#ch: simeon

[shouldyouwakethewriteblr]

Simeon Howley + Clothing

While no less humble than your average Plattonite, the Fossers leader also keeps balance between being something fearsome, and staying true to his background. Though clothing never stays clean and pressed for long (dirt being an integral part of both sides of his life) clothing is well-fitted and durable, and not so behind fashion as to feed into the Plattonite stereotype. Colours are plain (namely blues, greys and whites) and items are practical (leather, hobnailed boots-- straw hats, hand-fitted pieces, etc.) In the comfort of his home, typically plain shirts and trousers are the norm, occasionally bringing out an old dressing gown that is heavily mocked by the younger members of the household.

[ask-the-ultimate-soccer-player]

Yuu followed Simeons gaze and chuckled a bit. "Ah, you're right. I was gonna suggest we play some games together but... maybe afterwards? As a treat?"

Yuu didn't know libraries can be so full. All he wanted to do was study. He already picked out a few books and was now looking for an empty table. Sadly, there were none. So he looked around what table would be the most comfortable to sit at. He then sat down across Simeon. "Sorry, I hope you don't mind if I sit here."

Simeon looked up and brushed his hair from his face. "O no problem at all sir! This place got crowded didn't it!" He gave a chuckle as he put a book mark in his own book. "My name is Simeon, it's a pleasure to meet you"

[lordgodjehovahsway]

Genesis 49: Jacob Blesses His Sons

1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

2 “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;    listen to your father Israel.

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,    my might, the first sign of my strength,    excelling in honor, excelling in power. 4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel,    for you went up onto your father’s bed,    onto my couch and defiled it.

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers—    their swords are weapons of violence. 6 Let me not enter their council,    let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger    and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. 7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,    and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob    and disperse them in Israel.

8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you;    your hand will be on the neck of your enemies;    your father’s sons will bow down to you. 9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah;    you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down,    like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,    nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come    and the obedience of the nations shall be his. 11 He will tether his donkey to a vine,    his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine,    his robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes will be darker than wine,    his teeth whiter than milk.

13 “Zebulun will live by the seashore    and become a haven for ships;    his border will extend toward Sidon.

14 “Issachar is a rawboned donkey    lying down among the sheep pens. 15 When he sees how good is his resting place    and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden    and submit to forced labor.

16 “Dan will provide justice for his people    as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan will be a snake by the roadside,    a viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels    so that its rider tumbles backward.

18 “I look for your deliverance, Lord.

19 “Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders,    but he will attack them at their heels.

20 “Asher’s food will be rich;    he will provide delicacies fit for a king.

21 “Naphtali is a doe set free    that bears beautiful fawns.

22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine,    a fruitful vine near a spring,    whose branches climb over a wall. 23 With bitterness archers attacked him;    they shot at him with hostility. 24 But his bow remained steady,    his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,    because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, 25 because of your father’s God, who helps you,    because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the skies above,    blessings of the deep springs below,    blessings of the breast and womb. 26 Your father’s blessings are greater    than the blessings of the ancient mountains,    than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,    on the brow of the prince among his brothers.

27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;    in the morning he devours the prey,    in the evening he divides the plunder.”

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.

The Death of Jacob

29 Then he gave them these instructions: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 

30 the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. 

31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. 

32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.”

33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

[squeakyducky]

MASTERLIST

OBEY ME

Favouritism

Biblically accurate Simeon?

Favour

Love is love

Nightbringer problem

Scandalous Solomon

Only Solomon?

Belphie Shower pic

Is Mammon avatar of envy or avatar of greed?

Satan with a whip

Lesson 48

Satan's shirt has a gap?!

Who's the true whore?

HEADCANON for each OM! cast

Blushing Barbatos

Satan is MC magnet

Mammon will always be the first!

Unholy Simeon

When 'cutie' is an insult

Stop being attractive!

Lucifer's socks

Man spreader and elegant princess

Reasons to like Solomon

Lucifer when MC

Fanfics

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒚 Satan

Replaced AU but not really??

Yandere Beel

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒚 Belphie

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒚 Belphie (part 2)

The brothers love MC for who they are

Cute things OM! cast do

Satan & Asmo duo

Lucifer's love language

When the Devildom prince loves you

Obey me! out of context

Solomon & MC won't survive in medieval times

Replaced!au failed?

The 𝒻𝓇ℯ𝒶𝓀𝓎 couple ft. MC & Lucifer

Obey me ending does not exist...

Barbatos' worst nightmare

Leviathan without context

TOKYO DEBUNKER

What are you up for then?

Hear me out guys

Towa being perfect

Ch 15 and commentary

MC's development

GENSHIN IMPACT

The man spreader but also a disney princess?

HONKAI STAR RAIL

A theory about Aeons...

Imagine trying to seduce a titan

TWISTED WONDERLAND

Idia out of context

[alexxncl]

‼️NIGHTBRINGER BUNNY CAFE CH 2 SPOILERS‼️

masterlist | events | ch. 1

WHAT IF I DON'T WANNA WORK HERE, HUH ???? mane 😭 alexa play yes or yes by twice

but deadass why are the options so annoying sometimes like damn 💀 take me back to when mc was an asshole i beg /j

no it's bc of plot armor /hj

this is extremely unsanitary but knowing beel's stomach, he'd probably be fine even if the things had poison in them

yk unless the poison was solomon's cooking

hehe 😈😈😈 they gon fuck /j

but in all seriousness how repressed is simeon to get all worked up over a hug 😭 he just needs one good make out session and he'll be set for a year

DID THEY GET DRUGGED???? what is going awn 😭

...oh. nvm.

see, THIS is the mc i know. horny beyond belief /hj

but simeon really needs his [redacted] [redacted] atp

two kisses 🤭 he loves me or whatever

[masentickless]

MC1: THE WRONG F@*KiNG PIECE OF THE PUZZLE

MC2: DON'T SAY THAT IN FRONT OF THE KID, Bi#CH.

Simeon: (Where do I need to press?) Hush, darlings...

[666writingcafe]

Journey Through the Soul

Author's Note: I'm combining Solomon's side chapters in the hard mode of NB9 and 10 into one thing and doing some reshuffling in the process.

MC

I want to show you something.

When Solomon sent me that message during my latest shift at the House of Lamentation, I thought it was a physical object of some kind. After all, he does like to go shopping quite a bit when I'm gone; he claims that a lot of the stores in this timeline aren't in ours, and he wants to get as much stuff as he can before we return back home.

So, imagine my surprise when I find myself in a brightly-lit, lavishly decorated dining room with platters of food all over the place.

"Please tell me you didn't--" I start to say, thinking that he spent a ridiculous amount of money for dinner. However, I'm interrupted by Solomon putting a finger on my lips.

"Watch," he whispers.

"They're mine!" someone yells suddenly.

"No, they're mine!" a second person replies loudly.

Except these aren't two random people arguing with each other.

"You certainly are stubborn, aren't you?" Diavolo asks, laughing heartily.

"Not as stubborn as you!" Simeon exclaims, his laugh sounding a lot crueler than what I'm used to. "There's no way we're turning over humanity to you demons."

"Well, what gives angels any right to them? The way you try to exert ownership over them is arrogant, don't you think?"

Am I witnessing one of Solomon's memories?

"You've got it all wrong. We aren't trying to exert ownership over them. We serve as their guides. Humans are weak and fragile creatures, and we have to be there to protect them."

"You really don't get it, do you? Humans are quick to lose sight of their path in life and end up lost and confused. We should be the ones to show them the way. We could lead them some place where they'd be able to find happiness."

We were taught that humans were dumb creatures easily tempted by sin. Part of our job was to keep them on the path of salvation because they were too stupid to do it themselves.

This isn't a memory, is it?

"Ah, there you are! So glad you could come!" Both Diavolo and Simeon--or whoever these entities are--have spotted Solomon and look overly pleased to see him. "You can have some of my chocolate cake."

"Or you can eat some of my fixed fruit pound cake," Simeon offers.

"So, which will it be?"

"Which do you prefer?"

"Well, Solomon?"

Yeah, this isn't about cake.

Everything becomes completely still. Solomon sighs, and I realize he's frozen the scene playing out in front of us.

"This is creepy," I tell him.

"Only because they look like people you know." I'm unconvinced.

"Trust me, MC," Solomon continues upon seeing the look on my face. "Their appearances are unimportant. I wanted you to witness this particular argument between angels and demons because it's one that I've been brought into several times throughout my long life. They want to hold power over me--over humanity--for all of eternity. Both of them. And no matter what I do, they won't stop pestering me about it." As he talks, he visibly becomes more distressed.

"Are you afraid I'll get roped into it, Solomon?" His eyes meet mine.

"You already have. They're just doing a better job of hiding it from you."

You using the half-breed is one of the smarter moves you've made in a long time.

You have pacts with seven of the most powerful demons in the Devildom and the blood of angels flowing through you. I’d be stupid to not have you by my side.

I would do anything for you, even if it cost me my life. But I also want to completely destroy you.

"Have you ever eaten any of the cake?" I ask him.

"Yes. I have. But the alliance has always been temporary, which annoys them."

"Of course it does. You always have to be difficult and troublesome." The room suddenly disappears, leaving Solomon and I standing in a black void with a disembodied voice echoing throughout it.

"If only you'd chosen our side, it would've made things so much easier," the familiar voice adds, causing Solomon to chuckle.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but you must know I wouldn't do that, right? After all, that's part of our agreement." A groan. "So why do you continue to test me? Shouldn't we be past that by now?"

"Never." I want to leave. Now.

"You think I'm questioning my convictions."

"At the moment, no. But you might now that you've allowed yourself to love someone again." What?!

"What if something bad happened to your darling apprentice?" the voice continues taunting. "Or maybe they choose to side with us. Wouldn't you want to stay with them, no matter what?"

"MC feels the same way I do. Your threats mean nothing."

"How can you be so sure? They've already assumed the form of a demon. What's to stop them from continuing to behave like one after you two return to your timeline?" Silence.

"Solomon?" I ask. I've never seen him look this unsure before. Does he have doubts about my allegiance to him? To humanity in general?

"He doesn't know what you truly want, MC. He's incapable of seeing inside your heart."

"And you can?" I'm pissed. Here Solomon was, showing me part of his soul, and this guy decides to hijack that and push us around in the process.

"Of course. That's part of my job. I know how you feel about the brothers. You only see Solomon as your safe option. You don't actually love him. Not completely, anyway. If you had your way, you'd be a full-time resident of the Devildom, allowing everyone to use you as they saw fit."

"Enough!" For once, no retort. "The only reason I agreed to leave my timeline in the first place is because you told me that Simeon needed my help. I have no interest playing your sick little political game. My loyalty is with the people I love, and that includes Solomon." Another groan, this time drawn out more.

"You two have confidence to the point of arrogance. You'll end up falling just as hard as those brothers, if not worse."

"You're one to talk." It seems as though Solomon has gained his confidence back.

"How dare you?!" Solomon shrugs.

"You're the one that made me this way, so don't be surprised when I start acting like you, Nightbringer." I didn't realize our companion had a name. "Now, either you leave willingly, or I will force you out myself. But we're done here."

Taglist: @lost-in-time-wanderer, @fuzztacular, @dianedancer18, @sweetbrier2908, @flare-love, @completelyshatteredbrokenmschf, @thunderlightning351, @l3v1chan, @anxious-chick, @5mary5, @expressionless-fr, @tenkobitch

[ephie-om]

Finding Home Ch. 2

Ch. 1 Ch. 3 Ch. 4

CW: None

Words: 7.6k

The sun rises over the little apartment complex on a crisp Thursday morning, streaming in through curtains or blinds or windows left haphazardly open after a night out. The building stirs to life slowly, some residents being awoken by their neighbors, others blearily groping around to shut off their alarms. Two units in particular are in the throes of a very important morning: the first day of school. 

The door marked 304 hides a controlled whirlwind of activity. Both Lucifer and Satan have been awake much longer than either would like to admit, neither quite able to sleep well knowing the day ahead. Lucifer had set six separate alarms for himself last night, convinced he would somehow forget a vital piece of his routine. One alarm to wake him up, another to make sure he’s really awake, one to shower, one to make breakfast, one to make sure Satan is awake and dressed, and one to leave the building. His eyes have been open for a while before the first alarm, but he’s still glad for the reminders each time his phone starts to vibrate.

Satan has been staring at the ceiling for some time before he hears Lucifer get up. He had tried to lose himself in a book, but the amount of thoughts swirling in his head made focusing impossible. He gets up when he hears the shower turn on, his muscles too restless to wait any longer. He dresses in the outfit he picked out for himself last night, hung carefully to prevent any wrinkles. His second favorite shirt, a green plaid button-up that was deceptively soft despite its looks, and a pair of tan slacks. He inspects every square inch of his clothes for lint, or, heaven forbid, a hole. He wishes he had a mirror to make absolutely sure everything was the way it should, and decides to bother Lucifer about it over breakfast. 

Just next door, unit 302 lies quiet. Simeon creeps about the kitchen, trying to make breakfast as quietly as possible to avoid waking up Luke. He’s already dressed in a smart white button-up and dress pants, being extra careful to avoid his shirt catching even a droplet of his coffee. He rolls his neck, trying to stretch the muscles in his back. He checks his bag to make sure the bottle of ibuprofen is still there. The long days of sitting hunched over a computer screen in a five-year-old office chair have started to wear him down, but he would rather walk on a bed of nails than show any signs of it. 

He loads a plate full of cheesy scrambled eggs and two pieces of toast, then grabs a smaller saucer and places a dollop of eggs and one piece of toast carefully so that the two don’t touch. Luke pads out of his room rubbing his eyes only a few moments later, lured by the smell of freshly cooked food. “Good morning,” Simeon greets him cheerily. “G’ monig,” is all he gets back, but that’s the most he can hope for this early. Luke isn’t quite used to the routine yet, and Simeon can only hope he adjusts quickly. 

Lucifer checks the latches on his briefcase one more time before exiting his car and pretends not to hear Satan’s complaints about the long walk to the front doors from the staff parking lot. Even this early in the morning, the campus is bustling with activity. Teachers rush back and forth from the copier room, break room, and bathroom through the halls. Lucifer can hear staplers being punched through paper, markers squeaking on whiteboards, and the tiny coffee machine working overtime. 

Satan, having already memorized the route to Lucifer’s office, wastes no time slipping down the halls and into the door. Lucifer is accosted by several teachers and staff along the way to his office, all clamoring for him to sign here, talk to Diavolo on their behalf, be careful of this student. He finally pushes open his office door, minus the cup of coffee he was trying to get on the way, and shuts it quickly behind him. He checks the clock: still half an hour left before school begins. Satan has already curled up in one of the chairs pushed to the side of the room, nose in a book. Lucifer hurriedly unpacks his things, tucking his briefcase away from view behind his desk. He indulged himself in buying a few new pens to make his job a bit easier, and he arranges them with precision inside his desk drawer, closing it softly to ensure they don’t move from their places. 

His doorframe trembles slightly with the force of the fist knocking against it, and Lucifer knows exactly who’s on the other side. True to form, the door opens to a head of messy red hair. “Are you ready for today?” Diavolo grins, and Lucifer can’t help but smile back. He’s quickly learning that the principal’s enthusiasm is infectious as it is genuine.

“As ready as I can be,” he answers. In truth, he’s still not sure what to expect from the little he’s seen of the school in action. From his window, he can already see the cars starting to file into the student drop off area, and his nerves start to rise again.

“You’ll do great,” says Diavolo encouragingly, and Lucifer can almost believe him. Diavolo’s name sounds from the hallway, one person or another always demanding his attention. He leaves Lucifer to his thoughts just as his alarm starts to vibrate his phone. 

“Satan, it’s time to go to your class.”

“Just a minute. I need to finish this chapter.”

“Use a bookmark. You need to get to class on time.”

“I’ll be on time. My classroom is five minutes away and I still have fifteen minutes. Nobody but the teacher is there anyway.”

Lucifer glares at Satan, who keeps his eyes down stubbornly. “You want to be early to everything. Why is this suddenly an exception?”

“You want to talk to everyone you work with about your job all the time. Why is this suddenly an exception?” Satan fires back.

Lucifer bites the inside of his cheek hard, trying to calm himself. “Satan. Go.” 

Satan snaps his book shut as loud as he can and hoists his backpack across his shoulders. He marches out of the door, never looking back, and Lucifer’s shoulders slump. If this was only his first day, how good could he expect the rest of the year to be?

The bell just outside his office rings shrilly, signaling that classroom doors are opening, and he jumps, startled. Voices quickly fill the halls, excited children and commanding adults, and his heart rises into his throat. 

The noise fades only about twenty minutes later, and Lucifer has started to feel ashamed of himself. Rather than go out and greet any of his students, establishing himself as a caring authority figure, he hid in his office until the people were gone. Satan’s comment from earlier this morning pushes its way to the front of his mind, and he wonders to himself if he and Satan are really having the same struggle after all.

Satan pretends to read his book in the uncomfortable plastic chair. The sticker on his desk with his name written in thick cursive has already started to peel, and he fights the urge to pick at it until it falls off. The teacher, a short woman with thick brown hair braided down her shoulders, had welcomed him into her class with a wide smile, mentioning offhandedly how early he was. He wasn’t sure if her gold earrings or her teeth were more blinding. Now she glances up at him occasionally over her deep brown glasses, and he looks back down at his book hurriedly. The room is silent except for her pen scratching across paper and the sound of his pages turning. He is glad to be proved right in the argument against Lucifer, though. It isfar too early for him to be in class. 

The door swings open a few minutes later, and a familiar white-haired boy walks in. He doesn’t look up, even when the teacher (Ms. Jen, he reminds himself) greets him warmly. All of his attention is on a small object covered by his hands, and Satan abandons any pretense of reading his book to try and figure out what he’s holding. His neck cranes over the desk as he strains to catch a glimpse, but to no avail. Solomon weaves through the aisles and sits at the desk in the back corner without looking up a single time on the way. Satan, disappointed, returns to his book. 

Other children start to file in soon afterwards. Some greet Ms. Jen with even more enthusiasm than her, while others more like Satan and Solomon try to sneak to their desks as quickly as possible. The bell rings loudly outside the room, the sound carrying over the chaos of the classroom. Satan places his bookmark and tucks his book carefully in his bag, switching it out for a crisp sheet of lined paper from his folder and a sharp pencil, ready to take notes if needed. 

The bell for morning recess sees Satan placing his now half-full sheet of paper in the inner pocket of his folder, having written down every rule the teacher mentioned. He’ll have to borrow one of Lucifer’s pens after school so he can line each letter to make sure they won’t fade. When he looks up, Solomon has already disappeared from the room. A few kids are still left in the room, and he notices with some confusion that most seem to be staring at him. When he makes eye contact, they giggle and rush away. 

Satan wanders out to try and find Solomon, both to convince him into letting him see whatever he’s playing with, and to ask him what all the giggling was about. Thankfully, his white hair shines in the sun, making him easy to spot. Satan wanders over to him crouched near the back fence of the playground, a tiny piece of a cracker on the ground next to him.. “What are you doing?”

“Shh.”

Satan frowns. Did he just get shushed? He crouches down next to Solomon silently, watching. He concentrates on the same patch of ground Solomon is looking at, and after a few moments, small grains of dirt start to shift. The pair stares, motionless, at the ground. Slowly, a few ants pop out from miniscule holes, scrambling towards the broken piece of cracker. Solomon grins. 

“You’re feeding them?” Satan whispers. Solomon just nods, watching the ants scurry back and forth. The number of ants has almost doubled now, all rushing to help carry their bounty back home. “Why?”

Solomon shrugs. “They need food too, right? And this way I can watch them run. Did you know they talk to each other through pheromones?” 

Satan nods. “Did you know they don’t have ears?” 

Solomon looks up at him slowly. “Yeah.” He considers Satan for a moment, and Satan wonders if this is the same expression on his face he has when he looks at the ants. “Most kids don’t like bugs. They think they’re gross.” “I don’t think they’re gross.” Satan replies quickly. “I like all animals.”

Solomon smiles again. “Me too. I like watching them. I think humans could learn a lot from animals.” Satan just nods, still watching the ants carry the last crumbs down underground.

The class files back in from recess and Ms. Jen guides them all to wash their hands. When Satan gets up to the sink, he hears the giggling from behind him again. He forgot to ask Solomon about that. He hopes he’ll remember at lunchtime. Solomon didn’t laugh at him, though. Whatever these kids were doing, Solomon wasn’t a part of it. 

“Alright, let’s have some circle time!” The teacher exclaims, directing her students to a corner filled with beanbags and board games over a colorful rug. Satan tries to claim the green beanbag, but another student gets to it just half a second before him. His lips purse in frustration. 

“Excuse me, could I have the green one?” he asks with rehearsed politeness. The other student says nothing, but snickers at him and sits down on it while locking eyes with him. Satan grinds his teeth. He takes a couple deep breaths and looks around for another beanbag, but all of them seem to be taken. The circle of students forming is pushing in around him, and he makes his way to the back of the ring and plops down on the floor, defeated. To his disappointment, he notices Solomon sitting almost on the other side of the circle, also on the floor. 

“We’re going to do some icebreakers,” the teacher announces. “Just to let you all get to know each other. When I call on you, you’ll say your name and a fun fact about you. Let’s get started.” She claps her hands and points to a blond girl in front of her, who happily reports that her name is Lauren and her mom is a police officer. Satan settles in for the long haul.

Six names and fun facts later, Ms. Jen points at Satan. He straightens his posture and looks around at the circle. “My name is Satan. A fun fact about me is that I-”

“Wear the most uncomfortable clothes for fun.” Giggles erupt from around the circle. Satan’s head whips around, trying to find the perpetrator. 

“Jeremiah. We don’t interrupt our classmates,” the teacher says firmly. “Satan, please continue.”

Satan clears his throat. “A fun fact about me is that I read Moby Dick last year.” He doesn’t know what he expected, maybe some gasps or surprise or a ‘well done’ from the teacher, but he’s met with dead silence. 

“Moby Dick is a very old book written by a famous author,” Ms. Jen clarifies. “That’s very interesting, Satan. Moving on, let’s go over here next.” She points at another boy, and Satan’s moment is over. He shrinks into himself a bit. Why did they all act like that? Wasn’t that impressive? All the adults told him it was. What was he supposed to say instead, that his dad was the dean of the school? That was ridiculous and it couldn’t possibly tell them anything about his personality at all. The voices fade into the background as the rest of the class makes their introductions and Satan stews in his thoughts. 

Ms. Jen starts to talk about the science curriculum they’ll be doing this year, and Satan really tries to pay attention, but the whispers behind him are making it hard to hear her. He turns around in annoyance only to see three pairs of eyes staring straight back at him. The kids they belong to dissolve into quiet laughter when he meets their eyes, and he turns back around, wondering why he feels a bit empty inside. 

The lunch bell rings and the class shoots out of their chairs, all jostling desks to get to the door. Ms. Jen shouts over the commotion, standing in front of the door to make sure no one can leave until they’re lined up properly. Satan packs his things slowly, knowing this might take a while. He takes his place near the back of the line as the room finally settles, still brimming with energy. The line finally moves out of the door and through the halls. Just as the cafeteria comes into view, the PA system crackles and Satan hears Barbatos’ smooth, though distorted, voice. “Solomon Zaman, please report to the dean’s office.” Solomon listens along with everyone else, and Ms. Jen grimaces. 

“Well, you’d better get going,” she chides gently. Satan locks eyes with Solomon, who just gives him a nonchalant shrug and takes a right turn down the hall away from his class. There goes Satan’s chance at figuring out what the other kids were doing. 

Lucifer’s door swings open to a head of bright white hair. He gestures to the chair in front of his desk, “Please have a seat.” Solomon sits and stares back up at him with bright, curious eyes, no fear in his face. “Do you know why I called you here?”

“Nope,” Solomon says cheerily.

Lucifer folds his hands and sets them on the desk, leaning forward. “I was told you took the batteries out of the remotes to every teacher’s projector this morning.” 

Solomon just nods. Lucifer furrows his brows, perplexed. “Do you want to explain why you did that?”

Solomon shrugs. “I wanted to see what would happen. And I thought it would be funny.”

Lucifer frowns. “Why would it be funny?”

“Nobody uses their projector on the first day of school. I was going to put them all back anyways, but if some teacher was really trying to be mean to their class and assign a bunch of homework, then they couldn’t do it.” Solomon states matter-of-factly.

Lucifer is silent for a moment, thinking. “You still have the batteries?” Solomon nods. “Alright. You’ll eat lunch in my office, and afterwards you and I will go to each classroom and put them back.”

“Okay,” Solomon says, and drags out his lunchbox from his bag. Lucifer stares at him. Was he really not scared at all? With a father like Barbatos, he would think Solomon was a little more used to having harsh consequences. 

Thankfully, the sight of Solomon eating reminds Lucifer that he should probably eat something too, and he pulls out the cup of instant noodles stashed in the bottom of his bag. He yawns standing by the microwave, suddenly tired. Solomon munches away happily in the chair while Lucifer slurps up his own noodles, burning his mouth on the first bite. 

Finally, Lucifer’s curiosity outweighs his quiet nature. “You’re not scared of me at all, are you?”

Solomon doesn’t even look up from his orange peel, which he’s been methodically tearing into tiny pieces over the last few minutes. “Nope.”

“Why is that?”

Solomon’s fingers pause for just a moment before resuming again. “I’ve seen scarier stuff.” Lucifer almost takes offense for a moment; he could be scary when he needed to be. Then he processes that sentence coming from the mouth of a nine-year-old. “You have?” he blurts before he can check his own impulsiveness, but Solomon just nods. 

“My dad isn’t my real dad. I don’t know my real dad or my real mom. I got put in foster care when I was a baby. Some foster parents know how to take care of kids. But others don’t. I lived in…” he trails off, thinking. “Thirteen houses so far. Dad’s the only one that I lasted this long at. He says that some people shouldn’t be parents, and… says other things about them too. You see some scary stuff when you’re a kid that people don’t know how to take care of. And anyways, I’m not really scared of you ‘cause I know Satan.” 

Lucifer cocks his head, confused. “What does that have to do with anything?” 

Solomon finally looks at him with innocent eyes. “If you were scary, Satan would be scared to be himself around you. I know how it looks. I was scared of a bunch of my foster families. But Satan slams doors around you and tells you no and asks you to do stuff for him. If he doesn’t think you’re scary, then I don’t either.”

The room lapses into silence. Lucifer exhales slowly through his nose, quietly regretting the punishment he had set out for Solomon just a few minutes earlier. 

“We need to go get those batteries back to their homes.” He says softly, trying his best to not seem dismissive of anything Solomon said, but not sure if it was his place to discuss it. “Okay,” Solomon says, and packs his things neatly in his backpack. 

Satan spends lunch at a corner table with a book that he finishes all too quickly and pretends not to hear the teachers when they ask him if he would rather be on the playground. Solomon slips back into class right as the bell rings, and Satan spends the rest of the day distracted and annoyed. He hopes Lucifer wasn’t mean to Solomon; if he was, Satan would… do something horrible. He would work on his plan later. He tries to take notes for the other classes, but he quickly recognizes the pattern from the earlier class introductions and his attention starts to fade. 

Finally, the last bell of the day rings.The students pile out the door, all laughing and talking and slinging around backpacks that were twice as heavy as when they came in today. Satan walks slowly to Lucifer’s office, keeping an eye out for any trace of Solomon, but he’s out of luck. He slips into the office while Lucifer is in the break room with the other teachers and pulls out his notes to review them. 

Lucifer returns to his office almost an hour later looking exhausted. Satan has stolen the chair across from his desk again for his own use to read in the corner of the room. 

“How was your day?” Lucifer asks, hoping it was a little less eventful than his. 

Satan shrugs. “Fine.”

“Just fine.”

“Yes. Fine.” he mutters, irritated.

Lucifer fights the urge to push for more information, focusing on packing his things instead. “Let’s go home.”

The car ride home is mostly silent, but Lucifer has long since been used to it. Besides, his mind is still swirling with all the information that was thrown at him today. Whose office he should go to if he has trouble with his computer, how often Diavolo likes his reports, whispered rumors about students’ parents that made Lucifer particularly worried. This wasn’t like his old academy; no, this school had students from all backgrounds, some parents who gave up everything to give their child a future and some who just sent their children to school to get rid of them.

“I want to get some more clothes,” Satan pipes up from the back. “We could stop at the store on the way home.”

“Not today,” Lucifer replies, still distracted. “Maybe tomorrow. I’ve got some things I need to finish up at home.” His gaze holds steady on the road, missing how Satan fidgets uncomfortably with his collar. 

The apartment keys rattle in the lock, and Satan darts inside as soon as he can. Lucifer sets down his briefcase on the kitchen table and loosens his tie. “I’m hungry,” Satan calls from his bedroom. “What’s for dinner?”

Lucifer opens the fridge. A few wilted leaves of lettuce, half a stick of butter, and a few slices of bread stare back at him. He knows they don’t have the budget for takeout, but he also doesn’t have the time to go to the store. Besides, Diavolo had told him his first paycheck would be in his account by Friday. They would have enough. “Do you want Mexican, Chinese, or Indian?” 

Satan’s head pops out from around the door. “Are we getting takeout?” 

Lucifer nods. “We don’t have enough food to cook anything. I’ll have to go shopping tomorrow.”

Satan thinks for a moment. “Indian. The lamb dumplings.” 

“I’ll call in the order now.” 

Lucifer unlatches his briefcase and spreads the contents of the thick brown folder across the kitchen table, pinching the bridge of his nose for the millionth time. He’s sure the principal was only trying to be helpful by giving him this folder, but he’s also fairly sure that he could’ve had about twice the amount of work done by now if it weren’t for the folder’s existence. The guidelines included are probably helpful, but the amount of time he’s spent trying to untangle Diavolo’s handwriting and his frankly awful organization is setting him back horribly. 

The incident with Solomon had only made things worse. Almost everything included here is about the vision and mission of the school, guidelines for making students feel safe and welcome. Any real advice on the day-to-day processes of his job is conspicuously absent. Lucifer’s previous school gave him some experience, of course, but he still feels woefully underprepared.

Thankfully, a knock at the door interrupts him. He thanks the delivery driver and tips him a few dollars in cash, then calls Satan to the table to eat. They sit in silence, a result of Lucifer’s staunch refusal for any TV to interrupt their family time. They clear away the dishes quickly, Satan wiping down the table while Lucifer clears any mess on the floor and counters. Throwing away the plastic bags and wiping the counters, he spots Simeon’s large white plate on the counter, clean but still not returned.

“What do you think about inviting Simeon and Luke over for coffee and snacks on the weekend?”

Satan twists his mouth, thinking. “I guess. I’ll just go to my room.”

Lucifer frowns. “I was thinking you would stay out here. It’d be a little strange if they only saw me.”

“Not really. Luke is a little kid and Simeon’s an adult. I don’t think they’ll want to talk to me.”

Lucifer lets the matter drop. Maybe by the weekend he would be a little more receptive to the idea.

“But if you want people to come over, I know what we could do.” Satan continues. “I could invite Solomon over. I want him to see all my animal books.”

Lucifer balks. “Um-”

Satan frowns up at him. “You’re going to say no.”

“Well, no, I just-” he falters under Satan’s glare. “Let’s wait a few days and see how things go. It’s only the first day of school. I’m sure you two will have plenty of chances to meet, especially since his dad will be staying later at school like me.”

Satan crosses his arms. “You’re saying no.”

Lucifer sighs. “I’m saying no. For now.”

Satan huffs and turns to go to his room. Lucifer lets him, knowing all too well that trying to explain himself would only make things worse. 

The next morning, Satan picks out a short-sleeved polo and jeans. It’s the closest thing he has to “normal” clothes. Unfortunately for him, the strange looks and laughing behind his back don’t go away. He thinks about asking Solomon what to do during morning recess, but when he sees the unbothered smile on his face, he decides it’s a question for a later time.

Unfortunately, that time never comes. Satan’s mind wanders down a very familiar path. If all the other kids thought he was weird, wouldn’t Solomon eventually think he was weird too? 

Solomon is weird, that he’s sure of. But he also has a charisma around him that makes him likeably weird. Satan wasn’t blessed with any of that. So he bites his tongue every time he thinks of bringing the topic up with Solomon and distracts himself with swapping animal facts. 

Lucifer finds himself in Diavolo’s office again after the last class of the day. The principal had wanted to discuss the school’s annual fall festival, but the conversation had wandered a long way since then. 

“Can I tell you a secret?” Diavolo asks, leaning over his desk conspiratorially. Lucifer nods, a curious smile on his face. “I hate pickles.” Lucifer snorts, then erupts into laughter. “I do, I hate them! I know I’m not supposed to hate anything, especially when it’s a parent’s gift to me, but I just couldn’t keep that look off my face.”

Lucifer feels tears springing to his eyes as he leans back in his chair, cackling. “And she’s still mad about it?” he asks in between gasping inhales.

Diavolo nods sadly. “To this day. Every time she sees me, she makes a point to talk about her cooking loud enough for everyone around to hear. She’s never tried to give me anything again, either.” He shakes his head in mock disappointment, but the smile on his face gives him away.

Lucifer finally catches his breath and straightens up in his chair. There’s something about Diavolo that makes Lucifer laugh easier. He’s not sure what exactly it is, but he doesn’t mind a bit. 

When Lucifer finally pushes open the door to his office, Satan immediately fires off, “Can we go shopping today?”

Lucifer blinks at him. “Um- no, not today. I have a few things I need to get done for Diavolo before tomorrow.” Satan huffs and slumps down. “That’s my chair you’re in, by the way.” Satan stomps over to the other, much less comfortable chair, and sits down with a thump. Lucifer pretends not to hear it, opens the email from Diavolo with the subject line Fall Festival, sighs at the absolutely atrocious state of his outline, and gets to work. 

Later that night, Lucifer sits at the kitchen table, scrawling out a note to slip under Simeon’s door inviting him to coffee. His first three attempts ended up in the trash, and he’s beginning to realize how little he knows about socializing outside of work. Every note he’s written so far had some sentence or phrase he thought might be seen as a little too friendly or a little too cold. He almost wishes he could ask Satan to do it for him. He’d never been good with words, and he’s not sure where Satan got his skill from. 

He reads over the note again, trying to imagine seeing it for the first time.

“Good evening or morning.

Your neighbors Lucifer and Satan would like to invite you to their apartment at 2:00 PM on Saturday the 14th for coffee and snacks. We would like to get to know you better and return the plate you so kindly lent us when we arrived here. Thank you for your consideration,

Lucifer”

He sighs and drops his head into his hands. “Are you writing an email?” he mutters to himself angrily. He crumples the note and tosses it into the trash with the others. He knows what has to be done. Swallowing his pride, he walks to Satan’s door and knocks. 

“What?”

“I… need a favor.” Lucifer hears some rustling from the other side of the door, then Satan opens it just a crack. 

“What kind of favor?”

“Remember how I wanted to invite Simeon and Luke over?” Satan nods. “I need to write an invitation to slip under their door, but I haven’t had any luck writing one that sounds…”

“That sounds like a human wrote it?” Satan snarks.

Lucifer holds back a sigh. “Exactly. I was hoping you would have an easier time of it.”

Satan stares up at him, still hiding behind his door. “Fine. I have one condition.”

Lucifer clicks his tongue. “I’m not exactly in the mood to negotiate.”

“I’m not exactly in the mood to write a nice note for somebody unless they listen to my condition.”

Lucifer, regretting the time he wished for a kid just like him, drops his head. “What is it?”

“I want Solomon to come over.” Satan stares at Lucifer’s face, unblinking, trying to gauge his reaction.

“Alright, he can come over. Please come out and write the note.”

Satan narrows his eyes suspiciously. “No. I want Solomon to come over tomorrow.”

Lucifer shakes his head. “We can’t do that. Barbatos won’t make plans on such short notice, and even if he would, it’d be unprofessional to contact him outside of work hours.”

“Oh, he knows.” 

“...what do you mean he knows?”

“Solomon and I talked about this at school and we planned for him to come over tomorrow, so he already told his dad.”

“You already made plans for him to come over without my permission? You thought he would just show up at my door and I would have to let him in?”

“Yes.” Satan replies. Lucifer rubs the bridge of his nose. “But now that you’ve agreed to my condition, we don’t have to worry about that. He’s coming over at three.”

Lucifer leans against the wall, defeated. Satan takes the opportunity to slip out of his door and pick up the pen Lucifer left on the kitchen table. “I’ll tell them to be here at ten, that way we have enough time.” 

Lucifer follows him into the kitchen and grabs a beer from the fridge, sipping on it as he waits. Satan signs his name with a flourish and swivels the note around for Lucifer to sign. Lucifer glances over the note, just to make sure Satan isn’t trying to sabotage his chances of having a good neighborly relationship.

“Hello, would you like to come over to our apartment to have coffee tomorrow morning at 10? We want to get to know you and also return the plate you gave us. Thanks,

Satan and Lucifer”

Lucifer signs his name after Satan’s and tries not to be too annoyed that he couldn’t come up with those two sentences himself. 

Simeon glances up from his mixing bowl, the whisk in his hand coming to a slow stop. Luke looks at him curiously, on his tiptoes on the chair he’s pulled over to the counter. “What is it?”

Simeon smiles at him. “Nothing. I just thought I heard some rustling by the door.”

“I’ll go check!” Luke volunteers, sitting down on the chair carefully before sliding off. Simeon resumes mixing his cake batter, listening carefully as Luke goes just in case. He returns quickly, little footsteps echoing through the kitchen. “Somebody left us a letter,” he says, a confused look on his face. He clambers back up onto the chair and waves it near Simeon’s face. “What does it say?” 

Simeon dusts off his hands and takes the note from Luke’s hands, muttering a warning to be careful as Luke bounces up and down eagerly on his chair. He unfolds the crisp paper and reads the words quickly, lips curving into a smile. “Our neighbors are inviting us over tomorrow morning.” Luke stills, his grin fading. “It’ll be alright,” Simeon reassures him. “You’ve met Lucifer twice now, and his son goes to your school.”

Luke’s face drops into a frown. “They’re scary.”

Simeon can’t help but breathe a short laugh. “Both of them?” 

Luke nods sagely. “They look like they don’t like talking to people.”

“Well, maybe they’re just not very good at it. Big kids and adults can be shy too. You know how hard it is to meet new people. Maybe they feel the same way.”

Luke watches Simeon’s hand move, thinking. “I guess we can go over and try to talk to them.” He’s silent for a moment more, and Simeon senses he has something more to say. “Maybe we should bring them more cookies. I don’t think they know how to bake.”

Simeon chuckles. “I think you might be right.”

Lucifer wakes up later than he would like and pours two quick bowls of cereal for himself and Satan, who still hasn't come out of his room this morning. Lucifer puts on a second pot of coffee after having already drained the first, savoring the rich smell rolling through the kitchen. He roots around the highest cabinet for the boxes of vanilla biscotti he stashed there earlier. Satan would’ve been frustrated by the sight of it, considering it was the only luxury he allowed himself to buy during his hurried grocery trip, so he had hidden it away to avoid an argument. He almost laughs at how childish he must look, straining on the tips of his toes to get his treats from his secret cache, trying to be as quiet as possible to not let on that he was doing something he shouldn’t. 

Satan finally comes out of his room in a polo shirt and khakis, tugging at his collar uncomfortably. Lucifer is busy arranging the biscottis on a plate carefully, trying his best to make them look more appetizing as they slowly crumble on the platter. Satan flips the pages of a book with one hand as he mindlessly slurps up his now-soggy cereal with the other. Lucifer sips at his coffee leaning against the counter. His fingers tap out an unsteady rhythm, the caffeine (and definitely not the nerves) making him too restless to do anything before his neighbors arrive.

Finally, a gentle knock on the door comes. It still startles Lucifer, even though he’s been expecting it for a while now. Satan glances up from his seat at the table only briefly before returning to his book, deciding he won’t budge until someone tells him to, but he can’t keep the amused smile off of his face at the sight of Lucifer rushing the two feet to the door. 

Simeon stands on the other side, all gentle smiles and soft words, and at his side is Luke. Satan scrutinizes the little boy, who trembles when he locks eyes with Satan. But to Satan’s surprise, instead of hiding, Luke bites his tiny lip and stands his ground. Unable to scare him off, Satan turns his attention to Simeon.

The two adults exchange warm greetings and handshakes. Simeon notes a trace of nervousness in Lucifer’s eyes, something he only saw once before, on orientation day. He tries to smile a little brighter in reassurance.

His gaze sweeps around the apartment, so similar to his own, but so strikingly different. If he didn’t know any better, he would think the two had only moved in yesterday. The walls are bare of any decoration, the bright white reflecting harsh sunlight across the room. There are no magnets on the fridge, no food on the counter, nothing on the dining table save for the pitiful platter Lucifer had set out earlier. 

Lucifer busies himself getting mugs for he and Simeon, a pair of normal, identical white mugs. Surely he couldn’t be this busy with work, Simeon thinks. Why would he possibly refuse to decorate at all? It feels like a show apartment; just a little too clean. Lucifer himself completes the picture, asking Simeon how he likes his coffee. He’s perfectly polite, almost artificially so. A rehearsed politeness, one that he’s practiced in the mirror. 

Simeon graciously accepts the warm mug and sits at the table, squirming a bit to try and get comfortable in the hard chair. Lucifer sits down hurriedly across from him, the stilted conversation grinding to a halt. He stirs his coffee to avoid making too much eye contact with Simeon, who just smiles at him, pleasant as ever. 

“May I ask you something?” 

“Of course,” Lucifer rushes to respond, grateful he’s found a way to break the awkward silence. 

“Your apartment is…” Simeon trails off, trying to find a way to phrase it graciously. “It’s a bit… sparse.”

“Oh,” says Lucifer, glancing around as though unfamiliar with his surroundings. “I suppose it is.”

“Is there any particular reason for that? Of course, I understand that work can get in the way sometimes, or that budgets can be a bit stringent.” Simeon speaks gently, giving Lucifer a way out if he needs it. 

Lucifer is silent for a moment, slowly realizing how it must look to a stranger. The walls are now glaring bright white in his vision, and he wonders how he didn’t notice sooner. Satan has stopped turning pages. “To tell you the truth?” Simeon nods encouragingly. “I’m not sure I know how to fix that.” Simeon cocks his head, confused. The tips of Lucifer’s ears tinge red, and he stirs his coffee again.

“I’ve never really decorated. Never had a reason to, I guess.” He swallows hard, and Simeon can almost hear the slew of words that Lucifer isn’t willing to say out loud. 

“I understand. Adjusting to a new environment is always hard. Isn’t that right, Satan?” Simeon turns towards the end of a table with that ever-present smile, facing Satan, who has now dropped any pretense of reading. “No. It was easy to adjust for me.” Satan shrugs, crossing his arms resolutely. Simeon just smiles back.

“It’s okay if it’s hard,” Luke pipes up from behind Simeon, bright blue eyes straining to see over the platter in the center of the table. “Lots of adults have to do hard things all the time.”

“Well, it was easy.” Satan snaps, leaning forward out of his chair. 

“Satan,” Lucifer warns, voice low. Satan sits back hard, rocking the chair backwards onto two legs. Luke glances at Simeon for reassurance, who rubs his back lightly under the table.

“Satan, why don’t you show Luke some of your animal magazines?” Lucifer suggests.

Satan crosses his arms, looking at Luke with disdain. “He’ll just mess them up.”

“No I won’t! I want to see the animals.” Luke pouts up at Satan. 

A muscle in Satan’s jaw twitches as he thinks. “Fine. But you have to promise not to touch anything.” 

“I promise.” Luke says with a nod, and Simeon nearly laughs at the serious look on the little boy’s angelic features. The two head off to Satan’s bedroom, and both adults’ gazes follow them until they disappear from sight. Lucifer is the first to break the silence.

“I’m sorry. He’s… difficult at times.”

Simeon waves him off. “It’s not a problem. I’m sure Luke will get there eventually.” Lucifer gives him a quick smile, eyes still wandering towards Satan’s doorway. “I don’t mean to push, but if you’d ever like help decorating, I’d be happy to assist.”

Lucifer stirs what little coffee is left in his mug. “I’d like that,” he says finally. He takes a breath in and opens his mouth, but seems to decide against saying anything. Simeon finishes the rest of his coffee, now growing cold. Both men listen intently for two small voices from the other end of the apartment, lapsing into another silence, but one more comfortable than the last.

“Do you think I should hang some pictures?” 

Simeon grins.

The conversation flows easily now, and Lucifer is slowly starting to understand what Simeon is saying. He still doesn’t quite know what all the warm and cool tones mean, or why he keeps bringing up feng shui, but he at least knows that comfortable chairs and a fruit bowl are next on his list to buy. The voices from the other room are cheerful, the cadence of Satan’s voice slowing to match Luke’s. A third pot of coffee sits on the warmer and crumbs are scattered across the plate in the middle of the table.

A knock sounds from the front door, and for a moment, Lucifer wonders who it could be before he realizes he’s entirely lost track of time. Sure enough, his watch shows 2:55 on the dot. He curses under his breath before opening the door to Barbatos’ stoic face. Satan is at the door in a second when he hears the latch click, grabbing Solomon by the arm and towing him inside before Lucifer even has a chance to get a word out. 

To Lucifer’s surprise, Simeon shoots up from his chair the moment he sees Barbatos, nearly knocking the chair to the ground. He checks his own watch and cringes at the time. Only then does Lucifer register how different Barbatos looks. His hair is tied in a simple ponytail, and he’s chosen a loose t-shirt with the KISS logo splashed across the front and a pair of dark jeans, ripped at the knees. Luke appears at Simeon’s side, ousted from Satan’s room. “Are we going?”

Simeon’s eyes are still on Barbatos, who seems to be enjoying the attention with a smirk. “Simeon?” Luke tugs on his pant leg.

Simeon startles, almost knocking over his chair for the second time. “Yes! Yep. We’re going. Thanks so much Lucifer, we’ll have to do this again.” The tips of his ears are turning a dark red, and Lucifer watches the scene with amusement. “I’m so sorry, Barbatos, I didn’t mean to be late,” Simeon rushes to get himself and Luke out the door.

Lucifer can just catch Barbatos’ reply as the door closes. “It’s only a pottery class. We won’t be missing much. I’m sure Luke will have fun no matter what.” Simeon’s flustered reply is muffled by the rattling of the doorknob, and Lucifer chuckles to himself. 

He only gets a moment of reprieve before a crash comes from Satan’s room, and he dashes to the door. Flinging it open, he finds a chair from the dining room on its side and Solomon on the ground. Satan grabs his arm and pulls him back to his feet easily, but Lucifer’s heart is still in his throat. “Are you hurt, Solomon?” Not waiting for an answer, he turns the boy by his shoulder to check for any blood or scrapes. 

Solomon looks up at him, confused. “No, I’m okay,” he says, voice rising at the end, almost like a question. 

Having found no injuries, Lucifer turns his attention to Satan. “What were you doing?” he snaps. 

“Just trying to hang up a poster. Solomon said we could get a chair to stand on since we don’t have a ladder.”

“Don’t be so dismissive, Satan. He could’ve gotten hurt.” Lucifer nearly starts in on a lecture, but he catches the fear in Satan’s eyes that mirrors his own. Lucifer lets out a slow breath, trying to calm his heart. “Please ask me to help next time. I think Barbatos would come for my head if Solomon got hurt.” Solomon cracks a lopsided smile at that, and Satan just nods.

Lucifer goes to address the dishes in the kitchen, still primed to intervene if he hears another noise. But all that reaches his ears is shuffling books and magazines, conversation, and laughter. Maybe even a rude joke or two, but for his own sanity, he decides to pretend he made those up.

[obae-me]

Upside Down- CH 11

Author's Notes: I hate that it took me so long for an update, but here it is! I'm ready for more magical shenanigans coming up ahead! But this one is a little more filler for now after all the action.

Warnings: Allusions to eating disorders/unhealthy eating habits. As Always, Read Safely.

Word Count: 6060

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

To Be A Demon

--

This was…torture. You knew the prince of the demons could be cruel, but you didn’t think he’d be this cruel. Simeon was bold with it too, taking you out into the open, making a mockery of you for all to see. An example. Proof of the fate that lies at the end of disobedience. To make matters worse, he dragged the humans into this too. They were probably nothing but toys to him. This was your fault…all your fault. If you had only done better…this wouldn’t be happening. 

A hand gripped your shoulder, trailing up your neck till the fingers curved around your chin and forced your face towards his. Simeon’s smile seemed to beam brightly as he took you in. You knew from the start that there had been something dark behind the softness in his face. He was the ruler of demons, master of mind games. This was only the beginning of the punishment, wasn't it? It could only get worse from here… The prince spoke up gleefully, a certain undercurrent in his tone you couldn’t place. “There we are. Isn’t that much better? How about another?” 

At this point, you weren’t sure how much more you could take. “Please…no more…” How had he gotten you here to the point where you felt you needed to beg? How humiliating… 

The prince looked at you, a light shining behind the vibrant colors of his eyes. He tutted a little, as if you should’ve known better than to ask. Simeon squeezed your face in one of his hands before placing another small bite of a sandwich into your mouth. “Now, now. This is what happens when you spend centuries subsisting off of hardly anything but magic.” He shook his head at you, dusting the crumbs off his hands. “You’re acting like I’m killing you, but this is for your own good.” 

The leaves above the picnic rustled gently as a short breeze blew by. Although anything that fell from the branches above seemed to be pushed away from your area, as if not even a leaf could disturb the Prince and his plans. This was far from what you had expected though. A picnic, in a public park, under the shade of a large maple tree. You might not have known too many things about this more human tradition, but you knew that this all was a bit…extra. Extra soft. Extra large. The blanket under your bodies was a pale mint color. It seemed to be created to seat over a dozen people, and yet there were only six gathered here. You, Simeon, Luke, Mammon, Levi, and…

A chuckle raised out of his throat. “Demons are always so entertaining.” The disguised angel picked up a snack from the veritable army of plates before you all, his eyes glancing over you, amused. Solomon. You hadn’t expected to see him here. In fact, you hadn’t heard from him at all since you’d been forcibly chucked in the Morningstar’s direction. Of course he shows up now at one of your lowest points. 

The lips of your mouth twitched in irritation. “If you think this is so amusing, maybe you should-” 

Your words were cut off as the Prince raised his hand. Even without saying anything, his power was commanding. The mark he had left around your wrist seemed to hum. Everything in your vicinity seemed to silence itself, including the birds in the trees and even the clinking of silverware. Simeon sighed a little, his smile faltering as he allowed himself to look exhausted. It only lasted for a moment, a gentle smile returning to his face, although there was a tone to his voice that implied it would be best not to make him upset. “Let us keep teasing and hostilities to a minimum, shall we? This was meant to be a memorable occasion.” A flickering hue of disappointment settled in the spiral of his irises. Although, he did his best to hide that detail. You weren’t sure if he was naive spoiled royalty, or if he simply had one of those carefully-planned personalities. If you thought hard enough, you could imagine how Simeon had wanted this to go. You and the humans would show up on time, each of them shaking hands with the Prince of demons and the envoy of angels. You’d all sit together, eat the endless amount of meals Luke had prepared for you, and a historical moment would forever be etched in the history of the realms. A meeting where humans, demons, and angels sat and broke bread- quite literally in one regard- and got along. Even if you had gone a bit rogue and created another pact, this would salvage that. Simeon would set things right. 

But that’s not quite how it happened…

First off, you had arrived late. Dreadfully late. The meeting had intended to take place earlier this morning, and yet it was well after noon now. Although, you would like to claim it wasn’t entirely your fault. Unfortunately, the night had not been kind to you after your mighty virtual battle with Lifia. Returning home, attempting to sleep to regain your energy, you had closed your eyes…and then hardly opened them again. The demands had been too much for your body, sending you into a downward spiral into an early grave, half-dead… Certainly your human disguise had been broken in your weak state. It’s a miracle you weren’t caught. The fine details were blurry seeing as how you were hanging onto life by a thin frayed thread. However, you recall Mammon freaking out, grabbing Levi, Levi freaking out, and then being wrapped in a blanket and snuck through the house before being dragged by the ankles into one of Mammon’s cars. Absconded away by the humans you’d formed a… obligatory attachment to. Then you woke up here, curled up far too close to the prince, Devildom food and potions shoved down your throat to save you. Now you were embarrassed and irritable, the humans were anxious and uncomfortable, Solomon was amused and intentionally stirring the pot, and Simeon was doing his best to keep his dreams, his plans, and his sanity intact. The only one that seemed to be fine was Luke, which was surprising. Every time you had met him before he’d been a little growly sort of thing. Now he seemed…happy… Excited even. Fluttering between people giving them his sweets before pulling impossible amounts of confectionaries out of a single picnic basket in the middle of the placement. 

“Hey,” a quiet voice rang beside you, trying to whisper even though it was clear everyone could still hear. Mammon shuffled a bit closer to you, although he still remained on his side of the blanket. You couldn’t help but notice you all were still so separated despite gathering together. Solomon on his side alone, you and Simeon on another edge, and Levi and Mammon on their own. The divide was all too obvious. “Feelin’ better?” 

Suddenly, you were the center of attention again, all eyes looking in your direction. You turned your head, your hands settled firmly in your lap. “I’m fine.” Your chin raised a bit, and while you may not have been so connected to pride before, you had the urge to hide your weaknesses, especially in front of the Prince…and in front of your- the humans. 

“Well, you might be fine now, but you certainly looked worse for wear when you arrived,” Solomon pointed out, another cheeky grin returning to his face before Simeon shot him a subtle look. The angel shook his head slightly. “You put far too much strain on your soul.” 

After having said nothing this entire meeting, Levi finally spoke up. His head was a little lowered, clear guilt in his eyes. Anxious thumbs tore at the loose threads on his hoodie strings. He figured this was his fault, that the blame lay on him, for why wouldn’t it? At least, that’s what you imagined he was thinking. “I’m sorry. Maybe making the pact was too much. M-Maybe we should break it or something…” 

One of Simeon’s eyebrows raised at the mention of the pact. His eyes narrowed at the human, but for the first time the prince seemed…relieved. Then he shook his head. “No, that’s not it. In fact, the connection should’ve reinvigorated MC.” His hand reached over and settled around the back of your neck. “This happened because they didn’t replenish their energy between magic uses.” His head turned towards you. “You overdid it. This wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t neglect yourself.” 

“I didn’t-” you started to hiss, but the curve of his fingers on your body tightened. No speaking back. 

Across the way, Mammon tilted his head a bit, confused. “But, they told us they wouldn’t die if they didn’t eat. Was…” His face fell, trying to cover up the stress with a scowl. “Was that another lie?” 

The touch of the prince dropped right before Simeon clapped his hands. Luke sprung to attention, moving around to give everyone another helping of…everything. Simeon straightened his back but dropped his shoulders. “Here is your opportunity to learn more about demons. Listen up. If you two are going to be Masters, you have to know these things.” The prince began to explain things, gesturing to you here and there like you were a display model. “A demon’s body is much stronger than a human’s. Same for angels. Not sleeping and not eating might not kill us but it still affects us. For example, humans feel vastly different when you only get three hours of sleep versus a whole night of sleep, yes? Sure, you might not feel great after only a few hours of sleep, but it won’t kill you. Similar concept for demons and angels. So, when you deprive yourself of rest and nourishment, it makes you weak.” The last line was heavily stressed as the prince’s gaze turned back towards you. The warmth of shame spread through your body. “Not to mention, you’ve been denying your temptations, haven’t you?” Two fingers lifted your chin, forcing you to look right in Simeon’s face. In the corner of your eyes, you could see the humans behaving strangely. Mammon was gripping his plate while Levi was clenching his teeth. “We cannot deny who we are, MC. We are demons, and as such, we thrive off of our temptations, off the corruption of the world. We can control ourselves, yes, but you have gone far past that. Temperance is a virtue. One that’s poisoning you.” 

You wished you could smack Simeon’s hand away, to leap towards him and throttle him. However, not only was that treason, but…deep in the back of your mind, you knew it was true. ‘We cannot deny who we are.’ Yet, a very long time ago, you had come to the decision to isolate yourself, to defy everything a demon was meant to be. No souls, no sins, no selfishness, no slaughtering, no seduction, no superfluity. Nothing. All because of them. All because���maybe you didn’t want to be… a…

“Demon biology aside,” the angel spoke up again. “There might actually be another reason why our friend was so drained.” 

The strange tension between you and the prince fell flat as the other demon lowered his arm and turned towards the white-haired being. “You know something.” It was said as a statement, not a question. A confirmation of something he already knew. Solomon was hiding details. 

“I do, actually. That's why I suggested I come today.” For a moment, Solomon shifted in his spot, holding off on telling everyone right away. Perhaps he was slightly remorseful, or, the likelier option, he enjoyed building up the drama and suspense while relishing in the fact that he was the more knowledgeable one in this situation. “I had my suspicions before, but I’m nearly certain now.” Solomon’s glowing smile shrank ever so slightly. “The Morningstar house is being protected.” 

Two car doors shut in unison as the humans shuffled out of the car. You sat in the passenger seat, staring at nothing in particular, glancing through the tinted windows to observe Mammon and Levi attempt to push through the small crowd of people congregating in front of their home, making their way to the gate. It seems that the ‘incident’ from earlier had stirred up more people desperate for answers. For attention. Seems that streets being torn up wasn’t quite common in this world. Might as well have been a daily tradition in the Devildom. Curiosity always dragged humans into trouble.

On one hand, staying in here kept you from being observed. On the other hand… Simeon stopped the car for a moment, and despite your hidden admiration for him possessing the talent to control one of these things, you didn’t necessarily feel like sitting next to him alone. To make matters worse, his words didn’t seem to be as cheerful as they had seemed during the picnic. “I trust your performance will improve from now on?” 

“Yes…” Your voice was quiet, monotone, attempting to not allow the prince any hint into what you were feeling. 

Simeon’s fingers drummed on the steering-wheel. “‘Yes’ what? Repeat your new orders, please.” 

You unbuckled the clasp at your hip, allowing the seatbelt to whirl off of you, hitting the door before it slipped up into its proper place. A very mild insight into your frustration. “I will refrain from coming up with plans myself and notify you of anything suspicious.” Perhaps you had gotten ahead of yourself. Coming up with ideas that didn’t make any sense, leaping headfirst into situations without fully planning for the aftermath. Being bold, standing out, making pacts. Thinking that you were some main character in a novel about hope and rebirth or some such nonsense. That’s not what you were here for. It’s not who you were. You were Isolation. Invisible. Someone to fly under the radar. Someone who had failed their duties centuries ago. So why you? Why choose a demon who seemed the least qualified for this job? Sure, Simeon and Solomon seemed convinced you wouldn’t give into temptation, but now you were being berated for not following your instincts? Which was it? Mixed messages all around. Either these two were unaware of their contradictions…or maybe there was something they both weren’t telling you. What did they really want from you?...

“And?” 

Your hand held onto the doorhandle, waiting till this debriefing, this scolding was over with. “I will keep myself in peak condition.” 

Simeon leaned a little back into the seat. “Good. That means proper rest, proper meals, proper care.” Seven hells, he sounded like such a guardian in a strange way. “You are the representative of demons. Even if this plan is only known to a select few, you represent me. I will not have you making us look like fools.” His tone was rough, almost abrasive, each word scraping through your ears and down into your soul. Before you realized you were doing it, you were glancing out of the window, watching Mammon and Levi lingering awkwardly behind the gate, waiting for you to join them. They both glanced worriedly at the car, their lips moving as they discussed things you couldn't hear. Probably about you. Then the mood in the vehicle changed. The air of disappointment and shame twisted unexpectedly. “They’ve changed you.” As you turned your head to focus on Simeon, you found that his face was far too close to yours. He glanced you up and down, taking you in, as if he was seeing you for the first time all over again. “Have the Morningstars really reformed a demon?” No longer was there sternness in his face, but a pleased sort of softness, almost a glow about him. 

The sudden change in his personality threw you off, causing you to stutter a bit before you spoke. “Of course not,” you rebutted quickly. “I did what I needed to to follow your orders, that’s all. Don’t worry, I don’t plan on making pacts with any more of these infuriating insignificant humans. The sooner I’m done with them, the better.” Without excusing yourself, you opened the door and exited the metal carriage. You could’ve sworn you heard a soft laughter inside before the prince drove off. That demon… Was he upset or pleased with you? You weren’t sure you liked either of those options. All you knew is that he seemed to leave you with more questions than answers. 

Cutting through the crowd, you lowered your head, making your way to the gate as fast as possible. Questions were thrown into your face like stones, microphones threatening to jab out an eye. Like always, you felt the presence of lesser demons around you, hiding amongst the common-folk. They knew you were here now. You knew it wouldn’t take much longer before the word got out. Information amongst demons spread like a disease. While the prince was doing his best to keep the program itself a secret, you wouldn’t be surprised if the whole of the Devildom now knew you were with the Morningstars. Perhaps that was why Simeon was being so strict. With every day that passed, the target on your back grew bigger. And with every pact, the more bloodthirsty the others became. Not only the demons…but if Solomon was correct, your own kind was perhaps the least of your worries.

Mammon opened the gate and held the fence out for you to pass through, making sure it was shut and locked tightly behind you all. Subtle growls and hisses from the lesser demons in the crowd flooded your ears. Jealousy, rage, frustration hovered in the air as they watched you freely pass by the barrier they could not. 

“It’s like a jar,” Solomon had said. “A magical barrier to keep demonic entities and energies out. And for you, it’s as if a curious child shoved you inside and forgot to poke holes in the lid to let you breathe.” The analogy had made you scoff, knowing that Solomon himself was similar to that curious child, giving you this amulet to pass the barrier and not telling you that being in the house would drain you of every ounce of vitality. When asked how he knew this, he gave you infuriatingly vague answers, saying it was all mostly ‘just a hunch’. No. He knew about this from the start. 

“Did he chew ya out?” Mammon’s words cut through your thoughts. You raised an eyebrow curiously, not knowing what he was talking about. “Did ya get yelled at,” he translated. 

“Clearly,” you muttered, leaving the two humans behind as you quickly approached the doors to the home. Now that it was brought to your attention, Solomon was right. The air around you felt…dry, in a way. Strained. You’d no longer be able to get your energy back by just breathing in the magic. 

“But I found a curse inside the house. One of the demons cut off the power.” That was part of the reason why you had gotten yourself caught up in the mess in the first place. 

“Imagine if that jar was underwater. The barrier is cracking. Leaking. As of right now, little spells can drip through here and there. But with enough pressure…” Solomon had nodded his head, his finger curled around his chin as he imagined the possibilities. With a rather devilish smirk for an angel, he hummed. “How long before it implodes?” 

Just as you reached out for the door handle, the entrance to the home swung inwards, causing you to stumble forward awkwardly. As if your day couldn’t get embarrassing enough… Hands gripped your shoulders, catching you and setting you straight. You almost felt your feet leave the floor. Impossible… Stepping back, you pulled yourself from the grasp, pleading with yourself and the universe to let it not be Lucifer. 

Luckily for you, the fates had some pity. “My bad. I’m not used to anyone coming home this time of day.” Gluttony took a step back to let you come inside, glancing over your shoulder to see his brothers. He looked a bit taken aback, his eyes scanning over you and Levi and Mammon before flickering exclusively between his siblings. “You all went out? Did something happen?” 

“Why’s somethin’ always gotta happen?” Mammon sighed, almost as if he was insulted. He flashed a smirk as he briskly tugged at Levi’s hoodie strings, the hood over his head tightening shut across his face. The older brother quickly bounded forward as Levi cursed angrily, pulling the fabric back open and straightening it. “We just went out ‘cuz we felt like it!” 

A lie, but if anything, it seemed like Mammon was getting better at it. Beel’s face was rather hard to read. Was he confused? Skeptical? Both? As his eyebrows crunched a little, you were ready for him to say something negative or snarky like all these other humans you met did. “I'm glad to see you two getting along better,” he stated. Kinda threw you for a loop if you were being honest. 

“I wouldn’t call it getting along…” Levi grumbled. 

Mammon made a loud dismissive scoff before settling a hand on his hip. “What about you? Where ya going, Beel? I thought practice was tomorrow? And it’s too early for gym, isn’t it?” 

The other human’s expression fell, and a strange sensation settled in you immediately. It was almost as if… you wanted to lunge, but not in an aggressive way. Wonder what that was… Beel looked down at the floor. “I’m going shopping.” Not something you would imagine many humans had such a negative response to. 

However, Levi seemed more understanding. “Raid the kitchen again?” Beel nodded. “Lucifer find out?” Another nod. “Now he’s making you go out and replenish everything?” Three for three. Levi giggled to himself as he won the mystery game he set up for himself. After the humor died down a little, Levi moved to walk past his brothers, probably intending to head back to his room. 

Before he could, Mammon grabbed the back of Levi’s clothes, yoinking him back so hard you heard Envy choke a bit. “Why don’t we go with ya?” No…you knew where this was heading. Making the same moves as the blue-haired introvert, you took a few steps into the shadows. A hand snaked around your wrist, gripping tightly. The firm hold of a traitor, a turncoat hell-bent on dragging you down into the fires with him. The look in Levi’s eyes screamed, ‘if I have to go, so do you’. 

“Really? But you just got back home.” Beel hardly blinked at the sight of the three of you linked together, struggling against each other’s grasp. Either he was too caught up in his own mind to pay attention, or he was used to this type of shenanery. 

“We don’t have anything planned today! Besides, how long has it been since we’ve hung out with our adorable little brother? Right Levi?” With one firm tug, Mammon pulled the third-oldest to his side, forcing Levi to let you go. A whisper was shared between the two of them, the white-haired human muttering through shut teeth. “A nice selfless gesture like this might get dear old bro off our asses…” Yes, because doing something with an ulterior motive counts as selfless… What sort of humans did you make a pact with again? 

Frustratedly, Levi smacked Greed’s hand off of him, but his shoulders slumped. “I guess…it has been a while. And I suppose someone has to make sure you both don’t buy more than you need to…” 

Your first pact-mate let out a loud whooping noise followed by a prolonged cheer. “Yay, shopping spree! That’s what I like to hear!” Beel watched his older brother with a smile on his face, glad to see Mammon excited and probably pleased to have company. Too pure for his own good, this one. 

A little more color drained from Levi’s face. “Aren’t we just going for groceries?...” 

Before Mammon could respond to that, a loud clattering noise was made in the house, several rapid thuds of running footsteps followed after that. A body rushed over to the top of the stairs, almost sliding as they screeched to a halt. They leaned over the upper banister, pushing their hair out of their face as they kept themselves from unsightly panting. “Did someone say shopping spree?” You blinked as Asmo sprung down the stairs. 

Were you really going to get dragged outside like this? With two extra Morningstars thrown into the mix? You felt faint again…

Good news. Turns out you didn’t have to tag-along with four obnoxious humans. Bad news: you weren’t tagging along with four obnoxious humans. They were gone. All of them. Even Levi, who apparently was more eager to commence with the shopping trip than he let on. As soon as the car toting you all along had parked, it seemed as if they all were swept along by different whirlwinds. Even your two pact-mates got caught up in the feeling of freedom apparently. No house arrest, no crazy digital world, it appeared as if they needed a little break. Honestly, you didn’t feel like stopping them. However, needing to guarantee them all safety while they were separated like this was… stressful to say the least. 

So, you found yourself wandering, attempting to find them to make sure they were hale and whole. You decided on checking the largest store in this strange strip of buildings. The double doors slid open for you without you touching, causing you to jump backwards, making a passerby turn their head in a perplexed manner. You sheepishly shook your head a bit as the human moved forward. How were you supposed to know humans enchanted their doors? As you muttered a quiet ‘thank you’ to the polite panels as they shut themselves behind you, you looked up a bit in awe at the store. It was huge. Tall ceilings that towered above your head, huge spinning blades circulating the air across the entire expanse. Aisle upon aisle of shelves. Humans definitely had advanced past simple stalls in humble marketplaces. Bigger, grander, better. More, more, more. This place screamed gluttony. Hopefully Beel was in here then. Although, even if he was, pinpointing him would be the harder part. 

Before you knew it, you found yourself standing in a random aisle, wandering aimlessly. Human packaging was so interesting. All trying so hard to stand out amongst rows of other goods just like it. You were expected to eat like a human now too… “We’ll bring Devildom food once a week to really keep you healthy, but until those points, make sure you’re eating plenty of human food,” Simeon had told you. And after that whole spiel you had given, telling Levi and Mammon how it was essentially worthless to…consume. Means you’d have to eat a lot more than you ever had before. Sounded like a lot of effort… You reached out and picked up a bag of chips off the shelf. It was the same brand of the kind Mammon had given you while you waited for the bus. The ones you denied. Maybe you should…attempt to try them. 

“Oh, you’re here too.” 

It took you a moment to realize that the voice was addressed to you. You raised your head as the figure approached. “There you are,” you sighed a little in relief. At least one thing needed to go your way today. Beel looked entirely unharmed and unbothered, pushing a large cart already overburdened with items, an open bag of some sort of snack settled in a little compartment in front of him. He was snacking on it occasionally, looking around for other goods he might want to add to the collection. 

“I like that brand,” Beel suddenly announced, nodding towards the bag in your hands. “You can put it in the cart if you want so you don’t have to carry it everywhere.” He turned his head to the side, grabbing another large sack of chips and gently placing it on top of everything else. Without thinking much of it, you did as he suggested. “The others leave you?” 

“Huh?” 

“My bothers,” Beel clarified. “You look kinda sad that you’ve been left behind.” 

Air seemed to catch in your throat, your mind blanking entirely for a second. Was he being intentionally so blunt? “I’m not sad. They can do whatever they want, it’s not like I know them very well.” 

This human didn’t combat you, didn’t correct you. He simply nodded. “Yeah, you still haven’t been with us very long, have you? I think this is only the second time I’ve seen you. But it seems like you’ve been with Mammon and Levi a bit, right? They seemed happy to be around you.” A soft smile curled around the human’s lips. “I haven’t seen either of them look like that in a while. I’m really glad they both found a friend.” 

Deny it! Say something! Something inside you was screaming at you to refute these claims, but…for the life of you, you couldn’t do it. This human…was so genuine with you. And the smile…seemed so much like Mammon’s too. Like theirs. Pure. It was uncanny how similar it was. “I guess,” was what you finally came up with. 

The Morningstar seemed to sense your discomfort, so, attempting to mitigate some of the awkwardness, he pushed the cart past you. “Is there anything you need to get while we’re here?” 

You waited for a second before following after him, hands shoved in the pockets of the human clothing you were wearing. “I’m not sure.” Sure, Simeon gave you some funds, enough to support your “life” here, but you had never intended to use any of it. What did humans eat? What did you want? What did you even like anymore?... Could you remember the taste of your favorite food? Did you even have favorites anymore? Those had all been burned away from you. Time had chipped away at your personality until there was little left. You glanced down at the single bag of snacks you’d put in the cart. Beel said he liked them. Tilting your head up a bit, you stared at him for a moment. “What do you like?” 

The question left him frozen for a second, and you wondered if you had broken him. Then, a sort of sparkle shimmered behind his eyes. He began to take you through nearly every aisle, picking out all his favorite snacks, foods, ingredients for meals, desserts, etc. It was enough to make your head spin, but he seemed ecstatic about it. A few things you placed in the cart, a few other things he seemed to snag for you. You both eventually stopped in the baked goods section, Beel staring at the sprinkles and bags of marshmallows fondly, recalling a memory perhaps. “We would make all sorts of things in the kitchen.” Based on his tone, you figured they didn’t make meals as much as they used to. The human seemed to cling to those memories, refusing to let them go. 

You were about to pry your nose a little deeper into the past, but another human walked between the shelves, heading up behind you both. The stranger pointed his hand at the baker's chocolate that you were blocking off. “Pardon me. If I could just grab that behind you two there.” He smiled politely, but you were very aware of his green eyes remaining trained onto you. You took a few steps back and decided to not pursue the subject. You had gotten enough groceries, and you assumed Beel had gathered more than enough to sustain seven humans for a decent while. The two of you walked away, the human leading you to where you were meant to exchange the funds for the merchandise. 

After too much fumbling and confusion, you purchased your portion. Beel coated both of his arms with bags upon bags of food, looking mostly unphased. For a human, he seemed to have impressive strength. Not saying much, you followed him back outside to the car, helping him load the vehicle with your haul. After that…you stood next to him awkwardly. What were you meant to do in this situation? Without Mammon… The car’s lights flashed as the sound of the internal lock clicked open. “You can stay here. I’ll go find my brothers.” With a little flick of his wrist, he tossed a set of keys at you. “You can turn the AC on if you want. That way the ice cream doesn’t melt.” 

You turned the keys around in your hands. From what you knew from Mammon, this was a major sign of trust. “You really trust me with this? You don’t really know me at all.” 

Beel shrugged a little. “Mammon and Levi seem to trust you. That’s good enough for me. I’ll be back.” Before he turned to leave, he came back, opening the passenger side door for you with a small smile on his face. He waited for you to sit inside before shutting the door for you, walking off towards the other stores. You sat back in the seat lazily, sliding down a little and sighing. Guess out of all the humans you could’ve met, he wasn’t the worst. Too trusting though. That would be an issue. Your temple rested against the glass window of the car. What a strange day. 

A flash of light in the corner of your eye caught your attention. Of course, you’d learned by now that the human world was filled with shiny things, so you didn’t expect much. Perhaps it was the eyes-- headlights of one of the various cars in the parking lot. As you turned your gaze, another glare nearly blinded your vision. Blinking away the spots, you managed to see a long cylinder slip back behind the deeply tinted windows of a car parked partially behind the strip of buildings. The window rolled up before the car moved away. A chilling sensation slinked up your spine. What was… 

A hand smacked against the window, causing you to jump. Mammon looked all too pleased with himself for catching you off your game. He held up a few bags in his hands, proud of what he had done. “Hey!” He tugged at the doorhandle and opened the door, a little bit of color flooding his cheeks while you still stared in the direction the car drove off. “So, I figured since you saved Levi and I and all and haven’t been feeling the greatest and all, I might’ve– well, let’s just say I accidentally bought two of the same thing and instead of bothering with a refund, I decided to–” His words caught in his throat, choking on air as you grabbed the front of his shirt and fully pulled him into the car. The passenger side of the car was not well made to fit two people, both of you spilling out of the front seat. Cursing a bit, Mammon flopped into the back. “What?! What is wrong with you?” 

“Tell me, what human thing is cylindrical and flashes? It’s about this big.” You gestured the size with the curve of your hand. “What is it? What’s it meant for? Is it dangerous?” 

“Huh?” Mammon rubbed the back of his head as he caught his bearings. “Like a camera or somethin’? It takes pictures and stuff. Is that it?” 

“Takes pictures?...” So… someone was taking pictures of you? Was that it? Why… who?... 

Mammon noticed the look on your face and cleared his throat a bit. “Listen, not to toot my own horn or nothin’ but I am a model. Paparazzi follows me around sometimes I guess. It might not be anything too dangerous.” His voice sounded hopeful. “Unless you think otherwise…” 

“I don’t know… It was weird… I think they left. Maybe it was nothing.” You rubbed your forehead, letting the stress pass for now. You hadn’t sensed any magic anyway. You tried to look at him in your peripherals. “Don’t leave me alone like that again, got it? It’s not safe for you.” But maybe Simeon and Solomon were right. Nowhere was safe for you either. 

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A Day that Should be Celebrated

Its time to celebrate Lucifer's birthday! I think the date is fitting tbh.

Characters: Lucifer

CW: Angst, Internalized homophobia (from hunter)

Theme: Lucifer's birthday!

Reader: Male reader

A/U: None

Premise: Its time to celebrate Lucifer's birthday!

THIS IS SFW

......................................................................................................

Lucifer didn’t really enjoy his birthday. He thought it wasted time and took his attention away from work that needed to be done. So it was to no one’s surprise that he was scowling the whole time. Of course this idea was a collective one with you, the brothers, and Diavolo.

Diavolo did most of the work on distracting Lucifer to keep him out of the House of Lamentation. You and the seven brothers decorated the house in colors and things that Lucifer seemed to enjoy. You took on the baking with Beel and Belphie’s “help”.

Belphie was just sleeping on the counter and Beel was fighting you to eat the batter. Satan had to peel Beel off of you just so you could finish on time. Solomon, Luke, Barbatos, and Simeon came a bit later so as to not cause any suspicion.

Barbatos helped you try to finish most of the dishes while telling Solomon to go do other things that were very important for the party. Simeon joined the others to help set up table decorations and to help lay out the snacks. He had encouraged Luke to join him but Luke wanted to stay with you.

You were glad to have him help with the decorating. Sure having a surprise party was a bit cliche but it was the only way to give Lucifer a birthday party. You all finished just before Lucifer had come back. Diavolo couldn’t keep Lucifer preoccupied for too long because Lucifer was becoming suspicious.

What was he supposed to think with his brothers home alone in the house with each other? Lucifer expected to find the ashes of where his home once stood with his brothers and you outside. However that wasn’t the case, much to Lucifer’s relief.

However he was met with the bright faces of his brothers, you, Barbatos, Solomon, Simeon, and Luke staring at him with Diavolo by his side. Everyone then surrounded Lucifer, who had a confused face. 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCIFER!”

He finally made the connection as to why everyone was here, and why Diavolo was keeping him out of the house. Lucifer was a bit irked. He didn’t really remember his own birthday. He didn’t want to remember it.

Not because there were any bad memories tied to it, but he’s already had so many the day became so bland. You dragged Lucifer to the table and sat him down at the head of the table while everyone else took their seats surrounding him.

He was just going along with everything. It was only because you were there. Without you, and if anyone pulled this he would have been upset. Lucifer was trying to find a reason for why he was okay with it, but he couldn’t find one.

You were lighting the candles, and Lucifer was left to make conversation with Diavolo and his brothers. The candles were arranged to be a rainbow that said ‘Happy Birthday’ on it all because Diavolo took you to the human world to pick up some things and gave you puppy dog eyes until you gave in.

It was really cute though; the candles. Usually the candles would be the age or there would be a set amount on the cake but you didn’t know how old Lucifer was, and assuming he was older than the average human would be a fire hazard.

Everyone was silent as you carried out the cake that you, Barbatos, and Luke all collectively worked on. You started to sing happy birthday and all the guests started to sing along. Lucifer seemed so shocked at the seeming effort put into a day that he didn’t really care about.

But seeing you being illuminated by the flames as you walked over slowly as to not trip, it was enchanting to Lucifer. A soft smile graced his lips as you set the cake in front of him and everyone anticipated for him to blow out the candles.

As he did everyone cheered. Lucifer was a bit irked by the loud noise, but he knew it was all in good faith. They were all happy for him, especially you. He thinks your smile was the best gift for his birthday, and he didn’t expect anything else. However Asmo was really eager to give Lucifer all of the gifts everyone had brought him, and Mammon was ready to see what he could steal.

However you kept Mammon on a tight hypothetical “leash” so he didn’t take anything. Lucifer seemed to enjoy the gifts he was receiving because he would hum after opening each one. However none were what he really wanted.

If there was this party then he might as well want something for his special day. As the festivities went on, Lucifer always had you with him by his side. He would refuse unless you were there with him. There were plenty of party games and such, but most only lasted for a few moments before an argument broke out.

It became a pattern and it was irritating Lucifer. His interest in this party was becoming lower and lower. He had decided to leave the main area and into his room. It took you a bit to realize that Lucifer left your side.

You looked around the main area, as you went unnoticed by the group since they were focused on Asmo and Mammon fighting. Then you walked out into the hallway calling for Lucifer. When you didn’t receive any form of response you walked to the one place he might be.

You walked to the door that opened to Lucifer’s room; he was slouched over his desk working on some paperwork. You walked up to him and hugged his back. You felt him freeze but melt in your embrace. 

“What do you need Y/n?”

He didn’t look up to meet your gaze, still keeping his focus on what he was working on. 

“I wanna know why you left your own party.”

Lucifer sighed. Did you really not understand? Or did you just want him to admit his feelings to you? 

“I think you know why.”

You tried to pretend to think deeply, but you really did know why. But you didn’t say anything, causing Lucifer’s eyes to furrow into a frown. You grabbed his hand and he looked at you confused. He thought you were going to take him back to the party. 

“Where are we going Y/n?”

You looked at him with a soft smile, and brought your other hand to your lips making a ‘shh’ face.

“It’s a secret Lucifer. The walls have ears.”

Lucifer chuckled at the joke, it was true though. He didn’t want his brothers to come and ruin this moment. He craved a moment alone with you. If it were up to him that would be how the party started out. Just you and him spending time together.

You took Lucifer to a small clearing and it was quite late. The stars were shining so bright, it illuminated your features in an enchanting way. He was taken aback by the scenery that complimented you. He felt his heart flutter, which was rare.

This was what he wanted. Truly for his birthday, all Lucifer wanted was a moment like this with you. 

Lucifer did something unexpected. He pulled you in and kissed you deeply. Under the stars it was a romantic scene. As if it were out of a movie. He held your face in his hands, gently.

Lucifer relished in this moment with you. You were blushing deeply. You didn't think Lucifer would do this. Once you two pulled away from the kiss you gave Lucifer a confused look.

"What was that for?"

You're tone was more of a soft surprise. Lucifer held you close as he whispered in your ear.

"It's what I truly wanted for my birthday."

You blushed again feeling flustered. You hugged Lucifer back.

"Happy birthday Luci."

He hummed. You were the only one who could use that nickname without any repercussions. You two just hugged each other for a good five minutes.

The two of you sat on the grass as Lucifer held you close. He didn't want to let you go. You ended up falling asleep on his chest. After a bit, Lucifer picked you up and brought you back to The House of Lamentation.

He noticed how everyone was sleeping in their rooms. He also saw how the house was a mess and made a mental note to have everyone help clean up in the morning.

Lucifer gently placed you down on his bed as he covered you with his jacket. You're sleeping from seemed so cute to him. Lucifer blushed as he turned his gaze to the small stack of paper on his desk.

He sighed. He should be doing his paperwork. However he laid down on his bed holding you close to him again.

"Thank you Y/n, for a wonderful birthday this year. I love you."

Lucifer kissed your head and fell asleep with a soft smile gracing his lips. He was really content with the events of today, even if they weren't how he wanted them to be.

......................................................................................................

Do not repost or translate without my explicit permission. Reblogs and comments are welcome!

[shouldyouwakethewriteblr]

For your consideration: Oh god oh fuck oh my god oh fuck

[sweetfire01]

I was going to just show you a piece of the new story, but then I thought "fuck it, I've got all this other stuff in my drafts" so here's the previews of what I have but haven't finish yet (block author maybe? Idk but I swear some of these drafts are much longer on my notes).

His little brother (Michael regress Lucifer)

Michael watched the sleeping figure hidden under the covers that rose and fell with the rhythm of his breathing, slow and regular. He was fast asleep, protected, safe in the high ranking archangel's room. Like the prodigal son who, returning to his father's home, was welcomed with open arms, so Lucifer had returned to the Celestial Realm. Forgiven. Everything was as it should be. At least most of it. Lucifer rolled over in his sleep, chains jingling in the silence. He was obviously still a demon, so these precautions had to be taken. Two around the ankles, to prevent him from running; two shorter on his wrists, to limit the use of his hands; and the last one around his throat, tying him to the headboard of the bed. This one gave Michael a lot of pain just to look at, his little brother held back like a dangerous beast. He hoped the process of making him an angel again wouldn't take too long.

Lucifer spanking Mammon

"Ow, Lucifer, don't walk so fast, you're breaking my wrist," Mammon was moaning as he was being dragged by his older brother. "Silence. I don't want to hear another word from you." Lucifer hadn't even turned to look at him, continuing to head towards his bedroom. "What? I thought you missed my voice in these da-" "I. Said. Silence!" The words echoed down the hallway of the house. They both had stopped and now the older one was looking him straight in the eye, menacing. "You will only speak when I say so. Understand?" "…yes, I-" "SILENCE! I didn't tell you you could answer. Just nod. Do you understand?" Mammon gulped and nodded quickly. He was really scared of him. This was not the sadistic Lucifer who enjoyed punishing others. This was…the really pissed off Lucifer. Much more frightening and dangerous.

Ch 2 of Daddy!Diavolo

"It's time to get up, sugar. Open your eyes for Daddy" A voice woke you up form your dreams. Was your dad there? "Ugh…Da…da…" Your mouth feels weird, you couldn't articulate the words well. You snapped your eyes open as you woke wide, just to find Diavolo kneeling in front of the bed. You remembered everything that had happened. The adoring look on his face has you flustered again. "Aww, look at you! Too small to talk huh? Alright, dada loves hearing you babble!" You suddenly realized you had something in your mouth and spat it out - it was a pacifier! The action must have looked extremely adorable to the prince, cooing as he pulled you out of the blankets and crib. You kicked your feet weakly, protesting. "Nooo…God…God…" Dammit! Why did you feel this way? You couldn't speak: your tongue, like the rest of your body, felt strangely heavy. "Oohh, would you rather call me Didi? Then, Didi loves hearing you babble!" He hummed, setting you down on the carpet and taking some stuffies from a basket. "Now that you're all rested, are you ready for some playtime?" You wanted to run away.

A scene for Honora Patrem tuam (I think it will be in 2 chapters)

Simeon's voice echoed through the room, the slow dirge that was burrowing into your ears. Especially when this was the seventh time you listened to it. "…et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen" he looked at you with that condescending look, the one reserved for stupid children who knew nothing, the one you weren't. "Dad told you again. Now, it's your turn. Do you think you can do it alone this time?" A groan escaped your lips. You had been kneeling in this position for almost an hour, your legs were starting to really ache and your head, all confused by the Latin, seemed to explode. The angel gently lifted your chin, forcing you to look at him. "I know you're tired, little lamb, and these lessons are too hard for you. But I need you to give it another try, okay?" Another try. You couldn't do it. But you couldn't even really say no to him. He would have taken it as confirmation that you were too young, just a child. And that wasn't what you wanted to hear.

Ch 2 of Touch

"Oh look, RAD Spirit Week is starting in a month. What theme could we use this year? Hm?" he's running his free hand through your hair. "For one day I was thinking something about movies. Could this be fun?". All he gets in response is a simple shrug. "Ooh, don't you like it? So how about Animals? Too trivial maybe?" Still no reaction "Ah, what do you think about a Fairy Tale theme, we could read together some from the human world…" silence "Ahaha, it could be cute, imagine the demon brothers dressed up as princess, I'll definitely have to take some pictures". The brothers. Don't think about them, don't think about them, focus on his hand in your hair "Obviously I won't be able to take you, but you can still help me choosing between the various options. And I'll make sure to take tons of pictures, ok honey?" the kiss on the cheek, the kiss on the cheek, think about that "Hey, is it true that costume parties are very popular in the human world? Have you ever attended any? Maybe you come up with some amazing suggestions" the human world. That's where you can't take it anymore.

[lordgodjehovahsway]

1 Chronicles 4: History Record Of The Clans Of Judah

1 The descendants of Judah:

Perez, Hezron, Karmi, Hur and Shobal.

2 Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites.

3 These were the sons of Etam:

Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi. 

4 Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah.

These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and father of Bethlehem.

5 Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

6 Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah.

7 The sons of Helah:

Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, 

8 and Koz, who was the father of Anub and Hazzobebah and of the clans of Aharhel son of Harum.

9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 

10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

11 Kelub, Shuhah’s brother, was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 

12 Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash. These were the men of Rekah.

13 The sons of Kenaz:

Othniel and Seraiah.

The sons of Othniel:

Hathath and Meonothai.

14 Meonothai was the father of Ophrah.

Seraiah was the father of Joab,

the father of Ge Harashim. It was called this because its people were skilled workers.

15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh:

Iru, Elah and Naam.

The son of Elah:

Kenaz.

16 The sons of Jehallelel:

Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel.

17 The sons of Ezrah:

Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. One of Mered’s wives gave birth to Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. 

18 (His wife from the tribe of Judah gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soko, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the children of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah, whom Mered had married.

19 The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham:

the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maakathite.

20 The sons of Shimon:

Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan and Tilon.

The descendants of Ishi:

Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

21 The sons of Shelah son of Judah:

Er the father of Lekah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth Ashbea, 

22 Jokim, the men of Kozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These records are from ancient times.) 

23 They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah; they stayed there and worked for the king.

Simeon

24 The descendants of Simeon:

Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah and Shaul;

25 Shallum was Shaul’s son, Mibsam his son and Mishma his son.

26 The descendants of Mishma:

Hammuel his son, Zakkur his son and Shimei his son.

27 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; so their entire clan did not become as numerous as the people of Judah. 

28 They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, 

29 Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, 30 Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, 

31 Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri and Shaaraim. These were their towns until the reign of David. 

32 Their surrounding villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token and Ashan—five towns— 

33 and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath. These were their settlements. And they kept a genealogical record.

34 Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, 35 Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel, 

36 also Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, 

37 and Ziza son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah.

38 The men listed above by name were leaders of their clans. Their families increased greatly, 

39 and they went to the outskirts of Gedor to the east of the valley in search of pasture for their flocks.

 40 They found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful and quiet. Some Hamites had lived there formerly.

41 The men whose names were listed came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the Hamites in their dwellings and also the Meunites who were there and completely destroyed them, as is evident to this day. Then they settled in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks. 

42 And five hundred of these Simeonites, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, invaded the hill country of Seir. 

43 They killed the remaining Amalekites who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day.

[promptuarium]

LEAH was the wife of Jacob, whose sons were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulon, and the girl Dinah. Zilpah, Leah’s slave-girl, bore Gad and Asher. Genesis 29 and 30.

RACHEL was also the wife of Jacob. Her sons were Joseph and Benjamin, who she died giving birth to. Genesis ch. 29, 30, and 35. Bilhah, Rachel’s slave-girl, bore Dan and Naphtali.

[anotherhumaninthisworld]

Apologies if this is way too detailed as I’m aware there’s no consensus on the exact death count for the Terror, but I was wondering if you knew any more details around Greer’s claim that 75% of those executed had actually taken up arms against the republic ? This was very interesting , as it suggests the paranoid rhetoric and bizarre arrests for trivial reasons you get in Paris was very much a local phenomenon and didn’t add up to create that substantial a part of the numbers elsewhere (which is obviously the narrative.) How does Greers actually get the info on them having taken up arms (especially given the kangaroo court nature of the tribunal at times), and if accurate , are these mostly people from the Vendee or the Federalist cities, or where are they from ?

On page 81-82 of his The Incidence of the Terror during the French Revolution Greer writes the following:

Two pages later he writes that the majority of the sedition indictments — logically enough — were passed in areas where uprisings had occured:

As for how exactly Greer obtains the information he gives us, I was struck by the fact that he almost exclusively cites other books as his sources (I could actually not find a single reference to any form of archive). The works cited in the footnotes for the chapter where the above citations originate from are mainly Tableau général des victimes et martyrs de la Révolution en Lyonnais, Forez et Beaujolais by Antonin Portallier, Les 332 victimes de la commission populaire d’Oranfe en 1794 by Simeon Bonnel, Histoire du Tribunal révolutionnaire de Paris and Les répresentants du peuple en mission et la justice révolutionnaire dans les départements by Henri Wallon, La justice révolutionnaire à Paris et dans les départements, août 1792-prairial an III by Ch. Berriat-Saint-Prix, La Terreur dans le Pas-de-Calais et dans le Nord by Auguste Paris and Étude historique sur la commission militaire et révolutionnaire établie à Granville en l’an II de la République by M. E Sarot. I think we would have to turn to these books for an idea of how exactly the numbers were collected, seeing as Greer’s job is much more about summarizing and adding together what other historians have already come up with than is is about doing a total count based on material he’s collected all by himself (which was actually what I thought it was prior to this ask).

[alexxncl]

‼️NIGHTBRINGER HDD CH. 2 SPOILERS‼️

masterlist | events | ch. 1 | ch. 3

leave it to me to make everything angsty

i'm a mammon shooter til i die

all he wants is to be rich (obv) and appreciated by his brothers :(

it seems as though he feels like they see him as a joke or as someone they can't look up to. like yes he's immature at times and a bit of an airhead but he means well. most of the time. but even still, he's a good big brother. i wish the devs touched on that side of him more, and i wish his brothers expressed their appreciation towards him in a way that isn't immediately followed by either a backhanded compliment or an outright insult

like yes, it's clear they love him and he loves them. but it's gotta be exhausting on both ends, especially if you're on the receiving end and constantly being (sometimes affectionately) shit on as someone who's already doubtful of their significance to their family and friends' lives

i'm lowkey surprised it was just levi and not lucifer there too...maybe it's bc he knows he's lucifer's favorite deep down and doesn't need it to be reiterated in his ideal world

attic club sandwich...get it? cuz you're sandwiched between...but also...

...i'm sorry. moving on

NEVERMIND NO MOVING ON WHY ARE THEY BOOTY BUTTERBALL ASS NAKED ????? i get that beel loves having his titties out but i did nawt need to be jumpscared like that

satan vehemently denying asmo being his favorite brother and then asmo appearing first in his dream world is PEAK sibling shit

i love them

also asmo's little bow having a mix of pink and green in his ideal world ??? reminiscent of asmo painting his nails pink and green for satan irl ???? SOBS the brothers ever

and lucifer also being there :((((

oh baby 😭 him and mams really just want acceptance and the ability to indulge in what makes them happy

"i couldn't be more proud" :((((( he's already proud of you

i wanna kiss him on the forehead and tell him he's doing a great job

PLEASEEEEEE not luci just wants to fuck on peace 😭 are we sure asmo's the avatar of lust bc lucifer is always on demon time (no pun intended)

like he's arguably the horniest out of all of them.

"business as usual" is a CRAZY thing to say when witnessing a dream of propositioning and borderline foreplay in front of your man's brother /hj

fym "hush-hush" ?? horny yandere type shit. doesn't he have any other friends ??? /j

ig sorcerers can be on demon time too. we love to see it

i hate an ass kissing tsundere...BE UPFRONT

it makes me sad that the only interactions we have with them are side stories or hard lessons or devilgram, like just make them a part of the main cast atp. the devs have to know that everyone wants it

my beloved girlfriend giving me advice for a long journey

MAKE HER DATEABLE OR SO HELP ME

oh :(

simeon makes me so sad. so unbelievably sad. i just want him to be happy

ik he regrets not falling with the brothers, and he beats himself up about it constantly. it's why he helped them during the war. i already went on a tangent about his struggle to pick a side before the war here but GOD it still hurts reading this

barbatos' ideal world revolving around diavolo is unsurprising, but also very telling of his character. he's so focused on everything and everyone around him, making sure space-time stays stable, that he doesn't have time to think about anything but that. not even when it pertains to himself and his happiness

barbatos' happiness revolves around fulfilling his duties as butler/subordinate, but also making sure he stays sane long enough to ensure that the instability and semi unpredictability of time itself doesn't prevent diavolo's wishes from coming true