#like go off girly pop I’ve been here 8 years I see them as human beings who make mistakes and I know they can do better and

[mooniekive]

I was called a Tae anti today IN PERSON by an adult woman and she was like “I’m joking haha” but I’m pretty sure she wasn’t lol

[the-evil-authoress]

GX Month Day 8: “The Power of Friendship!”

Favorite dynamic duo, two characters you think would have been friends if only they met, how friendship saves the day, or maybe a friendship fail. It’s up to you!

HERE. Have some super self indulgent hot springs shenanigans feat. my favorite trio! =D

“This is amazing...” Jesse groans, rolling his head against the rocks as he sinks into the indulgently warm water. It’s a bone deep warmth, chasing away any stress or aches and rendering his mind blissfully numb.

“Never been to one?”

It takes a moment to process Jaden’s words. “Don’t have ‘em back home,” he mumbles, shaking the pleasant fog out of his head just enough to formulate the sentence. “Wish we did. Feels like heaven.” He sinks a little further, practically boneless mush, before a nagging little thought drags him out of the bliss. “Å, where’s Chris? There aren’t dividers for privacy.” He rolls his head toward his companion.

“She’s around here somewhere,” Jaden says, eyes still closed as he leans against the rocks, completely unconcerned. Well, the two had spoken like they come here often so Jesse probably shouldn’t worry about it.

A sharp trill followed by a splash catches his attention. Not far away, Ruby paddles through the water, ripples parting around her. “What?” Jesse sits up abruptly.

“Oh, yeah.” Jaden snickers as Jesse stares at the contradiction to everything he knows about duel spirits. “Out here duel spirits can interact with nature more than usual. Chris said it’s something about the high concentration of natural energy.”

“Å?” There are too many question from that sentence alone for Jesse to pretend it makes sense.

“Oh, well, I guess it’s the reason Christina can see duel spirits?” Jaden says thoughtfully. “She can see a lot of things most people can’t, some things even we can’t.” A hand motions between himself and Jesse. “She can see a person’s-- what’s it called...? Not soul.” Voice dropping, he mutters to himself as he bites a thumb nail. “Energy of the body?”

“Aura!” Dark Magician Girl pops up without warning, and only having seven of his own spirits that like to pop up unannounced keeps Jesse from startling too badly. “She can see a person’s aura,” Dark Magician Girl continues eagerly. “And she’s pretty in tune with the flow of natural energy through the world; it’s why she can always spot the bad guy!”

“Aura?” The term sounds vaguely familiar. “Like a person’s soul?”

Dark Magician Girl shakes her head. “No, she can’t see your actual soul, it’s more like the light given off by your soul.”

Jesse blinks. Was that supposed to make sense?

Humming, Dark Magician Girl pressed a finger to her lips in thought. “Think of it this way,” she finally says, pintling to the sky. “You can’t look at the sun directly but you can still see the light it produces.”

“Å.” Still not sure how that relates to aura and soul light.

“Yeah, I never really understood it either.” Jaden offers a sympathetic grin.

Dark Magician Girl visually pouts before snapping her fingers with an, “Aha! Those lamp thingies you humans use for light! You put a lampshade over the bulb so you can’t see the bulb anymore, but you can still see its light! It’s like that!”

“So the bulb would be a person’s soul and the...” Oh, frick. How does he say this in Japanese?

Undeterred, Dark Magician Girl nods proudly. “Your actual soul is obscured by your physical body but we can still ‘see’ its essence - that is aura.”

Okay, that makes enough sense that Jesse can understand. He gets the feeling that it isn’t as simple as ‘seeing light around a person’, but he can probably ask Christina for more detail about it later.

“She can always tell what kind of mood you’re in too. I swear it’s almost like she can read your mind sometimes!” Jaden laughs.

“I can’t read your mind.” Jesse jerks to the sound of Christina’s voice, heat rising to his cheeks. The young woman stands waist deep in the water, her hair twisted up into a pile atop her head and one arm crossed over her chest to obscure it from view. Should he be looking right now? The polite thing would be to look away, right? She’s got some nice curves hidden under the baggy uniform... “I’ve just gotten really good at guessing what’s going on in there.” Christina pokes Jaden in the forehead, then sinks into the steam and frothy water on his other side and lets her arm fall away.

“Oh, hey! You did decide to join us!” Jaden beams as if there’s nothing remotely out of place with the situation. Is he that dense, or is Jesse missing a vital piece of information here? “Took ya a few months to be okay around Syrus, and you still haven’t come out around Hassleberry.”

The water ripples as Christina shrugs. “Hassleberry’s harder to read. I think it’s that fossil in his leg. Alters the aura. And Mana abandoned me so...” She stretches her arms, cracking her knuckles before settling against the rocks.

“Mana?” Jesse repeats with confusion, deciding that’s the safest option of the numerous questions he now has. Who has a fossil in their what?

“Me!” Dark Magician Girl giggles. “Like the royal magician of Pharaoh Set’s court!” she bounces in the air.

“It was easier than always calling her Dark Magician Girl.”

That makes about as much sense as it can, so Jesse nods and lets the lull of the toasty water claim him again. ‘Mana’ has wandered off when he looks up again, and Jaden leans comfortably against Christina’s shoulder.

“So I’ve been wonderin’...”

“No,” Christina answers immediately without even looking at Jesse, while Jaden turns a curious glance. In the confused silence that follows, she turns to look at him, the side of her chin bumping against the top of Jaden’s head. “Syrus asked the same thing first year. No, we’re not.” Which is not a terribly compelling argument when the side of her face is leaning against the top of his head, but at least she looked him in the eyes this time.

“Mm.” Jaden shifts against Christina’s shoulder, settling into a more comfortable position. “Geez, why do people keep thinking that?”

I dunno know, maybe cuz...that, Jesse thinks, slightly bewildered by the fact that Jaden finds absolutely nothing odd about his and Christina’s current position. Christina herself looks accustomed to the action, but Jaden appears downright oblivious. “You two seem pretty comfortable with each other,” Jesse says aloud.

“Well, yeah. We’ve known each other for years,” Jaden grins. “We used to take baths together when we were little, and kinda just kept washing each other’s backs ever since.”

The amused snort Christina gives in response tells Jesse there’s definitely a story behind that one. “And your parents were okay with that?”

“They were never home much,” Jaden shrugs and glances off as if in complete disinterest of the topic, but Jesse can see a story there too.

“And it never got awkward?”

Jaden blinks up at him with the absolute most sincere look of confusion Jesse has ever seen on a human being. “No?”

“Jay’s asexual,” Christina sighs as she tips her head back and sinks further into the water. Jaden emits a displeased noise at the shift of his pillow but sits up rather than try to adjust.

“Ah.” That explains a lot, actually. And now is probably a bad time to admit that he doesn’t actually have a preference. He can hear the Crystal Beasts snickering from the changing room. Y’all can just be quiet.

“Probably biromantic though,” Christina adds and Jaden twists to frown at her.

“Bi-what?”

“Romantic. You like to cuddle, Jay, and you don’t really give a crap if that person is a guy or girl.”

This gives Jaden pause. “Nah, so long as they’re comfortable,” he admits but just as quickly turns to frown at her again, “But I still don’t want to kiss them or anything.”

Jesse snickers as Christina shrugs. “What about you?” he asks with a glance to the redhead.

“Straight--” Christina begins as Jaden interrupts with a sly grin, “She likes bishonen.”

“Jaden!” the redhead snaps, water sloshing around her shoulders as she jerks to sit up straight.

“What? You say you’re straight but all the guys you’ve ever liked have been really girly,” Jaden jibes with a teasing grin.

“Bi...shonen?” Jesse repeats the unfamiliar phrase. What kind of boys?

“Girly boys,” Jaden deadpans.

“Pretty boys!”

“Same difference. I bet you even think Lex is pretty,“ Jaden taunts with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“Of course I think she’s pretty! You'd have to be blind not to!” Christina snaps with a pointed glare.

Jaden shrugs, nonpulsed. “Objectively, sure she’s pretty. Still doesn’t mean I’m interested.”

“Says the guy who agreed to be her fiance.”

“Hold on- what?!” Jesse sputters, jerking upright. Did he hear that correctly?!

“Christinaaa! I thought we agreed not to talk about that!”

“What??” Jesse gapes.

Jaden whines, giving his best impersonation of a kicked puppy but Christina has a Cheshire grin plastered across her face. “First year, there was this guy, a second or third year, who was hard core hitting on and harassing Lex. He sees Jay and Lex interacting, gets suuuper jealous, and challenges Jaden to a duel to be Lexi’s fiance. Jaden agrees, no questions asked.”

Jaden groans loudly, face pressed so hard against Christina’s shoulder Jesse wonders how he can even breathe. “It doesn’t count! I didn’t even know what it meant!” His protests fall on uncaring ears as Christina continues to grin wickedly, and he slumps in defeat. “And you’re never gonna let me forget it.”

Christina hums. “Of course I’m not gonna let such prime teasing material go to waste.”

A beat passes, then Jaden jerks back, shoulders rigged and voice tense. “Wait a minute, you don’t...?”

“Who said you were the only one I wouldn’t let forget?” Christina hums and Jaden wails. “Lexi never said no~o.”

Jaden shoves his face in Jesse’s shoulder. “Jesse! Save me! She’s evil!” he wails, and with Christina downright cackling, Jesse finds himself inclined to agree.

“Alright, newbie, what about you?” Christina asks when she finally recomposes herself.

“Me what?” Jesse croaks, still reeling over the revelation from the last few minutes of his life.

“Romantic preference.”

“Ah, I, ah, I don’t really have a preference,” Jesse admits, stumbling over the words as he drags his brain back to the present moment. “I’ve found I care more about someone’s personality than their gender or body type.”

An uncomfortable moment of silence passes. Jaden’s face is still pressed into Jesse’s skin. “Oh, that makes sense,” Christina says, quiet and thoughtful.

The tension drains with a breath of air. Jesse grins. “Re-evaluating a few things?”

Christina shrugs. “What is that called?”

“I don’t know? I don’t know if there is a word for that.” Much less how it would translate into Japanese. He might be able to passably keep up in a conversation but if actually being in Japan has taught Jesse anything, it’s that he’s basically still a beginner.

Christina huffs, obviously dissatisfied with this answer.

“Honestly, I don’t think ya really need a label for it, so long as you understand it. Sure, it’s nice to have a simple way to explain it to others, but it’s not all that important.”

Christina stares at him and Jesse wonders if he said something weird again or screwed up his Japanese or maybe both. That is entirely possible. Then she huffs softly with a grin and Jaden snickers against Jesse’s shoulder. “I knew I liked you.” He twists around and tips his head back to look up at the blunette. “The simple minded must stick together!” He punches the air with a dripping fist before sagging against Jesse laughing.

Christina looks like she can’t decide whether to be amused or exasperated.

An odd chirping noise pulls their attention, and Jaden bolts upright. “Aqua Dolphin! Hey, Aqua Dolphin!” He sloshes away excitedly, leaving Jesse and Christina alone.

“Spazz.” Christina smirks, a fondness in her eyes.

A comfortable silence settles between them, and Jesse remembers he still has questions. Let’s start with something simple. “So you’ve been down here with the others before?”

“A few times, mostly with Syrus.” Christina shrugs. “I’m not as concerned with things like modesty once I get to know a person well enough.” 

“Oh.” Is that a Japanese thing or a her thing? Japan does have a lot of communal bath houses, but aren't most of them separated by gender? Japan does produce a fair chunk of...questionable content. Anime is weird. Red hair tilts in his vision and Jesse realizes he’s been silently pondering this long enough for Christina to give him a concerned look. “Ah, sorry, I’m just...tryin’ to figure out if I should be flattered or not? I mean, we haven’t exactly known each other very long.”

“Yeah, but… I don’t know.” Christina gazes across the hot spring with a distant look. “It feels like we’ve known each other longer.”

Oh-

Something large hits the water with a great splash and sends the resulting wave crashing over both their heads with startled exclamations. “Amber Mammoth...!” Jesse complains loudly but laughs as he shakes water from his now dripping bangs.

“Sorry, Jesse!” Mammoth apologizes as he paddles off. Amethyst sniffs the water before sticking her nose in the air and trotting off. Emerald slips into the spring with a plop, gliding smoothly in another direction.

“This water really does feel great.”

Christina’s shoulders shake with her own amusement as Ruby hops up on Jesse’s shoulder, nuzzles the side of his head, and Jesse has to marvel at the way he can actually feel her fur, not just a disembodied impression of touch. With an exasperated sigh, Christina stands and reaches up to undo her hair, and Jesse should really probably look away like now but he finds his eyes stuck on the exposed skin.

“So much for keeping my hair dry,” the girl mumbles as red locks tumble freely down her back. Then, as if suddenly remembering her surroundings, she looks down at Jesse. Blue eyes meet green and this is the part where most girls in anime scream and hide right? Maybe slap the guy? Nope, she flashes him a sassy grin and places a hand on her hip as she pops it to the side and freaking poses--

“Like what you see?”

Jøss! Jesse tears his eyes away to stare at some very interesting rocks on the opposite side of the hot spring. Not a moment later, he hears the infuriating sound of mad giggles and a loud slosh of water. He nearly jumps out of his skin when he feels her hair against his arm. “You’re too cute,” she wheezes. “Ra if I could have gotten that kind of reaction out of Jaden...” she descends into giggles against his shoulder again.

“You are so not fair,” he grumbles, glaring at the rock and trying to will away the embarrassing heat in his cheeks.

“You know it.” He can hear the sharpness of her grin as she reaches up to flick his nose.

These people are weird, Jesse decides, but if he had a problem with weird he wouldn’t be here at Duel Academy.

A loud wolf whistle breaks into the dwindling giggles and Christina stiffens even before Jaden’s loud proclamation, “Go for it, you two!”

“Jaden Yuki!!” Christina bellows, leaping from the water as Jaden laughs and scrambles from his perch on the rock to run from his best friend’s wrath. “I’m going to strangle you!”

Jesse snickers. Yup, weird. But he kinda likes it.

[tired-college-student-writing]

Devil Rejects pt. 2

Summary- The demons are no longer considered odd to see around the Office, nor are their odd habits. The Egos had been in a state of relative calm and all were content. Too bad it can’t stay that way forever. 

This is the single longest thing I’ve ever written.

Part 1

Part 2 (HERE)

Part 3

He hadn’t moved since he had gotten the phone call from Anti. His phone was still stuck to his ear, long have gone dark, but he couldn’t convince his hand to move, the static in his fingers stopping any signal from his brain from getting through. His chest was too tight as his heart pounded like it wanted to shatter all of his ribs. He wanted to run, needed to run before Lord Lucifer found him, but he couldn’t convince his body to move, not that he could find the door right now with how much the room was spin-

“-gil? Come on, focus on me.”

He jerked as the voice cut through his panic and forced himself to focus, finding Logan kneeling in front of him, concern knitting his eyebrows together. His hand was raised clicking slowly, like a metronome, and Virgil felt his breathing slowly relaxing into the same rhythm, in for 4, Hold for 7, Out for 8.

“Is touching okay, Virgil?” Logan asked after a second, not stopping his clicking. After a slight nod, a pair of arms wrapped around him pulling him closer. Patton…. He turned and burrowed into the fatherly side. He didn’t know how long he sat there, but he could feel the three other sides just being there, silently supporting him.

“Why do you smell like lavender?” His voice was shaky but he could feel Patton relax at his tiny bit of improvement.

“Bim gave me some essential oil, says a little bit could help you calm down in an emergency. Thought I might give it a try. Did it help kiddo?”

“Use less next time,” He sighed, taking in another big whiff “Your guys’ scents calm me too.”

“Okay Virgil,” He chuckled lightly, “You want to talk about what set you off so bad?”

He stiffened up, but a large hand landing on his back and rubbing soft circles got him to relax again into the prince’s touch, still warm from what he had made in the kitchen.

“No need to speak until you feel like it, Virgil,” Logan commented. He shook his head.

“No… No,” He said, “I really do need to tell you, you guys need to know too.”

He could feel them share a look over his head.

“Tell us what, spooky scary?”

“About the new ego in the Ipliers. He’s Satan.”

“Oh come on, Captain,” Roman said, “I’m sure he’s not actually that bad.”

Virgil looked up his eyes solid marron as his breathing started speeding up again, “You don’t understand. He’s actually Satan as in the embodiment of the Devil. He was known as the Demon King in my last life, and he’s come back and now I screwed and I can’t-” He buried his head

back into Patton’s shoulder, trying to stop his shaking.

A heavy silence filled the room.  

“Is… how bad is this?” Logan asked lowly, “I mean, clearly your reaction shows us that this isn’t a pleasant man, but by what levels of evil should we be expecting?”

“Yeah, Mr. Crowley,” Roman said with a weak smile, “We talking about Sid Phillips and Captain Hook’s level, or is he more on Scar and Frollo’s level?”

“More Thanatos or Emperor Palpatine,” He mumbled into Patton’s sweater. Roman chuckled, but his voice was hollow and a tiny bit fearful.

“Throw out my Disney metaphor, why don’t you.”

“Technically Emperor Palpatine and Thanatos are Disney property now.”

“Shut up L,” Virgil complained pushing himself up again. Three pairs of concerned brown eyes stared back at him. Roman gave a small smile, offering some of the ‘Keep that chin up” coco he had made. He smiled down at the cup remembering the night he and the prince had worked to perfect a blend of flavors to soothe his frayed nerves. Even now he could smell the dark chocolate, orange, and blueberries, knowing he’d find a splash of cherry liquor mixed in as well. He didn’t hesitate to take a large slurp knowing Roman would have cooled it enough before handing it over like he always did.

“Are you alright, Virgil?” Logan asked.

“No, but I’m better than earlier so that’s good,” He grimaced before taking another sip, “I never did tell you guys what I did before getting here did I?”

“No, but you don’t ha-”

“No, if you guys are going to understand why all the demons are terrified of him, I should probably tell you what lead to me being here.”

“You don’t mean-” He cut off the prince, gripping the mug tightly.

“That I’m telling you my death story? Yeah, I am.”

They all stiffened, eyes widened.  None of them spoke of their last days before being sides, and none of them asked because there was no reason to, at least before now.

“Are you sure?”

He nodded, “You guys need to know what he’s capable of, especially against me and Blank.”

“Why especially against the pair of you?”

“Because they aren’t the same breed of demon, Logic.”

The room jumped as Deceit made himself known by the stairs. Virgil gave a tired middle finger.

“Fuck off, Snake,” He hissed, “How long you’ve been here?”

“That was called for,” The snake rolled his eyes,  “who do you think didn’t get the others here since I know exactly what to do when you go comatose on us.”

“Yeah, thanks now leave,” He said earning a small huff from the snake.

“Yes, let’s get rid of the one person that understands where you came from and the dangers of the new ego, Brilliant plan, Oslqxus.”

“So what do you know of this Devil, Deceit,” Roman asked, cutting off the fight before it could start. He gave a small shrug even as his scales paled.

“Demons are the only race that feared that monster,” He answered, a shiver going up his spine, “the lower he viewed you the better you got treated.”

“But what does that have to do with Virgil,” Logan asked with a cocked head, ignoring Virgil’s mumbling and Patton’s unease stare, “Shouldn’t other demons be ranked higher than other species?”

Both Virgil and Deceit snorted.

“Not personal demons,” Virgil said, standing up on shaky legs, “Join the group, snake, if you refuse to leave. I don’t want anyone standing behind me when I explain this.”

The others didn’t argue as he perched himself on the coffee table, hunching over his half-filled cup. Roman gave a wave of his hands, and Virgil could feel the wall hit the side of the table, giving him plenty of room to escape if he felt the need to but not enough space for anyone to just appear behind him, and his cup filling up again. The anxious demon gave a small smile of thanks as the sides rearranged. Roman moving to the other side of Logan to put as much space between Deceit and Patton, even as the snake rested as far away from the others as he could on the couch.

“So to start with Blank and I are what are known as Personal demons…”

“What’s the point?” Virgil mumbled as tears streaked down the cheeks of his young subject, the inkwell he just tipped over dripping down the table’s legs. Kaide, age 14, born to a wealthy family but abused by his older brothers for his small stature and high intellect and ignored by his parents as they had no need for three sons, an easy target.

“I just need… I just…” Kaide rummaged through the chest, looking for another pot of ink.

“You’re a failure, a waste of space, Dale sees it, Erion sees it, Mom sees it, Father sees it. The whole town sees it,” Virgil pushed, tone growing harsher, “Just stop trying. You’re never going to be good at anything useful. You can’t fight, You can’t trade, Your writing is atrocious. The only thing you are good at is crying and making girly pictures. You're better off dead.”

“No, they’ll see,” the human countered making Virgil sigh. He walked over, knowing Kaide couldn’t hear his steps or see him, and placed his hand over his, lowering the ink pot slowly back to the confines of the chest.

“No, they won’t. Because they only see what’s important, and that’s not you. You’re not worth seeing,”

“I’m not worth it,” Kaide repeated, just staying down, curling in on himself. Virgil moved away, cracking a bitter smile.

He was supposed to stay, to make Kaide feel even worse but Virgil knew that once his breathing picked up this fast, he couldn’t make it much worse today. In fact, he knew he could slip out right now and no one would know for at least five hours. He had done this before, countless time in fact.

So he teleported out of there, letting his form twist as he left. When he landed in the field he knew well by now he had changed, his skin had faded from greying purple to a healthy peach, his hair flattened from its messy wine color to a warm chestnut. His features were humane now, his clothes simple and not announcing his disgraceful nature to all that saw, and he felt lighter, more at ease than he ever had in his original skin.

“Thomas is back!”

He looked up at Elijah’s scream as the rest of the small family popped out from around the house.

“Tom-Tom!” The little violet-haired girl cheered from the bedroom window, “You’re back!”

“Hey ‘co,” He called back, “How's my favorite girl doing?”

“Mom has me collecting all the clothes for washing, but it’s heavy!”

“It wouldn’t be if you made more than one trip like I told you too,” Mary called as she turned away to the vegetable garden.

“It’s good to see you again, Thomas,” She greeted, the crows' feet around her eyes growing deeper as she smiled at him. He smiled back.

“It’s nice to see you too, Mrs. Eckleburg,” He said as he drew closer only to dodge the weed she threw at him.

“How many times must I tell you to call me Mary, you cheeky brat?” She snapped with no real venom. Elijah just laughed reaching over to tousle Virgil’s hair, making the shorter man blush and push him off.

The Eckleburgs had been here and accepting of him for the last four years. They had found him when he first stepped away from his job, after his charge ended their life, shifting into human form as he cried and cried. Elijah had found him, bringing him home and Mary and her husband, Charles, made the demon stay for dinner. The humans' reaction to his mannerisms was confusing. He was a lowly being, not meant to smile or laugh, not meant to eat with those higher than him, and yet they looked at him with such heartbreak. Maybe it was because he looked human but the looks and kindness of these humans made something stir in him. He didn’t know why he went back, but he was greeted kindly each time until he was able to smile back.

Before she could give him a list of chores like she always did, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and dragged Elijah down without a second thought.

“Hey!” The teen yelped, “What are you-”

He didn’t even finish his thought a ball of black energy ball flew past, setting the roof of the house ablaze. Jericho screamed as she leaped out of the first-floor window, bolting towards them.

“What in God’s name-” Mary cried as she grasped her daughter tight.

“Sorry, Wrong direction,” a chilling voice announced. Virgil whimpered, pulling himself away from Elijah.

“Thomas what are you- Jesus Christ!”

Virgil couldn’t blame him for screaming when he saw the wide set woman standing in on the path to the house. Her skin the color of the barley plants around them, her inky hair waving in a nonexistent wind. Her amber eyes were glowing like a cat’s over the small pink triangles on her cheeks and her tall straight jade horns looked sharp enough to kill.

“So this is where you slipped away to Virgil,” She called walking closer, sickly green flames lighting on the path with each step she took.

“Verena,” he whispered as he started to stand up. Elijah pulled him down.

“Where are you going!” He hissed into his ear, “That’s a demon, she’ll kill you!”

“Nothing less than the worthless worm deserves for slacking off,” She replied, having heard the quiet words, “Now Virgil, stand up before you make me even angrier.”

“I’m sorry,” he said scampering to his feet. He wasn’t even surprised when he was blasted back through the walls of the house. He heard the family... his family scream.

“Get rid of that hideous skin. You know the rules on shapeshifting, you worm. That’s another strike I’ll have to explain to Our Lord.”

“Rid of his skin?” Jericho asked, horrified, making Virgil flinch as he rose to his feet, looking at the humans for a second before letting his image flick back to that of a demon, shoulders hunched to try and hide his unnatural color under his cloak, but nothing could hide his tall horns from the prying eyes around him.

“Thomas…” Mary breathed, he didn’t have the heart to look at any of them.

“Oh, would you keep up,” Verena growled, “He’s not called Thomas, he’s not even human. He’s been playing you like fiddles this entire time.”

Virgil winced but said nothing, he couldn’t make this worse, not if he wanted the Eckleburgs to survive this encounter.

“You’re so full of shit.”

No… Virgil flinched at the swear from the usually sweet Mary, she looked pissed as she continued her verbal attack at Verena, calling her out for thinking for a second that Virgil would never do something like that to them. Stop caring about me… or your family is…

Verena didn’t even flinch, simply lighting fire in her hands again, growing larger than before, “Silence,” she hissed sending it towards… towards…

Virgil’s story screeched to a halt as his mug shattered in his hands. He looked down at the shards as they dig into his skin, streams of blood mixing with cocoa.

Roman and Logan was on their feet in an instance, summoned first aid kits already opened before Virgil even registered the tears dripping down his face. No one said anything as the pair cleaned up the mess and

“You can’t stop,” Deceit whispered, “We need to hear more.” The demon gave a snort.

“You’re telling the truth now, huh Niyk?”

“Virgil.”

“Shut up,” He snapped at Patton, voice echoing and eyes burning black, “I haven’t even gotten to the point of this yet. Just shut up and let me get past me watching Mary and Jericho burning alive!”

None moved to stop him as he took a calming breath and continued

Elijah’s scream cut through Virgil’s head as the mother and daughter were reduced to ash. He wouldn’t let his stony mask fall, he couldn’t he was already in so much trouble, fear was turning him numb.

“Thomas…. How could you just stand there?” He asked voice cracking, “You’d promise to keep us safe…”

Verena snorted, “Idiot boy. As if he could do anything even if he wanted to, he’s nothing more than just a mutt. Isn’t that right, Virgil?”

“Yes, Mistress,” He replied, looking at the ground to hid his anguish. Maybe just maybe if he played his part and did everything right, then she’s let Elijah go. Her eyes flitted over the human that was trembling before her.

“Virgil,” She asked slowly, the tone sending ice into his bloodstream, “How would you kill this human?”

A test, he felt his chest tighten. She wanted to see how attached he was to the humans. See if he could still do his job… He had to tell the truth… She would know if he lied… But he couldn’t...

“Throw him into the river,” He answered without raising his eyes, “He never learned how to swim after his father drowned when he was 4.”

She was next to him before he could blink, “You wouldn’t be lying to me would you Virgil?”

“Never Mistress Verena,”

“Good.” She snapped his fingers and Elijah was gone. How he hoped she had actually sent him to the river, something Virgil had seen him play in regularly during the heat of summer, the same river Charles was almost certainly checking his traps in and would see his son be teleported to, He prayed that both would be safe, even as Verena’s claws dug into his arm, fire burning neat little holes through his cloak and onto his forearm.

He didn’t look up from the ground as she teleported them back to hell, nor as she marched him from her personal manor all the way through the center of hell to the Morningstar Castle, or when she flung him down at the seat of the throne.

“I brought him, my lord,”

“Very Good, Verena.”

The voice sent ice into Virgil’s veins but he refused to rise from the crumbled heap his manager had left him in. He could see cloven feet to his left, feeling the ice radiate from them as they glided closer.

“Where, oh where did you find your little pet? How far did he wander?”

“He was in a human village, sire, with a human family.”

The hooves stopped next to his ear.

“Was he now? And how did he act around these humans?”

“Vaguely distant, but they seemed to know him fairly well under the name Thomas.”

“And what came of these humans?”

“All three are dead, He suggested the method of death for the son.”

“Thank you, Verena. Would you be a darling and fetch the rest of your personal demons for me? Pull all of them out of the field and send them directly here to the throne room.”

“The Throne room, my sire?”

“Is there an echo in here?”

“No my lord, I’ll send them here at once.”

The door closed and there was scorching hot breath on his cheek.

“Rise Virgil, or do you prefer Thomas now?”

The personal demon scampered to his feet, never raising his eyes from the floor, “No Lord Lucifer, I’m still Virgil.”

“Good,” came the purr as he felt claws trace lightly up his arm and neck, “Even you lowly mongrels deserve the dignity of being called by your proper name. Now tell me, Virgil, Why are you here?”

“I wandered too far away from my charge,”

“Is that all you did?” Satan asked with a raised brow, pulling Virgil’s head back by his hair, almost gentle, “Your mistress is claiming you did much more than that,”

The doors reopened, but Virgil didn’t move his eyes away from the Devil in front of him, even as he felt the others in his unit file into the throne room.

“Dear Verena,  Virgil here claims his only crime he committed was wandering too far from his charge, what do you have to say about this claim?”

“He’s lying my Lord,” She replied voice icy cold, “I found him interacting with humans, being… friendly with them. Others saw him leave his post without informing me as well.”

“Oh?”

Virgil held himself back from flinching as the devil’s voice turned heated.

“So you lied to me, Virgil?” He asked, “You left your post, you socialized with humans, and you LIED to the one being that holds your fate in his hands?”

The accused simply bit his tongue, trying desperately not to cry out as Satan’s hands tightened in his hair, strands snapping under the force as razor sharp claws dug into his scalp.

The taller man raised his yellow eyes to the crowd, “Before me is a disgraced piece of filth, falling lower than any dared to fall before. You all are vermin in the grand empire I have created, and to see such a lowly creature make a mockery of this greatly saddens me.”

The gathered demons were silent as the Devil’s eyes slid back to Virgil, “Though you were one of the highest revered personal demons, had you been loyal for another fortnight we were discussing having you rewarded. Verena was almost proud to have one of her subjects be prompted, weren’t you dear?”

“Yes my lord,”

“See,” Satan hissed, “We were all so looking forward to having you do well, and you squander that away. Now you must be punished. Mitra, your blade please.”

“Which one sire?” The small yellow skin guard asked stepping forward from her place by the throne.

“The dullest you have, but it must be strong. We wouldn’t want the punishment to be too painless after all, or Virgil will learn nothing.”

She pulled a short golden dagger from its sheath on her calf, presenting it to him and falling back into her place, sending a look of disgust at Virgil as she passed.

Satan inspected it as he forced his victim to his knees, “Yes this shall do nicely. Fane, Njal, if you would be so kind?”

Thick hands landed on the personal demon’s shoulders each demon called holding an arm back, immobilizing him for the torment yet to come.

His heart was pounding, fear burning through his veins. He did not like the look in his master’s eyes.

“A demon that fell lower than any thought possible,” the King proclaimed, resting the blade lightly on his head, “Fitting that his punishment is the ultimate disgrace a demon can face.”

He couldn’t stop his eyes from flying open as the Devil gripped his ... his left horn, raising the blade to strike at the base.

“No, please-”

“Come now, Virgil. Begging Have a little bit of dignity,” He cooed sweetly as he brought down the blade hard.

His anguished scream echoed off the stone walls as the sensitive bone splintered and creaked.

“I’m going to be sick,” Deceit hissed through clenched teeth, hands clenching his pant legs.

“Like you care,” Virgil bit out, trying his best to keep his breathing under control as he felt the pounding phantom pain starting on either side of his skull, his skin was rippling against the pressure of the memories. Deceit just glared, voice scarily calmed.

“Yes because you hating me is going to stop me from hating how you got mutilated for acting humane. This is exactly what I want to hear, you getting violated in the worst way a demon can. This is such a lovely thing to hear especially since I actually hate you!”

The demon just bared his fangs, fighting to keep his human disguise in place. Could the stupid snake shut up for five fucking seconds?

“He cut off your horn?” Patton choked out, cutting off the impending fight with tears in his eyes. Virgil shuttered as he took in the others, Logan was sickly pale and Roman appear to have stopped breathing as they looked at him.

“Horns…” He managed out under the weight of their stares, giving up on the fight and letting his true form show, missing horns feeling more glaringly obvious now that they knew, “He said he didn’t want me to be lopsided.”

“What…” Logan’s voice cracked before he cleared his voice and tried again, “How much does it hurt to  have them... removed?”

“If he had shattered my pelvis, both legs and every bone in my feet then made me walk on them and work overtime I would have been in less pain then what he left me in by cutting off my horns off. “

“You died from the pain then?” Roman whispered, eyes miles away, lost in his own memories. Virgil could only shake his head.

“No... I lived from the removal in agonizing pain for four days until the stubs got infected and I died from that,” Virgil recounted dully, “They just dumped me back in my rooms and didn’t check on me afterward.”

Tears were streaming down his face now, and too everyone’s surprise Logan was the first one to wrap him into a hug.

“Thank you for trusting us,” The logical side whispered as the demon shook in his tight embrace, “I know it’s hard to remember these things and reopen the trauma.”

“He can’t know I’m here,” Virgil sobbed, “If he sees me he’ll kill me again, and again and again...”

“Shush, Azazel,” Roman whispered, running a hand down his back, fingers tracing up and down his spine, “We won’t let him know about you, we’ll keep you safe.” 

“Yeah Kiddo, we’ll protect you,” another pair of arms were added to the embrace

“Even if you don’t believe me, I will never let that monster get his blood-soaked hands anywhere near you again, Uqqg,” Deceit hissed softly not moving from his place on the couch. 

Virgil just sobbed harder, feeling safe and not at the same time. 

“What are you going to do?” 

Dark didn’t look up from the piano keys even as he couldn’t convince his hands to move from where they were poised over the ivories. 

Wilford just frowned at his unmoving back, completely monochrome back. 

“It’s not like you to give up, Old friend,” He tried to tease, “Where’s the little spitfire that refuses to bow to anyone?” 

“I can’t win against Satan, Wil,” came the broken whisper, “If I were to stand against him I will lose and the Office will be worse on then if I let him make the changes he wishes to. I can do nothing... I’m powerless.” 

The pink haired man flinched, a powerless Dark... that wasn’t right. 

“Surely there’s some-”

“You don’t understand William,” Dark snarled, form suddenly snapping, cracking and twisting until it almost appeared to be three very different forms sitting on the bench, “He was the one who placed me into Markiplier Manor, he’s the one that stripped me of everything that made Durans and left the Creature that ruined your life, that destroyed the very essence of the Kim siblings until all that remained is... me.” 

Wilford squeezed his eyes tight, not being able to look at the blue and red forms that didn’t quite match Dark’s form. The building around them rumbled almost sounding like a great being drawing a shocked gasp. 

“This Devil... does he really have this much power... this much sway now that he is an ego,” Wilford asked, as he forced his eyes open to see a single black and white form stroking the wall in a calming gesture. 

“I don’t know, Wil,” was the nearly silent whisper, “but I’m scared to find out... I’m scared, Wilford.” 

“As am I, Old friend,” Wilford intoned back, “As am I.” 

This was a rough chapter to write

Translations for the Abyssal used in the Chapter:

Oslqxus- Unclean, a crude term for Personal Demons.

Niyk- Worm, a derogatory term for Nagas.

Uqqg- Ally, because Virgil and Deceit aren’t friends but they do have a common enemy so they will put aside their differences for now. 

[hotlinegoblingg]

EPISODE 3: GROWTH AND ADVICE FT. @chiraq-rell

SPONSORED BY: WOMEN IN MEDIA GROUP

Hey everyone this is Hadiyah Hotline, and this is Hadiyah speaking. *chuckles*  I'm here with up and coming Terrell. How you doing T?

Tarrell

I’m good cant complain, woke up breathing this morning

Hadiyah

Are you a religious person like that? That you thank the lord everyday and stuff? Happy Easter actually.

Tarrell

I wouldn't say I'm super religious but I do believe in god he has gotten me through some troubling times in my life, happy easter to you to Hadiyah

Hadiyah

-an old time phone ring- Oooo the hotline has rung. -chuckles- First question for you.... How do you balance between being a father and having time for your personal life?

Tarrell It was hard at first when I was younger raising him alone but he always comes first no matter what. It's easier when you have support his god mom Arian is great with him. Me and him do a lot together I just want him to be a good man you know teach him right from wrong but in my personal life I mostly get more free time at night when he is sleeping.

Hadiyah I didn't even know you had a son..how old is he? And what's something you think is super unique about him?

Tarrell My son is 7. He's a very outgoing kid I think the most unique thing about him is that he is a kid model

Hadiyah -chuckles- Last show I interviewed a guest he told me that his life changed because of his daughter. Did your son change up your lifestyle at all?

Tarrell Most definitely I had him when I was sixteen so it was a big shock for me. I couldn't run the streets like the rest of my friends so that was hard for me. A lot of people don't know that I smoked a lot and popped pills since the age 15 it's just what I was around I got addicted to the pills and it affected me, I couldn't do anything without them. When tj was born my father basically told me to quit cold turkey or he was kicking me so I had to suffer through withdrawal. My son saved my life

Hadiyah That's beautiful. I'm getting older but I honestly think that having a kid would have a similar outlook on my life. Like I'm a grandma but it's kinda like another source of life you know? -her phone rings again- Alright we got another question for you. You said you been in the studio so when is the track dropping?

Tarrell We don't have a definite date yet but it will be soon I'm thinking about releasing it when I go on tour so everyone go out buy your tickets and you might be in for a surprise you heard it here

Hadiyah Oooooh I love surprises. -chuckles- So what's your drive when it comes to your music? Like I know some rappers pay attention to their upbringing and stuff. I've listened to a few songs and you have this positivity going on.

Tarrell My music definitely reflects where I come from I grew up in a group home until I was 8 then I was adopted by my father. He was your norma middle class guy, I got into a fight at school when I was in the tenth grade and got suspended for ten days and during those ten days I made my first mixtape. It talked about drugs and street shit you know the normal rapper stuff but then it's like I had a revaluation about 2 years ago. Kids look up to rappers so instead of promoting the bad in life promote the good the positivity. I translated that from when I was 8 and adopted my life changed for the better. Now all I rap about are positive things because life can change in the blink of an eye. So my mixtape was mostly about the hard times I went through and my album is about positive shit which reflects after my adoption

Hadiyah Damn, that sounds like a lot on your plate. I always tell people that you never know where someone else is coming from. -fixes her hair over her shoulder- So before we start pulling into these next set of questions, I gotta ask...Are you single?

Tarrell -chuckles- isnt that the million dollar question but to answer your question I am off the market now

Hadiyah -chuckles- I just gotta ask for everyone listening. One listener asks, What catches your attention the most a woman's attitude or curves?

Tarrell Definitely a woman's attitude. I like feisty women so if she can't keep my attention no matter how curvaceous she is it's not gonna matter to me. But I will say curves is always a plus

Hadiyah This is like the looks or personality question. I don't know, I notice what someone looks like first then based off that I usually see if their personality fits. It's like a process for me. today

Tarrell Well of course looks always being you in first. If I see a female and she is attractive imma make my move but after that of she dull she gotta go

Hadiyah So personality wise how do you know that a girl is for you? Like you need your future girl to be what?

Tarrell Very smart, she has to be able to make me laugh, conversation can't be forced. I joke around a lot so that is a plus.

Hadiyah

So if she's a sensitive soul it's a dub basically? Noted. -laughs, looking at her phone as it rings another time- Ooo we got some advice giving time. You ready for this situation?

Tarrell Definitely a dub laughs yeah throw it at me

Hadiyah -clears her throat- I have a question for both of you. Me and this one nigga been fucking for a while now our situation like evolved into something more intimate now where we chill just to chill and he initiates cuddling. No sex involved. So how do I talk to him about being more than what we are without being a "what are we?" bitch?..... you can go first.

Tarrell Ok that's a difficult one because either way you flip it you gonna end up being that girl. No matter how you phrase it you kinda stuck unless you let him make the move. If he dragging his feet then he not trying to be with you. Ladies if a Nigga want you in a more romantic way you will know. I feel like a problem that occurs a lot is the female make the guy fee stuck

Hadiyah Why do guys feel stuck? If he's cuddling you and you guys hang out without having sex or sex coming up you can defiantly make it known that you like him. Doing that whole what are we thing will make niggas scared. Honestly don't put the pressure on him. Talk with him and be honest. Like communicate that you like him or throw out little jabs that you're feeling him on more than a platonic level.

Tarrell You don't want to hurt the girls feelings so we sometimes just give in

Hadiyah

Stop doing shit to keep people from feeling bad. Guys and Girls. Why should you give in cause you don't wanna hurt her? She's a grown women. If you don't want a relationship make that known. If you do want one let that known too.

Tarrell I feel you on that but when in the moment women get in their feelings sometimes and once that happens it's a wrap. I think everything should just be put out up front to avoid confusion

Hadiyah I don't agree, like don't baby a woman then wonder why she acts like a child.

Tarrell I completely agree with but on that but women also can't pressure a man for shit either I guess different scenarios cause for different responses

Hadiyah I get that. Don't pressure anyone. Have conversations like human beings.

Tarrell Definitely

Hadiyah -nods her head- Before we end this episode of Hadiyah Hotline, is there anyone you wanna shoutout?

Tarrell

I wanna shout out my son Tj and my beautiful girlfriend Storm

Hadiyah woah woah woah. So you are in fact taken?

Tarrell Yes I am

Hadiyah Alright girlies, you heard it here. Terrell got a girlfriend. -chuckles- This is Hadiyah hotline another episode and I'll see you next time!