#infant-directed speech

[thepastisalreadywritten]

The sight of chubby baby cheeks is often enough to transform even the most committed curmudgeon into a babbling softie.

Sentences become shorter, sounds are exaggerated, and the overall pattern of speech is more singsong and musical.

Researchers have dubbed this “motherese,” or, more formally, “infant-directed speech.”

“We’re not changing the words that we’re saying, we’re changing the way that we’re saying them,” says Laela Sayigh, a marine biologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Hampshire College in Massachusetts.

Only a handful of other species have been shown to change their calls when addressing young, including zebra finches, rhesus macaques, and squirrel monkeys.

Now, Sayigh’s new study, based on three decades of data in Florida, reveals common bottlenose dolphins use motherese — one of the first times it’s been documented in a species other than humans.

It's a major discovery, agrees Rindy Anderson, a behavioral ecologist at Florida Atlantic University who was not involved with the research.

The study, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, "suggests that using these modifications when communicating with young assists them in learning how to produce these calls themselves,” she says.

Talk to me

Learning language is hard. Yet infants, incredibly, sop up the verbal soup around them and learn how to construct sentences with the appropriate structure.

How? The answer has to do with how we intuitively talk to babies.

Making our sentences shorter strips away unnecessary words. Emphasizing sounds makes words clearer. And — importantly — we increase the pitch of our speech.

Studies have shown these vocal characteristics grab and hold the attention of children far better than normal adult-directed speech.

And when parents are coached on how to use motherese, their child babbles more and has a bigger vocabulary as a toddler.

Language scientists make an important distinction between motherese and what is commonly referred to as baby talk.

The latter, they say, consists of largely made-up words with inconsistent and incorrect grammar and syntax:

It’s the difference between telling a baby, “Look at that DOGGY!” and “Wook at dat widdle puppy-wuppy!”

That’s why the list of species that use the more accurate motherese has so far been limited.

“Vocal learning is actually very rare. Out of the millions of species that use sound to communicate, there’s just a few groups that must learn their vocal communication systems,” Anderson says.

Signature sounds

When Sayigh began working with a pod of wild bottlenose dolphins in Florida’s Sarasota Bay in the late 1980s, she observed that these marine mammals shared many characteristics with humans.

For instance, mothers and their offspring live within intricate social groups held together by a complex language of songs and whistles.

Over time, the biologist began to wonder whether females use motherese to communicate with their calves.

Bottlenose mothers nurse their young for two years, and the animals generally stay with her until they’re between three to six years old, learning how to hunt, navigate, and stay safe in the ocean.

Father dolphins generally aren’t involved in rearing their young.

Dolphin communication is profoundly different from how humans talk.

The most common dolphin vocalization is their signature whistle, a sound unique to each dolphin that serves as the cetacean equivalent of a “Hello, My Name is…” sticker.

Dolphins, however, don’t use another animal’s signature whistle to direct communication.

Instead, they repeat their own signature whistle and listen for another dolphin to respond with their own.

It’s analogous to your mother standing on your front porch and yelling her own name to summon her kids, says Kelly Jaakkola, a cognitive psychologist and marine mammal biologist at the nonprofit Dolphin Research Center in Grassy Key, Florida.

As part of their ongoing research, the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program performs regular veterinary exams on the wild dolphins, which have gotten used to the scientists’ presence.

During these exams, Sayigh and colleagues would sometimes attach a small recording device called a hydrophone to a mother dolphin’s forehead with a fist-size suction cup that the researchers later removed.

By analyzing recordings of 19 different female dolphins over 34 years, Sayigh found that the signature whistles of dolphin mothers had a greater range of frequencies — the high pitches were higher and the lows were lower — when their calves were nearby.

The high-pitched sounds are out of the range of human hearing.

Endless questions

To Jaakkola, who wasn’t part of the study, this work was “a fantastic first step.”

“The data here are beautiful,” she says. “The trick comes in possible interpretations of what’s happening.”

The work only looks at dolphin communication in one specific context, which means scientists can’t say definitively that the dolphins are speaking to their calves in motherese, Jaakkola says.

For instance, the results could be due to vocal changes in caused by lactation, or some other unknown variable.

However, in a 2017 study, researchers noticed an identical change in mother dolphins’ signature whistles while examining the effects of human-made noise, which lends support to the authors’ conclusions that the dolphins change their pitch as needed.

For Sayigh, the questions are endless — and fascinating.

“I just can't even articulate what an amazing project it is. I could spend three lifetimes there,” she says.

[libraflyter]

My only objection is “no baby talk”.

Yes baby talk. It is for babies.

I mean that in a very literal sense. The higher pitch, simplified language, frequent repetition and how words are stressed (forget technical term) are all features that are meant to cue infants to pick up that these streams of sounds are for them and assist in the massive task of transforming that into language. Linguists do whole studies in how it works - though they call it “infant directed speech”.

I’d say by 3 and maybe even by 2 years it ceases to be useful. When the child has figured out the basic concepts of language and it becomes a matter of vocabulary and growing into the vocal control needed for exact pronunciation.

If you are holding a baby though, go for it.

(I assume that a language delayed child probably has different therapies recommended; baby talk is for how babies are able to interact with the world.)

How to talk to children

This is based on decades of experience as an uncle and as an older brother.

Never forget that children are just as much people as adults are.

Kids 10 years or younger (and sometimes older than that) don’t get sarcasm or irony, so don’t use them.

If a child has difficulty pronouncing a word, don’t copy their misprounciation when speaking to them. They can hear the word just fine. It could sound to them like you’re making fun of them.

(Yes, this means no babytalk)

Don’t be dismissive.

Listen to what they’re saying.

To get on the same eye-level, don’t bend over or squat: it seems condescending. Kneeling or sitting are better.

It should go without saying that you should respect children’s body autonomy. Don’t force affection on them.

Respect children’s emotional autonomy as well. Let them be angry. Let them be sad. Don’t force them to be happy.

Let children like things. Don’t run down the things they like just because you find them cringy.

Don’t think that you know better.

To children, adults are giants. Be a big friendly giant.

Don’t stifle children’s curiosity.

Don’t stifle children’s enthusiasm.

To quote Sondheim, “Be careful the words you say, children will listen.”

Don’t look down on children.

[some-bunniii]

Lucifer dotes on a mama!reader

・❥ Caring for an infant isn’t easy, but luckily, you’ve got a charming king willing to do anything for you.

| Part 1 | Part 2 |

x: reader is fem, no use of y/n.

xx: it’s here! a bit of angst, a bit of fluff, but lots of think you’ll enjoy it! keep your eyes out for some pretty art i commissioned inside!

~ 15k words

When you welcomed your daughter into the realm, and finally reached that next long stretch of motherhood, you had prepared yourself for the many changes that accompanied the new addition.

For example, your sleep schedule flipped entirely on its head once you realized that newborn babies slept only a few hours intermittently, which meant a good, long night's rest did not exist anymore. 

You found yourself putting your daughter down for a nap at six in the morning, having spent the previous night breastfeeding and soothing her cries. Sometimes, her wailing lasted several hours, and you began to worry if she had a hellish form of colic. You prayed it wasn’t that, because that would mean it would worsen for the next month or so.

The first few weeks were spent holed up in your room, away from the loud noises and constant active state of the rest of the hotel. It was pretty easy, seeing as it was basically a studio apartment, save for the kitchen, which was an exhausting walk down the hall, even more so than when you were pregnant. 

“Ya look terrible, mama,” Angel Dust had grimaced with a laugh when you appeared like a ghost late one night inside the much posher lobby, your complexion sunken and drained as your feet dragged across the red carpet.

He had just arrived home from a long day at the studio, his expression equally as drained but his demeanor much livelier than your zombie appearance.

You probably did look terrible, in your oversized pajamas that no doubt had stains of baby spit-up and breast milk. You looked unsightly, a mess, that pregnancy glow extinguished like a flame as you tiredly frog blinked in Angel’s direction. 

“Need… to clean the milk bottles… before she wakes up,” you mumbled, lifting three small, dirty baby bottles to view.

“Ya need any help?”

“No, thanks. M’fine,” you waved him off with a yawn, slowly crossing the room towards the kitchen doors. 

There was no reason to bother him with such a task, it was your baby, and he already had enough to deal with at the studio.

“Well, have a good time then. I'm jus’ gonna call it an early night an’ head ta bed,” Angel replied, bidding farewell as he turned and left the lobby. 

Your head twisted to catch a glimpse of his figure turning the corner, surprise crossing your features at his sudden departure. Usually, Angel Dust had a couple of drinks after work or went out to party until the early hours of the morning. 

Tonight, the only thing on the spider demon’s mind was to curl up with Fat Nuggets and sleep those troubling emotions away.

He had been drinking far less lately, or, at least, had been keeping his habits away from the hotel ever since the new hotel was built and your daughter was born. No more did the pornstar burst in after a night at the studio, eyes red and speech slurred as he spoke gibberish and laughed at nothing in particular. 

Even though it was Hell, you were determined to keep the gateways into a chaotic life away from your daughter. She was going to have the best quality of life possible in such a place, and you were vocal about your disapproval of those habits, especially in a place that’s supposed to be free of such sin.

When Cherri began staying longer and longer at the hotel, you were apprehensive at first with how much deeper she seemed to be in ‘the life’. Would she sink further into the depths after Sir. Pentious’ death? It wasn’t easy for someone to deal with both grief and guilt at the same time. 

Fortunately, she had the support of the residents inside the hotel, and she was finding healthier outlets than a thin line of white powder to quell her pain. 

You were grieving too, even if you hadn’t known Sir. Pentious that long in comparison to the others, the little time you spent with him was all but enough. 

Sir. Pentious was kind, and courteous, and made the best cookies you’d ever tasted. You had a connection with the snake demon with your shared enjoyment in cooking, and you welcomed the assistance of his Egg Boiz taste-testing your delicacies. 

Now, he was gone, and the emptiness of his departure was palpable inside the hotel. His loyal egg companions now dwindled to just one singular yolk, the rest having sacrificed their shells along with their selfless general. 

Frank, who had survived solely because he had guarded you at the hospital, returned home to an empty nest and no boss.

You weren’t sure whether the little guy could understand how double death worked, but the way he stared longingly at Sir. Pentious’ portrait in the lobby that he knew his old family was gone for good.

Charlie had done her best to integrate him into the staff, him a room service attendant. He stayed your faithful helper in that way, summoned to your door by the newly installed service button whenever you needed.

“Sorry for bothering you, Frank,” you had smiled down at him, poking your head out from the inside of your room, your daughter latched onto your nipple, “But I’m out of toilet paper and I'm kind of busy right now. Could you go grab me some, please?” 

“Sure thing!” He replied chipperly, lifting his hat courteously from the top of his shell before he scampered down the hall and out of view. 

He’d return with your items of request, as he did for all the rest of the residents. It kept him busy, allowing his one-track mind to stay away from thinking hard thoughts about what was lost for too long.

Those hard thoughts plagued you as well, as you dealt with the grief of losing a friend and the mood swings that began to take over you. The hormonal changes that came post-birth was also something you prepared for, the ‘baby blues’ as most would call it.

It had started as mood swings, the typical sudden bursts of emotions that accompanied your pregnancy, and the ones that liked to show their face around your period. Suddenly, you’d find yourself shooting a glare at a particularly noisy conversation outside of your door, or find your eyes welling up with tears at the slightest inconvenience.

A mix of sleep deprivation and postpartum hormones was not a good one, and you were determined to keep this weakness away from your friends. 

What if they thought you weren’t doing a good job as a mother? All that time, energy, and resources that were used to help you and your baby. They’d think it was all a waste, caring so much only for you to end up a disappointment. 

Was that… how your ex had felt when he chose a whore over his lover and child?

Those thoughts began to plague you, and your anxiety heightened with every passing day. The idea that their judgments on your parenting would be harsh had you withdrawing for longer periods inside your room, and farther away from your friends.

Unfortunately, you weren’t able to keep your feelings completely hidden from them, and you realized quickly how erratic your emotions actually were.

One day, Vaggie had swung by to inform you that they had ordered some pizza, and you were welcome to have some too. You were busy breastfeeding your baby at the time, and had to wait until she was sound asleep to sneak out of your room and into the kitchen. 

When you finally arrived, your stomach growled with giddy anticipation as you passed by the others who had mostly finished their plates, your lateness obvious. The lobby was filled with chatter, all the residents gathered for a nice meal and to catch up on anything new that had transpired during the week.

When you reached the partially open pizza box inside the empty kitchen, that delicious scent wafted to your nose and you licked your lips hungrily. Gripping the lid, you lifted it quickly, your mind already picturing whatever goodness lay inside. 

Was it the classic pepperoni that couldn’t go wrong? Maybe it was from that new pizzeria down the block with their best-selling macaroni and cheese… 

Your train of thought derailed, your gaze narrowing at the contents inside the box. 

A singular slice of pizza was all that remained inside, your most hated topping sprinkled atop the now-cooled cheese. 

Your lip curled at the sight, irritation flickering across your face at the lonely slice. You heard laughter from the conversation behind you, and that only had your eye twitching.

You had lived with these guys during the most intense months of your cravings, and they were aware of what kind of pizza you devoured in an instant and which ones had you gagging. And, only one slice? Had they forgotten about you, even though you had told Vaggie you’d come down after feeding the baby? 

You were itching to commit some sort of violence, which had you steeling your arms from lifting the box and chucking it against the wall. 

Those intrusive thoughts had you rubbing your temple with a frustrated sigh, before lifting a hand to begin plucking the disgusting toppings from the slice. 

As you placed the last of it onto the cardboard, you grabbed the pizza and threw it into the microwave nearby. Your foot tapped impatiently against the marble tile as the slice spun slowly inside the appliance, your thoughts spinning along with it.

By the time you had made it out of the kitchen with steaming food, your tolerance for social interaction was drained, and it seemed a better idea to just eat in your room. 

Passing by a few familiar faces, you only greeted them with a tight smile, walking fast enough so that they’d assume you were busy and it would be less likely for them to invite you to chat. 

Right as you were about to turn the corner into the hall, plate in hand, a figure rounded the corner and smacked into you head-on. Your chests collided, and you felt the plate slip from your grip, you snapped your head up to see the familiar apple-cheeked woman meet your gaze.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Charlie gasped, right as the pizza slid off your plate and began to free-fall down to the carpet.

Your eyes widened, and Charlie tensed as the pizza splat face-down, the tomato sauce beginning to ooze from the sides like a bloody scene and your hand began to tremble.

At first, those intrusive thoughts were prodding you to snap at her, but you held your tongue. That anger quickly morphed into gloom, and your eyes cast down longingly to the overturned slice.

Your lip quivered, and your chest heaved as you took a shaky breath to keep those tears from falling. Charlie’s brows furrowed and she slowly matched your expression as guilt squeezed her stomach. The banter around you quieted, but your gaze was firmly on the woman in front of you. 

Fuck, that was the one thing you were looking forward to today. You couldn’t lose your composure in front of the princess, however, that would heighten her concern, and she already had enough on her plate with the new clients.

“Here, let me get Niffty to clean this up and I can get you some more piz—”

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” You interrupted her, a quiet growl laced in your wavering words as you chuckled humorously, “There isn’t anything left, this was all you guys cared enough to save for me.” 

Charlie’s eyes widened at your tone, before she opened her mouth to speak again just as Niffty walked forward to clean the mess. Looking down, you took notice of the large glob of sauce that had landed on your top, and you clenched your fists in frustration.

“If you excuse me, I have to get changed now,” you huffed, spinning on your heels to face the hallway, not giving the princess any time to press further as you briskly walked away.

That hot, salty liquid began to spill down your cheeks right as you entered into the long corridor, and you desperately tried to wipe them away. Your face was rubbed dry in a desperate bid to silence the tears.

What was wrong with you? It was one slice of pizza, yet your heart ached like your lottery ticket was one number away from winning. Charlie’s expression had proved your mask was beginning to crack, with the mix of concern and surprise toward your change in demeanor. 

Motherhood isn't easy, that had been clear since day one, but you had hoped your emotions would have stabilized by now. It seems that sleep exhaustion and maternal hormones just don’t mix very well, huh?

That incident had been so embarrassing, that you kept to yourself the rest of the week, only venturing out when necessary, which had you spending most of your time with your daughter. 

Your baby couldn’t speak yet, and wouldn’t for quite a while, which meant you had to speak for her. Usually, you attached words to the silly little faces she would make at any action you or another demon did around her. 

The one time you switched her bottle from breast milk to formula, she didn’t seem too happy about it with how big of a stink eye she sent you chugging down her dinner. Peaches was only a month and a half, but her expressiveness was that of a moody, hormonal teenager.

You spent many hours cooped up with her, sometimes, you needed to have a little fun and play puppeteer one evening as the two of you lounged on your bed.

You squished your daughter's cheeks, making tiny little duck lips as you pitched your voice higher, “Yes, Mama, I promise to sleep through the whoooole night this time!”

“Wonderful,” you beamed, using your other hand to pat her approvingly on the stomach, “And you’ll drink your whole bottle without fuss?”

“Yes, Mama! And, I wi—”

“What are you doing?” An amused, honeyed voice came from across your room.

You froze, turning towards the open doorway, your fingers still pinched around the baby's lips as your eyes widened at the familiar face.

There, standing leisurely against his cane, was the casually dressed ‘Big Boss of Hell’. Lucifer’s blonde hair was slicked back, a few curls framing his statuesque features. Those warm, golden eyes and skin that practically shimmered against the waning daylight from your window.  

He tilted his head with a soft, playful smile, as he drank in your figure. The red evening light basked the bed with a warm glow that lit your eyes up like diamonds, enhancing your maternal elegance as you bonded with your daughter. 

Your love for her was obvious, and that always had Lucifer’s heart fluttering, seeing something so pure exist in such a grim world.

Slowly, you slid off the bed, your smile widening every step closer you took towards the king as you crossed the room. Somehow, even in your melancholic state, his presence always seemed to have you energized and bouncy.

“Your Majesty,” you batted your lashes, coming to a stop at the doorway before leaning casually against it. 

“M’lady,” his grin widened into a wide, teeth-glinting smile as he lifted his hand to present a caramel-coated apple nestled snugly atop a thin, wooden stick. Your stomach growled on cue, and the scent that wafted to your nose had your mouth watering.

“Looks like that glow hasn’t left you yet, if I do say,” he replied, his eyes flicking across your figure before meeting your gaze again.

You only shook your head with a breath of laughter, reaching forward and plucking the delicacy from his grip and turning it in your fingers.

“Charlie says she hasn’t seen you for a few days, you really should go and get some fresh air once in a while,” Lucifer continued as you widened the doorway for him to enter, shooting you a stern glance as spoke. 

Is he talking right now? You quirked a brow as he slid past, lifting the offering to your lips and taking a large, hungry bite out of the treat. 

Lucifer’s eyes were on one being in particular, swaddled snuggly across the room on your bed. His gaze lingered on your daughter for a few moments, before he turned to face you again. 

“How is everything going?”

“Good,” you lied. 

“That’s great to hear,” his warm smile widened, and his eyes flicked back over to your daughter, before snapping back to you. 

Lucifer’s cane twisted between his fingers nervously as he opened his mouth to speak, before disregarding his thoughts and clamping his mouth shut with a small huff.

You only titled your head at that, your lips curving into a more genuine smile as you watched him. 

Children were such a soft spot for Lucifer, you could tell the way his demeanor changed instantly when he was in the presence of a baby. His voice turned to velvet whenever his gentle tone gained from experience in soothing their little ears.

You couldn’t imagine how beautiful lullabies sounded with those vocals of his, the very thought making you melt like butter. Although, you haven't gotten the chance to hear them yet. 

His parental instincts seemed to have resurfaced with the birth of your daughter, and that natural affinity for caring for the innocent and helpless buried along with his angelic began to emerge with each passing visit.

He kept his love at a distance, at first. Almost as if he was afraid of getting attached to such a tiny being, like the emotions that came along with it were a deadly force that could take him out far quicker than angelic steel.

Was it because the baby wasn’t his? Did he think you didn’t want him around your child? Maybe, one day he assumed you’d take the baby and leave, and those growing would only break his heart along with your departure. 

You just needed to prove him wrong. 

“Come on,” you finally nudged him with a laugh, setting the apple on a table nearby, before beckoning him to follow you towards the bed. 

It seemed as if Lucifer had been waiting for your approval, as his demeanor lightened at your words and he slowly followed you. His steps were light and quiet as you neared the side of the bed, stopping just as he settled beside you. 

“Peaches! You’re looking quite radiant this evening,” Lucifer greeted with a flourish, as he leaned over the side of your bed, and your daughter’s eyes widened at the familiar face.

Your eyes flicked up to the fallen angel at his words. Peaches, the nickname he had come up with. Shockingly, a name that didn’t derive from apples, ducks, or the circus.

“Well, aren't you just a peach, so quiet and easy for your mama!'' Lucifer had cooed to the little one her first days in Hell, she lay in your arms as he softly brushed a thumb across her chin, “So adwowable wit those chubby wittle cheeks.” 

Your baby had only frowned at the strange man’s touch with a half-lidded gaze, but soon she’d learn to get used to Lucifer’s presence, as he never disappeared for too long without visiting his three favorite girls. 

You had a real name for your daughter that was chosen after her birth, but that could be reserved for when you’d have to pull out the full name card during arguments in her teenage years. Peaches had been a simple phrase that seemed to stick, and even if you weren’t fond of the cute addressal, you wouldn’t dare ruin his first attachment to your daughter.

Peaches had only stared up at the porcelain figure invading her space with a curious gaze, no doubt wondering who this silly was, and why he always left her gifts to fawn over. 

Like the first day you came home from the hospital, he presented you with a beautiful red, silken bassinet, with intricate gold lines woven into the detailed design, enhancing the elegance of the crib. Its plushness looked very comfortable for your daughter, and you adored that Lucifer got you something in the first place.

Another time, he brought you a golden mobile that depicted ducks flying rhythmically in circles, ones that threw vibrant, warm lights across the walls late at night, soothing the girl’s late wakings before they woke you at times. 

That seemed to be Lucifer’s love language towards your daughter, always presenting her with toys and other little gizmos he cooked up inside of his workshop. Finally, the fallen angel had found purpose for the dusty space, instead of constantly tweaking the same old, yellow rubber ducky day after day.

“For you, a fan-favorite from the vault,” Lucifer hummed as he snapped his fingers, and a stuffed goat with devilish horns and bat wings materialized in his hands.

Right as he pulled the plush from behind his back, Peaches became enamored with it, kicking her legs in excitement as the stuffed animal was held high for her to get a full view. Her motor control was still poor, and she couldn’t grasp the amusing creature, but its colorful fur and dragon-like features were something to gawk at in the little one’s eyes.

“Look, she’s smiling!” You beamed beside the fallen angel, heart melting as you watched the little girl’s mouth open with a squeal at the offering, “I think that’s her biggest one yet!”

“It seems I’m just a natural at this kind of thing, huh?” Lucifer winked playfully your way, before he levitated the toy just above your daughter’s head, whose attention was solely on the little goat plush, “I think she’s even starting to like me, too.”

‘You’re such a good daddy, please let me make you one again.’

“Don’t give yourself too much credit,” you replied instead with a simple nod, before turning on your heels to hide your goofy smile and retrieve the caramel apple once more.

You plucked the apple from the table, before biting another large chunk from its side. The flavors swirled in your mouth, and that fog in your mind lessened a little more with each bite.

You watched from a short distance, as Lucifer’s index finger pointed towards the air above your daughter’s head. With a flick of his wrist, a trail of golden sparks shot from his fingertip and upward above their heads, before exploding into a flurry of sparkles that sent golden shadows across the room.

Peaches was digging the light show, her eyes fixated on the floating spectacle before they flickered out of existence. 

“Anything else going on?” The king finally spoke, turning his head slightly to catch a glimpse of you. 

“Not really, just taking it one day at a time,” you responded absentmindedly, lifting the coated apple to your lips to take another bite. 

“Are you free tomorrow?” He blurted, smile cracking wider as straightened himself against his cane. 

You froze, brain short-circuiting as those words processed in your head. You, free? As in, available to partake in some sort of activity with Lucifer?

“Yes, technically…” you trailed off, gaze flicking to your daughter, giddy on her bed as she watched the stuffed goat, “But I can’t just leave the baby alone all evening, she needs me.”

“She doesn’t need you, she’s fine with someone else for a few hours,” he waved off your excuse, before throwing another trail of sparklings into the air, and they exploded in a flurry of golden glimmers above the baby’s head, “I’m sure Charlie would love to spoil the kid for a few hours anyway, don’t you trust her?” 

“Yes…” 

“I was thinking,” Lucifer continued, beginning to take a few slow, deliberate steps towards you, “Nothing too crazy, just a nice, quiet evening with good food. Maybe throw some of my good wine into the mix, what do you say?”

He sent you a sultry, half-lidded gaze as he sidled closer to you, the caramel apple in your grip lowering from your lips as Lucifer enraptured your full attention, heat blooming across your cheeks at his expression. 

“If that is what His Majesty wishes, then I cannot refuse such an offer,” you struggled to keep your voice from wavering, the heat in your cheeks creeping farther down your body.

“But do you want it?” He pressed, only a foot away from you now, his lips upturned in a smirk at your flustered expression. 

Apparently, those horny hormones had also stuck around after your pregnancy. Having such a gorgeous, ethereal figure so close to you made your heart skip a beat as butterflies fluttered in your stomach. 

“I… think that is a very lovely offer, and I would enjoy being able to spend time in just your company,” you finally replied carefully, a smile blooming across your lips.

“Perfect!” Lucifer clapped his hands together, his eyes glinting with glee as he took a step away from you, back toward the bed.

“Goodbye, sweetheart,” The king cooed softly to your daughter, as he plucked the stuffed goat from the air, “Take good care of this little guy, he’s a special one.”

Lowering the plush, Lucifer placed it gently against your baby’s chest, and her chubby little hands came up to wrap firmly around the toy. Ungracefully, the goat was lifted to Peaches’ lips before she opened her mouth to begin suckling on its ear.

“I bet that tastes delicious,” Lucifer laughed, and you smiled fondly at the duo with a tilt of your head.

The fallen angel took a step back from the bed after a moment, before he lifted a hand and snapped his fingers. That familiar white, brim hat materialized from thin air into his grasp, and he turned to you with a smile.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I'm a very busy man and have other matters to attend to,” Lucifer sighed dramatically, brushing past you towards the doorway. 

“I have no doubt,” you shook your head with a laugh, following him towards the end of your room.

Lucifer reached the open doorway, before turning to face you again. He met your gaze for a few moments, before he leaned forward in a bow.

“I’ll see you tomorrow evening, m’lady,” he hummed with delight, adjusting his hat against those beautiful golden curls as you smiled warmly.

“Is there a dress code for our little outing?” you responded with a mischievous grin.

The king only sent you a playful wink, before he stepped out of view and the soft thuds of heeled boots against carpet faded as he disappeared down the hall.

That interaction with Lucifer stewed in your mind for the entire night, as well as into the early morning. Your thoughts drifted to the previous conversation as you snuck down the hall and into the lobby to grab breakfast from the kitchen.

The others were fairly busy, so you were easily able to travel unseen. Angel Dust was working overtime at the studio for a new porn flick, and Charlie was using the extermination to push her hotel further into the spotlight and attract new clients. Vaggie always went along with her, and Alastor was probably up in his fancy new radio tower, doing whatever it was he did up there. 

It was only Husk who remained, always behind the bar, shining the bottles and whistling a strange blues tune. He had begun to rope in his drinking as well, choosing to pick up a bottle much later in the day than usual. It was the early morning hour, when you passed by the bar with breakfast in your hands, and the sober bartender turned to you.

“How’s the kid doing?”

“She’s fine, growing very fast too, gaining more control over her movement every day.”

“That's nice,” Husk’s lips curved a smidge, as he placed the glassware neatly underneath the counter, “Haven’t seen you in a while, glad to know ya ain’t dead or nothin’.”

“Yes…” You said slowly, mind racing for a good excuse, “She has just been fussy lately, so I’ve been tending to her.”

“You should bring her out one of these days,” He lifted his eyes from the glass in his paws, meeting yours with an unreadable expression, “I’m sure the others would be happy to see her.”

You couldn’t tell whether Husk was using the term ‘others’ as an inclusion of him as well, you knew the furry demon had a heart somewhere beneath those layers of fur and grumpiness.

You nodded your head at his words, taking a bite of your breakfast, thoughts drifting as you chewed. You’d have to ask Charlie about babysitting anyway, and you couldn’t avoid her forever.

Maybe, knowing that you were going out with her dad, she’d be thrilled to shoulder the responsibilities of a newborn for a single night, or, she could hate it… which was something you desperately tried not to think too hard about, for your sanity.

Needless to say, Husk was right, your daughter really brought the best out of your friends, as they melted in her vicinity. None of the residents at the hotel had any problem looking after the adorable little demon.

Charlie had stood quietly in the lobby, humming a tune as she rocked the baby softly in her arms. Vaggie stood beside her, tilting her head as Peaches’ eyelids began to droop at the gentle motions.

“They’re as cute as the ones in Heaven, maybe cuter,” The fallen angel spoke with a smile, her hand lifting towards the little girl’s head, before tiny fingers wrapped around a single digit and clamped tight.

“And strong too, wow,” She laughed, trying to gently dislodge her finger from the steel grip.

In the hallway behind them, you turned the corner into the lobby, anxiously fiddling with your appearance as you neared the trio. Dressed in a wine-red outfit, you stumbled slightly in your heels as you navigated over the plush carpet. 

Finally, you were actually able to fit into fashionable attire. Your stomach was no longer inflated with an eight-pound baby, and the aching of your once swollen feet no longer bothered you to continue venturing the world in socks and flip-flops.

“You look really nice in that outfit!” Charlie beamed as she turned at the sounds of footsteps, and Vaggie nodded beside her. Your daughter’s eyes widened at the exclamation, before moving to your figure, tracking your figure as you joined them near the bar. 

Angel Dust was lounging on a bar stool, swishing alcohol absentmindedly inside a martini glass as he scrolled on his phone. He glanced up at the sound of Charlie’s voice, before catching a glimpse of your outfit with a knowing smirk.

“Someone is dressin’ to impress,” he playfully nudged Husk’s shoulder over the bar counter, who turned his head from the bottles he was organizing to sneak a peek. 

Everyone knew who you were trying to impress, and when you came back, they would no doubt prod you for any juicy details. 

You stopped in front of Charlie, smiling as you adjusted your outfit again. You had spent the past few hours getting ready, which also included multiple outfit changes because you were never satisfied with your appearance. You needed to look good, really good if you were going on a date with the king.

Why would Lucifer want anything to do with you? You had nothing to offer, just tired eyes and a baby on your hip. There had to be better options, surely. Just because the man never went anywhere other than his manor and the hotel, didn’t mean there wasn’t a line of demons wanting to fill the place of Charlie’s mother.

Lilith. You tried desperately not to think of her, for your own self-esteem. You had seen pictures of her, in old magazines and glimpses of family portraits in Charlie’s room. Lucifer spoke of her when talking about his daughter’s childhood or humorous memories, but he seemed to keep the reminiscing of her specifically curt around you. 

You struggled to understand why, did he think you’d react poorly to the mention of his ex-wife? Except, It wasn’t your place to act that way, though. She had been married to the king for thousands of years and was the mother of his child. She was the Queen of Hell for crying out loud! Not to mention, drop-dead gorgeous, had a fantastic voice, and cared deeply for her people’s wellbeing. 

In comparison, you were a sad sack of potatoes. At least, in your opinion. 

Self-conscious thoughts like these had slowly begun to fester during your early pregnancy, and peaked when your stomach resembled a watermelon, and, for some reason, it had decided to make a nest in your brain postpartum. Laying more seeds of anxiety and dejection deeper within your mind.

But, when Lucifer was around, it was like you could finally breathe again. His energy was warm and inviting, like taking a sip of the finest liquor and that buzz in your brain thirsting for more. It felt like snuggling your face into soft sheep's wool, nothing but comfort and relief from the harshness of the realm. 

Even if the fallen angel was no longer welcomed inside Heaven’s gates, he still retained that ethereal grace that made you feel like you were committing the largest sin just by staring too hard at those soft lips of his.

The king cared about you, in a way nobody did. He was the only demon in your group who had any experience with raising a child, and he was your support when it came to understanding the same stages of parenthood you were currently going through. In a much lesser light, of course, he had never actually birthed a child and suffered the effects of such a–literal–mind altering experience.

Tonight, you’d be able to have Lucifer all to yourself, and you were determined to make the most of it. 

You had held back from making any advances towards him for so long due to that golden band on his finger that glinted painfully in your eyes. A reminder of his attachment to his ex-wife, and the fragility of your close bond. 

What if Lilith were to come back? Would he choose her, and distance himself from you? What of you then, being dragged by the heartstrings for so long just to have them snapped in your face at his rejection?

That thought had terrified you, so you kept your feelings hidden, and let Lucifer set the pace on how far things would go. You were determined to start changing that, starting tonight.

As you came to a halt in front of Charlie and Vaggie, your daughter cooed softly, and you reached out a hand to run gentle fingers across her cheek lovingly.

“Okay, I think I’ve got everything taken care of. Bottles in the fridge you just need to warm up, first aid kit in my room, and I’ll have my phone on ring in case there’s an emergency,” you nervously triple-recounted everything in your mind.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Charlie sent you a confident nod of her head, her fingers tightening around your baby as her smile grew.

It is then you come to realize how good of a big sister the princess could make if she were to have a younger sibling. Your heart swelled at that, as you imagined your daughter at least finding companionship in the young woman. Charlie looked like she could really pull off a stellar children’s tea party.

“I know you do, you’re always so responsible,” you replied warmly, and the princess's eyes widened for a moment, before her lips upturned into a grateful smile as you lowered your hand from your daughter’s face.

“So, where are you going?” Vaggie inquired.

“I don’t know, he just told me to wait outside my balcony door. Which means I should probably head there now, if everything is fine out here.”

“We’re good, toots!” Angel Dust called from behind Charlie, throwing his head back before downing the rest of the liquor in his glass, “Go have some fun!” 

You nodded, before wishing farewell to your daughter and the rest of the demons in the lobby before turning on your heel and heading back towards your room. 

“I hope those two have fun,” Vaggie said as you disappeared around the corner. 

“I have to use the bathroom, will you take Peaches for me?” Charlie turned towards her girlfriend, only for Angel Dust to shoot up from his seat with a large grin. 

“I would like to hold the baby!” He strolled up to the duo, and Charlie glanced over to Vaggie, before shrugging and carefully holding the little girl towards the demon. 

“C’mere, cutie!” Angel Dust beamed, arms outstretched to take the child as she kicked her feet in little baby glee. 

“You love your uncle, Angel, dontcha’?” He cooed, lifting the baby with secure hands underneath her armpits, before he leaned in and rubbed noses.

Peaches sneezed, and Angel Dust positioned her to sit in his lap at the bar counter. Husk leaned across to get a better look, before taking a claw and reaching it towards the baby.

Gently, he squished her chubby arm, trailing down towards her hand. Husk didn’t have time to retract his claw, before a tiny hand wrapped around the cat’s finger and refused to let go.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” He grumbled as he allowed your daughter to stay latched onto his digit.

You had just made it inside your room, adjusting your appearance one final time as you reached the balcony doors. Grasping the handle, you pull it open to slip outside, the lights from the city illuminating the balcony’s white tiled floor.

You turned your head to search for the fallen angel, but he was nowhere in sight. Instead, you were left to twiddle your thumbs, eyes casting towards the demons strolling the streets down the hill in the neighborhood below.

Lucifer didn’t forget about the date… did he? He was getting much better at being on time, but you still could not help to worry. 

“Hey.”

You jumped with a gasp, spinning to face the familiar voice. You had to grip the chair beside you to keep from stumbling in heels, your gaze lifting to meet those familiar, yellow eyes.

Lucifer was perched across from you on the balcony’s thin railing, one pair of his large wings stretched wide, throwing shadows across the tiles beneath your feet. The other two he kept folded at his sides, white against the crimson underbelly of his open wings.

They practically shimmered in the waning light, their shape and color unique to only one kind of being, an angel. Husk’s wings could not compare to the exotic beauty before you, and you struggled to keep eye contact with its owner as you examined the rare sight.

“Lucifer!” You scolded playfully, your eyes tracing across every feather that rustled slightly against the gentle breeze, “You scared me! What are you doing up there?”

“I apologize for the fright,” Lucifer chuckled, rising to his full height as he balanced across like a tightrope, closing the distance between the two of you, “I just thought I’d give you a peek of what tonight has to offer.”

His wings beat softly for balance, before they folded in slightly and the fallen angel lowered himself back to sit on his feet, smiling mischievously as he lowered a hand in a gesture for you to take.

“First, you should take off those heels. They look really nice, but I don’t think you’re going to be able to climb up here with them on.”

You furrowed your brows, suspicion in your gaze as he extended a hand for you to take. What was your darling king planning? 

“Why exactly am I climbing onto the railing?” You kicked off your heels, and you shivered at the cold flooring against your skin.

Your bare feet planted on the cool tiles for a few moments, before your fingers laced with Lucifer’s, and he effortlessly lifted you to stand beside him.

“Well,” He started, his fingers brushing up your wrist to grip your forearm, before steadying you with a flap of his wings, “I just thought you wanted a better mode of transportation to our little dinner than walking in those stilettos.”

“And what ‘mode’ are we talking about here?” You turned to him with widening eyes, realization slowly dawning on you.

Lucifer’s grin only widened, and you gulped. He really was serious about taking an evening flight, and you mentally prepared yourself as your gaze lowered to the long drop beneath you. You steeled your gaze towards the fallen angel, who scooted even closer.

“Are you ready?” His honeyed voice whispered in your ear, and you felt like exploding at the feeling of his touch across your waist.

Were you? Never did you guess this was what he had planned, and never did you imagine finding yourself being able to travel with your feet off the ground. Adrenaline began to pump through your veins the longer you stood there in thought.

With one final deep breath, you moved your hands to grip tightly against Lucifer’s dress shirt, and nodded your approval. Lucifer’s hold on your waist tightened, and you screwed your eyes shut just as you felt him pull you forward and off the side of the railing.

The wind whipped past your ears, your eyelids still locked shut as you clamped your mouth shut to keep from screaming. The two of you were falling fast, and for a moment you imagined Lucifer unable to lift in time, and you’d become a splatter against the grass.

Instead, you heard his other two pairs of wings unfurl and spread above you, the thrumming of heavy flaps and the feeling of being lifted once more had you cracking an eye open. The wind whistled its natural tune, and your eyelids fluttered open to see your legs dangling beneath you. 

You were very high up, as Lucifer glided across the outskirts of the city, those vibrant, flashing strobe lights that lit up the sky above V Tower passed in a multicolored blur. 

You were flying! Free and uncaged from the stress back on the ground, that weightless feeling was something you’ve never experienced all your years in Hell. The adrenaline rush that hit your body had you laughing in the thrill as the fallen angel dipped and rolled. Cars passed below you, and you waved to the pedestrians walking on the streets underneath your feet, if they even noticed your presence.

“Having fun?” Lucifer called from above, and you cocked your head up to meet his playful gaze.

“More than I ever imagined!” You replied, the wind carrying your voice to the king’s ears.

“Good, now hang on!” He laughed, and his wings tightened against his body, causing the two of you to dive with greater speed towards the buildings below. 

Your grip on Lucifer’s shirt tightened and he pulled you closer as he sped towards an illuminated rooftop below. 

Rather carefully, your feet hit the cold bricks beneath, and Lucifer released his hold around your waist to land beside you. His wings folded against his back, and with a split-second flash of golden light, they completely vanished from his frame. 

Lucifer began to walk toward the center of the rooftop, beckoning for you to join. Taking a few steps forward, your eyes follow his path, before widening at the scene. 

Powerful magic had transformed the space into a romantic, candle-lit dinner right out of the movies. The string of bulbs that cast warm light across the small, cute table before you held an intimate glow, paired with the soft, classical tune that filled the air.

A single, elegantly shaped candle stands at the center, casting a warm, flickering light that dances across your face. The table was adorned with a lace-trimmed cloth fluttering gently in the breeze. On top, there's an assortment of delectable treats—cheeses, fruits, and a selection of fine chocolates.

The backdrop is breathtaking, with the city spread out below, its lights twinkling like stars in the distance. The distant hum of traffic and city life is a soothing contrast to the quiet rooftop ambiance. 

Lucifer only smiles at you, before he pulls a chair slightly from the table and gestures for you to sit. You oblige, settling into the comfortable padded seat as he pushes the chair back in place.

He settled into the seat across from you, and you leaned over the table slightly to take a look at the charcuterie board lined with various cheese, meats, and chips. Your stomach growled, and you plucked a few items from the board and placed them on the white plate sitting before you. 

“Is everything to your liking?” Lucifer hummed, as he popped a slice of prosciutto into his mouth, before meeting your gaze.

“This is really nice,” you smiled, lifting your eyes to trace the string of lights that zig-zagged across your head, “I had expected you to just take me to a fancy restaurant, not something like this.”

“I like the atmosphere of places like these much better. Less noisy and more.. personal,” he replied, lifting another meat slice to his lips  “I just thought you needed time away from that suffocating little room, the both of us, really.”

“I appreciate your thoughtfulness, this was very kind of you.”

Lucifer smiled softly, and heat spread across your face at his staring. You took another bite of cheese, and the king’s eyes flicked across the table and his brows furrowed.

“I feel like I’m forgetting something…” he started, rubbing his chin deep in thought, before his eyes widened as he perked, “That’s right, the wine! Waiter!”

The king snapped his fingers, and you turned your head in confusion. The rooftop was empty, save for the two of you, who could possibl–

Your thoughts were interrupted when footsteps echoed across the gravel, and a figure dressed in a black and white tuxedo strolled forward toward you. It was… another Lucifer, and your mouth dropped slightly at the familiar face, whose curly mustache bounced as he grinned.

A red bottle of wine materialized in the double’s hands, and with a loud pop the cork lid flew across the rooftop. Fizz spilled from the bottle for a few moments as the waiter stopped beside you. Lowering the bottom, he poured the empty glass in front of you to the brim, before standing straight once more.

“For you, ma chérie,” Lucifer #2 spoke with a perfect French accent, before bowing respectfully to you. 

He sent you a playful wink as he slid over to your Lucifer’s side, and lowered the wine bottle. Lucifer watched his glass fill, before shooing away his double, who backed away from the table and vanished into the shadows.

You lift the wine glass to your lips, taking a long sip of the dark red liquor. Its rich, apple flavor danced on your tongue as warmth bloomed from your stomach. 

“This is amazing! When you were talking about good wine, I didn’t think you meant this good,” you beamed, that buzz already tingling in your brain as you took another sip.

“An old recipe that’s been sitting in my cellar for, well… a few thousand years by now,” Lucifer swirled the wine in his glass, before lifting it to his lips.

As you nibble on the delicate offerings, conversation flows effortlessly between you both. The topics range from silly memories and active interests, punctuated by laughter and shared glances. Lucifer's eyes hold a warmth and depth that matches the glow of the candle, his demeanor a mix of confidence and vulnerability, as he shares with you details of his past.

Time seems to stand still as you savor each other's company, the burdens upon your shoulders vanishing for the moment, as you keep your gaze fixed on the gorgeous face across from you. The night feels infinite, filled with promise and the simple joy of being together.

Unfortunately, time passed much quicker than you hoped, as the sky above was blanketed in darkness at the late hour. Even with the giddy buzz from the wine, exhaustion was still creeping up your spine, and your eyelids were growing heavy.

Lucifer and you both stood at the same time, and when the king joined you at one end of the table, he lifted a hand toward you. It was a gesture for you to take, and when your eyes lowered, you found that the golden band usually around his finger was nowhere in sight.

Your eyes widened, and something stirred inside you. You didn’t waste any time in reaching forward and lacing your fingers with his, his touch soft and warmth bloomed from his fingertips. 

What now? Should you just lean over and kiss him? No, not on the first date, that’s silly! It must have been the buzz of the wine making all those intrusive thoughts seem very logical as you locked eyes with the king for a few moments.

But… was it really the first date? Sure, you had never spent time together so.. intimately before, but he was there for you a lot during your pregnancy. Helped you cook, filled your day with entertainment, and cared for your health, all he did by choice. 

Which is why you felt so weird asking for his help now, he had already done so much, any more and you’d feel utterly… useless.

It seemed like Lucifer wanted to say something, his brows furrowed slightly, lips moving as if he was just moments from speaking. He held his tongue though, sighing softly in the breeze as he turned his head towards the vibrant cityscape.

You followed his gaze, glimpsing the large, digital billboards a few streets away depicting lude models and VoxTek advertisements. 

“Are you sure you’re doing okay, with the baby and everything? You know you can always ask me for help, right?” Lucifer's words caught you off guard, and your head turned to meet his gaze.

Was he catching onto how much you were really struggling? You bit your lip, mind racing. You had tried so hard to seem normal, but the truth was, you felt like a different person after your baby. These emotions that refuse to leave you in peace were only creating a deeper divide between you and everyone else.

Your daughter was beautiful, and you loved her so much. But, she was still a mentally draining, constantly hungry being that begged for your attention 24/7 in the form of harsh, deafening wails. It seemed to be improving, hopefully.

“I think so,” you answered honestly, using your free hand to rub your shoulder soothingly, “It was tough for a while, but I think whatever has been bothering her is going away. Everything should be much smoother from here on out.”

Lucifer looked at you for another moment, as if he was finding it hard to believe you. He didn’t press further, instead giving your hand a supportive squeeze before tugging 

“Ready for round two?” He smiled, his wings unfurling from behind his back as stepped onto the edge of the roof beside him.

You only laughed as he pulled you close to him and the two of you fell off the side of the building. Lucifer’s wings stretched wide as they lifted the two of you towards the sky, your worries in the wind once more.

You should have knocked on wood when you told Lucifer your daughter’s crying fits were improving, because only a few days later, it was quite the opposite. Peaches has been overcome with another intense round of colic, and her screams bounced across the bedroom as you rocked her gently in your arms.

You had spent the past hour trying to soothe her cries, to no avail. Tears pricked at your eyes as you lifted a binkie towards her mouth, it took a few moments for the little girl to even notice her outburst, before she clamped her mouth around it and began to suckle. 

Her crying turned to whimpers, which soon faded into sniffles as she suckled on the pacifier. You exhaled a sigh of relief, as you slowly lowered her into the red bassinet beside you. Carefully, you positioned her comfortably on the plush bedding, placing a small blanket snugly around her toes to keep her from waking from the cold, before you straightened again. 

What could she possibly be feeling that you were unable to help her through? You weren’t telepathic, and the mystery was only driving you mad. 

You needed fresh air, and your daughter’s wails were finally silenced long enough to be able to disappear for a few minutes and recollect yourself. With caution, you took quiet steps across the room towards the balcony doorways that were concealed behind dark red curtains. Slowly, you reached through the thick fabric to grasp at the handle, before pulling it open just a crack to slip through.

The door closed softly behind you with a barely audible click, and that large breath held in your lungs finally expelled with a heavy sigh, heavy with emotions you so desperately wanted to release from your mind in any way possible. If it meant collapsing to the ground and flooding the balcony with the outpour of unsung frustrations.

You felt so useless. Your daughter was in some kind of misery, and the effects of the constant jump to tears were starting to take a noticeable effect on the infant. She just seemed so tired, practically pleading for you to end whatever misery she could possibly be facing.

You were at your wit's end, and you stared out into the distance, your breath quickening as tears threatened to fall. You just needed some time alone, time to think, and maybe, just maybe, it was time to ask for hel–

“Boo!” A sudden voice near your ear pulled you back into reality, and your heart slammed into your chest.

This time you screamed, your back hitting the railing as you quickly pivoted to find Lucifer, perched atop the railing once more. His wings were gone now, and his smile was wide as he landed on the tile next to you.

“Ha! I got you good, didn’t I?” Lucifer laughed, and you tensed at the volume.

“Shhh!” You hissed, placing a finger to your lips and Lucifer froze.

“Sorry…” He grimaced, glancing at the glass doorway before taking a step closer toward you,  "is she asleep?” 

“Yes, I’ve been trying to get her to settle down all day… she’s been really fussy and it’s been hard,” you sighed, turning your head slightly to hide the emotion building on your face.

“Oh, I had no idea. I just swung by to ask you something, but I see you're a little preoccupied at the moment,” Lucifer chuckled nervously, concern written across his features at your glistening eyes and quivering frown.

You were having trouble containing all the horrible things you were feeling, and your body began to react to the pressure that was threatening to burst inside of you. Inhaling a shaking breath, you crossed your arms and held them close to your chest, your heart beating rapidly. 

“Hey... are you okay?” You felt a hand softly grasp your forearm, and that warm touch was what had you coming undone before the king.

Tears poured down your cheeks, your body shaking with sobs as you slammed a hand over your mouth to hold back the anguished, raw sounds that were begging to be set free. 

You felt utterly exposed, vulnerable in a way you hadn’t allowed yourself to be in a really long time. The weight of your emotions crashed over you like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf you in its depth. 

You felt a hand soothingly rub circles into your back, another one on your forearm as the king tried his best to show his support through silent gestures. You choked back another sob, straightening in embarrassment and you regained control of your composure. 

“I’m sorry,” you finally whispered, face twisting as you tried to compose yourself, “I’m trying to be a good mother, but it must be obvious how terrible of one I am.”

“What? Don’t say that!” Lucifer shook his head quickly, lips curving into a nervous smile as he spoke, “You’re doing a great job, nobody thinks otherwise.”

“I’m sure,” you replied bitterly, shaking your head in disbelief.

“Times like these can be really hard, I understand how you fee–”

“You don’t, though!” You snapped, lifting a hand to harshly rub your face free of the river running down your cheeks.

“Okay, maybe that's true, but I'm just worried about you, you’ve been—!”

Crying erupted from behind the door, and Lucifer’s mouth clamped shut at the sudden interruption. You jumped at the noise, one hand quickly reaching backward to grasp at the doorknob.

“I’m sorry, she’s crying again and I need to go. If you want to help so badly, come back another time!” the words spilled from your lips in a single breath, and your body moved past the threshold of the doorway as you turned away from the fallen angel.

“Wait! Please let me-!” 

The door locked into place, ceasing the desperate words from the other side. You couldn’t bear to listen any longer, embarrassed by your childish outburst of emotions.

Resting your forehead against the wooden surface, you squeezed your eyes shut, collecting yourself. Your daughter screamed for you across the room, only intensifying the ringing in your ears and pushing the tears to spill faster down your cheeks.

You saw Lucifer’s shadow behind the curtains for a few moments longer, before his silhouette backed away and disappeared over the railing. You rubbed a hand across your face as your daughter screamed, growling at yourself before you stalked towards the crib.

It had only been a few days later, when you heard your daughter's whimpers begin from across the room in her red bassinet sometime in the very early morning hours. You groaned, so comfortable in your nest of pillows and weighted blankets to heed her noisy demands.

You were exhausted, and for once there had been hope that you’d catch a few more hours before having to awake. Peaches wasn’t crying, though, not like her usual wails. You were still in the clutches of sleep, and your consciousness was drifting in and out, and the sounds around you were dampened by the dreamy state.

Then, something else joined the soft whimpers, a faint voice that had you stirring awake with heavy eyelids and sliding the plush covers from your figure. A rich, melodious tone hit your ears, delicate and soothing in the night. 

It sounded… like a violin. It was hauntingly beautiful, a lone siren in the stillness as it lulled your daughter into a deep sleep.

You lifted yourself from the warmth of the sheets, the cold air kissing your bare skin as you slid to the edge of your bed, eyes squinted to see through the darkness towards the corner. In the maroon lighting that escaped through a slit between the curtains of the balcony doors, you could make out some shadowed figure hunched slightly above the crib, your view limited by the small dining table in between you and the stranger.

Quietly, you slid over to the edge of the bed, before planting your feet softly against the plush rug underneath. You took careful steps as you snuck around the table in the center of your room, the music growing louder as you neared the bassinet.

Slowly, you peeked from behind the dining chair, your gaze followed the dappled, red light from the curtains, as they lit the features of a familiar, pearlescent skin with a ruby-like glow.

Lucifer.

His movements were graceful, like a swan, as he slid the bow across the strings, which glowed a subtle golden light as the heavenly melody left the instrument and filled your body with awe. His gaze fixed on the tiny figure nestled inside the crib, his features concentrated as he continued to play.

You only watched, silent as the lullaby began to damper, and the bow’s movements slowed. Soon, the music ceased, and Lucifer lowered the bow to his lap as he took a seat on a sofa behind him wearing a satisfied expression. Your heart swelled with emotion at the realization of the love behind his actions, and you took another step forward.

“Lucifer?” 

The king jumped at your voice, his fingers tightening around the instrument in his hold as he slowly turned his head with a large, innocent grin.

“Heyyyyy,” Lucifer replied awkwardly, lowering the violin from his shoulder, and setting it down onto the cushion beside him. 

The fallen angel met your gaze once more with an apologetic smile, rubbing his neck uneasily. He was trying to quiet without waking you, which he did the opposite, and it was rather awkward with his intrusion to soothe your daughter. You quietly moved forward, closing the distance between the two of you he chuckled nervously.

“I’m sorry for not announcing my presence, you told me to come back another time, then I just heard her crying and–”

Lucifer’s words caught in his throat, pupils dilating as your fingers came up to slowly brush across his chin, before settling to gently cup his cheek. Your thumb softly grazed across those red cheeks of his, and the tension in the fallen angel’s limbs subsided at your caring touch.

You didn’t know what had come upon you, but the craving to be close to this pure-intentioned being, in a literal and figurative sense, outweighed any thoughts of keeping your feelings at bay anymore. 

“Why are you so good to me?” You whispered, lips beginning to quiver.

Lucifer’s gaze softened, and he melted in your palm. Warmth spread across your fingers, easing the ache in your muscles and deep in your bones, as euphoria overcame you. 

“Because you’re one of the only good things left in my life,” he replied, his voice tight with emotion, as if he was choking back tears, “You, Charlie, and…”

Lucifer trailed off as his eyes lowered to your sleeping daughter, adoration in his gaze. It was pure love, the kind that lasted for an eternity. Your heart swelled at that, and lifting a hand to his other cheek, you cupped his face and smiled warmly.

“Can I kiss you?” 

“Kiss me? Well–ha–I don’t find anything wrong with tha–” Lucifer’s stammered reply was cut off once more as you pulled him forward into your embrace.

You pressed your lips to his, they were warm and soft, and you drank in the sweetness of Lucifer’s aroma, nibbling slightly at his bottom lip. You felt his hands slide to your waist, before grasping gently and pulling you flush against his chest. 

Lucifer leaned backward slowly, his back hitting the support of the sofa and you shifted to fully rest against him, your lips moving to delicately graze across his chin, and you felt his heart quicken at the touch.

Lucifer’s breath hitched slightly as your lips traced along his jawline, you lingered for a moment, feeling the warmth of his breath on your cheek. His hands, still at your waist, tightened ever so slightly. The softness of his lips beckoned, and you closed the remaining distance, meeting in a tender, lingering kiss. 

Your eyelids were heavy, and you slowly broke the kiss and let your head fall into the warmth of the fallen angel's chest, tightening your hold around him and snuggling closer.

“Thank you, for putting her to sleep,” you murmured into Lucifer’s shirt, before feeling claws slide up to your back, caressing the area softly as he hummed a reply.

The two of you embraced silently, lost in the intimacy as you listened to the gentle thrum of his heart, and he continued drawing circles in your back with pleasurable movements. You felt yourself drifting into slumber once more, and your breath slowed as you heeded your body’s exhausted demands.

“You should come stay at my manor,” Lucifer whispered above you, his chin resting gently against the top of your head. 

Your eyelids fluttered open at that, sleep in the back of your mind at his words as you lifted your head to meet his gaze with a raised, disbelieving brow.

“What?”

Lucifer’s lips tightened, and his eyes bounced across the room as he struggled to formulate a response.

“Well, I–I mean, it would be a lot better than staying here, right? I could hire you as my… private chef! That way, you would make your own money to support yourself. You could even have a whole wing of the manor if you wanted, also a big nursery, a private kitchen, and a master bedroom as big as this entire living space!”

Your mouth opened slightly, head spinning. Live in the same house as Lucifer? The royal manor to call home? Probably the most luxurious and non-hellish place to exist in all the seven rings? He sounded completely serious, and you never expected him to make such a bold offer. You’d also be able to support yourself independently by working as Lucifer’s ‘private chef’, save for the free room and board.

“And, of course, you get to permit who comes and goes in that area, so if you wanted to keep everyone, including me, out…you could do that, too.”

Lucifer’s tone sank slightly as those words left his lips, and your brows furrowed in thought. 

“We’ll you give me time to think about it?” You asked slowly.

“Of course!” Lucifer nodded with a satisfied smile, content you were even considering his sudden proposition, “Take all the time you need.”

The two of you fell back into comfortable silence, and stayed locked in an embrace for the rest of the morning, and the crimson light peeking through the curtains began to lighten with the coming dawn. Even as you drifted into sleep, Lucifer’s words lingered in your mind as you slipped from consciousness.

They continued to linger the following evening, as you spilled your heart out to Angel Dust at the bar, your face in your hands as you recalled verbatim. He sipped from his glass of alcohol, lips set in thought as he listened intently. 

Out of everyone in the hotel, you didn’t know why you went to Angel for advice, especially in dealing with romance, but you told him everything nonetheless. About going to live with Lucifer, all the help he’s been to you thus far, and the encounter with him earlier. You even gave him a brief glimpse into the… physical intimacy the two of you also had shared earlier.

“I think ya should do it,” Angel Dust said after a few moments of silence, downing the remaining liquor in his glass, before turning to you. You lifted your head from your hands, you met his gaze with surprise written across your features.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, placing one hand supportively on your shoulder as he continued, “Now I ain’t tryna be mean to ya, but… the hotel was a great place for you before the baby, but with our track record with keeping this place from being attacked by thugs and angels, it mayyy not be so good for the actual baby. Ya get me?”

You took a sip of the water in front of you, nodding slowly as the answer you had been searching for finally settled on your shoulders. You turned to face the spider demon, your lips curving into a small frown and he tilted his head at you.

“I’m really going to miss you guys,” you murmured, rubbing your hands together self-soothing.

“Oh, you’re gonna make me cry, toots! C’mere!,” Angel Dust wrapped all four arms around you, and you returned the embrace with a tight grip. 

And wow, his fuzz was soft. You finally understood the appeal as you held your friend close. Even though in retrospect you had only known the porn star for a short amount of time, the bond you shared was heartwarming and kind. One of the few relationships of Angel’s that didn’t devolve into debauchery and drugs. 

Two hours later, you stood in front of Charlie, hands once again rubbing together in an attempt to soothe the nerves that were making it difficult to hold eye contact with the princess as you filled her in on the decision regarding your future. You planned to move into the manor, and raise the baby in a place that most resembled a home, instead of growing up in a hotel room.

“You’re going to go live with my dad?” She asked slowly, her brows furrowed at your words.

You tensed. Was she apprehensive of the idea?

“Yes, but it’s nothing crazy like I’m getting with your dad or anything… haha.. yeah,” you trailed off, because you were feeling like that may turn out to be untrue sooner than later.

At least, you hoped they did. For now, it was just something along the lines of roommates, even with how silly that sounded in your head.

“Well…” She began, rubbing her chin in thought, and sweat beaded down your forehead as she continued, “I think… it's a wonderful idea! I really enjoyed growing up there, and I’m sure your daughter would too!”

Phew. You exhaled a sigh of relief, the tension leaving your body and your shoulders relaxed. 

With Charlie’s blessing, it was all you needed to give Lucifer the news. He practically jumped for joy as you gave him your answer, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

“I have to baby-proof the whole place beforehand!” he had proclaimed, racing around the makeshift room he had been staying in the past few days as he grabbed his cane. 

“She won’t even be able to crawl for a while longer,” you had laughed with a raised brow.

“I can’t afford anything less than perfect,” Lucifer shook his head, grabbing his coat and hat to get everything ready as soon as possible, “Don’t worry, I’ve got the power of creation, remember? It’ll only be a jiffy.”

The king had literally exploded into a burst of confetti, a sizzle of magic zapping him out of the room and away to the manor. You had blinked, the colored paper mache settling on your shoulders as you turned towards the hallway.

It seemed like the only thing that was left was to start packing, and so away you worked for the next few hours. 

Peaches was swaddled tightly against your chest in a makeshift baby wrap, made from a sheet of fabric that held her close and secure to you while you placed clothes and other items into organized boxes.

Lucifer had been back in a jiffy, appearing at your door right as you finished stuffing everything away into storage. It took a snap of his finger for all of your things to go poof in a cloud of red smoke, and the king had summoned a limo to take the three of you back to the manor, since traveling with magic was risky with an infant. 

You had stood on the front steps of the hotel, trying to contain the tears as you wished farewell to your friends. They watched you leave with furrowed brows, and Charlie had even sniffled once as you and your daughter climbed into the white vehicle. 

“Come by and visit us sometime!” Charlie called as the limo pulled off from the curve and you leaned out the window for a final wave as the hotel disappeared from view.

When you arrived at that glittering, white, and gold royal home, you were met with tall, imposing statues depicting regal figures from centuries past, their stony gazes fixed upon the entrance. As the limo pulled up to the front steps, you noticed the large gardens surrounding the manor, each flower seemingly in perfect bloom despite the season. Fountains sprayed later spouts of water up in the air, before cascading down into glittering pools.

“She’s a beauty, ain’t she?” Lucifer had smiled as you took your tour around the premises, examining the once-neatly trimmed bushes that lined the place.

There were no imp servants, or attendees at all really, which explained why the place was beginning to look overgrown by the hellish flora. Large red vines climbed up the manor’s side, a few even weaved across large panes of glass, windows that would have once offered a beautiful sight. 

It appeared the current homeowner was not doing a very good job maintaining the place, and you weren’t going to let this place rot any longer. You’d have to add landscaping to the job description when you felt good enough to do such heavy tasks.

Right as you stepped through those large, golden doors, you were greeted with crystal chandeliers that illuminated a giant corridor. Plush, red carpet met your feet as you a few more steps inside, your eyes tracing over the array of paintings and sculptures lining the walls, along with a few family portraits and other elegant decor. 

It was clear that the interior was designed by the women of the house, the lack of circus decor even prevalent inside the Hazbin Hotel was nowhere in sight. As you followed Lucifer down the hallway, you guessed his withdrawals had given him no strength to change the house to his liking. You stepped through a tall, open doorway into what seemed to be a parlor.

Lucifer paused, turning to you with a warm smile as you joined him with your daughter in your arms inside the living space. You took in the sight of velvet couches circling a large fireplace and a small bar snug against the opposite wall, bottles of liquor lining the racks behind the counter.

"Welcome home," he said, his voice soft as he turned. Peaches cooed softly, seemingly content in the entrancing, shiny surroundings. You followed Lucifer down another large corridor, and he began to give a proper tour of the residency.

You didn’t realize how big this place really was until he showed you the third parlor in the house. This one had more tables, seemingly for dining primarily, but with a similar fireplace nestled in one of the walls near two, red armchairs. 

When Lucifer said you’d have large, private areas, you assumed he was just being generous and giving you some of his dwellings. Now, you knew that wasn’t the case, as there was definitely enough for the both of you between three large bathrooms, five bedrooms, and two dining rooms. 

It took a few days to settle in, as Lucifer helped you unpack your things with easy magic and you found renewed energy in making the nursery perfect for your daughter.

It was clear, from day one, that the two of you weren’t going to be just roommates, when you found yourself stealing kick kisses from him as you organized the nursery, or when his hand found your waist as you rocked Peaches to sleep in your arms some days. Some nights, you found yourself playfully bantering with the fallen angel in front of the fireplace, a glass of wine in your hands as gentle music played in the back. 

Lucifer’s presence and companionship seemed to be what you needed for your emotions to begin to stabilize, along with the fact that you had practically an entire mansion to yourself, instead of sharing the living areas with a large group of demons like back at the hotel. 

The king wasn’t holed up in his home all the time anymore, as he joined his daughter in promoting the hotel and actually making an effort to go to a meeting here and there. He had a purpose now, and you noticed that subtle ethereal radiance that lined his figure began to glow brighter with each passing day.

Lucifer’s social battery was still adjusting to the changes in his daily routines, and some nights he’d return with heavy eyelids and sluggish steps, as if he had returned from a battle against Heaven.

You had been sitting in the front parlor one cozy night, a book in your hand as you waited for the king’s return. He usually wasn’t gone so long, and the dinner you had made had gone cold, so all there was to do was sit around and wait.

Your daughter’s colic seemed to have tapered off by now, as it has already been a few weeks since you arrived at the manor. This was a relief, and you found yourself sleeping much longer, your energy and patience naturally returning. 

That fear of being useless began to dissipate, now that you were able to enjoy time in the kitchen, testing out new receipts for Lucifer as his chef. He paid you very handsomely, even though you rarely did cook as you recovered from postpartum and kept busy with the baby.

You didn’t complain though, it was nice to see a paycheck that could actually cover all your groceries and bills, if you actually paid any of the bills around here... did Lucifer even have bills?

Your thoughts were cut off when the sound of heeled boots thumped across the corridor right outside the room, and the book in your hands lowered to the coffee table in front of you. 

Lucifer kicked off his boots at the door to the parlor, his hooves meeting the carpet as they dragged towards the couch you were lazing on. His blonde was hair disheveled, and some of the gold buttons on his vest were unbuttoned, revealing a glimpse of what lay below his collarbone.

He looked exhausted, his eyes tiredly frog-blinking as he fell against the cushions beside you, before exhaling a long, drawn-out sigh. 

“Rough day?” You whispered softly, and he turned his head slightly to face you.

“Just.. a lot,” was Lucifer’s response, his eyelids fluttering close for a few moments as he drank in the warmth from the crackling fire nearby.

You watched the fallen angel for a few more moments, his breath rising and falling slowly as he relaxed. His skin practically glowed against the soft colors thrown across the room from the dancing flames. A thought crossed your mind, and hesitantly, you reached a hand to Lucifer’s shoulder.

You felt him tense slightly from your touch, before relaxing slowly as you gripped his shoulder and forearm and began tugging him to lay down against you. He turned his head, raising a brow as he began to lean against you.

“Come here,” you smiled warmly, as you pulled him to fall over against you.

Lucifer’s head softly landed on your lap, his face upturned towards the ceiling as you smiled down at him. He watched the orange light reflect against your skin, enhancing your already perfect features. 

You lifted a hand towards his face, before you began to gently brush your fingers through his hair. Your nails grazed against the king’s scalp and a satisfied sigh left his lips. A hum reached his ears, as you quietly filled the room, with the soft tune. 

Something stirred inside the king, and emotions began bubbling up into his throat, and he could barely contain them as his lips parted.

“Can I tell you something?” Lucifer whispered after a moment.

“Of course,” you nodded, tilting your head down to him.

“I think… that I’m in love with you.”

Those words had your hands stilling against his scalp, and your breath hitched.

Lucifer in love with you? 

Oh, the joy you felt, at finally hearing those words you only had dreamed of for so long. Your grin spreading ear to ear as heat crept across your cheeks.

“Oh, you silly man,” you laughed softly down to the nervous face in your lap, before you gripped Lucifer by the collar and pulled him up from your lap.

You leaned down and pressed your lips softly to his, and the king rose the rest of the way on his own. He pulled you against him, as his back hit the cushions and you pivoted to straddle him as the kiss deepened. 

Lucifer’s arms were snaked around your waist, and your hands cupped both sides of his face as the two of you were lost in this intimate, quiet moment of affection finally revealed.

Time flew by fast after that, once your daily routines began to settle into place. Lucifer began to step in more in raising the baby, and sometimes you’d find your daughter in his arms, and a sweet, soothing tune coming from his lips.

You’d stand there, leaning against the nursery doorway as you watched with a warm smile. Peaches was beginning to like–no, love him. You could tell when she started to let him dress her up without her usual stink eye. She was now able to sit up and speak in her own, unique form of baby talk.

“Stop moving,” You had heard Lucifer laugh one day from inside the large bedroom, “You’re making this harder than it needs to be!”

A string of incomprehensible sounds followed, high-pitched babbling from the tiny figure in response.

“Hey, don’t give me attitude, missy!” You heard playful chastising from the king, and you turned into the doorway to see his back towards you, as he kneeled over your daughter. 

Her tiny legs kicked in protest as he wrangled something onto her, and you took a few steps into the room before announcing your presence.

“Lucifer…?” You started, nearing the bed.

He jumped at your voice, before pivoting to face you with an innocent smile. Your daughter was visible now, some kind of bright yellow fabric around her head and hugging the rest of her body.

“Hey! Don’t mind us, we're just testing something!” Lucifer’s smile widened.

“Testing what?” You asked with a smile.

Lucifer’s smile turned playful as he turned back to your daughter and lifted her towards you, and your eyes widened.

Peaches was dressed in a fuzzy, yellow duck onesie. Its head was designed into a hood that was pulled over her head, the orange beaking sticking out and resting slightly on her forehead. She babbled something incoherent with an open, gummed smile, something probably along the lines of ‘Look! Don’t I look so gosh darn cute?’

“I pulled out some of Charlie’s baby clothes from storage, and funny enough they fit Peaches just fine,” Lucifer continued, placing his cheek against your daughter’s and rubbing it affectionately with puckered lips, “She is so adowable in her wittle onesie, huh?”

“Yes, she is!” You cooed, leaning forward to pinch one of her cheeks with a grin.

The three of you were beginning to turn into a proper family, and it became obvious when Lucifer started making breakfast for the three of you in the early mornings, despite paying you for such tasks.

“You know that's my job, right?” You quirked a brow as Lucifer stood in front of the stone, flipping large, fluffy pancakes in a pan, before placing them upon a steaming pile of deliciousness. 

“You have days off, don’t you?” He hummed in response, turning off the stove and sliding the plate into his hands, “Will you grab the syrup for me, please?”

You opened the cupboards nearby, grabbing the large bottle of syrup as you followed him toward the dining area, your daughter playing with a rattle on the floor near the long table. She was able to crawl now, a speedy little demon that took off as soon as you turned the other way. 

Luckily, Lucifer had baby gates to help with that, and now she was easily confined into any room for fear of escaping. Her tiny stomach growled and she lifted her gaze from the toy as you and Lucifer stepped over the gate. 

Peaches squealed with happiness, and began to crawl towards you, her hands plapping against the tile as she moved. She slowed right next to the last dining chair at the table, before her head lifted to examine it for a moment. 

Your daughter began to lift herself onto two feet as she gripped the dining chair’s leg. She was getting good at standing by herself, but she had never managed to successfully step forward and not flop back onto her butt. 

You set the syrup on the dining table, ignoring her movements as first as you helped set the table. It wasn’t until you turned to place her into the high chair, did you watch your daughter’s foot begin to lift.

Peaches took one step forward, wobbling slightly as she tried to regain balance. Your mouth dropped, and your arm reached out to grip the back of Lucifer’s shirt and tug him beside you.

“What’s going on, why are yo–” Lucifer froze beside you, as your daughter lifted the other foot and took another wobbly step forward.

She had never remained on two feet for this long, and she didn’t look like she was stopping yet. Lucifer quickly lowered onto his knees, and you joined him as he stretched out his arms.

“Peaches, come on!” He called to the little girl, who was only a foot away from the two as she smiled at the fallen angel and took another step closer.

You joined him, cheering for your daughter as she took another step, and another, and then she reached out her little arms towards the two of you. She took the final step, before she lost total balance and fell forward.

The both of you jumped forward and embraced Peaches at once, the three of you in a tight huddle of affection as your daughter giggled against your chest. 

You peppered kisses against her forehead, tears pricking at your eyes as you lifted them to meet Lucifer’s gaze. His eyes were glistening as well, and you leaned forward to press a quick kiss to his lips, your smile large and brilliant. 

It was clear now, that your little family had grown to include another, and you were so thrilled it was Lucifer. Your ex, and the fears that came with his betrayal began to dissipate from your mind, and a tear rolled down your cheek in happiness. 

From that day on, you promised to make sure that your little girl would always have a father in her life, although it seems like you’ve already found the one who would cherish her for the rest of eternity.

“Psst, Mom!” 

You grumbled incoherently, still in the clutches of sleep as the voice rudely interrupted the nice dream you had been having in the early hours of the morning.

“Moooooommmm, wake up!”

You stirred awake at the voice hissing in your ear, your eyes fluttering open inside the dark master bedroom of the manor. Someone was standing right in front of you, a short figure tapping her foot impatiently as you lifted your head from the pillows.

The room was still covered in blackness, the morning light unable to escape through the blackout curtains blanketing the large bedroom. You could see the outline of a small figure in the shadows at the edge of your bed, illuminated by the open doorway behind her.

“What is it, baby?” You rubbed your tired eyes, turning to face your daughter.

Peaches was much older now, the name long outgrown her as she aged from toddler, to child, to girl. She resembled a nine year old now, that cute baby fat gone from her limbs, and her chubby little cheeks beginning to sharpen into gorgeous features. 

“Can I go with Charlie to the mall? She said she’ll pick me up in an hour if that’s okay.”

Charlie and your daughter had been doing everything together lately, which you guessed was because of the older woman’s joy in having a little sister she could take under her wing. They may not be related by blood, but nobody could tell the difference with the bond those two shared.

Peaches often assisted her at the now-bustling hotel, learning how to best help the inhabitants of Hell through the teachings of her sisterly figure. 

“Sure, tell Charlie I said hi,” you nodded with a smile, and your daughter bounced giddily on her toes.

“Yay! Thank you, mom!” She lowered her face down to leave a quick kiss on your cheek, wrapping her arms around your neck for a tight hug before backing away, “I Love you, see you later!”

You watched her rush out of the room with a slip in her step, the door closing softly behind her. 

“What was all that about?” A voice tiredly mumbled beside you, and warm arms snaked around your waist. 

You laid your head back against the pillow, repositioning your body to face toward the naked figure beside you.

“She just wanted to go out and have some fun with Charlie,” you replied to the tired, pearly face before you, his blonde hair disheveled around him as he blinked the sleep away with a yawn.

“Those two are like glue, nowadays,” your husband, Lucifer, yawned, pulling you flush against his bare chest in one smooth motion.

You snuggled your face into the crook of his neck, placing wet kisses across his skin, earning a pleasurable noise from his throat. 

“Should we get up and make some breakfast?” You asked into his skin.

“Five more minutes,” you heard him mutter, as he rubbed his cheek against yours affectionately.

That gives me five more minutes to think about how lucky I am to have you by my side.

“Okay,” you smiled softly, placing a loving kiss against his forehead before snuggling closer, “Five more minutes.” 

woah lots of emotions in this one, good thing everything worked out in the end, eh? the art was done by indxlulu over on twt, go check out some of their other work!

what did you think? let me know! <3

tags 🏷️

@ohnoivefallen @doodlebob2726 @coleisyn @undertale-is-sansational @nehy019 @mixplara @chewbrry @yellowsubiesdance @airwolf92 @lxkeee @jellybellyrulez @catnoirsleftnut @mbruben-stein @froggybich @moonlovers34 @just-trash-yeah-thats-it @lil-bexie @wings-of-sapphire @the-tortured-poet @enigmatic-blues @bethleeham @cherry-4200 @azullynx @luzzbuzz @for-hearthand-home @helluvapoison @th3-st4r-gur1 @concentratedconcrete @cimadreamer @marsenbie @guacam011y @maxiskindahere @purplerose291 @fictional-character-whore @0willowwisp0 @yourlocalgoldenretrieverboy @wpdarlingpan @halo-balo @chipper-chip @lvstyangel @acrazyartist @midorichoco @xoxohugslove @ivebeenthearchersstuff @indestructeible @otherthoughtsofbu

[styllwaters]

do you have any ideas about Knight language(s)? How they sound, work, etc.?

I'm glad you asked! Sorry this took so long; it's a bit of a long one.

For Knight languages, all vocalisations originate from the Host. Spoken language is harsh and guttural, consisting of deep growling, hissing, and ‘rolls of the tongue’. Their growls are quite loud, and accompanying them are low-frequency vibrations which can be felt across the entire body. The closest approximation would be cassowary rumbling. Hosts rely less on their ears (which are small holes hidden under their fur) and more on vibrations to detect sound.

Helmets are incapable of making such complex vocalisations and instead use many forms of sign language to communicate via their manipulators. When a Knight mentally separates their Host and Helmet, the Helmet is no longer able to speak through the Host. As such, there are two main language forms used by Knights of every regional variety; the vocal Host language and the signing Helmet language.

However, typically when Knights are communicating, they may use a mixture of the two, called Speech-sign. Helmet signing accompanied by Host speech aids in conveying proper tone, considering Host articulation tends to be very monotone. It also contains underlying messages; or what we would call subtext. As a result, Knights tend to be highly attentive to body language and focus on hand movements rather than eyes/mouth when in conversation.

[Pictured above: the Plains pike-fort Kryyit-kan conversing with their guard-spire mate, Ynsi-jehwa. Kryyit is apologising for squishing Ynsi's favourite pet bug.]

There are some ‘universal’ signs and gestures which are generally understood by all Knights, no matter the language or region. Many of these signs are also used during hunts to communicate from afar without startling prey. Mountain, Plains, and Polar Knight children are taught these from an early age.

[Pictured above: the eight essential signs used by all Knights. Helmet manipulators are highly dexterous and can move in various directions.]

Knights also have ‘drumming’ languages, which is a method of communicating over long distances. Mainly used in Plains regions, Knights drum on the sand with their back feet in patterns not unlike Morse code. For more reliable and accurate communication they may use a thumping device. Knights are able to detect these seismic disturbances over vast stretches of land.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

Mountain Knight names tend to contain a lot of consonants and are the most hissy/raspy/guttural. The Host name comes before the Helmet name, and they are combined into one. (Eg. Neghasharat-Hksuutaka = Negha-taka)

Plains Knight names have more vowels and are slightly higher pitched. They are similar to the Mountain naming scheme, except the Helmet name comes before the Host name. (Eg. Krryitmana-Kankala = Krryit-kan)

Polar Knight names are not two-part. They do not name their Host or Helmets at all, only naming the Knight infant when they are assimilated. They are generally shorter and are the highest pitched. (Eg. Reio)

Knight 'laughing' sounds exactly like tiger chuffing!

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Talia Emrani

Tensions have been rising across college campuses nationwide as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) groups have erected “Gaza Solidarity Encampments” in response to Israel’s conduct during the current Hamas-instigated war.

Hidden between demands for their universities to sever ties with Israel and all Israel-related products, these encampments have not stopped short of promoting violence and antisemitism. Unsurprisingly, UCLA has become a breeding ground for this current wave of Jew-hatred.

Early on the morning of April 25, 2024, UCLA’s SJP chapter set up tents on the university’s main quad, demanding that the university cut ties with Israel and allow them unrestricted protest, regardless of legality.

For eight whole days, these protestors freely expressed their antisemitic and anti-US anarchical rhetoric. Law enforcement eventually intervened, removing the protestors and dismantling the encampment.

But why was such hostility allowed for eight whole days? Why wasn’t this unlawful, hateful demonstration disbanded from the outset?

It’s hard to imagine that administrators felt handcuffed to arguments of free speech. Any other  members spewing hateful, violent rhetoric on campus would never be able to enjoy the same privileges that these encampment members did.

The anti-Israel protestors were allowed to spend their days shouting out antisemitic chants like “long live the intifada,” over a loudspeaker — all while representing their movement as a “student intifada” that needed to be “protected” by the administration.

The word “intifada” literally translates to “uprising” in Arabic, and represents two periods of mass violence and terrorism against innocent Israelis that included suicide bombings, public bus bombings, and the murder of infants.

Protestors also vandalized UCLA’s campus and held banners with antisemitic messages, such as writing in Arabic to ask Hamas’ military wing to “burn Tel Aviv to the ground,” and drawing a Star of David with directions to “step here.”

How can they honestly call for “justice” and “peace” while at the same time demanding the opposite? And yet, UCLA’s leaders felt no need to put an end to this malicious gathering.

If the barbaric rhetoric wasn’t enough, these protestors used their platform to repeatedly harass, and in some cases, even attack Jewish students suspected of being Zionist and peaceful pro-Israel activists.

During a pro-Israel counter-protest the following Sunday, April 28, when a student bent down to pick up a dropped Israeli flag, a pro-Palestinian mob surrounded her and kicked her in the head repeatedly.

In another shocking antisemitic incident that day, after an anti-Israel protester failed to destroy a pro-Israel protester’s sign, she violently tore his hat off and threatened to use her taser on him while brandishing the weapon in his face.

Again, the UCLA administration did nothing. This begs the question, are they afraid of being attacked themselves, or do they think any pro-Israel or Jewish students don’t deserve safety?

All of these instances clearly breach UCLA’s Student Group Conduct Code, which prohibits the “use or display of a weapon,” and “harassment in any form.” If administrators truly believe that assaulting and threatening to harm Jews does not violate the code, then it’s unclear what behavior would.

It took five entire days for the administration to simply recognize that Jewish UCLA students have undergone significant emotional distress, but then offering only a minimal gesture of care that amounted to little more than virtue signaling performative action.

We demand an explanation for why it took more than a week to remove these antisemites masquerading as peace activists from our campus.

We demand that such hateful protestors face adequate consequences for their actions, so that all students can once again feel safe.

UCLA administrators cannot continue to claim that they foster a safe and inclusive environment while barely lifting a finger to protect a vulnerable minority currently facing such unabashed hate.

It is time for the administration to prioritize the safety of Jewish students and take tangible steps to combat antisemitism on campus. The question is, will they?

[mdhwrites]

Eda's Requiem: The Embodiment of Why TOH's Found Family Sucks

Here are the two plot lines for this episode, with no frills or judgements, and you try to figure out the problems with them: Plot A: Eda, while running from having an actual conversation with King and/or Luz, runs into an old flame who lets her in on a secret criminal group they're a part of that can use her skills. She proceeds to spend the entire episode away from Luz and King, besides small exchanges where she refuses to talk to them due to misunderstandings, until she almost sacrifices herself for her beliefs and the good of the Isles. Raine stops her because of a photo of King, Luz and Eda together showing she has kids. Then she runs off to finally watch the thing that Luz and King have been working on the entire episode. However, she's missed it entirely but she makes up for it by helping King with his goal anyways.

Plot B: King and Luz are preparing for a race together so as to get a chance to broadcast to the entire Isles a message about how King wants to find his family. They also keep talking about a topic that will potentially upset Eda, with heavy implications due to the dialogue that it is him wanting to leave, and keep getting cut off from actually talking to her due to Eda blowing them off because of overhearing parts of these conversations. We then don't get to see the race but find out they lose because King threw up while they were flying. King then makes an impassioned speech to his father about his interests, things he'd like to do as a parent and child and about the symbol on him. He then calls Eda cranky before then saying because she was the one to raise him, he is LEEEEeee-gally changing his name to King Clawthorne, officially making him adopted by Eda so long as she'll have him.

So besides the painful voice acting direction that is the writers admitting to just having straight up lied with their implications as to what King's problem was *eye twitch* Did you see it?

What about this episode is actually about their found family? The relationship between these characters? Especially Eda and King's? Because the two practically do not interact this episode until the very end. Eda spends the entire episode neglecting Luz and King due to her own fears while King's goal ISN'T about Eda. It's about finding his real parents. He even outlines what he thinks a parent/child dynamic should be, what he wants out of it and it's NOT anything we've seen him do with Eda.

In fact, you might expect me to compare this episode to Amphibia's Aquarium episode, which is effectively when the found family there is finalized but there's literally no comparison. TOH doesn't reflect on the relationship or memories that this family has with each other because there's almost nothing there. What, is King going to wax nostalgic about how Eda manipulates him into no win bets and mocks him for his desires and goals in Teenage Abomination? Or how about how Eda, despite living with him since he was an infant, doesn't even try to understand his struggles until body swapping with him? OH! How about when she threatened the eight year old with rent in the second episode? There's the first episode's statement about the two being all they have but there's actually not much else they have done together that ever has them growing genuinely closer.

Then there's simply the emotional focuses of the episode. The things as an audience we are actually told are the stakes of the episode are if Eda and Raine are going to get back together/succeed in their plans and if King is going to win so he can get a message out to his genetic parents. Their goals that they have to overcome don't actually have anything to do with each other or them being a family. Anything about that is just side angst that isn't as important. Even King's speech at the end FAR more heavily weighs on his desire to find his genetic parent than it does Eda. He describes with so much care about what he wants before saying the he's asking to be adopted is because Eda raised him and then stating ZERO other reasons for why he's doing this. That's not a reason to change your name, that's what your mom says to guilt trip when you try to not do what she says.

Found Family is NOT transactional. In fact, one of the big reasons Found Family is so treasured is because you choose it, not because it was forced upon you like, I dunno, some random stranger deciding to take you home from your birthplace because she assumes you've been abandoned. It's because you have such a bond with another person that you would rather them be your own family. It doesn't matter what part or the legalness of it, it never did for Anne, but... When you don't actually show that bond as part of your story, all you have left are labels you can use to tell the audience they have this bond.

And so of course King gets officially adopted because otherwise, why would you ever call Eda King's mom? Because it needs to do SOMETHING to actually sell these people as a found family so people can praise it for having that trope but it also doesn't want to put in the actual time or effort. So... I guess this is all we get alongside King calling Luz his sister.

That's just not enough, not for me at least.

======+++++======

What's rough with this blog is that I actually still like Eda's Requiem. It's not a bad episode as Eda and Raine's dynamic is good with some good stakes to the action which is a rarity for TOH. It's just that thematically it doesn't function which isn't anything new.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[changingplumbob]

Chopra Household: Chapter 6, Part 7

Time for my toddlers to become children. I've already stretched the toddler lifespan and I'm still not emotionally prepared.

If Viola is attempting to say something it will be in brackets, otherwise you can assume it's just trying out sounds Mercedes has a speech delay and may get words wrong, correct wording will be in brackets if that is the case Savannah aka Honeybee Mercedes aka Little Ladybug Viola aka Green Bean

Before heading to bed Cassandra decides to peek in on Viola. Good thing she did as the little infant has a big stink cloud, probably one good stretch or bladder emptying away from a blowout.

Cassandra: Oh dear, wake up green bean

Cassandra strokes Viola’s belly until her eyes flutter open.

Viola: ge la doo (what mama)

Cassandra: Come on, we need to change that diaper

Cassandra gingerly carries Viola over to the changing table where she begins the delicate cleaning operation. Viola becomes aware of her diaper situation and begins to cry at the irritating squishy.

Viola: *cries* he na loo (I smell bad)

Cassandra: Just hold on Viola, we’ll have a nice clean one soon, mama promises

All clean, Cassandra decides to try encouraging Viola to crawl again when her older sisters aren’t commenting. Viola manages to balance a few times on all fours but whenever it comes to moving her limbs forward she ends up collapsing. This of course leads to tears because being an infant is tough. Cassandra gives her a soothing cuddle and lets her nurse before settling her back in her crib for the night.

Cluckton: *crows* Hear ye, hear ye! Important day! The waddlers have their birthday! We will have visitors so remain vigilant outside the coop, snakes could could from any direction

Squidge: *clucks disapprovingly* Come on dad, 5 more minutes

Inside Cassandra wakes up to discover her milk has leaked in the night. Sighing she decides that it’s best to pump before a shower, then she can get properly clean. Rahul let’s his boss know he’s working from home today for his toddlers. He has to submit a grant proposal but before that he mixes some batter to make two strawberry cakes for his eldest girls.

Cluckton: *crows* Toxic situation! Toxic situation! Mama where are YOU? We need emergency mini goat cleaning

Turtle: *bleats* Do you think you could have crowed that any louder

Seven: *bleats in clean laughter*

Cassandra heads outside but before tending to the animals she collects the eggs and cleans the coop. Rahul wakes Viola up and after a feeding leaves her to play in the nursery. Viola knows that mama would be happy if she can crawl so she has solo tummy time. Alas, no big improvements.

Mercedes: It our birth day. We… how old we

Savannah: Six years!

Mercedes: You think mama invite Uncle Milton

Savannah: He not so bad, he just grump face

The girls decide to spend the end of their toddlerhood playing in the yard with the animals. Mercedes decides she wants to try and hug Seven but Seven is not in the mood, angrily headbutting her and stomping her hooves.

Mercedes: MAMA! Seven mean

Cassandra: Oh dear. Try just petting her if she’s not wanting a hug ladybug. Not everyone likes hugs

Mercedes: Okay mama *deep breath* I try

Mercedes: Nice Seven, I just want pet…

Seven obliges and bends her head to give the toddler access.

Mercedes: *giggles* Mama! Mama I did it!

Across the yard Savannah is seeking comfort from Mr Cluckton, pulling him into a hug.

Savannah: Mr Cluck, I had potty accident. I six now, it sad to have accident

Cluckton: *clucks comfortingly* It’s okay, Squidge pooped in the coop for years

Savannah: I go find Mercedes. Bye bye Cluck Cluck

Cluckton: *clucks* Bye little waddler

Mercedes: Mama I try hug Mrs Fea… Fea…

Cassandra: If you want to call Mrs Feathers Mrs F or F I’m sure she won’t mind

Mercedes: Yay!

She gleefully gathers the chicken in her arms for a hug.

Mercedes: It okay Mrs F. I go to words class then I’ll say whole name

Mrs Feathers: *clucks* Don’t worry, I don’t have an ego like my husband, you call me whatever you want

Inside Rahul submits his grant proposal. Looks like it’s a no this time, oh well, there’s always next time. Viola is busy playing with the blocks in the nursery and has learned how to pincer grasp! Outside Mercedes and Savannah share a last toddler hug as the party gets underway. Rahul tries to call everyone to the two cakes in the kitchen.

Guests include Cassandra’s younger brothers Alexander and Milton. Alexander’s husband James is also here as well as Lavina, Rahul’s mother. To say she has a rocky relationship with her granddaughters would be putting it lightly. Raul carries eldest Savannah over to the cake and tells her to make a wish. Thinking hard Savannah blows on the candles. Back down on the ground she’s ready to turn into a child.

Hold everything! Viola would like to interrupt this celebration by revealing she can clap now!

Viola: *clapping* he na roo da (I so clever)

Mercedes: *pouts* Mama I want it to be about me, not Viola

Cassandra: Oh I know ladybug, it is. It’s your birthday

Viola: Ge na lay (I am the best)

Mercedes: Can you help me blow

Cassandra: Of course. Remember to make a wish

Mercedes really wants to wish for Viola to disappear, but she knows mama wouldn’t approve, so she tries to think of something else.

Cassandra: Alright Mercedes, make a wish and blow

Mercedes: Yes mama

Pulling as much air into her little lungs as she can Mercedes puffs out and with Cassandra’s help all the candles are blown out.

Mercedes: I did it mama! Thank mama

Cassandra: You’re welcome little ladybug

On the ground and Mercedes gets ready to spin just like her older twin.

Here we are, Rahul and his clones daughters. Sorry folks but the twins have decided on matching looks to confuse their younger sister as much as possible. Mercedes is on the left and Savannah the right. Savannah has hair clips, Mercedes does not. While they have matching butterfly necklaces Savannah has a darker one than Mercedes. Savannah rolled the geek trait as well as the Social Butterfly aspiration, the like of bugs and purple as a third favourite colour. By sheer dumb luck clingy and aggressive Mercedes rolled the erratic trait as well as the Creative Genius aspiration, the like of cross stitch and grey as a third favourite colour.

Previous ... Next

[nerdygaymormon]

LDS LGBTQ+ anniversaries for 2024

50 years ago

March 27, 1974 - BYU President Dallin H. Oaks delivered a speech on campus in which he spoke in favor of keeping criminal punishment for "deviate sexual behavior" such as private, consensual, same-sex sexual activity.

July 1974 - the Ensign magazine prints an answer from Dr. Lindsay Curits, a medical doctor, to the question "Why does the Church oppose homosexuality? Why is it wrong?" Dr. Curtis states that homosexuals have "chosen this way of life" but "can be helped" and that "homosexuals and lesbians seldom are happy people" and their relationships are "unnatural", full of "emotional problems" and "promiscuity", and lacking in "fidelity, trust, or loyalty". Additionally, they try to recruit "others into their practice…in their tender, impressionable years".

July 10, 1974 - President Spencer W. Kimball addressed the BYU student body and said that sex reassignment surgeries were a travesty

October 4, 1974 - President Spencer W. Kimball spoke at General Conference and stated that masturbation leads to homosexuality.

25 Years ago

May 11, 1999 - A letter was sent which was to be read in all LDS sacrament meetings in California which directed members to "do all you can by donating your means and time" to ensure that Proposition 22 (known as the Knight Initiative) passed, which would limit marriage in California to only being a man and a woman, denying same-sex couples legal recognition.

September 1999 - The Ensign magazine publishes an article which says that homosexuality is caused by things such as "temperament, personality traits, sexual abuse, familial factors, and treatment by one’s peers". It goes on to say that individuals can learn to diminish those feelings and become heterosexuals.

October 2, 1999 - In General Conference, President Hinckley says that "so-called same-sex marriage … is not a matter of civil rights; it is a matter of morality. … There is no justification to redefine what marriage is."

October 3, 1999 - 150 members of Affirmation protest outside of Temple Square in opposition to the church's involvement in the California ballot initiative that would reinforce marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman

November 14-17, 1999 - The World Congress of Families (WCF was formed in 1997 to promote Christian values internationally by opposing divorce, birth control, same-sex marriage, pornography, and abortion, while supporting marriage between a man & a woman) met in Geneva, Switzerland where the Director of BYU's World Family Policy Center, Kathryn Balmforth, delivered an address where she said gay rights activists are part of an anti-family movement which is hijacking the idea of human rights in order to gain new rights for homosexuals, and would use legal force to curtail freedoms for most of humanity

15 Years ago

November 10, 2009 - Church PR director Michael Otterson gave a statement at a Salt Lake City Council hearing in support of a proposed city anti-discrimination ordinance which would protect LGBT individuals.

10 Years ago

January 10, 2014 - A letter from the First Presidency was read in all LDS congregations in the United States. The letter urged members to review the Family Proclamation and called for "kindness and civility" towards supporters of same-sex marriage. It also stated that everyone is welcome in LDS chapels as long as they "respect our standards of conduct while there".

March 25, 2014 - Tyler Glenn, lead singer of the band Neon Trees, comes out as a gay Mormon in Rolling Stone magazine.

5 Years ago

February 26, 2014 - Former BYU mascot Charlie Bird comes out as gay in the Deseret News.

April 4, 2019 - Elder Oaks announces that the November 2015 Policy of Exclusion is rescinded and “immoral conduct in heterosexual or homosexual relationships will be treated in the same way.” Children of parents who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender may now be blessed as infants and baptized in the LDS Church without First Presidency approval.

April 29, 2019 - BYU valedictorian Matt Easton speaks at a BYU commencement ceremony. He states “I stand before my family, friends and graduating class today to say that I am proud to be a gay son of God.“ He receives rousing applause.

July 3, 2019 - BYU track athlete Emma Gee comes out as bisexual, becoming the first openly-queer athlete at BYU

September 13, 2019 - Jessyca Fullmer posts a video explaining that she’s dating a woman and has never been happier. She apologizes to people who may feel disappointed and explains that she asked the Church to remove her video from the mormonandgay website

September 10, 2019 - Becky Mackintosh, the mom who is featured in the mormonandgay video as supporting her gay son, releases a book titled “Love Boldly: Embracing Your LGBTQ Loved Ones and Your Faith”

————————————————————-

The change inside the LDS Church has been gradual, but these few snippets from the past decades show change is happening and accelerating

[lingthusiasm]

Lingthusiasm Episode 80: Word Magic

The magical kind of spell and the written kind of spell are historically linked. This reflects how saying a word can change the state of the world, both in terms of fictional magic spells that set things on fire or make them invisible, and in terms of the real-world linguistic concept of performative utterances, which let us agree to contracts, place bets, establish names, and otherwise alter the fabric of our relationships. 

In this episode, your hosts Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne get enthusiastic about word magic! We talk about how the word magic systems are set up differently in three recent fantasy books we like: Babel by R.F. Kuang, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, and the Scholomance series by Naomi Novik. We also talk about linguistic performatives: why saying “I do” in a movie doesn’t make you married, aka Felicity Conditions, aka an excellent drag name; performativity as applied to gender (yup, Judith Butler got it from linguistics); the “hereby” test; and how technology changes what counts as a performative.  

Click here for a link to this episode in your podcast player of choice or read the transcript here.

Announcements:  People often ask us to recommend interesting books about linguistics that don't assume prior knowledge of linguistics, so we've come up with a list of 12 books that we personally recommend, including both nonfiction and fiction books with linguistically interesting elements! Get this list of our top 12 linguistics books by signing up for our free email list. Email subscribers get an email once a month when there's a new episode of Lingthusiasm, and this month existing subscribers will see a link to our linguistics books list! If you find this any time in the future, you'll get the books list in the confirmation email after you sign up.  In this month’s bonus episode, we get excited about the results of the 2022 Lingthusiasm Survey. We talk about synesthesia fomo, whether people respond differently to kiki/bouba depending on whether they're aware of them as a meme, complicating the "where is a frown?" map, the plural of emoji, and more! Plus, we mentioned swearing in this episode? Yeah, we’ve got bonus episodes about that too.  Join us on Patreon now to get access to this and 70+ other bonus episodes, as well as access to the Lingthusiasm Discord server where you can chat with other language nerds! Our patrons let us keep making the main episodes free for everyone and we really appreciate every level of support.

Here are the links mentioned in the episode:

Sign up to our newsletter and get our list of 12 linguistically interesting books!

Etymonline entry for ‘spell’

Etymonline entry for ‘glamour’

‘Babel’ by R. F. Kuang on Goodreads

‘Carry On - The Simon Snow series’ by Rainbow Rowell on Goodreads

‘A Deadly Education - The Scholomance Series’ by Naomi Novik on Goodreads

Lingthusiasm episode ‘Cool things about scales and implicature’

Wikipedia entry for ‘performative utterances’

Superlinguo post on ‘I do’ and performatives in weddings

Government of Canada post on ‘hereby’

All Things Linguistics post on performatives

Judith Butler Wikipedia entry

‘Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity’ by Judith Butler on Goodreads

‘Universality and specificity in infant-directed speech: Pitch modifications as a function of infant age and sex in a tonal and non-tonal language’ by C. Kitamura et al

Tambiah 1968 on word magic

Lingthusiasm bonus episodes on swearing:

‘Real swear words vs pseudo swears’

‘The grammar of swearing’

‘What makes a swear word feel sweary? A &⩐#⦫& Liveshow’

You can listen to this episode via Lingthusiasm.com, Soundcloud, RSS, Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also download an mp3 via the Soundcloud page for offline listening.

To receive an email whenever a new episode drops, sign up for the Lingthusiasm mailing list.

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Lingthusiasm is on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Mastodon, and Tumblr. Email us at contact [at] lingthusiasm [dot] com

Gretchen is on Twitter as @GretchenAMcC and blogs at All Things Linguistic.

Lauren is on Twitter as @superlinguo and blogs at Superlinguo.

Lingthusiasm is created by Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne. Our senior producer is Claire Gawne, our production editor is Sarah Dopierala, and our production assistant is Martha Tsutsui Billins. Our music is ‘Ancient City’ by The Triangles.

This episode of Lingthusiasm is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license (CC 4.0 BY-NC-SA).

[rosemary-rothlorein]

Victor Hugo tutorial: how to write a convincing conversion story.

Am reading the chapter Orestes and Pylades for who knows how many times. Then I suddenly realized it can be interpreted as a conversion story. A nihilist becomes a martyr. There is a narrative of similar topic at the very beginning of the novel, the encounter between Valjean and Bishop Bienvenu. A fugitive eventually becomes a saint. Both accounts star a priest and a convert (Myriel is literally a priest. And Enjolras, is referred to as “the priest of the republic” by both the narrator and he himself.) In both accounts, Hugo goes into great details how the priest is real saint. He has a whole book on Myriel, from his good deeds, his lack of interest in (secular) power and glory, to his complicated view towards his own faith. For Enjolras, by the end of the barricade he has delivered two grand speeches - the second one is basically the gist of the whole novel. After the reader is fully convinced that the priest is an ideally strong and pure person, the convert comes into the picture. Interestingly, the direct conversion experience does not occur at the priests’ strongest moment, but the most unguarded times. Valjean does not see Myriel preach or help the poor, he sees him sleeping like an infant. Grantaire does not see Enjolras fight or give a speech. He sleeps for 24 hours and wakes up and sees Enjolras facing a firing squad. From here starts the description of the convert. It can be full of inner struggle, in the case of Valjean. Or it can be terse and powerful: Grantaire rose to his feet with a start, stretched out his arms, rubbed his eyes, stared, yawned, and understood.    

[altocat]

Take this with a handful of salt cause its been like 3-4 years since i took this class and things have probably changed or i could be misremembering. Anyways, i was in a child development class and one thing that we were taught that is very important to a child’s development as just a functional human being is being talked to and interacted with ie being held and feeding whether by bottle or not.

Pretty sure that’s also common knowledge you gotta talk to infants but yeah.

I would honestly be surprised if Sephiroth wasn’t interacted with and talked to as an infant. We start learning language and interaction in some capacity or form when we are born and Sephiroth doesn’t have any issues with language. And from how he speaks, (and i think we all assume this anyways and also the halloween event) he was probably surrounded by scientific and formal speech from the very beginning. I would also assume he wasn’t really read any stories as a baby/child more so based on how he interacts with the trio in tfs. He doesn’t know what fun feels like and that tells me he doesn’t really have much of an imagination to make his own fun since stories are how we form a lot of our early imagination. And toys but i think this is getting into wild speculation lol

Sorry if this is long winded or comes off weird. This has been on my mind for a while

Sephiroth strikes me as someone with a lot of social delays, likely brought on by how he was raised.

I do believe that Gast was likely the only really positive caregiver he could have had. I think it was a communication heavy environment (orders), but not an emotionally nurturing one. Sephiroth was probably given directives to follow from an early age, but his emotional needs weren't being met at all. He barely even knows what's out there in the real world beyond war. He's studious and well read, so he's clearly educated. But he lacks the positive experiences necessary to form a whole person. It just reads to me that his childhood environment was cold and clinical and more focused on goals and results and data instead of the here and now social and emotional aspects that form a healthy childhood.

Sephiroth is a sad case. He's brilliant in so many areas, yet delayed in others. Incredibly tactical and focused, but also immature and guileless.

[wonder-worker]

Margaret of Anjou’s visit to Coventry [in 1456], which was part of her dower and that of her son, Edward of Lancaster, was much more elaborate. It essentially reasserted Lancastrian power. The presence of Henry and the infant Edward was recognised in the pageantry. The ceremonial route between the Bablake gate and the commercial centre was short, skirting the area controlled by the cathedral priory, but it made up for its brevity with no fewer than fourteen pageants. Since Coventry had an established cycle of mystery plays, there were presumably enough local resources and experience to mount an impressive display; but one John Wetherby was summoned from Leicester to compose verses and stage the scenes. As at Margaret’s coronation the iconography was elaborate, though it built upon earlier developments.

Starting at Bablake gate, next to the Trinity Guild church of St. Michael, Bablake, the party was welcomed with a Tree of Jesse, set up on the gate itself, with the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah explaining the symbolism. Outside St. Michael’s church the party was greeted by Edward the Confessor and St. John the Evangelist; and proceeding to Smithford Street, they found on the conduit the four Cardinal Virtues—Righteousness (Justice?), Prudence, Temperance, and Fortitude. In Cross Cheaping wine flowed freely, as in London, and angels stood on the cross, censing Margaret as she passed. Beyond the cross was pitched a series of pageants, each displaying one of the Nine Worthies, who offered to serve Margaret. Finally, the queen was shown a pageant of her patron saint, Margaret, slaying the dragon [which 'turned out to be strictly an intercessor on the queen's behalf', as Helen Maurer points out].

The meanings here are complex and have been variously interpreted. An initial reading of the programme found a message of messianic kingship: the Jesse tree equating royal genealogy with that of Christ had been used at the welcome for Henry VI on his return from Paris in 1432. A more recent, feminist view is that the symbolism is essentially Marian, and to be associated with Margaret both as queen and mother of the heir rather than Henry himself. The theme is shared sovereignty, with Margaret equal to her husband and son. Ideal kingship was symbolised by the presence of Edward the Confessor, but Margaret was the person to whom the speeches were specifically addressed and she, not Henry, was seen as the saviour of the house of Lancaster. This reading tips the balance too far the other way: the tableau of Edward the Confessor and St. John was a direct reference to the legend of the Ring and the Pilgrim, one of Henry III’s favourite stories, which was illustrated in Westminster Abbey, several of his houses, and in manuscript. It symbolised royal largesse, and its message at Coventry would certainly have encompassed the reigning king. Again, the presence of allegorical figures, first used for Henry, seems to acknowledge his presence. Yet, while the message of the Coventry pageants was directed at contemporary events it emphasised Margaret’s motherhood and duties as queen; and it was expressed as a traditional spiritual journey from the Old Testament, via the incarnation represented by the cross, to the final triumph over evil, with the help of the Virgin, allegory, and the Worthies. The only true thematic innovation was the commentary by the prophets.

[...] The messages of the pageants firmly reminded the royal women of their place as mothers and mediators, honoured but subordinate. Yet, if passive, these young women were not without significance. It is clear from the pageantry of 1392 and 1426 in London and 1456 in Coventry that when a crisis needed to be resolved, the queen (or regent’s wife) was accorded extra recognition. Her duty as mediator—or the good aspect of a misdirected man—suddenly became more than a pious wish. At Coventry, Margaret of Anjou was even presented as the rock upon which the monarchy rested. [However,] a crisis had to be sensed in order to provoke such emphasis [...]."

-Nicola Coldstream, "Roles of Women in Late Medieval Civic Pageantry", Reassessing the Roles of Women as 'Makers' of Medieval Art and Culture

[pocket-lad]

CH 13- We Won, Right?

Prev

Ian and Sarah sprinted in the opposite direction, no longer concerned with the cargo hold. They needed to get out of there before a T-Rex with a grudge decided to make them supper. 

Running. Why was it always running? They were back home, back on the mainland, where no dinosaurs were supposed to exist, and still they were running.

They watched helplessly as the T-Rex took off toward the city with no possible way to stop it.

Sarah turned to the group. “The animal’s dehydrated. First, it’ll go to a water source, then look for the next thing its body needs. All the containment equipment is here. We gotta get it to the dock. The boat might be seaworthy. I know what you’re gonna say. When we brought the baby to the trailer, it came. There’s no reason why it won’t do the same thing here.”

Ian protested throughout Sarah’s speech, but she talked over him.

“Ian, we have to. If not us, who?” Adelaide said.

Ian looked at her in shock. He didn’t expect them to team up on this one, but it looked like he was left with no other choice.

Seeing this in Ian’s face, Sarah turned to Ludlow, who sat on a ledge above them looking utterly dejected. “Where’s the infant?”

“In a secure facility,” Ludlow mumbled apathetically.

“Where’s the facility?”

And with that, they were off again, driving to go pick up a baby T-Rex. Adelaide watched in awe as the world passed them by. Not only was she seeing things she’d never seen before, but the way Ian could just…drive a car like that.

Adelaide didn’t take trips in the car often. She didn’t go places often. It never ceased to amaze her how Beans could operate something so big and complicated, and everyone just did it every day like it was nothing. All those rules, all that technical skill, all that coordination. She didn’t think much of most Beans, but she had to commend them on that one.

Adelaide knew Ian had to be breaking some kind of rules with how fast he was going though, and how he crashed through a gate that had big, red sign that said, STOP. That probably wasn’t allowed.

They kept going until they reached a familiar gateway. It was a little smaller than the original, but in all the ways that mattered, this stone arch was the exact same one they saw when they entered the original Jurassic Park.

Beyond that was a bunch of equipment, and the car came to a screeching halt, temporarily sending Adelaide to the bottom of the pocket.

The Beans wasted no time hopping out of the car and heading toward a cage. The baby T-Rex laid there in a pile of hay, and Adelaide couldn’t help but feel sorry for the creature. It didn’t ask for this. She had to consistently remind herself that they were doing the right thing here, even if it was terrifying.

Sarah hoisted the baby out of the cage and carried it to the car, Ian opening the door for her.

“When the adult sees us again with his baby, isn’t he going to be like, ‘You!’? There may be some uh, angry recognition there,” Ian suggested as he climbed into the car.

“Who knows? He may be just happy to see us,” Sarah countered.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?” A rough, masculine voice shouted at them from nearby. All three of them turned to see two men pointing guns at them.

Adelaide’s heart stopped. Anything but guns. She’d rather sit down and have a conversation with these two unknown giants. Because not only would a gun obliterate her, it had the power to kill Ian and Sarah with just one bullet. As Adelaide admired Beans for some of their inventions, she really despised them for others.

Besides a faint increase in heart rate though, Ian seemed unbothered. “We’re taking the kid. If you really want to stop us, shoot us,” he said.

Adelaide’s eyes widened. “Oh my god, you’re going to get us killed,” she muttered. Most of the time, Ian’s cockiness was admirable, even entertaining. Now did not feel like the time.

The men held their guns steadfast. They didn’t even blink.

Before she could think about the consequences of what she was about to do, Adelaide shouted, “Hey, hey! Look at me!” She waved her arms and tried to draw as much attention as possible.

Stunned at the sight of such a small being, the men faltered. Their weapons dipped. Ian used the temporary distraction to gun it, slamming on the pedal and sending the car flying backward.

Only when the men were small dots in her vision did Adelaide let herself breathe, but their adventure wasn’t over yet. That probably wasn’t even the hardest part. Hopefully they wouldn't tell their friends about her, but she also suspected nobody would believe them if they tried.

Curious, she dragged herself out of the pocket and up Ian’s shoulder. It took a lot longer than usual with the wind and the jerky movements of the car and the fact that she couldn’t use her left hand.

“Della, not now,” Ian sighed, knowing he couldn’t take his eyes off the road to help her if she fell.

“I got it,” Adelaide insisted, annoyed that he just assumed she would fall.

Once she made it to his shoulder, she stared back at Sarah and the baby in the backseat with wide eyes. It was so little, relatively speaking, and it looked dazed beyond belief. It had the same yellow eyes as its parents, but its pupil was massive.

“Is it okay?” Adelaide asked Sarah.

Sarah looked between Adelaide and the infant. “Yeah, just drugged out.” Then, something caught the woman’s gaze from way up above. Adelaide turned around to follow her line of sight, and there stood the full adult T-Rex, rampaging through the city. That was easy.

Adelaide finally took stock of their surroundings. She wasn’t exactly sure what a city was supposed to look like, but it certainly wasn’t supposed to look like this. Cars littered the streets, some upside-down, some on fire. Glass windows lining shops and restaurants were all smashed in, the glass scattered everywhere. People screamed and ran in every direction. It was amazing how much destruction one animal could cause.

Adelaide thought back to Jurassic Park when another Tyrannosaur knocked Ian into the air and sent him crashing down onto a roof. She remembered how small she felt then. She was feeling something quite similar now. Even together, all these big and powerful Beans stood no chance against it.

“He won’t know we have it unless it makes some kind of sound!” Ian shouted as Sarah tried to wake the baby up. But the T-Rex trained its eyes right on them. It knew.

Ian took off again, leaving Adelaide clinging on for dear life. Still, she was incredibly fascinated by the infant, getting to see it up close. She watched it blink and breathe and wiggle around. It was almost…cute? It was hard to believe it would grow up to be such a giant, horrifying monster.

Eventually, the baby was awake enough to start wailing. It hurt Adelaide’s ears like all loud noises did, but it also hurt her heart. It was scared and alone. It just wanted its parents. She could relate to that.

They raced along for what felt like ages. At any moment, that dinosaur could close in and smash them to pieces. Ian kept looking to his right, trying to find a way through the blurry warehouses.

“Is there a way through?” Sarah shouted.

“God, there could be,” Ian said nervously. Without thinking much about it, he jerked the steering wheel to the right and plowed through one of the warehouse doors. Luckily, the doors gave way and they made it through without injury. Unluckily, the car didn’t fare so well. On the surface, its windshield was severely cracked and the car was covered in scratches. He was sure it was even worse underneath.

Adelaide screamed, but also made it through unscathed. She didn’t even have time to process what just happened before Ian was out of the car and headed toward Sarah and the dinosaur.

“Trade you?” he said to Sarah, and Adelaide knew what that meant. She also knew protesting was useless, but that didn’t mean she was happy about it.

Ian gently took the infant from Sarah, then rolled his shoulder forward for Adelaide to fall off. She screamed again, unprepared for the fall. It never got any easier, falling from heights like that. To Beans, the fall itself was only a couple inches, and it was only over a four foot, maybe five foot drop. Scaled to borrower size, she fell a couple feet over a one hundred foot drop. There was always someone there to catch her, but the brief moment of weightlessness always gave her a mild heart attack. She preferred to have her own two feet firmly planted on solid ground where she could control her environment. But she chose to exist with giants. This was the price she would have to pay.

Adelaide landed with an exhale in Sarah’s soft hands. She blinked a couple of times to regain her bearings and found herself looking up at Sarah’s face.

“I got you,” Sarah assured her, and Adelaide gulped. She did this before. She could do it again. She trusted Sarah.

They ran along toward the wrecked boat, Adelaide bouncing up and down in Sarah’s hand.

“Where’s the Rex? Is it behind us?” Sarah asked.

As if on cue, the dinosaur smashed through the warehouse walls, leaving behind a much larger hole than their car. The sudden noise scared all three of them, but they didn’t slow down.

“Holy shit!” Adelaide hollered, instinctively ducking down for cover. “Sarah!” she called.

“Yup, got it!” Sarah responded, placing Adelaide in her pocket as softly as she could manage while running.

The boat was in sight. Then they were on it. Then Ian was depositing the baby dinosaur in the cargo hold. Then they were running again. Running straight to the edge of the boat.

Adelaide waited for them to slow down or make a hard left turn, but it never came. She realized too late that the Beans fully intended to hop over the railing and fall to the water below to escape the adult T-Rex. It would probably (hopefully) be too distracted by its baby to take any interest in them, especially down in the water.

“ Waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait !” Adelaide cried, but her voice was lost to the chaos around them.

Everyone was momentarily airborne, and then they crashed into the harbor.

Adelaide’s breath was knocked right out of her from the impact, and then she registered the cold. It was beyond freezing. She couldn’t feel anything - her toes, her fingers, her face. It was like she ceased to exist.

She probably would cease to exist momentarily if she didn’t find her way to the surface. The water was not only cold, but incredibly dark, too. Her air was running low, and it was only exacerbated by her panic. Adelaide flailed and flailed, gasping for breath that wouldn’t come. Water entered her lungs instead, which she instinctively coughed up along with the small amount of remaining air. Her grasp on consciousness was slipping fast.

As light as her body was, combined with all the flailing, Adelaide’s body found its way to the surface naturally. But the small, calm waves created by falling bodies may as well have been a tsunami to her.

Just when the lightheaded feeling threatened to overtake her, something large wrapped around her body and squeezed tight. It was probably someone’s hand. God, she hoped it was someone’s hand. It would be just her luck if a big sea creature came by to drag her down into the depths of the ocean.

Thankfully, she was right, because not seconds later her face found light and air. Adelaide didn’t even have time to struggle against the hand before it opened. Her body sprawled out across the palm as she coughed up all the remaining water in her lungs. It just kept going, more water kept coming out, and she still couldn’t find air. She thought surely she’d be able to breathe once she left the water, but only after a solid ten seconds of coughing was she able to take a meager breath.

After Ian was sure Adelaide was breathing, he swam toward the boat. He tried to keep her as stable as possible, but it wasn’t easy.

On her part, Adelaide felt like she was going to throw up from all the movement. She felt the waves overtake her body a couple times as Ian swam along, and each time she thought she might drown.  After what felt like forever but was probably less than a minute, Ian dragged himself up a ladder and out of the water.

Adelaide thought the ocean was cold. The air was infinitely worse. Her jacket was no match for the cool night air of San Francisco when she was dry, and now she was soaked to the bone. She curled up into a ball to try to preserve heat, but it felt useless. Her body was incapable of doing anything but shivering.

Ian tried to talk to Adelaide this whole time, but she couldn’t hear him over the sound of her own teeth chattering, so he  gave up for the time being. As long as she was breathing she’d be fine for a couple more minutes. He cupped her to his chest and followed Sarah up some stairs. Reaching the control panel, he wasted no time in smashing the button to close the cargo hold. Now all he could do was watch anxiously as Sarah readied the tranquilizer.

A helicopter flew by full of men with guns. There could only be one reason they were there - to kill the T-Rex.

Adelaide heard the commotion above and tried to peek out to see what was going on. Uncurling her body let the cold air back in though, and she started shivering more. Ian cupped her closer to his chest, absently shushing her but keeping his eyes trained on the Rex. There was nothing so important going on that she needed to see.

Adelaide didn’t fight it. Something in the back of her mind told her she was supposed to be miffed, but a larger part of her mind said, cold.

Being in such a small space next to a massive being that absolutely radiated heat helped a lot, but Ian was also soaking wet. His T-shirt felt cold and water dripped down his body and onto hers. What she wouldn’t give for a towel right now.

A final clang and the absence of dinosaur noises signaled to Adelaide that it was over.  “We won, right?” she called up to Ian. They had to have won.

Ian distractedly looked down at her, then laughed at her over-simplification of the situation. “Oh yeah, we won,” he said. He looked back at Sarah, then back to the enclosure. She successfully tranquilized the dinosaur just before the big cargo hold doors slammed shut. The T-Rex was going home, and so were they.

The ride back to Sarah’s place was quiet. Adelaide remained in place, still trying (unsuccessfully) to warm up her small body. Sarah and Ian were just too shell-shocked to say anything. What was there to say, anyway?

They promptly bypassed and ignored any security personnel who tried to stop them or ask questions. That could be an issue for later, but they were tired, cold, and wet. They wanted to go home.

The door slammed closed as they reentered. “We’re back!” Ian called out, and Kelly only gave them a brief glance and a wave. Then, seeing what they looked like, she did a double take.

“What happened?!” she asked, attention fully on the adults now.

“Oh, you know. Fought some bad guys. Saved some dinosaurs,” Ian shrugged, searching for a hook to hang the car keys on. Sarah snatched them from his hand and tossed them on the table.

“Great! So they’re headed back to the island?”

“You got it.”

For the first time in a while, Adelaide’s surroundings changed. Light filtered in and she whined when she was pulled away from the radiator that was Ian’s body.

She was placed on something mildly soft, which wasn’t half-bad. Then that soft thing wrapped around her body just a little too tight, pinning her arms and legs in place, and she was lifted into the air again.

Adelaide’s eyes whipped open and she violently wriggled in place, trying to free herself of the towel. Above her was Ian’s face.

“You gotta warm up, Della,” Ian said, holding the bundle against his chest and anticipating her protest .

Adelaide tried to stay calm as she spoke, but it felt like her confines were getting tighter by the second. Despite her efforts, her voice shook. “Ian, let me go. I’m seriously…I’m seriously going to freak out.”

“Okay, okay,” he said, setting her back down on the table and unwrapping her so that the towel only draped loosely over her body. “But don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

With that, Ian disappeared. Adelaide took a shaky breath and considered her options while she laid there. She wasn’t frozen anymore, but it still wasn’t warm, especially with the way her clothes still clung to her body. Impatient, she sat up, looking for a better way to dry off. After a bit of searching, her eyes fell on a heating vent down by the floor across the room. If the disturbance of the various objects around it was any indication, it looked to be on.

That settled it. Adelaide stood up, letting the towel fall to her feet. She pulled her hook out of her bag, which now reeked of old, wet clothes. That would have to be a later problem. She turned to latch her hook onto the edge of the table, but when she did so, she was faced with the torso of a human.

Adelaide jumped, but it was just Kelly. How did she not hear the girl coming? Looking around nervously, Adelaide noted that they were alone. Obviously she trusted Kelly, but without another adult nearby…

“I thought my dad said not to move,” Kelly said. There was fascination in her eyes. Now that they weren’t concerned with dinosaurs or running for their lives, Kelly marveled over how cool it was that there was a tiny person living with her dad.

“Well, your dad’s not the boss of me,” Adelaide said, hoping the girl wasn’t going to stop her, but Kelly only smirked in response. Something about the rebellion of it all or whatever.

It didn’t look like she was going anywhere though, so Adelaide was going to have to climb down with a giant studying her every move. It wasn’t like she’d never done that before, but she didn’t know Kelly super well, and it was hard to miss the way the girl emanated, ‘I want to hold you’.

Adelaide gulped, then swung herself over the edge. She gasped in pain when she tried to grab the thread with her left hand. With that hand out of commission, it was much harder to do anything, especially climb. She squeezed her legs tight to the thread and slowly let herself slide down, using her functional hand to steady herself. She should have asked for help, but it certainly wasn’t going to be Kelly, and she vaguely recalled instructions from Ian to stay put.

To Adelaide’s delight, Kelly stayed rooted in place, though it was a little too close, and she could physically feel the eyes tracking her every move. When she made it to the ground, she flicked her hook off the table and eyed the pink socked feet standing less than a foot away. Adelaide steeled herself, then ran toward the heating vent. It took far too long due to her stubborn insistence on sticking close to the walls and refusing to cross the center of the room. The center was where giants walked. The center was a no-go zone.

When Adelaide made it a decent distance, she felt a tremor shake the ground. Startled, she glanced up. Kelly was following her. A comment about 'backing off' was on the tip of her tongue, but that probably wasn't nice. She didn’t know what else to say though, so she didn’t say anything - just took a deep breath and kept moving, trying to ignore the earthquakes in the ground and the massive presence casting a shadow on her.

Adelaide made it to the vent without incident. Thankfully, she was right. It was blowing heat. She collapsed in front of it, thrilled to have some kind of warmth. The towel was fine enough, but the large fibers were scratchy and the moving, heated air would dry her off faster. And it felt so good .

Another longer tremor shook her into active perception and she rolled over to see Kelly laying on her stomach. The girl crossed her arms and rested her head on them, studying Adelaide.

“Can I help you?” Adelaide asked through gritted teeth.

“Nah,” Kelly shrugged.

“Okay…um…what are you doing?”

“Looking.”

“Right,” Adelaide said uncomfortably and a bit awkwardly. She turned back toward the vent, then noticed something along the wall.

Tucked in the corner was a small hole expertly concealed by dark molding. Even Adelaide hardly noticed it, and she liked to think she was quite perceptive. Pushing herself to her feet, she inched toward the hole.  It could just be a mouse hole. Or a bug hole. Or just worn due to age. Or…

Even stronger shaking in the ground alerted Adelaide, but when she turned around, it wasn’t Kelly. Kelly was looking back over her shoulder at Ian and Sarah who had just returned.

Ian looked at the empty towel, then at his feet. He didn’t need to panic just yet. He knew when he asked Adelaide to stay there that there was a fifty percent chance she’d listen.

Kelly shot to her feet, not wanting to give Adelaide’s position away. She liked to think they were conspiring. Against what, exactly? Maybe her dad? It didn’t matter, but she wanted to protect her new friend.

Adelaide scrambled back when Kelly was suddenly on her feet and infinitely taller. She blocked the borrower’s view of Ian, but she couldn’t imagine he was very happy.

“Where’s Adelaide?”

Kelly made a noise that kind of sounded like ‘idunno’.

Ian thought his daughter was responsible (for the most part) and very smart. He hated to consider that she might have picked Adelaide up and stuffed her away. “Kelly…”

“I’m down here,” Adelaide sighed. A long lost feeling crept over her - one that she quite enjoyed. She realized that she kind of missed sneaking around, that she missed being this mysterious, unpredictable being who didn’t have to let the giant know when she went anywhere. She really didn’t want to give away what she was doing and she desperately wanted to explore Sarah’s walls.

Ian took Kelly by the shoulders and lightly moved her out of the way. He approached Adelaide and knelt down when he got close. “Why?”

“The vent,” Adelaide explained. “Heat.” She saw he was completely dry again and felt a hint of jealousy.

Ian noticed the hole in the wall behind Adelaide. He reached past her to poke his finger into it. “What’s this?” he asked.

Adelaide stepped back out of respect for the sheer size of his hand as it soared over and next to her body. The feeling of being cornered might have played a part in it as well. “That’s what I’m about to find out…And get your finger out of there.” She didn’t want to hint that there might be other borrowers. That wouldn’t be fair to them if they did exist. It was kind of hard to hide, though.

Ian was going to protest. He really wanted to. But he was trying to keep Adelaide’s request to trust her in mind. It was getting increasingly difficult. “Why don’t we - why don’t we rest for a while…first. You’re still soaked.”

“Vent. Heat,” Adelaide repeated matter-of-factly.

“You’ll have…oodles and uh, oodles of time to explore later. I promise.”

Adelaide could see him fighting with himself in his head. Maybe she would go later while the Beans slept. She didn’t think Ian would poke around, but given his recent protective streak, she wouldn’t put it past him to hover while she ventured through the walls.  She also appreciated the effort he put in to not just tell her to stop. Reluctantly, but with a small smile on her face anyway, Adelaide gave in. “Fine.”

Without warning, Ian scooped her up and cupped her to his chest. Adelaide fell back into his palm, trying to stay off her injured hand. “Ian Malcolm!” she complained.

Ian plopped down on the couch with a towel, all of the exhaustion finally oozing out of his body. Adelaide rolled around, trying to get herself upright, then used his arm as a bridge to the arm of the couch. Sarah and Kelly shortly joined them and not long after, Ian and Sarah were fast asleep.

Neither Adelaide nor Kelly found themselves that tired. Kelly busied herself with watching the TV, but seeing it was about Jurassic Park and the incident in San Diego, Adelaide decided to tune it out while she dried herself off. And after a while, even Kelly had to succumb to the exhaustion in her bones. Her head gave one final bob as she nodded off.

Bored, Adelaide wandered over to the side table. She eyed the massive phone sitting on a receiver, and an idea came to her. Ian vaguely showed her how to use a phone after they came back from Isla Nublar, and she thought she remembered most of it. If not, she could probably figure it out. How hard could it be?

Adelaide kicked at the phone, but it didn’t budge. Then she leaned her back up against it, using her legs to push backward.

The phone gave way and clattered loudly to the table below. Adelaide fell with it, and pain spiked up her hand. Beyond that, she was fine. She rose to her feet and dusted herself off, glancing at the Beans to see if she’d woken them up. They slept on.

The phone emitted a prolonged noise, and Adelaide absently hoped she didn’t break it.

She dug a piece of paper out from the bottom of her bag. It was soggy and soft and dirty and she could barely read the writing, but it was there.

Slowly, Adelaide clambered up onto the phone itself. It wobbled under her feet and she had to stick her arms out to maintain her balance. Looking from the paper to the phone, she stomped on the corresponding numbers. Then it rang.

Maybe she shouldn’t have done this. Maybe she was being rash. What would she even say? She didn’t know how to hang up though, so at this point, it was happening.

After two and a half rings, the voice of Dr. Ellie Sattler spoke through the phone. “Hello?”

.

Last

[ternfic]

Penance

Chapter Eleven: Gods and Monsters

The months since he hired the cop twins had been nothing short of remarkable. Word was quick to spread of the police officer in Bricksburg that could take on Master Builders, and the number of incidents in the city began to lessen. Still, though they were two minds, they were physically only one person, and could only do so much. Sirius had spent time searching for Master Builders willing to help him bring his ideas to life, and was rewarded with a squad of robot prototypes, and Cary and Alastar had trained them well. The schematics for them were sent to Octan’s engineering department to create more. They’d also come up with something called the Think Tank. It hadn’t been tested yet, but it seemed promising, as something that could hold a Master Builder indefinitely.

He’d also stumbled across hints of a powerful relic called the Kragle, said to be able to make objects indestructible. Further research proved it to possibly be a permanent solution to the Master Builder problem. If he could manage to use it on everyone’s stuff, they’d never have to worry about Master Builders tearing it apart again.

But he’d had to put his plans for finding it on hold- he’d been given some more immediately pressing intel. The Master Builders that had caused the deaths of his parents were a bunch of circus performers, and they were in Gotham for several weeks to put on their show. How the twins had managed to dig that up he had no idea, but he was both impressed and grateful. Those Master Builders had hidden themselves well, but now they would answer to justice. His robot troops were finally ready for deployment, and it would be a perfect test run for his new power suit. Cary was finishing the final preparations to make their move.

They were off within the hour. The robots had been given laser rifles that, at worst, would burn (their goal wasn’t wholesale slaughter, after all), and had the files for the Master Builders entered into their databases so they knew who to shoot, and who to let go. They weren’t after innocent civilians, after all. With the newly-dubbed Super Secret Police surrounding the tent, they made their move.

Cary cut the pounding music just as Sirius strode into the tent, red cape flapping behind him and the thrumming of his power suit in his ears. People turned to stare in confusion- was this part of the act, or was there something actually going on? The newcomer was having a stare-down with the ringmaster. “It’s been a long time,” Sirius spoke after a moment, “but justice has finally come calling. You will pay for the blood of the seventeen innocent people you have on your hands. If you come quietly, we may be lenient.”

The ringmaster stared at him for a minute, then began laughing. “Oh God, you’re serious. Did you come up with that little speech all by yourself? It was atrociously cliché.” Inhumanly green eyes stared up at him as the ringmaster gave him a fierce grin. “I don’t know where you got the idea, but we’ve killed no one.”

“The anti-Master Builder rally, ten years ago. You, and your crew, were directly responsible for destabilizing the scaffolding that collapsed and caused the deaths of fifteen members of the audience, and my parents.”

“Oh, so this is to be payback for dear old mom and dad?”

Alastar rolled his eyes. He’d come to know Sirius’ opinions on his parents well since they started working together, and they weren’t flattering. But while his boss had the ringmaster distracted, he worked on quietly directing the audience out of the tent. If the ‘accident’ was anything to go by, the man was quite willing and able to get violent when he disagreed with something, and he had already proven himself very capable of mass destruction. He stared in surprise when several members of the troupe came up to him, one of them holding an infant. “We can’t live with the guilt anymore,” a young woman said. “We’ll come without fuss. It was never our intention to hurt anyone, we just wanted to scare them…”

“Speak for yourself!” the ringmaster snarled. He wasn’t about to go down without a fight. Fire erupted from his hands, and Sirius just barely managed to pull his cape around in time to deflect the flames aimed at him. In a blink there was fire everywhere, and the audience began to scream, pushing each other around as they fought to get out. Alastar passed the Master Builders off to their robot escort and Cary switched out, voice booming over the noise to try to bring the chaos back under control. Cables snapped as the support beams collapsed, bringing the tent down on everyone. One of the beams toppled over into the bleachers, crushing people and sending splinters flying everywhere. With a snarl, Cary split the robot forces, directing half to try to minimize the damage to the support structure, and the other half to shoot down any Master Builders they spotted.

Someone was screaming for their daughter; they couldn’t find her in the insanity. Out of the corner of his eye he saw another support beam start to topple, and a split second later spotted their missing child. Right in the beam’s path. With a curse he sprinted forward, snatching the child up and rolling out of harm’s way. The rest of her family wasn’t so lucky, unable to get down before the beam smashed right into where they had been standing, sending them falling into a pile of sharp, splintered wood. “Don’t look-” he tried to warn, but it was already too late. He shoved the unconscious girl at another of the robots with the order to get her out before any more harm came to her, then pulled out his gun.

Cary-

I know. I don’t think he’s going to give us any other choice.

Sirius was still fighting the ringmaster, holding his own surprisingly well with only the Sword of Exact Zero for a weapon. The ringmaster didn’t even bother using the madness as cover to make his escape, so bent he was on taking Sirius and the Callaghans down with him. The flames in his right hand vanished, to be replaced with a sickly green aura. “You’ve been harassing us long enough,” he snarled. “If you want to be the bad guy so badly, then I’ll make sure you become one!” He hurled the spell at Sirius, and the President went down with a shriek. Several of the robots were quick to rush to his aid, and Cary was relieved to find he was only dazed, but the ringmaster didn’t look like he intended to leave Sirius that way for long.

Before he could make a killing blow, Cary pulled the trigger. The sound of the gunshot was almost deafening, and everything fell suddenly silent and still. The ringmaster staggered to a halt, looking down at the hole that had appeared in his chest. Stunned, he turned toward the cops, his shocked look quickly turning to rage. “You-”

Cary fired again, and the ringmaster toppled over with another bullet in his head.

There was nothing left but a smoldering ruin. So few people had made it out. The baby, who had belonged to two of the acrobats who died in the fight, had been safely delivered to Gotham’s orphanage, and the girl taken to the hospital to be checked for injuries.

Sirius sat on the ground, helmet and cape shoved off, staring at the smoking pile that had once been a circus. Cary stepped up to him, standing silently at his side.

“Maybe… Maybe I shouldn’t come on any more raids,” Sirius mumbled.

“That may be for the best, Sir,” Cary agreed. “Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” he waved the cop off. “In fact, I’m already planning my next expedition…”

[sarroora]

I just thought of a really good question for you; What do you think is the most difficult thing about each of the boyes to write about?

I gotta think about it some more but the ones I know for sure are: trying to make sure Spook actually talks like a beatnik and trying not to infantalize Brain too much

Ooooh yeah that’s a good question!

The challenge for me is keeping all of the boys in character despite the fact that the story is darker than the show. Because we’re used to them in a more fun and whimsical environment, I gotta think a lot about how they’d realistically act/react to events with their given voices and personalities. And I keep rewriting sections till I finally feel like I can literally hear these characters speak naturally inside my head.

Both Benny and Dibble are very easy to write - I dunno, their words and mannerisms just come naturally. Fancy surprisingly isn’t hard to write either.

Choo Choo’s one of the characters I’ve written the least, so I’m excited for Chap 14 to focus more on the gentle pink boi.

Brain is a challenge to write because he doesn’t talk a lot on the show, so you also gotta rely on observation. I love to keep Orange Cat mannerisms in mind when I write him XD. He’s the perfect orange kitty.

When it comes to Spook, I rely on his speech mannerism from the show direct. Whenever I need a refresher for any of the characters, really, I go back and rewatch the episodes.

T.C.’s not too hard to write, but the challenge is to balance him. He’s a complex character in the best way, and it’s always a great mind exercise to balance his role as a gang leader with his kind nature.

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Hello, love your blog! it's very helpful 💛 I wanted to ask if you know anything about preverbal communication in autistic adults?

My therapist says I use a lot of it, but I still don't quite understand that... and when I ask her about that she just says it's making sounds that aren't words, but I feel like everyone does that. Also, I don't have oficial autism diagnosis, so I don't know if she thinks I have it or is pinning it under my other disorders.

Only info I found about it that wasn't talking about literal infants was from Encyclopedia of Autism, which if it isn't telling me something...(sarcasm) But that answer was only a bot helpful, I still don't know how is that different from how neurotypical peaople communicate, probably because I'm not neurotypical, and I do have problem with typical verbal communication (structuring sentences, mute episodes, some other problems).

I'm sorry if it's too specific of an ask 😅 it's just been really troubling me and I can't find anything that would help me understand it.

Hi there,

I’m glad my blog has been helpful. :)

I did some searching and it seems like it’s a form of early communication. The article had the infograph

According to this article:

Pre-verbal communication skills are all the ways a child communicates with others without using words. These are early developing skills that form the foundation of a child’s future speech and language development. Pre-verbal communication skills include things such as eye contact, gestures, joint attention, and turn-taking.

The full article will be below

According to another article:

The term “preverbal communication” describes a group of social communication behaviors that are used to send an intentional, or purposeful, message to a communicative partner. Rather than being verbal in form (i.e., composed of words or word combinations), preverbal communication acts consist of some combination of eye gaze, gesture, and/or vocalization. The core feature of a preverbal communication act is that the child purposefully directs this behavior toward a communicative partner. Preverbal communication acts can take the form of conventional gestures such as showing, giving, open-handed reaching, pointing, nodding or shaking the head, and waving. Leading the adult by the hand toward a desired item also is a common preverbal communication strategy observed in children with autism. The most common pragmatic functions of preverbal communication acts are commenting and requesting.

I hope this helps answer your question. Thank you for the inbox. I hope you have a wonderful day/night. ❤️