#i will sell my soul to the devil to see it if i must

[sketchysubstance]

YESS FEED ME MORE EVANGELION AU JAYVIK I NEED ITTT its so rare ive only seen 2 evangelion au pieces including this one

“Come sweet death”

[after-witch]

Horrorfest: I'm Smarter Than The Devil, I'm Smarter Than the Devil! [Yandere Demon Chrollo x reader]

Title: I'm Smarter Than the Devil, I'm Smarter Than the Devil! [Yandere Demon Chrollo x Reader]

Synopsis: You should always read the rulebook before committing to a deal with the devil.

For Horrorfest request:

Hi! This is my first time sending in a prompt, so please forgive any formatting errors :) the prompt is "Reader doesn't read the fine print and accidentally sells soul to demon!Chrollo" (hxh)

Word count: 1024ish

notes: yandere, bad decisions

It isn’t fair. It simply isn’t fair. It is oh so, completely, wholly, utterly, entirely unfair. 

“I didn’t know–” you start, and stop, and hate how childish you sound. Whining and petty, and this is no petty thing. 

After all, you’ve sold your soul to the devil.

Well, correction. You’ve sold your soul to a devil. 

A devil you hadn’t seen in years, and hadn’t expected to see ever again. Not after the night you made the trade, a trade which had seemed simple enough at the time. 

Everything seems simpler, doesn’t it, when you’re not looking back with the unwelcome clarity of hindsight?

–

“And… all I have to do is sign your book?” 

How weak you must look–how human, how mortal–to the demon standing in front of you. The bandage he’d wound around his head when he first showed up is gone, and underneath it, imprinted on his skin, is a mark that is sure to mean nothing good. 

He’s not bad looking, you suppose. For a devil. Dark hair and eyes that seem to see right through you. Part of you wants to ask about the coat–doesn’t it get hot, where he comes from, with the fur collar?--but now that you’re soaking in the reality of it all, mostly you’re focused on the book in his hands.

A book that glows, a book with pages whose words swim around when you try to peek at them. 

The demon smiles politely, with no teeth. If he were to grin, would he have fangs? 

“And agree to make a trade.”

You swallow. Right. The book said you would have to make a trade with the demon you summoned. This could be anything, as long as the demon wanted it. Someone else’s life; a precious object, usually sentimental; or well. Your stomach squirms at one of the other things the book said a demon may want, and you hope it doesn’t come to that. 

“What… do you want to trade for?” You want to smack yourself on the head the moment the words leave your lips. Giving the demon an open-ended opportunity is a rookie mistake–and yeah, it was your first time summoning a demon, and maybe some of the online articles you found were a bit sketchy, but the guide book seemed solid enough. Given by a friend of a friend who swore his cousin used it and it worked out just fine.

The demon snorts.

“Didn’t your little book tell you not to leave it up to me?”

“Um.” You shrug, feeling stupid, and human, and very, very pathetic. “Yes. But I just–well.” You turn out your pockets, empty as anything; that’s why you summoned the demon, after all. You need your big break. A way to make money, to be successful, to finally have the lucrative career you always wanted. “I figured it’d be better if you just tell me what you want from me?”

The demon’s gaze narrows. 

“What makes you think I would want something from you, little human?” He takes a step forward, and a warmth fills the air. Not a comforting warmth, but something unpleasant, like the smell of gas when you open a stove. “How arrogant.”

He’s going to kill you he’s going to kill you he’s going to–

“But there must be something you don’t have,” you blurt out. “Even demons must be unhappy like we are, and want something different. Right?” Oh, it’s stupid, and unbearably human, but it’s the first thing that comes to mind. Honest, dumb thing that you are. 

The demon parts his lips–and then closes them abruptly. He tilts his head at you, gazing at you with a curiosity just as unpleasant as the bitter warmth around him.

“What an unusual thing to say,” he murmurs.

He’s going to leave. He won’t make the deal. He might kill you, at worst. At best, you’ve done all this for nothing. 

“All right. I’ll make a deal.”

You can’t hide the surprise on your face.

“You-you mean it?” Giddy, awful hope bubbles up inside you. “But–what will you trade for?”

The demon smiles primly. “Something you can’t even feel.  You won’t miss it once it’s gone, I promise you.”

Your head is too full of anticipation to think about it further. The bitter air around you doesn’t help, adding an almost hazy feeling to your head. Something you can’t feel and won’t miss… maybe a talent you didn’t know you had? Or one you did, but won’t miss after he’s taken it. You always did like singing, maybe he’ll snap up your singing voice and shove it in his pockets. Or he’ll walk away with your favorite genre of book, forgotten in your emptier head, no worse for the wear.

“Deal!” You blurt. 

He does smile wider then, a grin. He doesn’t have fangs, but that doesn’t make it less unnerving.

The book’s pages glow when he holds them out to you, and they’re warm when he presses a quill in your hands and bids you to sign your name.

You do. Shaky, uneven. But your name, there, forever in the pages.

The book snaps shut.

You have only a brief glimpse of the demon before he disappears in a wisp of black smoke. As he vanishes, he says something, but you don’t quite know what it means–

“Chrollo.”

–

You can’t feel a soul, and who knows when it’s gone? Not you, certainly. Though there’s something jittery about the realization that you’ve been walking around for years with nothing underneath your skin but your brain and bones and blood.

Did anyone else notice? Was some light gone from your eyes, never to return?

All because some demon had lifted your soul like a pickpocket. Through deception, through misdirection. 

“Don’t be so sour with me, dear.” The pet name makes your stomach roil. 

That bitter warmth from so many years ago, the unpleasant hit that feels like it’s coming from a furnace, seems to rise up from behind you, pushing you into his arms. He still wears his coat, after all these years; an impractical looking thing, considering how hot it must be where he comes from.

How hot it must be, where you’re going.

He presses a chaste kiss to your forehead. 

“It’s not my fault you didn’t read the fine print.” 

[caseylovefics]

One Year Of Jikook Recs: 2023 - 2024

Over the last year, I've read a lot of Jikook fics, some old and some new. Many of them are explicit, FYI but this is a list of everything I bookmarked that I thought, at the time, would be worth sharing eventually. I believe there is something here for everyone here. Huge shoutout to all of these incredible authors - if you like something on the list or have any recommendations, give them some love and let me know!

Friends To Lovers:

Burn for You (50616 words) by Charmander Bachelor Jungkook and whipped Jimin have a turn in the relationship after a third party helps them...connect.

Friendly Favours (76125 words) by dontknowwhatimdoing Jungkook asks Jimin to fake date him and that sucker is dooomed. In the best way. So many adorable scenes and scenarios.

i remember thinking i had you (44676 words) by mrsmorality Unrequited love Jimin is hard and Jungkook kinda annoyeding but still cute.

Nevermind (81173 words) by rkiveink Jimin and Jungkook were best friends but haven't spoken in years. Jungkook, now recovered, helps Jimin while he mourns a close friends from his band who passes away. It's a very raw and honest fic. I found it refreshing to read something like this after a series of super fluffy fics, though in the end this is also soft in it's own way.

Run Into Sin (85356 words) by eumorious Kinda friends/roommates who are going broke and struggling to meet rent enter a porno competition to make money. You can imagine where this goes next and yes, it's raunchy and still domestic at times. Would recommend.

No Homo (75666 words) by snatchim This is just crack up. So funny and still funny even when the no homo joke is done to death. Jungkook convinces his homophobic best friend to do some 'no homo' acts after a spontaneous threesome. Who knew all you needed was a threesome to get a boyfriend these days?

what am I, darling? (18960 words) by paliampelo Heartbreakingly well written unrequited love from Jimin. Jungkook flits around from person to person until he finds his hyung's lips surprisingly irresistible. I really love some of the dialogue in this and the first kiss scene is just *chefs kiss*. You wouldn't believe how many times I read that shit.

Hybrid Fics:

Devil Dog (151164 words) by Charmander Uggggh why is everything they write so amazing? I think I read this like 2-3 times in the last year. Hybrid Jungkook and human Jimin who has a sick up his ass but has a wonderful character arc. Fantastic read. Recommend this to everyone!

I See Summer in Your Smile (28115 words) by frenchfries4life Oooof. Jaguar hybrid Jungkook is sliiick ya'll and I love how relatively transparent his character is in this fic, and it still works. Definitely recommend this for anyone who needs to be eased into the hybrid world, though this one kinda blends with some ABO themes.

Fantasy/Magical/Demon Fics:

NIGHTSHADE BLAZE (131143 words) by carameLIZed_suga I truly believe this is a MUST READ for every Jikook fan. With the amount of recognition it has, I would be suprised if you haven't read it honestly. It's just so so so good. Probably the third or fourth dragon fic I've read, but definitely my favourite so far and probably the fic I've re-read the most.

Soul To Sell (43003 words) by carameLIZed_suga Demon's Jimin and Jungkook have been fighting and thirsting over eachother for years and it is a wonderful spectacle to consume. Super hot...and devilishly well paced for those of you who are impatient readers. At this point just read all of caramelized suga if you like a couple of their stories.

you love me, you love me not (164358 words) by melodrunkcherry In a series of unfortunate events, witch Jimin makes a love potion for Namjoon and Jungkook drinks it. They're at a witch school, coven thing. I can't fully remember this but it was enchanting and a very fun read.

you shine in this pitch darkness (161271 words) by tinymiminie Demon Jungkook rarely visits earth, but when he sees Jimin's colourful soul and fluffy hair, he's whipped. This is a different take on demon Jungkook that was enjoyable to read. Jimin is just a ball of squish and Jungkook an evil puppy.

ABO:

Bloom In Rebellion (189138 words) by infinitetwinkles This fic had refreshing world building and themes that was nice to see in the ABO world. Read this really quickly and wish I discovered this author sooner!

everything you do (i want to do it with you) (10113 words) by serendiplini Sickeningly sweet friends to lovers. Tae is so done with their shit and I love it.

A Tale of a Lonely Pup (51325 words) by Vitamin_PJM Angsty true mates fic set in university that is super cute!

The Rogue (226263 words) by Allnighter_Friend Oooooo if you haven't read this. Read it. Just trust me. I devoured this fic and it just gives you all the feels. Jimin is standing in as the leader of his pack while his father is sick. There are rogues in the forest and when out on a hunt with the crew, they catch said rogue, Jungkook. Many good twists and turns and some good enemies that actually do bad. Unlike those soft enemies who are kinda just...there.

Broken (before I met you) (36611 words) by peachywritten Soft. So soft and cute at the heart. Good pacing.

(k)not stuck (11550 words) by carameLIZed_suga Raunchy neighbour/nemesis read that was also pretty funny.

A Tale of Amber and Honey (74960 words) by carameLIZed_suga Old friends to lovers with some well deserved angst in ABO world. Really enjoyed this!

chasing dusk, catching dawn (17221 words) by carameLIZed_suga First ever fic I've read featuring and enigma wolf. Really primal hunt-and-be-hunted dick-swinging competition and a bit violent in the good way if you can handle it.

Harder Than a Diamond (21652 words) by carameLIZed_suga Another raunchy fic. Probably less violent than the one above but crime boss Jungkook is always a win.

Clueless with a Pinch of Chilli (35000 words) by Vitamin_PJM Their friends set Jimin up on blind dates after he gives up on Jungkook. Jikook are two idiots who deserve each other and are cute and clueless in the process.

In A Rut (21935 words) by Gylliweed Jungkook struggles with violent ruts and Jimin helps coach him through it. Really like how this was approached.

The Gathering (43406 words) by Gylliweed Every year trials are completed and the winner can ask for whatever they want. Jungkook and Jimin are both gunning for the win when they start catching feeeeelings. Damn I loved this one. Ate it up like a sweet apple pie.

Fragile (68881 words) by Neoneun_na I don't remember this super well but I do remember it being soft. Good feels.

The Courage To Live (128832 words) by infinitetwinkles Timid Jimin and caring Jungkook. Classic dynamic and story.

There for You (29788 words) by Ocean_View_Song Softmore Jimin is pining for senior Jungkook who gets possessive when a threat arises. Very cute and we love a good jeonlous story.

To Hurt and To Heal (40587 words) by rinnieluv Solo mama Jimin comes across Jungkook when on the run and so the story unfolds. Touching connections and cute pups.

Nepenthe (81318 words) by cakeandruin Jimin is an omega who goes against the packs norms but meets an alpha werewolf who can transform, unlike him. Everyone is scared of Jungkook and they live on the outskirts of the pack together in the woods. It's a domestic and sweet story, would probably even call it a classic ABO.

your fingerprints on my heart (5850 words) by nimy Jimin thinks alpha Jungkook can't stand him, but the cutie is misunderstanding the dummy's intentions. Nice, quick read.

Other Fics:

Sunflower (152054 words) by merryasoul Enemies to lovers fic that I waited to read. Me. Waiting. Patiently to read this because it was so good. I remember stumbling on this and staying up all night to read the first chapters that were out because the great characters and details captured me and the build up over years with Jikook really hooks you. I seriously recommend you read this if you haven't already and give the author some loove.

soft animal (46729 words) by paliampelo Jungkook has amnesia after a car accident. We all know the first original Jikook amnesia fic and I think this is a nice one too in its own way.

the joy of sex (31410 words) by decompositionbooks Roomates fic - Jungkook makes love in his room and seems like a sex god and Jimin is curious. Solid.

Top Chooks (17177 words) by carameLIZed_suga Rivals to lovers fic where Jimin and Jungkook play gay chicken at a party. Hilarious and hot.

And thats a wrap!

If you made it to the end, thank you for reading. I tend to pile up fics in my bookmarks and wanted to clear them out somehow - I've decided, this will be my approach going forward so stay tuned for the next one.

[skay-ali]

Little Sparrow

The idea of ​​a spy reading runs through my mind, even more so when I remember Anna, Operation Red Sparrow and Agent Salt.

The first idea that comes to mind is that you are the daughter of Bruce and a Russian spy.

Of course she never tells the man, after all it was just a setback that arose from their adventure, on the way to a mission.

She decides to stay with you and start a new life, something that didn't last long because her enemies killed her

Leaving you in the care of Russian spies.

You became his new masterpiece, after all your mother's and your father's blood created a perfect girl for this field of spies.

Murder, seduce and seduce important people, steal important information and other things, you were capable of all of that.

Until you were replaced, at such a young age you were used as a scapegoat for the United States government.

You ended up with all the scum, locked in jail, rotting.

Until intelligence agent Amanda Waller offers you to join her famous suicide squad, in exchange for getting out of jail. basically sell your soul to the devil again.

The other idea is that she is Bruce and Selina's daughter.

When they were just starting their relationship, Selina, worried about putting you in danger, left you in the care of one of her clients, a Russian millionaire, who has no children, but a wife who loves them.

You were everything they needed. They were a happy family, until the man's enemies kill the entire family, leaving you alive.

You become an orphan with no future, until some agents recruit you, remembering your great abilities and skills at school.

Whatever the case, you ended up in the suicide squad full of people more demonite than you.

What you didn't expect is that each of the members who are older than you see you as their little girl, whom they must protect.

The different members teach him to fight like them, to handle swords, to shoot...

Even Harley Quinn, the crazy psychopath as you nicknamed her, doesn't stop treating you like her little daughter and teaching you everything she knows. well you wouldn't complain you had fun stealing with her.

The problem was that when the Justice League found out about the new member of the squad.

The savior complex appeared, but it was too late for you, you liked this life of action and danger, much more if you could take revenge on those who betrayed you.

Oh I can imagine Bruce realizing that they are family, and everyone in the league being surprised, because his daughter is equally or more dangerous than Harley Quinn.

Imagine that the league and the squad get together because of some problem, they start fighting everyone against everyone, and reader, without imitating himself, is savage with all his opponents.

with a batman trying to stop his daughter and get her on the right path.

thinking that a loving family would make up for all the years she was raised as a lethal weapon.

maybe reader on a mission, alone where she faces young supers, a cute smile and a flirt, and has them in her palm.

Oh and I think, some obsessive ones.

[mllemaenad]

Listening to Wyll's backstory in context of all the details we're acquiring on devil's contracts and soul selling is fascinating.

See - I listened to Lann Tarv's three tales to get my soul coins. I felt bad for making Karlach listen to that, obviously, but to be honest I didn't even want the coins that much. I actually wanted the stories. I wanted a better understanding of how this works.

And what I'm learning is - for the gods (and godlike beings) of this world, cruelty seems to be the point. I mean - it's possible there's a god in this world I wouldn't want to stab to death with a rusty fork, but if so I have not met them yet.

These beings have the power to save people and places, to change lives, to do anything. And when someone asks them to - they demand a terrible price. But they don't just demand a price. They subvert the original request in such a way that they utterly fail to deliver on the original promise.

An abused woman wishes to be loved - and her true love appears, but dies instantly. A man wishes to save his children from starvation, and ends up personally growing masses of meat on his own body - not only painful for him, but forcing his children into survival cannibalism, which they were trying to avoid.

Auntie Ethel works the same way. Every one of her customers is left in a tortured state, while Ethel still takes her payment.

The idea is that the person must come to regret their wish long before the payment comes due. Every cry for help must be met with a boot to the face. Or else the mortals will get uppity? Or something.

What is interesting is how consciously Wyll defies that. And how much Mizora is dancing around, trying to force him into that state of miserable regret.

Wyll was manipulated into selling his soul. He was a kid, and he was summoned into a terrible situation - and in that moment, he could see no other way to save the city. Mizora did need to save Baldur's Gate to serve her boss's purposes, so she couldn't take that victory from him - but she did everything she could to take the joy of it.

He didn't get respect, or admiration, or his father's pride for saving the city. He lost his home and his family. He was assumed to have done something monstrous because he was denied an opportunity to defend himself.

That was supposed to fill him with bitterness and regret - but he got to work building his own life instead. By the time you run into him, the Blade of Frontiers is a hero of some renown. He's remade himself, and found a way to enjoy what his powers can do, however he came by them.

So that didn't work.

Then Mizora sent him after Karlach, and that was a mission tailored to break him. Karlach is kind and heroic herself, and that the start she has been sold into slavery, mutilated and forced to fight in a war against her will. If Wyll killed her, and then found out who she really was, then he betrayed everything the Blade of Frontiers is supposed to stand for - and he would lose the life he made for himself.

But he didn't, and that didn't work either. He's got a friend, now, who at least knows part of what he's dealing with.

So Mizora gave him demonic features. That would destroy the life he's made for himself, because no one would trust him to help them.

Except now Wyll basically goes nowhere on his own, and a small army of people can attest that he got those horns and eyes as punishment for being a good man. Mizora might be able to shut his mouth, but she can't silence his friends - and the group absolutely have shouting sessions about everything. Wyll's horns become a battle scar, like his missing eye, and nothing more.

And beyond that, if you are playing as a heroic character, a significant throughline in the game's story is the journey of the tiefling refugees. The story makes it clear that these people experience a constant barrage of racism, due to their appearance and "demonic" heritage. It also makes it abundantly clear that this prejudice is entirely undeserved - they're just people, with virtues and flaws like everyone else, and what is happening to them is terrible. So Wyll turns up to assist a bunch of people whom he now at least somewhat resembles - and with Karlach along, you have two people in the group who technically count as "infernal", but haven't got an evil bone in either of their bodies.

Mizora created solidarity. Oops.

Wyll is deeply suspicious of gods and higher powers. He doesn't want to make more deals with devils. When Elminster arrives to tell Gale what Mystra demands of him, he explicitly says he does not do religion. When you get Mizora to agree to let his contract expire in six months, he starts by casually invoking the gods - but switches to thanking the player character instead, because he knows who helped, and who did not.

But he utterly refuses to regret the pact he made. That can be a struggle. He clearly misses his dad, and would like that relationship repaired. The fact that he was transformed very much against his will is clearly a source of distress from him.

But if he regrets, then Mizora wins. That's it. Game over. She gets what she wanted all along. So he doesn't.

The main companion characters all have this kind of problem, and naturally have different ways of dealing with it. You have characters like Shadowheart and Lae'zel, who were indoctrinated as children, or Gale, who was literally seduced by one of these nightmare deities - and with them you have to start out by convincing them they they were the wronged party in the first place.

But Wyll knows exactly what game he's playing, and he's been screaming defiance the whole time. It's just that, in his case, the "defiance" is grinning and carrying on every time Mizora inflicts some more bullshit on him.

[neerons]

Some of Sariel Noir's best quotes

"Know that this devil will stake his life on your pure heart, your wise gaze, and your fierce resolve."

"There is something I wish to protect, even if it means selling my soul to the true devil himself, and burning for all eternity in the fires of hell."

"Do you realize who you resemble, when you act in that manner?" (—Sariel to Emma acting like him)

"Rio, what in the world makes you think she could be in a flower vase? Calm yourself." (—Sariel talking about Emma to Rio while they're looking for her)

"There is no harm in sucking up to me."

"You have always been courageous, determined to put your emotions aside and process things logically whenever possible. And I certainly consider it a desirable trait to possess. But too much has happened this evening, and I imagine you're well past the limit of what you can tolerate. I do not mind if you need to prioritize how you are feeling right now."

"If you ever refer to me like that again, I must warn you that you may not see the next sunrise." (—Sariel to Gilbert calling him 'Daddy')

"At last I've found you. (...) I imagine a little discipline will go a long way with you... hehe..."

"It would seem you have a lot of confidence in your ability to remember things. (...) ...I am simply wondering whether you ought not be taking notes. While it's true books can be reread, much of the information I am sharing with you is not written down anywhere. As such, you may find it useful to write things down so that you may review them later."

"So long as the kingdom and its people exist, our noble beasts will give everything they have to protect it. As you know, they have very different ideologies, and they are a problematic lot, but... on this one matter alone, almost all of them can be trusted." (—Sariel talking about the Rhodolitian princes to Emma)

"It's a basic right. Everyone needs time to rest and relax, no matter who they are."

"I'm fond of those who are wise—regardless of gender."

"I'm talking about the creature that says 'squeak squeak' and begins with the letter R. I cannot even put that filthy word in my mouth." (—Sariel talking about rats)

"(...) Prince Gilbert, rude though it may be of me to ask, perhaps you would be kind enough to vanish for the time being?"

"There probably aren't many ladies that would be able to approach Prince Gilbert." (—Sariel talking in front of Emma, Keith, Silvio, Rio and Gilbert)

"...Now, now. I am a man, you are a woman, and we're all alone in your bedroom at night. How might you want this scenario to end?"

"To say that I'm relieved to have you beside me is an understatement." (—Sariel's lobby dialogue)

"(...) I did feel some murderous intent in the cane, however." (—Sariel to Gilbert pointing his cane at him)

"Dear Prince Clavis, (...) Apparently you made a child bawl in the middle of town? Please act your age. (...) There have been complaints that people who got wet because of you were close to catching colds because of it. It's winter. Please do not be using water or ice. This is not an invitation to make traps using fire. *NO MICE. The next time I see any, I will put them in a bag along with you and send it down the river. I have warned you." (—Sariel's letter to Clavis)

"...Prostate himself? (...) ...Ahh, I see. Wonderful, I shall have to make the hellcat do it the next time I get the chance." (—Sariel talking about Clavis to Rio)

"You damned hellcat—" (—Sariel to Clavis)

"I do not know what choice you will make going forward, but... For as long as you are able, do not let each other go. Especially because you love each other. It makes no difference whether you are a prince or a commoner. A person needs someone to love in order to remain human. I learned this after witnessing what happened to His Majesty." (—Sariel to Rio)

"What on earth are you doing curled up so disgracefully on the floor like that, Dog?" (—Sariel to Rio)

"(...) At that time, Clavis was the most innocent and childlike of the princes. I had to admit that I was easily swayed by his sweet grin. He took a keen interest in anything and everything, and he had a strong drive. Clavis was the student—well, disciple—I shared most of my knowledge with." (—Sariel's thoughts about young Clavis)

"Which do you like better, spending time with me like this, or spending time reading a book?"

"You are right, it would be tactless of me to speak ill of you when you are present. I shall wait until you are absent, and then I will be free to speak as much ill of you as I wish." (—Sariel to Clavis)

"(...) I'm the one who taught Prince Nokto and Prince Licht how to use their swords."

"I wonder how many times he and I have shared a drink now. I remembered the times where instead of amber-colored wine, there was water or milk in the cups in front of us. We had been partaking in these laidback meetings ever since we were both young. They were an absolute necessity for us." (—Sariel's thoughts about Jin)

"(...) You misunderstand me. I don't hate the man, I despise him." (—Sariel talking about Clavis to Emma)

"Now, now. Don't be so sullen. Another fundamental aspect of training someone is to make them want something but never completely satisfy them."

"I also despise hellcats, miscreants, oh, and the Third Prince." (—Sariel talking about Clavis)

"If you do, I'm not nursing you back to health." (—Sariel to Rio telling him he might faint because of how beautiful Emma is)

"(...) Since Emma isn't available to praise you, shall I do the honors instead?" (—Sariel to Rio)

"Hehe, I'm never going to let you run away from this palace of beasts. Will you continue to allow them, and myself, to enjoy your company to the fullest?"

"My hobby is teasing those who are worth teasing, such as yourself. Think of it as an honor that you met my expectations." (—Sariel's lobby dialogue)

"In that instance, I was considering binding Emma's arms behind her back and dumping her in the river. Hehe, naturally, I am joking. I have absolute confidence in my judge of character." (—Sariel talking about Emma potentially failing his test to Rio and Emma)

"I have one more order for you, if that's all right. (...) I'd like you to have a drink with me like this every now and then."

"(...) if it is to be a competition, perhaps I shall take part as well." (—Sariel reacting to Luke saying he would steal Emma away)

"The princes were all very excited when they discovered that today is your birthday. Happy birthday." (—Sariel's lobby dialogue)

"You allowed yourself to get so close to her that rumors began circulating that she was your mistress. Did you keep Belle at your side even knowing it would have no benefit for you?" (—Sariel to Chevalier)

"Prince Chevalier's faction are perhaps a little too free-willed, and at times the ache in my—"

"Consider it one of the perks of being Belle. You are permitted to keep a pet at the palace. (...) This is your pet, is it not? When I entered the bookstore, it started barking non-stop, so I had no choice but to bring it with me." (—Sariel talking about Rio to Emma)

"Hmm? Is something the matter? I can't imagine why you're blushing. Careful now, or you really will get eaten."

"Don't worry. It doesn't matter what kind of noise you make. If anyone overhears and finds fault with you, this devil of a man will take care of it. So please, won't you allow me to hear every last sweet sound?"

[ickle-anthology]

I’d like to be optimistic and say this will be short and sweet, however it has grown increasingly apparent that I do nothing by half measures. I suppose if you’re going to do a job - do it properly. Go big or go home, right? 

I’m trying to learn how to set healthy boundaries, which is extremely challenging for an empath that feels everything as deeply as I do and has been through the things that I’ve been through. I suppose my need to people please stems from wanting to help and lighten the load in anyway possible for the people I care deeply about at the expense of my own peace. It’s even more unbearable when I have walked in their shoes with and know what it’s like when you have nowhere to turn to, unfortunately helping doesn’t always go the way I intend but at-least I can say I tried and gave it my all, and by doing so leaves my conscious clear and unburdened. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my fair share of awful things in my life, some worse than others and some that have left lasting scars that I’m still sowing up- but I actually quite like me, however I acknowledge that there’s always room for improvement. I have a long list of things that I can’t change but would happily sell my soul to the devil to alter. I’m slowly coming to terms with the fact that some things aren’t meant to be changed and that no response is a response. Let’s be honest, you can’t be everyone’s cuppa tea otherwise you’d be a mug. 

You ever known what you needed to do but struggled to find the strength to do it? That’s the current predicament I’m faced with. The past few weeks I’ve had a lot of time to digest and reflect on the changes that have happened in my life - recent and not so recent changes. Up until recently, I considered myself to be a healed woman but I realise now that healing isn’t a linear path and the more I experience different things, the more I realise I’m still on that healing journey - and that’s ok, being honest with myself about it is probably the best thing I can do. I like to think I always look for best in people, that I can feel the good in them. But like with anything in this universe, there must be balance and everything that goes up, must come down eventually... I see the undesirable and distasteful flaws too, I don’t look at the world through a looking glass and I’m not as naive as some people may choose to believe. I have this uncanny ability to read people like books, and without a doubt my silence gets mistaken for an absence of knowledge, when it’s quite the opposite in fact. I’m a firm believer that you shouldn’t open your mouth and comment on something unless you know it’s accurate and have the ability to back it up. So with that statement, if you are on the receiving end of me opening my mouth about a subject, then prepare to be slapped with the unbias, and unadulterated truth - which as we know, can be more cold and callous than any lie. Everything I do, I do for a reason. I strategically and methodologically analyse every situation and every possible outcome of it so I am able to understand it but ultimately protect myself. One of my favourite quotes is that ‘the truth always prevails in the end’ and boy does it ever. 

It grows more evident the older I get that this ability I have to read people is an unconscious decision that stems from being hyper vigilant. It does present its problems though, like causing the feeling of being constantly stuck between the stages of fight, flight or freeze, it’s a blessing and a curse - one would say oxymoronic at its true core. Life has always been so black and white for me, and learning grey has been exhausting, both mentally and physically but truly worth it in hindsight. Im allowing colour to trickle back into my life slowly though and it’s given me the foresight to see the world (and the people in it) in a different light, just like a kaleidoscope. Up until a few years ago, I was always so sure of the person I was, but the past few years really made me question everything I know about people… myself included. I got hurt by people that I never thought were capable of the things they did, and lost people that I thought would be in my life indefinitely. Some things have become so deeply imbedded in my soul that they occasionally weep, so I guess you could say nothing ceases to surprise me anymore. I always say that I’m going to hope for the best and prepare for the worst but preparing for the worst has become somewhat of a ritual for me and I grow evermore cautious of hope with each passing day. 

Without a doubt, the biggest and hardest pill to swallow as of recent months has been that not everyone has a good heart just because I do. More importantly, just because I treat people with kindness, understanding and compassion, doesn’t mean I’ll receive the same treatment back. I’ve realised that over the past few weeks that it reflects more about them and their character, than it does me. Not everyone has the same moral compass as me, nor everyone has a big heart full of love like me and some people are only interested in saving their own skins - don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with protecting your peace. But there’s a difference between protecting your peace and remaining silent and then lying and stonewalling those individuals, especially when they try to communicate in a healthy way with you about a problem. We all mess up, but I think what’s important is owning your behaviours. It’s come to my attention that not everyone I’ve crossed paths with have spent the time looking at their own maladaptive coping mechanisms. They haven’t given themselves the respect to understand or recognise where the dysregulation stems from, and as a direct result from that, it allows for an inability to correct their behaviour at its root stem and be better in the future - so they are just stuck in the same cycles. I’ve realised that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink, and if this is the bed they chose to make then let them sleep in it. Theres nothing wrong with feeling emotions in that precise moment though and giving yourself time to sit in your grief, but I emphasise that no joy ever comes from wallowing in them for prolonged periods of time and there is a time where you will have to deal with those feelings and situations head on before they swallow you whole. 

I think for now I’ll enjoy sitting back, remaining humble and continue to people watch. They say time heals all wounds but I think time only gives us the ability to reflect and process those wounds. If we don’t deal with the monsters under our beds, and the damage they cause to ourselves and others, then they never really go away - they just get better at hiding by wearing a mask. Inevitably, they always trickle back in and just like clockwork, they always come full circle. Poetically, it’s always at the least desirable moment and before you know it, you’re weeping through the cuts you scrambled so desperately to bandage. The right path is not always the path with least resistance, we all know what we need to do but it’s just finding the strength to do it. You really do get back what you put into the universe.

[reality-detective]

The world has always and still is owned by Satan, it is rotten to the core, that’s why anyone with any considerable degree of power or influence has had to sell their soul to the devil to get there.

And the Bible actually says that 👆

First he is called 👇

I will not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of the world (Satan) is coming. And he has no claim on Me [no power over Me nor anything that he can use against Me]

John 14: 30

Then he is called 👇

And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins, in which you once walked. You were following the ways of this world [influenced by this present age], in accordance with the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who is now at work in the disobedient [the unbelieving, who fight against the purposes of God].

Ephesians 2: 1-2

It was through the Pizzagate scandal that we painfully learned of the symbols and language that pedophile’s use to communicate amongst themselves. Pizza is code for ‘little girl’. I don’t want to even begin to imagine what P. Diddy was telling the other person to do…

The worst aspect of this awakening journey is by far, having to learn just how depraved, sadistic, satanic and psychopathic these people are.

Approximately millions of children are reported missing worldwide each year. In the United States alone, an average of 2,300 children are reported missing every day. If this is not humanity’s greatest tragedy, I don’t know what is…

Satan goes after the most sacred; the children, and until we all rise up in their defence, this world will not know peace, or harmony, or healing.

If we are to create a new world, we must face the ruler of this one, and it’s not God, it’s Satan.

he is not just the ruler or prince of this world but is called 👇

But even if our gospel is [in some sense] hidden [behind a veil], it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing; among them the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 4: 3-4

The video pinned at the top of my blog puts it plain and simple. Please watch it! 👇

You're living in the most incredible time in ALL of history combined and most people are sleeping right through it. 🤔

[starmocha]

Hi there. I'm back with theory #3 for Sylus' myth. Which....might be less evidence-heavy than the first two and really just me talking out of my ass. I started writing at midnight because that's just on brand clown behavior of me 🙃 ANYWAY...

People who haven't read Rafayel, Xavier, and Zayne's myths, please tread carefully, because I will touch upon them briefly and allude to events in their myths.

Quick recap from first post:

Theory 1: Sylus and MC must have been destined lovers in a past life, but due to whatever conflict, Sylus decided to break his bond with her for her protection and accept any punishment that comes with it, which could mean to be ruler of a place he has no desire for, an imprisonment of sort.

Theory 2: Destined lovers, but perhaps a third party interfered out of jealousy or spite. Could Sylus have been caught and framed of a crime and been literally imprisoned, thus forcing him and MC to separate?

So...I half-joked in a post that my new theory is that Sylus sold his soul to the devil. Or, you know, maybe he is the devil himself. This is partly stemmed from the Long-Awaited Revelry trailer, which has the word "demon" over a shot of him and later in the same trailer, one of Sylus' companion forms is aptly titled "Otherworldly Visitor". Make of that as you will.

And with the new trailer for No Defense Zone, we see that Sylus' right eye glows in a demonic way, similar to his in the LAR trailer. Even the atmosphere in both scenes seem a bit supernatural. Now....I didn't want to go there, but, um................do you suppose he is an incubus? 😭😭😭 The shot after "demon" has the word "desire," which can have a sexual connotation.

For those who don't know, an incubus is a male demon who preys on women sexually.......it would explain his kinky behavior in NDZ 💀 but I digress.......

Some of the first lines we hear from Sylus:

"Even if you wanted to sell your soul, you still have to find someone who can pay the price."

"Want some help? Yes? No? Maybe so?"

These lines reinforce the idea of "deal with the devil". In the new theme song, Visions opposées, the singer also sings this line: "Mais c'est le prix à payer" (But that's the price to pay). It could just be figurative, or it could hold some literal truth, because I found it interesting how that verse overlaps with Sylus' scenes. I doubt it's a coincidence since the devs are so good at planting seeds.

From the chorus, in order, we hear:

[MINOR RAFAYEL, XAVIER, & ZAYNE SPOILERS]

"But that's the price to pay / o'love" - Rafayel, God of the Sea, is separated by MC. His price? His civilization.

"Stars will always shine / But with pain" - Xavier and MC are separated (side note: I don't have the second half of Xavier's first myth yet, so I can't elaborate too much. But I've seen enough references to understand the scene depicted in the MV)

"Though separated / Hearts cling on" - Zayne (The Foreseer) is separated from MC in many lifetimes. The memories of their love are tied to the jasmine flowers even if they forget.

[END SPOILERS]

"That's the price to pay / Yet lovers endure forevermore"

This is the verse that plays over Sylus' scene. What is his price? Does the following verse mean that he and MC must always endure something? Hardship? Misfortune?

When the chorus repeats a second time near the end, all of the above verses coincide with the intended love interest. It absolutely can be argued that all four love interests paid a price for their love, and not just Sylus. This whole tangent was brought up to follow with the whole "deal with the devil" aspect. As stated previously, I wouldn't be surprised if the devs and songwriters intended for the lyrics to have layers upon layers of meaning in relation to the stories.

Also take into consideration the lyrics from the song in Sylus' first official trailer, Tangible Shackles:

The outlaw again celebrates this encounter in fate It's time to break the seal they set in mind It's time they will have to pay the price

To me, though, in this song, the verse sounds very vengeful. It sounds almost vindictive, as if someone must be punished for whatever wrongdoing done against Sylus.

Watching the interview for Visions opposées, it seems the LADS team has shared enough of the intended stories for the songwriters to understand and pen the songs we hear. I trust that there will be complete clarity to the lyrics once we're able to understand Sylus' myth.

Love is the privilege of mortals

A gift the gods covet in vain

Astra, you ass, is that you

Now remember the first official trailer for Sylus? Yeah. Long-Awaited Revelry. Do you know what "revelry" mean? 'Cause I sure as heck didn't and kept wanting to read it as rivalry

revelry. noun. a situation in which people are drinking, dancing, singing, etc. at a party or in public, especially in a noisy way. — Cambridge Dictionary

To put it simply, "long-awaited party," which with the new knowledge of the timeline of scenes shown, we can clearly see a scene of MC entering a ballroom where Sylus is at in the trailer.

What type of party is this? Long-awaited? Maybe an engagement? In the MV, you can catch a brief glimpse of guests in the background watching MC enter. It seems almost like Sylus is waiting to show her off. The dance they share also seem intimate, and Sylus' expression is very soft and tender.

Previously, I alluded that it looks like MC and Sylus' wrist are bounded by a thread, similar to the Red Thread of Fate, but afterwards, I had my doubts, and if in keeping with the theme of being trapped, perhaps they were actually cuffed? I have previously mentioned that handcuffs have shown up often in the trailers.

To be cuffed together makes it seem like it wasn't a choice for one or both people. Kind of pondering if maybe MC might have sold her soul to Sylus, thus becoming bounded to him?

I have also made a lot of references to the myth of Hades and Persephone previously (still holding onto it with every fiber of my being tbqh), BUT for the sake of this third theory, let's revise the above scene to mean...

Sylus, a demonic creature, is trapped on the dark side while MC is a mortal on the light side (mortal realm). He knows their love can never be, so he forces whatever bond they made together to break, setting her free to remain in the mortal realm while he remains trapped in the Underworld.

Interestingly, Sylus conjures up a gun, pressing it to his chest where his heart would be. And he makes MC shoot him. ....thus breaking their bond? Or killing him idk man

This appears to be the following appearance of him after he is shot in his chair:

I'm sorry if this seems out of left field and my mind works in a weird way, but.....the scene above kind of made me think of the Roman/Greek myth for Cupid/Eros and Psyche. Rather, I was thinking of the scene where after her jealous sisters manipulated her and planted seeds of doubts, Psyche betrays her husband's trust and broke her promise to not view his face and learn of his identity. She carries a dagger with the intention of killing him.

In the aforementioned myth, Psyche does journey into the Underworld during a final trial set forth by Cupid/Eros' mother, Venus/Aphrodite. Other than that, there might not be many other correlations I can make in regard to the scene depicted in Visions opposées.

Speaking of Cupid (Roman name, but aka Eros in Greek mythology), however, it's also worth noting that Cupid was described as a "demon of fornication" by some mythographers. Take this part with a grain of salt since this was due to adapting the Roman myth for Christian usage. I do, however, vaguely recalled in some Greek/Roman myths, Eros/Cupid was viewed as devious by the other gods due to him being able to make both mortals and the gods fall in love depending on his whims, be it out of mischievousness or malice.

So....Cupid....God of desire....erotic love.............that earlier incubus comment I made?? 😭 This part I am definitely pulling out of my ass. 💀 Let's just wrap this post up. 🫠

If we look at the myth from the angle that Sylus is a demon, then....

Theory 3: Sylus is a demon who has come across MC, and for whatever reason, she is desperate to make a deal with a demon, thus bounding herself to him. Perhaps over time, Sylus grows to adore her, but maybe MC betrays his trust, whether it be intentional or at the manipulation of others? Could he have tested her when he made her shoot him? Was he willing to die for her, even if it's at her hands?

Uhhhh.....yeah. This theory seems more far-fetched. 🫠 Well, thanks for your time! If any of the crumbs I've presented stirred any theories from you all, I'd love to hear it! Bye. 💕

[banes-favourite]

What do you think Enver's first night in the House of Hope was like? Did he see his parent's betrayal coming? Did he miss them anyway? Did he sleep that first night at all?

I've wanted to write a fic about this for so long oml.

I don't think he suspected anything about his parents selling him tbh. He was a brilliant kid and very observant, he wouldn't have survived that long if he wasn't, and he probably did notice his parents speaking with people that weren't exactly customers, conducting something shady. But he was so young. He was so innocent. What kind of child even thinks of the possibility that their parents could give them away? Could sell them for a stupid debt? Especially after working as hard as his little hands and mind could to help around the store, steal from nobles and make money selling his little toys. He was trying to help. How was he supposed to know his parents had other plans?

And my god, the day they took him, it was so fast but no less traumatising. One second he was hiding behind the counter, watching with the curiosity of a 9 year old child as his mother spoke with someone who looked important, the next he was grabbed by the wrist and forced to follow. He screamed, of course, asking what was happening. He cried out to his mom, clawing his way out of the grip, running to grab at her dress and hide himself in the seams. He cried out to her, even when he was pulled again and thrown over the stranger's shoulder and my god his own mother didn't even care to fucking face him as he was taken away and screaming his throat raw.

And his first night there?? Jesus. Talk about traumatising. Imagine being a street urchin in the Lower City who's only heard of devils in fairy tails and suddenly you're in the Hells and in the very house of one. And all you get as an explanation is that you'll play a great role one day and then thrown into a cell you'll call home for a decade to come. Imagine how scared he was of all the new smells, how terrified he must have been hearing all the tortured souls screaming, seeing all these strange people and beasts and monsters who slap him for 'disrespecting them' when he so much as looked at them.

Yeah, I think he missed his parents that first night. He missed being around his mom when she cooked, helping his dad strap leather into shoes, choosing to ignore all the times they hit and yelled and fought, choosing to remember only the good things as he cried his little heart out. Maybe if he remembered them as good, they'd actually come to take him back. He probably ran out of tears that first night, curled up into the corner of his room, sobbing for someone to save him. He probably cried for 2 days straight afterwards. He was just a kid. A confused and helpless and lonely kid. How could they do that to a kid?

[princess-of-thebes-bc]

Imagine.

Chosen to be the next titan Shifter of Marley. Trained to kill innocent people on the other side of the world. Brainwashed to thinking them as devils.

Wanting to stop. But, will be a traitor if you do. Lost your childhood. Your happiness. Your sanity.

Now... Captured by the crazed Captain Ackerman himself.

Degrading you. Disgracing you.

You couldn't give information. Your family and innocent ones related to you will be killed. You signed a contract.

Levi decided to take it up a notch. You ruined him. He blames you for stealing his mind, body, and soul. Especially his heart.

Women are always the downfall of men.

But... The downfall of women are her children.

Levi smirked as he watched your lithe form swell.

As he expected, you gave in for your baby's sake.

You couldn't go back home. A traitorous war weapon on the loose. Wanted dead and hunted down. And the people of Paradis viewed you as an enemy and lab rat.

You were forced to be in Levi's arms. He enjoyed your dependency on him. He fathered all your babies each year for the past seven years.

You loved your children. How could you not? But, you were jealous of them. They had a doting and loving father. While you did not. And a wonderful childhood. His occupation and respect spoiled his children with a wealthy house, clothes, toys, pets and more.

Now, Hanji told you Levi is in the hospital. In critical condition. He might die this time. You should be happy. You were confused that you were not.

Why? He took your virginity, your identity and fixed you to be Mrs. Levi Ackerman, and stripped you out of your Marley Citizenship.

But, who will help you raise your young children?

You don't trust stepfathers. Your own father was cruel to sell you to the lab coats for money. Maybe good fathers like Levi was is rare.

Just because Levi was a good father and a good person means he was a good man. Right? He was cruel to you. Does your feelings and mental health even matter? Your oppression should be unheard?

You put a hand on your aching confused forehead.

Must be the symptoms of your current pregnancy.

Levi woke up from his small coma. He ran to you. And engulfed you in a hug. Trying to mold your body to his...

"My life flashed before my eyes." He recalled when Zeke almost ended him. "I saw your face the most. I thought of you before my friends and our children. I haven't spent any time with you compared to the others." He studied your angelic face. "I neglected the love of my life. What a fool I am."

He made you rest your head on his muscular chest. He was taller than you. You were average for a woman and he was short for a man. He still overshadowed you.

"Do you love me?" He titled your delicate chin up to see his dark navy eyes.

"I hate that I love you."

[chaoticorganizedmess]

Masterlist | Events | Dabi Masterlist

• Demon - a malevolent supernatural entity. Demons are often also thought to be subordinates of a principal Devil. As lesser spirits doing the Devil's work, they have additional duties— causing humans to have sinful thoughts and tempting humans to commit sinful actions.

I'm a Soul Man

Dabi (Demon) x F. Reader [Quirkless AU]

You go out to blow off some steam with your girlfriends for the night. While venting, you mention how you'd sell your soul for things with your lovelife to be different. It's just your luck that someone overhears that could help you with that.

Warnings: Smut below💋👇🏻; TW: Slight dubcon; Breeding kink; Slight degradation; Praising; Fingering; Oral sex(Receiving); Barebacking; Creampie; TW: Religious overtones

"When one calls upon a demon, one must be prepared for death to follow." - Margaret Rogerson

"I'm tellin' you guys, it's been horrible. I swear!" You punctuated your statement with a loud groan before downing the shot in your grip. One of your girlfriends standing behind your barstool rubs your back reassuringly. "You'll find someone one of these days." You shrugged but declined to scoff at her. Your friends were only trying to be supportive.

You're out drinking with a small group of girlfriends after a long week. Not only has your job been an extra pain in the ass for you, but your lovelife hasn't faired much better. So you drown your troubles with alcohol as you openly gripe about your recent love life.

The choices you've made in men and women haven't been great. Lately, you've been stood up or ghosted completely, uninterested in the individuals, or they've been incompatible in bed. The list goes on.

Then there's Keigo. When you bring up your longtime on-again/off-again love interest, some of your friends glance at each other or roll their eyes at the mention of his name. They know what's coming. It's been the same story for years now.

They aren't wrong, either. You go on to explain how you guys still have lots of fun together. How there's still feelings there for the both of you. However, Keigo says he wants an "open" relationship with you right now.

Unfortunately for you Keigo holds the key to your heart, even though he wants to put it in his pocket for now. So you aren't interested in investing your time in a relationship he won't stay faithful in. No matter how tough it is to move on from him.

"I'm so sorry, honey.", your one friend coos sympathetically. "Yeah, we hate that you're goin' through all this." You just shrug in response. You down another shot and mention of drinking at this bar more often. "At least he hasn't told me 'no' yet.", you slur as you jokingly point to the bartender.

The girls attempt to continue their best to be encouraging. Although it's sweet, the alcohol is starting to warp your attitude and their support is just beginning to annoy you. "I'd sell my soul to find a half decent guy who actually likes me around here.", you comment as you down another shot.

What you don't notice is the shadowy figure that shifts in his spot at the end of the bar a few feet away. Your closest friend sees your temperment begin to change and know it's time to cut you off. "Come on, Sweetie. Let's get you home."

Half of the girls help get you out to the SUV while the designated driver starts it up; the other half stays and pays the bar tab before making sure nothing is left behind, then exit and climb into the vehicle now idling out front of the bar.

When you make it home, most of the girls wait in the car while your best friend gets you inside. She helps you change into pajamas and into bed. Getting you a bottle of water to sit on your nightstand. You mumble a slurred "thank you" into your pillow while she kisses your forehead and tells you to text when you wake up in the morning.

You're snoring before she even locks up and leaves your place. Engulfed in the comfort of your bed. The window is cracked the slightest bit so you could feel the cool breeze moving over your hot skin. A few hours quickly come and go before your eyes suddenly blink open.

You're woken up in the middle of the night. It's near pitch black in your bedroom, but it's not the dark that has you nervous. It's the fact that you know there's someone there with you. You shoot upright in bed, hugging your blankets as close to your body as you can. Your eyes scan the darkness, trying to make out any figures nearby.

Your gaze lands on a spot across the room that seems somehow darker than the rest of it. After a few moments of staring, you start to second guess yourself. Maybe it was just all the alcohol coursing through your blood that had your mind playing tricks on you.

That was until the shadow began to shift and move. "Why don't you turn on the light, Babydoll." You nearly jump out of your skin when you suddenly hear the voice you don't recognize. It's clearly a man, but know that no guy you know would play such games with you.

"Go on.", he instructs, urging you to turn the light on again. Despite the terror building in you about the unknown around you, you obey. You lean over and feel for the lamp before clicking it on. Still keeping your eyes trained on the shadow.

When the light fills your room, you think that it's still your imagination running wild. However he's quick to assure you it's not. As if he could actively read your mind. It's still hard for you to wrap your brain around the view of the man you see before you.

He sits at the end of your bed. He's in a plain black suit with black tie. He has black, spiky hair and beautiful turquoise eye color. His skin is miscolored with a purple hue underneath his eyes and along the bottom of his face. You notice after a few moments they look like burns and are held to the healthier skin with staples.

Despite his looks, which some might call unsavory, you think he's rather handsome. He must sense what you're thinking because his quiet chuckling breaks you from your staring. You rub your eyes harshly. "I must be dreaming...", you stop and blink at him but he continues sitting there with a smile, "..o-or I'm still drunk." You snort unhumorously, "Yeah. Definitely drunk."

You flinch when he reaches his arm towards you. "Don't be scared, little mouse. I'm not trying to hurt you." You don't relent but remain still as he leans over and with his pointer finger touches the middle of your forehead. Suddenly, you're sober as a judge.

"W-What did you just do?", you question as you eye him suspiciously. He simply continues to smile. "I just wanted to help ya, and I'd like to help ya again." You narrow your eyes. "Help me with what?" The man simply shrugs as if it's nothing. "I want to give you what you asked for." You perk up and lean closer to him.

Before you can clarify what it is you asked for, the man rises to his feet. Almost like he's bored playing '20 Questions' with you already. He paces as he explains what he overhead you say at the bar. He clears his throat, and in your own voice, continues with "I'd sell my soul to find a half decent guy who actually likes me around here.".

Your eyes widen as big as saucers. "How did you do that?", you ask. Demanding to know but still full of curiosity. He simply gives you a half smile. "Just a little trick I can do."

He comes close to where you sit in bed and leans down to cup your face with one hand. "Let me give you what you've been looking for. What you've been wanting so badly." He looks deep into your eyes, almost reading loud and clear that you're going to be willing and pliant.

"What are you?", you question in a hushed tone. Almost as if you were scared to ask, or maybe too scared to find out the answer. "Someone who's wanted you since I first laid eyes on you. Someone who's liked you since watching you."

"My name is Dabi," replies before getting so close to you his lips brush against yours, "and I'm a demon." You lean back in shock and let out a quick laugh out of nervousness. Dabi seems to get a very serious look on his face for a moment, but it drops once he realizes you weren't laughing at him and never continued to do so.

Dabi stands up, straightening to his full height. It's obvious he's tall with a thin body. He's smiling again. "Look, I swear I'm still a half decent guy for a demon. I just have a job to do." He grabs the blankets bunched in front of you and gives them a playful tug.

"Come on, Babydoll. Lemme show you what you've been missin'." He tugs a little harder and you allow your covers to be slowly pulled away from you. When you feel an enormous amount of cool air on your skin you look down.

That's when you realize you're completely naked. How is that possible? Sure you were completely smashed when you got home, but you were sure your best friend helped you change. Even a few minutes ago you were positive you were wearing your pajamas.

You begin to panic and cover yourself as much as you can with you hands. "Stop it.", he commands in a soft voice. He takes your wrist in his hands but holds them with a lightened grip. "Don't fight it. Lemme see you." You suddenly feel like your mind is getting hazy and you comply.

"Fuckin' beautiful.", he whispers as he drinks in the sight of you. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint me." He glances up and sees the vacant expression on your face. That brings out a smile full of teeth and satisfaction from him. He softly runs his other pointer finger from in between your collar bones down the middle of your body. "You gonna let me give you a preview?"

You don't expect what happens next. When you nod, he immediately slips the finger into your core. "God be damned.", he comments with a snort. "You're already soaked f' me." He's only in and out of you a time or two before you're moaning up a storm. It's just a few minutes later that you feel an orgasm coming on. When you're just at the edge, he removes his finger and you let out a whine.

"You wanna cum?", he asks playfully. You nod eagerly though, not playing around. Dabi absolutely loves the pleading look in your eyes. He doesn't think it could get any better until you grab his white shirt with both hands. "Please!", you beg and he pretends to think it over.

"I'd love to...", he replies coyly, "...so how about we make a deal?" You continue to nod and beg. "Yes, please. Deal! Please...". Dabi simply shushes you. "Don't worry, Darlin'. You'll get what you deserve." He leans in close, "We just have to seal the deal with a kiss." You nod and lean in, closing your eyes and kissing him deeply. Wrapping your arms around his neck.

He indulges you. He wasn't trying to just finalize the deal but make the most out of being with you. Had your eyes been open, you would've seen his true form. White hair, full horns out and all. However, when he pulls back, nothing looks amiss. You almost look sad. Did you just make a mistake? Was he going back on his own deal?

Dabi steps over to the end of the bed where he was sitting before. The forlorn look you have is priceless to him. He'd almost be entertained if he wasn't so enthralled by you.

If he didn't want you so badly.

Dabi removes his suit jacket and places it in his previous spot. "Don't worry yourself, little mouse. I'll make you feel good." You beam at him, shifting in your spot in anticipation. He slowly unbuttons his dress shirt, making it a show for you. Once he's shirtless, your able to see he's not just thin but has an athletic build.

Something you can't miss over his rippling muscles is more purple skin. It's still held to the good skin with more staples. It seems to be a random pattern, but you could tell it wraps around his entire body.

You're too captivated to notice the clicking sound of his belt coming undone but when he drops his pants your mouth instantly waters. He's certainly equipped for the task at hand. Not too long to hurt but girthy enough to fill your hole just right.

Now fully naked, he begins to crawl up the bed and over you. That makes you slink down and lay on you back until he's completely on top of you. Dabi kisses you deeply before moving to your neck.

Once he's happy with the purple marks he leaves along your neck and collarbone, he kisses down you body. Before long he's planting kisses on your mound and positioned right at your entrance.

"Now, before I give you a taste of what you're missing, I wan' a taste of you." Dabi licks upwards along your lips and you suck in a deep breath. Seeing you're reaction gets him going and he delves into your womanhood with enthusiasm. You're writhing in pleasure as he eyes your reactions while he works his magic. "Holy Hell, you taste so good.", he breathes into your hot core.

You already feel like he's bringing you to the edge again, and his words only turn you on more. You take strands of his black hair in your grip as you get closer to cumming. Dabi sucks gently on your clit and you let out your loudest moan yet. "I'm..I'm gonna cum!".

Dabi chuckles as he goes back to eating you out. "Go on, Babydoll. Cum in my mouth.", he commands and before you know it you tense up and your first orgasm washes over you. He watches you from down below as he softly licks you clean as you convulse, feeling you tighten around nothing inside you but his tongue.

"Now you should really get a taste.", he teases as he brings his mouth to yours. This time he kisses you deeply, allowing you to taste your essence that now coats his tongue. That's when you feel it. You feel Dabi run the tip of his cock along your folds, gathering up the wetness. The kiss only ends when he slowly pushes into you and you let out another loud moan.

"Fuck!", he grunts out once he's fully sheathed inside you. "You feel so fuckin' good." He starts off slow before building up to an almost brutal paste. It's only another few mintues before you're losing yourself to another orgasm.

"Oh my God, I'm...I'm gonna cum!", you hollar to which he tuts in response. "Don't go 'n bring that asshole into it.", he scolds in a playful tone through his own panting. "Besides, look at you. Gettin' off to a sleazy demon like me."

Your mind becomes hazy again. Almost like a spell over you. In your normal state of mind you would have reacted to those words. Right now they just made you cry out in pleasure as you tightened around him.

"Fuck, I'd imagine this is what fuckin' an angel would be like. Clampin' down on me like that. Such a naughty girl but bein' so nice on my cock." Dabi continues fucking you in the missionary position until you cum again. He lets you ride it out before slowing down a bit.

He barely comes out of you before he's flipping you over and pounding you into the mattress. Another two orgasms hit you consecutively before he lifts you up on your hands and knees. Dabi goes back to a faster pace, drilling his cock into you from behind.

In that position he pulls another three orgasms out of you.

While you're bent over, you manage to catch a glimpse of the two of you in your vanity mirror across the room. It was a rather hot display, but that's not what caught your attention. While he drove his cock into your tight hole he seems to become more feral the closer he seemed to get towards his own climax. While his iron grip on your hips never faultered, his eyes were screwed shut and his head thrown back in ecstasy.

It was then you realized his hair was white and short horns had appeared on his head. He must have grown them in his feral state. It was then Dabi hit a spot that had you seeing stars. You quickly found yourself on the precipice of yet another orgasm. You let out a loud, wanton moan and once again a haze filled your mind.

It clearly effected your rational thinking. Had you been in your right mind, his next words may have been concerning. "I'm gonna cum, Babydoll. Gah- I'm gonna fill you up and breed you good." Another wanton moan from you.

Your next orgasm hit you and you felt yourself tighten around him, while his cock got harder. "Clampin' down so good..". A moment later Dabi grit his teeth and grunted loudly as he filled you full of demon seed.

After finishing, Dabi pulls out and you almost long for his cock to fill you again. However he simply lowers your body onto the bed. Your palms and knees burn from digging into your mattress and holding your weight up as he claimed you. There's also a delicious ache between your legs. This time, when you glance back at him, he looks just the way he did when you first laid eyes on him.

You lay there catching your breath. Suddenly you ask, "Can I see you again?". The words come flying out of your mouth. Your actions leave you wondering why you were thinking like that at all, let alone how quickly they came before realizing you were even saying it. "I mean...Will I see you more?", you question in hopes of hiding some of your previous excitement.

Dabi chortles before admiring how cute you are. "Such an eager little mouse.", he comments with a sly smile. He cups your face and whispers, "Of course...", before softly pecking your puckered lips. After relishing the feel of your lips on his for a few moments he slowly pulls away.

"We have a deal, after all."

[cookinguptales]

Okay so now that I've had some time to digest and think about Late Night with the Devil, some thoughts.

Sorry in advance, this got really, REALLY long as I rambled about all-male secret societies, who and what was possessing whom throughout this movie, literal and metaphorical hauntings, how fame and fortune tempt us all to give up our humanity, and uh. Family youtubers.

I really enjoyed the film, but I do have to wonder, to start with, if other people will get all the allusions...? I didn't think about it until later when I was reading confused posts by other viewers, but I guess the film does kind of predicate on a lot of somewhat arcane knowledge. Like you can understand what's going on without it, but I do think you get a lot more enjoyment out of it if you have a good working understanding of, like, the Satanic Panic of the 70s, the parapsychology/esper craze, James Randi's whole thing, Anton LaVey, Waco, late night hosts like Johnny Carson, and of course the Bohemian Grove.

The Bohemian Grove is kind of... like, obviously a lot of the people making up conspiracy theories about that recently are alt-right assholes (see: Alex Jones), but it is very much a real thing. It's kind of a modern Masonic situation, imo, where you get these big groups of rich, influential men together and they do silly, juvenile vaguely pagan frat boy shit. It's edgelord stuff. But because they are secretive and they are powerful, people come up with all of these conspiracy theories about them.

(I mean lbr that's kind of the history of the occult in general, isn't it? lmao. People ask me if I was afraid when I was studying secret societies and occultism and it's like -- no, these were by and large just rich assholes fighting over headcanons about rituals that they made up based off of deeply faulty scholarship. But I digress.)

The fact of the matter, though, is even if the actual rituals and stuff are kind of silly, the main focus is really rich, powerful men meeting up with other rich, powerful men and networking like crazy. It does keep the rich rich, the powerful powerful, and political resources focused on men. Like the Masons, women aren't allowed in the Bohemian Grove -- and women in politics have bitterly criticized the way that they're being excluded from this kind of networking.

(God, it's so fratty. It's so fucking fratty.)

So in that respect, it is kind of something to be feared.

And... I do think you see that aspect of it reflected in Late Night with the Devil. The consolidation of power, the networking with shitty people, and the way that women are "sacrificed."

[massive spoilers for the entire film to follow!]

I do think I want to see this movie again to firm up some of my ideas, because I suspect that there are a lot of details that I missed the first time I watched this. (And I really should have watched the open captioned version of this; I couldn't understand a lot of what the demon was saying, rip.) But here are some initial thoughts.

The heart of this, obviously, is the demonic presence at the Grove and the way that men go there to sell their soul for power. In a very literal sense, that's what's happening in this film and it's what happened to Jack Delroy. He made a deal with a demon for fame, and that demon ended up taking everything from him to achieve that.

But... metaphorically speaking, it seems clear that Jack Delroy was very willing to make human sacrifices in his day-to-day life. He may have literally (and I think accidentally) sacrificed his wife's life to a demon at the Grove, but he very consciously and willingly sacrificed her for fame when she was alive, too. I mean... imagine having a spouse who is actively dying of cancer and making her make an appearance on your show two weeks before she passes. For ratings. Imagine how much it must have physically taxed her. Imagine how difficult it must have been for them both emotionally. It even could have hastened her death. But he was still willing to do all that for views. He sacrificed his wife, his home life, and his overall privacy for views.

(Family youtubers, anyone? 🙃)

He's also willing to sacrifice his girlfriend, his crew, his audience, and a little girl for ratings. Gus, his voice of reason. He was willing to humiliate him onstage and wouldn't let him go home when he was scared. His audience, whose trauma he was entirely willing to capitalize on through Christou's act. His gf, who I'd argue was probably using Lilly as well, was totally thrown to the wolves when he realized it'd make good television.

Like -- yes, there were supernatural forces at play. Supernatural forces claimed these lives. But Jack sure as shit wasn't being very careful with them, and these supernatural sacrifices always, always mirrored his mundane ones.

(I mean... he performed a human sacrifice of a little girl on national television while in a hallucination about using the sacrificial dagger on his dying wife. It wasn't subtle. lmao)

Moreover, the producers of the show were also very willing to put people in harm's way and capitalize on tragedy for ratings. So... there's a really unsubtle message here about fame and capitalism and the way it tempts you to sacrifice your humanity to get ahead.

(MAYBE LIKE UNDERMINING YOUR ARTISTIC INTEGRITY BY USING AI INSTEAD OF HIRING ARTISTS, IDK)

I'd in fact argue that pretty much everyone who got on that stage that night sacrificed their humanity a bit for fame, with the possible exception of Gus. Gus was the voice of reason, but I mean... he was still there. Maybe a message about how once you get in, you can't get out. :(

But yeah, Jack's obvious, but also Christou, who was willing to use people's trauma for fame. June, who was willing to use a little girl's incredible trauma to advertise for her new book. Carmichael, who got off on humiliating people just to make himself seem smart.

Like... they all started with a kernel of something good (wanting to help the grieving, wanting to help traumatized children, wanting to stop charlatans) but in the end, show biz turned all those urges into the most amoral, selfish, and cruel versions of themselves.

And all of those people crumbled when they were confronted with something real.

(Side note, our theater was in hysterics when Carmichael tried to offer the demon the check. lmao)

Truthfully, it felt like all of them had made their own individual deals with the devil years ago. Halloween 1977 was just the devil finally coming to take his due.

That's the main message of the movie, I think, but there are still some smaller details I want to talk about.

The Grove itself was an obvious allusion to the Bohemian Grove, which is a secret society of powerful men who meet amongst the redwoods in Northern California. Their mascot has always been an owl, which is why you repeatedly see the owl motif throughout the movie. (Happy Owl-ween, the owl mask, etc.)

Abrasax makes sense as a demon to choose (the strong historical associations with magic and demonology, the reoccurrences in many world religions (and occult groups), the role in Gnosticism, etc.) but there seem to be vibes of Stolas, an owl deity who communicates arcane knowledge to humans in exchange for their souls, as well. I noticed a lot of little allusions to Abrasax throughout the film even before Lilly started manifesting, like the movie being shown after the show being about Abrasax.

Lilly... She was rescued from a cult that seems to be a hybrid of Anton LaVey's Church of Satan and the Branch Davidians who died during a siege by the US government in Waco, TX. (Like the cultists in the movie, their compound caught fire when they were being raided. IRL, it's unclear whether the fire was started as a suicide cult situation or if it was started by the actions of the government as they tried to flush people out.) In this cult, girls were sacrificed at age 13, and all who witnessed that sacrifice would fall under the control of Abrasax.

So... she was rescued at age 10. Three years have passed. So she is now 13, the age at which these girls were sacrificed. She was due, in other words. Who and what was possessing her... that's the question, I guess. Demons, historically speaking, were known to speak foreign languages, speak in the voice of other humans, have psychic knowledge their hosts shouldn't know, etc. So she did exhibit symptoms like that.

I think... there are a couple of options here. There's Abrasax specifically, there's June's theory that she was possessed by a minor demon, and there's Minnie. Or a combination of the three.

It's pretty clear that Minnie's presence is felt throughout the whole taping. You can see her reflection various times throughout the movie, she manifested through Christou, and obviously you see her in the tape playback.

(And when I say my theater YELLED. lmao)

The question is, though... Is it really Minnie? And if it is, what does she want? Has she been haunting Jack all along? Is she there because, as it's the first Halloween after her death, it's her last chance to deal with her unfinished business? Did the demon allow her to manifest? Or was the whole thing an illusion created by the demon all along?

(I'd like to note here that, historically speaking, there was a theory that ghosts aren't actually real. They're actually demons masquerading as the spirits of departed loved ones, and they want you to summon them and listen to them so they can tempt you away from God. You can read this in the writings of a lot of the ancient Christian theologians. Or you could have talked to my grandmother, who also told me this when I was a kid! :') But she's dead now so I guess you'd have to do a summoning and find out for yourself.)

All that said... I come down between two current theories. I'd have to watch it again to firm up my ideas.

The first theory is that she's been trapped on earth for the past year, but because it's Halloween, she can haunt them. They mention at the beginning of the film that Halloween is a recent spirit's last chance to take care of unfinished business. So this could have been the case with Minnie. That said... what exactly was her unfinished business? Was she trying to protect Jack and the others? Or hurt them? Was she angry, or was she just, as Christou said, sad? Was her "an unmarried man wearing a wedding ring" referring to the way that Jack was grieving her and still wearing his ring, or the way that he wasn't much of a husband to her when she was alive?

The second theory is that, when she was sacrificed to Abrasax, she became a part of that legion. She was, like Lilly and the other little girls, essentially raised to be sacrificed, and once she was, she joined everyone else who is under the control of the deity. It's still hard to sense whether she was trying to help or hurt throughout the broadcast, but it explains her presence (she came with Lilly, not Jack) and how she was used during Jack's hallucinations to ultimately get him to perform the sacrifice on Lilly, thus bringing all audience members (both in the studio and at home) under Abrasax's control.

Either way, Minnie, in this film, is literal ghost haunting the stage -- but also a metaphorical one. The ghost of all of Jack's past misdeeds and the humanity he's sacrificed to get ahead. She's guilt and she's shame and she's desperate grief, and I guess it's no wonder that the negativity surrounding her was enough to kill Christou when he touched it.

I do think it's fascinating that all of the women in this movie are, in a very real and physical sense, sacrificed for the aspirations of men. (The little girls are sacrificed, Minnie died of a mysterious cancer, June dies because Jack pushed for her to stay, etc.) But metaphorically speaking that seems to be the case as well. They're constantly expected to put their own comfort and safety aside for the men in their lives, and their own aspirations are consumed by the men's.

Like I said, it feels very telling that women aren't allowed at the Grove. Women are constantly being denied power in this movie (or are only allowed power when it's in service to a male costar/deity) and it's largely because they just don't have the connections that the men do. The deals were made while they weren't in the room, essentially.

I'm not sure if that was a conscious choice being made, but it does seem to dovetail nicely with the strong, strong sexism and male privilege present in real-life secret societies of powerful men that disallow women. Like June only getting to shill for her book because Jack let her, women are only allowed at the real-life Bohemian Grove in very limited areas -- and only as a male member's guest.

Um... back to Lilly, though. What the hell is possessing her? She speaks as Minnie a few times, but that could be because Minnie is a part of their legion or just because she's trying to freak out Jack. Demons are known to lie using the voices of loved ones. Minnie's presence could have been influencing her, but I definitely don't think that's all that was in there.

The question, really, seems to arise from what June said about Lilly changing like a week ago and how she started talking about Jack nonstop. At least one presence in Lilly seems to be the same deity that Jack spoke to in the Grove when he was making his deal with the devil (so to speak) because it mentioned that encounter. But is that the only one in there? Is it the same deity that's always been in there? Or did it come to her only a week ago as a way to get to Jack and complete their contract? ("It is done.")

Lilly refers to her demon as Mr. Wriggles (which feels like an Exorcist allusion) and it seems like she has a pretty good lid on it. And when that demon is brought out of her by June, it seems confused and frightened. But Lilly is pretty clearly possessed the entire rest of the broadcast, so really the two options are that she was faking the entire time just to fuck with them (entirely possible) or there were two different deities, perhaps the original (lesser) one put in her in the cult and Abrasax(?) newly arrived to claim Jack and his audience.

It's fascinating watching her, because you can see her slip in and out of a possessed state several times when people aren't paying attention to her (jerking, spacing out, etc.) but it's hard to tell whether that's different presences coming in and out of control, her "talking" to what's inside her, etc. Again, this is a thing I think would benefit from multiple viewings. I'm really not sure if the Grove creature is new to her body or if it's been there all along biding its time, and it's only changing its behavior now because it wanted to be on tv.

While her recently changed behavior seems to lean towards the former, I am sort of stuck on the detail that Jack said early on, that he read June's book and couldn't stop thinking about it. That could just be normal fascination (and he did end up having an affair with her) but it could also be demonic intervention. That would indicate that the demon was manipulating him into putting Lilly on TV long before a week ago.

What is not really up for debate is that the presence inside Lilly now is one that has connections to Jack through the Grove and promised him fame. Lilly (before she was visibly possessed) alludes to this promise by telling Jack that he'll be very famous after tonight. And once the ritual starts, she is seen taking electrical energy from the set and cameras. She is literally getting her power from the audience viewing the sacrifice. (It's very Ringu.) And after Jack stabs Lilly, the studio audience, audience at home, and presumably real-life audience watching this movie, are all put under Abrasax's control.

("Hail Abrasax" is seen multiple times throughout the film, which might also imply that the documentarians themselves are trying to spread this contagion after watching the video.)

Uh... a few more small things.

Carmichael Haig is obviously James Randi. Like Houdini before him, Randi was also a stage magician who dedicated his life to exposing "supernatural" charlatans. He did indeed offer a huge sum of money to whoever could prove him wrong. Carmichael even looked like James Randi. (Though I'd point out that "Haig" is the name of the man who constructed the owl statue at the real-life Bohemian Grove!) I suppose it makes sense that he'd be such an asshole in a world where demonic possession does actually exist.

The one thing I'd say is... it's hard to say whether this was a case of the filmmakers not thinking through implications or if this really was a nasty joke, but Randi was, IRL, gay. He came out late in life and got married to a man shortly before he died. So the implication that Carmichael, in the movie, wanted to join the Grove largely because he was perverted is... iffy. Carmichael was never stated to be gay in the movie (that I noticed) and it's hard to suss out whether the orgies he was talking about were relating to the all-male membership of the Grove (i.e. a gay orgy) or the women that these powerful men had hanging all over them (i.e. a... less gay orgy) and I do think which they were implying has major implications for what they were saying about a man who was, IRL, gay.

Like... if the implication was that he must've been willing to hurt people in order to have wild sex because he's gay, that's uh! Not great! But if the creators didn't realize that aspect of Randi's life (it was less publicized because, as I mentioned, it happened later in his life) then they might have just been pushing on that trope of powerful men using women.

Really, really hard to say.

Next, Christou. Christou... it's hard to say whether the man was psychic at all. It's clear that he was doing a lot of fake-ass cold reading beforehand (though I do want to go back through it and see if there really was any allusion to a Peter- character involving the skeleton) and was using interviews to find grieving audience members. (Two practices that James Randi talked about a lot IRL.) But he also did have a very real experience when he sensed Minnie and, while overwhelmed, didn't seem particularly shocked by it.

If I had to guess, I think that Christou does have some psychic powers (which is why I want to investigate the Peter thing) but can't control them well and is easily overwhelmed by real phenomena. He plays things up for the cameras (I noticed his accent slipped when he had his real experience, lmao) but I wouldn't be surprised if, like everyone else on stage, there's a kernel of something real in him.

Finally... that fucking skeleton! I want to do an entire watch through just to examine that guy. He was in the flashbacks about the Grove, so I think it's likely that he might've been a member of that. He also is the only one who refuses to take off his mask, which seems to relate to the dialogue at the beginning of the film about wearing a mask to protect yourself from spirits during Halloween. I think he's definitely in on what's going on, to some extent, but it's hard to figure out exactly in what capacity. Was it a Grove member, or maybe a cult member? A follower of Abraxas? Was it actually the personification of Death?

Hard! To! Say!

Like I said, I really do want to rewatch this movie to pay more attention to small details I might've missed in the theater. I'm also looking forward to seeing it with subtitles. It wasn't a perfect movie, but it was intriguing and original enough that I really enjoyed it and want to watch it again to puzzle through it. Really, the one big mark against it was the brief use of AI, which is just -- god, it's infuriating.

It's such a small part, so it would have been so easy to not do. (Apparently it wasn't even IN the first festival showing.) But it kind of pollutes the whole movie, especially when such a large message is not fucking over real people in the quest for success in the media landscape.

Plus, it just kind of looked like shit.

I know it's probably a lost cause, but I would be thrilled if they hired a real artist and redid those images for the Shudder release. It would be so easy to fix, and it would make the movie a lot better. Those commercial breaks were so funny and if they had better interstitials (that didn't make you feel icky just looking at them) then it would boost an already great film.

I just. I don't even know why they did it in the first place. I'm guessing, based on the fact that they weren't in the original screenings, that they were pressed for time to finish things...? But come on, surely you can find some artist who can do something quick for you. It wasn't even a moving image.

So uh... yeah, I guess that's where I'm at. It was an interesting (if slightly hokey) movie pulling together a lot of threads to make something cool and mysterious, I liked a lot of the acting (particularly Jack Delroy's) and set design, I wanna chat with people about it -- but I can't really in good conscience fully recommend it because of the AI thing. It's just such a disgrace to artistic integrity. Here's hoping they hire a real fucking artist.

[kinnporsche]

hello again! yes, i am indeed posting yet another kinn & porsche fic rec. these fuckers are living in my head rent-free, truly. you guys know the drill by now—like the others, this list is ordered according to length (from longest to shortest), and each fic is by a different author (to share my love and appreciation)! all fics that are not yet complete have been marked with (wip). lastly, make sure to read the tags, and show the authors some love, because we are simply beyond blessed to have such an abundance of talented writers in this fandom! [part 7/?]

— what a tangled web we weave by fortunehasgivenup – explicit / 80.7k words

After the betrayal of his first husband, King Anakinn Theerapanyakul vows to never love again. Once a week, he takes a new husband, a young man who will not live to see another dawn.

Porsche Kittisawat has spent the years since the death of his parents living under the shaky generosity of his uncle, running errands in Thee’s brothel. Anything to protect Chay, his younger brother.

When a nobleman comes to find a young man to adopt and marry off to the king in place of his own son, Thee chooses Chay.

Faced with an outcome that he refuses to contemplate, Porsche steps in and takes Chay’s place. He only has one request for the king—to be allowed to tell his brother one last bedtime story.

(Or: An AU based on the story of Scheherazade.)

— his kingdom to keep by bleakyblues – explicit / 51.8k words (wip)

And for each piece he keeps, there is a piece he has to sell. Because when you deal with the Devil, you only barter with your soul.

(Or: What happens after Porsche is handed over the ring and the power that goes with it.)

— after ever after by thelaziestmotherfucker – mature / 43.6k words (wip)

“Porsche,” she whispered one night as he laid down with his head in her lap. His eyes were so puffy they felt like they were swollen shut. His nose was runny and his lips felt dry. He couldn’t cry anymore that night. He looked up into her loving eyes as she said, “you must never tell anyone of your gift.”

Porsche’s body tensed up at the command. He knew why she asked it, but little could she fathom that Porsche would be left forever isolated with this secret. He would only be able to hope that no one found out.

She passed away in her bed two days later. Porsche had only just turned thirteen.

— how i know you by nuwildcat – explicit / 31.2k words

The looming shadow of the Dragon Throne has long been on Porsche’s mind. The empire has swept closer and closer to his lands, snatching up smaller kingdoms and grinding them under its boots, all at the hand of one man:

Prince Kinn.

Now that army is on Porsche’s doorstep, and he has a choice to make. He can’t fight off the army, but he can protect his country if he consents to become Kinn’s.

For his kingdom, for his people, Porsche will sacrifice anything, but the real question is, what does he have to gain?

— trials & tribulations by rainbowcolored7 – explicit / 26.3k words

In which Kinn is a renowned lawyer for TK & Associates, as well as a certified bastard, and Porsche is his new assistant who isn’t sure whether he’ll scald him with hot coffee or fuck him before he decides to quit.

— a perpetual unscattering by concernedlily – explicit / 31.4k words

“Where did you say he came from?”

“Pissing in bottles behind a cocktail bar,” Kinn said. “But Pa gave him to me, so I’m stuck with him.” To a visibly furious Porsche he said, “You don’t know the minor family? Never come across any of them before?”

“How would I know the fucking minor family?” Porsche snapped.

— she’s god and i’ve found her by yeetlegay – explicit / 8.4k words

“I—” Porsche’s voice cracks. Her eyes, now that they’re open, can’t seem to look away from Kinn, wandering from her face to her torso, the shirt half-unbuttoned to expose her breasts, suit jacket tossed somewhere on the floor nearby. Her gaze is molten, greedy, when she meets Kinn’s eyes again. “What would you give me?” she asks.

Kinn isn’t prepared for that, or for the effect it has on her, the instinct it unlocks. She moves without thinking. Tugs Porsche’s hips down to meet hers. Brings her mouth close enough to feel her breath, to taste the soft gasp she lets out.

Kinn whispers the word, lips not quite brushing hers. “Anything.”

— running from the daylight by ahdriking – explicit / 7.9k words

“It will be fine,” Kinn snaps, suddenly sitting upright. “I have perfect control.”

Porsche snorts. “No alpha has perfect control. Not in rut.”

Kinn looks at him sharply. “You think me a beast?” He snarls. “That I’ll hump the nearest thing that moves, like some kind of animal?”

“I don’t know,” Porsche shoots back. “But seeing as the nearest moving thing is me, you can understand my concern.”

(Or: Stuck in the forest, handcuffed together, Kinn goes into rut.)

— and seek to mend by vesna (mrsronweasley) – explicit / 7.3k words

Porsche is thinking about something that’s been niggling at him for a while, and he thinks, yes. He can probably bring it up now. “I was just thinking,” he starts, wondering how Kinn will react. “Just wondering…”

“Yeah?” Kinn doesn’t stop running his hand up and down Porsche’s back in slow, soothing motions.

Porsche clears his throat, then says, as nonchalantly as he can manage, “Have you ever been fucked?”

— if you leave it ‘til later, you lose by mslunita – explicit / 6.9k words

Kinn’s night at the sex club he frequents is ruined when a rich newcomer takes everyone’s attention. The bartender is pretty hot, but there’s no way he’d go home with Kinn... right?

(Or: Porsche is a bartender at a sex club and Kinn wants him.)

— haunt me when you’re not around by butterflylungs – explicit / 6.3k words

He turns his head back around and he comes to a sudden stop, so fast he almost trips face first into the gun pointed at him. Fear explodes in his chest before Porsche shoves it down, because he can’t afford to be scared. Because Kinn, standing in front of him right now, would smell the fear and jump on it.

“Got you,” Kinn says, finger on the trigger.

— i see nobody, nobody but you by kurtstiel – explicit / 6.3k words

“What’s the matter?” Porsche breathes. “Are you afraid Vegas would be a better kisser than you? Fuck me better than you?”

Kinn goes completely still. He draws back slowly; a cold, detached kind of anger on his face, like he’s transcended rage completely. The part of Porsche that should be frightened has been replaced by the overwhelming, empty ache between his legs.

Porsche gazes at him, knowing he’s about to get exactly what he wants. “You don’t have any kind of claim on me. I don’t belong to you.”

(Or: Kinn catches Porsche arriving home on Vegas’ motorcycle in Episode 5.)

— our little remedy by mirrorofprinces – explicit / 5.8k words

Porsche hesitates.

Kinn snorts, grabbing a fresh towel off the rack behind him. “You let me shoot an apple off your head, but this is too scary? Get over here. I’ll do it myself.”

— home is not a place by thewayside – explicit / 4.2k words

Somewhere between Kinn arriving at Porsche’s and everything going to hell, they have each other.

(Or: Set during Episode 12 after Kinn & Porsche go back to the alleyway behind Hum Bar where they first met.)

— you’ve got to beg to be proud by starstrung – explicit / 2.4k words

Kinn and Porsche have a rule. Their work may take them to dangerous places. They might have to make hard decisions, be threatening, be charming, or a deadly mixture of the two.

They always come home to each other.

[taggedmemes]

SENTENCE MEME BALDUR'S GATE 3 / PART THREE

i heard what happened.

thank you for protecting the child.

we can risk violence here or face it for certain on the road.

a low thought, but i'd be lying if i said i hadn't considered it.

i'm not some murderer for hire.

to get these people to safety, there's nothing i won't do.

if your people survived that, they'll survive anything.

it's unusual for them to organize so cleverly.

you're equal to the task.

try not to keel over with the first blade drawn.

might not look it, but we're tough.

there's optimism and then there's stupid.

how are you going to take my gold if you're dead?

just leave the gold on my corpse.

i wish we could at least give them a proper burial.

gold ain't any use if you're too cold to spend it.

you're giving up?

you should leave it, or destroy it.

at best it's worthless. at worst, who knows.

do not trifle with that moon witch or her trinkets.

only trouble will follow.

we've enough troubles and burdens as it is.

perhaps you can sell that for a couple of coins.

i should pluck your eyes out.

a cursed book? how obvious.

this quarrel sours our feast.

be you friend or food?

am i not astonishing?

i am by all accounts a student of higher commerce and extortion.

it's not what it looks like, i swear.

i wasn't going to hurt you.

i can't believe i didn't see it.

i'm not some monster.

why didn't you tell me?

i needed you to trust me.

you can trust me.

do you think you could trust me just a little further?

let's make ourselves comfortable, shall we?

i was just swept up in the moment.

i'm looking forward to seeing you fight.

you're invigorating, but i need something more filling.

this is a gift, you know. i won't forget it.

good morning. how do you feel?

i just feel a little woozy.

i thought you'd be more powerful.

someone, or something, wants me alive.

as for my other quirks — well, we can figure those out in time.

i'm just glad you're being sensible about these revelations.

i was worried people might turn up with torches and pitchforks.

that explains the pallor.

we're each monsters in the making.

i taste absolutely awful.

we need him, like it or not.

we're bound together, no matter what comes.

you say all the right words, but i'm not so sure you mean the right things.

i will respect the decision that was made.

we're all friends again.

there's a long day ahead of us.

what a manner of place is this?

is this a path to redemption or a road to damnation?

your journey is just beginning.

what would suit the occasion?

i am [name], very much at your service.

if you want to threaten me, don't disguise it.

you're paranoid, aren't you.

must be the surroundings.

rather bleak and lonesome, one feels so exposed.

this quaint little scene is decidedly too middle-of-nowhere for me.

enjoy your supper. after all, i might be your last.

are these theatrics leading somewhere?

are you not entertained?

far be it from me to disappoint.

how dear is one's soul?

you're made if you think i'll make a deal with a devil.

what is madness but a denial of reality?

exhaust every possibility until none are left.

when hope has been whittled down to the very marrow of despair, that's when you'll come knocking on my door.

i'll have the last laugh in the end.

one might say you're a paragon of luck.

i've something important to discuss with you.

we've been travelling together for a while now and it's just about time that i shared something with you.

are you telling me you're addicted to magic?

i would not burden anyone other than myself with this were the stakes not so high.

if not out of the simple goodness of your heart, then perhaps your own self-interest might be sufficient motivation.

please, trust me.

your help could be the difference between life and death.

i'm afraid that's not going to work on me.

let us agree on actions first and explanations later.

i didn't come seeking battle.

you're different than the others, i can tell.

i'm afraid proper thanks must wait.

your boldness is a blessing.

it takes more than mere fire to break me.

i must ask again for your aid.

why entrust this to me?

i know him better than most.

i'm not interested in your lineage.

you shouldn't keep secrets like this from me.

he named me friend, and that meant the world.

they're a powerful friend with a keen interest in privacy.

i'm sworn to say no more.

i spent more time dueling than rubbing elbows with lords.

not to say i didn't develop a taste for good win and a talent for courtly dance.

it's been a badger's age since i've twinkled my toes.

a drunk ogre could put on a better show.

we can learn a lot from fairytales, don't you think?

he'll require of you only what you're least ready to part with, and then require more still.

the devil won't take just anything, he'll take everything.

that is a story reserved for lifetime friends and calmer days.

i question the wisdom in that decision but so be it.

there's no way you could have known.

i doubt a fight against them would go your way.

seems you have good survival instincts.

i go my own way — alone.

[lucyrpgs]

nerdy prudes must die starters

a collection of lyric starters from starkid's nerdy prudes must die musical

i never wanted to love you, like i do

i'm the best of you

you're the best of me

it's [INSERT TOWN/LOCATION NAME], people go missing everyday!

you want me to film this?

this is where you grow up and accept your fate.

we're gonna go to juvie, surely.

i hear prison is cushy.

it's not like we're selling crack.

i bet you'd call this luck

what if all my thoughts were stronger?

what if my beliefs were taller?

every crime needs a partner.

one of us is in love, it doesn't take a detective.

[ NAME ], i can't shoot you!

let me take the bullet.

is it really a crime if you get to live your life to the fullest?

what if you are wrong?

what if i should go?

you get to live on.

you're not as cool as you think you are.

you're as smart as i know you are.

if i loved you like i should...

hey [ NAME ], if things were different, would you want to come to homecoming with me?

[ NAME ], you're freaking me out.

you see, the souls of the pervs make me strong.

you think i'd stop with him?

i'm the girl you thought you knew.

[ NAME ] will rise, your soul will be my prize.

who will pray for you, when your body's gone?

this is the consequence for what you've done.

darkness will spare my soul.

it was something out of a dream i never had.

just for once, i feel like light inside the burning of a candle

how can something be both medium AND rare?

just for once my life could be what i wanted.

just for once i'd feel the spark that i once knew.

i used to dance....

you're not him, you're a loser.

you better leave your hopes behind

he's a literal monster.

so keep on judging me, that comes with infamy.

i will claim what is mine.

i'm a literal monster.

no, this can't be. you're dead!

you know what that means, bitch? no more mister nice guy.

you can see i'm much improved.

cause i got a list and you're on it.

does the math club comfort you?

your blood will be my prize!

you think i seek revenge?

you pushed me off the edge!

who will pray for me when my body's gone?

is this an eternal dark without a dawn?

won't stop until all the blood is drawn.

the devil has won, it can't be undone.

the book is all but closed on your life.

you gamble it all on a roll of the dice.

we've been watching you [ NAME ], someone's been a little... naughty!

we don't give a shit about your phone!

pay the price or fuck off!