#lucifer was generally believed to be the brightest or the most beautiful angel of heaven

[friedri-ce]

hi!!! First of all I just wanted to say that your art is amazing and your AU is super interesting!! I wanted to ask, since you mentioned Lucifer in the google doc, do you have a design for him? :0

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! 🥹🥹

there he is... the luci !!!

also luci when she became a fallen angel. she transitioned 🥹

[sionfaileas]

Crowley's relationship with Satan?

Good Omens takes on the lore of the devil and demons having once been angels that were thrown out of heaven. There are several other interpretations of how hell and the demons came about, but this particular lore comes from the Bible. In this case we refer to the angel that will become Satan, as Lucifer.

(If you'd like to skip the facinating little bits on Lucifer, jump on down to the red Lucifer and you'll start up on the Crowley included analysis)

The name lucifer is the latin translation of the Hebrew word that means "morning star" or "light bringing." The lowercase here is intentional as lucifer was a meaning of a phrase and was the name for the planet Venus- the brightest thing in space closest to Earth. This translation was capatilized and became synonomously used as the name for the brightest angel in the beginning times. (There are multiple religions which use Lucifer as the name of a diety that is a god or guardian spirit, fluctuating from a being that is like God to being the antithesis of all darkness.)

Lucifer was thrown to Earth (Ezekiel 28:17 NIV) for essentially being the origin of sin.  He was the most perfect of creations, but when he realised that himself he became the very first corrupt being. "17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor...18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have descecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you and it consumed you..." (Ezekiel 28:17-18 NIV) His fall is somewhat written in the book of Revelations, which is also known as the Apoclyapse of John (the apostle) stating, "7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." (Revelations 12:7-9 NIV)

Lucifer would have been an enticing and commanding figure. A beyond beautiful entity that would make you doubt the very things that you were meant to do, and meant to be. The angels would have known of him, of course. Would have known that he was God's proverbial right hand man, as well as the most beautiful, perfect, and powerful of all creatures aside of course, from God. Unlike the other angels, and unlike God, Lucifer began to realise his power- it would have taken little to speak of these realizations to the other angels. Then from there it would have been up to the angels to whether or not the questioning that he imparted upon them affected them at all.

Now, depending on who Crowley was in heaven, this could have potentially affected him differently. Of course, as far as we know, when the angels were cast from heaven, so too went choice knowledge as well as their "angel names." There's a lot of speculation that Crowley could have potentially been the Archangel Raphael (another fun thing to explore which I have ideas on), however, in this case we're going to look at him without giving him a particular name or role to avoid corrupting the view on their possible relationship prior to falling.

Crowley is an attention grabbing individual, and there's no reason to believe that he would have been any different if not more so as an angel. If Lucifer were to see someone and think they were a beautiful or interesting enough, he may try to charm and win over for his ultimate ideal plan of taking over the "throne." If they could identify with one another it would make them more likely to become friends.

We hear Crowley talk about how he didn't mean to fall. There's multiple cases in which he says something to this effect, and quickly becomes emotional. He's said that, "I never asked to be a Demon. I was just minding my own business one day and then, looky here, it's Lucifer and the guys, they say, hey, Crowley, my man, we're on our way to discuss the whole job conditions and career advancement thing..." (p 333, Script Book). The fact that he says, "Lucifer and the guys" in conjunction with "Crowley, my man" insinuates that not only was he familiar with Lucifer and his angel crew, but was likely a part of it, possibly on and off. He seems to think that he wasn't really deserving of the fall, "I only ever asked questions. That's all it took to be a demon in the old days." (p 249, SB) This opens up the possibility that Crowley was generally a good angel, but he was beginning to mix with the bad crowd because he has a strong sense of curiosity, justice, and morality. He "just hung around with the wrong people" and "didn't fall. I didn't mean to fall." (p 100, SB).

He has a strong love for humanity, part of which likely came from his ability to identify with them and their trials, problems, and struggles. He's a creation of God, scorned for his curiosity and tarnished by sin. The only difference is that it's likely that he doesn't feel as though he can be forgiven as humans can (it's not unlikely that Lucifer felt the same way and bonded with Crowley through this anger, hurt, and sense of betrayal).

Before humanity was even created Crowley was an angel, and an old one at that. He notes as he's looking for a place to run off to in avoidance of Armageddon, that he helped to build a nebula. That was the beginning, the very beginning, God was the primary creator and was assisted by very few angels at that time- Crowley may have been as close to God as Lucifer was. In which case, he would have also been close to Lucifer and likely would have been hard pressed to avoid any influences from him.

So, say that he was friends with Lucifer as he alludes to, then they would have fallen together after the great war. If he's as old as we can infer that he is, then he may have been the oldest friend and most probably the only one closest in relation and possibly even rank to Lucifer that fell. In this case it would make total sense that Lucifer would favour him- that he had a sort of love and favoritism of him. Crowley's role in the garden would later be percieved as an act of Satan himself, which connects then in a different, more Earthly tangable way.

When getting instructions from hell, it's Satan himself that talks to Crowley. We're not really told if the other demons receive the same treatment as this, but the way that he speaks to Crowley is certainly familiar, and both ways we get the conformation that Satan both understands and approves of Crowley's particular work and methods. Besides this, we can come to the general conclusion that Crowley spends tbe majority of his time on Earth, which no other demon seems to do. It's likely that this is something that he's allowed to do, simply because Satan likes him, is unworried by him, and gives him the freedom to live as he pleases.

In a bit of a side note, its very interesting how Crowley falls to the ground when Satan is informed about his "disobedient son." He's noted to be in "sudden stabbing pain" (p 426, SB), which is combated somewhat easily by the hurt caused bt Aziraphale's threat of never talking to him again. This threat actually leads to another interesting development that could be explored in another contemplative analysis, possibly on Crowley's abilities and former angel role....

I digress...this reaction may be that of all demons where the appearance of Satan is concerned, or maybe there's a closer connection there which causes a phantom pain almost as a warning.

It's likely that, with all of this in mind, there's a relationship between Lucifer/Satan and Crowley that is at least one sided in affection or favour. Though I don't think I would be amiss in saying that the affection or sense of empathy and connection is all on Lucifer's side, while Crowley is on just this side of uncomfortable.

[diveronarpg]

Congratulations, CHARLIE! You’ve been accepted for the role of CORIOLANUS. Admin Jen: There are no words to describe how floored I was by the stellar portrayal you've presented to us, Charlie. With two very strong applications, we were given quite a difficult decision, but ultimately you showed us not only Coriolanus, but Cyrus, flaws and all. There is so much depth and nuance to Cyrus that it makes him not quite an easy character to grasp, but as I read your app, I could see all of it, small details and broad concepts alike, plucked and arranged in front of me in an alluring, mischievous array. You captured every aspect of Cyrus that is distinct and unique to him and him alone, from the various paths that his journey in Verona could take, to the tragic, painfully human starting point that paved the way for it, to his mannerisms and devious charm. He's going to be an absolute menace on the dash and I can't wait to see it! Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias | Charlie

Age | 23 in less than a month!

Preferred Pronouns | she/her

Activity Level | 5-8. I think we all know how chaotic everything gets at the moment and that’s also mirrored in my activity. On the one hand, I have A LOT of free time on my hands right now and a very high motivation to write, at the same time, my mood is also very fickle throughout the day and can quickly jump from feeling like writing a novel to not even wanting to touch my laptop. However, I’m around for plotting basically 24/7 and have established in the past that queuing my replies works very well for me, so I’d be able to deliver replies on a regular basis.

Timezone | GMT+1/CET 

How did you find the rp?  | I’ve been a part of DV before.

Current/Past RP Accounts | https://ofduval.tumblr.com/

IN CHARACTER

Character | Cyrus Sloane

What drew you to this character? |

When I knew I wanted to rejoin Diverona, I also realized that I wanted to write a character, who challenges me as a writer, this time around and thus, started looking at characters I’ve never paid any real attention before as they’re not my go-to kinds of characters.

And then I stumbled across Cyrus bio and, for the first time ever since I stumbled across the group two years ago, truly read it. And what can I say, I fell in love.

He’s darkness combined with the charm and holiness of an angel, a paradox in itself. He’s like Lucifer, the one who shined brightest of all only to fall deeper than all the other angels. And just like Lucifer, he’d rather reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. He’ll do whatever it takes to build his own kingdom. Flectere si nequeo superos, acheronta movebo; if I cannot bend heaven, I’ll raise hell. 

Like the most poisonous flowers, he’s as beautiful as they come and will kill you softly from inside. Cyrus Sloane isn’t handsome nor attractive, he’s beautiful and that’s precisely what makes him so dangerous. To quote The Secret History: ‘Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it.’ You’ll fear his name and yet, you also won’t help but feel drawn to it, almost like a fly to a Venus flytrap.

Also, his relationship with Vivianne? W o w is all I have to say about that. No, seriously, I’m so emo over this connection, you wouldn’t believe it. There is just so much potential in there, so much tragedy, so much angst, anger, chaos, and destruction that still deserves to unfold. And I yearn to be the one who gets the chance to do that. 

From reading up on past plot drops and my personal experience within the group (which might be totally wrong, it’s just my subjective perception!), I feel like, so far, Cyrus hasn’t really had the chance to play a key role, to go through the character development he deserves, to matter as much as he should. And I want to give this character, that has grown to be so near and dear to my heart in the past days, the chance to shine that he deserves. For the first time in forever, I can’t even bring myself to truly stress out over the application process as I normally do because this app simply needed to be written, I needed to write Cyrus at least once, even if it’s just in this app. 

Because he does things with me, I myself don’t quite understand just yet. To be frank, Cyrus Sloane gives me a freaking headache, I’m not gonna lie about that. He’s so much and so different from what I’m used to. But still, I just can’t help coming back for more. Which I feel is exactly what Cyrus does? No matter if he hurts you or puts you in uncomfortable situations, you’ll come back craving more. 

And I’m definitely craving more of him.

What future plot idea you have in mind for the character? |

mother dearest.

Did she weep when she abandoned him? It’s a question he stopped asking himself a long time ago and yet, it still haunts him. He doesn’t want it to, has done everything in his power to stop caring about it and yet, it’s ingrained so deeply in his bones that even breaking them wouldn’t make him forget it.

Cyrus’ questions of what he did wrong to deserve such a fate turned into hatred for the woman, who is to blame for it all years ago. And still, there is still this childlike curiosity, this desire, so suppressed and ignored that even he believes he’s actually forgotten it, to find out why. 

The dynamic between Vivianne and Cyrus is a very delicate, very intriguing one and I’d love to explore it further. I’m not sure how much has happened there yet as it’s something that needed to be discussed with Lina, but I’d love for Cyrus to get those answers he tells himself he doesn’t even want to know anymore somewhere down the line. Maybe at one point, he might even downright confront her and demand to get them, though this roughness and lack of subtlety would have to be provoked in some way as it’s not his usual style. Nor does he really want her to know that he cares, or acknowledge that himself for that matter. 

I highly doubt that the knowledge of why will be enough to ease the hatred, the pain of the still aching wound that never healed. Finding out what happened, most likely won’t change anything about his determination to see her kingdom come undone as I imagine him being too far down this path for redemption. And yet, it’d be fun to see this already so complex dynamic filled with even more layers. 

see it all burn to ashes.

The tale of a mother abandoning her son, throwing him to the wolves is one as old as time.  The fatal consequences this act of cruelty can bring with it are just as well known. 

And yet, Cyrus intends to outdo them all. 

Considering how I feel like it’s his main character arch, I’m not going to be very concrete here as I think it’s something that needs to be plotted out together with other writers, not to mention that there are so many different routes that this arch could go. After all, all roads lead to Rome. 

One interesting option would be attempting to destroy the Capulets from within. For that, he’d have to make himself irreplaceable. 

This could go hand in hand together with the plot mentioned further below regarding him following into Cassian’s footsteps so I’m not going to delve into that here.

Additionally, In a city like Verona, secrets are a currency more valuable than money, as is information. Mona Chen is a perfect example of the importance of secrets just as the dead witches were. Considering how Mona now not only doesn’t work exclusively for the Capulets any longer but also charges them a heavier price than she used to, it’d be in the Capulets’ interests to replace her with somebody who works exclusively for them, who gives them the information they want for free. I’m not entirely sure of the concrete way to achieve it just yet, but I imagine somebody as charming and talented at manipulations as Cyrus is would be capable of eliciting secrets out of people without them truly realizing what they’re giving up. He might even build his own network of spies to take over that ‘vacant’ position. 

Secondly, he could attempt to set the Capulet empire aflame with the help of the Montagues, after all, there is some truth in the saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. I’m also be going into more detail about that idea in a further plot point.

Whatever route, Cyrus will take in the end, I do want him to make a mark. To do some damage at least. Even though he’s young, he couldn’t have ever crowned himself king of Cape Town if he didn’t know how to gain power. 

the old king is dead, long live the king.

I feel like with Cassian - his mentor - dead, Cyrus is going to strive towards stepping into his footsteps and taking over his role in politics within Verona. After all, it’s what he trained for, what he endured Cassian’s company for. Only that he’ll do a better job as Cassian could have. After all, who could not fall in love with his angelic smile and boyish charm?

Even in a city controlled by the mafia, the civilians still play an important role. Incur the people’s wrath and you’ll find yourself in a tough position. Thus, getting the general population under control is most certainly a way to rise to power (as proven multiple times in various European countries in the past). 

I want Cyrus to get (more) involved with Verona’s politics, attempting to earn the support and respect of members of the leading families of Verona. As mentioned above, secrets are an important currency within Verona and not only among members of the mob. The more respectable the family is, the darker the secrets often are and the more determined they are to keep them hidden from public knowledge. 

Using that to his advantage paired with his boyish charm nobody ever has truly been able to resist, could be his way into politics and subsequently turning Verona into his kingdom.

He managed to do it in Cape Town, why shouldn’t the people of Verona earn to praise his name as well?

maybe we’re just young gods.

Saying Bernadette Dupont and Cyrus Sloane bring out the worst in each other, is an understatement. They’re a match made not in heaven but hell.

I think it’s safe to say that while causing havoc and chaos is fun, it’s not enough for them. For Cyrus at least it isn’t, he’s dead set on pushing the Capulets from their throne and putting himself on it instead. With Bunny as the queen by his side. 

I'm the king of everything and you’re the queen. 

I want to explore their relationship further. How far are they willing to go for each other, what lengths will they go to for their own amusement and selfish goals? Might there even be more going on between them than just causing destruction together? Could mutual selfishness possibly be replaced by truly caring about each other?

the enemy of my enemy.

First of all, I don’t think that Cyrus will ever truly betray the Capulets to become a Montague. Is there a chance of him betraying the capulets? Definitely. However, not to become somebody else’s puppet. No, if he does so, only because it’s in his best interests, because it helps him build his own empire.

His connection to Lawrence, whom he serves as an informant, is already a very intriguing and promising one as it’s a way for him to get involved with the Montagues. No matter what Lawrence might think, they’re meeting as equals, Cyrus only gives him the information for a price that he sets and not because he feels obliged to do so or because Lawrence has something on him. 

Considering how Lawrence isn’t a taken character as of right now and I don’t think he’s the only connection of this sort Cyrus has, I’d love to find a taken character with whom he’s entered a similar symbiosis. 

It’d be the perfect way into getting more power by slowly breaking down the Capulet kingdom piece by piece.

flying to close to the sun. 

Just like Icarus, Cyrus has built his own wings, yearning to fly, to become a god. And just like Icarus, at one point he’s bound to get too close to the sun, is going to get burned and plum into a yet unknown depth. 

Verona isn’t Cape Town and while he made himself a king there, while he built his own empire on another continent, this new playing field calls for stakes higher than any he’s ever known. He turned himself into a shark in a tank of guppies back then, how will he thrive in a tank full of sharks, all bigger and more experienced than him? 

The tragedy of striving to have everything is that you have all the more to lose. The higher you fly, the deeper you can fall. And it’d be such bittersweet irony if his ambition, his thirst to see his mother’s kingdom burned to ashes was the reason for him to get burned. 

I think, especially if I follow up on the previously mentioned plot of him getting more involved with the Montagues, that this has a good chance of getting him into serious trouble. After all, with Viola already being outed as a traitor to the Capulets, the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been before. After all, it only stands to reason the Capulets will be even more cautious now that they’ve found one mole in their midst. If there’s one, who says that there aren’t more? 

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | Yes and no. It needs to be under the right circumstances and, to be perfectly honest, I don’t think I’d want to let him go for quite a while. In my eyes, it’d be a logical conclusion for him to die at some point as he’s just an arrogant boy throwing himself into a war against much older, more experienced people to burn everything his mother ever held dear down and rise as a god from the ashes. I wouldn’t be surprised if this hubris got him killed one day. However, I’d want him to make his mark first somehow. 

 IN DEPTH

muder tw, gore tw

Father, forgive me for I’ve sinned. 

Lips curl into the hint of a smirk as he lazily crosses his legs, right feet resting on his left thigh. The confessional box is just big enough for him to find a comfortable position and yet, his foot touches the dark wood of the wall separating him and the priest. And he cannot help but wonder if its main purpose is precisely that, making it almost impossible to find a comfortable position. 

If a god finds it necessary to intimidate his followers by forcing them to confess their sins in a state of uncomfortableness, he cannot be very intimidating in the first place, can he? 

“I’m afraid I didn’t get your question, padre, mi dispiace.” The words leave his mouth with honey-laced innocence, and while there is not a single hint of doubt in his mind that the priest will buy it right up, the curl of his lips colors their sincerity a lie. It’s almost a shame really, how the insincerity of this show is carefully concealed by the wood in between them, the small openings leaving just enough space for words to transfer back and forth between the two sections. 

Then again, what fun is it if you jump right to the end?

He has a grim business ahead one him, a gruesome duty, one he tells himself he doesn’t necessarily enjoy (except you do, a tiny voice whispers in the back of his mind, he chooses to ignore it). It’s something he needs to do. Betray him and you’ll pay the price, it’s a rule as simple as it can be and yet, one he’d enforce no matter what it’d take. Growing up with catholic foster parents, religion has always played a part in his life. He grew up to follow the Christian beliefs, to respect God and all his messengers on Earth. And yet, doing the Lord’s work won’t save the priest. His treason won’t go unpunished. 

For there is only one god in Cape Town and his name is Cyrus Sloane. 

“Tell me, son, do you regret your sins?” 

The priest’s voice is calm, patient, almost gentle. And yet, it causes him to flinch just slightly. For a small moment, so short and fleeting that it has passed in the blink of an eye, hesitation and doubt shadow his mind. Maybe he shouldn’t go on. If he takes this next step, there’s no turning back. He’ll cross a line drawn so deeply into the ground that it’s almost a canyon. If he crosses that line, he’ll truly be the monster some bold voices already call him out to be in hushed whispers behind his back.

Instinctively, he pushes his chin out just a little, jaw muscles tensing in defiance of the thought, 

Maybe if they didn’t want him to turn into a monster, they shouldn’t have crossed the simple rules he put up. Maybe they should have been smart enough to not try to bury a dagger in his back in the hope of hitting his heart.

Don’t they already know that it’s nothing but rotten flesh anyway? 

“Which one? The ones I’ve already committed or the ones I’ll still commit?” Casual yet empathetic words leave sensual lips with just a hint of amusement lying beneath. And yet, despite it all, there’s a kind of honesty, so sincere and authentic that it cannot be faked, to be found in them. Cyrus doesn’t regret the hard decisions he has to make nor the one he’ll still make in the future; power and the world as his kingdom are his birthrights, a god doesn’t care about the havoc that follows in his wake. And neither does he; if anything he opens it with open arms. And nonetheless, there were some lines that there were harder to cross as others.

The best lies and manipulations always have a ring of truth to them, but maybe that’s just another lie people tell themselves so they won’t have to be ashamed of their true feelings.  

“The ones you’ve already committed will do for now. Confess them and beg the Lord for His forgiveness so that with His grace I can grant you absolution for your sins and you can leave reborn in the light of His mercy.”

A soft chuckle, so full of light it’d put angels to shame, rings through the air, fingers brushing through golden curls lazily, head resting against the wall behind him. “I’m afraid those are more than I can count. If I recall them all, we’ll still sit here tomorrow and your god’s ears will bleed in terror.” 

But then again, the same god stood by and did nothing when his own mother abandoned him so maybe he’s crueler than he’d give him credit for.

Though he tries not to show it, in fact, tries his best to gloss over the priest’s patience is starting to grow thinner and thinner, no longer a sturdy thread of wool but more a silk thread hanging dangerously thin in the air. It’s as obvious to him like blood in the water to a shark, Cyrus feels just as drawn to it. Charm is his weapon of choice, an automatism if he dare say, and yet, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as seeing a grown man slowly but surely come undone. 

Figuratively as well as literally. 

“Do you regret them at least?”

For a moment there is silence, only the damp, cold air only filled by the soft sounds of quiet breathing. Cyrus takes a moment to answer, the tension growing thicker with every passing blink until it’s thick enough to cut. Feet light like a gazelle he stands up and with two decisive steps, long legs moving gracefully, he bridges the distance between them.

“Not really, no”, he says, looking down into the priest’s puzzled face, lips curled into an angelic smile.

It’s the same smile Lucifer must have worn when he stood in front of his creator, so terrifyingly beautiful it could kill the weak of heart.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to confess that I don’t regret any of them”, the smile still locked onto the priest like sharp shooter’s sight on his next target, he calmly pulls the knife out of its sheath carefully hidden by the backside of his Armani jumper and dark jeans. Though it becomes more obvious with every passing second what he’s intending to do, every movement is done in accurate precision without any hurry. 

He rules this town, there’s no need to hurry. Especially not considering how the priest stares at him like a fly caught in a spider net might at the slowly but surely approaching spider, fangs opening wider with every step it takes. 

“I’m not sure if there’s anything I need to confess”, he adds, posture straight and balanced like the king he was born to be, tone as charming as ever. If anybody was looking for a spark of lunacy in his dark eyes, they’d have to look forever for there is none. Cyrus Sloane isn’t crazy, this isn’t the act of an insane person who’s lost touch with all rationality. No, he knows exactly what he’s doing and doesn’t do it despite it but because of it. 

Head slightly cocked to the right, his gaze wanders over the priest’s face once more, soaking up the slowly rising panic like another might the smell of freshly baked cookies. 

It tastes just as sweet in his mouth.

“Che mi dici di te, padre? Is there anything you’d like to confess in front of your god?” 

Be it the one hanging on the cross at the other end up the church or the one standing right in front of him. 

His words leave a sense of finality in their wake, he knows they both can feel it. Good. As exhilarating as this little situation is, there’s only a small line between exhilarating and boring. 

The priest’s eyes open so wide that Cyrus is a little afraid they’re gonna burst. Now that would be mess he wouldn’t envy his dry cleaner having to get it out of his clothes again.  

“I’m sorry”, he starts to blather, regressing to a man half his size and age, eyes full of not yet spoken pleas for mercy. Mercy that won’t be granted, but he doesn’t know that, at least not yet. Soon he’ll find out while taking his dying breaths that this town has no mercy for those betraying its king. “I didn’t mean to…”

Before the old priest can finish his sentence, Cyrus cuts his throat with one swift, determined motion, blood bursting out like air out of a ballon as soon as the cut is made, spraying his formerly clean clothes.

He couldn’t care less.

Carefully, he wipes the blade clean with a handkerchief, the one innocent white cloth now tainted by the crimson red of treason, of revenge. He tucks it back into his pocket before stepping over the lifeless body without giving it another look, his face as unreadable as a dark, cloudy sky.

Father, forgive me for I’ve sinned. For deep down, I know I’ll do it again if I have to. Without any shame or regret. 

 Extras: You can find a pinterest board here.

[chokememrstark]

I know a lot of people will give me shit for this, but I have a strong urge to get this out because I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time and can’t shake it off.

We all know how the s5 Lucifer was not directly portrayed as evil, neither from the narrative point of the story nor from his own statements or from others. Even in s11, Chuck said Lucifer is not evil. Of course, this got me thinking and I wondered, what if he really wasn’t? What if the reason why Chuck looked so ashamed saying this was because he knew it was true and that it wasn’t Lucifer’s fault all of this happened?

Lucifer was said to be heaven’s brightest and most beautiful angel, who loved God more than anyone else, so what happened? Well, I honestly believe that Chuck happened. According to Lucifer himself, all he did was refuse to bow before humanity and love them more than his father. He literally pointed out that the punishment he faced did not fit the crime he committed, and I fully agree. Chuck made him and it’s pretty obvious that he also gave him his rebellious nature and temperament and stubbornness. But why? If he wanted loyal children, why would he have done this?

Well, what if he didn’t at first? He created Michael first and canon showed Michael had a few personality traits that are not really perfect - he kind of has the whole holy wrath thing from God, doesn’t he? And he’s pretty cruel too. Assuming that a creator learns from his previous works and mistakes, maybe God just tried to avoid them the next time? He made Lucifer different than Michael, but what if he made him too perfect? What if every angel he created after him just wasn’t as ‘good’ as Lucifer, if he could not recreate the angel that unwillingly became his masterpiece?

As the one in charge, as the creator of everything - and with his self-loving ego thrown into the mix - maybe Chuck was just sick of seeing Lucifer’s perfection walking around without being able to do the same thing again? You know how that one movie or that one book sometimes haunts actors/authors forever because they will always be measured by this one thing and will never be able to recreate the greatness of it or the hype around it? What if Chuck had the same experience? So, in a desperate attempt to save his own pride and dignity, he might have corrupted the angel he created so he would not be seen as perfect or idolized by others anymore.

Think about it for a moment. Lucifer’s punishment was exaggerated and incredibly cruel, given the crime he committed. And it’s obvious that he loved his family the whole time. He tried to reason with Gabriel, he tried to reason with Michael not to fight, too. Because he didn’t want to! He loved them, even after all this time he still loved them. Because they were his brothers - his family! Yes, Lucifer’s reaction to finding out God loved humanity more than him was extreme - creating demons by corrupting human souls and all this stuff - but did it justify locking him in a cage for eons, taking everything he ever loved away from him? His brothers, his father, his complete self-worth even? I don’t think so.

So, how was it possible for all this to happen and for God to just sit back and let it happen? Well, my assumption is that he purposefully corrupted Lucifer to the point where he could just get rid of him, rather than accepting that he was his ‘best’ son. It’s always mentioned that the big fight between Michael and Lucifer was part of the Big Plan, but who made this plan? Exactly, God! It was God’s plan! Not the plan of an even higher entity or power, it was God who decided that this would happen and who used the angels he created as chess figures.

When your child acts up because you mistreat them, by destroying things out of anger and rage or doing dumb things to get your attention, would you send it into eternal isolation as a punishment? If they acted irrationally because you deprive them of your love and affection, would you punish them this cruel and mercilessly? I hope not because, for a child (especially one who never experienced the world outside), a parent’s love and approval mean the world. And God was the one Lucifer had unconditional trust and faith in, so having this ripped away from him so brutally, without another explanation than the one he got (which didn’t make sense for him at the time because he just couldn’t understand the reason behind it) of course caused an extreme reaction.

Lucifer’s fall was, in my eyes, not the result of a little brat acting up and being an asshole, but of an incapable father who could not accept his own failure and imperfection, so he instead sacrificed the son that loved him most and then pushed all the blame onto him and turned him into the villain in the story. God knew Lucifer was never evil because he himself turned him into the one he has become.

I know it might be a rather strange headcanon (or meta or whatever you wanna call it), but when you look at the characters of Chuck and Lucifer (especially in s5), you might notice that all of this isn’t too far fetched. It’s actually something that sounds quite plausible when you take everything into consideration, even Lucifer’s extreme personality change in later seasons. Because hey, every damn being sees him as the evil bastard, so why not just act like it? It’s not like it would make a change, right? He’s hated by the ones he once loved already anyway, he’s generally seen as the big bad evil thing everyone is afraid of. So he might as well just fulfill everyone’s expectations because, well, it makes no difference for him at all.

[onceabluemoonwrites]

Rose-Torn (Rising)

Fandom: Yuri on Ice

Summary:  ‘You rebirthed an angel as the devil. Is it possible for a God to…’’ JJ’s unspoken question hangs in the air. In eerie unison, Yuri and Lilia throw their heads back, laugh short, sharp and high, before looking at him with crimson eyes illuminating the night. “Darling, love has always been a monster.”

Disclaimer: I don’t own Yuri on Ice

FF.net | AO3 | Tumblr (my other entries: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

You can find my writing progress here.  If you can’t keep straight who’s what kind of creature anymore, here’s a list, plus some extra background information for those who’d like to read it!

My fic master list here.

This was written for yoifantasyweek ( @yoifantasyweekfor those interested in checking out the other authors) 11/19/17- Day Seven: Black. I used the prompt “Wrath”.

This is part of the Land of Gods and Monsters ‘verse, but can be read as a standalone fic (If you’re curious about what happened to Yuri before this, I recommend reading Heaven Hatred (Falling Down)) .  You can find a note on the chronology of this ‘verse here.

Everything started in the sea, so the legends tell us. In the beginning of time, Hiroko rose from the sea, her volcanoes budding, splitting the ocean. Seafoam splashing as the other Gods rose. Minako, she who pained the sky, she who painted the sun, she who painted the night. Seung-gil, serene at the bottom of his heart, the stormy top tussling the ocean. Phichit, the World-Born, ouroboros, the serpent biting its own tail. Yakov, the first human, immortalized by the Gods, and the nightmare who was born his opposite.

And at long last, the earth split open, and Love was born. The last primordial to come into existence.

The sea lapped at the earthen opening as the God rose from the molten lava, red-hot earth-essence dripping off his frame. His first breath was sparrow-born, birds flying around him. His first step swan-song, black swans joining the choir. The first flutter of his eyelids invented worship, and by god, what a sight it was.

And there, my dear readers, this story begins.

The first thing he asks, language forged by his very lips, is: ‘’Hey, why don’t you dance with me?’’

The first sentence in the entire world, and nobody reacts, because he is love, he cannot exist without communication, and the world needs to learn how to talk back.

But they don’t. No one does.

At least- not to him.

So JJ tries a spin, lifts his feet, and begins to dance on his own.

The Heavens are made by another generation, reigning the primordials in. The play a tune, he dances to it, for no other music is allowed. The wild things are muffled away, and Love is one of them. Jean-Jacques is chained to earth.

He created speech, but no kind word is given to him. He invented worship, yet no creature not made by him gives him a second glance. In the endless expanse of loneliness, he is only accompanied by his feathered friends, who have wings he does not possess. Doves, swans, sparrows surround him as he cultivates, with strong, weathered hands, myrtle and roses from barren ground. What he touches becomes fertile, if only through his sweat, tears and blood alone.

He is a God, but no one follows, so he stands up and builds his own power, softly and quietly, a Divine Monster indeed.

It gives him power. It gives him heart.

The King of Misfits, they call him, the King of Love. He who hurts everybody and is never quite good enough. They don’t recognize his gifts, the soft emotions, the bonds he gives so freely to every creature alive. Steel wrapped in silk, if you will search for it- love is something to fight for, something to hold on to. They war over it, so they must care about it. It’s fine if they do it for his gift only- he’s learned to defend himself by now. He learns to bluster, he learns to be bold, if only on the outside, his heart, his hurting heart, so vulnerable.

And still, when he visits Heaven and hears the whispers behind his back, he cannot help but flinch. The child before him, the angel-teen, looks at them and sneers. There is no grace in it, but by God, it is holy disdain.

“Take it,” Yuri says, his eyes burning embers when JJ flinches once more. “Take their insults, make them yours. You are a King, now act like it."  He does and dreams of an angel with burning wings, pushing him higher, higher than the sky. 

(The swans call him ‘’Le roi’’ from that day forth)

He never forgets the boy with the burning eyes. They haunt his dreams when he sleeps at night, screaming at him: ‘’What the fuck are you doing, you can be better, you can go higher! Why are you waiting for them to notice you, you fucking idiot?!’’

He has to laugh when he wakes up, because an angel talking like that? The King does not believe it. But then again, he has seen stranger things. The dawn of time is an awfully long time ago, after all. Strange, how the company in his dreams makes his laughter less hollow.

The clouds turn red, a sea of fire in the sky. JJ gasps as they scatter, a speck at the horizon bursting through. A dark silhouette, a boy-man falling, cradled in blackened, burned wings.

Shadows dance across the sky, but it is no despair the picture paints. No, the boy’s arms are stretched out, his head thrown into his neck as he laughs, the sound of his madness resounding over the plains of Earth. Blond hair flying around his face, white skin unblemished, limbs arched, muscles strained to the top of his ability.

Ecstasy must be the name of this creature.

JJ is speechless, his words stolen by the man falling from the Heavens.

This… this is beyond holy grace.

The ground shakes as Yuri lands. The force should have caused his body to break, but he is no glass-hearted angel, he is a diamond with a heart of fire, unbreakable, eternal, his only fear the fire dying, so rage on he must.

He feeds the fire. He feels it in his feet, in his blood, in his bones.

Breathing heavily, he pushes himself up, raking the hair out of his face as sweat rolls off his back. Rolling over, he looks at the sky. Reaching up, he grins, teeth exposed. One day, all of that will be his.

Lying in a crater, wings turned black, Yuri’s chest bursts- his very heart rising to the sky.

One day.

He crawls through the deepest, darkest caverns on earth, to the place where lava flows freely and the air burns his lungs.

There he finds her. Lilith, the mother of all monsters, her hair as black as her soul. She’s facing the flowing stone, alight in red-glow.

‘’Teach me,’’ he breathes.

She turns around, sharp green eyes glaring him down as she raises her hand. Cupping his cheek, she speaks. ‘’Sell your soul. Pander it off to me.’’

Her voice is like a whiplash, harsh, severe and bruising.

‘’Whatever the cost, if it means victory, if it means soaring higher than the heavens and above, then I will gleefully sell my body and soul to you.’’

She nods, her chin a knife. ‘’Call me Lilia.’’

And that’s it.

She births him anew. An Angel, heaven-forsaken, Lucifer he becomes. The Morningstar has always been the brightest, and also the first to fall.

Yuri needs to learn how to dance with the devil, and who would be a better teacher than Lilia for that?

(The nightmare born Yakov’s opposite, the heavens call her. Yuri knows why. Calling her a bad dream is easier than facing the terrifying reality of her strength)

JJ sees Yuri fall- sees him learn to dance as devil on the ground in order to ascend. He thinks: hey, that’s a nice tune! And dances along.

The new rhythm, the new regime… He can deal with that.

Something wretched but beautiful blooms like a rose underneath his skin.

(He has spent too many hours staring longingly at the heavens, at their celebrations far and wide, knowing Love was not invited for he only broke hearts.

‘’Why give a gift,’’ he can hear them whisper, ‘’only to wrench it from us?’’

And it poisons his heart and mind, because can’t you see? I am not death- not even Love can survive without nourishment.)

The saccharine smell of flowers spreads.

Yuri crowns himself the Ruler of Hell, and while Jean-Jacques has no guarantees at all, ‘’Take it,’’ echoes within his mind.

He listens.

The angel is draped over his throne, youthful face crowned by his golden hair, red eyes shining in the dark.

‘’Boy Love,’’ Yuri laughs, ‘’Have you come to join my court?’’

JJ does not say: angels cannot have courts.

JJ does not say: what have you become?

JJ does not say: You are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.

JJ says: ‘’If you’ll have me.’’

Lilia is an enigma and JJ… JJ can’t resist asking.

He swallows. ‘’You rebirthed an angel as the devil. Is it possible for a God to…’’

His unspoken question hangs in the air.

In eerie unison, Yuri and Lilia throw their heads back, laugh short, sharp and high, before looking at him with crimson eyes illuminating the night.

‘’Darling, love has always been a monster.’’

A sirensong is audible above the waves, and it is as if the bells of hell are ringing. Out with the old, in with the new! They scream.

If the Ship-sinker can sing his sailor home, then the world must watch in wonder.

While all eyes are on the reunion, Yuri sets the heavens on fire (white dresses burning).

Marble is pretty, but the slightest acid devours it. Why would the rich soil grow lemons if not to ruin Heaven’s halls?

The Primordial Lovers reunite, but Love followed the Devil to Hell.

Lightning splashes across the sky, and Heaven might be ruined, but Yuri flies too high, and it smites him.

Icarus, he is, wax wings melting, dripping to the earth like raindrops as he falls. His eyes flash red before he loses unconsciousness, eyelids covering the glow of Hell’s bells ringing. His limbs fold to the wind, a ragdoll tossed wherever by the storm.

Lilia cries, screams in fury, but they chain her down, iron manacles biting into her skin. They freeze her, an ice sculpture of sin and sadness. Yakov the Immortal comes to her, his hands trailing over her face, tears dripping down his wizened face. And just like that, the primordial that was not supposed to be one, clenches his fists and goes searching for his pitchfork.

Humanity is good at carrying torches, and he still holds one for her.

JJ stands in the rain, forgotten as always, but accusing eyes searching for him. The roses underneath his skin grow, their thorns showing. He runs across the plains, across the mountains, across the cities and the valleys. And there, in the place of his birth, the flow of magma he was born from, he catches Yuri as he hurtles down.

Cradling the Devil in your lap, what a concept. Carding his hands through golden strands, Jean-Jacques admires the black horns and heals Yuri’s wings by breathing. Sometimes even Lucifer is vulnerable, but JJ will carry Yuri all of his days. On his broken back, if he must.

Love and War have always been entangled, and this will not stop now. It is about living in the moment, about admiring what is there right now, no matter what may come, what may be lost later. It’s about what has been lost and learning to live with it.

That is what this love is.

Catching Yuri was a choice. There is no going back.

Monsters gather in the midst of Gods.  What were the Heavens? They ask. Who put them in place? Who- who made this atrocity happen? They stare at smoking ruins, no answers coming forth.

Some of them turn to power, in all forms, to war.

This is how JJ meets Christophe. The manticore licks his lips. "Not enough- I want more. Oh, won’t you play a game with me?”

JJ’s face hardens, a grin sneaking through his mask. ‘’Oh, I will play you.’’

He reaches into his skin, reaches into his heart, and stretches his arms above his head. He crowns himself with a wreath of thorns. He is the king, le roi, and it is time he makes them acknowledge that.

Yuri wakes, on his head a crown of roses wound from Love’s heart. Laid down on a bed of myrtle, surrounded by the whole wide world gazing at his wounds, but never touching. They’re there, all of them, but he has eyes only for one person.

He rises from his dwelling place, stands on his own legs, and speaks as words should be spoken.

‘’Love, what I want is not anarchy- I need the right of the strongest! I need to soar above all others! Enter the competition, Jean-Jacques. Play the Game of Gods and Monsters!’’

With worship in his eyes, swansong in his feet and sparrows surrounding him, JJ kneels as he yields to war forever. ‘’I will.’’

Yuri lifts his head and smiles, reaching for JJ’s shoulder with certainty betrayed by the trembling of his hands. ‘’Angels only fall for Love. But Love be with the Devil, who would have thought?’’

JJ rises and seals his lips over the Morningstar’s.

Revolution, is their name.

“I think this business of good vs. evil is of no interest to the power hungry”  ― Bangambiki Habyarimana, Pearls Of Eternity

Author’s Note

The Pliroy came out of nowhere and kidnapped this fic.

The ‘’Sell your soul’’ exchange was planned, but then I remembered canon… And went to watch the scene and found out it was so much like what I had in mind. The dialogue is, as a result, very much like the dialogue in their actual first meeting.

Aphrodite is the Godess JJ is based on in this case. Swans, sparrows, doves, myrtle and roses are all her symbols.

I likened Yuri to Icarus, but far more accurate would be to liken him to Phaeton- but I did not because I doubt everybody would know that name.

Lilith was Adam’s first wife, and has been seen as a demon in many incarnations. She also separated from him and refused to go back. In this case, Yakov was based on Adam. Him ‘’carrying the torch’’ was a deliberate movement of war- the flaming torch is one of Ares’ symbols.

Isabella, whose name means “pledged to God”, is one of JJ’s black swans. She’s the first one who calls him le roi.

Aphrodite’s (JJ) different birth was inspired by an absolutely gorgeous piece of Dark Souls fanart by Laura K Cannon ( @laurenkcannon for those who want to see more of her gorgeous art) . You can find the art on the artist’s tumblr here. 

And the post in which it was mistakenly referred to as Aphrodite here. 

Songs I listened to while writing this:

Beautiful monster – Ne-Yo (Yuri’s theme song in this installment)

Woman by Kesha.

Hell’s Bells by Gregorian

My Heart Will Go On by Gregorian

Le roi means the king in French. It’s a play on “Leroy” and French is considered the language of love. 

I made mention of the doves only early in the story because, quite obviously, there was no peace later.

Writing this verse was an absolute joy and I hope you guys enjoyed this journey too!

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“There’s nowhere to go...” His voice was stiff, sharp, cold in a way as he stared up at the stars above him. For a moment he looked just as he did back then. A normal human. Ryo Asuka in every way. And yet he appeared so much smaller all the same-- so entirely different. “If I return home then I will be captured and forced to relive those same twenty to thirty years. Over and over again. No peace, no respite...“ He crumbled in on himself, head hung low, blue eyes no longer looking up at the stars. No longer peering towards the heavens where his brethren watched him with cruel gazes. Why did it all happen like this? All he wanted was to save them. What did he do wrong?

He never wanted to bring down Heaven. He never wanted to kill... He just wanted to save them. In the end he couldn’t even do that. God’s most beautiful angel-- the worthless and the foolish Lucifer. Could he even say that he hated his father? No... By all means he was justified in his punishment, but the wounds were still bleeding to this day, reopening and festering with pestilent infection. He didn’t want to bring down the Kingdom of Heaven. He didn’t want to fight God. He didn’t want to come toe to toe with his caretaker, Micheal. He just wanted to love since nobody in heaven would love him... A Seraphim is destined to be alone. Isolated and singular... Pure virgins at their finest.

Tears flooded his beautiful, long eyelashes. Pure warm water which clouded his visions as he lifted his head again. His hand went to his chest, memories of such terrible things coming back. In the end he lost his home, he lost his family, he lost his love-- he lost everything. And while he put on that sour, cold, and detached face, in truth he was hurting. He was hurting so terribly. He missed Akira. He missed Amon. What he would give to just have another chance. Not a blank chance either-- a chance to actually make things right. A chance to undo his wrong doings. He wanted to repent-- but there was no possible way that such a thing could happen.

Even if he cried out to God in prayer, nobody would hear him. The angels would turn their backs on him... And besides, whose to say that God still wanted to call him a son. Whose to say that God will respond. How long has it been since he shut him out... Now he was truly alone. Was this what he wanted? No... He just wanted freedom. He was a kid-- he didn’t understand the full consequences to his actions. He didn’t know that it would be seen as treason. He didn’t know it would be a divine crime. He didn’t know that they would attack... He just didn’t know... He just wanted to spare creatures that were trying to survive. “My Human home is gone, and my angelic home of Heaven has been barred from me... Hell is over flooding with  demons, there is no room for me...” Ironic truly. The dimension that was his own, his own little home, was unable to even house him without making everything else uncomfortable.

“You said you were able to give guidance once, didn’t you? You said that you could give me a helping hand... I know back then that’s not what you meant but please, tell me what I’m to do.” Those tears they trailed down his cheeks like crystals. His visage somehow looked more startlingly beautiful with the glistening tears on his face. Truly God’s finest angel... And yet he was called terrible things, he was called just as bad as the demons. He hugged himself as he stared up to the beautiful sky above. A longing look in his eyes. How he wished to be among them, the brightest star in the sky... And yet he couldn’t. Homesickness in both ways. Ryo was homesick, he missed Akira, he missed his mother and father, he missed the town, the docks, the shopping district, the allies, hell he even missed his penthouse.

Satan was homesick, he missed Michael, Raphael, Uriel, and Gabriel, he missed the beautiful gardens, gold silk, heavenly beasts, the golden city, the wastelands, he even missed his own father for whom he repeatedly called cold and cruel... And while somewhere in him he believed it, another part of him knew that was a lie. Should his punishment have been in heaven than he knew perfectly well that he would have been killed right then and there. He would have been executed. Was it possible that this suffering eternity was better than whatever he was going to face in heaven? A part of him wished he had died up within those golden gates, let his black blood infect the water and poison everything... Part of him wished he had died up there before he met Akira... Maybe then Amon would get peace. Maybe then Akira would have been happy.

A pang of guilt as if he was being stabbed through the heart. “Please help me...” He whispered, a soft sob on his lips. “I’m lost...”

@miss-beautica