#fighting my demons while drawing this fr

[loucygoosey]

Here’s a spidersona she shoots web like throwing snowballs

[thygoddessouijathicc]

Ok another Ugly post lesdoit

Ugly has some really good character designs and I want to fanwhateveriam over them. Specifically I want to talk about Scorpion in all his designs and briefly about Butterfly. Spoilers.

First is Scorpion (Player Version). It’s very good it’s very simple and looks like the drawings of child Butterfly. It’s missing Scorpion’s usual cape coat thing though the red is still definitely there in the nose which serves to draw your eye to his face. The outfit feels definitely noble but it’s simple and mostly all one colour aside from the shoulders, which bring his third main colour of yellow into the design, which causes it to feel almost humble.

It also doesn’t have ears which is unusual because almost every design in the game has ears it’s the outlier and I noticed that so you have to as well.

His blue eyes are also very noticeable which is a fun detail because of things I’ll talk about later but for now onto the next Scorpion design…s

First is his main pre story design. As I mentioned earlier he keeps all of the same colours as the Player design but this design feels far… louder. The red that was once relegated to the nose is now on a very large chunky coat with big cuffs and according to the memories also pointed shoulders. The colour is very alarming and while subdued in the player design it’s fully on display here and has a big “hey look at me” effect. Without the red nose the face would be less noticeable compared to this fucking visibility vest ass coat but the bright yellow of Scorpion’s hair draws your eye to his face and sorta frames it. The shape of his hair also at times implies curled back horns like a demon. The hair does a good job of making a frame through which his face is more visible especially the little things on the sides which close the frame.

His blue eyes are also as or more visible than in the last design as now they contrast heavily with the red of the coat and the yellow of his hair. He also seems to be wearing some makeup which doesn’t look or feel out of place. It’s definitely less of a good player design because it’s so attention grabbing but that’s the point and is why the player design is different. The player Scorpion is supposed to look humble but this is the character in his natural attention seeking state. It wouldn’t be great to do some of the puzzles with but it’s great for the places it is used. Especially because where we see this specific rendition is in a scene where the character himself is being portrayed as attention seeking.

Oh god they bleached my boi what have they done- all jokes aside this rendition of the design is also great. Scorpion looks more disheveled here with messy hair, scars, and heavy bags under his eyes. He’s still recognizable despite the changes and what was good with the last design is also good here. His black bags under his eyes are very noticeable as is the messiness of his hair. He’s definitely still someone who wants your undivided attention but less so now as he overall feels like he tried to fight a lawnmower and lost. Big rip Scorp eh?

This mor flawed design also feels more bright eyed in a sense as if more protagonistic he’s definitely still not as good for that as the actual player design he’s still a little much with the giant coat and neon yellow hair. But while the old design feels like he’s sort of above you in a sense where he thinks he’s better than you and there’s nothing you can do to knock him down… this version of Scorpion feels like he’s been knocked down from his high horse and kicked around a bunch. Which is very fitting for the end of the game because the character has pretty much had his whole perception flipped.

I’d also say this is a more visually interesting and appealing design than his more cocky and put together one because it has a lot more going on and more complex feelings attached which makes sense because he’s mentally been shoved in a blender multiple times throughout his journey. Deserved tho fr fr.

Aight the final full scorpion design that’s not just a green recolour. He’s tall angular and has a defined jaw and big hair in a style that’s not quite accurate but easier to draw for a child.

He’s very sharp very bright and still has all the hallmark features that make him iconic like the framed face and bright red coat this design is also great for a misdirect because he’s drawn so angular and has the red coat making you miss the obvious similarities with your own character. There is also the lack of eye colour to help the illusion that you are playing butterfly.

Finally let’s talk about the man the myth the legend Butterfly my beloved. His colour scheme is highly unified with a softer orange red base with a blue tie to stand out and a red face to draw your eye. His eyes are yellow (a trait shared by his mother but not his father) which furthers the difference between him and the player design.

He stands out like his father does with his bright pops of colour like the tie and face but it’s much more soft and muted. He’s not trying to make you look at him he just knows how to dress. Scorpion wants all of your attention Butterfly doesn’t mind either way but gets your attention through looking really good.

His colours are soft and calming while his fathers are loud and alarming and his expression is relaxed. He just looks like a regular guy with a nasty scar on his face and overall he gives the energy of kindness we know is core to the character. He’s a kind man and even without his father’s showman ship he knows how to look his best. He’s really cool I really like him I just wish we knew more because of how likable this design is.

[unpopularwriter25]

Can i please do the demon slayer matchups?

Basic information: names yumiko, im 21, any pronouns, and im asian:)

What i look like: im 5'8, jet black hair and brown eyes, hairstyle is an over grown wolfcut (thatsbshoulder length) with bangs, tanned skin fr! Though i have no assets at all😞(not curvy huhu). My fashion style's arebacubi, y2k, streetwear, and skme coquette elements too here and there...

Personality: im a chill person, sarcastic most of the time, but becomes a bit of a loud person when comfortable. My humour is just basically evrything awkward, chronically online, brainrot and shit HELP. Annoying at times but most of the time im very chill, INTP, and love langguages are gift giving, and physical touch

Hobbies: drawing, i love art since i was a child, writing, been a journalist for a little while, reading, i love literature, and dancing, i love hiphop, afro, and a lotmore<33

Thank you!!

Thank you for the request!! I hope you enjoy!!.

I ship you with Inosuke Hashibira!!!

Inosuke, despite his intense demeanor, has a surprisingly chill side when he's not fighting. Your laid-back attitude would complement his moments of calm, creating a balanced dynamic.

Your sarcasm would likely amuse Inosuke. His straightforward nature and lack of social filters mean he would appreciate your humor and honesty, even if he doesn’t always get it.

Inosuke is loud and exuberant, especially around those he trusts. Your ability to become more outgoing and loud when comfortable would mesh well with his energy, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.

Both of you would thrive in an environment where you can express yourselves freely, without fear of judgment.

Inosuke's often awkward and unintentional humor would resonate with your love for awkward, brainrot humor. He would likely find your jokes and online references intriguing, even if he doesn't fully understand them.

Your annoying yet chill demeanor would match Inosuke’s occasional cluelessness, leading to humorous and endearing interactions.

Inosuke, though not an artist himself, would be fascinated by your drawing skills. His curiosity and admiration for your talent could inspire you to create more, possibly incorporating elements from his wild, natural world into your art.

Inosuke's adventurous life and unique experiences would provide endless inspiration for your writing. His stories could fuel your creativity, leading to compelling and imaginative works.

Inosuke's physical agility and strength make him a natural fit for dancing, especially dynamic styles like hip-hop and afro. You could introduce him to these dance forms, leading to exciting and energetic dance sessions.

Dancing together would deepen your bond, combining your love for movement with his natural physicality.

Your chill nature would provide a calming influence on Inosuke, helping him relax and find peace when needed.

Both of you would thrive on spontaneous adventures, whether it’s exploring new places, dancing in unexpected spots, or simply enjoying the thrill of the moment.

Your mutual love for excitement and new experiences would create a dynamic and fulfilling relationship, full of shared memories and growth.

[goldensunset]

Please talk about Okami more, I need to convince myself to get back to/restart my playthrough

-you’re a dog. and a goddess. you have both goddess powers and dog powers as game mechanics. what more could you want.

-like. you can gracefully manipulate time, wind, ice, bombs, flowers, fire, lighting, water, etc. with only a few strokes of your brush. you can also bite people, dig holes in some poor lady’s turnip field and pee on demons to steal their teeth. peak gaming.

-galestorm best brush technique don’t @ me

-no fr the game mechanics are so unique and fun i love painting. esp since i have the switch version so i can do motion controls, joystick controls, or touch controls depending on the situation. it’s really nice.

-ammy runs really fast. and once you unlock double jump? walking on water? legit just sprinting around the map and flying through the air is so fun

-designated bark button

-some very epic ladies

-the funny body movements every time someone speaks. i guess it’s to make up for the fact that they barely have faces. love them

-the way the plot starts so incredibly simple and gradually unfolds into something huge and beautiful as you go along. this thing runs much deeper than you’d have ever imagined and i love it.

-waka is a wonderful and weird little man. and watching issun get so irrationally frustrated at him and make accusations with little to no evidence is so funny. annoying dude meets even more annoying but for a different reason dude and the annoyingness cancels out to become entertainment. like joshua and neku fighting all of week 2 in twewy.

-canine warriors. just some very good boys. their theme music can make me cry i love them :’-)

-that entire section where you shrink down really tiny to become issun’s size and you actually see what he looks like for the first time? ohh i love

-i love going inside the water dragon’s belly. everything that happens immediately after it is aaaAAAAAAH

-for an entire dungeon you get to wear a mask that you designed. i love drawing dumb stuff on it. taking my sweet time to perfect the design while kushi is in distress. then the design appears again on the walls of sei-an city later in the game. sei-an my beloved there are so many fun sidequests there

-the art style of this game is so fantastic it’s like you’re in a moving painting. it’s almost 16 years old but it’s aged so well bc it’s not trying to be super defined or photo realistic at all. the 2D hand painted style stays beautiful.

-needless to say the soundtrack is amazing. reset? ryoshima coast? kusa village? kamiki’s sorrowful tradition? rising sun? theme of the celestials? enter waka? literally all of the sei-an music? there’s just so much to say about everything???

tldr: okami my beloved

[suncaptor]

no bc imagine the fucking ptsd n trauma the vessels must have. wtf. idk if the show ever touched on that. but as someone who's like, got ptsd holy shit it's hell. n they just discard them like nothing. so fucked up imo

(i haven't rewatched in ages im going off on my terrible memory & ur posts soz if i get smth wrong but fr the vessels shit's always fucked w me :| )

no this is totally in line with the show. how they treat vessels is so messed up. idk if/when you stopped watching but halfway through the show it just gets worse and worse and worse. they really will just kill vessels left and right without finding alternatives too. this is generally the line I draw where they're literally just serial killers, granted they start killing everything way more easily around the same time.

also I might talk about triggering concepts like loss of autonomy, abuse, noncon, and graphic violence below so tw especially if any of those touch on yours and all

as for how much they deal with the trauma of it... sometimes when the main characters do they might talk of it... I mean Dean had Gadreel possess Sam and tricked and gaslighted Sam into being possessed and it definitely damaged Sam, but even then it did NOT actually like deal with Sam's trauma

likewise for other times he was possessed, one of which he was forced to tie Jo up and threaten her as well as murder hunters to get his brother to kill him, and then Lucifer's was super personal and he had revealed and then forced to kill many people he knew growing up who were actually demons from school teachers to his prom date. also no doubt he'd use it to victim blame Sam for stuff he did in the cage, given the end of repo man, but that could be directly coming from Sam reacting in the cage too. in any case, angel possession consent obviously is not real considering it's often under duress, manipulation, and unretracktable.

and I think they talk about it with Michael Dean perhaps. oh also while Sam is possessed by Gadreel they ALSO stick needles in his brain, burn off his tattoo from his skin, and let Crowley possess him! so you know. the heros of the show are doing that to the other main character. think that says a lot. and no of course they don't actually care about Sam's trauma on most of it (granted imo it obviously makes Dean & Cas horribly in the wrong given the graphicness of it) it gets actual space in the show compared to people's bodies just being used by angels and demons while they're stuck and never even knowing anything about them.

in general vessels aren't given ANY second thought though. April Kelly and Rooney feel significant to the plot, and April's killed and Rooney just?? disappears and then Trump's president? he's Jack's biological father and Kelly Kline loves him (granted I get why she'd ALSO have trauma since he is as forced to sleep with her as Lucifer and she only consented thinking it would as him and also she is just fighting for her baby's life then dies. so this isn't calling her out at all but the narrative weight given on that arc). But they don't mention him even though there's tons of arcs around Jack & Lucifer.

They also literally have reverse exorcised to kill a demon, just killing a person who'd be saved otherwise. it is so rare that they even care. I mean, I think in some degree Sam wants to (like how he mentions how upsetting it is Vince Vincente is dead when Lucifer burns through his vessel, but that gets more personal to him as Lucifer probably only possessed Vince because of him AND wouldn't need new vessels if Sam said yes) but since Sam was also in the wrong in s4 when trying to save vessels I think he is just as desensitized (and is the one doing the reverse exorcism mentioned above). Dean also tries to kill Kevin's mother to kill Crowley once. it's just stuff like that constantly. we do see her as a bit traumatised by that's again cause she had more of a tie to a main character.

most of the time it's just. who even is this person. a corpse. traumatised for life. trapped in their own body. the narrative doesn't care.

[tomicscomics]

The Harrowing of Hell (Doom + Animal Crossing + Jesus), and just in time for Easter!

Several of my patrons helped me form this idea over at Patreon.com/Tomics!

1. Ben Wurth reminded me to include the BFG since it’s a staple of the Doom games. 2. Fr Nathan Rawlins suggested framing the crossover as the Harrowing of Hell as well as suggesting a sort of juxtaposition between Jesus kicking butt in Hell in Doom fashion and Jesus rising to see his friends in a cute Animal Crossing scene. I didn’t have enough time to execute all his ideas, but I very much appreciate them. 3. Will Herrman suggested basing the image off of Michelangelo’s “Last Judgement”, which would have been amazing, but I didn’t have the time for it. I liked the idea a lot, though, so maybe someday I can try again.

JOKE-OGRAPHY: 1. Two videogames came out last month. The first was "Animal Crossing: New Horizons", where you play as a cute little human living in a cute little house on a cute little island with cute little animal neighbors. The second was "Doom Eternal", the latest entry in a series where you play as a space marine waging a brutal one-man war against the forces of hell. Because the games released on the same day, lots of people across the internet made artwork of the two games’ worlds coming together in a wholesome unofficial crossover. In my picture here, I add Jesus to the mix. That way I get to draw stuff from two of my favorite new games AND I get to make it Easter themed! 2. In the middle image, Jesus is based on Doomguy (the marine you play as in Doom), while the Holy Spirit is based on K. K. Slider (a traveling musician in Animal Crossing). Jesus rips and tears while the Holy Spirit shreds (on His guitar). That works, right? 3. In one hand, Jesus is holding a Holy Water Pistol, which is a bonus weapon in “Doom II RPG”. It seemed fitting for Him. In the other hand, Jesus wields the mighty BFG 144000. It’s ripped off of the BFG 9000, which is a super-powered weapon from the Doom series. In Doom, BFG stands for “Big Fun Gun”… probably… while my version stands for “Beatific Fission Gun”, a play on the term “Beatific Vision”, which is the personal experience of God that you get in heaven. Naturally, demons can’t handle that, so they’re atomized by the weapon’s light. The number 144000 is based on the number of the servants of God in the Book of Revelation. 4. The framing of the middle image is based somewhat on the first Doom cover, a true classic. 5. The demons featured in the picture are all based on different Doom demons… except for the raccoon-lookin’ dude. That’s Tom Nook from Animal Crossing. He’s a guy who builds you a house BEFORE telling you that it’ll put you hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Jesus came to pay the unpayable debt of sin, so I had Tom Nook represent that. Please, hold your applause. 6. The title “Tomb” rhymes with “Doom” and comes from the fact that, while Jesus was laid to rest in His tomb, He descended to the world of the dead. This marks the “Harrowing of Hell”, as we Christians call it, where Jesus breaks into Hell to collect all the righteous folks who died before the gates of heaven were opened. He brings them to paradise, then resurrects back to the mortal world for a bit. The subtitle “Infernal Crossing” is a play on “Animal Crossing” and comes from the fact that Jesus is crossing through Hell to do what He’s gotsta do. 7. All the pink words among the red ones in the left panel (Wild World, New Leaf, City Folk, New Horizons) are titles of Animal Crossing games. 8. “Rip and Tear” is the Doom Marine’s motto as he fights demons. The “until it is done” part is added by a mysterious narrator at the beginning of the new game. I changed “done” to “finished” to give the quote a more Biblical feel. 9. “Raze Hell” is the new Doom’s tagline. I added “Rise Again” to be more Jesus-y. 10. In the right panel, I add “hm?” to the end of a question like the character Tom Nook does in Animal Crossing. Does that make ME the villain, hm? 11. The framing of the right image is based on a phone background I saw on the Animal Crossing Twitter account. 12. Peter is in the background fishing, which is one of the many tasks you perform in Animal Crossing. 13. Mary Magdalene is in the foreground holding a custom shirt (the design is small, but it’s based on one of my own at my Etsy shop (Etsy.com/Shop/TomicsComics)! Customizing clothing is another task available in Animal Crossing. 14. Peter, Mary, and Mary Magdalene are each emoting like characters in Animal Crossing (question mark, yellow starburst of shock, wavy flowery happiness). I… I think that’s everything. Happy day to you all.

[officalkittycat1619]

𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 《Naberius Kalego x Chubby Reader》

Chapter 2

-(Reader)-

After Iruma came back from the Chair Demon's office, he explained to us that the ritual will only last a year and Kalego-sensei was sent home early due to shock. I felt bad for Sensei though, I hope he's doing alright. While walking with Asmodues & Iruma to get our textbook, Asmodeus got so overly dramatic over a couple of students getting in 'Iruma-samas way" he summons his familiar to scare them away. Iruma told him that he didn't had to do that. Literally, Asmodeus is acting like Iruma's personal servant now or something. 

We managed to make it to the room where our textbooks are, but instead a green haired demon girl rolled out of the room and knocked the stacked of boxes down. The green haired demon girl went up to Iruma and started to introduce herself. 

"I'm Clara! And my right foot is Connor, and my left foot is Murf! My familiar is Falfal! See, I was trying to grab some teaching aids, but I got too excited and crashed! Hey, have some candy!" She hands Iruma some candy as she just said. 

"You see, I came to get my textbooks! But, I got carried away and crashed into it! Don't you want to crash into stuff when it's piled up like that?! You do, don't you! I'll do it again, so watch me, watch me~!" She continues excitedly as she walks over to the pile of boxes and stacks them up while singing.

"Valax Clara, she's quite known for being a weirdo." Asmodeus whispers to us. "She destroys stuff and is rather troublesome, so everyone tend to stay away from her."

"Troublesome..."

"Well, just because she's troublesome doesn't mean it hurts to be near her." I commented. One of the staff took notice that we were here so he said,"Iruma-kun! (Reader)-san and Asmodeus-kun, right?"

"Iruma, (Reader), and Asmodeus!" Clara said. "I'll leave the rest to you!" The staff said as he causes the four of us to levitate and get tied up right before being send off.

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Once we were outside, we manged to untie ourselves. Clara started to play on the until she said,"Iruma-chi! (Reader)-chan! Azz-Azz, what do you wanna play?"

"Iruma-chi?!"

"(Reader)-chan?"

"Azz-Azz?"

"I have loads." She says. A lot of equipment just appeared out of no where. Asmodeus suggested that we run for it, but I for one didn't want to. In the end, we played house and some other games with Clara for two hours straight. We were already tired as it is, but personally it was pretty fun.

 "No energy~?" Clara said to Iruma. She double tapped one of her pockets and a bottle of juice. Clara hands it to Iruma right before she double taps her other pocket once more to reveal some snacks coming out too.

Clara explains how this is her family's ability. She basically can make anything appear from her pockets. A group of guys called Clara over for some snacks which she happily did so. Clara explained that she always does this if those who she gives gifts to can play with her.  One time, the same guys asked her for some Popsicle's in return to play hide and seek. 

They told her to count fifty thousand and it took her the whole day to finish and such. I gave a concerned look. I was gonna respond back with the truth, instead she responded,"But, you guys are the first ones to properly play with me like this! That's why...." Clara twiddles her fingers. "Erm....Can I play with you again?"

"Yeah!" Iruma & I responded in unison. 

"Let's not, Iruma-sama...." Asmodeus suggested. "Don't ruined this moment Asmodeus-kun!" I muttered. 

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The next day, we played with Clara the whole. I guess she isn't a trouble maker as Asmodeus said. She's more like a chaotic child who want's someone to play with. While walking around the halls, I overheard those same guys from yesterday talking bad about Clara. As well as saying Iruma, Asmodeus, and I are still hanging out with an idiotic girl like her. That's where I draw damn line. "Hey!" 

They turned to me. One of them asked with disgust,"What you want?" "What I want is for you to leave Clara alone and to stop using her for your own selfish needs!"

They all laugh at my response. This wasn't gonna end well.

-Third person-

Clara managed to get back at the guys who would always use her. Just as the guys left, (Reader), while being a tad bruised up, saw them pass by running. She saw was just occured and smiled. "Now that's what I call pay back." (Reader) walked over to Iruma & Clara and took notice of her bruises. (Reader) explained to them that she confronted them for being mean to Clara and ended up getting into a fight. Later on, Asmodeus returns back from where he was filled with smudges on his uniform and hair.

"As ordered, I've returned after having everyone who had picked on Valac and the guys who hurt Armendaz-san promise that they 'won't mess with her again.'" He responds.

"T-thank you, Azz-kun! Erm... You went to have a talk with them, right."Iruma said. "I think Asmodeus did more than just "talking" to those demons." You muttered. "Yes! Amicably!"

By the end of the day, we continue to play with Clara and we all had fun. Although, my right arm still hurts pretty badly. I'm gonna have to put some bandages on it and make sure no one else see's it.

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I met up with Asmodeus and Clara to walk with Iruma to school since apparently we're doing this now. While waiting, Iruma walks out and we all greeted him. "Iruma-chi, morning!"

"-Iruma-sama, good morning."

"Morning Iru-kun!"

"You're so full in the morning..." Iruma said.

We all walked to the school instead of flying today. It feels pretty good for a change. We went over to the lunch area that day to eat something. Once I got my food I saw that Iruma's table was filled with food and in a instant he finished almost everything. He had such a big appetite he even tired the chef out after ordering more food. That's when we saw Clara getting trouble at the lunch areas stall. Turns out that she's already been banned due to her ability which is considered stealing.

The rest of the students started a ruckus after witnesses what going on until some said,"Silence!"

I recognize that voice anywhere. "Good grief, even though this is my first day of work after a long rest. Which idiot is causing an uproar in the middle of the day-" With one glimpse at Iruma, Kalego-sensei stood their quiet and stepped away from him. "Are you feeling better?" Iruma asked. 

"You're the only one I don't want worrying about me!" Sensei snapped. "So is that a yes or no Sensei? Because I was also worried about you too." I said. He looked at me before looking back at Iruma. I guess I'll take as a maybe. "Listen Iruma, I won't fall so low as to become your familiar. Don't get conceited thinking that you got me on a leash!"

"I-I'll keep it in mind."

He does make a fair point though. "Rather, what are you guys fussing about?" He gives one look at Clara and realized our group increased. Clara instantly jumped onto Kalego-Sensei and started to introduce herself while explaining what happen. "Uh Clara-chan I think it's best to give Kalego-sensei some personal space." I suggested. 

Just as I pulled her away from Sensei, she squirmed a bit and her hand made contact where my arm was bruised. I let out a small flinch which Sensei took notice, but quickly brushed it off. When Kalego-sensei was about to leave, Clara pulled away from me and stopped him. "Is it true that Eggie sensei is Iruma-chi's familiar?"

She persistently continue to ask Sensei to show her. "Iruma-chi, get that seal for me!" Clara tells Iruma. She told him to put the seal on his hand and clap his hands. "Iruma I don't think that's such a good-" It was already too late. Iruma clapped his hands and Sensei turned into his familiar form. "-Idea..." I face palmed.  Things went from bad to worse. The store clerk got so made about not paying the seal we ran off leaving Kalego-sensei. 

I'm gonna have to apologize to him the next time I see him. Catching our breath outside, we all began to talk about how much fun we had with Iruma. 

"T-the three of you, are my...fr-"He stood there quiet for a second. "F-friends, right?!" He spoke. Asmodeus, Clara, and I looked at Iruma with confusion. "Um, Iruma-sama, what is this 'friends' you speak of...?" Asmodeus asks.

"Is it suppose to be some kind of insult or something?" I add in. Iruma explains that friends are important people who play and eat together with you. I found that pretty fascinating actually. I guess we are his "friends" as he says we are.

[yukiobeyme]

Hewwo can I ask for prompt 53. (Of the 200 prompt thing) “I’ve been calling you. I left voicemails - where were you?” with Asmo and a male mc?? 💖💖💖

A/N: I had to go find his goodbye in 19 and I did some of 20 again, I just want you to know I relived that hurt. I also just realized the bet that the drinking game was based around was unfair lol. That if you lost you told Asmo you loved him more than anyone in the world and if he won, he could kiss you over and over again to his heart's content. Which basically means if you lost you get kissed and tell him you love him. I’m a CERTIFIED Dumbass at this point guys.

 So I don’t think I really nailed the Male MC part, there are references to masculine figure but I don’t think it was made fully known, which I do apologize for. But none the less I hope you enjoy it! Slight NSFW

You arrived back home after a full year at Devildom, your place seemed too small and quiet now. The corners seem to now seep out loneliness and there was no bedroom for you to go to that would have company. You spent your first day back doing laundry and putting some of your things away, but as soon as you reach you DDD, your body seemed to freeze and just stare at it.

It seemed like your whole year at the House of Lamentation came back to you, going quickly at first but your goodbyes seemed to replay perfectly in time. Asmodeus’ goodbye was the hardest, a drinking contest that ended with him crying in your arms. The game was if you lost you had to tell him you loved him more than anyone in the world, but it didn’t end the way Asmodeus wanted it to.

Finally, you placed your DDD face down on your dresser before finding your way onto your bed. You laid with your face down in the pillow for a while. It wasn’t until the sleepover in the attic on your last night, when you made a revelation. You had always felt drawn to Asmodeus, something you chalked up to him being the Avatar of Lust, but over time it was because you love his laugh, his smile, his stories, and just spending time with him. Time with him involved a mix of all your favorite things as well as either a shopping trip or cuddle session and if you were lucky, both. But something happened during that attic sleepover, Asmodeus hand brushed against you back and gave you a smile, something he had done many times before. Though for some reason, your heart stuttered, and you felt your stomach fill with butterflies. It was then in the attic on the last night in Devildom surrounded by his brothers, you realized you were in love with Asmodeus.

Soon your DDD vibrated and danced on your dresser and you simple rolled and glared at it. You let it ring, you were unwilling to move let along get up. Your room was filled with silence until the DDD chirped notifying you a voicemail was left. You left yourself mope a bit longer before dragging yourself out of bed to continue one with your night.

This became your routine for the next six days; you woke up in the morning to your DDD dancing across your desk and at the same time every night it would dance again. You were equal parts annoyed and impressed. Annoyed that your DDD kept going off and someone leaving a voicemail but also impressed the battery was lasting this long and that someone wanted to talk to you so badly. On the seventh day, you decided you needed to get out of your house for a bit. You grabbed a small bag and packed your keys, wallet, sketchbook, and some drawing pencils. You started at the DDD on your dresser and before you could stop yourself, you grabbed it as well as the charger before heading out to a small café near your house.

The café wasn’t like a Starbucks or the coffee shop in Devildom. It was a small business that had a library of books, a fireplace and while there were four tables near the front of the store, there were couches and armchairs scattered around the back. You grabbed your favorite hot drink before curling up on the couch closest to the fireplace. You watched the fire dance for a few moments then grabbed your sketchbook out of your bag. You flipped through the sketchbook; it was your Devildom sketchbook. You originally brought one with you, but you had quickly filled it and Asmodeus got you a new one with the condition you had to draw him. With a sigh, you flipped to a new page and stared at it. Waiting for inspiration to come, but only pictures of Asmodeus dancing in your head. You tried to shove it aside and started drawing the outline of a person. You sketched for a bit but as you finished the eyes and hair, it looked too much like him. You forced closed the sketchbook and put it away. Before looking around on the coffee tables and grabbing the first book that piped your interest.

The book started off well and quite interesting, but the story morphed to include an Avatar of Lust and how he fell in love with different humans over time, his current infatuation being a man. You slammed the book shut, it hit way to close to home and dropped your head down.

“You know Satan would be quite upset if he saw how you treated that book,” you flinched at the sound of the voice. You knew who it was, and you didn’t want it to be true, you figured it had to be your imagination.

“Asmodeus” you whispered as if his name was a prayer, slowly raising your head and made eye contact with the beautiful demon in front of you. You let your eyes linger and then trace over his face, not fully convinced he was real.

“I left voicemails- Where were you?” He asked looking hurt and it was a simple and honest question. Instead of an answer, you grabbed your DDD out of your pocket and that’s when you say you had 13 voicemails, two a day for the last six and a half days. Clicking on the voicemail button you saw all the voicemails were from Asmodeus.

Asmodeus watched as you pulled out your DDD and check it, that’s when he realized you hadn’t even been looking at your messages since you left. When you looked back at him, he wore the hurt clear as day, his eyes seemed to be glossy and ready to cry.

“Come spend the day with me, MC, please?” Asmodeus asked, his voice was clearly hurt but was looking at you hopefully. You nodded and got up, packing up all your things before letting him lead you out of the café. You didn’t expect him to open a portal to Devildom, but shooting him a questioning look, you entered without a second thought. You ended up at the coffee shop in Devildom, you held the door open for Asmodeus.

“Always such a gentleman,” He said as he reached up to stroke your cheek as you entered.

You went up to order more looking at Asmodeus who did seem to move to add to your order. You hesitated but add a black coffee of Melancholy and a wicked cupcake. Asmodeus flashed you a smile that didn’t match his eyes.

“So…,” you started as you both down with your respective orders.

“I left voicemails- Where were you?” Asmodeus asked you again, looking deeply in your eyes, as if he was trying to see your soul.

You couldn’t help the panic that seemed to run through your body, how do tell the Avatar of Lust that you feel more than Lust for him.

“Not here, Asmodeus. Behind closed doors, I’ll tell you whatever you want,” you finally replied, and you meant the last part. He could have whatever he wanted from you behind closed doors.

“I’m holding you to that,” Asmodeus replied looking hard at you before taking a sip of his coffee.

It took a few minutes, but you both were able to launch into more relaxed and playful conversations. Just like how you were before you left, which made your heart stutter when you noticed that. Soon enough, he was escorting you back to the House of Lamentation. You were greeted by the rest of the brothers, who were then all fighting for your attention and to catch up with you after only a week of being gone. In passing, Satan mentioned how pouty and sad Asmodeus had been without you and the pangs of guilt tugged at your heart.

It was dark and Lucifer recommended you stay in Devildom for the night and you could return to the Human Realm tomorrow. You looked at Asmodeus in a silent question, asking if you could spend the night in his room. One by one the brothers started to retire to their rooms for the night, you and Asmodeus walked back to his room and got prepared for bed in silence.

Both of you got into bed and you naturally ended up on Asmodeus’s chest and him holding you close.

“They say third time is the charm,” Asmodeus started looking down at you.

“I left voicemails- Where were you?” His eyes were filled with so many emotions and he gently brushed your bangs out of your face and let his fingers linger on your face.

Your heart stutter, you knew the question was coming before you even retired for the night but knowing you must answer it now, you were at a loss for words.

“Asmodeus, what would you do if you fell in love?” It was the best way you could figure you could start to answer his question. He cocked his head at you and started at you intently.

“And what would you do if you fell in love with a Demon and you were a human?” you felt your heart racing, wondering if Asmodeus could feel your heart.

“And what if the Demon was one of the most powerful Demons in Devildom?” you couldn’t stop yourself at this point, you felt that you were shaking against him, but the questions kept coming.

“And what if this Demon was the Avatar of Lust?” By this point, you were shaking but you looked up at Asmodeus to see his reaction. His eye widened and filled with surprise, but lust seemed to be swirled in as well.

“That doesn’t really answer my question though,” Asmodeus slowly, holding you a little tighter to himself.

“I missed you, I didn’t realize I had feelings for you until the night in the attic,” you snuggled closer to Asmodeus and you could have sworn you felt his heart stutter.

“But that doesn’t make sense,” Asmodeus sounded desperate to understand and desperate to continue to hold you closer to him.

“Humans don’t tend to make sense Asmodeus. I got worried and scared. So, I ran and hid from my emotions instead of facing them head-on,” You picked up your head and looked him in the eyes, your eyes dropped to glance at his lips before looking back in his eyes.

Asmodeus moved slowly but granted you your wish of kissing him. It was slow and tender, you tried to put in all the words you didn’t say. When you broke apart, you both were breathless.

“I have been thinking about that since you kissed me after our drinking competition,” Asmodeus said once he caught his breath. You shifted closer to him, wanting to drink in his warmth and craved for more of his touch. Thankfully, Asmodeus could read these signals clearly and recaptured your lips into another kiss. 

This time there was more desperation and heat in this kiss. You allowed your hands roam his body, pulling at his offending clothing and let your hands wander back up to tug at his hair. Asmodeus seemed quite pleased at how this situation was playing out.  Asmodeus’ hand wandering your body too and he seemed to hum whenever you made a noise. He would soon roll and straddle you, kissing and nipping at your neck before pulling back.

“What do you say we continue?”

“Please,” you arched your back slightly towards him, “Asmodeus, I love you more than anyone in the world,”. Though it didn’t seem possible, Asmodeus dilated more and he crashed your lips back together.

[city-writes]

All’s Fair in Love and War

For years, Son Goku had been a superhero to many, having helped stop many an evil villain. From bandits to mercenaries to an alien like himself claiming to be a Demon King, Goku had stopped them all.

Well, almost all.

A trade piece for IGotTheMovesLikeErenJeager! Check out her art here!

Warnings: Superhero AU, Rating will go up in second chapter Pairings: Vegeta/Son Goku

Read it here on AO3! Commission info!

____________________

For years, Son Goku had been a superhero to many, having helped stop many an evil villain. From bandits to mercenaries to an alien like himself claiming to be a Demon King, Goku had stopped them all.

Well, almost all.

As he passed over West City, he was met with the sounds of screams erupting from down below, as well as alternating flashes of yellow and blue lights. Intent as he was to find the source of the issue, Goku took notice of a familiar friendly face down below, working with the police force.

"Krillin!"

Landing right beside the head of the police force, Goku looked down to his friend. "What's happening?"

"It's Vegeta!" Krillin exclaimed, pointing towards the direction the flashing lights were coming from. "He's terrorizing the city again! I've got my men evacuating citizens and aiding the injured, but none of us can get close to Vegeta!"

Goku frowned and nodded. "Leave that to me." With that, Goku flew up and towards the direction of the flashing lights.

Vegeta... Goku had fought him for years. The two were from the same planet coincidentally, but whereas Goku had been sent to Earth as a child and grew up among its people, Vegeta had arrived several years ago, claiming that he, as prince of their home planet, would rule this world. It was then that Goku learned of the destruction of not just their home planet, but nearly its entire population by a being named Frieza, and that while Vegeta had taken his revenge and killed Frieza, he still expected to rule something.

Unluckily for Goku, he chose Earth.

Vegeta was bent on world domination, intent on bringing the Earth and its people to their knees, and ruling them all. He'd murdered and taken hostages and threatened thousands, but ultimately, he usually used brute force to try and get his way.

Which, Goku noted, was what he was doing right now. Those blue and yellow lights were him rampaging in West City, firing off his two best energy based techniques: Big Bang Attack and Final Flash, respectively. As Goku flew to find him, he took note of the craters and destroyed buildings left in Vegeta's path, of people who hadn't been killed by his rampage crying out for help. Goku quickly did what he could to save as many as possible, trying to ease the job of first responders and Krillin's men. Though as he was saving a young boy and his mother from the inside of a collapsing building, he spotted Vegeta, charging a Big Bang Attack at a group of civilians.

Quickly putting the young boy and his mother down, Goku raced to Vegeta and the civilians, making it just in time as Vegeta fired off his Big Bang Attack, Goku managing to knock the energy blast up in the air to avoid hitting the people behind him, and sending a basic blast of his own to collide with Vegeta's high in the air, causing it to explode there where no one could get hurt.

"Go, get to safety!" Goku cried out to the people he was shielding, them all nodding and running away.

Vegeta scoffed. "Well, I don't mind a moving target..." With that he fired several basic energy blasts at the fleeing civilians, a dark smirk on his face as he did so. But Goku was quick on the draw again, and shielded them all by taking the multiple hits himself.

Goku panted slightly, his clothes slightly tattered and torn from Vegeta's blasts. "You won't be taking anymore lives, Vegeta. Not while I'm here."

Vegeta cursed under his breath upon seeing Goku take each and every one of the basic energy blasts he'd expelled, but at Goku's words, merely chuckled. "Is that so, Kakarott?" Goku's eyes darted around him at the utterance of his birth name, making sure no one heard it. Vegeta was the only one that used it, despite Goku having changed his name when he arrived on Earth. Why, Goku never understood.

"This ends today." Goku took an offensive stance. "I won't let you hurt anyone else."

"Tch," Vegeta mimicked Goku's decision, getting into a fighting stance himself. "You hero-types make me sick." The moment he was done speaking, Vegeta rushed Goku, attempting to land a punch to his face, but was ultimately blocked by Goku's arms crossing in an 'X' shape. With a scowl, Vegeta then ducked low and swept his leg under Goku's, causing the taller man to fall backwards, or so it seemed. Goku caught himself with his hands, it looking like he was going to backflip to either stabilize himself or gain some distance, but instead, as his legs flew up, he reared back a leg and kicked Vegeta with much force under his chin.

Vegeta was knocked back into the side of a building, causing a crater to appear in the side of it. Goku did end up stabilizing himself, but as he took notice of the crater left my the impact of his kick, he mentally chided himself. He was supposed to be helping protect the city, not aiding Vegeta in destroying it! That meant retaliating with his own energy blasts were out of the question. But that was fine, Goku preferred the close up contact of physical combat anyway.

It didn't take Vegeta long at all to emerge from the wall crater, scowling as he cracked his neck, piercing eyes focused on Goku. Goku watched as Vegeta wiped a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth using the side of his fist, looking down at the red smudge on his glove. "That's the only hit you'll be making on me today, Kakarott."

"We'll see about that!" Simultaneously, the two flew into the air and rushed each other, the fight a flurry of thrown punches and skillful dodging, the same song and dance most of their fights devolved into. Not that Goku was complaining, it was quite the opposite. As much as he disliked Vegeta's view of Earth, about how he needed to dominate it, he respected the natural born fighter the villain turned out to be. He was a challenge, a man not to be taken lightly.

Around them, people were still trying to get to safety, a few stopping awestruck at seeing their hero - Son Goku - in action right in front of them.

These people caught Goku's attention for the briefest second, as he wondered what the heck they were doing just standing there, when he suddenly heard, "Eyes on me!" followed by a sharp pain blistering in his chest, knocking the wind out of him momentarily, and sending him flying downwards into the concrete, leaving another crater on impact.

As Vegeta slowly hovered down to the ground, Krillin and his men arrived, some aiding the civilians, others hunkering down behind cars and large bits of rubble defensively, surrounding Goku and Vegeta in a large, wide circle.

"You're surrounded!" Krillin spoke, his gaze meeting Vegeta's. He swallowed harshly under the villain's malicious gaze, but continued speaking. "Give in!" At that, the members of the police force who had surrounded Vegeta and Goku raised their weapons, and pointed them straight at Vegeta.

"Pathetic." Vegeta raised a palm in Krillin's direction, blue energy beginning to gather there. His attention was no longer on Goku, who was pulling himself up. Upon seeing the sight of Vegeta getting ready to kill Krillin, Goku growled and lunged for Vegeta, being careful to restrain himself as they were still on city grounds, where people could get hurt. With a yell of rising power, Goku focused his energy into a single punch, his fist connecting with Vegeta's stomach. The shorter male coughed up spit upon impact, and the energy he'd been gathering disappeared. While he was hindered, Goku wrapped his arms around Vegeta's waist and flew them both upwards, toward the sky, where the two of them could fight without endangering the people and city below them.

The elbow he received to the side of the head forced him to change trajectory.

With a harsh thud!, the duo crash landed onto the rooftop of the tallest building in the city, Goku and Vegeta rolling to a halt against the concrete. Gritting their teeth, they both rose to their feet and charged for each other, hands colliding with one another as the two made contact. They were both panting, struggling to force the other man down. Their hands were locked in a power struggle, Goku looking down at Vegeta as he spoke. "That's enough, Vegeta!" He gripped the shorter man's hands tighter, only to seethe as Vegeta returned the action. "It's over."

"On the contrary, Kakarott," Vegeta said between pants, sweat dripping from his brow, "I'm just getting started." With that, Vegeta reared his head back, and swung it towards Goku, intent on knocking him backwards, but unfortunately for him, Goku saw the move coming, and mimicked Vegeta, the blunt force of their head strikes connecting with each other, a boom! of wind resulting from the impact. Both men grit their teeth as pain blossomed throughout their heads, though neither male pulled their heads away, instead keeping their foreheads together, despite the blooming pain they both felt from their impact. One of them was bleeding from the head, they realized, as blood mixed with sweat trickled down each of their faces.

Still they were panting, and neither one of them was backing down from the struggle. Their faces were so close together, their noses barely touching, one practically breathing the other's air. Goku knew he had to end this fast, if not to bring Vegeta down, than to protect the people of the city below, to give Krillin and his police force time to evacuate the injured, to--

Goku's mind stopped processing things almost instantly.

The feeling of slightly wet but still somewhat chapped lips pressed against his own set his mind into frizz, the majority of his body acting on its on accord still fighting against Vegeta, but Goku's face... he was frozen. His eyes were widened in disbelief, and his jaw went somewhat slack, his lips parting of their own accord, which gave Vegeta all the room he need to slip his tongue into Goku's mouth. Goku's first thought that snapped back into his mind at that was that Vegeta tasted like blood, but also somehow tasted both sweet and bitter, like coffee with some added creamer. (Do villains even do something as casual as make morning coffee? Goku couldn't help but wonder.) Goku shook off the thought, and instead thought to bite down on Vegeta's tongue, to stop this, this... whatever this was he was trying to pull!

But when he went to search Vegeta's eyes for an answer, he saw nothing. Vegeta had closed his eyes. This itself had startled Goku, as Vegeta had never before purposefully taken his eyes off an opponent. This left him exposed, Goku could knee him in the gut and he'd never see it coming. This was it, this was the advantage Goku had needed in this fight!

...So why wasn't he taking that advantage?

His body was slowly giving up the fight against Vegeta, but he realized, Vegeta was slowly giving up the fight too. The pressure forced by their power struggle was easing into nothing, their arms lowering of their own accord, but their hands still remaining conjoined.

Vegeta's tongue mapped out every inch of Goku's mouth, until he turned his attention to Goku's own tongue, prodding it expectantly. When Goku failed to respond in any way, Vegeta pulled away from Goku, the taller male suddenly missing the feeling of Vegeta's lips against his own, the bittersweet taste of bloodied creamed coffee. Vegeta opened his eyes, usually piercing black eyes seeming less volatile than Goku remembered them.

"Are you going to kiss me, or not?"

Before Goku could respond, Vegeta moved his hands, one gloved hand harshly grabbing Goku's jaw and pulling him down some, the other burying itself in Goku's hair at the back of his head. As Vegeta mashed their lips together with more intensity this time, Goku's now free hands instinctively planted themselves at different spots: One hand at Vegeta's midback, the other on a shoulder.

What was he doing? His body moved of its own accord, pulling Vegeta closer to him and he hesitantly kissed Vegeta back, not fully processing what the hell was going on right now. But as his tongue slid against Vegeta's, and Vegeta's hand at his jaw softened its grip, Goku came to a realization.

Oh.

Oh.

He liked this.

Goku would have been lying if he'd said there hadn't been something inside him building up towards Vegeta for all the years they'd fought. He'd assumed it was some form of respect for Vegeta as a fighter, as a rival, maybe even as a fellow Saiyan, as something... But this? This hadn't sort of something hadn't crossed Goku's mind at all, and frankly, why should it have?

But now that he was here, tracing the inside of his nemesis's mouth with his own tongue, he was feeling bolder, more confident. Why hadn't this crossed his mind before? His hands gripped Vegeta a little tighter, kissed him a little harder, fighting back a chuckle at Vegeta's taken aback grunt towards his boldness. If Goku hadn't have known Vegeta as well as he did, he would have been surprised when Vegeta resumed his tight grip on Goku's jaw, would have yelped in protest as Vegeta dug his fingers into his scalp, would have been scared off when Vegeta glared at him and bit at his lower lip as if in retaliation to Goku's confidence, as if to silently say, 'Who do you think you are?'

Goku broke off the kiss at the nip, biting back a noise of indigence, but also giving him and Vegeta well-needed room to breathe. There was a fog slowly beginning to cloud his mind, replacing the frizz that he'd initially had been shocked by. Goku shook his head slightly, knowing he needed to get his head on straight! What was he doing!? He was supposed to take Vegeta out, not... not make-out! But as Goku's eyes met Vegeta's, he tensed, seeing a want for more in his gaze. The sight of Vegeta's slightly parted, somewhat reddened lips as he gazed at Goku with lidded eyes laced with want was an image Goku knew he'd never get out of his head.

And frankly? He was completely ok with that.

Goku was quick to dive in for another kiss, and Vegeta was more than willing to oblige, the two beginning to heatedly make out once more. There was a different power struggle now, akin to the one from mere moments - was it really moments? if felt like hours - ago, as Vegeta and Goku kissed each other fervently, trying to outdo the other in this new kind of battle. Hands grasped at each other for some sort of purchase, feeling all over the other's body, with the silent mutual exception of their waists, where their tails lied curled. The small of Vegeta's back, Goku's broad shoulders, Vegeta's toned chest, Goku's strong hips, Vegeta's built arms, Goku's ass--

A yelp left Goku as a hand squeezed his buttocks, and he pulled away from the kiss, pouting somewhat as Vegeta chuckled, his expression dusted with mirth.

"Not fair, Vegeta."

Vegeta gave a 'hmph!' in amusement, before leaning upwards and murmuring against Goku's lips, "All's fair in love and war, Kakarott."

So which was this? Goku wondered. Love? Or war?

Before he would question it any further, Vegeta was kissing him again, Goku finding it nigh impossible to resist the spell, the temptation of Vegeta's mouth against his. Goku was finally getting used to Vegeta's voracious style of kissing, when Vegeta's tongue swirled around Goku's, only to suck on it a second later. The groan that left Goku was damn near shameful, and he could feel the corners of Vegeta's lips curl up in a smile. For a moment, he wondered what that would feel like on another part of his bod-- what was he thinking?!

Banging on the rooftop door forced the duo to break the kiss, both men looking towards the door.

"Goku?!" Came Krillin's voice. "Goku, we're here for backup! Alright guys, knock the door down!"

Goku paled. Oh god, if the police force was to see them like this...!

"Tch, damn it." Vegeta sneered at the door, glaring daggers into it. "Fine then, we'll end this here for now." With that, a hand went to Goku's shoulder, the other to the back of Goku's head, and before the taller male could process what Vegeta was doing, Vegeta proceeded to knee Goku in the gut.

A yell of pain escaped the hero, hands going to clutch at his stomach as he slunk to his knees, coughing up spit as he did so. He watched with slightly blurred vision as Vegeta began walking to the edge of the roof, his vision clearing as Vegeta rubbed a gloved thumb over his own lips as he spoke.

"Come and find me, Kakarott."

With that, Vegeta flew off at high speed into the distance, disappearing from sight just as the police force knocked down the rooftop door. "Goku!" Krillin was quick to race to Goku's side, helping him rise to his feet. "Goku, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Krillin." Goku assured through a pained smile, one of his hands going to rest on Krillin's shoulder. Though the moment he was done speaking, he looked out towards where Vegeta flew. Vegeta's words echoed in his head, but were they a promise of more to come? Or a threat if some sort?

As the rest of the police force began to surround Goku and Krillin, Krillin followed Goku's gaze and frowned. "That's the direction he headed off in?" Krillin looked over Goku, seething slightly. "You're beat up pretty badly, buddy. What do you plan on doing?"

Without missing a beat, Goku replied, "I'm going to find him."

[manontrashbeak]

Chosen (KayaxThea)

“The heir is picking her coven today.”

“I heard she already did.”

“Well, we know who her Second will be.”

“The green-eyed twins and two Shadows for sure, probably her cousins.”

“But who else?”

“Probably Sorrel, no matter how stupid she is, she can fight.”

Thea has never heard her peers so nervous. She didn’t partake in the discussion knowing she had no hope of being one of Manon Blackbeak’s sentinels. Her mother, dead now, was a maid, which decided Thea’s destiny of being a low-ranking sentinel, spending her time washing dishes. She would be sorted into a coven but only be with them in times of war, otherwise she would be in the Keep, working for the upper ranks.

Walking out of the witchlings part of the Keep, she heads toward her shift in the kitchens. She didn’t know the big deal of being in a coven, sharing your entire life with twelve other witches. She never would.

“Your late,” the head witch of the kitchen, her aunt, says as she walks in. Her aunt was her main source of family, and she raised her after her mother’s soft heart had been ripped from her chest.

“Sorry, the other witchlings were gathered in circles.”

“Aw, yes, I heard the heir is choosing today,” her aunt says while cutting carrots. She looks over to her and says, “Your not expecting to be picked, right? Don’t get your hopes up for something that will never happen.”

Her aunt didn’t say it to be mean, or cruel, but to make sure she truly wouldn’t be let down if a nobody witch wasn’t chosen. “Don’t worry, I have no want or need to be in the heir’s coven. Seems like a lot of work,” she smiles at her aunt who smiles back. Her aunt hadn’t raised her like the others, but than again, none of the working witches were quite like the other Blackbeaks. They smiled and laughed and were family for the most part, bonding over the snobby upper-ranks. Her mother just laughed at the wrong time and was killed the next day.

“Would you believe that the heir is really old enough to be choosing?”

“I feel like she was just running around, white hair unbound.”

Thea took up cutting the other vegetables with her aunt and listened to the older witches talk about the heir. Manon Blackbeak, granddaughter of the High Witch, and future heir of the Blackbeak Clan, was beautiful and cruel and... something else. Thea had never spoken to her, keeping with the other low ranks, but she was in her age group. She was raised not with her, but by her. She’d seen her coming back with her first broom and just a few weeks ago with a Crochan heart and a red cloak on. She’d prepared herself for the inevitable crunching sound of her peers heart being ripped out for wearing their eternal enemies color, but it did not come.

Thea starts a mental list of who will be apart of the heirs coven. Asterin and Sorrel for sure. They were the ones she spoke to the most. The demon twins, as most called them, probably for their cunning and terrifying personalities. Her other cousins trained since birth to hide in the shadows. Lin, or Linnea, for her ability to rip a witches face off. The rest was up for debate. Vesta and Asterin were what seemed like friends and had similar personalities so her cousin might choose Vesta as a Fourth.

Thea got to washing the mornings dishes when a certain blonde walked in. Not Asterin, but someone worse. Kaya Blackbeak was terrifying to Thea in a different way, but still a way that could end in her dying, whether that be hyperventilating or chest problems. Thea Blackbeak wasn’t like her other peers in the way that they were so excited for their first outing that resulted in the initial fucking and ripping out of the male’s heart, as was tradition for a Ironteeth’s sixteenth birthday. She was always interested in only one witch. A witch who seemed to be more excited for her sixteenth birthday than anyone else.

Kaya could very well be added to the list of potential coven members for the heir’s coven. Strong, smart, very good at flirting her way to information made her a perfect coven member. Her grandmother was also a member of the Matron’s, which made it very likely Kaya would be untouchable.

Not that she already wasn’t.

“Lady, how may we help you?” Thea cringed as her aunt addressed Kaya. Thea kept her head down, making sure to not draw attention to herself in anyway.

Don’t embarrass yourself. Don’t embarrass yourself. Don’t-

“I was just wondering if y’all needed some help down here. It’s so busy in my quarters. I figured I could help come down here to get away from it,” Kaya answers, her voice as bubbly as ever.

“My niece knows all about that. Why don’t you help her with the dishes, she’s your age.”

Shit.

Thea tenses as she feels Kaya walking towards her. She tries to keep her shaking hands in the water until the trembling stops, but Kaya offers to rinse and dry once next to her. She’s going to kill her aunt.

“Can you believe we’ll be getting our covens soon? I’m so excited, aren’t you? Who knows maybe we’ll be able to get our land assignments soon-“

“I won’t, but I’m sure you’ll have plenty of Crochans to hunt,” Thea winces as the comment comes out. As nervous as the witch beside her makes her feel, the annoyance and anger towards the life she’ll never have overpowers that. She’s just so tired of washing dishes while she silently looks on at her peers planning their exciting lives.

“What do you mean?” Kaya tilts her head.

“I’m a maid witch. I’ll be a coven, but will be held within the confines of the Keep unless war calls,” Thea recites the familiar phrase in monotonous voice hoping she sounds as quiet as she feels. She feels small again, as if her life was meaningless compared to the lives of those above her. How did Kaya not know about the witches who served her? Did the uppers not think about who kept their rooms dusted while they were away?

“Oh... well, I’m sure you’ll be able to leave sometimes,” Kaya says keeping on with the dishes. Thea keeps her mouth shut knowing the reality of her future. She puts her head back down and keeps working, letting the noise of the kitchen block out her mental struggle.

“Kaya, training. Five minutes,” Decima, the head trainer, says from the doorway. Thea looks back as well noticing the sneer on Decima’s face as she looks around the kitchen. Thea has always hated her trainer, not only for her elitist outlook, but for the way she treats Thea and her familiars. Just thinking about it makes Thea want to use the very close carving knives on her.

“Be right up,” Kaya smiles and turns back to the sink setting down her last plate. She then turns to Thea with the most incredible smile.

Shit.

“I’ll see you at the coven elections later, yeah?” And then turns away as quickly as Thea’s nodding. She turns back toward the soapy water and smiles. The smile drops when she realizes that that might be the only and last time she will ever speak to Kaya.

~~~~

Witches and witchlings fill the main hall right before dinner. Thea is standing towards the back with two of the other servant witches. She just hopes that they might be put in the same coven. Her friends, Renee and Meagan, are the only true friends of her age group she has. Luckily, they are all unlucky enough to be born in the wrong side of the caste system. They are in it together as they have always been.

“Shut it! Alright, now that everyone is quiet, let’s get this started,” Decima is standing on the raised platform. Thea can see the Matron and heir standing to the side. It looks like they are arguing which, knowing the Matron, isn’t abnormal. Decima looks over at them and Manon Blackbeak walks towards the center of the stage. The Matron is smiling and looking at her granddaughter with to much satisfaction. Whatever their argument was, Manon did not win it.

“My Second, will be my cousin, Asterin.”

What a surprise.

“My Third is Sorrel Blackbeak, my Fourth Vesta,” Manon continues. Thea can hear some outraged whispers at the mention of Sorrel’s name. Thea looks over at the table which is the source of the whispers. The trinity of snobby cunts, Emily, Jailyn, and Jarrette, that have made many witch’s lives unbearable, including Thea’s. Manon and Asterin might be bitches, but they aren’t bullies. Their attacks are calculated and deserved. The trinity go around and hurt their fellow witches for the fun of it. It seems they expected a place among the Heir’s coven.

“My Fifth is Lin, and from there, I will be having Ghislaine, Fallon and Faline, Imogen, Edda and Briar, Kaya,” Thea can feel her heart drop at the mention of Kaya’s name. She’ll never be able to speak to her again.

“And finally, my last member will be,” Manon looks towards her grandmother, “Thea Blackbeak.”

Every witch in the cavernous room look towards her. Thea is still just standing there while trying to figure out if this is some cruel joke. She stops looking at the witches closest to her and looks to the ones farthest away. Manon Blackbeak, Heir to her clan, is standing there staring at her expectantly. Thea looks over the faces of the newly made coven and sees them all blank-faced, bored. Except one. Kaya. She’s smiling as wide as she was earlier. Wider even.

Thea starts walking and the crowd parts for her. She has never had this many eyes on her, she’s invisible, she always has been and that’s the way she wanted to stay. Thea just keeps walking hoping not to trip over herself. The closer she gets the more she can see of her group mates face’s. And the Matron’s. She’s fuming, and not just at Manon, but at her as well. Her mother’s death flashes across her vision.

She reaches the stage, and Imogen leans down to give her a hand up. Thea just stares at it until Imogen shifts it a little to get her attention. She gets pulled up and stood in between Imogen and Fallon. The demon twins look over at her and grin. The grin is devious and friendly and terrifying. A sister’s grin. A shiver runs down her spine, and she looks back out at her clan. And smiles as well.

~~~~

What the fuck just happened?

Thea is sitting at a table at the front of the room. The Heir’s table. She’s been sitting here for the past half hour staring at her dinner. In the first five minutes, food started coming out, and when she stood to help, Sorrel put a hand on her arm to sit her back down. The twins laugh at her and tell her to learn her place. She’s heard those words before, but she was being put back down not being raised up. After that, when the plates are taken, she jerks when an arm comes around her, effectively knocking her silverware off and onto the floor. The tables around go quiet and stare.

She hears silence again and wonders what else she did to embarrass herself. She looks up and sees her new coven staring back at her.

“I apologize, what do you need?” The words come out on instinct, and they all raise their eyebrows.

“We asked what your specialty was,” Asterin says with a smile on her face.

“Well, I can cook about anything, and I can see-“

“No, we meant your weapon, or maybe, spying? What did you train in?” Sorrel explains. Thea feels blue rushing to her face and the twins laugh again.

“I’m good with a bow and throwing knives, but I wasn’t trained as-“

“You’re flexible and know how to blend in. You’re not just good with a bow, but great, and as a serving witch you know how to go unnoticed as well as how to interact with a lot of witches all the time,” Manon says from the middle of the table. All the witches look towards her, but she’s only looking at Thea. Thea stares back. She never noticed the Heir watching her, but clearly she has.

“You’re also really good at doing the dishes,” She hears Kaya say, and the others laugh. Thea looks at Kaya and smiles. She’ll be with her a lot. Maybe more than she ever thought possible in twelve lifetimes.

“Good, so none of us have to do them,” Edda, a Shadow, says. The others laugh again and this time so does Thea. It’ll take time, but in some span, she’ll feel like she belongs with them.

~~~~

“Hello,” Thea drops the shirt she was folding and spins. She relaxes when she sees none other than Kaya Blackbeak standing in her doorway. She’s never seen a highborn down here and is terrified of what she might of overheard. Servants tend to say the meanest things about their overlords when in their safe space.

“I didn’t mean to startle you. I came to see if you wanted any help moving.”

Yes, she would need help. The servantes quarters are three flights underground, and she had to move her entire life to the top floor. But she was not going to use Kaya’s help.

“No, it’s fine. I can handle it,” She says, and Kaya proceeds to look around with a quirked mouth.

“Sure,” Kaya says. She grabs the shirt Thea dropped on the floor and stands up. This close Thea notices that Kaya isn’t actually the same height, but half an inch shorter. “Here.”

Thea reaches for the shirt, but Kaya doesn’t let go. She pulls her closer. Thea doesn’t quite know what to do, and she flashes back to this morning at the sink. She was chanting “shit” in her head, but she now realizes she had no reason to be freaking out then because it is nothing close to this. She can feel her breath on her cheeks, hear Kaya’s heart speed up, see the slightly different angle of her brow.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

“Why is it you never spoke to me, only looked at me across the room? Why did you always look away when I tried to catch your eye?” Kaya whispers against her lips. Thea opens her mouth to reply, but she can’t. She doesn’t know how to answer any of that without demeaning herself. “Tell me.”

“I never knew you noticed me, let alone wanted me to talk to you,” Thea admits. Kaya smiles and shakes her head making their noses brush. Kaya notices and smiles, doing it again.

“All I wanted you to do was talk to me. And do something else with your mouth,” Kaya’s mouth grows wider as Thea blushes. So Thea does something she’d never do just to wipe that smile off Kaya’s face.

She kisses her.

——————————————————————————

Idk why the spacing is so weird but this got finished bc someone actually wanted to read it so here you go. It’s unedited and short but I’m impatient. @theilliumbluebell10 (you asked for this) @rufousnmacska (and you liked the post so and I figured you’d enjoy this) @firedancer34 (idk if this is your username on here on Ao3 it says it is and figured you might like this)

[hamilton-one-shots]

Hamilton High School AU 22

Alexander popped the phone onto a charger and waited for the screen to light up. When it did, he saw that the lock screen was Lafayette and a few old friends in front of the Eiffel Tower. He looked happy. At least, he looked substantially happier than the last time Alexander saw him. He sighed and added Lafayette's new number before texting him. [Laf: hey, its alex. marta gavme ur old phon. can we tak l8r? its imprtnt.] Then he switched to texting John. [John: hey, marta gav me lafs old phon 4 now.]

Both were headed back to class after lunch, though Lafayette was more nervous to respond. [Yes, of course, but it will have to wait a while. I have drama and we're talking to John after that.]

[I'm glad to hear that. I missed you. : )]

Alexander opened his laptop to work on something for the debate society, cringing as Lafayette's text tone rang through. 'Salut! New message, Monsieur! Meow!' Even Lafayette now would be annoyed by it.  [Laf: it ok. I jus wana tak. Hav fun in drama :)] He hoped he sounded friendly enough. The last thing he wanted to do was panic Lafayette. [John: i talked 2 marta a lot. I feel beter 4 it. Oh! Also took my meds] [...do u thnk Tomas gets angry spels?] [no, ignor tat. It's dum. Jus thinkin 2 much. Bored @ hoem.]

Lafayette was the first to respond with a simple [Thank you, I'll see you then.]

[I'm glad you feel better! Can't have my love feeling too bad ❤] [I'm also proud of you for taking your meds 💗] It was mushy, but it was John. He was usually like that. At least he was with Alexander. When the second set of messages came through, he frowned a bit. [Jefferson's just a stupid bully. I've known that for a while now, you know.] [Don't let him get to you.]

Alexander sighed. He couldn't blame John for thinking that way after what he did to him. [sry, just didnt tink ne1 cud b tat much of n ass w/out reson]

[I see where you're coming from, but Jefferson isn't like you. He doesn't care.]

John had a point, but... It was worth a shot. He logged into Facebook and pulled up his messages with Jefferson. [dnt b men to laf in drama]

[Anything for you <3 xx]

[dnt do tat. im tryin to b sivil]

[You just wanted to message me, didn't you? ;) xx]

[no.]

[Why? Besides, I'm meant to be working, boo <3 xx]

[4get it] Alexander dropped back to his pillow with a huff, holding the phone to his chest. This wasn't going anywhere. [jus bored. Go bck 2 studyin]

[Yes sir <3 xx] Thomas chuckled and strode into class with Lafayette and Hercules, where Alexander usually joined them, and sat beside the pair. "Smile, Mulligan. You use less muscle."

"When you drop, I will." He shot back.

"Now, now, I've been given specific instructions to be nice to Laf. I plan on following them." Thomas grinned.

Lafayette shifted to be a bit closer to Herc. He didn't feel like starting a fight with Thomas that day and didn't want Hercules to feel he had to. "If you really wanted to be nice to me, you'd kindly fuck off." He smiled, speaking low enough so that the teacher wouldn't hear, but loud enough for Thomas to hear him clearly.

Thomas nodded. "As you wish." And he... actually left?

"What's up with that?" Hercules asked.

"I don't know.. Maybe we should just enjoy this while it lasts."

[Laf asked me to move and I did. That's being kind, right? 😉 xx]

[i gess... thnx?].

[Don't mention it. See? I can be nice 💗 xx]  [What am I going to get in return? Or do I move back to sitting next to them? xx]

Alexander froze, feeling his heart jump wildly in his chest. [wat do u meen...?]

[I mean xx] [Either we start 'getting along' if you catch my drift, I'll play nice. I'll be nice to Laf, I'll be nice to Herc; hell, I'll even be nice to your Johnny 💗 xx] [We've just got to spend some time together, that's all xx] [Or I can go find John now. He's probably in the library, right? xx]

[nO] [dnt do that] [pls] He panicked, typing back quickly, biting his lip.

[Then let's hang out. Sit with me in lunch tomorrow when you're back. Then come to mine after school. I'll even drive us. OR I'll get John. xx]

Poor Alexander whimpered in panic. This wasn't what he wanted. Not in the least. [ok] He looked back to his conversation with John. [John, u cnt come ovr 2day. im 2 sick.]

John furrowed his eyebrows and took a break from drawing. [What? Are you sure? I asked Martha earlier and she said it'd be fine if I went over and visited you...] [And Lafayette asked me to come over, probably to talk about what they know.]

Crap, that was right. Alexander almost forgot. [sry, just havn an episod. frekd out fr a sec] He curled up and whimpered. He was scared... And he needed John now more than ever, but he wasn't going to let Thomas come near him, not after what he'd done to him. He had to take care of this himself. He switched back to Facebook. [tomas, im not sure about this...]

[So you'd rather me go back to sitting next to him and start something? Ooh, I know, I could tell him how hot he looks in skinnies 😉 xx]

Alexander jumped up. [no dnt] [sorry jus] [pls dnt do nythin] [pls] [tomas?] [thomas] [anser] [o god] [dnt hve dne nything] [pls] [tomas!]

[Chill. Eacker was looking this way so I had to hide my phone xx] This was a lie. Thomas had waited a few minutes before responding purposefully to scare poor Alexander. [Good to hear you screaming my name tho xx]

[stop pls]

[How'd you manage to misspell my name when it's on the screen in front of you? 😜 xx]

[pannic]

[Aww... don't panic 💗 I'm gonna look after you, I promise xx] He looked over at Lafayette and Hercules and smiled.

Lafayette glared back at him. "I'm going to get to the bottom of this..."

"Please be carerful.." Hercules kissed his cheek.

After school, Lafayette took a chance and sat beside Thomas for drama. "Hello, Thomas."

Thomas raised an eyebrow at him. "Since when do you talk to me?"

"I just thought I could ask you for some advice. Do you have any tips for playing Veronica sawyer?"

This sparked his interest. "There's not much to it. She's a high school chick trying to fit in. Sort of a sassy girl next door."

"I see.." He nodded. "And I wanted to apologize for our prank last night. I remember how hard it was for John to have to raise his siblings."

"Forget about it. Lucy's a kid. These things happen." He pulled out his script. "So, are you okay with Dead Girl Walking? Because we're going to have to practice that scene at some point and I don't want it to be awkward when we do." As if he cared. He only had to be nice to Lafayette.

Laf couldn't help but shudder a bit ,though he was able to keep it to himself. "It's just acting. No harm done. I'm sure Herc won't mind."

Thomas nodded. "You're right. He shouldn't."

Before Lafayette could comment on what Jefferson was obviously trying to do, Eacker stumbled in, apologizing for being late once again before announcing their roles. Of course, Lafayette was Veronica Sawyer and Thomas Jefferson was Jason Dean.

"See? You know me. It won't be so bad."

Though, of course, it was the fact that Lafayette knew him that made it bad.

"What scene are you two talking about?" Eacker asked as he passed the pair.

"Dead Girl Walking. Just hoping it won't be too awkward."

Eacker smiled. "Well, nothing like breaking the ice."

Wait, what?

"We're all friends here. We were going to head on stage anyways to practice a few scenes. Why not this one?"

Oh, god, were they really doing this now? Lafayette stood up and took a deep breath before following everyone out to the auditorium. It's just acting.

Thomas was too busy texting to worry.

[i dnt like tis] [im scared] [pls dnt taek it owt on laf] [i jst dnt want 2 go hoem w/ u] [sorry sory sorry] [nything els, u got it] [jus dnt ruin drma 4 laf] [dnt go neer Jhon] [John*] [pls] [pls] [pls]

[No. We've got a deal, babe. I'll behave if you do as I say. Laf's acting now; y'sure you wanna go back on this nooooow? 😉 xx]

[nO] [pls] [leev hm aloen] [il b good] [its fien] [il go w/ yu] [srry]

[Good choice 💗 xx]

Alexander changed the password on the phone to some complicated pattern before putting it down on the bed... then beginning to tremble. He hopped up from the bed before practically sprinting across to Lafayette's room and launching himself at John. Poor Rosie barely had time to leap out of the way. She hissed disapprovingly as she knocked her paw before returning to her basket as Alexander buried his face in John's chest, shaking like a leaf. He kept his arms wrapped around John's waist in the same vice like fashion he had before when he was scared John would leave him.

John didn't ask any questions. He didn't have to ask what happened. He had a good feeling. He texted Jefferson to confirm his beliefs. [What did you do to Alex? Leave him alone. If you're doing this to hurt me, just come after me instead. If you're not, come after me anyways. Leave him out.]

Thomas chuckled. How cute. But he couldn't respond yet. He got on stage with Lafayette and watched him act as the song began.

"The demon queen of high school has decreed it. She says Monday, 8 am I will be deleted. They’ll hunt me down in Study Hall, stuff and mount me on the wall. Thirty hours to live. How shall I spend them? I don’t have to stay and die like cattle. I could change my name and drive up to Seattle. But I don’t own a motorbike. Wait, here’s an option that I like. Spend these thirty hours getting’ freaky! Yeah! I need it hard, I’m a dead girl walking! I’m in your yard, I’m a dead girl walking! Before they punch my clock, I’m snappin’ off your window lock. Got no time to knock, I’m a dead girl walking." As much as Lafayette dreaded the scene, he wasn't about to half ass it.

"V-veronica..? What are you doing in my room...?" It was... unclear if Thomas was acting or not. It was either excellent acting ability... or Lafayette had genuinely caught Thomas off guard and scared him half to death. Either way, it certainly fit the role.

"Shh!" Lafayette looked back at Thomas with a sultry expression, grabbing his shirt collar. "Sorry, but I really had to wake you. See, I’ve decided I must ride you ‘till I break you ‘cause Heather says I gotsta go. You’re my last meal on Death Row. Shut your mouth and lose them tighty whiteys! Come on! Tonight I’m yours! I���m your dead girl walking." He pushed him down to his knees, lost in the role. "Get on all fours, kiss this dead girl walking. Let’s go, you know the drill. I’m hot, and pissed and I'm on the pill. Bow down to the will of a dead girl walking." He kneeled down and held his face. "And you know, you know, you know, it’s cause you’re beautiful. You say you’re numb inside but I can’t agree. So the world’s not fair? Keep it locked out there. In here it’s beautiful! Let’s make this beautiful!"

"Shh!" Lafayette looked back at Thomas with a sultry expression, grabbing his shirt collar. "Sorry, but I really had to wake you. See, I’ve decided I must ride you ‘till I break you ‘cause Heather says I gotsta go. You’re my last meal on Death Row. Shut your mouth and lose them tighty whiteys! Come on! Tonight I’m yours! I’m your dead girl walking." He pushed him down to his knees, lost in the role.

Thomas felt his knees click as he dropped, but it was totally worth it. Lafayette looked an image of perfection and coupled with those lyrics... Thomas felt like he could take him there and then.

"Get on all fours, kiss this dead girl walking. Let’s go, you know the drill. I’m hot, and pissed and on the pill. Bow down to the will of a dead girl walking." He knelt down and held his face.

It took all of Thomas' restraint not to go back on his 'deal' with Alexander. Whether or not getting in Lafayette's pants was his focus, he was undeniably gorgeous.

"And you know, you know, you know, it’s cause you’re beautiful. You say you’re numb inside but I can’t agree. So the world’s not fair? Keep it locked out there. In here it’s beautiful! Let’s make this beautiful!"

"Th-that works for me!" He exasperated before yanking Lafayette into a kiss. It was rough and messy... but at least it fit the scene.

It was going to take the power of every god to wash that taste from Lafayette's mouth. It tasted like.. Like.. Jefferson. And he hated it. But he didn't act like it. He kissed back just as roughly because it wasn't Lafayette kissing Thomas, it was Veronica kissing JD. And it was too late to back out then, so he kissed back and continued the song afterwards. "Yeah! Full steam ahead! Take this dead girl walking!

"How'd you find my address?"

"Let’s break the bed! Rock this dead girl walking!"

"I think we tore my mattress!"

"No sleep tonight for you! Better chug that Mountain Dew!"

"Okay, okay.."

"Get your ass in gear! Make this whole town disappear!"

"Okay, Okay!"

"Slap me, pull my hair! Touch me there, there, and there!" Lafayette didn't know what was worse, the fact that Thomas' hands were all over him or the fact that he was the one guiding them. At least he got to slap him. "No more talking!"

"Woah!"

"Love this dead girl walking!"

"Woah, woah! Hey, hey! Yeah, yeah!"

"Love this dead girl walking!"

"Love this dead girl! Woah, woah! Hey, hey! Wait, wait!"

They finished out the song in sync. "Love this dead girl! Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

"Ouch!"

"YEAH!”

“YEAH!"

As soon as the song was over, Lafayette got off of Thomas and caught his breath, smiling at the class a bit. He knew they did amazing. And he hated it.

Thomas looked like a mess. His hair was sticking up all directions and his face was glowing crimson. Thomas was no virgin, but he hadn't expected Lafayette to carry out the scene so well, or convincingly. He pulled himself to his feet, joining the applause for Lafayette and himself before offering a hand to help pull Lafayette up from the floor.

"See? You're both fine. Nothing to worry about." Eacker chirped with praise. "It helps when it's a friend there, right?"

"Right." Thomas piped back before returning back to his seat with Lafayette. "...so do I owe you a cigarette or...?" He laughed lightly, attempting to tidy his hair.

Lafayette rolled his eyes, holding his arms that much closer against his chest.

When class drew to a close, Thomas put his script back into his rucksack and swung it over his shoulder. "You're a great actor, Laf. Really. I mean that. I'll catch you tomorrow.," he complimented before waving him off and leaving the room, finally texting John back. [/I've/ done nothing. I haven't seen him today. Besides, he's /your/ boyfriend. You fix him xxx]

As Lafayette followed behind him, surrounded by his classmates, he felt conflicted. He loved acting, but it felt wrong doing that scene with Jefferson.

When Lafayette came out of the classroom, surrounded by various other drama members full of praise and compliments, Hercules bit his lip. This was something Lafayette was 1. Obviously passionate about and 2. Very good at. Hercules's jealousy would have to step aside. Instead, he greeted Lafayette with a supportive smile, pretending he hadn't just seen that scene. "Hey you! Someone's popular!" He hummed. "John headed back to yours early to see Alex. Are you ready to go?"

He nodded and faked a smile. "Yes. Let's go." He kissed his cheek and walked home with him.

When John and Alexander heard the pair arriving, the latter froze up a bit. Not only did they have the talk to do, but he hadn't gotten around to apologizing to Lafayette and he believed him to still be mad.

They entered the room and mumbled a few greetings before sitting down, even Rosie leaving the room as she sensed the tense atmosphere.

John was the first to break the silence.

[live4thelord]

MSGR. CHARLES POPE

Satan is Real

Once again it is necessary to reiterate the true, Catholic, and biblical teaching on Satan and demons. Contrary to what Superior General of the Society of Jesus Fr. Arturo Sosa stated in a recent interview, the Church does not teach that Satan is merely a symbol or an idea. He is not the “personification of evil”; he is a person, an individual creature, a fallen angelic being (as are all demons). Scripture uses personal pronouns in referring to Satan and demons (e.g., he, him, they). The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms that Satan is an existing creature, a fallen angel who is envious of us and is a murderer from the beginning:

Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church’s Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called “Satan” or the “devil.” The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing (CCC # 391).

Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls “a murderer from the beginning,” who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” In its consequences the gravest of these works was the mendacious seduction that led man to disobey God (CCC # 394).

This is Church teaching. Let no one be misled by the Fr. Sosa’s erroneous statements or by the implications that follow from his unfortunate, repeated remarks. Let no one be so unwise as to dismiss the truth that we have an enemy who is very much alive who commands legions of fallen angels. We must accept this as a definitive teaching of the faith and be sober about it.

Any exorcist or anyone who has ever assisted in an exorcism can well affirm Satan’s reality and his deep hatred for humanity and all that pertains to God.

As a more extended lesson, I’d like to point out some things I have written before about certain teachings and cautions that come from the Rite of Exorcism.

The Rite of Exorcism presupposes the Catholic teaching that Satan and all demons are persons. They are addressed as persons and commanded to reveal their names, ranks, and other pertinent information. These angelic persons respond, often reluctantly and with fury at first, but later, as their power is broken, with cries and whimpers. The exorcist is clearly addressing an angelic person, a fallen angel who then reacts and responds.

As he is dealing with a being who is both a creature of God and a fallen angelic person, the exorcist must find a balance. Sadly, he must usually inflict pain upon demons in order to drive them out. This is done through the prayers of the Rite of Exorcism and through other things recommended by the rite such as the use of holy water, the use of relics, the touch of a stole, and the use of the Holy Cross.

The exorcist must be careful not to hate demons or harbor unjust anger toward them. If he were to do so, they would have him; he would be drawn into their territory. If they can get him to hate and have vengeful anger, he will be theirs, little better than they save for the possibility that he can still repent.

Hence, the exorcist and any who would pray for deliverance from demons for themselves or others, do well to stay inside the norms of the Church and Scripture. These norms warn and set limits for those who would confront demons, lest they stray by pride or anger.

What are some of these norms? Here are just a few, but they are properly cautionary to be sure:

A lay person should never undertake to drive out demons except by the following simple formula: “I command you, all evil spirits, to leave me at once in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.” At no time should a lay person ever engage a demon in conversation, ask questions, or in any way seek information.

Priests who only engage in minor exorcisms are similarly limited. While they are permitted to use more elaborate imprecatory prayers (found in the Manuals of Minor Exorcisms), priests are not to go beyond the commands therein. They are not to ask questions or to demand names or signs from demons.

Only appointed exorcists, delegated by the bishop, may or should ask things such as these: names and numbers of demons, their time of entry, why they possessed the individual, their rank, and so forth. The rite makes clear that only necessary questions should be asked. Other extraneous information is both unnecessary and potentially harmful.

Within the formal Rite of Exorcism, an exorcist does well to stick to the formulas, expressions, and norms of the rite. Banter, insulting language, and toe-to-toe debate are to be avoided. Good exorcists indicate that returning to the prayers of the rite is essential when demons seek to engage in debate, ridicule, and/or diversionary talk. Obmutesce pater mendacii (Be silent, father of lies) is a quick command from the rite to order the demons to be silent, and it is a good way to refuse to enter into pointless conversation.

Scripture also attests to the need to refrain from reviling demons:

For even Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a reviling judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 1:9)

Further, hate and ridicule of any person (angelic or human) whom God has created is an ungodly attitude. Scripture says,

For you O Lord love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for you would not fashion what you hate (Wisdom 11:24).

Therefore, anyone who confronts demons or suffers their oppression is warned that hatred, unjust anger, reviling, and ridiculing, is no way to fight them, for if we do so we become like them.

That said, exorcists and priests must often use strong language approved by the minor and major prayers of exorcism, most of which are drawn from Scripture or Sacred Tradition.

Consider, for example, the following rebuke of Satan from Scripture:

How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground, who did weaken the nations! For you have said in your heart, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the farthest sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the depths of the lake of fire (Is 14:12-15).

These verses speak truth. They do not revile; they state what happened and point to Lucifer’s prideful fall.

The Rite of Exorcism has collected many descriptions from Scripture and Tradition. They are not intended to ridicule or revile but rather to remind Satan of who and what he has chosen to become. They remind him of his pride, his destruction by God’s justice, his ultimate fate, and the many ways he seeks to harm us. Consider, then, some of the “titles” and descriptions of Satan drawn from both the old and new rites of exorcism:

Enemy of the faith

Foe of the human race

Carrier of death

Robber of life

Shirker of justice

Root of evil

Fomenter of vice

Seducer of men

Traitor of the nations

Instigator of envy

Font of avarice

Source of discord

Exciter of sorrows

Transgressor

Seducer full of deceit and lies

Enemy of virtue

Persecutor of the innocent

Horrible dragon

Prince of accursed murder

Author of incest

Leader of sacrilege

Teacher of all negative action

Teacher of heretics

Inventor of every obscenity

Hateful one

Scourge

Unclean spirit

Infernal adversary

Evil dragon

Inventor and teacher of every lie

Enemy of man’s salvation

Prince of this world

Deceiver of the human race

Ancient foe of mankind

Father of lies

Evil dragon

Cunning serpent

(I have compiled a pdf containing a list of these in both Latin and English here: Titles of Satan from the Rite of Exorcism.)

Thus, whether driving out Satan in a major exorcism or seeking to expel his oppression in a minor exorcism, all are cautioned not to stray from the understandings and descriptions of Satan that the Church provides in Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Again, the reason for this is that Satan seeks to draw us into his world of hatred and revilement. Do not go there in your thoughts and surely not in your heart.

It may be hard to accept, but God does not hate Satan. God does not hate even the worst of sinners. Justice requires God to recognize the final disposition of a person (angelic or human). Some are justly permitted to live apart from God’s kingdom in a hellacious parallel universe; that is their permanent choice. But God does not hate fallen angels or fallen humans. God is love, and love does not hate—and neither should we.

We ought to be sober about what sin has done to demons, fallen angels who were once glorious. Now, through the disfigurement of sin, they are in darkness and are horribly contrary to the glory for which they were made. They are to be pitied and kept at a distance. They will not change because angels choose once and for all. Their lies are to be resisted. Though they can still appear as lightsome, it is only for a time, and then their terrifying state of horror and darkness roars forth.

Remember, too, what the Catechism says about Satan’s power and why he permits some limited influence by demons:

The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite. He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God’s reign. Although Satan may act in the world out of hatred for God and his kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may cause grave injuries—of a spiritual nature and, indirectly, even of a physical nature—to each man and to society, the action is permitted by divine providence which with strength and gentleness guides human and cosmic history. It is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity, but “we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him” (CCC #395).

Do not be deceived. Satan is real and we must resist him, strong in our faith. However, do not be so terrified that you forget that God, His angels, and the grace He bestows on us are more powerful and that God limits what demons can do. Trust God; call to Him; frequently recite the 91st Psalm. Be sober and watchful and stay distant from the once-glorious fallen angels we rightly call demons.