#case of the demon's den

[pr0cyon-lotor]

Au where Shen Yuan is a dragon with a giant cavern full of books and plays. It's enchanted and stuff so the cavern moves and shifts so it brings you to a section of the library with what you need/want. He occasionally lets people enter to read his books, but you aren't allowed to take them out no matter what. You are sometimes allowed to copy the information on your own scroll or book, but you need permission first.

He gets visited by Wu Yanzi and a young Shen Jiu. Wu Yanzi is looking for demonic cultivation manuals because Shen Yuan has almost one of each manual, encyclopedia, etc ever written.

He pays no mind since he doesn't really care if malicious people come in or not. He does passively keep an ear out just in case.

Wu Yanzi finds a cultivation manual that has everything he needed and could be sold for a lot of money since it was extremely rare and in pristine condition. He tries to sneak it into his bag, and the dragon just eats him. No warning. No heads up. No trumpets or fanfare. No foreboding messages to return the book. Just chomp.

Shen Jiu is taken aback because did his teacher just get eaten? JUST LIKE THAT?!

The dragon nudges the stolen book back into the shelf and looks at Shen Jiu. Shen Jiu is convinced he's going to die there. Except he doesn't get eaten or harmed. He gets gingerly picked up by the back of his robes and taken to the spiritual cultivation section of the library.

Shen Jiu gets plopped onto the floor and the dragon nudges a few beginner and cleansing cultivation manual to fall from the shelf for him and then promptly crawls back to its den.

Shen Jiu, who is instilled with the undescribable urge to scream "what the FUCK?!", instead sits down and starts reading and practicing because honest to god are you going to disobey a dragon that absolutely towers over you?

So when he's satisfied with his cultivation progress, he finally gets ready to leave. The dragon comes back only to put the books away from the shelves that were too far up for Shen Jiu to reach.

Shen Jiu thanks the dragon, which only gets him a huff in response, and because he hates to be in someone's debt (even if that someone is a dragon hundred of years his senior) he says he'll return with books to fill more shelves. He leaves soon after.

He manages to get the Qing Jing Peak Lord's attention during the Immortal Alliance Conference, which was his intention. He gets in a little late but his cultivation is practically caught up. He easily ranks up to head disciple.

During his time in Cang Qiong Shen Jiu jots down everything he learns. He writes down music he composes, discoveries he makes, talisman and array designs he creates, even poems he has written. His Shizun insists that he adds them to the Qing Jing library, and he does but he leaves polished copies of his work and excludes the very important parts.

Eventually when he's peak lord, he goes on an expedition by himself with the scrolls and books he's filled through the years. He finds the dragon's cavern and finally meets it after so long. He presents his life's work to the dragon, practically bearing his heart to it.

The dragon looks at him curiously and transforms into a human form. Shen Jiu watches as the dragon takes the bag from his hands and pulls out the first book, which had all the songs he made for the jiejies in the Warm Red Pavilion to preform.

The dragon say down and invited Shen Jiu to join him. He does and the dragon continues to go through everything while asking him questions about something he wrote or created. Sometimes they get off task and start talking about something else and both appreciate being able to talk to someone that understands classics or is good at debating.

By the time Shen Yuan finally finishes with everything Shen Jiu gave him, they have surprisingly clicked very well. Shen Yuan tells him he's going to make a section in his library for all his works, so he can bring more if he wished because Shen Yuan thought he was a genius that was just starting to shine.

Shen Jiu agrees to continue giving Shen Yuan his work if only to have an excuse to return. And that's how it became tradition that every once in a while the Qing Jing Peak Lord will go off the mountain with a stack of books for days on end and return to none of them.

Sometimes he would even have a strange man come to his peak. If the man visited, that meant Shen Qingqiu was going to be in a good mood, so obviously the kids always told him to stay or come back soon.

And also just as obviously, this is incredibly suspicious to the other peak lords. Cue Liu Qingge and Qi Qingqi pestering Shen Qingqiu and demanding to know what is the meaning of this. Also cue Shen Yuan misunderstanding and getting jealous and then realizing he has feelings for Shen Jiu (after a solid month(s) of denial).

So the next course of action is to keep Shen Jiu from Liu Qingge and Qi Qingqi because they're threats to Shen Yuan's time alone with Shen Jiu. Also he doesn't trust how Shen Jiu covers his face with his fan when they talk to him. Shen Jiu also covers his face when they both talk, so obviously that must mean something and he doesn't like it.

Isn't dragon jealousy great?

Eventually the peak lords find out about Shen Yuan and it was definitely a whole ordeal. Shen Yuan maybe threatened to burn Cang Qiong to the ground at some point, but the threat didn't go through so did it really happen?

Shen Jiu definitely knows about Shen Yuan's feelings for him and is absolutely fucking smug about it. Like who wouldn't want a highly intelligent dragon with a library that is any scholar's wet dream that INSTANTLY becomes a begging puppy when he wants your attention.

As far as Shen Jiu is concerned, he's winning at life.

[sauronxgaladriel]

Haladriel Library

Saurondriel/Haladriel Fanfic Recommendations. Some of these stories could fit into multiple categories. If you have any more recommendations feel free to add them!

Marriage

Shadow-Bride by eye_of_a_cat

Bridesprice by FormerlyIR (Irony_Rocks), Irony_Rocks 

Poison & Wine by Coraleeveritas

Galadriel takes longer to discover Sauron's identity

no matter how many skies have fallen by stitchingatthecircuitboard

A man is a god in ruins by eye_of_a_cat

Queen of the Southlands by FormerlyIR

Galadriel Says Yes

The House That Fire Built by Ready_For_The_Laughing_Gas

dig up the bones (but leave the soul alone) by Wyrd_Syster

Gilded by eye_of_a_cat

And white winter, on its knees by eye_of_a_cat

The Trials of Mairon by EllieCarina

Mortal Laws by Helholden

A Portion of Thyself by Frotu

Reforged in the Making by FormerlyIR (Irony_Rocks)

Fabricated by Frotu

Canon Divergence/Reimagining of S1 and onwards

I could be your king by cliffdiving

The Tides of Fate by fireheart321

In Case of Defeat, Break Glass by eastwynds

that i may rise and stand, o'erthrow me by mortaltemples

Five times Halbrand's secret got revealed by eye_of_a_cat

Across That Fine Line by MyrsineMezzo

Instruments of Salvation by Scriberated

a fair form by properhaunt

Autocorrelation by EisforEverything

The Return of the Queen by Nenya Business (Cec_Jo)

A Feast of Starlight by TheLightofArwyn

Supernatural Creature AU

should have known better by Nenya Business (Cec_Jo) (Witch/Demon AU)

Wild Magic by Scriberated (Witch/God)

Storm Tides & Weaving Threads by elssiie (Siren AU)

just a taste by stardustspell (Vampire AU)

Haladriel meet before TROP

Spark, Ignite, Burn by cliffdiving

our souls were made from the stars by silverwing12 (Deleted)

Necessity's Bargain by Scriberated

Though the Gods and the Years Relent, Shall Be by Helholden

determination is the cure (for longing) by downtheroadandupthehill

where the spirit meets the bones by kangaroopaws

people throw rocks at things that shine by ophidion

Pick a star, and follow it home by CloudlySkies124

Hades Persephone Vibes

Beasts of the Hill and Serpents of the Den by Helholden

a dust like thine by mortaltemples

One-Shots

Unsired by shady-swan-jones (sweetleaf), sweetleaf 

the light of his eyes by eastwynds

now dark, now glittering by mortaltemples

In the Shadow of Your Heart by mzladybird

i cannot heave my heart into my mouth by fallofrain

this love is glowing in the dark by Orcas86

we could just kiss, like real people do by justatinycollector 

a millstone around my neck by mortaltemples

the nameless by bimmyou

next time by you_wear_fine_things_well

Pregnancy/Parenthood

Light and Power by chronicallyexhaustedwriter

shining like a fiery beacon by ophidion

A Blessing of Eru by Scriberated

mitosis by Orcas86

Darkness Bound by no_more_doubt

Smut

A Stressed Tiding by FormerlyIR (Irony_Rocks), Irony_Rocks

this love is glowing in the dark by Orcas86

Buried in Bone by Invisible_Hand

Riptide by makeshiftdraco

Perfection by Nenya Business (Cec_Jo)

like magnets work, only drawn to thee by audreystark

To Follow the Light by Thrill_of_hope

A Moment of Honesty by Draconic_Grace

Dream Within a Dream by Nenya Business (Cec_Jo)

bind yourself to me by Nenya Business (Cec_Jo)

Dream Within a Dream by Nenya Business (Cec_Jo)

Lady of the Seas by eye_of_a_cat

Dark/Dead Dove

all your pain will end here by poeticmemory

Land of Enchantment by EisforEverything

perle by emphemeron

Glanduin Kiss by Anonymous

The Cost of Victory by EisforEverything

what you and i have wrought by thefudge

what heart's ease by fallofrain

Sauron as Annatar

hold her head above the water by Orcas86

next time by you_wear_fine_things_well

the light of his eyes by eastwynds 

Contaminate by Frotu

[flowersdiceandlove]

Bingqiu family headcanons:

I don't always headcanon that they want kids, but when I do, these are my headcanons for it

Shen Qingqiu-yuan wants four kids because he was one of four and so that just feels like a good number to him

Shen Qingqiu-yuan wants to be called "baba" by his kids. It's more modern and what he grew up with so it feels more natural to him. Everyone else is always surprised by this because they thought he would want his kids to call him something more formal like "father" or "fuqin."

In the same vein as the last one, for grandkids, he also wants to be called something casual like "grandpa" "grandpappy" "pappy" "pops" ect. You get the idea.

their kid(s) have curly hair like Binghe. (only if they have a blood relation to him ofc)

Shang Qinghua cries and exclaims that he's gonna be a grandpa. Shen Qingqiu then smacks him with his fan and tells him to shut up.

While the Peak Lords and other members of Cang Qiong still don't really like Luo Binghe, they fall in love with Bingqiu's kid(s) and would most definitely die for their protection.

Ning Yingying is the kid's favorite babysitter. Ming Fan is heartbroken that it's not him even though he doesn't know how to take care of kids too well.

When Ming Fan finds out about the kid, he faints.

So does Yue Qingyuan.

It's a close call with Liu Qingge, but he manages to keep it together, looking very constipated and like he might start spitting blood.

Mu Qingfang smiles and offers congratulations. (One of the very few to do so.)

Mobei-jun has staring contests with the baby. No one is keeping track of the score, nor does anyone know about it. Really, Mobei-jun just stares at it and the baby stares back. Sometimes, the baby will reach out and smack him in the face. Mobei-jun does not react and just keeps staring.

Mobei-jun later tells Shang Qinghua he wants a baby and Shang Qinghua chokes on air so hard Mobei-jun has to pat his back.

Liu Qingge is actually one of their best babysitters. He has a lot of practice from Liu Mingyan. He sometimes holds the kid upside down by their ankle, but the kid always loves it. He's good at reading little kids.

When Liu Qingge babysits, he always ends up taking the kid on some sort of night hunt/adventure. The kid is always perfectly safe and never hurt in any way, but it always scares the shit out of Bingqiu. Liu Qingge is always super chill about it too like "No, nothing exciting really happened, just a normal day." "You took him/her to a den of demons to fight!!" And Liu Qingge just shrugs "I did that all the time with Mingyan."

On the flip-side, Liu Mingyan is one of the worst babysitters. It's amplified even more by it being Bingqiu's kid.

Yue Qingyuan is banned from babysitting. He's like the single uncle who has no idea how babies work. Shen Qingqiu tells him that they'll let him try babysitting again when the kid is older (with supervision for a trial run)

Shang Qinghua's not the best babysitter, but not a bad one either. The kid doesn't get into any big trouble or anything, but he's not the most fun babysitter. He doesn't really know how to act around kids so is super awkward with it.

Luo Binghe always worries that he's going to completely mess up as a father and ruin the kid in some way, even after they have the kid. Shen Qingqiu always soothes him and tells him he'll be a wonderful father and kisses his forehead.

Luo Binghe takes to patting their kids on the tops of their heads like shizun did to him when he was growing up (and still does)

Luo Binghe actually emulates Shen Qingqiu a lot sometimes when trying to be stern with their kids or in the cases of the headpats.

Shen Qingqiu notices this after a few years and asks Luo Binghe about it who replies something like "Well, Shizun did such a good job raising me, I figure that I should do what he did." and Shen Qingqiu is horrified. At himself mostly. And that Binghe would actually say it. He's still trying to get Binghe to stop calling him "shizun" in bed. This does not make him feel better about it.

Luo Binghe tells their kid(s) the same stories that his mother told him when he was a little boy and sings them the same lullabies. Shen Qingqiu watches him do this with a smile and tears pricking his eyes.

Shen Qingqiu does the same with stories and lullabies from his world, and Luo Binghe is fascinated by the strange songs and stories.

part 2

[semisolidmind]

Possibly spicy question about the lions den au: What would happen if Azure had.... "Marked" Reader? Either through slight claw marks that were covered by her clothes or a more noticeable "Love Bite?"

oooooh

(i imagine he'd have to be exceedingly gentle with his teeth and claws. perhaps the demon instincts kicked in and he just had to put his mark on her somehow)

well, in that case the monkey bros would not be happy about it. oh they could find some way to heal whatever damage azure has done, but the fact that his mark was there at all makes them angry (maybe she asks them in confidence of its...normal for demons to leave marks like those, and the boys hesitate to tell her the truth).

once they've begun to court reader more fully the need to erase a previous claim rears its head. maybe mac or wukong "accidentally" scratch her leg a little, or maybe they get real cuddly so she smells like them (they may do this partially to make azure mad).

and once the lion is done away with, the boys will gladly begin leaving more and more love bites and marks of their own ;)

[midnightsun-if]

”Probably using some of the other roommates as “human” shields…. Which would end up being interesting depending on who it is.”

how would each RO react to being the human shield?

Koda:

“Can I hide behind you for a sec, big guy?”

A warm grin tugs at Koda’s lips. “Sure!” He shifts a bit so Blake could worm into the space behind him. “Is there something you need? I’m just doing some light reading for Sloane.”

Blake’s brow furrows in confusion. “Why?”

“Something about me not understanding the core concept of personal space.” Koda shrugs. “Thought I should get a bit of a head start on learning.”

Opening and closing their mouth, Blake tries to come up with a proper response to that but, before they could, which was either fortunate or not, the door to the den slams open and you’re fuming form stands at the entrance. A sight that causes them to skink further back into the shadows and behind the considerable bulk of the bear-shifter. Good, I probably won’t be seen. All I have to do is be quiet and—

“Hey MC!” Koda waves his hand, booming voice almost rattling the glass panes of the high arching windows. “Blake and I were just doing some reading. Would you like to join us?”

Scarlett:

“Hide me.”

The panicked voice causes emerald eyes to raise from age-worn pages, an elegant brow furrowed with the barest hints of exasperation being shown by the downturn of full lips. Rising from her seated position, Scarlett scoffs at the seemingly endless audacity that Blake Herrera showcased on a daily basis.

“Do you truly think—“ Her words are cut off as the insipid hell-spawn tucks themself behind her, just as the library door bursts open and you make an appearance. At the sight, and by simply knowing the relationship between the two, Scarlett almost lets out a long-suffering sigh. She’s been alive for over two hundred years, but she’s never been quite as tired since having to deal with you both. “I’m not getting in the middle of this.”

Taking her book, and the rest of her wine, Scarlett arches a brow as she looks into widened violet eyes. “You’ve dealt your own hand. Now reap what you’ve sowed.” With that she makes her way out of the library, only offering you a cursory glance as she passes. “They’re all yours. Please try not to make too much of a mess. I do wish to return later on and finish my reading.”

Cyrus/Cyra:

“Think you can help me with something, hot stuff?”

A delicate brow furrows. “I thought I told you to desist with that nickname.”

“Right, right. Sorry.” Blake offers them an apologetic smile. “Still… D’ya think you can help me with something, Birdie?”

Red flashes in the dual-colored gaze before a calming breath is issued to stem whatever reaction they were about to have. “What is it? I’m not sure I’m interested in any proposition you’d have to offer me.”

“For one thing that sort of hurts my heart to hear and for another if I was propositioning you, you’d be more than aware of it.” The demon-hybrid glances over their shoulders worriedly. “I just need to use you as potential cover in case MC finds me. Simple, right?”

“That doesn’t sound simple in the slightest. You know I don’t like getting in the middle of whatever squabbles you and MC have with one another.” They pinch the bridge of their nose. “Especially since they tend to be quite ridiculous.”

Blake splays out their hands, faux-innocence etched across their face. “Aren’t I one of your subjects? Isn’t it like a duty, or something, to help protect me?”

“That’s not how that works at all, Blake.” They glance at something, an amused look briefly gracing their features. “It seems like my time here is up. I have a test to get prepared for and I don’t think a panicking demon will help me concentrate for it.”

They pat Blake’s arm, an almost awkward smile on their lips. “I do hope I see you for dinner.”

Quinn:

“You’ve eaten more of MCs food, haven’t you?”

The plea for help is born and dies on Blake’s lips as Quinn’s amused sapphire gaze meets their own— a small pout forming on their lips in its stead.

“It’s not any fun to be fleeing for my life when you already know the reason.” Blake shakes their head, crossing their arms. “How did you hear about it anyway?”

Quinn arches a brow. “We’re in the living room, Blake. A mere fifty feet from the entrance to the dining room.” At Blake’s expectant look a soft sigh escapes them. “I heard it. With my ears.”

“Well that’s just cheating.” Glancing behind them, they’re glad to see that MC hasn’t gone in full pursuit yet. Probably still assessing the damage. “Do you think you could distract MC for a bit? At least until I find someone who’ll actually play along.”

Quinn shrugs. “I don’t see why not. I’ll give you an extra five minutes to find someone.” Sapphire eyes glance towards the dining room. “I’d make it quick though. I don’t think MC will let this pass so easily this time.”

No, Blake muses, I don’t think so either…

Caden:

“Hey, Casper,” Blake says, charming smile in full effect as they sidle next to the hunched over form. “Haven’t spoken to you in a bit. How have you been?”

Argent eyes flicker with curiosity. “We rarely ever speak. In fact I can think of only three times we’ve had actual conversations.” Caden looks back down at their work, jotting down a couple more notes in various places. “Shouldn’t you be with MC? I’d assume you’d be spending the afternoon together.”

“Thought I’d spend it with you instead. Realized that we haven’t gotten some one-on-one time together and wanted to fix that.” Something that Blake will have to rectify regardless; just not when they’re currently fearful for their life. “What do you say?”

Caden looks up, eyes flickering to the entrance of the dining room before looking back. “I say that you’ve gotten yourself into trouble and wish to have a way out of it.” Closing their notebook, they stand from the table. “And, I regret to inform you, that I do not work for you. I do not wish to interfere with whatever it is you’ve done with the child of the woman that actually pays my salary. I do wish for the best for you.”

With that Caden makes a quick exit out of the room. Leaving a flabbergasted half-demon and fuming vampire behind.

Sloane:

Hazel eyes narrow into slits even before Blake can get one word out, lips curling into a snarl around the cigarette dangling from them. “Whatever you’re about to ask the answer is abso-fucking-lutely not.” They take one last drag, before they crush the remnants of the cigarette underneath a leather clad heel. “I don’t have time to deal with your brand of idiocy today, Herrera.”

Blake places their hands over their heart. “I’m hurt, wolfie, deeply and truly.” Sloane’s eyes narrow dangerously at the nickname. “I promise if you help me out this time, I won’t bother you for the next month.”

“Or—“ Sloane rolls their shoulders, lazy smirk tugging at their lips. “I could leave you to whatever mess you’ve created for yourself, which will probably keep you out of my hair for even longer.”

“You see that’s not exactly the answer I was hoping for.”

Sloane shrugs, hazel eyes locking with something over Blake’s shoulder. “Then you shouldn’t have come to me.” Pushing off the wall they had been leaning against, they brush past the demon-hybrid. Leaving Blake to contend with their irate best friend alone.

Reginald/Regina:

“Short Stack,” Blake calls the moment they clock the familiar human with an armful of books and papers. “Need a favor.”

A wide smile stretches across their lips, blue-green eyes sparkling with immediate interest. “What do you need? It’s not about another seance, right?” Their brow furrows slightly. “Scarlett told me you were just messing with me about that.”

Blake scoffs. “Beauty Queen likes to ruin future projects it seems.” Serves me right for messing around with her… She could have done a lot worse. And has… Shaking their head, Blake forces themself to focus. “But it’s not about that, sprout. I just need a place to hide out for a bit and thought that I could hangout in your room.”

“You want to hangout with me? Isn’t MC done with their classes?” Skillfully maneuvering the objects in their arms, R glances down at their watch. “It’s about that time.”

Wrapping an arm around slim shoulders, the demon-hybrid lets loose a soft chuckle, quickly pulling the small human in the direction they needed to go when they take note of their irate best friend on the other side of the quad. “Why would I want to do that when I have you right here?”

“I suppose.”

A charming grin catches on Blake’s lips. “You got any food in that bag of yours?”

[teathyme4thedevil]

Demon/Human Pact Mark Headcanons ft. MC Thyme

•

Pacts are made by a demon biting a human and injecting their demonic magic into their muscle tissue like venom. The more of their own magic the human has, even inactivated, the harder their body fights back against the foreign magic. The human becomes laid up for several days while they recover from the venom.

After successfully pacting a human, demons become extremely protective to the point of occasionally going feral, depending on their level of control. For example Mammon and Asmo didn’t shift but Levi and Beel did. Satan was already shifted into a feral state when he forced the bond.

A protective demon will hide away their new human master, tucking their weakened body into their personal dens and guarding them with their life. They will not eat or sleep, relying on their heightened demonic energy to keep their bodies strong and stable.

A demon can force a pact on a human by biting them without permission with the intent on forming a pact. This rarely ever happens since demons try to avoid pacting with humans to begin with. When this is the case the pact mark is never to heal properly, forever burnt into the humans skin, unlike consensual pact marks that fade into scars after a week or two.

Thyme rejected Satan’s pact request and in a fit of wrath he marked them non consensually. In the future he likes to kiss the inflamed area gently in apology, whispering regrets.

[midnightsunnyday]

Random Headcanons About The World of Obey Me!:

Possible trigger warnings: mentions of self-harm and child birth.

Angels and demons don't age physically like humans, obviously. 100 years is roughly about one human year and so on. Lucifer, for example, existed before the beginnings of humanity and even time itself. Take that as you will.

Demons can't die. Technically. They can be injured, feel pain, even get sick, but they cannot experience "true death" as they will always regenerate themselves, regardless of the amount of time it takes to do so. However, during periods of intense physical trauma, they can return to what they call "the darkness before." It was once that Beelzebub experienced such a place after being seriously injured while protecting one of his brothers. When asked to describe it, the only answer he could give was simply, "boring."

That being said, there are ways to kill a demon, permanently, but doing so would require rather ancient and powerful magic, as well as finding a way to remove them from the cycle of creation itself. And the more powerful the demon, the harder it is to do. Demons like Barbatos, in this case, are virtually unkillable.

There are some demons who suffer through what is known as "cessation sickness." Symptoms include extreme fatigue, depression, migraines, bouts of forgetfulness, apeirophobia, and self-harm.

Children's television and interactive media in the Devildom is a bit more "eerie" than that of the human world. Think of Candle Cove or Fun with Amanda type of programs on the regular. What a human child or adult might see as disturbing is downright hilarious to a demon child. Speaking of children...

Demons, at least during certain occasions, are infertile. An immortal species has no need to consistently repopulate itself, after all. Yet every hundred years or so, demons do experience what is basically a mating season. The season lasts for only a moon, making the window to concieve very short. During this time, demons who are interested in baring children will build mating dens and perform certain rituals for their partners. Said experience is also very physically demanding and can take multiple, multiple attempts. Concieving a child, let alone bringing one to term, is not only rare but when successful, warrants a celebration that can last for days.

Demons who wish not to perform in said actions are offered alternatives. Substances that extinguish the need to mate are available during the season. It goes without saying that Lord Diavolo, Barbatos, Mephistophles, other royals, as well as the rest of the brothers, have found said alternatives mandatory...for obvious reasons.

Demon anatomy is...weird. Depending on the demon, there usually isn't one set amount of organs or parts, which makes Anatomy 101 even more confusing. Leviathan, for example, has three hearts (being kinda like a fish has its benefits).

When Diavolo closed the portals between realms, some demons were caught off from their main source of substance: human flesh and souls. Some either adapted, finding new ways to procure their energy, or went insane and needed to be exposed of (the incubi/ sucubi species were hit the hardest by this). Survival of the fittest is quite literal in the Devildom.

Demons weren't always like the ones you see now. Primordial demons were much more terrifying and closer to the ones most humans envision when they think of a devil. Most demons are capable of reverting to said forms, yet only under extreme circumstances.

Some may ask why exactly demons and angels look so close to mortals in appearance. One reason is that maintaining such a simple, bipedal form is easier for everyday mobility. You'd be surprised how difficult it is to walk through a door with hundreds of appendages or enjoy an iced latte when you're several stories tall or even hold a simple conversation without driving the person you're attempting to converse with into madness. Another reason is hunting, at least for demons. Luring in human prey is easier when they don't immediately run away screaming. And if you're one of "those types," mating. Let's just say things get messy and downright impossible when one partner doesn't have the proper biology.

Demons, for the most part, were always destructive, insatiable, and chaotic evil creatures. This began to change when certain primordial demons bred with other demons close in "emotional capacity" and created clans. Those clans eventually became kingdoms, and those who rule them now sit atop the hierarchy of the nine circles of hell. Lord Diavolo's ancestry, for example, leads back to the very beginnings of the Devildom and have stood there for eons.

The avatars are merely a physical representation of the sin that already exists within humans. They do not cause humans to sin just by merely being near them, though they can influence a sin if it's already there. Because of this, avatars are very good at sensing their sins and tend to be drawn to places that hold them the most. It's why Mammon and Asmodeus particularly love nightclubs.

Mammon tried his hand in the human stock exchange once and was found to be so good at it that he nearly collapsed the world economy. There's a reason Lucifer forbids Mammon from interfering with any human related trade or commerce.

Lucifer doesn't particularly care for most of his human created depictions in art or media. Satan also holds a slight gripe as well.

Lucifer, Belphegor, and Asmodeus have the ability to mimic voices. Asmodeus for...obvious reasons, Belphegor for more malicious purposes, and Lucifer only on rare occasions. Though when he's really spiteful, he'll use it to mimic MCs voice to draw Mammon out of hiding.

The brothers wonder how Belphegor, despite never seeming to work or...do much of anything, tends to have an ample amount of Grimm. Being known as the "demon of invention" has its perks. Along with being able to enter other's dreams, he can also influence those to pursue in certain endeavors that are bound to fail and lead nowhere (rather silly to bet on dreams with the avatar of sloth, huh)? When they inevitably do fail, Belphegor offers them a simple deal: a reasonable fee for the eternal, continuous, autonomous ownership of their soul. Most, of course, pay.

[thewriters64]

Second Chance. RENGOKU SHINJURO.

Description: Forced into an arranged marriage a grieving Shinjuro avoids his new wife, and in the process ends up falling for her blind sister. The woman just so happens to be a complete, and utter mystery to the grieving alpha, who never believed he would feel his wolf perk up again.

Or feel the familiar emotions he thought were completely lost in his grief. When he starts to pay closer attention to the mysterious woman he fails to realize just how strongly he fell for her. Struggling with the guilt of his first mate he is lost, a battle begins to brew inside of him as he argues with his wolf’s primal instincts, and the logical human side.

Note: This story is also on my A03 account if you prefer to read it there.

. Prologue .

- Being born a bastard, a halfbreed, shapes a person into who they become in their lives. Some choose to hide from the world, hiding their parents discrimination. Others embrace their heritage, become strong, and form their own path.

A young girl with white hair can be seen sitting on-top of her father's shoulders, a joyous laugh escapes her as he spins them.

She was the consequence of his infidelity, yet she was his pride and joy. The only child of his that inherited his unruly, frosty white hair and light, almost white, pink eyes.

Despite being a halfbreed, her mother was a sweet omega from Europe, who couldn't return home with a bastard child. Instead of leaving her to die, she had hunted down the man and thrusted the baby into his arms.

But the thing about life, is it's short, death is always right around the corner, even closer if you're a Demon Slayer.

The scene turns to the same girl quite a few years older staring down at her father's sword, and folded haori. The only two things they could find left of him from a recent mission, he faced upper moon three and fought furiously.

A taller woman with dark brown hair kneeled beside her, having fallen from the initial shock of the news. The younger sister stood on the other side of the girl, she was a copy and paste from the kneeling woman.

Life doesn't stop for death, life must go on.

The next day the same girl is outside of her home chopping wood to take into town, while her mother and sister remained inside.

Everyone copes in different ways when it comes to death. Some throw themselves into work, others spiral into a depression, some turn to substance to help them. While others shove their grief so far down in an attempt to avoid it, everyone is different.

In the case of Kumagai Izumi, a girl with frosty, unruly white hair, and bandages covering her eyes. She chose to throw herself into work, to provide for her family, learning how to master earth breathing.

Like her father was teaching her, they were the only ones who could master the technique in over 100 years. She wished to be a samurai. All while doing that she worked on her education, selling wood to the nearby villages, and teaching her younger sister how to become a proper lady.

As well as teaching her the proper dynamics between their secondary genders, since their mother had turned bitter, and refused to talk of such things. The pain of a severed mate bond was apparently the most excruciating thing someone could feel.

And more times than not they would not make it through the first year.

- Alphas; Generally take on more of the protective leader role, the more dominant ones, and the ones with more authority.

- Betas; Are the perfect middlemen between alphas and omegas, seeing as they aren't greatly affected by pheromones.

- Omegas; Do take on more of a caregiver role, often taking care of the den and pups, they are the ones that are able to keep a pack together.

When Akemi came to age for marriage, Izumi was more than terrified for her younger sister. The poor omega was overly sensitive, and the amount of letters she received proposing for her sister's hand was enough to make her sick.

It wasn't until their mother had stumbled out of her room with a scowl on her face, and a box in her hands. Sitting across the sisters she begun to explain that their father had planned to arrange a pairing for Akemi.

Since he was no longer here it was now up to her, Akemi had refused the first four. After another alpha sulked out of their den, she had put her foot down, and took Akemi's choice away.

She had done so when Izumi was away on a mission, knowing the older of the two daughters would have put her foot down. When her hawk had flown to her with a letter from Akemi explaining everything, she does not think she finished a mission so quickly so she could rush home.

It was too late though, the marriage pack was already sealed and approved. Akemi had agreed on the condition Izumi came with her, at first Izumi was livid she would agree to such a thing.

After much thought she realized it was a smart move, the sisters had come up with their own plan. Izumi had resources, and allies who could very easily make the two disappear from the planes of the earth.

Set them free, and allow them to start anew.

The day of the wedding ceremony was not a happy one. Their mother had made a marriage pack with the Rengoku alpha that had lost his mate not too long ago from an illness.

The man reeked of sake, ash, and sadness, his pain of losing his mate was still very present, and for a moment Izumi could sympathize with him.

He did not want this either, but the overwhelming duty, of being a Hashira, and taking care of two pups was too much.

And so, off they went to their new pack den.

[raindrop-21]

Thoughts I be thinking

141(poly) and the band Ghost(readerXpoly ghouls&papa) mix up au under the break

There are some ghouls from the previous eras, but not all.

cw: Pregnancy

You work with the 141, you're very close; met Price's brother, Johnny's mom, and Kyle's sister, and visited the grave of Simon's mom. They've yet to meet your family. You've done a good job of hiding where you come from, you had to because the people you consider your family, your lovers, are anything but human.

Literal demons from hell. All of them, well, except for Copia. You love them dearly. You just don't want to compromise their safety. But, alas, you can't keep them a secret forever when you get pregnant with their kits (unsure who's they are yet).

You tell Price of your pregnancy, and being the good friend he is, he wants to meet the father, or in this case, fathers. You tell the rest of the 141 of the news and that you'll be on leave for around 1-2 years, they of course want to meet who helped create the life that's growing inside of you.

You forewarn the 141, by saying your family/lovers are not exactly normal, the boys, of course, shrug it off and think nothing of it. That is, until they actually meet your lovers; males and females of various heights, body types, colors, horns, and tails. All of the 141 are shell-shocked. Are these literal demons? Is it cosplay? Why so many?

You notice their looks of confusion and look at them, "These are my ghouls, all from different layers of Hell, and Papa or Copia."

They look slightly worried and mutter amongst themselves and watch as you're greeted by each ghoul; a kiss to the cheek, a kiss on the lips, a kiss on the forehead, a kiss on your not yet grown belly, and hugs. They watch a Copia, the only human of the group, comes up to you, hugs you, places a hand on your stomach, and kisses you gently and whispers a welcome home to you in Italian. It's a sweet exchange, sweeter than the ones they share together after a mission.

You take the boys and sit them in the ghoul den and begin introducing each ghoul to your teammates.

"This is Aurora, Mist, Cumulus, Cirrus, Sunshine, Aether, Phantom, Swiss, Dew, Rain, Mountain, Ifrit, and Special." As you say their names, each ghoul stands or makes themself known by making a noise. Copia walks in with the drinks he went to get, "And this is Copia, Papa of the ministry, and our partner as well."

To the 141, this is a strange group especially with Phantom greeting them like a cat, but they're your family. The boys will learn to love the ghouls just as much as you do.

[bloodfin]

✭・.・✫

Rain Ghoul x Dewdrop Ghoul x Phantom Ghoul (plus some background polyghouls)

Rated: E for Explicit, 18+ only

Word Count: 4.347

Summary: Dew spills some wine on Rain's pretty moonrise outfit; shenanigans ensue

Pronoun tags for this fic: She/Her Rain, He/Him Dewdrop, He/They Phantom (everyone has a dick today)

Warnings: pre-existing relationships (and therefore pre-existing kink negotiations), ma'am kink, mommy kink, alcohol consumption, blood kink/drinking, spitting, aether is always a little stressed (and gets called daddy once), handjob, blowjob, anal fingering, spit as lube, anal sex, dumbification, come play, come eating, there is so much come, praise kink, knotting, breeding kink (very mild and only if you squint but just in case), horribly unreliable narrator, no beta we die like nihil; as is typical of my writing sensitive kink (mommy in this case) has been italicized and bolded for easy skipping - i know this isn't a kink for everyone, please keep yourself safe

Author’s Note: as always please mind the tags and don't read if anything squicks you out! i fear my brainrot is now terminal and i am making that everyone else's problem (sorry). if i missed a tag in the warnings or you think i should add something please let me know - i try and be thorough! enjoy, share what you can, and be well ~

additional disclaimer: this is about literal demons straight from hell and has absolutely nothing to do with the actual band members of Ghost, unless someone dyed themselves blue or gold and we all missed it

read on ao3

Vernal equinox had passed, but the ghouls were still in celebration mode, the walls of the den overflowing with small paper flowers. The pink moon was due to rise - the first full moon of spring always cause for extra celebration. It was welcomed around the abbey by all members for ushering in growth and change, solidifying partnerships of all sorts. 

Phantom, Aurora, and Dew decorated while Sunshine and Cirrus cooked, the den slowly filling with the warm smell of freshly baked bread. Mountain and Aether were arranging the plants to best receive the moon's energy, while Swiss and Cumulus worked on setting up a large nest in the center of the den. 

The only one absent from the preparations was Rain, but her packmates were certain that she would come by when she was ready if she felt so called. Every moonrise was different, but this moon in particular had a strong effect on her. Sometimes the pull was so intense she would spend the evening at the bottom of the lake worshiping in her own way, or she would slink away with the other water ghouls of the abbey. 

Today, however, she wanted to play with her pack, painting her face with a gentle pink blush and lipstick. It stood out beautifully against her navy-freckled teal skin, making her sharp teeth seem even brighter. She hummed at her reflection once she finished smudging her eyeliner, the red she put on the waterline bleeding into faded black. Predatory. 

Rain was flicking through her closet when the smell of dinner wafted under her door, her ears flickering once they picked up on the sound of quiet laughter. She huffed, passing over dress after dress, jumpsuit after crop top, nothing feeling quite right or looking as powerful as the moon was making her feel. She was fiddling with her belly ring when her eyes landed on a small black skirt next to the laundry that she had been meaning to return. One more wear wouldn’t make her anymore late on giving the clothing back to its rightful owner, right? 

“Perfect,” she smiled to herself, wriggling into the skintight black leather miniskirt, sporting a slit that left absolutely no thigh to the imagination. It hugged every part of her perfectly, highlighting where her cock was straining against a too small pair of panties. Once satisfied with its placement she put on a black lace bandeau, followed by a sheer black crop top. 

The only thing missing was shoes, and she slipped into pink heels that matched her lipstick before heading out the door, her tail wagging slowly through the air. 

When she rounded the corner into the den’s common room the air shifted, the whole pack taking a collective breath when they saw her. 

“Wow,” Swiss whispered under his breath, his foot tapping rapidly under the table. 

“Mo- mo- mom-m-” 

Phantom was stuttering, frozen in place before Cumulus clapped her hand over his mouth, whispering in their ear. 

“She will eat you alive baby. Let her get settled, she just got here.” 

Their ears started to twitch like he was going to make a move, but when they saw how Rain's teeth seemed to glow in the light he nodded, leaning into Cumulus's side, content to watch for the moment. Dew, however, was not. He wanted Rain near him always, and especially now. 

Dew was probably a little too inebriated to be attempting anything close to chivalry, but anytime he saw Rain like this his brain deflated while his blood supply funneled south. 

“Saved you a chair, beautiful,” he hummed, standing to pull out the seat beside his own. 

He should have left his glass on the table, really, but the thought didn't cross his mind until he bumped into Rain, burgundy wine sloshing out of his glass to drip down her exposed stomach. The room was still, Mountain having sucked in a sharp breath while Aether started to stand, readying himself to intervene. The sparkle of Dew's skin began to fade as his face fell, turning to run into the kitchen for a towel. 

He didn't make it very far, Rain's hand reaching out to grab the back of his neck. She pulled him back and pushed him to his knees, leaning on the chair. 

“Clean your mess, Dewdrop.” 

Aether breathed a sigh of relief and plopped back into his chair while the color returned to Phantom's face, eager to see what was next. His tail thumped quietly on their chair. 

Dew looked at Rain for a brief moment before dropping his head, speaking quickly. 

“Yes ma'am, thank you ma'am.” 

Rain's eyes dilated and her fingers flexed, breath stuttering for just a moment when Dew’s hot tongue met the cool skin of her stomach, lapping up the wine. He made sure to clean around the band of her skirt first, knowing how much she hated stains. 

Once he felt the area was thoroughly cleaned he delicately worked his way to her belly button, wrapping his tongue around the glittery, dangling jewelry and sucking it clean. He tongued around the attached belly chains, not wanting to miss a single drop. There was a quiet moan from behind them, but Dew didn't dare lift his eyes, focusing instead on the beautiful creature before him.

Rain stuck her hand out and Cirrus placed Dew's half spilled glass of wine into it, complimenting her skirt. 

She smiled while she swirled the glass in her hand, bringing it to her nose for a quick sniff. 

“Thank you, I've been meaning to return it -” 

Cirrus's laugh sounded like little bells in the wind. 

“Please, keep it. You look better in it then I do.” 

Rain smiled and bent to the side, knocking their horns together. “You're too sweet to me Cici, I'll be sure to properly thank you later.” 

She smiled back, blowing her a soft kiss before returning her attention back to Mountain, tugging him from the table and towards the nest. Chairs scraped on the floor as everyone shuffled around, still watching Rain and Dew’s exchange.  

Rain studied the glass of wine in her hand, turning it slowly. It was her favorite one, thick and full bodied, a few citrus notes at the end. 

Expensive. 

“How many dicks did you have to suck to get this?” 

Dew shrugged while lapping at her cool skin. It didn’t matter to him so he didn't keep count, he would do anything for his mate. Anything to see her smile, even if he wasn't sure she'd attend the evening festivities. 

“Four,” Sunshine giggled from Cumulus's lap. Rain purred, licking the tips of her fangs. 

Dew had finished his task and was sitting back on his heels, looking up to watch Rain take another sip of the wine. His tongue darted out from between his lips with a quiet whimper. Rain looked down at him, one perfectly done brow raised. 

“Need more?” 

Dew nodded his head rapidly before opening his mouth wide, groaning when Rain slipped her thumb into his mouth, pulling at his cheek. She took a large sip of wine before setting the glass down, bending at the waist to bring her lips to Dew's. His sharp gag as he struggled to swallow triggered a series of muffled groans and the slick sounds of hands meeting wet skin. 

“Thank you ma'am,” he panted, struggling to speak around her thumb. He rolled his head to the side, exposing his thick veins and the silvery scars of their prior couplings. 

“Got plenty for you, too, if you need.” 

Dew often begged to be bitten where his gills once were, aching to feel something there again. But now he was offering in submission, to let Rain take what she needed under the power of the moon. 

Her tongue darted out of the corner of her mouth as she looked him up and down. 

With a quick nod of her head Dew was scrambling towards the nest, quickly divesting himself of his clothes as he went. She slowly followed him, sinking to her knees to pull his back to her chest, running her nose along his neck. 

“Please,” Dew sighed, flexing his claws against his thighs.

Rain inhaled deeply against his cinnamon-scented skin, fangs fully dropping before she sank them into the crook of his neck, blood quickly filling her mouth. He groaned low, the pitch only going higher when she took his hard cock into her hand, slowly stroking him from root to tip as she drank. 

“Rainy,” Aether warned gently from across the nest, voice cracking with the way Swiss had his mouth wrapped around his cock. 

She pulled herself from Dew's neck, licking at the corner of her mouth to gather a drop of his shimmering blood. 

“Don’t worry so much daddy, Dewdrop knows his limits. Would never hurt him more than he wants, promise.” 

“All good Aeth,” Dew agreed, raising a thumbs up which quickly dropped back to the pillows with a loud purr when Rain started to clean the wounds at his neck. Her tongue slowly worked around each puncture, her fist mimicking the movements of her mouth against the quickly darkening head of his cock. 

Aether nodded and fell back on his elbows, digging his fingers into Swiss’s hair, determined to enjoy the first night off in… a while. But a set of eyes still remained fully planted on Rain and Dew, the movement of a flickering tail catching her attention from the corner of her eye. 

“You okay bug? Not in the mood to play?” 

Dew barely opened his eyes, biting into his lower lip with a groan as Rain gently stroked him. 

“Wanted to watch, if that's okay with you both mm-ma'am.” 

Dew was nodding before he even finished their sentence, and Rain was grinning like a shark, Dew's crimson blood smeared all over her lips and chin. She didn't miss the way Phantom's eyes dropped to her mouth, watching her lick another spot clean. 

“Just want to watch?” 

Phantom blinked hard before forcing their eyes away from the mess, chewing at the corner of his lip. 

“He um… He just smells really good.” 

“Would you like a taste, sweetness?” 

Phantom nodded eagerly, eyes back on her mouth. “Please ma'am, please.” 

Rain beckoned him over with two crooked fingers, stifling a laugh at the eager way Phantom's tongue licked across her chin. Dew whined in her lap, quickly hushed by the drag of her pre soaked fingers up his chest to toy with the bar running through his nipple. 

Phantom hummed as he licked at her lips and chin, quiet thank you's between their breaths. 

“So polite,” Rain smiled, holding his chin to kiss them deep and slow. Phantom groaned when she slipped her tongue into their mouth, filling him with the taste of a beachside bonfire and hot iron. It was intoxicating, and they would let her have every ounce of air in his lungs if they could stay just like this forever. 

When they broke apart Phantom was a panting mess, claws digging into his own thighs. 

“Thank you mommy -” 

They paused, blinking his eyes and shaking their head to clear it. 

“Sorry thank you mommy -”

Another huff, trying to hide a whine that would rival Dew's. 

“I'm sorry momm- ma’am. Thank you ma’am.” 

Rain just smiled as she twisted Dew’s nipple between her fingers, his keen cutting through the heavier sounds of fucking that had filled the room. The way her head was tilted probably should've sent Phantom running, but instead his cock kicked against their thigh, a shiver running up his back. 

“So dumb you're having trouble speaking and I've only kissed you. Don't worry sweet little bug, mommy will take good care of you.” 

Phantom choked on their inhale as pre blurted on his leg, and Dew whined even louder, drawing Rain's attention back to him. His cock was weeping freely, begging for release while she kept teasing at his chest, working her other hand under his chin to turn him towards her. 

“Did you lose your words too?” 

Dew groaned when she started to slide her hand back towards his cock, lifting his hips to try and meet her. 

“You know I love your voice Dewdrop, if you need a moment you can watch Phantom and I play for a while.” 

Phantom's tail smacked against the pillows so quickly it sounded like someone running down the hall. Dew shook his head, voice just starting to splinter with need. 

“No ma'am, need you. Need you please.” 

“What do you need,” she cooed, pushing a lock of golden hair behind his half drooped ears. 

“Want - need your cock, your knot. Need you to fill me ‘til I swell with you, please, need you so bad.” 

Rain hummed, tapping her fingers along Dew's length while he squirmed. Phantom crept closer, kneeling in front of the pair, fangs poking into their lower lip. 

She paused, looking across both Phantom and Dew, finally settling on an idea. 

“Phantom, sweetness, you're being so good. Do you want a nice hot dick in your mouth?” 

“Please, mommy.” 

“Excellent,” she purred, kneeling tall behind Dew as she folded him to the floor.

“Why don't you come get this skirt off, without ripping it, while I get Dew all worked open hm?” 

They smiled so wide Rain was sure his ears would fall off, scrambling to her side to examine the zipper. With careful fingers Phantom undid the clasp, gently sliding the zipper down while watching Rain run her nails down Dew's back, making him arch. 

He leaned in close to her to work the band of the skirt down, breath hitching when they caught the gentle scent of orange blossoms on a sea breeze. Rain was always dangerous, the sharp iridescent scales that framed her face and joints were a reminder of that. But right now, she was deadly. 

A whine bubbled up from their throat when the band of her skirt caught on her cock, unable to bring it any lower. Rain glanced down to find Phantom gently pawing at her, looking up at her with big sad eyes. 

“Wanna be good and help you, but it's stuck. Don't wanna ruin your pretty skirt.” 

“Sweet little bug.” 

She smiled as she stood, gently ruffling their mop of hair before letting the skirt pool around her ankles. She stepped out of it and her shoes, returning to her spot behind Dew. Phantom's mouth watered at the sight of her cock hard and leaking into delicate pink lace, barely contained. 

She brought two fingers to his lips, tapping them as she spoke. 

“Get these nice and wet for me, then you can have a taste.” 

Dew groaned loud, wrapping his tail around Rain's free wrist. He pushed his ass further up, hips swaying slightly. 

Phantom moaned around Rain's fingers, wrapping their tongue around her long digits while sucking at the tips. When they pulled away he made sure to leave a thick line of saliva up her fingers, watching with rapt attention as she smeared it around with her thumb. 

She nodded her head towards Dew's exposed hole, telling him to spit. They were happy to oblige, sticky with want themselves, aching to make Rain happy. He trilled when she hummed with approval, bringing her wet fingers to Dew's hole, pressing the tip of her index finger inside. Dew's gasp was anything but quiet. 

“You're both being so good for me,” Rain praised, shifting on her legs to make the bulge of her cock more prominent. Phantom couldn't help the thin line of saliva that dripped from their fangs and down his chin. 

“Come have a taste, Ant.” 

Phantom eagerly licked across his lips, dipping down to settle against Rain's lap. They began to mouth at her cock through her already too wet panties, running his tongue up and down her length. She purred low, her free hand working into their hair while the other pressed into Dew. 

“Just the best bug, sweetest little thing,” she cooed. 

“Rainy,” Dew whined, wiggling back onto her fingers. “I need -” 

She curled her finger up, stroking against his prostate while shushing him gently. 

“I know baby, I know.” 

Dew adjusted his arms so he could rest his face against them, his back making a pretty arch. His golden skin always seemed to glitter most in dim light; he’d certainly be glowing once the moon fully rose.. Rain hummed as she worked a second finger into him, quickly followed by a third. She scissored them as much as she could, making sure Dew was starting to stretch. He was already leaking, a leftover trait from his time as a water ghoul, the slick sound filling the space. 

Phantom moaned at the sight, his drool further wetting Rain's cock. She rolled her hips gently against their chin, his attention quickly returning to suckling at her tip. 

“Please,” Dew whimpered, claws flexing into whatever poor cushion he latched on to, “ready for you now. Need to feel you, want it to ache.” 

Rain purred as she pulled her fingers from Dew, her other hand still nested in Phantom’s curls. 

“Don't worry baby, it's coming. Being so good for me. Showing off for Phantom, huh? Showing them how good you can be?” 

“Only for you ma'am,” Dew sighed, wiggling his little hips. 

Rain pinched at his nearly non-existent ass cheek before returning her attention back to Phantom, gently pulling him away from her cock. 

“Do you want to watch, or would you like to play with Dew?” 

Dew trilled, his answer obvious. Phantom had the sense to at least look like he was thinking about it before planting a kiss to her cheek and shuffling towards Dew's head, settling on their knees in front of him. 

Dew stretched out as much as he could, wrapping first his fist and then his tongue around Phantom's cock. Plum-flushed like Aether gets, although the purple was swirled with grey instead of gold. He hissed when Dew took them into his mouth, head dropping back at the heat of his tongue. 

Rain smirked as she watched them, taking her own cock in hand and pressing the head to Dew's hole. He leaned back into her, stretching himself between his partners, urging her to give him more. 

She wrapped her long fingers around the base of his tail and tugged, using the extra leverage to slide inside with a guttural moan. Dew responded with one of his own, muffled by Phantom pushing themself deeper down his throat. 

“Not gonna last,” Phantom grumbled, his hand locked around Dew's bun. “Feels too good.” 

“Mhm I know,” Rain smiled, rolling her hips to drive her cock straight against Dew's prostate. He popped off of Phantom with a little whine of protest, his breathing heavy when she began to pull at his puffy nipples. 

“Dewy isn't gonna last so long either, huh baby?” 

She asked with a particularly hard thrust into him, Phantom's eyes wide watching Dew's roll back into his head. They pulled from Dew’s mouth to rest for a moment, unwillingly to reach his end so soon. Dew’s mouth was legendary for a reason, after all. 

“Go ahead, get that pretty mouth on Dew's little cock, he wants it so bad.” 

Rain's words pulled them from their trance, blinking a few times with his head tilted just to the side before nodding quickly, shuffling back down to take Dew to the back of his throat. 

Rain wrapped one of her arms around Dew's waist and the other tangled back into Phantom's hair, rubbing gently at the sensitive skin behind their ear. Dew's hands were everywhere, flying from Rain's head to Phantom's, digging in his own thighs and pressing on Rain's, lifting his hips to help guide her into that perfect spot while desperately trying to not choke Phantom. 

She didn’t need the help, she knew Dew's body as well as she knew her own. Maybe better, even, with the way she had him moaning while dragging her cock over the perfect spot. Each roll of her hips was punctuated by one of his breathy sighs, adding to the cacophony of the room. 

Phantom for his part was chirping happily, licking long trails across the thick veins on the underside of Dew’s cock. When Rain pushed them forward he happily followed, swallowing around Dew's length with a pleased hum. Rain cooed at him from over Dew's shoulder, scratching behind his ear again before grabbing the back of his head. 

“Tap twice if you need to breathe, yeah?” 

Phantom brought his tail up and tapped the spade twice against her hand, rolling their hips gently into the nest of blankets below him. 

Rain smiled that far too toothy grin, thrusting into Dew and driving his cock further into Phantom's throat. Dew was all but jelly between them, held up by Rain's arm around his waist and Phantom’s hand pressed into his chest, his tail slowly tangling with Rain's in search of something more to hold onto. 

Phantom's tongue was good, great actually, Dew's thoughts on the matter filling the space as choked off babbling. When Phantom wrapped their tongue underneath Dew's head and sucked Dew was certain he'd open his eyes and be back in the pit, unholy pleasure running hot in his veins. 

Rain hooked her chin over Dew's shoulder, nuzzling at the space below his ear. 

“Don't swallow sweetness, let him dribble out of your mouth, down your face. That okay?” 

Phantom moaned in affirmation around Dew's length, nodding his head as best he could. It wouldn't be long now, Dew's balls were heavy in their hands, getting tighter with every thrust of Rain's hips driving him further into their mouth. 

She drove harder into him, and Dew's hands fisted Phantom's soft hair right next to Rain’s. 

“Rain, Rain, Rainy, fuck -” 

Dew's voice went high until it broke off, dying out as he painted inside Phantom's mouth. Phantom hummed as he took every drop, careful to not swallow. Once Dew had stopped pulsing they pulled away, sitting back with their head slightly tilted slightly forward before smiling, Dew's spend trickling out of his mouth and down their neck. 

“Fucking nasty,” Rain mumbled, pressing herself hard against Dew, grinding her hips to his ass. “Just how you like it, huh?”  

Dew nodded in agreement, his voice breaking on every whimper Rain pulled from him as she chased her own release. 

“Lay back bug, slide closer to me.” 

Phantom melted for her, nearly pressing themself into Dew's chest before dropping onto his back, tail shifting to rest on Dew’s thigh. They moaned when Rain wrapped her talented hand around his length, back lifting from the pillows. 

“Haven't even been touched yet,” she cooed, and Phantom shook their head. “Such a good, patient little thing.” 

Phantom nodded hard, like he was trying to say waiting for you. 

“Whenever you like, sweetness.” 

Their voice was trapped in his throat, muffled by every unholy sound Rain could pull from them as she worked his cock at the same tempo she nailed Dew, who was putty at this point. He was limp in her arms, begging for her release, her knot. For everything, for nothing, for all of it at once. 

Phantom wasn't sure how long they'd last, and when Rain rubbed her finger across his slit to gather a pearl of pre just to taste it they knew it wouldn't be long. 

She hummed in pleasure at the tang of him, mixed with the carbonated vanilla of their benzoin scent. Her hand quickly returned, long manicured fingers wrapping around their length, pulling in the most devastating way. 

Phantom could feel their eyes crossing as he watched, Rain's hand firm against him, the other tight around Dew. They brought their tail to where Rain and Dew’s were tangled together, joining the heap. 

Dew was crying now, his cock hard again, gold skin glistening. He begged, Rain purred, Phantom tried to keep their claws to themself but he looked so pretty, eyes screwed tight under a crown of sweat, his golden bun no longer neat and tidy. So they reached out, grabbing Dew by the base, feeling his little knot start to inflate under their hand. And if Phantom thought Dew had been crying before, well… He was really going now. 

“Little bug is being so sweet to you, aren't they,” Rain purred, licking below the shell of Dew's ear as she slowly ground her knot into his rim. 

“Yeah, yeah you both are. Need it ma'am, need your knot, need to cum -” 

The movement of Rain's hips became more frantic as she pressed more firmly into Dew, hissing when his tight body finally swallowed her knot, enveloping her in delicious heat. Dew keened, high pitched and devastated as he came into Phantom's hand, a string of thankyouthankyouthankyou falling from his wine stained lips. 

Dew was babbling, words broken and punctuated with breathy moans. Phantom wasn't much quieter, egging Dew on with their own muttering. C'mon Dewy, come for mommy. Make a mess, make me a mess. 

Rain followed quickly, the squeeze of Dew around her knot too much, biting into his neck with a groan from the depths of her throat. 

Phantom wasn't sure what brought them to the edge. Dew's hot come, the scent of his blood, the noise Rain made when she slid fully into his body. Maybe it was the way her calloused fingers rubbed against their frenulum with a talent flick of her wrist. All he knew was that they were floating, high in space, coated from the chin down in their own and Dew's release. 

He stirred when they heard Rain shuffling on her knees, laying down next to them with Dew tight in her arms. He hissed a little at the shuffle but it was good natured, her knot still buried tight inside his hole. Dew shuffled a bit closer, admiring the mess that was Phantom before turning his head to bat his lashes at Rain. 

“Go ahead Dew,” Rain smiled, blood dotting her lips. “Clean up your mess.”

[tainbocuailnge]

den-o good as fuck introducing yuuto as this mysterious brooding edgy rival character then immediately ruining that image by having the future demon he made a contract with be an extremely polite overbearing parent who keeps asking other people to get along with yuuto because he has no friends but he's really nice at heart i promise here take this candy as relationship gift and then you learn yuuto's been using up other people's memories of him to do his superhero transformations and deneb has been on his hands and knees begging people to remember yuuto fondly before his boy disappears from people's memory and consequently history completely. loudly proclaiming YES I AM SAKURAI YUUTO AND I WOULD LOVE TO HELP YOU AND BE YOUR FRIEND every time he possesses yuuto because he loves this kid and wants him to live and is contract bound to help him slowly kill himself but can still delay that fate a little bit, maybe, if he just leaves a good impression. yuuto please stop being mysterious yuuto i understand you are [ambiguous teenager age] and this is a very difficult period in anyone's life even without the time travel mystery surrounding your personal plotline but you're killing me here, and also yourself, which is what's killing me, emotionally that is because i'm a semi-immortal future demon but a tad more literally in your case,

[whumpshaped]

AMBAC Lore — Humans, and how to stay human

table of contents:

humans' place in the ecosystem

hunters

police

spotting a vampire

what if the vampire spotted you?

blood loss and aftercare

back home

tw unreality, mind control, dubious advice, definitely suggestive nsfw, dubcon biting, second person pov and you're absolutely the whumpee, stalking mention, it's all light-hearted though enjoy

so... humans.

humans' place in the ecosystem

it might be a bit of a hard pill to swallow, but with the first vampire appearing, humans lost their place on top of the pecking order. constantly looking over your shoulder, flinching away from cats in shadows... it's a difficult existence, sometimes. but don't fall victim to the promise of a better life after death! just because you now have to fear your blood and mind being stolen, that doesn't mean life can't be enjoyed!

humans can still do many things, like work day jobs and hand their salary over to the vampire who enthralled them, eat nutritious food to support their body and produce better blood, possibly even get so entangled as to willingly give their life and join their master in immortality– what?

hunters

so, about ways to stay human. hunters aren't really your best bet... i mean, have you ever even seen one in real life? sometimes there's one or two, travelling alone or with another fool, trying to exact revenge or free an enthralled family member... but they rarely ever protect ordinary people, do they? nor are they very successful in clearing out entire vampire dens. not when the vampires of any respectable city will come together in a joint effort to toy with the poor things.

i'd recommend staying away from them altogether. those cross-waving, crossbow-shooting demons will sooner take out your eye than an actual vampire. and you don't want to get mixed up with them, god forbid! if a vampire saw you talking to them, they might just grab you for a chat afterwards to tell you all about why that was a decision they disapprove of. you don't want that, do you?

police

as for the police, well... i'd recommend spending your time better than to try and file a case with them about vampires. they know the pecking order. they're not hunters. sure, they say they're launching a new hunter-training program for the new recruits, but are they really? how many of the officers do you think are enthralled? the one saying that might've been.

plus, they know very well how enticing a bloodbag from the police force is. it's cheap bribe for a vampire, one no officer could refuse, and everybody knows that. they already have a target on their backs, so why would they go looking for trouble?

well, if you decide to file the case anyway, prepare for it to be thrown out. don't say i didn't warn you.

spotting a vampire

now that we've got the useless things out of the way, let's start with the actual guide. first and foremost, you need to learn to spot a vampire. you might think you know exactly how to do that; vampires are so visibly different, whatever could go wrong?

you. you could go so, so wrong. do you really trust your little human eyes? your little human ears? your little human mind? you'd be silly to. how many vampires have you spotted so far? yeah, think on that for a moment. they're there, i promise you — but you just don't know how to look for them, leading you to believe you're safe until there's a pair of fangs in your neck.

so... how do you see through the charm? how do you snap out of enthrallment? how do you spot something perfectly camouflaged? how do you keep yourself safe from something you could never see coming, something that will convince you that you do want those mesmerising, sharp fangs in your pretty neck, sinking deep and making you feel so, so good–

uh, we're working on it. it'll be in the next edition. i'm sure you can figure out something until then, to hold you over!

what if the vampire spotted you?

well, lucky you!

i mean–

you're in a dark alley, and you're suddenly cornered by an eerie presence. or a comforting one, depending on how they feel that day. one way or the other, you realise that a vampire had set their sights on you — too late.

you have a couple options, if... you know, you're not too charmed and enthralled out of your mind to say anything but 'yes, master, i'd love for you to drink'. you can either say yes on your own, or, well... try to say no, i guess?

at this point you're probably pinned against a wall, not entirely against your will, and really, there's little you can actually do. but you can always hope and pray that the vampire who got you isn't feeling that peckish! maybe they could let you go and get another human a bit later, right? unless it's close to dawn, in which case — why are you even out? are you trying to become a last minute snack?

blood loss and aftercare

so... that didn't work out in your favour, did it? i suppose it kind of did, in a way. i'm sure you enjoyed yourself. but now it's time to take care of yourself, so grab that just-in-case-vampire-pick-me-up bar of chocolate you have in your bag, and wash it down with some sweet, sugary tea.

you packed those before leaving the house at night, right? of course you did. i'm sure you're also well-hydrated, since that makes the blood flow easier, and it makes everything nicer for your master–

well, i suppose that's not a requirement.

try not to fall on your way home. you can try to alert other humans around you, but that vampire is probably long gone anyway, so there's really no point. as for asking for help, please refer back to sections 2 and 3 about hunters and the police.

do make sure the vampire closed your wounds and you're not actively bleeding. that's important. if you are bleeding, put a bandaid on it while it stops! if it bruises really badly, you might want to ice it.

back home

you look at yourself in the mirror, admiring the twin wounds on your neck and the deep purple bruise around it. you wonder whether your master liked the blood; whether they followed you home just to see where you live, just to have the option to visit. whether they wanted more. whether they would come knocking.

you're not alone! it's just the lingering effect of the enthrallment, don't even worry about it. but if the vampire does come knocking, remember M.I.N.E.: My home Is Not for you to Enter (unless you ask nicely in which case i might seriously consider it because really that bite was something i can barely put into words and i've been thinking about it ever since so if you really wanted to enter i could invite you in i'm just making sure you know it's not an obligation or anything!)

remember, they can't draw an invitation from you by enthrallment! so make sure to speak up on your own! i mean–

but really. being human does have its perks. how else would you feed your master?

[ablupen]

I Completed Lessons 1-10. Here's what happened, and the ending I got.

Alright! After about 15 hr 23 min total of F2P playing, I've completed all 10 lessons with all main stories/episodes watched. Granted, anything past lesson 4 isn't full S completed anymore, and I am very broke, but eh.

Anyways, here's some pictures of how it's going:

And now some more thoughts and summaries, including stuff I didn't say in my last post.

The boss levels are basically beating up the boys... Well, uh, if you're mad at one of the seven, go play their boss level, ig?

Solomon's cooking is so bad it caused Henry 1.0 to rapidly polymorph temporarily into random things

Henry 1.0 was originally huge. Levi befriended the snake when both of them were hiding from Satan

Henry 1.0 became regular snake sized bc Sol shrank him 😐 This means the shrink spell wore off, apparently.

The building that you and Sol share is called Cocytus Hall. I wonder where this building would be present day..? Did it get recycled?

Newly-demon brothers are being discriminated

Cerberus was obtained bc of a rumor that anyone who tames it becomes Ruler of the Underworld.

Mammon rallies everyone behind Luci's back to find and tame Cerberus

On the way there, we discover that we can still summon the brothers (We summon Beel to eat a magically growing pile of apples)

Apprehension attempt on Cerberus did not succeed. Luci saves everyone and tames Cerberus. Someone leaks these news and this is how the seven brothers become the seven rulers.

We become one of the three core founding members of RAD lmao

Somehow we get caught in a dream(?) with Levi in the TSL world. Levi does not know TSL at this point in time. Anyways, he summons Lotan at the end of it, who apparently actually appeared in real life, flooded the room, and then left.

Fuck i forgot when this happened so I'll just leave it here, but: Satan turned everyone except you and Lucifer into Chihuahuas. Including himself. Thankfully, the spell had a limit so it didn't last long

Angels enter the scene! For RAD consultation.

Apparently at some point the bottom of Asmo's bathtub becomes a portal.

Solomon is a fucking bastard and pushes everyone into the bathtub. You choose if you go in by your own will or if he also pushes you.

It leads to the Celestial Realm??? No lol jk, it's actually inside a very familiar looking labyrinth and y'all are being chased by a giant spider, fuck.

Solomon remakes pact with Asmo to distract spider.

Solomon then summons Barbatos

Unfortunately at some point he pissed Barbs off so he's ticked off by this summon. Barbs teleports the spider away and Sol uses his pact to force him to make a portal back home, but Barbs gets mad and later TELEPORTS HIM TO A DRAGON'S DEN LMAO

dw he's alright! He returns next lesson with a dragon egg.

Bad news! Diavolo and Barbatos realize you're human and not a demon after... What/when is this? 6-7 lessons? Yeah. Anyways, Dia tells you that you should pack up bc he's sending you back to the human world. You're another distraction, so to eliminate some stress, you're being deported, sorry. This is not a good thing.

Mammon and crew - except Luci obviously take on a ghost hunting job at the tome place idk I forgot the spelling

Mammon gets fucking possessed by a human ghost named Adam after you read his name off of a tomestone bc it was written in a human language.

Adam says that a demon killed him with consent many years ago bc Adam was trying to look for his lover but their dead

In case it wasn't obvious, that you.

Also, the demon knew you'd have the Ring of Light on you still. Anyways, Adam tells you that the demon's name/alias was Nightbringer. Guys, it's a fucking name drop!!!

You manage to open the gates for Adam by slurping up some of the brothers' powers and by the powers of the ring

Next day, you get a letter telling you to meet Dia concerning your expulsion, which Sol comes with you to try and change Dia's mind.

Suddenly, Belphegor basically kicks open the doors to demand that Beel be released. Apparently, he's been jailed. Shit, isn't that a parallel or what, huh?

Apparently, he suddenly got out of control and rampaged. Dia manages to pin him down and get him into a cell with sheer strength alone, but later escapes in the next lesson after you confront Luci and Belphegor who had a spat.

You, Luci, and Belphie get blamed for causing all of this 🥴 Especially by Barbs. Anyways, using your magic siphoning ability from your future pacts and the Ring of Light, you knock Beel out. Lesson 10 ends with you revealing that you're human and Dia and everyone wondering who tf you are to have this kind of power.

That was a lie. The very last scene was actually Satan and Simeon watching a cat that you introduced to Satan before you left with Luci and Belphie and discover the rampaging Beel. "Do you think MC will come back before the cat wakes up?" "I hope so."

Context for the quotes on the Nightbringer site:

Lucifer; "My pride hurt my brothers": I actually don't remember this one. I don't even know if my choices led up to this one. Will maybe revisit everything tomorrow or sum

Mammon; "We chose to follow Lucifer here. We all had reasons for doin' what we did.": This is from when Mammon is trying to convince the other brothers to join him in his search for Cerberus. He's tired of being discriminated, and doesn't regret his choice.

Leviathan; "I never wanted to come to this awful place, to begin with!": When Diavolo meets with the brothers concerning plans for RAD and about possibly making an announcement to show the brothers'presence, Levi is against this. He doesn't want the attention.

Satan; "I can barely stand being around them. It's torture.": Obviously, "them" are his "brothers". I can assume when he says this, but I think I can guess when it is. It was probably after he stormed off once the others discuss what the Celestial Realm was like. He's never seen that place, and he can't relate to the other brothers.

Asmodeus; "I want to return to the Celestial Realm...! I want to be an angel again! The way I used to be... White wings and all!": This is during the weird portal in the bathtub scene. He had tried to move on from the fall, but Simeon's appearance reminds him of what he lost again. He's scared of the fact that he's getting used to his demon self and that he's forgetting what it was like to be an angel.

Beelzebub; "I have a big secret that I've never been able to tell... Not even to Belphie.": I've actually never encountered this one bc I didn't get close to Beel. Has anyone seen this one?

Belphegor; "Who deserves to be punished the most?": After Lucifer temporarily admits defeat and doesn't stand up to Diavolo to let Beel go, Belphegor gets angry. He's scared that he'll lose another sibling. After telling you about Lilith and how stubborn she was, he admits that he doesn't know who to blame: Lilith for breaking the rules, the angels for directly killing her (or was this second one the other brothers for not doing more? I forgot damn), or himself for not protecting Lilith.

Anyways, that's all I can think of rn. Do note though that in Nightbringer, choices apparently actually matter so you may have gotten different results!

[spiderben2011]

Closed RP w/a-den-of-demons

Michael couldn't believe his luck. He was looking around, looking for a place to set up his new base and prepare his operations, when he found this woman snooping around. At least, he believed she was. In any case, he had his demons capture her and bring her to him.

While making sure to leave a false trail in case she had any allies that might come for her. "A fine catch of the day," said Michael as he walked over to see his prize. "What's a fine woman like you doing all the way out here alone??"

@a-den-of-demons

[joonie-berry]

Heartslabyul

The Crimson Tyrant and Rose Maze

Intro | Lion's Den | Witch's Lakehouse | Desert Manor | Poison Palace | Death’s Mansion | Dragon’s Castle

This chapter is pretty similar to how it opens in Twisted Wonderland only difference is Yuu wakes up in a jail cell awaiting beheadment literally. They sit there for a while to see if anyone was coming before testing the gate to find that it was unlocked allowing them to escape into the Rose Garden/Maze. Now this is where the mechanics and tutorial come into play.

The first character Yuu encounters isn’t Ace nor Deuce but Cater as he is the Caretaker of the roses, which means he is mainly in the garden, the maze, or the greenhouse tending and painting the roses, under the Queen’s orders. Cater, and to an extent, Trey would both have unique mechanics to their “stalker” chase and gameplay in general. Since Heartslabyul has a strict schedule that everyone must follow, Cater and Trey, won’t bother Yuu even if Yuu just stands in the same room as them during the work hours, unless Yuu decides to fuck around and find out, when they were doing their work. Going back to Cater and Yuu’s encounter with him. They quite literally run into him. He turns to them and smiles, not fully realizing who they are until he takes a closer look at them. He then tries to deceive them, which doesn’t work and initiates a chase.Cater chases Yuu until the clock chimes to tell him it’s time to work.

Yuu meets Ace and Deuce after being chased. Deuce wanted to sound the alarm to warn Riddle and the other higher ups that they found Yuu, but Ace stopped him and helped Yuu get around and even hide from Trey and Cater. Both act as a safe room, like the ones from Resident Evil or Silent Hill, but good things never last, but we’ll get to that later.

You might be wondering, “Where does Grim play into all this?” Well my friend, Grim is the helpful animal companion that Yuu gets. He collects Items and helps defend Yuu from being chased, basically the dog from Haunting Grounds. So he has similar mechanics. Treat Grim well (Feed, praise, pet, etc) and he’ll do everything without too much of a fuss, but Mistreat him (Kick, scold, don’t feed, etc) and he’ll flat out ignore your commands, and even be the cause of Yuu’s pain.

Speaking of Trey, I mention in the first post that he’s the Ruler’s Caretaker, specifically. He tends to Riddle and actually wouldn’t be seen alot in this chapter, until his part of the story, but that’s not to say you can’t find him in early parts of the story. If he isn’t tending to Riddle, he’s in the kitchen baking.

Now Riddle is one of three special cases of Final Bosses. Yuu literally doesn’t even get to see him until his boss battle, which is similar to his Overblot, which Ace causes once again. Riddle is only really mentioned by every other character that Yuu encounters, which makes him sound like an actual demon, but when they finally meet him, they don’t understand what the others spoke about.

[thelampisaflashlight]

A Cryptid Among Demons

[Aether continues to get to know the odd little ghoul, Lamb, and their quirks. Part 2 of this fic.] Below the cut.

Aether isn't sure what to make of this... strange little invader.

He watches the ghoul creep along on all fours, tail kept ramrod straight like a flag as they dip behind counters or other surfaces that hide them from view.

The spade of their tail is alarmingly green, radioactive looking, and seems to glow when they pass through the parts of the common area that don't have sufficient light.

"So, Lamb, does Copia... does Papa often send you out to do these sorts of things?" Aether asks, and the smaller ghoul chitters at him affirmatively.

"Then you live upstairs? With the other ghouls who work here?" he questions, and Lamb pokes their head over the kitchen counter, shaking it.

"With the siblings." they say, "I stay with them."

That would explain why Aether hasn't seen them before, the human clergy have their own separate dormitory hidden a distance away from the abbey in case something should ever happen to the main building.

The ghouls are allowed to visit there from time to time, but for safety reasons, they aren't allowed to stay.

So it is a little odd that this one is, but...

"Oh." Aether hums, "Why?"

Lamb slips back down.

"Mn..."

Mn?

"Just am."

Ah.

Aether decides to drop it, and instead begins looking through the stacks of magazines on the coffee table to see if he can't find the paperwork Lamb was tasked with finding.

"How long have you lived here?" he inquires, startling as Lamb's tail brushes past his leg on their way under the table.

"Nine years."

"Nine..." Aether stills.

If they've been here for nine years, then they definitely knew that Copia wasn't always Papa, so their earlier comment about his "two names"...

"Wow, that's... that's a pretty long time. Longer than me at least." he watches the ghoul pop out the other side of the table, tail springing back up, "Oh, then... then you knew Terzo? The papa before..."

Lamb's shoulders visibly tense, and they move to stand.

"The papers aren't here." they say, "They have clearly been moved."

Curious as Aether is about that reaction, he gets the feeling he won't get very far asking about the ghoul's feelings towards the enigmatic Papa III.

"Where do you think they could be?"

Aether has to admit, it's kind of nice being the one goofing off while his packmates are stuck in the practice rooms all day, even if he does miss it.

Patrolling around the den with Lamb feels almost like a game, and maybe it is, because they haven't found any of the missing paperwork the ghoul was sent to look for, and have instead begun exploring the place for the hell of it.

"You guys have a pool?" Lamb tilts their head up at the quintessence ghoul, once more scrambling about the floor on all fours, "Why is it steaming?"

"Oh, that's actually a bath, just, like, a really big one?" Aether says, "That's why it's attached to the outside of the dorm and not inside of it. All the steam would ruin the wood."

"...You have an absurdly large bath, and for what? You are big, but not so big you need this much room."

"It's a communal bath?"

Lamb blinks at him.

"...There's one for the upstairs ghouls as well, have you... have you not seen it?"

"I said I don't live there." Lamb says, "The siblings do not have anything like this."

"Really? Huh."

Lamb sticks their hand in the water, pulling it out with a hiss.

"Hot!"

"What were you expecting??"

Playing around with Lamb -at this point it really is just playing- has Aether in a better mood than he's been in for some time now, but it more or less grinds to a screeching halt when the little ghoul flops over dramatically, huffing sadly about not being able to find the paperwork Copia tasked them with retrieving.

Honestly, it reminds him a little of when Rain mopes around after making a mistake during practice.

"Blehhhh..."

...Combined with Dew's theatrics.

"Ah, maybe Papa brought them elsewhere, you never know with him these days, he can be very scatterbrained, you know?"

Lamb rolls side to side.

"It is a problem." they say, then, sitting upright suddenly, hands held limp in front of them, "It is a problem."

"I'm sure it's fine." Aether assures them, "How about I walk you back to his office and explain that we couldn't find the papers, yeah?"

"...Fiddle-faddle."

.

.

.

"Ahhh, I see, I see, that's alright." Copia smiles, reaching out and patting Lamb's head, "You did your best, it's really no trouble at all, and you even talked to someone new today. Very good. Very good."

Lamb chirrups.

"Right, you're dismissed." Copia hums, glancing over at Aether, who tilts his head curiously, "I need to talk to Aether for a little bit, why don't you go back to the dorm and rest up for your patrol later?"

"Yes, Papa."

Once Lamb leaves, Copia leans back in his chair, sighing, before looking up at Aether again.

"They didn't cause you too much trouble, did they?" he asks, and Aether shakes his head.

"Ah, no... no, it was actually kind of nice exploring with them... even if they are a little, uhhh... peculiar?"

Copia nods.

"Agnello is a bit of an odd duck, yes..." he says, "But very hardworking, no matter what task I set them to, they do it well."

"How come-" Aether starts.

"-You haven't seen them before?" Copia interrupts, raising an eyebrow, "I am sure they told you they live with the siblings, no?"

"Yeah."

Copia turns towards the window to his left.

"Mn... Some time ago, there was an incident, and one of the siblings here was..." he draws his mouth into a line, "Since then, we have taken the safety of the clergy much more seriously. Hence, we hired a watchdog."

"Lamb..." Aether furrows his brow, trying to imagine what sort of threat that small ghoul could possibly pose.

"Despite their current appearance, Lamb is... they are like a cattle dog. Gentle among those they are meant to protect, but fierce against the wolf." Copia explains, "But, I suppose that's only natural, coming from the background they do."

Aether tilts his head and crosses his arms, looking to Copia to elaborate, but the man simply turns in his chair to look out the window.

"Just one more question before I go..." Aether says, "...Why did you actually send them down to the basement today?"

"Did you know there will be a blue moon this month?" Copia asks, "That only happens once every two to three years."

"A blue moon... I'd almost forgotten." Aether admits, "So Lamb might become affected by the moon's influence then, is that it?"

"So far, they have been unaffected, but it really is a roll of the dice... We do not know what will happen, in fact we've never, even in controlled circumstances, seen what Lamb becomes when the moon dissolves their glamour."

"Never?"

"Never."