensively consumed media so I'll have at least heard of it (probably/hopefully)

what I'm currently up to <3 as of june, I'm continuing my jjba long fic and currently redoing my entire blog (my older posts look so UGLY omfd). debating whether to make a side blog for just discussions and stuff?? I'm also thinking of medium/plot-based fics for other fandoms to give myself somewhat of a refresh I'm fresh out of end of year exams but still have a lot to do elsewhere so this blog is going to be my proverbial terrarium to nourish and take care of so I don't lost my sanity

OLD MASTERLIST ゜・★･ﾟMASTERLIST

TAGS FOR NAVIGATION (will continue to be updated) [navigation] for things like masterlists + the navigation post (this one) [masterlist] for masterlists [res ･ﾟ writing] for any of my writing [old writing] for my old stuff that my og followers know me for

[billowingangel]

Welcome ✧

I've been into hetalia since 2016 and for a while I tried to pretend I didn't like it....And I'm tired of living that lie! So I'm back to thinking, loving, obsessing, and writing about Hetalia.

I also block very freely and I'd rather people be 18+ to interact (since occasionally I may post nsfw/nsft which I will always tag)

I'm currently working on a few fanfictions which you can find on AO3 and FF.net

My favorite character is Canada 🍁 And I ship him with pretty much anyone...and I mean anyone...If that makes you uncomfortable please feel free to block this blog or the tags associated with ships you are uncomfortable with. I may at times reblog problematic ships, I'll add tags for the ship and a cw for the problematic element of the ship. Please take care of your mental health and curate your online space to what is best for you ♡ ˎˊ˗

more information below the canada picture

Wow, you clicked continue reading so here's more annoying stuff about me and this blog (^_^)

I spam reblog, mostly fanart (so many in this fandom are so talented!) and miscellaneous things (memes, random shit, writing tips, etc).

I'll occasionally post some of my own fanfictions (drabbles or links to them)

I also will post my rambling silly thoughts. I have decided to let myself loose and be as annoying authentic as possible here.

Also I will do my best to tag content/trigger warnings but I may forget (memory of a goldfish) so if I do please let me know

Here are some tags I use on this blog to organize (still working on what tags to use) ᯓ★

#art reblog ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡): self explanatory

#hetalia fanart ✨: reblogs of hetalia fanart

#canon tbh: posts that I see as accurate to character's personalities, how I perceive them, and how I think they'd act

#hetalia fanfiction:

#hetalia meme:

#positivity: posts and reblogs that are positiive

#misc: posts that are surprisingly not related to hetalia

#me core: reblogs that I really relate to

#fanfic imagine: imagining a fanfiction and maybe i'll write or finish the idea

#fanfic in progress: my thoughts during the process of writing fanfiction, debating whether I should do this or that, talking about what I plan to do, blah blah

#my fanfic: fanfiction that I have written, usually a link to ao3 but may also be to ff.net

I also mostly tag hetalia characters as hws so if you look up hws canada (for example) you'll be able to see all posts about that character

Some of my favorite posts of mine ┈─★

Now more about me which is why you're reading this (I'm just kidding)

Call me angel or anything really I don't care what I'm called (ᐢ. ̫ .ᐢ)

Also please feel free to message me!! I love talking to people but I get a bit hestitant about initiating. My discord is billowingangel if you want to talk there!

I'm 20 years old and I go by she/her pronouns and I'm a lesbian I love me some boobs what can I say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I may be a raging homosexual but I'm also a raging hetaliansexual (joke), I am attracted to so many fictional male characters and shockingly a ton of them are from hetalia (shoot me dead)

I love hetalia if that isn't obvious, it's on my brain a probably disturbing amount what can I say I'm mentally ill. I also like other anime (demon slayer <333, jujutsu kaisen, the witch and the beast, parasyte, etc), doctor who (so happy there's a new season), yuri manga!!, and other shit. I love horrors and thrillers! I rarely watch romantic comedies but I love reading romance in fanfiction ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm working on my own book (probably my 20th book) but I'm hoping to actually finish this one.

I am also working on multiple fanfictions: red means it's completed

off the grid: canada slightly snaps and goes on vacation lol

???:idk what to call it, america, england, and france are all fighting for canada's love and he's oblivious

unhealthy obsession: another country becomes obsessed with canada

Falling for Canada: multiple rarepair oneshots with Canada

My first omegaverse 0.0

a really stupid horror drabble that I posted

amecan week 2024

And I believe that's it~ Maybe I'll add my favorite ships

[theodosiani]

LET'S GET REACQUAINTED ! hey rpc ! lets be honest, datv brought us all back in one way or another either you're a veteran or new, i'm sure there is stuff that has changed or we don't know each other so let's have a game about it to reintroduce each other ! repost this to do the same & tag some pals if you want !

Name / Penname: Sawyer for veterans, did you go by something previously ? if so what was it if you're comfortable sharing that name &/or penname: Used to be known as Sarah, don't mind if folks know but Don't Call Me That. age & gender( if comfortable sharing ): Nonbinary, 29 what was your first dragon age muse: I will be so forreal I don't remember if Averill or Varania's blog came first but I thiiiink it was one of the two of them? do you have any other darp muses / blogs: I run @orxna and I used to write on @rattrunner and @birdfacedelf, and several other muses that I've since moved over to my multi here. what muses / blogs do you have outside of darp: None right now thedas has two moons: true | false - Two moon truther I don't care what any of the newer media says

single line, para, or novella: Honestly, I'm pretty open for anything. I am a person who may spit out a multi para at you out of nowhere and if we haven't agreed to a length beforehand do not feel pressured to match my legnth. I just can't shut up about my muses sometimes. plotting or winging it: I like to plot a lot, I think it's fun to talk about how our muses interact and I think it can give more depth and nuance to any future spontaneous interactions. That being said, I also like just stuff out of the blue it's fun and brings in variety. fighting threads, you bold enough for them?: Depends entirely on the muse but yeah, I do like them. I do like to have some idea of how they're mostly going to go, and I'm ALWAYS happy to have a muse lose if yours is understandably more powerful. I actually think it's quite fun to find creative ways to throw my muses at brick walls so to speak. The desperation builds character. what content warnings are on your blog?: There's a lot of body horror potential from Several muses, I've got blood mages and demons and eldritch abominations so it's not something I shy away from. I do also have some level of child abuse in several of my muses' histories along with themes of slavery and finding personhood after. what things do you need tagged for your comfort?: Just general epilepsy related tags. Flashing gifs, epilepsy warning, etc.

shipping preferences: single | multi | no ship | polyshipshipping boundaries: For the most part, as long as a person shows pretty basic respect of not autoshipping, and actually checking in with me? I'm real open for shipping. I love smashing our barbie dolls together, I like to be able to talk with folks about the ships so like communication is key and all that but I'm not particularly finicky, I guess? I also love all varieties of ships be they romantic or platonic. favorite ships in dragon age: I love HoF/Sten, any HoF I simply don't care it's just a good ship whether it's queer platonic or romantic, I am a VarricHawke truther. I did not like Solavellan when the game first came out but because of all the wonderful rpers in darp I'm pretty feral for it now lol. favorite ships from the rpc( tag your friends ships ! ): My fucking KINGDOM for Solas(@theharellan) and Ian(@theshirallen). I have shipped that shit for almost my entire time in Darp which is buckwild. I love Inara(@valorcorrupt) and Alistair, Merc has given me so much emotional damage over on Orxna about it.

fun facts about yourself that may have changed since in the past ten years( when inquisition dropped )--

This is so hard, lol. Well, I don't live in the south anymore and am, in fact, like an hour from canada now. I also work on a whole ass Farm now, it's pretty great.

be honest, did you miss darp. come on now--

Yeah, I really got my legs writing in darp I think it very much helped shape who I am as a writer. Definitely helped me fine tune what kinds of characters and tropes I enjoy and work on my collaboration with cowriters just as passionate about this series as I am.

challenge round ! put a small top five things unrelated to dragon age !

I have Too Many birds. Three geese, one gander, twenty-six hens, and one rooster.

I also have too many dogs. I have four Hungarian puli and two Scottish deerhound.

I'm working towards getting my vet etch certification in the next few years.

I currently work at a brick fire oven pizza place making pizza and I'm really good at stretching dough HOWEVER I cannot toss dough. I don't have the pizza rizz necessary but I make a really good sausage mushroom alfredo pizza.

Snow was put upon this earth to specifically inconvenience me every morning when I must do bird chores.

tagging: I am really bad at tagging because I have a horrible time keeping track of people who've already answered so just steal if you wanna

[ryoshudoodles]

The Plushū Diaries

This is a long post about the plushie I made as a beginner and just me venting about the process. Just skip this is you don't like long posts. Also I will probably mix up UK and US English a lot here. The usual Internet learning experience.

Canto 1- I can (not) make a plushie myself

So... As you may gather from the existence of this blog, I love Ryōshū a very normal amount. And like many other PM fans, I wanted a plushie of my best girl.

Two problems arise.

Independently made plushies made by commission are EXPENSIVE (For a very valid reason, this things take AGES to make and require a lot of work and skill.).

And

All the "Mass" produced ones by indie designers that I saw had animal ears or features, which I don't really like.

So, Sunday at around 10:00 pm, I, in all my wisdom, say to myself "I want it! So I'll make it!" I already had some material from a previous failed attempt, so might as well use them.

I dug up the doll skeleton and the body I had and stuffed that thing. By then it was already late and I had to work on Monday so, to bed I went.

Canto 2- The Real Start

By morning on the following day, I had already gotten over the Idea of making a plushie myself. Too much work. Too little skill. Like any other good little ADHD demon, I am allergic to completing my own projects and I jump from new idea to new idea too quickly to get anything done.

So, imagine my shock when at 11:00 pm I get that little itch to just make the thing. That little night owl brain magic that happens when everyone else is asleep and you are just now deciding to be productive.

So I grab the body, my embroidery thread and a bathtub of coffee and I just started.

Luckily I already had a pattern that a friend printed out for me two years ago. But then, the mistakes also started.

Mistake 1- Improv

I had no idea what I wanted to make. I had a design that I had painted In photoshop before but I didn't have that materials nor skills for that. So I made a simpler one on the spot. I don't own a printer. I don't have transfer paper. So... like a person with a very aesthetically pleasing smooth brain, I just drew the design STRAIGHT ON THE FABRIC with BRIGHT red pen.

Mistake 2 - The bright red pen

At the start it wasn't much of an issue just something to mark the design because I don't have a tearaway stabilizer.

By the end of this saga, those smooth clear lines had bled SO MUCH I could no longer tell the difference between te guide and random stains. Oh! And you can also see the guidelines from the outside of the doll. Cool.

Mistake, the third - The felt hair

This doesn't seem like a mistake, but trust me, It will haunt the narrative.

Mistake forever after - Hubris

It took... around 1 hour to line up everything correctly on the embroidery ring? Why? Because I am stupid, that's why.

During this first day I decided that I didn't need to use pins. I could just put it on the ring by eyeballing it. How bad can it be?

I was a fool. There's a reason why professionals use them, and there's a reason why some people sew some pieces temporarily during certain steps of the process before finally attaching them together. Pins truly are unsung heroes.

Canto 3- The unembroidered

So... embroidery. Embroidery is hard. Symmetrical embroidery is hard. Symmetrical embroidery with bleeding guidelines and no stabilizer is HARD. Symmetrical embroidery with bleeding guidelines, no stabilizer and you are a total beginner is maddening.

I watched someone do it by hand on YouTube before and I tried to mimic the process as much as I could. It didn't help much. Youtube tutorials can only do so much to compensate my lack of experience.

By the time I had done one eye I was already seeing problems. My stitches were all scattered to the four winds. They were all going in different directions. Some of them were too far apart or too close to others. The lines in the back of the doll were piling up and there were more knots in the thread than in your average omegaverse fic.

I went colour by colour. First black since I needed it to line the hair and it was the most used colour, then white just for the little highlights and finally red.

(Funny thing, the number of this red thread of this brand is 666 wich is kinda funny for miss hellscreen over here.)

After the red thread it finally started to look kinda decent (by beginner standards)

Canto 4 - Revenge of the felt hair

After all the embroidery was done it was finally time to get her off the ring and sew the parts together.

For those unaware, the regular soft plushie material, Minky, is really lightweight and very thin. Felt... isn't thin. And when you are sewing a plushie head with may parts and layers, all those millimeters of fabric pile up really quickly. One layer of felt is easy to pierce with a needle. Five layers? Not so much. Several needles were broken in the process of joining the front of the head with the back. I do not own a sewing machine. I did all of this shit by hand.

Thank god for the tetanus vaccine. When I say this little creature has my blood, sweat and tears, I MEAN IT.

The curse of the felt hair didn't end there.

Now that the head was done, it was time to stuff it.

Naturally, I had to rip parts of the stuffing to get it inside the head and around the skeleton. This sent bits and pieces of the thing flying everywhere. My room is FILTHY. And the felt hair got the worst of it. All those little dusts and microfibers stuck to it like a fly in a web. As I write this I am still trying to rip out bits of stuffing without damaging the felt. It is horrible. My girl is DIRTY.

(Also, plushie heads take WAY more stuffing than I thought. Holy shit.)

Finally, on the last day, it was time to attach the body to the head and sew the back of the hair. (I should have done that before but... more layers of felt. Broken needles. You know... nheeeeeee)

So, with a lot of fear in my heart I ladder stitched those bastards together and mocked up a decent enough pattern for the back of the hair. And just like that.... she is done.

Canto 5- The Plushie Defining

So... what did I learn?

Use pins. Stitch things temporarily with an obvious visible line that you can cut out after and test things before committing to a permanent stitch. If you are a beginner, like me, and are afraid to sew pieces together because you don't want to ruin your embroidered parts that you spent SO LONG working on, do this before.

Fuck felt.

Don't use a bright red pen.

Mess up. Make your plushie. Make it ugly. If you hate making bodies like me, buy one made and practice the head. Despite everything, I love my asymmetrical girl a lot. Like... I made this little bastard. She is MINE and I made her. This never stops being magical. It's a nice feeling.

And I did it without specific materials.

Some cheap threads, a body you can probably make too, some felt I found at the discount bin and random needles. That was all. No tearaway stabilizer, no sewing machine, no printer, no embroidery machine. The minky fabric is the only thing that was more of an investment. The rest is pretty accessible.

Do you know that post that says "Everything worth doing is worth doing poorly." Yeah, that applies to artistic projects. Go for it! Just... don't start with something hard like a human... Christ sake that was a nightmare.

I'm probably still gonna get a better plushie of her in the future, but for now, this is my baby.

Goodnight Tri-state area.

[miiilowo]

May I ask for some info on characters in your gay boy summer drawing (Idk names sorry)

GRINS EVILLY. yes u may ( vvv pictures for people who havent seen em)

human dudes named finn, big monsters named arthur. arthurs not his actual name, but ill get to that in a minute. theyre ocs ive had for quite some time now but i've been renovating because i wanna make an actual digital horror series sometime in the coming years (everything would be posted to an in-universe youtube channel 'owned' by finn)

Finn is a shoddy paranormal investigator who lives alone in an RV out by the woods. While he's not too far from town, he's out there enough to get in trouble and not have anyone find out for ... A longer period of time than what would be preferable, let's just say that. Loves ghoul hunting. loves ghouls. ghosts and demons and whatnot. Uploads everything to a youtube channel.

One day, he decides to check out an abandoned house thats rumored to have demonic rituals and summonings happening within it, cause why wouldn't he? He gets there. snaps a photo down the hall. sees a numerous amount of red eyes staring back at him, and immediately books it back home! naturally he immediately gets followed home by the Thing he found. this is not preferable.

Arthur, when summoned, only has one way he can get back home. He needs a willing blood sacrifice in order to draw the portal and return- Emphasis on the word "willing". Typically, he would manipulate the summoner into being that sacrifice, by getting them emotionally attached in some way; making them reliant on him. Whoever summoned him last was aware of this, however, and booked it before he could do anything. With Finn being his first human contact in years, he's desperate, and tracks him down-So he can lure him in and use him.

issue one: there's been a string of murders in the woods nearby where he lives issue two: he's kinda thick skulled. since the murders happened recently, there might be some weird paranormal activity happening, right? issue three: the killer was visiting the scene of the crime when finn showed up, as killers tend to do. now he has a murderer coming for his ass

now, you can't really have a "willing blood sacrifice" if someone kills them before you do, right?

the series would follow the two as arthur tries his absolute best to keep finn from getting killed, and over time, arthur realizes he isn't being kind and loving to finn just because he needs to use him to get back home anymore.

anyways. handful misc information:

finn nicknamed arthur out of fear when he saw it staring at him through his window in the dark at like 2 am and it stuck

arthur cannot form words because of the way his mouth is, so he primarily communicates through technology, sort of forcing finn to be constantly recording. think of that one scare in the mandela catalogue where the date displaying on the recording changes to the words 'bad idea, mark' or whatever it says

eventually i want finn to strap a modified spirit box to arthurs neck so he can communicate like that. ideally this will resemble withered chicas voicelines in ultimate custom night

everything about them you can find in the #redux tag on my blog and also on @reduxblog cause i RB everything there :3

[eating-plastic]

Unwinding by the Lake: Ace Visconti x Fem!Reader (SMUT)

Warnings: NSFW, smut, (minors and ageless blogs do not touch please and thanks!), age gap (older man-younger woman. Reader is ALWAYS +18), AFAB!Reader, Oral Sex (male and female receiving), face fucking, face sitting, fingering, daddy kink, slight degradation, lots of pet names, fluff, comfort, probably some grammatical errors

Word Count: 2898 words

A/N: This is a part two for my other Ace Visconti x Fem!Reader fic Away from the campfire. I was originally not gonna write one, but a lovely anon on AO3 asked if I could write one focusing on "Ace using reader's mouth" and I was all like "You know what? I can certainly do that!" Unfortunately, they asked me this months ago lol whoops. Oh well, better late than never, right? I don't know, hopefully someone else enjoys this. Cheers!

--------------------

Despite the horrific circumstances that led to it, your relationship with Ace is one of the best things that has ever happened to you. Your relationship continues to burn strong, so much so, that it makes it easy to distract yourselves from the unforgiving and harsh realm that is the fog. It is something you are incredibly grateful for, even with the embarrassment you sometimes feel when he gets the urge to smother you with affection in front of the other survivors.

It is also a sentiment that he echoes greatly. You have no idea just how happy you make the older gambler. While your shyness would make someone believe that you are aloof and uncaring, you are the sweetest woman he has ever had the pleasure of meeting. And while he may consider himself a “lucky bastard”, he truly believes that you actually being with him is nothing short of a miracle. 

Ace knows he isn’t the best man in the world. While he can be helpful and even heroic in his own way during trials, he also knows that he can be impulsive and brash. Traits that he still possessed from his old gambling days that seemed both ages ago and mere minutes ago. Time works oddly in the fog.

The point is, despite loving you and you loving him, he still feels like you’re too good for him sometimes. A beautiful, caring, younger woman like yourself didn’t deserve “an old fuck up” like him; his words, certainly not yours. No, in his head you deserve a nice, simple life with someone more like you and a nice house with a picket fence, maybe some kids and a dog. A life that, when he wasn’t in the entity’s realm, would’ve scoffed at and continued to chase the rush and adrenaline from a game of blackjack or poker. 

Now though, he honestly wouldn’t mind a life like that, especially with you. He was done with rushes and bursts of adrenaline. God, does he hate it here in the fog. Not only because of the trials, but also because they remind him of a fact he hates to admit: he is old.

As much as he can joke about how he’s not as old as Bill or Ash, he still wasn’t as young as he likes to think. Hell, he didn’t even have the excuse that they had where their past lives were full of running from monsters. Heh, zombies and demons; two things that he wouldn’t have believed in, but now, after being here for God knows how long and seeing all that he has seen, would be tame. 

After doing five trials back to back, Ace is surprised he was even able to drag himself over to the place where he knew you’d be waiting for him: the good ol’ lake. He leans against a tree and lets out a groan of exhaustion. He raises his hands to his face to rub it in a means to get some sort of energy back.

“Ace?”

His eyes shoot open and he quickly clears his throat at the sound of your voice. As soon as he sees you peek around a tree, he flashes you one of his signature smiles and straightens his back; he hopes that you don’t see him wincing from that. Unfortunately for him, your keen eyes spot it in an instant, causing your face to drop.

“Hey, babydoll. Been missing you,” he says, trying to distract you from his drained state. 

You just shake your head and hold his face in your hands, a gesture which makes him visibly relax and drop the suave act he was putting on. 

“Tough day?” you ask, though you already know the answer to that. From the fact that you hardly saw Ace all “day”, for lack of better terms, you figured he was marathoning trials.

“Eh, what can I say? I was clearly someone’s favorite,” he shrugs, nonchalantly. “But hey, let’s not think about that. Right now, let's think about you, me, and a nice hour or so alone. What do ya say?”

--------------------

You honestly can’t think of a better way to unwind than snuggling up with Ace by the lake. Despite how comfortable you are with your head on his chest and seeing a look of content on his face, you can’t help but think about another way to help the older man relax. Then again, you don’t want to ruin the wholesome mood and the thought does seem rather out of character for you. 

“Yeah, this is just what the doctor ordered,” Ace sighs before glancing down at you. Confusion takes over however, as he sees your conflicting face. “You okay, Y/N?”

You meet his gaze and your face quickly grows warm before looking away. Your fingers fidget with the fabric of his undershirt as you try to put together what you want to say.

“Um, well…I don’t know. I-It’s nothing,” you attempt to assure him that everything is fine, but he clearly isn’t buying it.

“Hey, you know you can tell me anything, angel,” he moves the hand that was resting behind his head to hold your hand that was playing with his shirt. “Come on, what’s up?”

You look back to his face and see how soft his expression has become. You sigh and turn your attention to his hand holding yours. You certainly aren’t going to look him in the eyes when you make your proposal.

“I guess…I just have another idea to…help you relax?” you cringe. Oh how you wish you were less awkward with things like that. 

“Oh really?” Ace asks, intrigued. He lets go of your hand to tilt your head up to look at him. Of course he wants to see your face for this. “And what might that be, hm?”

“W-well… it might be better if I…showed you,” you then move slowly and carefully to straddle his waist, resulting in him giving you a sly smirk. “Is…is this okay?”

“You’re the doctor, here, baby,” the older man wastes no time with grabbing your waist, with one of them threatening to move lower. “You know what’s good for me.”

God, it’s all enough to soak your panties, but this is all about Ace, so you lean down and kiss him. That doesn’t stop you from rocking your hips back and forth though, especially as he works his tongue into your mouth. Even when you pull away for a quick breather, you quickly move to leave a trail of kisses along his jaw and neck, getting lower and lower. 

He can’t help but chuckle at the initiative you’re taking, still as shy as ever but he still feels proud at your taste of confidence. It was funny since you could handle trials like they’re nothing, yet when it’s just you and him during moments like this, you turn into a stuttering mess. Despite that, he certainly isn’t going to stop encouraging you with taking the reins, even if it’s only slightly.

Once you reach his abdomen, you push his undershirt up and trace your fingers over his skin before fiddling with his belt. While you fidget with it, another dirty thought enters your head making you audibly whine. 

“Aww, are we getting eager already?” Ace props himself up on his forearms to get a better look at you.

“Well…,” you breathe. “This is about making you feel better, so…you should be able to use my mouth however you like.”

While this isn’t the first time you’ve had his dick in your mouth, he’s never really fuck your mouth before. With your dirty mind though, the idea just sound so fucking good. Besides, it would definitely make him feel better.

“Really? You want daddy to fuck your mouth, huh?” he purrs.

“Y-Yeah,” you mumble, your eyes not leaving the belt that you had just undone. 

“Well, if that’s what you think is best, then let’s go ahead with the procedure, ‘doc’.”

You nod before undoing his fly and taking his cock out. You can’t help but wet your lips at the sight of it, before leaning down to drag your tongue up the shaft. Ace allows you to lick away at his member for a little bit, but soon rest his hand on the back of your head. You quickly move to wrap your lips around the leaking tip and look up at him through your eyelashes, silently giving him his green light.

To your slight surprise, he doesn’t start out rough. Instead, he slowly moves your head up and down his dick, getting a feel of things. The pace has you ensnared with anticipation for him to go faster because you know eventually he will. The thrill of it, on top of the pleasant sighs and breaths that escape Ace’s lips, go straight to your cunt.

“Yeah…that’s it. Always knowing just what daddy needs,” he exhales before suddenly slamming your head all the way down his cock. You let out a muffled moan in surprise and feel your pussy clench around nothing. 

That is the turning point that you were waiting for. Ace figured you were probably prepped enough, so why not pick up the pace? It’s rough and brutal, every time he slams into the back of your throat makes tears prickle in the corner of your eyes and saliva seep past your sealed lips. And honestly, you only get more and more turned on by it all.

Just as you are about to reach your hand under your skirt to help relieve that ache in between your legs though, Ace pulls you off of his dick causing you to whine in confusion. I mean, sure a little break sounds nice, but you feel more frustrated than anything.

“Shit, am I going to rough for you?” he asks, noticing the tears streaming down your cheeks and how out of breath you sound.

“What? N-No, not at all,” you pant, wiping your face. You take a couple more deep breaths and compose yourself before speaking again. “I’m enjoying this too. I-I want you to continue. Please, I…I want your cum down my throat”

You feel way to fucked out at this point to feel embarrassed by your confession. All you do feel like doing is giving the older man the best puppy dog eyes you can muster and moving your head back down to lick the tip of his member. Ace lets out a hiss and tightens his grip on your hair from your actions.

“Hah…you’re gonna be the death of me, angel,” he chuckles and nudges your head closer to his dick. 

With that, you eagerly wrap your lips around him once more and he resumes the harsh pace he had before. Your hand can also complete its mission of granting you a bit of relief as it is able to move under your skirt and push your damp panties to the side. The feeling of your index and middle finger gliding through your slick fold makes you shudder and moan around the gambler’s cock.

“Aah…hah, you keep doing that, and you’ll get your wish granted for sure,” Ace groans and rolls his head back.

You take this as motivation and know exactly what to do to drive him crazy. You move your finger to stroke your clit, making you moan and whimper even more. 

“Fuck! Mm I knew you’d like the sound of that. Who kn-ah knew a sweet lil’ thing like you could be so dirty,” that’s when you feel the slightest twitch of his cock against your tongue. God, he is so close and that just thrills you even more. “O-oh…! Heh, you just love being used, huh? Just like being daddy’s favorite sex toy, right?”

If you could nod, you would, but instead you answer with what you’ve been giving him before: your muffled noises and willing mouth.

“Yeah, that’s it. That’s it! Oh fuck! Fuck!”

Your mouth floods with Ace’s cum and you try to swallow as much of it as possible, but it’s not an easy feat from just how much of it there was. What you can’t get down drips past your sealed lips just like your spit. It’s all overwhelming enough for you to pull your hand away from your wet cunt to grab his thigh as a brace.

Once he comes down from his high, he pulls you off of him and pulls you both to sit up. He then tries to gently wipe your face as clean as he can get it.

“There we go. Good as new,” he smiles and kisses your lips tenderly, something which you eagerly return.

“Do you feel better now?” you ask when you two pull away. Ace laughs before placing another kiss to your forehead.

“Oh yeah. That fixed me up real nice,” suddenly, he grabs your hips and pulls you closer to him. “But unfortunately, doc, I don’t think I got the money to pay you. You need a reward though, and I think we can work something out.”

“O-Oh, well…you really don’t have too. This was all about you,” you stutter despite your body crying for its canceled release.

“Really?” he drawls and places open mouth kisses along your neck. “So that little pussy of yours doesn’t need any attention? Come on, sweetheart, I saw that hand of yours under your skirt.”

To prove his point, he too snakes his hand underneath the soft fabric. When his fingers meet your soaked lips he hums in amusement.

“Oh yeah, my babydoll needs something all right,” he smirks and slips his index and middle finger inside of you, making you gasp. You then grasp at his jacket and pant while he pumps his digits. “Hmm, let me think….Oh, I think I know.”

“W-What?” you whine, but then give him a frustrated huff as he pulls his fingers out of you.

“I’m thinking about treating you to a nice seat right…here,” he then raises his hands to motion at his face. 

“Oh,” is all you can squeak out as a response, but Ace can tell you love the idea.

“That sounds good, doesn’t it, angel?” he purrs and plays with the waistband of your panties before pulling them down, indicating that he wants you to take them off. You nod your head eagerly and awkwardly remove the fabric due to your position. “Mhmm, I thought so. Now then, let’s get comfy again.”

With that, he lays back down and casually rests his hands behind his head, waiting for you to get into position. You slowly and carefully move yourself up his body until you’re eventually hovering above his face. 

“Uh…is this ok-ah!” you get cut off as Ace pulls you down and your pussy collides with his mouth. He wastes no time licking away at you, his hands now gripping your thighs next to his face like a vice, making loud, shaky moans tumble from your lips.

“A-Ah! A-Ace, slow down-hah!” you cry out, but still grind yourself against his face. God, you’re already so close to cumming and you only seem to inch closer each time his nose brushes your clit. 

In response to your plea, the older man hums before latching his lips around your sensitive bud and sucks on it hard. You wail out in pleasure and almost double over. Your hands scramble to grab anything as a brace, one settling on Ace’s hair and the other grasping at the dead grass underneath you two. 

Your new hunched position makes it a little hard for him to breathe, but truthfully he couldn’t care less; he’ll happily suffocate between your legs as long as it means he gets to taste you. This thought makes him release your clit from his mouth, opting to now fuck you with his tongue instead. That doesn’t mean the bundle of nerves in between your legs gets a break though, as he lets go of one of your thighs to stroke it with his thumb.

This is what ultimately does you in, as you cry and your thighs tremble from his actions. All it takes is three more strokes of his thumb before your release washes over you, your sobs of pleasure echoing off of the trees around you. Ace slips his tongue out of you and places kisses along your wet slit and his hands massage your thighs as he waits for you to come back down to Earth. 

Once you get your bearings, you shakily move off of him to sit and continue to catch your breath. Ace props himself on his forearms to flash you an amused grin, licking your slick from his lips and wiping the rest off with his sleeve.

“Whew! God, you are perfect,” he muses, making you laugh shyly. He then scoots closer to you and wraps an arm around you, embracing you at his side before peppering the top of your head with kisses. You can’t help but giggle at this and bury your face into his neck, a pleasant sigh leaving your lips.

“I love you,” you whisper as you nuzzle into him.

Ace gives you a smile and looks down at you. No, he may not think he is good enough for you, but you clearly think he is. And that is all that this old gambler needs. 

“I love you, too, Y/N.”

[pengychan]

[Baldur’s Gate III] Hell to Pay, Ch. 21

Illustration by @raphaels-little-beast

Title: Hell to Pay Summary: Assassinating an archdevil is a daunting task, even for the heroes of Baldur’s Gate. Some inside help from ‘the devil they know’ would be good, if not for the detail their last meeting ended with said devil dead in his own home. Or did it? Characters: Raphael, the Dark Urge, Astarion, Haarlep, Halsin, Karlach, Wyll. Rating: M Status: In progress

All chapters will be tagged as ‘hell to pay’ on my blog. Also on Ao3.

*** When you gift an incubus to your son as a slight, and it turns out to be the best thing you've ever done for him. (The bar is on the floor in the eighth layer of the Hells.) ***

��It’s been too long.”

“It’s been just over two hours.”

“Which is entirely too long. We should go--”

“Haarlep asked us to give them three hours before we went looking, remember?”

“And I was against it,” Raphael snapped, stopping mid-stride to turn and glare at the damned bhaalspawn who’d had the brilliant idea to tell Haarlep that their hare-brained scheme to infiltrate the scab on their own was actually a good plan . “That would have been the end of it, if you hadn’t decided to put it to the vote!”

Halfway through polishing the leather of the penumbral armor, Astarion looked up with both eyebrows raised. “No, it wouldn’t have been the end of it. As Haarlep made a point to remind you, they don’t have to obey you anymore. They could go with or without your approval.”

A scoff. “They fact they don’t have to doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t obey--”

“Oh, is the devil missing complete control over his bedslave?” Astarion asked, and Raphael wished nothing more than seeing that smirk wiped from his face. He had no patience for snide remarks borne out of his own grievances for two centuries of slavery. 

“You’re making the incorrect assumption Haarlep was ever under my complete control,” he snapped. “But yes, I could make them desist if they came up with something as idiotically suicidal as strolling in a burrow filled with demons!”

The spawn snorted and seemed about to reply, only to pause when Durge leaned in and murmured something under their breath. Not under their breath enough, however, for Raphael not to hear. “Astarion, please. He’s scared.”

Later on, Raphael would be informed with a laugh that he’d looked like he was about to have an aneurysm. He very much felt like he was, to be entirely honest. “What are you-- I am most certainly-- I am concerned that the imbecile is going to get themself caught! They’d put every demon in there on high alert, and I wouldn’t even get the satisfaction of skinning them alive!”

Durge looked back at them, those blood red eyes infuriatingly calm. Was it him, or had their lips quirked upwards for a moment. “I am certain they know what they’re doing.”

“Then you don’t know them at a--”

“Or perhaps you should have a little more faith in their abilities,” the druid cut him off, lifting his eyes from… hadn’t he whittled enough ducks already? “They can fool some demons, certainly. It was impressive, how they simply turned into… er… I’m actually not sure that that was. Karlach?”

“A bulezau,” Karlach replied. She was taking advantage of the break to fix up her armor, too, while Ravengard sharpened his rapier. “Nasty beasts, those. When did they even get the chance to bed one of them?”

Raphael had absolutely no clue why or when Haarlep had decided that bedding one of Baphomet's perfect children would be a bright idea, nor he cared - aside from the fact it was proof of their poor judgment, as far as he was concerned. “The fact they look like a demon doesn’t guarantee their success. Demons may tear one another apart on a whim, and that’s assuming they’re not found out. One demon capable of seeing through their glamor, a single slip of the tongue--”

“You wound me, my pet. My tongue never slips, it’s always exactly where it’s meant to be. And this was a fine performance, if I do say so myself.”

For a moment after turning back to the entrance to see his own face grinning at him, Raphael wasn’t sure whether he wanted to strangle that idiot, turn them into a sheep, or strangling them after turning them into a sheep. But as they had made him back, he settled for letting them share any useful information they may have gathered, first.

There would be time to kill them later, after all.

***

Mephistar hadn’t changed at all since he’d left. 

Granted, he’d only been away a few years; it amounted to nothing, for a citadel that had stood there so long that records of its creation were lost to time. But he had changed plenty, and stepping back in through the gates, warmth rolling out in clouds of steam that quickly froze in the harsh cold outside, felt both alien and familiar.

He’d known he would have to visit, of course, the moment he took Bel’s offer to become the steward of Avernus. It was tradition for all new stewards to pay a courtesy visit to stewards of other layers, and that was what he’d been doing for the past tenday. From Dis to Minauros, through Phlegethos and Stigya, to Malbolge and Maladomini, he’d met representatives of each layer - down and down he’d gone, from the first all the way down to the Eighth.

Cania.

Granted, he received a better welcome than he had when he’d first been plucked from the Material Plane at his father’s whim. Two attendants rushed to take his cloak, with one bowing so low it was a wonder his spine did not break.

“Duke Raphael,” he spoke, and Raphael had to hold back a smile. He suspected he’d never quite tire of the title Bel had bestowed upon him when he’d made him his steward. A true title, not the mockery ‘little duke’ had been. “Please forgive us, we were not expecting you this early. Duke Adonides is on his way back to Mephistar as we speak. If you’d be so kind as to follow me, you may freshen up and rest as you wait for his return.”

Raphael was not early and Adonides was being the spiteful bastard he’d always been, but that was no surprise. Any and all who’d looked down on him as their lord’s halfbreed whelp now knew he was capable of ascension, capable of wielding hellfire, and with a keen enough mind to become the steward of Avernus. They would hate him, for the notion alone that a half-fiend could achieve what they could not, but what did it matter? He’d gladly trade scorn for hatred any given day, and he intended to deserve it.

Raphael nodded and followed the attendant to luxurious enough quarters with a sitting room, as well as a bedroom with a hot water pool. It was inviting, he had to admit: even with his resistance to cold, crossing Cania’s frigid wastes was unpleasant to say the least. 

“Is there anything I may get for you, sir?” the attendant was asking, and Raphael didn’t turn to look at him before he answered.

“Some wine would be welcomed.”

“At once, sir.” The attendant left, and Raphael glanced at the doorway to his left, towards the bedroom. He was expected to spend the night, it seemed. Not overly uncommon, although not all layers were the same; he’d been sent away from the Iron Tower nearly as soon as the meeting with the steward of Dis had ended, while the steward of Phlegethos had insisted he remain a second night to visit the Pit of Flame.

He wasn’t certain he could tell what he’d precisely hoped would be the case in Cania. Part of him wanted to leave as quickly as possible, and part of him wondered if his presence would cause enough of a stir for someone other than Adonides to visit him. 

The answer to that came as a knock at the door that came too soon after the attendant had left for it to be him. He turned, straightening himself, and called out. “Come in.”

The door opened, and Lady Antilia stood in the doorway, the usual half-smile on her lips. It widened a moment before she spoke. “Say, am I still allowed to call you little duke?”

Some of the tension that had been coiling in his stomach faded, and Raphael smiled back. “The High Cantor of Mephistar may call me however she wishes, and I’ll consider it a honor.”

A scoff. “Flatterer,” she said, and shut the door behind herself before closing the distance between them in three strides and pulling him into an embrace that Raphael found himself returning, that fluttering sensation back in his chest. When Antilia pulled back, she was laughing. “Well, look at you - Steward of Avernus,” she said, and turned his head to look at the hair he kept tied back in a loose tail. “And you grew out your hair? Heh. It fits you. I’m glad to see you gave my words some thought. About staying in Avernus, not the hair.”

“For someone who warned me of her untrustworthiness time and time again, you have yet to give me the wrong advice,” Raphael pointed out, and she chuckled. 

“Careful there. One may tell you the truth a million times, until they have reason to lie.”

“Speaking of lies, do you know where Adonides truly is?”

“Believe it or not, he was actually called to deal with some unexpected business in the Material Plane. He’ll return by evening to meet you.”

“But I’m expected to stay the night,” Raphael pointed out, and Lady Antilia nodded. 

“... Your lord father will ask for your presence come morning.”

There it was again, the knot in his stomach, the primeval fear threatening to choke him; even the fact he was there as an envoy under the protection of the Lord of the First couldn’t quite smother it. It had to show on his face for all his efforts, because her hands reached to grasp his and held tight. “He is not displeased,” she spoke quickly. “I will not claim I can read him as well as others might, but I promise you, he did not demand your presence in anger.”

A long breath, and Raphael managed to force out a laugh. “How do I know you’re not lying now?” he asked, and she chuckled as well. 

“Why would he be displeased? You have been sent to serve in Avernus, and you’ve done it exceptionally well. Your rise at Bel’s court is the talk of the Hells. It reflects well on him, that a halfbreed son of his can achieve that much in so little time. That, and he cannot harm another archdevil’s steward. He knows that as well as you do.”

That was true, he knew it to be true. Raphael nodded. “... Of course, you’re right.”

A knock at the door and the attendant was back, carrying the wine and some silver goblets before making himself scarce again. They shared the wine, as well as some idle chatter - some gossip as to what went on in the highest floors of the palace from her part, some speculation over what fate may have befallen the missing general Shummrath from his, talk of music and poetry from both.

They were almost out of wine when Raphael asked, “How did you become the High Cantor of Mephistar?”

Her hand paused midway to her goblet. She looked over, the mild surprise already fading in an amused look. “Same way you became Steward of Avernus. I had talents others did not, or at the very least I played my strengths better than most.”

“You mentioned you’re not much older than myself, and you were already the High Cantor when I arrived in Cania. Did you lie about your age, Lady Antilia?”

“Oh dear, asking a lady her age? You seem to have misplaced your manners in Avernus,” she lamented, but she was smiling as she brought the goblet to her mouth. Still, she did deign him with an answer. “From what I heard, my mother was devoted to some deity before she switched allegiance with the Hells. She bore me willingly and was aware of the cost, I was told. As soon as I was born, the deity destroyed her soul as revenge. My sire took me to the Hells immediately, and I was raised here. You could say I got a head start.”

“... I see.” Raphael emptied his goblet, a thought occurring to him. “You never told me who your sire is,” he said, and Lady Antilia sighed.

“What does it matter? I no longer have a sire, for an act of treason. Lord Mephistopheles forbade me to speak his name, but allowed me to remain at his court. Of this, I am grateful.”

It was no lie as much as it was a twisting of the truth. Raphael could tell that there was something she was not revealing, but he did not press on. She could keep her secrets.

After she’d protected his, he knew he owed her at least that much.

***

“Eugh, stale blood. Are you sure there’s no other way in?”

Already perched on top of the dome and watching them climb up the chains, Haarlep shook their head. “I’m afraid not. Come now, you’re almost there!”

Astarion made a face, but he did keep climbing. He reached the dome around the same time as Wyll did through another massive infernal chain… only to almost lose his balance when one of the boots sank a few inches into the spongy substance. He yelped, only to someone to reach out and grab his wrist before he could plunge down - Raphael.  Good to see he wasn’t too angry about the earlier jab, Astarion thought, and looked up at him with a grimace. “Remind me to burn these boots.”

“With or without you in it?” Raphael asked, and Astarion rolled his eyes.

“Feeling hilarious, aren’t we?” he muttered, but he did let Raphael pull him back on the dome, or at least the portion of it that wasn’t yet covered. He glanced back to see Durge had climbed up, too, and was reaching into their bag of holding for two bottles. They drank one, and handed the other to Raphael. 

“Elixir of Darkvision,” they explained. “If it’s as dark as Haarlep described, you’ll need it.”

Raphael nodded. His expression made it clear he did not care for the taste, but he emptied the bottle before he spoke. “Very well. I believe we’re ready. Where is the entrance, then?”

“Right this way, my darlings.”

The entrance, as it turned out, was quite literally a hole that looked much like an open, gaping wound. Haarlep took on the appearance of a demon again before slipping in, followed by Karlach, Raphael, and then Halsin. Astarion wrinkled his nose, not really looking forward to going down the oozing entrance, and turned to Wyll. “Ah, the things I do to curry favor with the son of a grand duke,” he sighed, and Wyll laughed. 

“You have already earned more than enough goodwill as is, I’d say. Or is it--”

“Please don’t.”

“Good Wyll?”

Astarion groaned. “Gods, I hate you. Love, can we leave now? I changed my mind. I’m not helping this idiot out,” he declared, but Durge just laughed and down the hole they went, leaving Astarion no choice but to follow. He sighed again, just a touch dramatically. “If we die in there, I’ll kill you,” he told Wyll, and another laugh followed him down the tunnel. He tried to ignore the spongy walls around him as he crawled on. Gods, how was this somehow worse than the Illithid colony in Moonrise?

Soon enough, to his left he felt something different from the spongy, stinking substance all around - a smooth wall, which seemed to be made of marble. The wall of the citadel, he supposed, and his guess turned out to be correct when the tunnel ended and they emerged in a small chamber. Astarion found himself staring at a stained glass window, the blue and yellow panels depicting what looked like a face. 

An angelic one, of course.

“It’s beautiful,” Wyll murmured, reaching out to touch it. He blinked. “Did you feel tha--” he began, only to trail off when Karlach spoke up.

“Why don’t we just break it and get in?” She reached for her weapon - the Blood of Lathander, more useful in there than just a greataxe - only to pause when Raphael shook his head.

“For the same reason Yeenoghu’s servants haven’t, I suppose. If this window could simply be destroyed to gain entrance, they would have done it long ago. I suspect that, much like the rest of the Citadel, it is unbreakable. I suggest you save your blade for the real Zariel.”

“The real--” Karlach trailed off, and looked back at the window, at the beautiful visage on it, eyes covered by a blindfold. “You mean that’s supposed to be Zariel?”

Raphael nodded. “Before her fall, yes. Beautiful, wasn’t she? Solars are a sight to behold.”

For a moment, Karlach very much looked like she might try to smash the window after all. She was tense, eyes fixed on the image of the creature who’d bought her like chattel, ripped her heart right out of her chest, forced her to become a soldier in an endless war she had never wanted any part in. 

Astarion could sympathize; he remembered feeling the same, one time he’d found an ancient portrait of Cazador stashed away in his castle, not too long since he’d become his spawn. It showed a pale, tall woman he only heard of through tales - Donnella Szarr - with her hand on the shoulder of what was obviously Cazador himself. His tormentor had looked so very young in it, not quite a boy but not yet a man, and had obviously not yet been turned. He’d looked somewhat haughty, but his mouth and eyes lacked the cruelty Astarion had learned to know. 

How dare you look innocent, Astarion had thought, when you have turned me into this?

Astarion shook his head, chasing away the memory, just as Karlach drew in a deep breath and stepped away from the window. “We should keep going,” she said, her voice tight. “The sooner we get to the sword, the sooner I can stick it up her ass.”

“An interesting battle strategy,” Haarlep commented, obviously approving. Their voice was a low, guttural growl through the mouth of the bulezau whose likeness they had taken. They tilted a bestial head towards another tunnel. “That way, straight down for a while. We’ll emerge in the larder. Nothing worthwhile there, just a few piles of half-eaten corpses and a couple of annoying insect swarms. Took care of the bugs for you. You’re so very welcome.”

“Oh, that’s a relief. Insects were definitely going to be our biggest problem here,” Astarion muttered. Crawling down yet another tunnel to land in an opening full of festering devil corpses did little to improve his mood, although now at least the scab felt solid. Going by the gagging noise that came from Halsin he was not the one who had it worse there.

“All good?” Durge asked, and Halsin nodded with a grimace. 

“I am beginning to re-evaluate goblin viscera, but I’ll be fine, I hope,” he muttered, wiping his mouth, and glanced over at Haarlep. “Which way no--” he began, only for Haarlep to bring a clawed hand to their mouth and tilt their head to their left. 

“Listen,” they rasped, and listen they did… to hear a voice coming from below, bellowing orders in a harsh language Astarion had never heard, but could only guess was Abyssal. The voice grew louder the closer they got. He turned to Raphael. 

“What is it saying?” he whispered.

“Orders to dig,” Raphael whispered back, then, “It says that Crokek'toeck is just below.”

“Ah, the giant pair of jaws with unending hunger? I take it that if they freed it, it would be bad.”

“An accurate assessment.”

“Leave it to us,” Karlach muttered, and gestured for Halsin to follow. With the passage ahead narrow as it was, Haarlep had explained, it would be hard for more than two people at a time to drop into the room below, where a group of dretches were digging desperately under the orders of a shadow demon. Still, their best bet remained attacking from above, while hidden. 

“Dretches are no concern, but shadow demons can pass through walls. We must catch it by surprise and kill it quickly, before it can run off and gather reinforcements,” Raphael had said.

“Do I win anything if I guess what shadow demons are vulnerable to?” Durge had asked, gaining himself a sound halfway between a laugh and a scoff.

“No,” he’d replied, and to be fair it was a very easy guess. How lucky for them that they had a druid who could cast Sunbeam, and a powerful weapon containing the blood of a god that allowed its wielder to do the same. Hopefully, catching them by surprise would allow them to hit enough times to do in both the dretches and the shadow bastard.

“If it’s not enough, I’ll jump in and hit it hard,” Karlach promised, and off she went with Halsin, Blood of Lathander in hand.

***

When Adonides, Steward of Cania, finally arrived to meet him not long after Lady Antilia took her leave, he was not alone. But instead of his usual guard of ice devils, he was accompanied by a single devil who was very much not a gelugon. 

Still, to be honest, Raphael had hardly glanced in their direction at first, and Adonides did not bother to introduce them. They remained quiet throughout the meeting, and Raphael nearly forgot their presence halfway through it. What did it matter if someone else was present? The courtesy visit from one steward to another was hardly a thing of secrecy. 

“Your lord father will see you come morning in the Frost Garden,” Adonides said once the expected pleasantries were over with, all smiles and false politeness as was often the case between stewards of different layers. 

Of course, there was the added factor that they’d known each other for a while, and that there was no love lost between them. Last they’d spoken to one another, ‘glorified butler’ and ‘glorified salesman’ had been the kindest words they’d exchanged, plus Adonides’ jab on how Raphael would have rather been a courtesan. 

The look he was giving him now made it plain enough that he suspected Raphael’s climb of ranks in Avernus had less to do with his abilities on the field and more to do with his willingness in bed. Idly, Raphael wondered if he’d ever have the stones to openly accuse him of sleeping his way through the barracks as Justiciar Bele had implied, or even of warming Lord Bel’s own bed. 

For now, he did not. Instead, once Raphael did his part by bowing his head and saying he’d be honored to meet the Lord of the Eighth the next morning, Adonides nodded towards the devil who’d been standing by the door in silence. 

“Our Lord has sent you a gift,” he informed him, causing Raphael to blink and truly look at the other devil for the first time. 

The gift was a shorter, slender fiend with cinnamon-colored skin and simple daggerpeaks horns. They had long wine-red hair and, when they looked up, Raphael could see their eyes were a bright red too. They were strikingly beautiful, as all incubi were, and they were looking at him in silence but with no small measure of curiosity. 

Raphael, on the other hand, frowned. A gift to warm his bed and make sure he wouldn’t whore himself out to half of Mephistar during the one night he spent there; as far as jabs went, that was certainly not subtle. 

“A thoughtful gift,” he replied, stiffly. “But I am tired from the journey, and have no need of company for toni--”

“Not for tonight. It is a gift, as I said, from Lord Mephistopheles,” Adonides cut him off. “You’re to take them with you when you leave.”

“... I beg your pardon?”

“That, or you may kill them if their performance is unsatisfactory, should the whim take you.”

“I have no need--”

“What I strongly advise against is refusing his lordship’s gift. It is extremely poor form and any lord of the Hells would take offense.” Adonides looked at him with those inky black eyes of his, with no pupils to be seen. They matched his skin, such a dark blue it was almost black in places; he was one of very few members of Mephistopheles’ court to be truly native of Cania, and it made him stand out amidst pit fiends. “I am certain I don’t need to remind you what happened when you last caused offense to the Lord of the Eighth.”

Raphael remained silent, jaw clenched, and the Steward of Cania put some parchment down on the table before turning. “The deed of ownership is ready, and needs only be signed by yourself. You may pick their name as well. With this I bid you goodnight, Steward of Avernus.”

The door closed, leaving the incubus standing there in silence, awaiting orders.

***

“Well, that wasn’t too bad.” Karlach grinned, the Blood of Lathander slung over her shoulder. 

Around them, dead dretches lay across the ground. The intact ground, Durge was definitely glad to see: for all their efforts, the demons had barely made a dent in it. If this Crokek'toeck was truly trapped beneath their feet, it would remain there  for another while.

“The shadow demon?”

“Dissolved like mist on the third Sunbeam - fucker was so surprised, he didn’t get a chance to run off,” Karlach replied. “I bet hitting it would have been more satisfying, though.”

“With shadow demons being incorporeal, it would not have work--”

“Let a girl dream, Raphael,” Karlach cut him off, and he lifted both hands in mock surrender. 

“Far it be from me, then, to interfere with dreams of carnage. But the sooner we press ahead, the sooner you can make those dreams a reality with more tangible foes.”

“All right, that is a good argument.”

“I have been known to make good arguments,” Raphael replied, and glanced ahead. Another passage led out of the chamber, quickly turning into yet another downward slope. “That way?”

“Yes.” Haarlep had once again taken Raphael’s form, muttering something about the bristles covering their bulezau form being insufferably itchy. They tilted their head towards the tunnel with a nod. “If we go that way, we’ll emerge riiight above the chamber with the door. They must have been trying to open them for a while, but it’s still shut as tight as Dispater’s Iron Tower. When I came scouting, there were three bulezaus trying to break in, and a… ah, I don’t know. Kind of an ape, kind of a boar?”

“A nalfeshnee,” Raphael said, and Durge could almost sense the terrible effort it took Wyll not to say ‘bless you’ again. Unaware of the Blade of Avernus’ struggles, Haarlep nodded.

“Yes, one of those. Ugly as they come, yelling orders while doing little else. Unless you count scratching his testicles as doing something. I backed out before it spotted me and tried to put me to work punching the door.”

It seemed that opening the door to the Citadel may be a problem, after all. Durge turned to Raphael. “You said the Citadel won’t allow any fiend to open its door. Is that why these demons cannot get through it?”

“It seems the most obvious explanation. The Bleeding Citadel was created with the one purpose of keeping the Sword of Zariel safe from either devil or demon, so it stands to reason that its door will not open for either. I believe we have the key which they lack, however.”

Durge almost asked about this key, but in the end they did not. They would find out soon either way; for now, clearing their way to the door was the priority. So they just nodded, and looked back at Karlach and Wyll. “All right. You’re the experts. What are we dealing with?”

Wyll made a face. “I never came across a nalfeshnee, but I’ve dealt with my share of bulezaus. As Karlach said, they’re nasty bastards. You can get necrosis if you get too close, they jump around a lot, and you’ve got to watch out for the barbed tails. But if you hit them hard enough and enough times, they’ll stay down.”

“Noted,” Astarion said. “And the big one?”

“It will definitely need more hits,” Karlach replied. “They’re resistant to damn near anything. But they do feel acid, so go wild with that. And necrosis, they feel that too. And if Halsin has another sunbeam or a moonbeam left in him...”

“I do.”

Wyll nodded. “Good - that will help. I’ll try to Banish the nalfeshnee first thing. It may give us enough time to take down the bulezau before it returns, and we can all focus on killing it.”

“All of us against one? Unfair. I like it.” Astarion bared his fangs in a grin, and patted the daggers in his belt. “Very well. Let’s go kill some demons.”

***

Under the silent gaze of his very much unwelcomed gift, Raphael kept reading through the deed’s terms and conditions, his scowl deepening with each line his eyes scanned.

Nothing in the Hells was unconditional, and nothing was ever truly a gift. Anything claiming to be such, coming from any devil, should be regarded with as much suspicion as a nest of vipers -  let alone one from Mephistopheles. And Raphael had learned to be very suspicious indeed.

So he hadn’t deigned the creature of another glance or word as he sat and went through every sentence, every word and clause, looking for loopholes and finding… none. Absolutely none. The incubus was to serve him until he chose to dismiss them; they’d be bound to him, sworn to keep his secrets unless given leave to speak of them by him, and obey his orders. They would be unable to lie to him; no exceptions, no loophole where they answered to the greater authority of their owner’s own liege lord - nothing. 

His father was gifting him his own personal incubus, and Raphael could find no drawback, no deceit. At the bottom was Mephistopheles’ seal and signature. Seals and signatures could be forged, but not his father’s unmistakable arcane magic, which he could sense in both. The deed was authentic, its terms as straightforward as anything could be in an Infernal contract. 

“Is something the matter, master?”

The incubus spoke softly, a lilt to their voice. Raphael scowled, and looked up. “I am not your anything until I sign this,” he snapped, then, “You’re sworn not to lie to me. Tell me--”

“I’ll be sworn not to lie to you once I am named and the deed signed,” they cut him off. Raphal had to begrudgingly concede they had not tried to exploit that loophole. He wasn’t sure whether he was pleased or annoyed by the fact they’d passed that test. With a hum, he snapped his fingers to summon a quill and ink. The contract was sound; no harm in claiming them, he supposed. If he did discover it was a trap, he could always get rid of them. 

“Do you have a name?”

“None that matters.”

Raphael said nothing and stared at the blank line on the deed without actually seeing it. In the back of his mind, he heard Barbas’ voice again, the way he’d dismissed his old name as one would dismiss old clothes.

“Lord Mephistopheles is keen to choose the names of every spawn he welcomes home. Your name is Raphael.”

It had grown on him, but at first it had felt almost as foreign on his tongue as Infernal did. He remembered trying out some variations on a piece of parchment, when he was too tired to keep reading up about the Hells or trying to learn Infernal. Anagrams had always amused him and he’d tried with those, but he hadn’t come up with many usable ones, aside for perhaps one he’d found passable. 

“Very well,” he said, and wrote that name on the deed of ownership. “Your name is Haarlep.”

“As you wish, master.”

Well, they were respectful at least. Raphael could get used to that. He nodded, and signed the deed before putting down the quill. “ Now I am your master; you’re sworn not to lie to me.”

“Of course.”

“Lord Mephistopheles gifted you to me. Is there anything you’ve been ordered not to tell me?”

“No, master.”

“Did he say why he decided to gift me an incubus?”

“To keep you entertained.”

“Entertained?” 

The incubus nodded. There was something almost hypnotic in the way that wine-red hair caught the light, in the tiniest hint of amusement in their eyes, in the curl of their lips. 

“His lordship said you can be naughty, and that some distraction would do you good.”

Raphael ground his teeth, struggling to hide his fury at the notion that Mephistophele had spoken of him as such to an incubus. There he was, the new steward of Avernus - having proven himself in battle, as a strategist, as a negotiator - and even now, all that Mephistopheles saw was some halfbreed whore who ought to be pacified with a glorified bedslave so he wouldn’t further embarrass himself and his sire.

“I see,” he ground out. “Well, I have no need for your services tonight.”

The incubus tilted their head and glanced towards the bedroom, at the hot water pool. “Surely you’d enjoy a bath at least, after braving the cold outside. Let me help you bathe,” they said, and moved for the first time since their arrival. They walked up to him and smiled, reaching for the buttons of his doublet. Raphael opened his mouth to tell them to stop, but those hands were already stroking his chest, and they were soft. 

What little clothing the incubus had on burned away; Raphael glanced down the creature’s lithe body to see they had both sets of genitalia. “Is this your true form?”

“Yes.” A hand cupped his face, and the incubus - Haarlep - was grinning. “But I can take many forms, master, if this does not satisfy you,” they reminded him, lips a scant inch from his own. They knelt before the chair, hands resting on Raphael’s thighs, nudging them apart. He should have resisted, he truly should have. He did not, and hissed when Haarlep nuzzled against his groin through clothing. “A thousand lovers in one body.”

Of course. That, it seemed, was how many Mephistopheles and his court thought it would take to sate his whore of a son. Raphael scowled, some bitterness cutting through the incubus’ charms. “I have no need of yet more faces sneering down at me,” he snapped, pushing them back. The creature blinked, taken aback only a moment before smiling again. 

“How about your own?”

“... My own?”

Haarlep rose again, and kissed him. Much like their touch it was soft, tender, and it made something within Raphael - that yearning part of him he could never silence for long - give way, making him melt under it. He parted his lips, and shivered when that tongue pushed in, incubus spittle already sending heat to his head, to his loins. Still, it was nothing compared to the shudder that ran through him when the incubus spoke next. 

“Let me have you now, give me use of your body, and you'll feel every sensation twice over,” they whispered against his lips, hands on his shoulders, before leaning lower to kiss his throat and chest as Raphael’s breath caught.

What would that be like? Looking up at himself , powerful and in control-- call me archduke -- while he could lay back and feel it all, the act of taking and being taken?

The mental image alone was almost too much, and Raphael let out a whine in the back of his throat. With a chuckle, Haarlep let their teeth graze at skin before they pulled back; they smiled with the unabashed triumph of someone who prepares to taste the first of many victories - the first inkling that they would perhaps not remain as respectful as they had seemed upon first impression, when they had yet to even begin figuring him out. It took all of Raphael’s willpower not to grab them. He swallowed before he spoke, voice rough.

“No one else, here or at the Bel’s court,” he rasped, “is to ever see you wearing my form.”

A chuckle. “Of course not. It will be our little secret,” they said, and stepped past him, in the bedroom into the pool. They turned, and smiled. “Won’t you join me, master?”

Raphael stood and for the first of many, many times, he followed Haarlep into bliss and oblivion. 

And that, love, was that.

***

“Incoming!”

Wyll ducked without bothering to turn, before he even heard the whistle of Karlach’s handaxe flying towards him. It went right over his head in a perfect arc, the blade burying itself in the bulezau’s skull with a crunch. The demon shrieked and staggered back, still trying to claw at Wyll with skeletal hands, only for one of Astarion’s crossbow bolts to go through its left eye with a sickening squelch. 

As the creature collapsed there was a crack of thunder, almost deafening in the chamber. Wyll turned to see Durge had just downed the second bulezau, while the third was charging at Halsin with a ranseur, screaming something in Abyssal. 

It was nothing Halsin couldn’t take, particularly in his cave bear form, but Wyll had a clear shot and he saw no reason why he shouldn’t intervene. “Dolor!” 

The blast caught the demon on the side and threw it against the wall, causing it to shriek. It lifted itself almost immediately, foaming at the mouth, but before it could do anything Raphael’s voice rang out - a command Wyll recognized right away. The bulezau tried to fight the hold on its mind, but it was a fight it quickly lost; when it stood, ranseur in hand, it was entirely under Raphael’s control. Not bad. It surely would come in handy when--

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!”

Ah, there it was - a very big and very pissed nalfeshnee, back from its temporary banishment to another plane of existence just on time to get itself beaten to a pulp. The creature was obviously no paragon of wisdom, but even so Wyll saw realization sink in on the the demon’s bestial face when it took in the sight of all of them, of the two bulezau dead on the ground, of the third one brandishing a ranseur and looking at it through empty eyes. And, to be honest, Halsin standing on his hind legs to roar right back was a nice touch.

Wyll knew no Abyssal whatsoever, but he supposed the noise that left the demon could very safely be translated to ‘I’m so fucked’. A fair enough assessment, considering their numbers and what each of them was capable of.

At least, they could make it quick… and they did. The demon fought well, to its credit, but it truly was outmatched. The battle was a flurry of spells, blows and blades, and the only creature it was able to take down was the mind-controlled bulezau, with a blow that turned its head into so much gore before it was killed in turn by Astarion, claiming the killing blow with an acid arrow right between the eyes. With one last groan, barely audible through the sound of sizzling brain matter, the nalfeshnee collapsed, and the battle was over. 

As Halsin dismissed his bear shape to tend to a cut on Durge’s forearm, there was a clapping sound from above. Wyll looked up to see Haarlep grinning before they glided down from the tunnel they’d watched the fight from. “Oh, that was a lovely show. Say, do you turn into a bear for fighting only, or are there other special occasions?”

“Well--”

“Two sentences, and you’ve already spoken enough,” Raphael muttered, and played a Song of Rest to heal any minor injuries and restore a few spells before stepping over the dead nalfeshnee to get the doors. For the first time, Wyll had the chance to take a truly good look. Brass double doors, with the image of a blindfolded angel holding up a sword - Zariel, surely, before her fall; she looked the same as she did in the stained glass window. 

There were brass handles, but no keyhole of any kind. Runes were carved into the doors, inlaid with gold and unlike anything Wyll had seen before. It was not Infernal, that was for certain. “What language is that?” 

“Celestial,” Raphael replied, eyes running over the runes. “Against evil, we stand united. Only the pure of heart can part these holy gates," he read. He paused for a moment, as though hesitating, then he grabbed the handles and pulled. The doors did not budge, and Astarion laughed.

“Hah! On a scale of one to ten, how relieved are you that it didn't work?”

“Beyond measure,” Raphael replied with a chuckle, and turned. “Very well. We need someone pure of heart, apparently. Who shall try first?”

Wyll turned to Karlach, and opened his mouth to suggest she tried - surely, the heart part was not literal - but he didn’t get a single word out before everyone else chimed in.

“Wyll.”

“Wyll.”

“Wyll.”

“Definitely Wyll.”

“What? Ah, come on--”

“No, you come on,” Karlach laughed, patting his back. “If you don’t cut it, I don’t know who would. Maybe Halsin,” she added, and Halsin laughed. 

“I’m certain we won’t need to find out.”

“You don’t know that,” Wyll muttered, his face suddenly hot enough one could probably cook an abyssal chicken egg on it. “I mean, the CItadel is supposed to be holy, and I look--”

“Handsome?” Haarlep quipped. 

“Ye-- no!”

Astarion shrugged. “Well, that too. Annoyingly so.”

Wyll rubbed his face before turning to Raphael. “Mizora turned me--”

“Yes, I know all of your punishment for refusing to kill Karlach. It changed your appearance, nothing more,” Raphael replied, and shrugged. “Mortals can be turned into devils without going through all the stages -  the Cassalanters from Waterdeep surely can attest to that - but believe me, if you’d been turned into a fiend, I would have known.”

Of course, Wyll knew that - he knew he was no true devil - but even so, he’d been touched by the Hells. He’d hoped it had changed nothing past his looks, convinced himself of it even… but now, as he stared at the doors, he knew he was about to put the theory to the test. If he failed to open them, the rejection would sting more than he was willing to admit. 

“Go on,” Karlach spoke, gently, reaching down to squeeze his hand. “Those horns only show how you stuck out your neck for me when striking me down would have been a lot easier. I’m sure you’ll open that fucker like it’s nothing.”

Slowly, Wyll nodded and squeezed her hand back a moment before stepping forward. He’d given up praying to any gods long ago, but now he prayed to anyone willing to listen that the door would open after all. What if he couldn’t open it, what if none of them could?

Enough. Only one way to find out. 

Wyll drew in a deep breath, grabbed the handles, and pulled.

***

For a moment after the brass doors opened, Raphael couldn’t see anything but light, painfully bright against his eyes. He let out a grunt, closing his eyes, and reached up to shield his face. His hand wasn’t even midway up when the screams began, wordless, holding all the pain and terror that the Hells could inflict. 

Only that this agony was not of the Hells; realization only hit Raphael when he recognized the screaming voices, both of them. Astarion’s and his own, over the sound of sizzling flesh.

Holy. This is holy, undeads and fiends cannot survive this.

Something seemed to grip his throat, a kind of terror he could not name, and he turned, forcing his eyes to remain open. He heard Durge screaming Astarion’s name, felt them rush past him, barely made out their form and someone else’s - Halsin? - as they knelt over the screaming, writhing vampire spawn. 

Only a few steps away another form writhed in agony, barely capable of forming words with their next cry as their skin burned away.

“Master! Help me! Please!”

“WYLL! KARLACH! CLOSE THE DOORS!” 

He heard grunts as they began pushing the brass doors shut, to keep that accursed light inside the Citadel, but he didn’t so much turn to look. He could hear Astarion groaning in pain over Halsin’s murmured healing spells, but all he could think of was he could not hear.

Haarlep had stopped screaming. 

No. No. No. No.

As the blinding light began to dim and finally faded he ran back to where Haarlep had fallen, drawing in air in shuddering gasps, skin blistered and smoldering where it wasn’t entirely gone to leave behind charred flesh. He’d almost reached them when someone grabbed him by the throat, slamming him against a wall with a thundering growl. 

“What have you done!” Durge snarled, fangs bared, fury etched in every feature. There it was for a moment again, the pure bhaalspawn, child of murder. A vision out of a nightmare. “What sort of trap was this, you miserable bastard! I’ll tear your heart out and --”

“I did not know!” Raphael choked out, gripping their hand to try and pull it away from his neck. It didn’t even occur to him to cast, to retaliate, to force them to let him go. He could think of nothing but the screams, feel nothing but that rising panic. His heart was pounding, his face was wet. He had not meant to, he did not, how could he? “Please, I did not know-- Haarlep--”

Durge hesitated a moment, then the snarl faded and so did the fury, leaving behind only a look of horror for how close a call this had been, and perhaps at what they had almost done. They let go of him, and Raphael scrambled to Haarlep’s side, to cast a healing spell. It did little for their visible wounds, but the agony seemed to ease and they blinked their eyes open. Those too were damaged by the light, and they had to squint to put him into focus.

“Raphael…” they managed, voice hoarse. "That-- hurt."

You should have kept away, Raphael wanted to scream at them even as he cupped the back of their head to help them sit up, lean against him. I should have told you to keep away, he almost said. I knew you couldn’t step inside, but I wasn’t expecting holy light to pour out. I should have expected it. I’m supposed to know better. I should have--

“I did not know,” was all he found himself choking out in the end. Somehow, even now, Haarlep’s lips curled in a grin. A hand reached up to touch his face. Only with that warm touch on him did Raphael realize how cold he felt against all reason, and how he couldn't stop shaking.

“Aww, don’t cry. Of course-- you didn’t know. What would you-- even do without me, my little brat?” they murmured, and let out a sigh of relief when Raphael cast another healing spell. This time, they managed to lift their head and turn. “How’s my-- ow-- fellow disadventurer?”

“Still-- ugh-- alive.” Astarion grimaced, even through Halsin’s healing spells, as Durge helped him sit up. He leaned against them with a groan. “Gods, that hurt, ” he managed.

Durge let out a long breath. “It’s all right - you’ll be all right,” they managed, their voice not entirely firm. Standing a few paces behind them, Ravengard looked on in anguish. 

“I’m sorry-- gods, I’m so sorry,” he repeated, as though he'd summoned the holy light himself instead of just opening a door. Karlach shook her head and grasped his hand, giving it a squeeze.

“It’s not your fault, Wyll, or…” A pause, a brief look at Raphael. He was casting one more spell on Haarlep while they half-sat, half-slumped against him. “... Or anyone’s. The Citadel had never been opened before and look, we’re under a scab in Avernus. There shouldn’t be any fucking light. No one died, that’s what matters. Let’s just all rest a bit, and--”

“Um. Excuse me? You opened the door, didn’t you?”

A voice none of them recognized rang out, causing them to turn. While more of the chamber was now shielded from the holy light, the brass doors weren’t entirely closed - and something had slipped out through the crack, a creature covered in golden fur keeping itself airborne with small, rapidly flapping wings. A hollyphant.

“What--” Ravengard stared a moment, then cleared his throat. “I mean-- yes?”

The creature’s wings seemed to flap faster, the excitement palpable. “Oh! It’s so nice to meet you,” she exclaimed, fluttering closer in a circle that almost looked like a little dance. “My name is Lulu. And you must take me to Zariel.”

*** [Back to Chapter 20]

[On to Chapter 22]

[Back to Start]

[mindmeltonabun-blog]

My Demon: Theories and Analysis for Eps 1-6

Hi Readers!

Let me start this post by saying what I originally wrote was just deleted after I hit the "save draft" button on Tumblr. I'm so pissed because I had spent hours working on this post!! For those who have followed my blog for a very long time, you know I usually provide a very in-depth analysis of dramas. 

Given what just happened and time constraints, I will keep this post very short. I may make mini posts next week to further elaborate on some points discussed here, but it just depends on if I have the time.

If you have any questions, please feel free to hit the "ask me anything" button and I will try my best to answer them promptly. I hope "My Demon" fandom won't be as toxic as the "Alchemy of Souls" fandom and misuse the "ask me anything" button to send me death threats or insults. If you don't like what I write, you can simply scroll along. The end. Also, don't plagiarize my shit. This was a huge issue during AOS and I really didn't appreciate it at all. If you want to use my ideas, give me credit for them.

Ok, let’s put on our thinking caps. Time to analyze and theorize!

Demons

In the context of this show, “demons” are individuals who used to be human but are now forced to fulfill human wishes in order to keep on living forever. The terms are simple: humans get their deepest desires fulfilled but will die in 10 years and go to hell. For demons, as long as they sign new contracts and collect souls, they won’t combust and be wiped from existence. It remains unknown how often demons must sign contracts/collect souls before they start to combust. Before demons were loan sharks, they were guardians of humans. 

We start this drama with Jeong Gu Won, who has lived happily for the last 200 yrs as a demon. Gu Won has no recollection of his human life. We don’t know if this aspect of Gu Won is something present in all demons or just him. Gu Won’s perfect little world is turned upside down after he saves Do Do Hee from Rash Dude aka Jeffrey Dahmer. Now, we don’t know why his tattoo was transferred to Do Hee but it’s implied the full moon and water had something to do with it. If you have read other posts of mine, you will know that when there’s a full moon it usually means a transformation and a new start. The whole falling into the water could be viewed as a sort of baptism, symbolizing the end of an old life and the beginning of a new life. I feel like before this show ends, Gu Won and Do Hee will end up in the water under the full moon again to symbolize Gu Won’s full transformation into a human. Like right now he’s like a quasi-demon haha. His transformation into a full human is currently ongoing. I think that as he starts to develop more human emotions/remember his human memories, his powers as a demon will begin to decline. 

Gu Won’s Past Life…A Story of Crime and Punishment

One thing I’ve learned from analyzing many dramas over the years is when a writer shows us a book or mentions a movie, we should look into them if we want a glimpse into what will happen in a drama. Now in Ep 1, you see #2 Wild Dog reading, “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky which was hilarious because he didn’t strike me as the type to read such a dense piece of literature. Seeing this book took me back to my high school days when we had to read and analyze this book. For those who don’t know, Russian works tend to be very long and are usually about suffering haha.

For the sake of time, I’ll you a very brief overview of what happened in “Crime and Punishment”. The story begins with a law student, Rodion Raskolnikov, who quits school because he can’t afford it anymore. The guy then has a mental breakdown of sorts and decides to kill the elderly owner of the pawnshop and her half-sister. He justifies his actions by rationalizing that by killing the pawnshop owner, he could take the valuables within her pawn shop and use them to fund his education which would eventually earn him a well-paying job. In turn, he would use the money earned to benefit the greater good. 

Raskolnikov saw himself as an Ubermensch (if you don’t know that means, I had briefly talked about it in my DAYS posts). He believed that since he was above everyone else, he was allowed to cross all societal, ethical, and moral lines because his success would help the greatest amount of people. The rest of the novel is about Raskolnikov’s internal struggles with what he did. He goes back and forth between confessing or not confessing to the murders. Eventually, the love interest in the story, Sonia, a devout Christian and source of morality for Raskolnikov, convinces him to turn himself in and confess. Raskolnikov ends up only having to serve a total of 8 years in a labor camp for the murders. While there, he finally realizes the errors of his ways and feels guilt for his past actions. He then was like “Sonia’s love saved me and I feel bad for making her suffer so when I get out, I’m going to repay her with infinite love for all she has done for me”. And bam! That’s where the story ends…with the start of his journey toward redemption haha. 

Gu Won is Raskolnikov in the sense that he thinks he’s better than everyone else and can therefore cross any line he so chooses. Based on a flashback in Ep 6, it seemed Gu Won had this kind of mindset even before he became a demon. So, what crime did Gu Won commit that landed him in Hell in the first place? I wouldn’t label it so much as an actual crime like murder but Gu Won probably got Do Hee’s past self killed. The guilt he felt after her death is probably what led to him become essentially trapped in a mental Hell, much like Madam Ju. Eventually, this guilt prevented him from entering heaven after he died. God/Lady probably took pity on him and offered him salvation in the form of becoming a demon; alternatively, it could be that God/Lady offered him a "sweet" contract where he could work as a demon in exchange for a second chance and a happier life with Do Hee in the future. Regardless of whatever the case may be, the important thing is that Gu Won needs to remember what happened in his past so he can seek forgiveness from Do Hee in the present and start his path toward redemption much like Raskolnikov. The truth sets you free haha. Gu Won is taking a step in the right direction though by protecting Do Hee. He could be like Raskolnikov and choose to give Do Hee infinite love for the rest of his life to make up for the horrible things he did to her in the past haha. Oh, one more thing for this section, the tattoo being on Do Hee’s wrist could symbolize that she was the reason why he became a demon in the first place. 

Murders of Do Hee’s Parents and Madam Ju/Who Is Abraxas

In my original post, this section was long, but as I previously mentioned, the stuff I wrote was deleted. I’m just going to give you the overall gist of it. I still think the person who killed Madam Ju was Ju Seok Hun and that the person who killed Do Hee’s parents was Madam Ju’s little brother/Seok Hun’s father. I don’t think Madam Ju directly killed Do Hee’s parents, but she felt guilty for their deaths because she covered up the incident to protect her little brother. After which, she cut him off and exiled him to Peru to live a hippie life haha. This is completely speculative though. Like we have two choices for who murdered Do Hee’s parents and Madam Ju. Choice #1 is Noh Suk Min and Noh Do Gyeong and Choice #2 Seok Hun’s father and Seok Hun. One argument I made for choice #2 is that if Suk Min and Do Gyeong were the real killers, wouldn’t the actor who played Do Gyeong be a main lead instead of a supporting character? Another argument was that Seok Hun has too many conflicting qualities about him. For example, he is a hippie who works in the corporate world and despite portraying a goody-two-shoes image, he suggests Do Hee should engage in some ethically questionable business practices like letting Mirae Investments buy shares of Mirae F&B to offset the losses. 

It’s also important to remember what Do Hee said about “sweet” things and how they’re always fake (except for Gu Won haha). Seok Hun is faker than acrylic nails. He puts on an act that he cares about her well-being when in reality, he hopes she dies. He must continue with this nice guy act because he doesn’t want her death to lead back to him. Just think about some things for a moment, if Do Hee died, who would the police suspect killed her? Would it be the people who openly voiced their disdain for her or the person whom she had a loving relationship with? It would be the former. The scene with Do Gyeong at the lockers is essentially Seok Hun setting him up to take the fall for Do Hee’s murder. At the end of the day, human greed is what drove Seok Hun to do what he did. Who knows, maybe his greed stems from being subjected to a frugal lifestyle while growing up. 

Crosses, Numerology, and Tarot

Amen, we are nearing the end. Ok, let’s keep going at record speed. So, crosses and Catholicism/Christianity are heavily present in this show. The same goes for numbers and tarot. They’re all connected. Some religious crosses can look like an “X” which looks like the Roman numeral 10. The number 10 is everywhere in this show. For example, the little girl was celebrating her 10th birthday and the Wheel of Fortune is the 10th tarot card in the Rider Waite Tarot Deck. Connecting numerology with tarot, the wheel of fortune represents the end of one journey and the beginning of another…1 + 0 = 1, where 1 symbolizes completion.

The clock in the promotional poster has a hand pointing at 10, which is different than the clocks seen at Gu Won’s place that only go from 0-9. While we are on the subject of 9, “Gu” means nine. Every time Gu Won started a new life, he named himself the next number following his current one. For example, he was Il (1) Won, then I (2) Won, and so forth. Now in his 9th life, he is called Gu Won. Get it? Ok, cool. What comes after 9? 10. After Gu Won completes his transformation into a human, he will be called Sip (10) Won haha. Additionally, did anyone notice the number 91 on the cake Do Hee baked for him? What’s 9+1? 10. 

Pay attention to the numbers in this show people! Always ask yourself what each number means and what it's connected to haha. When God/the Lady said, "I’m betting on all the odd numbers", many were like what does that mean? She’s referring to the numbers on tarot cards (Rider Waite Deck), which represent Gu Won and Do Hee. For example, which cards represent them? For starters, the 15th card aka the devil. 1+5=6 which is the lovers card. Another odd-numbered tarot card that is representative of Do Hee and Gu Won is the 9th card which is “The Hermit” because let’s be real here, they both were hermits before they met each other. The last major arcana tarot card in the deck is #21…THE WORLD aka GUARANTEED SUCCESS. So this is what God/Lady meant when she said she’s betting on all the odd numbers. It’s the writer’s way of telling us we are going to get a happy ending after all the chaos that will occur. 

One more intriguing number is 17. If you sniff around, you’ll notice that 17 is the number of years that have passed since Do Hee’s parents died. 17 is also the number of the coin locker where Jeffrey and Seok Hun exchange stuff. Hilariously, Gu Won’s passcode to his safe is “666”, which is the number of the beast/devil haha. In the newspaper clipping about the Sunwol Foundation, it said the theater was completed on June 7, 1977 and Gu Won’s name during that time was Chil (7) Won haha. The number 7 is seen as lucky in Korean and many Western cultures. 

MISC

The cross necklace Gu Won wears probably belonged to Do Hee’s past self or was given to Gu Won by Do Hee…..OH I just made another connection…..In “Crime and Punishment”, Sonia gave Raskolnikov a cross necklace. Also, in Crime and Punishment, Sonia was a prostitute and Do Hee was essentially one during the Joseon dynasty…. Kisaeng and prostitutes are basically the same thing haha. It’s also interesting that both Gu Won and Do Hee wear two necklaces, one silver and one gold. I wonder if there’s any meaning behind that.

In the newspaper clipping about Sunwol Foundation, the term 'Sun/Seon' is written in hanja and translates to 'to return/come back.' This element was part of Gu Won's original name, Yi Sun/Seon. Additionally, 'wol' means moon. Therefore, I interpreted 'Sunwol' to mean 'Sun and Moon' or 'Moon That Returns.' In a broader sense, Sunwol can be likened to the Taj Mahal—a building or monument constructed in memory of a beloved. One could also view Sunwol as a place that narrates the love story of the Sun (Gu Won) and the Moon (Do Hee) or as a place built with the hope that Gu Won’s beloved moon would return one day.

Ok, folks, that concludes this very brief TA post. WOOHOO! Sorry if there were any grammatical mistakes or typos, and if this post seemed a bit disorganized. I really have to get to bed and didn't have time to edit this haha. See you all next week maybe!

[yamayuandadu]

Do you think Zanmu and Hisami could ever indulge in a proper romantic relationship, as supposed to the one sided crush poor Hisami is trapped in right now? Additionally, do you think Hisami is actually connected to Izanami, or just another member of the youkai species her servants are?

I think this is the first time in ages that I got a shipping ask. I’m pretty happy about this. I actually like talking about shipping a lot even if my blog is dominated by posts like “check out this obscure religious pamphlet, really illuminating on the connection between Matarajin and Iizuna Gongen”. Zanhisa is probably going to end up in my top 3 of Touhou pairings. Might even dethrone Mokoukeine as the #2 (side note - Keine needs more than 1 pairing with some canon backing). So, thanks for asking about it. Due to length the response to your two questions has been placed under the cut.

Realistically? It’s probably not happening in canon because even if ZUN’s intent really is to present Hisami as romantically interested in Zanmu, as we are hoping, this is a heavily status quo dependent series. I’m afraid Hisami is as likely to change her relationship status as Okina is to actually find replacements for Mai and Satono. On top of that, recent “loyal henchman” characters are often struggling with reappearances. I’m pessimistic if Hisami will fare any better in that regard than Mai, Satono or Mayumi, especially with no new print works in sight. Subjectively?  I think what I already said makes the answer obvious - of course I think it can work. It’s the classic henchman ship, the lifeblood of f/f pairings since 1800 BCE (or earlier). The whole game is a boon to people who like that sort of setup when you think of it (unless you like Shou/Nazrin - not much on that front tragically). They clearly have interests  and lifestyle choices in common, too, and that’s basically a solid chunk of what makes a relationship work. I think whether a relationship between Zanmu and Hisami can work is something that depends more on Zanmu than Hisami, though. The fact that we have direct confirmation that Zanmu doesn’t know why Hisami acts the way she does is a plus, since it’s not hard to imagine that Suika’s accusations, which do not seem baseless, have a lot to do with her being seemingly able to figure others out. So, someone who doesn’t really fall in this category already has the benefit of being on more equal terms with her than anyone else. The fact that Hisami’s bio mentions she generally gets involved in Zanmu’s schemes and it’s not a one off thing imo does indicate Zanmu cares about her on some level. I’d imagine she would’ve replaced her with someone else otherwise, given that she presumably messes up on purpose often enough for Zanmu to be aware that’s going to happen. Once again, in the light of Suika’s comments about treating others instrumentally it feels sensible to me to assume that there’s some genuine sympathy at play. A lot depends on how you interpret Hisami’s ending, also - if we’ll learn at some point that Zanmu invites her to parties regularly, it’s probably not very meaningful and just professional courtesy. If it’s a first, which is the impression I got, I would say from a shipping perspective it’s basically like a date. That’s how I plan to use it in a fic (coming soon), fwiw. It’s true Zanmu doesn’t take her to the other party, but perhaps that boils down to it being a political event. Given what sort of blog this is, I think I should point out that a relationship, or at least experiencing some other form of intimacy, would actually fit Zanmu’s whole corrupt slash eccentric monk gimmick. Not following the prescribed rules on celibacy was actually one of the more standard criticisms in the texts where the idea of corrupt monks turning into demons originates in. And on top of that it seems Zanmu’s historical counterpart according to a legend was a student of Ikkyu, a notably anti-celibacy eccentric monk who is famous for, among other things, his relationship with a certain Mori, a biwa hoshi (wandering blind musician) who is mentioned in many of his poems. What I’m saying is, thematically being in a relationship feels as appropriate for Zanmu as not being fond of tengu is for Okina. She should indulge in it.

She even already has the skeleton thing going on, like Ikkyu does in art. She just needs to get a girlfriend and she will truly live up to the Zen eccentric standards. As for the second question: while we do not know how this works in Touhou, there are no “generic” yomotsu-shikome in real myths. They only ever appear in the myth of Izanagi’s escape from Yomi. No source actually explains where they came from, but alongside the yomotsu-ikusa (similarly of unspecified origin) and the thunder gods born from Izanami last minute they chase him on Izanami’s behalf both in Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. The latter clarifies there are only 8 of them, and to my best knowledge there are no additional more obscure sources which would contradict any of this. I personally think it’s fair game to assume Izanami does exist in Touhou, unless ZUN explicitly confirms Keiki and Eika have genealogy incompatible with their origin myths (Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu can in theory exist without Izanami). So, by extension I do not think there’s any reason to assume the yomotsu-shikome have nothing to do with her, at least if you’re the sort of fan who likes digging for backstory material in genuine mythology and folklore. Note that both Tsukasa and Biten directly reference the Izanagi and Izanami myth involving yomotsu-shikome, too. This being said, I do not think there’s much of a reason to have yomi as a separate location in Touhou in the present day, or to have Hisami be disconnected from the Ministry. We do not really know much about the position of yomotsu-shikome in the setting so far - I honestly doubt we ever will - but in AFiEU Hecatia mentions that there were various entities in hell who were there before yamas and oni started organizing it, and that some of them support the yama and oni way of doing things. It seems like a natural spot for Hisami, seeing as “hell” in Touhou seems to encompass multiple types of afterlife, not just the Buddhist-style hell. Specifically when it comes to shipping, this would give Hisami a point of connection with Zanmu, who’s also in hell by choice.

[befuddled-calico-whump]

i just found out about this "whump" thing recently and i can't tell if it's a softcore kink? or just "we like torturing sketchbook boys platonically." bc if it's the latter I'm gonna start using this tag

your work is in good taste, at least, i hope that's not an exception to the community! any idea where the name comes from?

Welcome aboard, hope it's not too intimidating 😂

Whether it relates to kink or not depends on the person, but a good deal of the community are very much the latter (great description for it skfjfj)

Whump covers a pretty broad spectrum really, you can have anything from "character has a fever and is being taken care of by their friends" to "extreme torture and recovery" to "emotional distress surrounding one bad event" and beyond. "Whump" is essentially a more focused hurt/comfort, and the degree of the hurt and comfort involved varies a lot depending on the story and person

Most people tag the content or have a warning before the story, so you'll usually know what you're getting yourself into. Tags/warnings that cover more extreme topics include "vivisection", "torture", or "gore" for the more gruesome physical aspects, and "dubcon", "noncon" and variations on those for stories that may include sexual assault, so if you're browsing the whump tag and would like to avoid that type of content, those are some tags you can block :)

Most authors/artists will also tag for the genre, so if you're looking for something specific, you can try tags like "fantasy whump", "pirate whump", "spy whump", "superhero whump", etc. Fandom whump is popular as well, so if you're looking for a specific existing character, searching "*character name* whump" may get you sone fics or art.

I'm glad you enjoyed some of my work :D If you're looking for more whump writing/art, I can recommend a few blogs:

@i-can-even-burn-salad writes fantasy whump, usually character-driven with a decent amount of plot. She has some gorier descriptions, but very fun characters

@redwingedwhump has written both fantasy and soft sci-fi/speculative fiction. A lot of the fantasy is set in a world inspired by dungeons and dragons so there's some fun magic and dynamics

@demondamage has art, comics, and writing centered on angels and demons. There's a big focus on the lab/medical setting and experiments

@whumpwillow has a hero/villain story that focuses on the recovery of the heroes' enemy, and a story about a demon who was accidentally rescued by a witch

And of course, there's so many more great whump creators out there. (This got a little long, hope you don't mind 😅)

To answer the last question, I'm not entirely sure, but I think it originated in the Stargate fandom. Either just a slang term, or referring to the noise a specific character made when falling/getting hit lol

Once again, welcome!

[big-royal-chicken]

Hazbin Ship Meme

My friend @staticradioismyfavhateship brought this meme to my attention, so here’s my take on it. My feelings on these ships can be read under the cut:

RadioRose 📻🌹

OTP but in a platonic way. I just really like this duo, and I think it’s because I’m biased and Rosie is my favorite character. Their dynamic reminds me a lot of another pairing from another series (one that I do ship in a romantic context).

They’re just aesthetically pleasing to look at and I love the silly fluff that comes with it. Which is ironic as they are both demon canibals.

Alastor isn’t into sex and romance, but he trusts Rosie and seems to be on good terms with her, so that’s all that matters.

RadioSilence 📻📺

I’m intrigued by the idea of Vox having these unrequited feelings for Alastor, both as a rival and maybe a lover? I just like the idea of him being uber jealous over Rosie and Lucifer. Rosie for having a deep friendship with him, and Lucifer for having a compelling rivalry. (I blame my friend and their cute art too)

Season two might shed some more light on their past so we’ll see how things go from there.

Lucifer x Alastor

(I know what it’s called, I’m not using the name)

I’m gonna be real with you chief, fandom kind of ruined this one for me. I like them as rivals who may become friends later on. I’ve been given too many recommendations showing explicit or suggestive art of the two, which is extremely out of character for Alastor. I can’t stop people from shipping it, but I am going to have to resort to filtering it out and blocking blogs that have it.

Alastor x Charlie

Same reasons I don’t like Ra/pple, but also to do with that Charlie is already in a loving relationship with Vaggie and Alastor has canonically stated that he sees her as a daughter. Honestly, Alastor x any of the Morningstar family is a NOTP for me.

Other ships

Emily x Charlie x Vaggie: I think Chaggie is cute. It could’ve had some more development in the show though. I’m intrigued by the idea of Emily x Charlie x Vaggie as a polyamorous ship.

Carmilla x Zestiel: I think it’s cute. Like Radiorose, it seems these two have a history together and have formed a deep relationship from it. Unlike Radiorose, I’m uncertain if theirs potential for romance.

CherriSnake: Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s cute and their dynamic is intriguing, but I think they were done dirty by the pacing of the show.

Lucilith: I’ve seen some cute art and their backstory is adorable, but we have yet to see how their dynamic plays out.

Huskerdust: Not a shipper, but I can see how people could be into them.

StaticMoth: This one is weird because I don’t like Valentino for obvious reasons, and Vox isn’t any better- so I think these bastards deserve each other.

Lute x Adam: Neutral about it, but I can see it being a one-sided admiration.

[kennys-last-life]

Welcome!

Welcome to my South Park art blog! I go by Johanna online. You can call me Johanna or Kenny if you want.

I use she/her and he/him pronouns, and I'm bigender.

I'm 21 years old. Minors may follow my account, but do not DM unless it's art related. People 18+ may become friends with me and role play!

On this blog i'm gonna post my South Park art, animations, and my OCs. I may also do some Asks and things as well. So feel free to request or ask me any questions in my thing.

PLEASE READ MY DNI AND BYF BEFORE FOLLOWING MY ACCOUNT, ART TRADING WITH ME, COMMISSIONING ME, AND SUBMITTING REQUESTS!!!

DO NOT INTERACT...

Basic DNI Criteria (homophobia, transphobia, racism, pedophiles, etc)

Anti-xenogenders & anti-neopronouns

Anti-recovery IRLs or DAs. I won't feed into those delusions.

Ableists and Cluster B-Personality Disorder demonizers

TransIDs, TransRAMCOA, & their supporters

SH, Suicide, and ED blogs

If you will cause a fight or try to attack me, I will simply block you. I want to be comfortable on this page, and not constantly fight and struggle to advocate for myself. Do not be ignorant.

If you steal people's art, or use people's art without permission, or trace art without permission etc, DNI. Do NOT take my art without asking at all.

If you won't respect OCs for fandoms, leave. I will block anyone who calls my OCs cringe, or other OCs.

If you will not pay for your commission, or never do your side of the art trade and take my art for free, I will report you, create a call out post, and block you.

Proshippers (people who ship either illegal or immoral ships, or ships involving something that may make people uncomfortable like racism, anti-Semitism, etc. If you're unsure whether I see a ship as a proship, you may ask. However, attacking me for my comforts and beliefs will get you blocked immediately)

SOME OF MY SP PROSHIP EXAMPLES, PLEASE RESPECT: I will NOT draw ships with family members. Parent and child, and sibling ships, EVEN IF it's an "Au where they are not siblings". Tf you mean? It's gross, sorry. This is regarding SHIPS. Familial/platonic drawings together are OK, but if you're asking for something that is too close to romantic or nsfw territory, I will not do it. I'm not stupid.

I will not support Cartman x Kyle (Kyman). As a Jew, this ship makes me uncomfortable as Cartman many times in the show has expressed anti-Semitism. I also won't draw a 'better au Cartman' x Kyle for my own comfort. I want to stay away from that ship.

Feel free to ask for more examples.

BEFORE YOU FOLLOW...

If anything in my account or welcome blog makes you uncomfortable, feel free to block me. Your comfort matters.

I'm 21 years old. If you are a minor, take that into account. Only follow if you're comfortable. Remember, I'm only comfortable making friends and rping with people 18+. If you're under 18, keep conversations about art, commissions, and art trade.

I'm open to making some artist friends and rping friends who love South Park!

This is my safe space. I'm not gonna be struggling to advocate for myself when you can do your own research and be respectful. If you are going to be mean, I will block you.

If I'm following you, it means I love your art, or too shy to ask to be friends. Feel free to dm!

Do not remove the watermark from my drawings, and if you use my art as a layout, profile picture, graphic for your posts, or post it anywhere at all in any way, please credit me at @kennys-last-life on Tumblr. Thank you! If there's no credit, I will first ask, but if you don't do it, I will report you. And make sure you credit me correctly.

Rules About Submitting Requests

Requesting art doesn't mean acting like it's a commission and I'm gonna draw an exact thing for you. This means you have a cool little idea you want me to draw for my page that's SP related. It won't be a request that's specifically for 'you'. If you're looking for something very specific, or something for you, a commission or art trade will have to do.

I will only accept drawing actual canon characters for requests. If you want me to draw your OC, DM me regarding an art trade or commission. I will then post it to my page if that's okay with you. That's the only way I will draw your OCs!

If you want to ask a character something, I will accept that as a request on my page. Like "I want to ask Kyle blah blah blah". I will try to make all the characters sound as canon as possible, but please don't hate on me if something isn't exactly how you'd think they sound.

I will not draw anything nsfw unless you are 18+ and are art trading or commissioning me. I will NOT post it onto my page since minors may see it, and Tumblr rules probably don't allow nsfw. If you post it onto your page, it must be a nsfw page with warnings, and please credit me. I will ask for proof you are 18+ so I don't end up drawing nsfw for minors.

I may edit and take things out and stuff later! So keep checking back with my pinned post.