#lesson 25

[anintrovertedechoe]

in honor of lesson 25,

List of people on Barbatos’ hit list:

1. Solomon

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8. Solomon

[proffbon]

Kissing Asmo, right in front of everybody, twice in one lesson? You're spoiling me, Solmare.

[estramor]

on the nature of martyrdom, featuring professors silverhand and v. bonus:

[2randomfishperson]

Soooooooooo

(Thought and more meme with book 7 spoiler underneath)

Ah Malleus the icon that you are, I am going to be so broke once they release the overblot card and the fact they release Malleus first is crazy)

So here is my prediction, these overblot cards will be a continuation of the Book 7 dream card. It will contain two outfits, one is the overblot form which is non groovy form and the second is the dream special outfit (in Malleus case it is his prince outfit) which will be the groovy. Because all of the overblot gang got a special outfit

If this is the case, this leaves just Ace, Deuce, Jack, Epel, and Grim without a dream card, and I feel like they could get some for Book 8. I feel like we will be using dreams to figure out the mystery with the mirror, so maybe that how they will get a special outfit.

Moving on

Look we will not going to get into this topic today, I find his design to be quite weak but I keep freaking drawing it for over two year. It a real love hate relationship here so yeah.

[bepstol-besul]

Out of context Lesson 25 spoilers

[robby-bobby-tommy]

The parallels that hurt so much

They both jinxed the most important event in their lives trying to help...

They both lost their closest friends to this....

And both were abandoned and hurt in the worst way possible by the sibling they've looked up to....

They had good intentions, they were so young......

And they're the monsters others have created.

[da-birb-writes-sometimes]

One of Us is Guilty; Chapter 3

Three are now dead, but the killer seems to be caught ... but this night is not over until the room is found.

Characters; Vil Schoenheit, Rook Hunt, Azul Ashengrotto, Jade Leech, Silver, Cater Diamond

Content; Unreliable narrators, murder mystery

Content Warning; Death, murder, blood, anxiety, kidnapping, overall dead dove content warnings

Word Count; 1.1 K

Find this content triggering but still want to participate? Link to the Google Form to vote!

As a reminder, do not put my work — or others for that matter — into AI as it steals. Link to Masterlist

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Epilogue (Part 1) | Epilogue (Final)

The body count had risen to three; Dire Crowley, the Ramshackle Prefect (whose blood still stained the floor, the iron scent permeating the air), and now, Divus Crewel as well, the latest victim. One minute the professor was alive, shaking from anger that one of his students was killed on his watch and that he was the prime suspect of the killings. But now he was sprawled out on the ground, killed in an instant.

The remaining students — Vil, Rook, Azul, Jade, Silver, and Cater — were silent, processing what exactly had just happened. The lights had flickered only for a minute, and in that minute, the killer had struck. But the silence was broken by a deafening clap of thunder, lightning illuminating the windows, and bringing everyone back to the present, to their laughably horrible situation that they had found themselves in by sheer chance and bad luck and timing.

Silver sat down on the staircase, and put his head in between his legs, taking deep breaths. Despite his training, he did not consider that he would be witnessing death so soon. The small part of his brain that had a sliver of hope that his friend had survived their gruesome injury, but he was just lying to himself; no one could survive that.

Vil was pacing, hands clasped behind his back, and he was muttering to himself. He thought he could read people, what with being raised amongst the stars that hid behind too-sweet smiles that belied venomous words. What was there to gain from any of this?

Rook was cracking his knuckles, and then rubbing his eyes, trying to think of why this was happening. While he could appreciate the hunt, this was something entirely different. Yet, it also reminded him of several books; one being a murder mystery, and the other about the deadliest game, of hunting a fellow person.

Azul was shaking and biting his nails, his resolve long gone. Had he made himself the enemy of one of his peers? Was he going to be next? He was supposed to just be perfecting a potion recipe for the next test, yet he found himself way above his head.

Jade looked at Azul, taking in that his house warden and friend was shaking more than the leaves outside in the howling wind. He too was disturbed by the night's events, sick to his stomach even, but he couldn’t show weakness, especially if he wanted to see it through.

And Cater? He was paler than a ghost, a cold sweat glistening on his forehead, and he felt like his heart was going to leap out of his throat. His cheery smile had left long ago, and now panic was fully starting to take control. Why? Why? Whywhywhy? WHY?! Yet he stayed silent.

No one spoke, but they eyed each other with caution. Every time that they had went to the mirror and they voted through it, someone died. Was it the mirror? No… no, that didn’t make sense… None of this made any sense though. 

“No more votin-” Silver whispered.

Cater cracked his head around, green eyes judging every move the underclassman made. “And why’s that, Silver?” His voice was shaky, but Cater wasn’t trusting him or anyone for that matter. “Afraid that-”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Vil barked, commanding everyone’s attention, eyes all on him. But he was used to eyes being on him, and he stayed cool, despite how this may damn him into being guilty in their eyes. He didn’t care at the moment though, all he cared about was no one else dying. “Look at what being suspicious of each other has brought us,” his eyes wandered to the dark clotted blood that had now gone cold. He swallowed the bile that had risen in his throat, keeping the calm mask up. “I agree with Silver though; voting through the mirror only ends up with someone… dead.”

“Then how do we proceed, Roi du Poison?” Rook asked, falling to his house warden’s side. His eyes looked over everyone, picking up their behaviours, emotions, and any tells.

Azul’s head snapped up. “The potion-” he started muttering to himself, before clearing his throat and gaining his composure again. “A truth potion, but one that shows the truth about the situation, we can use that to find the killer.”

Cater looked at Silver, and offered him his hand; a peace offering. Silver took it, and brought himself up on wobbly knees. A truce.

Jade placed his hand on Azul’s shoulder, offering him a bit of comfort that not everyone was out to get him. “Was that what you were working on?”

Azul nodded, and he started making his way towards the alchemy lab, where hopefully they could put an end to the killer’s little charade once and for all.

…

…

Vil helped Azul make the potion, and both students kept a keen eye on the other, but they made it without incident. And to show the others that they hadn’t tampered with it at all, they took it first, with the others shortly following suit.

“What about the room?” Silver asked.

“We can figure that out once we find the killer,” Jade countered.

Everyone looked at each other, taking in any minute details, but everyone was calm; the potion apparently did wonders to calm the nerves… but that in itself was a dangerous effect, since now everyone’s guards were down, making them easy targets.

Vil took in a breath and released it. “Who killed Dire Crowley? Why did you then kill the Prefect, and then Professor Crewel?” 

But no one spoke up.

“It isn’t me,” Vil said confidently, hoping that his speaking up prompted the others to follow suit.

Cater was to his left, and he spoke next. “I didn’t do it.”

Then Silver, “Or me… I couldn’t do something like this…”

“I did not do it either,” Jade offered.

Azul’s eyes went wide, and he eyed the next person in line. “The killer isn’t me.”

All eyes fell on the last person left in their little circle; Rook. With all of them but him left, that only left him.

He let out a throaty, quiet, chuckle. “I suppose this game has run its course,” he tipped his hat to them, green eyes glinting dangerously in the dim light. “As for why? Hmmm,” he hummed, and the hairs on everyone’s necks stood on end. There was something off about Rook, this wasn’t Rook. 

“You’ll find that out when you guess the room.”

What?

Everyone took a step closer to each other, away from Rook, and they whispered amongst each other, voting on what room Crowley’s murder took place in.

“Alchemy lab,” Cater spoke for the group, trying to keep his resolve as Rook seemed to stare into the very contents of his soul, like he was searching for something.

Rook stepped forward, still smiling. “Ah, désolé Monsieur Magicam,” the whites of his eyes started turning black, “but you would be wrong.” The lights flickered again, and in the seconds of darkness, Rook was gone, and so was Cater.

GOOGLE FORM (voting will end Wednesday, October 18th at 9pm EST)

SUSPECTS:

- Silver; the kindhearted knight with a mysterious past, is it just for show?  (Plum) - Vil Schoenheit; the actor who is always pigeonholed into the role of a villain (Scarlet) - Divus Crewel; the alchemy teacher with a penchant for fashion, Crowley’s co-worker (Peacock) DECEASED - Rook Hunt; the enigmatic hunter who always has a hunch of what’s happening (Mustard) MURDERER - Azul Ashengrotto; the owner of The Mostro Lounge, a businessman with dubious morals (Green) - Reader; the ‘house-keeper’, a role that was imposed on them by the late Headmage (White) DECEASED - Jade Leech; a student enamored by fungi and seems to have a foreboding presence about him (Orchid) - Cater Diamond; the preppy beau of Heartslabyul, but his smile seems forced (Peach) MISSING

ROOMS:

- Main hall (eliminated in Chapter 2) - Teachers’ lounge - Cafeteria - Kitchens - Lecture theatre - Botanical garden - Alchemy lab (eliminated in Chapter 3) - Library - Crowley’s office (eliminated in Chapter 1)

WEAPON: MAGIC (found in Chapter 2)

…

To be continued

[hallowxiu]

[messysketchyobeyme]

I love how Nightbringer delves into the brothers' relationships with each other, demonstrating how much they truly care one another.

Like, Asmo went mad with power. He used his charm to take each of his brothers agencies away and forced them to do things that they would never do. He molded his brothers to be his servants, made them worship him, and changed aspects of their personalities that he didn't like.

And what did his brothers do when Asmo was knocked out and fully at their mercy? They doodled on his face as a silly little prank and texted him that they love him.

I know they did it, so Asmo wouldn't be too pissed when he wakes up, but it's cute knowing that his brothers still love him, despite things he puts them through, haha.

Also, it's cute how Lucifer also joined in. He's the type to act like such pranks are beneath him (usually choosing to opt for some harsher punishments), but it's nice seeing him goof around a little, too.

[realtapiocafan]

i swear, you cannot make this shit up

[deancasforcutie]

everyone: *talking about how Cas' confession demands to be addressed in any Supernatural followup* *still phrasing it like it's an obstacle or accident they didn't think through and not the emotional climax the whole season was building to and the whole text supports, like the trap it laid on the network to demand acknowledgment in this way somehow wasn't always the plan*

Bobo "emotionally invested" *queering-the-text-to-defy-and-expose-censorship-constraints* *wrote-the-confession-to-expose-how-it-was-already-queer-and-pull-fandom's-pants-down-on-heteronormative-bias* Berens:

[natalieironside]

I wish I could remember who it was that suggested I try Libby so that I might swear undying loyalty unto them. I've been using it for a year and I was gonna make a little video like "Here's all the books I read this year! :)" but I can't because there's 162 of them

[flamefatalis]

I just had my last observation for the year today and I honestly have no idea how I did so I’m just in my office contemplating life like

[freakslullaby]

I am almost 25 years old and some of my biggest life lessons I have learned since my brain developed are the following:

- just bc you try really hard to be nice all the time doesn't always mean you are nice all the time.

- isolating yourself/not sharing your feelings can be just as harmful as any other negative behavior. you can make those who truly care about you worry and that can actually be manipulative sometimes if you intend it to be (even subconsciously, passive aggressively, or pettily).

- the reason people always keep journals is because memory is a really stupid thing that doesn't work most of the time if you really think about it. I had mental breakdown at age 19 and my memory hasn't been the same since. If I didn't have physical journals I would honestly be fucked remembering any part of my past. Do not shit on journals. They fucking rule.

- when someone tells you that you hurt them, you don't get to tell them you didn't. that includes saying 'im sorry you felt that way about what I did BUT-'. try to actively realize when you say this and correct yourself to, 'im sorry I hurt you.' period. Take responsibility.

- I know realizing you made a mistake is really really hard to let go of and you sit in bed at night thinking about every little time you hurt anyone else's feelings. But please know this: your actions and reactions are your responsibility, but other people's feelings never are.

- always always always try to remember to be gentle with yourself. most people lean toward being their own biggest critic, and if they aren't, the world definitely will be. try to be gentle with yourself and I don't choose that word gently.

- therapy is a place for you to step away from every person in your life and have someone else to listen and give you a perspective that is free from any bias and is in fact the most informed/educated opinion you could get. it isn't scary, it's just talking to someone without any social layer of unsaid judgement. It's a doctor who helps you heal your mind and heart and life, instead of your body! please go to therapy. it's for everyone and really helps every area of your life :)

[hallowxiu]

the chronicles of barbatos’ pettiness is simply unmatched

[misc-obeyme]

OKAY LESSON 25.

I have things TO SAY. This ended up being entirely about Barbatos and Solomon, but considering the fact that I am incredibly biased, I am not too surprised.

Spoilers below!!

I have a draft of this where I wrote out this whole shpeal about storytelling mechanics and why I think Barbatos's reveal doesn't make sense from a writing standpoint. Then I started writing about the thing that was really bothering me and I realized none of that other stuff matters. If you want to know what it said, I'm happy to share, but it's really just me getting into the Craft of Writing, which can be boring lol.

So let's just skip to the part that matters. I'm talking about Barbatos's nonsensical reason for being upset with Solomon.

When did Solomon make his pact with Barbatos?

I was always under the impression that it happened a long time ago, likely around the time that Barbatos brought Solomon to the Fountain of Knowledge. But they never say that for sure, so it could be that he brought Solomon to the Fountain without making a pact with him until later.

But in Lesson 24, Barbatos said that this happened not long before MC arrived. And if Barbatos was on a list of demons that Solomon wanted to make a pact with, then they must not have had a pact at the time. And they clearly have one now. So that means that they would have had to make their pact sometime between Barbatos finding the list and MC showing up in the past.

This makes no sense not just because I was under the impression that Barbatos and Solomon made their pact long ago. It also doesn't make sense because it would mean that Barbatos made a pact with Solomon even when he was still pissed off at him for placing him eighth on the list.

While it's possible this happened for some reason, it seems unlikely. So if that isn't what happened, then why would Barbatos lie about it?

And why would Solomon roll with the lie?

While Solomon certainly seems surprised at this reasoning, he doesn't say anything about that not making sense. He just accepts that it's the real reason that Barbatos is mad at him.

I have plenty of arguments about why the way this went down doesn't make sense when it comes to Barbatos's character or the way the story line set it up, but none of that really matters when there's a big ole plot hole like this.

If we take what they've given us at face value, then Solomon made that list a long time after Barbatos brought him to the Fountain of Knowledge and gave him the title of the Witty Sorcerer and all that history. Then Barbatos finds out he's eighth on the list, gets upset about it, and somehow still decides to make a pact with Solomon before MC arrives. Which means that he actually made a pact with past!Solomon because present!Solomon is supposedly the one with us now. Either way, it doesn't make sense.

I think it's far more likely that there's something else going on, but I can't quite figure out what. I always used Barb's anger as proof toward my two Solomons theory, but now I'm not so sure. It seems like they're in on it, doesn't it? Like Solomon actually knows what's really going on and somehow it's all just an act for MC's benefit?

Maybe not. The other thing is, I can't ever tell when I should be taking this story seriously. One minute, it's incredibly dramatic and the next minute it's playing clown music, so I can't figure it out.

But I really felt like there was a lot of build up to a reveal that doesn't even make sense.

Gosh, poor Asmo, I just spent this whole post talking about Barbatos and Solomon lol.

I love Asmo, but I might have to write something separate for him because I feel like this other stuff is taking up all my headspace.