#this record is a demonic jewelry box

[holohedral]

i’m supposed to be somewhere in an hour but i’ve been revisiting married in mount airy a lot as we approach its first birthday and want to talk about it for a minute. i am so inspired by the instrumentation and production on this record and could generate pages upon pages in analysis of its writing but i will keep it brief.

MIMA is a testament to the myriad ways men inflict harm upon women, whether it be through marriage, their absence, fear and intimidation, threats, and direct acts of violence. even when you yourself are free, their harm persists through fellow women and the trauma they leave behind. with i’ll wait for you to call melting the record into a seamless loop back to the title track, a cycle of abuse despite glimpses of hope via summit song and whispering glades, we acknowledge healing isn’t linear.

if for some reason you haven’t spent any time with married in mount airy, i can’t recommend it enough. it is without question my top album of 2023 and possibly ever.

[shall-we-die]

╔‌‌‌‌•°🍰༄•°══════════•⊰•°༄༚

{HBD Dear MC!~}

A list of gifts they gonna give you 🎁

���•⊰❖⊱•═══•༻🎂༺•═══•⊰❖⊱•╡

☰[Main list]•⊰ X Obey me!

#Part 1 📍 || #Part 2 || #Part 3 || #Part 4

╚•°🍰༄•°══════════•⊰•°༄༚‌‌‌

[Lucifer]:

A piece of music he composed, a bouquet of rare black roses, a vintage vinyl record of his favorite music genre, a handwritten letter and a necklace with a pendant.

[Mammon]:

A brand new car, an expensive watch, a gold necklace and the most expensive set of jewelry he could find. (With the help of Lucifer’s money of course)

[Leviathan]:

A signed rare copy of his favorite anime and manga series, rare figurines of his favorite characters, and a handmade bracelet made out of real gemstones.

[Satan]:

A box of homemade pastries that would always refill and never run out, a leather-bound notebook filled with his best poetry and a ring with a ruby attached to it.

[Asmodeus]:

A luxury spa package, his favorite book series and a perfume set that contained all his favorite scents.

[Beelzebub]:

A home cooked dinner, a bottle of champagne and a jar of his special honey.

[Belphegor]:

A big cuddly teddy bear, a warm blanket and pillows and, a big pillow-shaped chocolate cake.

[Diavolo]:

An exclusive tour of the Demon King’s castle, a luxurious robe and a box of sweets.

[Barbatos]:

A personal day out with him at his favorite places, a bottle of expensive tea and a vintage-style fountain pen.

[Simeon]:

A bouquet of rare pink roses and peonies, a box of chocolates as well as his homemade cookies, and a framed letter.

[Solomon]:

A handwritten book filled with magical spells and runes, a new spellbook which he designed himself, and a bottle of the rarest and most unique wine there is.

[Luke]:

A box set of his favorite stories, a new plushie and a box of his delicious pancakes.

[Raphael]:

A handmade sweater, a basket with all his favorite herbal teas and spices, and a box of his most precious herbs and plants.

[Mephistopheles]:

A box filled with all his favorite rare books, a handmade ceramic mug and a handcrafted blanket.

[Thirteen]:

A framed photo of the two of you together, a handmade plushie with all her favorite features and a big box of chocolates.

[celestiall0tus]

Long Road - Chapter 13 - Release

Beginning || Previous || Next

            Gimmi stared at the box in disbelief. “This is why you brought us here. This is why you brought me here, isn’t it?”

            “Now you’re getting it. See, old director there knows what I am and that box is something related to me, us. It’s no ancient relic of some lost world. No remnant of an ancient civilization. Whatever made the box is us, as is what is contained within. And that seems like a direct violation of what Father wanted. Or rather, what you wanted,” Kaalki mused.

            Gimmi fumed. “I am not Velze. I am Gimmi.”

            “You aren’t fooling any of us, so no need to keep lying,” Longg hissed.

            Gimmi took a deep breath as she balled and unballed her fists. She turned and glared at Longg with red, gleaming eyes.

            “Aww, what’s the matter? Did I-?” Longg started.

            “Fall,” Gimmi commanded.

            Longg gasped as she fell to her knees. “You little! I’ll-!”

            “Silence!”

            Longg shut her mouth as everyone turned to them.

            “Gimmi?” Marinette asked.

            Gimmi didn’t look Marinette’s way. Her eyes remained on Longg. They held each other’s glares until Gimmi turned away and approached the box. She placed a hand on it as a bright light flashed. Everyone shielded their eyes except for her. She narrowed her eyes as the light faded and a set of seven angelic kwamis hovered over the box. The top one, a light purple kwami with three sets of wings and eyes with a seventh on its forehead, floated up.

            “Father! It’s good to see you!”

            Gimmi sneered. “I am not Velze, Humilitas. You will address me as Gimmi and nothing more.”

            “Oh, forgive me, Gimmi. You are so much like Father.”

            “Enough. Why have you sinned against Velze.

            The angel kwamis all gasped.

            “We’d never! Father is everything! We’d-,” Humilitas started.

            “You have. You cage other kwamis and directly betray Velze’s wishes,” Gimmi cut in.

            “No, you must understand. They were becoming unruly. Sowing seeds of discord and mayhem. Something had to be done. They would not listen to reason, so we did what we had to.”

            “No reason is good enough to betray Velze’s wishes. To sin against him. You will release them immediately,” Gimmi ordered.

            “I don’t understand. What kwamis are so dangerous that they’re locked away?” Marinette asked.

            “Yeah. What’s more dangerous than things like destruction, animosity, and reality?” Juleka asked.

            “I… but… their very nature is to cause mischief. They won’t listen to us and will just cause mayhem,” Humilitas attempted.

            “Please. Plagg and Orikko are no different. And for the record, Juleka, Vana is far more dangerous than I am,” Gimmi hissed.

            Vana clicked his tongue and snapped his fingers into finger guns.

            Gimmi rolled her eyes. “Enough of this. If you will not obey me, I will release them myself.”

            “No, wait!” Humilitas yelled.

            Gimmi ignored Humilitas and grabbed the box. She modified it and opened it to reveal a set of jewelry: earrings, belt chain, pocket watch, ring, necklace, anklet, and bracelet. She snapped her fingers and the jewelry dissolved into pure essences. The essences floated up and manifested into a set of seven demon kwamis. The head demon, a purple-black ombre with three sets of horns like Velze’s, a set of wings, and a tail, snickered.

            “Freedom! Freedom at last! Thank you, not Velze.”

            Gimmi rolled her eyes. “Gimmi, Superbia.”

            Superbia laughed. “You say that like I should care. Though I suppose you did release us from being wrongfully imprisoned. I suppose I can address you by the name Daddy gave you.”

            “Wrongfully? You were cursing mortals!” a light blue lion angel kwami with two sets of wings yelled.

            Superbia waved his hand dismissingly. “How black and white. We were enhancing mortals. Daddy gave us freedom to do what we wanted, did he not? That means we’re allowed to do as we please.”

            “This isn’t what he wanted. He wanted us to enrich the lives of mortals as they had before. With holders,” a yellow angel kwami with one set of wings pointed out.

            “We were also given the freedom of choice. And we choose to do so much more. Though, looking at our favored siblings and their darling little pets, perhaps we could have some fun with that too. While we still spread our blessings,” Superbia mused.

            “What? There’s no way-!” Fluff started.

            “I don’t care what you do. Velze gave us all the decision to choose for ourselves. If this is what you choose, then be prepared to reap the consequences,” Gimmi cut in.

            “But of course. We wouldn’t expect any less, now, would we?” Superbia mused.

            The other demon kwamis snickered.

            “Fine. Begone, all fourteen of you,” Gimmi ordered.

            The demon and angel kwamis all vanished. Gimmi let the box fall out of her hand as it dissipated. She turned away and headed for the door when Fluff blocked her path.

            “Uh, sorry, Gimmi. But there’s a problem. We can’t let them wander freely,” Fluff protested.

            “Yeah. Orikko, Plagg, and other concepts are at least manageable. Not those ones,” Mullo added.

            “If you want to go after them, be my guest. However, I will do no such thing myself,” Gimmi stated.

            “What? But we can’t. Tikki, please, you speak sense into her,” Fluff begged.

            Tikki shook her head. “Velze gave us the right to choose. That includes, well, them too. We cannot control them anymore than we can control each other. I especially can’t step in knowing Plagg is left to his own devices, no longer restrained by what the Mage did to us. Who knows what he’s getting up to now.”

            “And do not forget that Trixx and Styx are also out there, unsupervised. If you worry so much about our wayward siblings, worry first about those two and so many more,” Gimmi added.

            The kwamis didn’t argue and fell silent. Gimmi sighed and turned to Marinette.

            “I’m leaving and you have a date to get to,” Gimmi said.

            “Oh! Right. Uh, come on, Luka, let’s go,” Marinette said.

            Marinette pulled Luka along before their friends or kwamis could say something. They headed to the exit of the Louvre where Gimmi stopped. Marinette put a hand on Gimmi’s shoulder.

            “Hey, are you ok?”

            A long silence. “No, but don’t worry about it. It’s my burden to bear.”

            “But you don’t have to bear it alone. You’re here for me, I’m here for you. We’re not alone in this. Remember?”

            Gimmi inhaled, then sighed. “I know, but this is something that cannot be helped. It is simply a truth I must endure. A piece a reality I cannot deny, but hate hearing all the same.”

            “Will you please share with me what it is? Even if I cannot help you, I want to understand. I won’t understand at all if you don’t share.”

            “Someday, but not today. Now hurry along. You two have dawdled long enough.”

            “But-!”

            Gimmi vanished before Marinette could finish. Marinette stared out in disbelief, then sighed.

            “Marinette?” Luka asked.

            “It’s ok. Just frustrated. She tells me I’m not alone and to always share my burdens with her. Even though when I do, she gets annoyed and is just so blasé about it, but she still listens and tries to help in her realistic ways. I just wish I could do the same. And, yes, I know, give her time, but I don’t think it’s a matter of time or space. I’m afraid she just doesn’t want to burden me even though I’m allowed to burden her.”

            “Perhaps you should tell her that. You looked like you were doing well until Gimmi left. Maybe you should tell her exactly what you told me.”

            “Yeah. Yeah! I will. In fact, I’ll do it right now!”

            “Uh, Marinette? One thing.”

            “Huh? What’s that?”

            “Our date?”

            Marinette’s eyes widened as she covered her mouth. “Oh! Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I just… I didn’t forget. I just-!”

            Luka chuckled and smiled softly. “It’s ok. You care for Gimmi and it’s endearing. It’s one of the many things I love about you and your melody.”

            Marinette blushed and kissed Luka’s cheek. “I will never understand how you have the patience to put up with me.”

            “I do.”

            “Oh? Care to enlighten me?”

            “Because I love you.”

            Marinette’s blush deepened as she looked away. She opened and closed her mouth as all words failed her. She let out a frustrated sigh as she leaned against Luka’s arm.

            “We… we should get going,” Marinette mumbled.

            Luka frowned and looked away sadly. “I’m sorry if that was too sudden. I just-.”

            “No. Don’t… don’t apologize for how you feel. I just… there’s some lingering guilt. And just… just realizing that why you put up with me all this time was because you loved me still. It just… it puts in perspective. I was so bad to you.”

            “Hey, it’s ok now. Remember, we’re starting over. It doesn’t matter what happened then. What matters is what happens moving forward.”

            “I know. I know. I just… it’ll be difficult moving past all that. I… I know I’ll be reminded of it again. I just… I can’t help it. Will you… will you be patient with me?”

            “Always.”

            Marinette smiled and squeezed Luka’s hand. “Thank you. Let’s get going.”

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[liketwoswansinbalance]

A Ramble

The idea of a Black Swan event in relation to Rise’s ending is so poetic. Because, the ending and revelation are unforeseen like a black swan once was.

Also, from the iconic Rock Scene, the creation of the symbol, their School crest, was perfect! The duality. It was just purely beautiful and fascinating. And, the concept was so clever! I was so ridiculously proud of Rafal then!

And, that reminds me of something from an interview from the bonus content at the back of book 1 where Soman said he liked to ask which is more beautiful: the black swan or the white swan? The white swan is classic, like Good. But, the black swan is rare and mysterious. So, is it beautiful as well, or is the white swan more beautiful because it represents the standard of beauty? Is it more beautiful to fit an ideal, or to be uncommon and thus beautiful because of that quality? It was an interesting line of thought as it reminded me of Rise’s plot twist.

The prose in the final scenes was beautiful, if I recall correctly. I love the comparison of Rafal being summoned by Rhian "like a genie out of the bottle." (This is paraphrasing.) This brings up the idea of opening a can of worms. They can't be replaced. The truth is out. It’s like a Pandora’s Box, or the invention of the atomic bomb that transformed modern warfare. There’s no going back from that. You regret you ever probed further and made the decision to open it. But, it's too late and always will be. It's an incredible discovery, yes, but so damaging to the world.

We’ve already seen Aladdin’s sinister genie, and originally, the concept of genies (the jinn) was that they were evil spirits, demons, known to have a reputation for manipulation, mischief, and malevolence. I wonder if a genie related to the monkey’s paw idea will possess one of the brothers in Fall?

⸻

Context and other resonant ideas:

"While jinn could be known to be friendly, or at least reclusive, the beings also have vampiric abilities. In addition to absorbing the essence of food, or eating while in human form, they derive nourishment by sucking energy from living things. That can include draining a human soul. According to lore, some jinn want to do their own thing, and have no interest in humans. Others get their kicks by hanging around humans. But it can be dicey to be around a jinn considering some want to toy with us, and choose to torment us or exact revenge for being cast out. They are also said to be able to bring about illness and bad luck. 'While some through the ages have tried to bargain with them, to do so is always a dangerous gamble since they are notorious tricksters who, for the most part, do not like humans,’ said Weatherly. ‘They can dwell in abandoned buildings, in the deserts and forests, even in rocks, statues, jewelry and other physical items'" ("A History of Genies in Folklore and Pop Culture").

⸻

"A Black Swan event is an event in human history that was unprecedented and unexpected at the point in time it occurred. However, after evaluating the surrounding context, domain experts (and in some cases even laymen) can usually conclude: 'it was bound to happen.'" ("What are Black Swan events?").

⸻

"black swan event, high-impact event that is difficult to predict under normal circumstances but that in retrospect appears to have been inevitable. A black swan event is unexpected and therefore difficult to prepare for but is often rationalized with the benefit of hindsight as having been unavoidable.

"[...] All swans were presumed to be white because all historical records of swans showed them with white feathers. The term black swan was thus used to describe any impossible event or circumstance. But in 1697 the Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh encountered swans with dark plumage in Australia, a land largely unexplored by Europeans at that time. The black swan thus came to be a metaphor for the reality that just because something has not happened does not mean that it cannot occur in the future. The metaphor is analogous to the fragility of any system of thought and a testament to the fallacy of assumption. A set of conclusions can be undone once any of its fundamentals is proved false. In this case, the observation of a single black swan negated the long-held presumption about the species. Any logic that followed the assumption that swans must be white was also invalidated by the discovery.

"[...] while human beings are good at turning environmental stimuli into meaningful information, they tend to be narrow-minded in their beliefs about the world. Being dogmatic about beliefs makes humans blind to concepts that fall outside what is accepted as true. This creates a vulnerability to surprise events called black swans, which necessitate a change in worldview" (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

⸻

What an understatement. I'm sure the brothers will have to do more than just change their worldviews. Their world and potentially every perception they've ever had has been turned upside-down. And, their fallacy of assumption about their souls—it could all be construed as the Storian's fault for not correcting them.

[paleneckauthorcowboy]

I'm posting the last I have fic I currently have written in the c!Kestin timeline, more might come later but I'm not sure. I don't really have any TWs other than HABIT being in this fic, and c!Kestin is slightly spiraling.

Life's better now, I'm happier, and things are actually normal. I don't know how I'm alive though, but I guess that doesn't really matter. I'm here now, somehow I ended up in New Jersey. I sit up from my bed and stretch a bit letting out a groan. I'm not a morning person. I get out of bed and make my way over to the bedroom door, I open it and am face to face with my boyfriend(s). I jumped a bit, not out of fear or anything, I just didn't expect it. 

"Morning starshine, the earth says hello!" Habit greets me, or at least I think it's Habit. I smile at him as he gets out of the way so I can pass through the doorway. "Good morning, who am I talking to right now though? Sorry it's just really early." I ask as he rubs his chin, "first of all, it's 11 am, that's not early. Secondly, you gotta guess. If you get it right, you get a kiss." He chuckled and looked at me with a smirk. I sighed and looked back at him, he likes playing games even when I'm tired. "I'm gonna say... Habit, mainly because of how you greeted me, and how you're looking at me." I didn't add the fact that Habit always makes me guess, while Evan just tells me upfront who he is. 

"Ding-ding-ding, bullseye! Good job, sweet pea! You want that kiss now or later?" He leans his face a bit into mine, waiting for confirmation before he does anything, so I just lean in the rest of the way and give him a peck on the lips. "I'll take that as a 'now' then." We both laugh as he leans back and starts walking to the kitchen, I follow behind him. "So, any big plans for today?" He asked as I sat down at the table, he placed a cup of coffee in front of me, it's made just how I like it. In his words 'overwhelming sweet with a shit ton of creamer.' But no matter how much he critiques, he always makes it the same. I really love that about him. 

"Well, Evan and I are going to go walk around downtown, maybe stop by some new stores, and then we're going to go walk a few trails!" I described our day in detail, mainly because I've been looking forward to it all week. I always love spending time with Evan and Habit, even if I can only talk to one of them at once; I always know that the other is listening. It feels nice. "Right, I forgot about your little date today." He replied, I doubt he actually forgot, he's just teasing. "Yeah, so I'm gonna need Evan back, hun." I retorted, smiling sweetly at him. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I just wanted to see my pretty boy first." He grinned as leaned over and kissed my cheek. I can't lie, I love it so much when he calls me his, well anything. I just like knowing that I'm his. 

"Well, it's good to see you too, but Evan and I need to get going. I love you." I beamed and kissed his cheek. "Fine, fine." He sighed and basically just flung Evan back into control. Evan does a little stretch and smiles at me. "Morning, are you ready to go?" Evan wastes no time to get going, in case a certain demon with a BAD HABIT  of interrupting chooses to butt in. We get into the car and drive downtown, chatting about random topics ranging from new video games we want to play, to talking about ideas for stories, to even stories of the past.

We stopped by a few stores, the first was a beautiful antique store. We bought a few things, I got an old looking typewriter and a few stuffed animals; Evan grabbed an adorable tea set and a gorgeous jewelry box. Next we went to a vintage record store, mainly at Habits request; and a bargaining chip to get him to leave Evan alone for a little while. Finally, we went to the trails and hiked for a while, although I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched, but I kept it to myself. 

I must have been spacing out while walking because I felt Evan nudge me a little, I looked over at him."Did you hear what I said?" Evan asked as I stared for a second. "Oh, no, I'm sorry. I think I zoned out for a second." I admitted that I hadn't been paying attention, he nodded. "It's fine, I just asked if you wanted to head home after this trail." He repeated himself, being patient with his boyfriend, like he normally is. "Oh, yeah. That'd probably be a good idea. We most likely don't wanna be out when it gets dark, I don't need to deal with ghosts and stuff." I stated, which was true; I don't want to deal with any supernatural forces. Well, other than Habit. Life is normal now and I don't want that to change.

We finished the trail, Evan had to just give me a piggyback ride to the car because my back hurt. He didn't seem to mind though. He was rambling on about Bioshock and I was about half listening, mainly because my mind started to wander to other places. The past. Both Evan and Habit know that I have an issue of reminiscing on time long gone and that sometimes it makes me kind of spiral. But it's not going to be like that this time, things are normal. I am better. 

Before I even seem to realize it, Evan is pulling into the driveway. I lift my head from the passenger seat window and stretch my back a bit. We get out and Evan walks me to the door. "I've got to pick up my sister and drive her to her friend's house, but I'll be back. Are you going to be alright by yourself?" Evan asks, he seems a little worried. He probably noticed that my mind had been drifting quite a bit. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm just tired from talking almost all day." It wasn't entirely a lie, I was tired from today. But, I think we could tell that wasn't the whole truth. "Well, okay. But if you need anything, and I mean it when I say anything. Whether it be a hug, some food or to help you beat a video game. Just call and I'll be over as fast as I can." Evan finished his spiel, I smiled. He always seems to have a way of making me feel less tense. "I know, and thank you. It really means a lot." I kissed him on the cheek and he did the same. I watched him pull out of the driveway and waved goodbye before I entered the house. 

I head upstairs and plop onto our shared bed, pulling out my phone and just scrolling on a random app. I do that for about 30 minutes before I see on my timeline, an 'on this day, 18 years ago.' A picture of me.... and Brian. I felt a small ping in my chest, a reminder of how much I miss him, not just him but my old life too. I stare at the photo for what seems like forever, my mind running through old memories, good and bad. But before I could let myself spiral I put my phone down and exited the app. 

I'm better now, I can't let myself get dragged down by the past. I sit up in bed, knowing damn well it'll do me no good moping and burying my face in the pillow, just hoping for something that's never going to return. I get up and walk down to the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the cabinet. I walk over to the fridge and dispense some water, taking a mouthful before I pop an ibuprofen in my mouth and swallow. I walk over to the counter and stand there for a little while. Then I heard a noise behind me, I assume it's either Evan or Habit, so I turned around with a smile; but what I saw quickly wiped the smile off of my face and the glass out of my hand. 

It was Brian, or I guess more accurately Hoodie. He's looking down at me as I stare back at him, too stunned to speak. But I was quickly pulled from my trance when the glass cup that was in my hand shattered on the floor. I looked down, almost in a panic; though I swiftly recovered. Opening my mouth to speak, although it took a few minutes for my thoughts to fully process into words. "Brian? Is that really you?" I sounded almost hopeful, so astonished that he might actually be in front of me. We stood in silence for a few moments before he finally said something.

"Yeah, it's me." I couldn't get a good reading on how he was feeling but I did notice a slight shake in his voice. I stepped forward, over the broken glass. "I... I'm happy to see you again.." I just barely mumbled, but I'm pretty sure he heard me. We stood in silence again. "I'm also sorry for how things ended. I'm sorry for what you had to see and that you had to find me, I mean.. I assume it was you..? Either that or it was him.." I rambled a bit trying to break the awkward tension. "Before you ask, no, I don't know how I'm alive or why." I added in. I just want him to talk, say anything.

Suddenly, he opened his arms. I just let myself fall into them. We had our arms wrapped around one another. "I missed you, like, a lot." I just blurt into his chest. "I missed you too. It's good to see you too, even though I was shocked." Brian rubbed my back like he did all those years ago, I felt tears well up in my eyes. "I'm still so sorry for leaving like I did." I spouted, he stopped what he was doing and put his hands on my shoulders. "Hey, No. Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault, you were hurting and you took the only way out that you saw. And I'm not going to get mad at you for it. All that matters is that you are here and you are happy. You are happy, right?" He ranted a bit but still checked on me. 

"Yes, I'm very happy." I smile at Brian. He lifts up his mask and takes it off. He's smiling too. That same goofy gapped tooth smile that I remember. My heart felt warm, it's been years and yet he can still make me grin like an idiot. "I also saw that you have a new boyfriend." He teased me, poking my cheek. "Yeah, I do. Well, technically I have two new boyfriends." I retorted as he raised an eyebrow. "Two?" He asked with a slight smirk. "Yes, two, by technicality. The guy you saw is possessed by a demon whom I am also dating." I explained as I saw Brian rubbing his chin. "Damn, I guess you'd call that..." He paused, I looked at him. "Brian, don't you dare!" I exclaimed as he chuckled. "A two for one deal." I groaned as he laughed at his own joke.

"I see some things just never change. But that's good, I like you goofy." I hugged him again and he returned it. Things are good, they can finally really be normal. I finally have my reunion with my beloved brother.

[cjsmalley]

Giving it a Go:

She was glad Hope was outside with Dawn; she was glad she wasn’t holding anything.

Because there was Spike, proposing with that ugly old skull ring that didn’t fit her anyways but she had kept in her jewelry box since the Love Spell Incident.

Proposing a ‘Mating’. Whatever that was.

“Spike, get up; talk to me,” she ordered, pointing to the bed, “what the hell is a Mating? This is literally the first time I’ve heard of it…is it, like, marriage or something?”

Spike seemed shocked, even as she sat beside him on the bed, “The Great Poof never—”

“Literally the first time I’ve heard about it,” she promised realizing that whatever it was was something deathly serious, “so what’s the deal?”

Spike sighed, set down the ring, ran a hand through his hair, and began, “S’It’s like marriage alright, ‘cept there’s no divorce. Buffy, I thought—he went on all ‘bout yer ‘great love’, I thought maybe…”

“Nope, he gave me some Irish ring, I could never pronounce the name, said I was his girl, but never mentioned Marriage or…Mating?”

Spike sighed again, this time in relief, and said, “when vampires—most demons but I know most ‘bout vampires—want ta take a spouse they’ll do a Mating. No set ceremony, each couple does their own thin’, but the important bit’s the Bite. They have ta be damned sure of their love, ‘cause like I said, no divorce. The Mating will bind them fer eternity, Buffy. ‘Til dust an’ maybe beyond. I know it happens that if one of a pair dies, the other will too—”

“We can’t do the Mating,” Buffy declared firmly, though her eyes were suspiciously shiny.

“Slayer,” he sounded strangled.

“That’s just it, Spike. I’m the Slayer. Capital S, I’ve lived past my expiration date already,” she choked out, “I—I can’t do that to you. If I die…Hope and Dawn need you—”

He gave a choked off laugh, “Oh, Slayer; I dunno how it works with humans—no records of a vampire Mating a human, but ol’ Rupes an’ I theorize that ya could share my lifespan. My durability. ‘Cause in other demons, partners share their strengths with the weaker of the pair. An’ I love ya, adore ya, but, Love, you’re still mortal. All my strengths might become yers. Hell, you might give me yer daywalking ability. I dunno.”

“But if we try and it doesn’t work like that,” Buffy sniffled.

“Then we set up wills, make sure the kids are alright an’ ya get ta be very careful, ya already are careful. We make sure we never fight alone, even a fledglin’. Even if we don’t Mate, Buffy, I plan ta have ya fer a very long time.”

She chuckled wetly and nodded, “Okay…say I say yes…you mentioned a Bite? You have to bite me?”

“S’it’s a Claimin’ Bite,” he nodded back, reaching out to trace her throat, “if we do it all traditional, I’ll put it right…here.”

His fingers were to her pulse-point

“But you won’t…Change me?”

“Never. We could move the Bite if ya don’t feel comfortable with—”

“I do!” she blushed before repeating, “I just…Giles never mentioned anything but eating and Changing bites.”

Spike quirked an eyebrow and smirked, “Ta Change ya, I’d need ta feed ya some of my blood, ya know that, I hope.”

Buffy’s blush intensified as she nodded, “So I was being…not-so-smart right then. But I do trust you.”

“We can put the Bite somewhere else,” he repeated, fingers dropping to caress her covered chest, “I know it’s traditional ta some demons ta have it ta where only the intimate partner can see.”

“I’d want it on my neck,” she assured, “I’d want to show it off. Like wedding rings. Prove I’m yours and…can I—” she broke off, avoiding eye contact as she finished, “could I bite you?”

He used his fingertips to raise her head and meet her eyes, his normally blue eyes suspiciously golden and he nearly purred, “Oh, love. I’d love fer ya ta try. Maybe the Slayer demon’ll let ya return the Mating.”

“How do we do this?” Buffy asked in hushed, anticipatory tones, “Do we—”

“Wait, s’it’s a yes then?” Spike demanded, holding her gaze.

“Yes!” she bounced, embracing him, and putting her own mouth dangerously close to his still pulse-point.

He chuckled deeply, winding his arms around her, “Easy, Buffy. Let’s slow down a mo’.”

She pulled back and pouted, all doe-eyed.

“Oh, look at that lip; gonna get it,” he teased, leaning down to nip at her lower lip and causing her to giggle girlishly.

Spike pulled back, licked his own lips, briefly went into his vampiric face, and spoke seriously, “You have ta be sure; far as I know, nothin’ can break a Mating. Maybe s’it’s different while Mating humans.”

“Oh, Spike, I am sure,” she promised, “if we can’t marry, at least we can Mate.”

He searched her eyes, her face before nodding and then beaming.

“Right, then, submit to me.”

Buffy instinctually tilted her head to the side to expose her pulse-point; she didn’t even flinch as his vampiric face came out once more.

Quicker than a cobra-strike, he had his fangs in her neck; she gasped in pleasure.

He retracted his fangs, licking the mark he had made. Both of their pupils were blown wide.

Still, she moved to make her mark on him; he submitted easily and guided her with his hands to the matching place.

She bit down, gasping again as her teeth lengthened for an instant; he roared his own pleasure.

He barely waited for her to remove her teeth to pin her down to the bed.

It was a good thing the others had Dawn and Hope.  

Wished Away 8:

“Mom, Dad, help,” Dean said, holding a baby out.

A whirlwind of activity followed.

“He is Nephilim,” Castiel declared, having inspected the boy, “though I cannot tell his true parentage. It is being…hidden from me.”

The pediatricians took over as soon as the angel stepped back.

“Nephilim,” Danny said slowly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, “isn’t that half-angel or something?”

“Precisely,” Castiel said just as slowly, measuring his words like they were his last rations, “They are…it is Forbidden for angels to lay with mortals. The creation of Nephilim is even more taboo as the first, the original, were monsters more often than not. It is an intentional act, to create Nephilim; the angelic parent must give a portion of their own Grace to the child during conception.”

“So they purposely knocked someone up then ding-dong ditched the kid,” Dean growled.

“Perhaps they heard that we are romantically involved, Dean,” Castiel offered, “and hoped we would take in the child as our own.”

“Well, of course we are,” Dean huffed, rolling his eyes at his angel who shook his head fondly, “I’ve already picked out a name too. A good human name.”

“Oh?”

“Jack, after Grandpa Jack. Unless, you have a name?”

“Perhaps…James, after James Novak?”

“Hmm…Jack James…James Jack…JJ…no, definitely Jack James. I like it, Cas.”

“Well, little Jack is healthy as far as we can tell,” Doctor Peterson joined the little huddle, “every scan we can perform came up normal, perfectly within range for his age group.”

Both Dean and Castiel visibly relaxed.

“We’ll get you set up,” Sam promised her son and might-as-well-be son-in-law.

A servant brought David’s old wrap and Sam showed Dean and Castiel how to wind it around their bodies to carry little Jack close to their hearts.

“Does the heart even beat?” Danny asked Castiel with interest, referring to his Vessel.

“Yes, I have kept all systems functioning as intended,” Castiel confirmed.

“Good. Because babies this young are used to heartbeats,” Danny explained as Sam worked with Dean, “they just spent nine months with their mom’s in their ears.”

“I see,” Castiel nodded, “well, Dean has assured me that I have a perfectly human sounding heartbeat.”

“What’s the likelihood that his mom was the human?” Danny asked next.

“Oh, quite likely…angels with female vessels most often shutdown the reproductive system. It would also be quite hard to hide the evidence of the gestating Nephilim. His mother likely died in childbirth; her body finally unable to handle his Angelic self.”

Danny winced; that would be a horrid way to die and he fried like a French fry.

Within hours, little Jack was all ready to go home.

Over the next few days, a room in the Bunker became a nursery and supplies loaded in.

[alastors-radioshow]

With some help from their mischievous friend residing in the mortal realm, the crimson-clad Overlord had managed to collect most of Terzo's belongings from the Papal suite. Clothing, jewelry, books, picture shows, records.. All of the possessions he knew Terzo held dear, as well as those he knew he might need.

Upon returning, he had simply collapsed on the bed, too exhausted to even remove his shoes. Only his monocle had been removed, but never got further than being held in his hand. He had barely realized that the other had, at some point, curled up to him.

He had been keeping himself busy with organizing Terzo's belongings the following day. Records being neatly placed by the record player in the parlor. Picture shows by the television in his living room, hidden away in a cupboard. Books meticulously placed on the shelf along the stag's own. Clothing had been hung in the bedroom closet, one, rather casual set placed on a chair nearby, in case the newly created demon wished to get dressed. Jewelry.. Why, he had simply taken the entire box and placed it on one of the nightstands. Along with a few of the colognes he found that the former antipope used the most. Even certain spell supplies had been retrieved, but those had not yet found a place in the overlord's home.

Alastor himself? Why, he had been in the kitchen, naturally. He figured that the new resident might be hungry upon waking up, so he had taken the liberty of preparing some dinner, along with a cup of tea. Yes, he knew that he preferred coffee, but before he knew that his body could handle it, he kept things mild. Even the gumbo he had made him.

Soon enough, footsteps could be heard on the stairs, coming down the hallway towards the bedroom. The door was pushed open, the Overlord stepping in with a tray in his hands.

"Ah! Bonsoir, Terzo. Awake at last. I hope that you did not miss my presence horribly?" He'd chirp, almost as chipper as the day they had first met. Although, he was masking the worry he held behind that energetic demeanor.

Who wouldn't be worried after such an ordeal?

::: Rest and Recovery:::

@alastors-radioshow

While Cici wreaked havoc above in the ministry, Terzo slept below in Hell.

Granted,he’d just been through quite the ordeal.

Being drugged, tortured, murdered, beheaded, and returning to life as a Demon tended to do that.

He drifted in and out of sleep and consciousness the first full day, vaguely remembering that at one point, Alastor was curled beside him, still fully clothed, monocule clasped in one hand.

Terzo hadn’t hardly registered why his beloved would be in such a state, his mind still hazy with exhaustion. He gave a raspy hum, tucked his head under the demon’s chin, and slid his arms about the stag.

Drifting right off again.

He didn’t wake again until at least a half day later, still healing, still tired, but more aware of things.

He pushed himself up slightly, body sore, arms shaking in pain as he lifted himself up, almost panicking over his new surroundings.

Not the gray fog of screaming and grabbing, clawed hands that was purgatory, but also not the purple and black of his own bedroom.

This room, was red and black.

The bed was double the size of his, a bit softer, warmer, and he was only wearing one of Alastor’s shirts.

The entire room bore the stag’s scent, making his panic subside.

This was Alastor’s room, so it meant that he was safe.

He rubbed at his eyes, and blinked, noticing the changes, one by one.

Firstly, His hands were also black, fading to grey then his own, tanned skin tone as the color moved up his arms, fingertips now a claw-tipped bright gold.

He stared at them, and the cross shaped wounds along each arm, mostly healed.

He gave a tiny, strained, choked gasp as he began to remember. But rather than reach to the scars at his throat, his hand sought out Alastor instead.

If this was Alastor’s room, surely he wouldn’t be far away from him, si?