#those evil ways | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

thinking-about-writing-mm · 2 years ago

Text

Chapter 13

Title: Those Evil Ways

Pairing: OT7 x Y/N (female reader)

Genre: supernatural au, slow-burn, medical, fluff, angst, smut, war

Word count: ~6 700

Characters: (Demons!BTS) Namjoon/Corson, Jin/Agares, Yoongi/Baal, Hoseok/Alastor, Jimin/Aamon, Jungkook/Mammon, Taehyung/Gaap, human reader (with special abilities later in the story)

Warnings: description of Y/N's phobia - some tension, Y/N transforms/ritual, a bit of planning for the upcoming battles, Y/N gets out of her "low", supportive and lovely Jungkook, kiss-kiss – if I have missed something please send a pigeon 😅❤️

Summary: Y/N is a third-year medical student going through life like others do. On one unfortunate night she gets in unexpected contact with otherworldly beings who drag her into their world of violence, war and fight for power.

Author’s notes: TAGLIST OPEN.

After the poll we have a winner! The majority decided that Y/N is turning... *drum and roll*... ah not telling you here 😅 You have to read and see. I'm so excited about the new possibilities that the shift will give me.

Please, enjoy! <3

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“I haven’t seen you in a while” Jimin smiled when Jungkook entered the meeting room. His hair was longer than the last time that they saw each other but the silver color was still there.

“Been busy” Mammon replied without trying to explain why. All of them knew.

At the other side of the room Noir, Alastor and Gaap were discussing something over an enormous map that was laid out on the table. When the General saw the other King he approached and the two shared a brotherly hug. “I hope things are going well” his tone was just as calm as always.

The tattooed man only nodded.

“A man of few words” Namjoon spoke without lifting his eyes from the map. “Just on time. We have to make a decision but it’s a tie so your input would be more than appreciated.”

“That’s why I came - to help.”

Taehyung felt how tense Mammon was and wondered if this combined with what he was about to hear next is going to be the perfect recipe for disaster. Gaap liked to be prepared for all kinds of situations so he got closer to Jungkook in order to stop him from pouncing on someone if that ever happened. Let's just include a short note here and say that King Mammon was not aggressive without a good reason but now considering what had happened with Y/N not so long ago the other four wondered if he could have become irrational.

Hoseok was fidgety by the table at this point and wasn't paying any attention to what Namjoon was so eager to explain. He had to keep his head high but explain the struggles he had to deal with the previous weeks.

"Can I talk to you before we start?" He asked, meeting Jungkook's sharp eyes. At this point there was no wrong or right way to say whatever - everything has gone to shit so the only option was to be as transparent as possible and hope for the best.

"Let's hear it" Mammon's smug and mocking expression was enough to put off anyone. His side smirk was laced with disgust and bitterness. "Please note that nothing you say now will be able to make up for what you've done."

Hoseok sighed softly, nodding once before he gathered the courage to begin. "Look I hate this. I don't like apologies and won't give you one but I know I've caused you pain. And… Y/N too." It was still hard to say her name. "There's nothing more I desire than to fix what my jealousy and pettiness managed to destroy."

Jungkook laughed and on the side it sounded like a whole-hearted genuine laugh but it wasn't. The other three demons were standing quietly on the side, pretending to mind their business. Taehyung could see King Alastor becoming anxious.

"You know this tale about the bear and the bad word? In one of the nations in the human world, old people use it a lot to teach the kids to mind their way of speech." There was a note of sadism in Jungkook's behavior, the man was enjoying this and wanted it to last for as long as possible. He wished for Hoseok to crawl and suffer in Y/N's place. "It goes like this - the boy saw a bear cub in the woods one day. It was struggling, stuck in a thorn bush so the boy decided that it was best to help. The mama bear somehow saw it and offered the guy a friendship and he accepted. They became close and talked for a while. One time as a goodbye the boy kissed the bear's snout. It smelled so bad and without even thinking he expressed the disgust he felt when the stench hit him. The mama bear didn't say much, just asked him to hit her with his ax on the head, as hard as he could. Even though he tried talking the bear out of it, in the end the animal threatened to eat him if the guy didn't comply with her wish. He did it and felt extremely guilty for it. For a few years after that they didn't see each other in the woods. At some point their paths crossed once again in a different place in the forest. Before he left the bear asked him to look for the wound but no matter how hard he tried nothing could be seen on the animal's skin - there wasn't even a scar. The boy was amazed by this but the bear said then that a bad wound can be healed and forgotten but a bad word can never be forgotten. It would stay with the bear until the day it died." Jungkook walked closer to the King and stared at him with cold eyes. "Do you get it now? It doesn't matter what you will say to me or to Y/N. She is in a bad place now but things are looking up. What you did to her mind is another topic though, the terrors you've put her through will never be forgotten even if she decides to forgive you."

Long silence followed after Jungkook stopped talking. No one dared to move and Alastor was trying to decide if there's a point to continue. Jimin was surprised, mildly said, to see this side of his friend. To be honest he didn't even remember if there was a time when Mammon was ever like that… "Jungkook, I hate this. This is my promise to you now - I may have been biased and quick to judge Y/N but this is in the past now. I will do everything in my power to support and keep this girl safe since she's so important to everyone. In reality she has never done anything bad to me or anyone else for that matter. Everything after a certain point was my wrongdoing and it will change in the future if she lets me… and you too."

"We will see about that. It's all up to her." There was nothing more to be said. King Mammon turned around and approached the table where the other three demons had gathered.

…

"Monica?" Y/N whined squeezing the pillow in her hands. She needed someone to hold her so badly and the feeling of being alone was simply unbearable. "When i-is Koo coming?"

"In a while m'lady" the maid rushed to the bed placing her hands over the girl's in an attempt to calm her down. "He promised a few hours right?"

"Mmh." Feeling completely worn out the young woman plopped down on her side facing Monica. "You 'ave pretty hair" she whispered. Y/N was becoming drowsy once more and a few minutes were keeping her away from the oncoming nap.

"Sleep m'lady. You will feel better when you wake up…"

…

“What?!” Jungkook spat out, his voice bubbling with anger. “How did you even reach this… this… I don't even know what to call it?”

“Decision?” Namjoon raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t get cheeky with me.”

“But it’s the best we can do” Jimin slammed his hand on the table, feeling like he had reached his limit. “If we leave the frontline unsupervised, who knows what might happen!”

Taehyung sighed and opened his mouth to speak but at the same time King Mammon began shouting, throwing his hands in the air. “Why the fuck did Taehyung trained all those sergeants if they're gonna stay here and scratch their balls?" The fact was that the military personnel was enough to cover the Northern and Eastern borders without any problem but Jimin and Hoseok doubted it would be enough. Taehyung of course trusted his men with his head and Namjoon had faith in the General's judgment. "Only two borders need protection at this point. The other two nations have nothing to do with this war so they won't interfere." Jungkook was fuming.

"Are you sure?" Alastor asked with a low voice. He knew from the beginning that the King of the North would be against this proposition so now he wondered why they were even trying to persuade him.

"A thousand percent sure" the tattooed demon gritted his teeth in the end.

"I know for a fact that Agares will join the troops no matter what our decision tonight is." This was a simple fact but Jimin felt the need to say it. The silver-haired man also knew that…

"I don't care about Agares or Baal or whoever else." Ah… so predictable. "My vote goes for us to stay here." At this point his signature involuntary action made an appearance again - when he was annoyed or angry Jungkook was poking the inside of his cheek with tongue.

This was turning out to be a disaster like their previous talk. A new idea struck Noir while he was folding the map. "Listen to me, I think I found middle ground just now. What if we take turns going to the borders?" The King smiled widely, extending his hands to the sides. The strong presence he had always came in handy especially if he needed to persuade someone. Now after all he had heard the demon saw it as convenient to have one of them with the low-class demons at all times.

"Take turns?" It was Taehyung who spoke up now, intrigued by the new suggestion. "You mean as in someone stays here and someone goes there?" This could be interesting. King Corson nodded, seeing his first supporter in the face of Gaap.

"Precisely." He clicked his fingers engulfed by excitement. Maybe this time the conversation wouldn't go to shit and everyone would be happy. "You see to some extent I agree with Jungkook and Taehyung that the soldiers are trained for a reason but also…" Namjoon smiled. "I prefer to take part and overlook the battle. It's our duty as Kings. The new abilities we got with the Sins we possess now…"

King Alastor's eyes began shining with excitement "It will be just epic. The victory can be ours if things play out nicely."

At this point this sounded like the best option for everyone - Agares would stay with the troops probably the whole time, Baal too, as for General Gaap it was a hundred percent sure. The other four - they could take turns because it wasn't a good decision to leave Doordale in the hands of the Ministry. Jungkook was still deep in thought. He couldn't stand the fact that he should leave Y/N alone for certain periods of time, the demon felt responsible for her and wanted to be there but at the same time he knew his duties very well. Also let's keep in mind that all of them were demons, higher ones at that and warfare and depravities were part of their nature.

As much as some of them wanted to run away from all that - it could never happen - you can never change those primal roots of origin.

"Fine. Let's split the "shifts"" Mammon looked tired and drained. He just wanted this to be over already. He checked his watch - he still had around an hour and a half. Even though he would be back on time the man was considering actually going to the goldsmith and getting a golden bouquet for Y/N.

"Me and Alastor will go first then" it was Jimin who took the initiative. The two Kings worked together like a well oiled machine and what one was lacking the other - was compensating. Such a nice duo.

"I will join you too" Taehyung stepped forward too. "My suggestion is that we switch every five days. No need to travel by horse - it will be most convenient to use the Wishing Well."

Jungkook frowned upon hearing those words. "That's not enough."

"In a normal battle - maybe - but now imagine that: they will start to think at some point that we've shown all there is." The General began gesturing with his beautifully sculpted hands. "At some point when the new party arrives - boom! New tactics, new leaders, new formations."

"Does this mean that whenever we switch places new soldiers will be joining us?" It hasn't occurred to Namjoon and it definitely didn't sound very practical, hearing it now.

Taehyung waved his hands in frustration. "No, no. This is very impractical. How are they gonna travel?" The demon clicked his tongue, to him all of this sounded so simple and easy to think of but apparently to the rest - not so much. The main reason Gaap had this position was because it all came naturally to him - the demon wasn't stressing out or struggling to come up with different plans and no efforts were required. "Listen now - a lot of transparent potions will be prepared. The troops responsible for carrying weapons and food will be also transporting the vials. When they reach this place" the General placed his gloved finger over the map "there's literally nothing here. Only greenery and many animal holes. The vegetation is so abundant here that it will be perfectly fine for the soldiers to hide the stash." His eyes were burning while explaining every little detail. The other four were listening patiently, memorizing each word. "Some of the troops will stay behind and begin drinking the potions. You know the effects - they will lose shape and color for five hours. The groups will be scattered around a three kilometer perimeter so if something happens they would be close enough." Jungkook was impressed - if he didn't know the General he would definitely think that the plan took weeks to be developed. "Everything clear?"

"Certainly" it was a question for all but Namjoon answered instead, as he was the core of their bond.

"Very well. We depart in three days."

…

When Jungkook entered the palace everything was just the same as when he had left earlier today. No commotion, nothing out of the ordinary, only the guards and the staff at their respective places.

"Good evening, Your Majesty" the butler bowed and reached out to get the cloak off the King's bread shoulders.

"Is everything okay with Y/N?" He asked flatly.

"Of course Sir. The maid stayed by m'lady's side the whole time, now she's asleep." The butler followed Mammon through the corridor informing him of the events that took place around the residence while he was gone. "Is there anything you would like Sir?" It was a simple question asked as per usual with a tone devoid of any emotion, just part of the protocol.

Usually Jungkook either waved a dismissive hand or immediately said what he wanted to be done but this time the demon stopped in his tracks and turned to the man. The King looked at the butler - his face was still blank, there was a scar that began from his left ear and ended in the middle of the chin. Long time ago this demon was part of Leviathan's army but after the coup he joined Mammon's household. Siwan was his name and he was the one to join the palace's staff first becoming the head of it, recruiting and taking care of the other members. "You see I need you to do something for me, it's important to be done as fast as possible because Y/N's wellbeing could depend on it."

"Certainly My Lord. Just say the word."

"Listen…"

When the King entered the bedroom Monica was sitting on the chair next to the window, reading a book. The second he opened the door she jumped to her feet and bowed to him.

"I believe things were fine?" he asked, whispering.

"Of course! Lady Y/N was anxious in the beginning but after a while she fell asleep." The maid seemed happy that the girl was recovering, even though it was a slow process.

Jungkook turned to look at the young woman - she was resting and no sign of distress could be seen on her face. Not like last time… the demon winced, feeling physically sick while thinking about the agonizing terrors Y/N had to deal with. "You're free to go now, Monica."

He removed the leather vest and his shoes, then got closer to the bed. On the nightstand there was a glass of water and another one filled with milk. Mammon left the golden bouquet there too for later when Y/N woke up. Climbing in the bed he carefully wrapped his arms around her figure, taking a deep breath - she felt so fragile and small. How could this body hold such great powers he wondered. Y/N's hair smelled like almonds probably because of the hair soap. The warmth emitting from her was enough to calm the demon down and put him to sleep. He felt dizzy and lightheaded so Jungkook closed his eyes, drifting in and out of consciousness.

…

"You got the letter right?!" Jin almost busted down the door to Yoongi's office because of the excitement. Another day gone and he was still the same old exhilarated self.

Baal turned around in his chair, swirling the liquor in his glass. He nodded with a smirk. "Sure did."

"We're leaving in three days! It's been so long!" The Master was ecstatic which was something that hasn't happened in so long, ever since the problems with Y/N started. Now he was in his element.

"Just don't break anything," his advisor laughed lightly. Both of them were dressed casually with silk shirts and black pants but Jin wanted to have a celebratory dinner and dress up for the occasion.

"Let's spoil ourselves tonight Yoongi! Let's have a drink and… no more like lots of drinks and party!" He spread his jewelry-cladded arms and the metals produced a nice jingling sound.

The other demon just continued smiling then nodded once, feeling the excitement too. But then his joy faded away just as fast as it came. "Hey, Yoongi, what's wrong? I thought you wanted this to happen?" worry surfaced on the Master's face.

"I just wish Y/N was here so we can share it with her too, you know?"

It felt like daggers were stabbing Baal's heart after saying each word. "I know…" Jin sighed and his glee also died down a bit. "But you know she will be here for the next one - we will have many other occasions to celebrate with her. Even the victory-"

"We don't know if it will be a victory" the mint-haired demon cut him off mid sentence. "Don't jinx it."

"Okay, whatever. Let's just go change and do our thing. You will feel better."

"Fine…" now what Yoongi needed was a way to pass the time until Y/N had recovered and the oncoming battles were just the right thing. Then and there the advisor made up his mind to give it his all and win.

Baal got distracted with imaginary situations - in his mind a picture appeared of how the seven of them are returning from the war victorious. Yoongi's armor - covered in blood, as well as his face and hands but when Y/N sees the demon she runs up to him and they kiss like there's no tomorrow. It was nice to dream…

"Hey Earth to Yoongi!" Jin was snapping his fingers in the other man's face. "Get it together! We have three days ahead of us to down each bottle in the residence!" The laughter that followed almost made the windows shake.

…

At one point Jungkook felt hot breath on the curve of his neck and his eyes flew open and the pupils shrunk to small dots. Without moving an inch the demon began "mapping" the parts of his body and Y/N's. He was flat on his back with one arm still wrapped around her waist and the other - supporting the demon's head. The girl was sleeping peacefully partially draped over Jungkook's body - head slightly tilted upwards and back on his shoulder while hugging the King with a knee between the man's legs.

Oh, the desire to turn around and kiss her was real. So real.

"Y/N…" Mammon gritted his teeth and closed his eyes in an attempt to center himself.

"Hnhg…" she began stirring. The demon froze immediately. What would he do when she wakes up? How to behave? "Kookie?" Y/N rasped, taking a deep breath. To her he smelled clean, like freshly cut wood and grass.

"Hey princess. I'm here" the first thing he wanted to do was give the girl her present. Carefully Jungkook tried getting up but she squeezed him and produced a whiny sound of protest. "Shh. I just want to give you something pretty" reaching out he felt for the metal and then presented the bouquet to Y/N. "I kept my promise to be back in time but still decided to give you this because you're my special one."

When the young woman saw the shiny object her eyes widened and turned glossy. She felt confusion setting in and then realization hit her - he promised to be back and did it but still wanted to surprise her. That's what responsible grown up people do. And also they thank each other - Y/N’s mind was slowly guiding her back to normality, trying to reassure and lead in the right direction. “Thank… you” she whispered, taking the gift with trembling hands. “It’s beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you” Jungkook smiled, the lip rings hitting his teeth.

The compliment made Y/N’s face turn hot and red. It was so adorable in Jungkook’s eyes but she felt embarrassed and annoyed. “D-don’t say such things if you’re going to leave me alone again” the woman huffed and squeezed the metallic flowers to her chest.

“I will not.” Lie. Of course it was a lie but Mammon had six more days to help his precious girl recover and by then maybe it wouldn’t be necessary to leave her at all…

The next day preparations for the upcoming battle began in the capital. The armory was turned upside down, each item carefully counted and written down in the book, the swords were polished and sharpened, some of the shields - sent to the blacksmiths in order to get reinforced and so on…

Warlocks gathered in the Academy around noon so they could begin working on the potion stash. Taehyung was leading the operations, shouting orders here and there if it was needed, also giving final instructions to the soldiers and revising their strategy. Jimin and Hoseok were back to the West and South so they could take care of the local affairs before departing, while Noir stayed in the capital, having coutnless meetings with the people from the Ministry.

What everyone hoped for was for a possible comeback from Y/N so she could lend a hand if needed. Of course they all knew it was a last resort considering what she'd been through and that was the reason why they didn't even try asking Jungkook about it.

The King of the North was giving his best to reassure and help Y/N on her journey to recovery. The progress was slow but the conversations were getting better, she was becoming more confident in expressing herself and getting bolder. The key was to not pressure the girl in any way so she doesn't revert and have another breakdown. The same day while the two of them were dining a male servant knocked over a silver jug full of water. The loud sound terrified Y/N and she screamed in horror, then knocked back her chair and ran to Jungkook who hugged her and began whispering soothing words in the girl's ear. In the process the demon had thrown a cold hateful stare at the man, then tilted his head to the door signaling for him to leave the dining hall.

It was a rough period but with patience and diligence Mammon believed that everything was fixable.

On the second day Y/N woke up earlier than usual and got out of bed to look at herself in the big mirror hanging on the wall.

“My hair…” she whispered. It was a total mess, tangled and fuzzy. On a regular day the young woman would never let this pass but now was an unusual occasion. Memories of the past flooded her mind, making Y/N wince and scrunch her nose in disgust. She took a few strands between two fingers and lifted them up looking at the state of the hair. Long ago, when those episodes were happening regularly the regression period was ending usually in a few hours to a day. She was giving it to the fact that Mrs. Y/L/N was helping her, the sessions at the psychiatrist and also - the poor thing’s brain hadn’t had taken such a massive hit.

Going to the door she took a few deep breaths and pressed the handle. Going out in the hallway barefoot didn’t bother Y/N much at the moment. You know how kids walk around in the morning when they wake up - in their pajamas and no socks or slippers to speak of, then their parents would scold them that they would eventually get sick. Y/N was the same now. “Monica?” she said quietly but no one answered. Two guards stood at the end of the corridor, facing each other and heard the girl. One of them immediately vanished, heading somewhere. “Monica I need a comb…” she went on while walking on the cold marble.

“Can I help you m’lady?” It was the demon who was left standing in his place who asked.

“Where’s Monica?” the curious tilt of her head made Y/N seem like a little girl.

“In the kitchen. Should I call-“

“Y/N!” Jungkook’s voice came from the further side of the hallway. Immediately recognising the sweet comforting voice of the King she spun around on her heels and ran towards him.

“Kookie!” The girl jumped in the demon’s open arms and he lifted her up. “Let’s do something today,” the tone was joyful and his muscles relaxed. Nothing bad had happened.

“Why are you out of bed barefoot?” Looking down the King asked calmly.

“I wanted to find a comb.” Y/N explained with a pout. “My hair is terrible.”

“Your hair is fine,” he replied with a smile. “Just… oh look!” With a shocked expression Mammon pointed a finger at her. “There’s a nest with small birds inside! That’s amazing!” He ruffled the girl's hair and she began laughing.

“I don’t!”

The guards and the servants passing around heard the two of them laughing and were shocked and surprised to see and hear all of this. No one in the whole Kingdom would believe that the King of the North who was usually so cold and quiet could behave in such a way. He was notorious for acting haughty and harshly but now… there wasn’t anyone who would believe the stories of the servants telling how their King was playing and laughing with a woman.

Jungkook lifted Y/N up in the air and began walking back to her room. “Come I will brush your hair.”

“Put me down! Don’t carry me around like that! I’m not some fragile princess!” The protests fell on deaf ears.

“Oh but you are!” He closed the door behind them and the guards were left speechless in the corridor, looking at each other with wide eyes.

On the third day everything began looking almost as it was before. Y/N was serious most of the time, quieter. There were only two outbursts of laughter during the day - once when Jungkook made a disgusted face while looking at an ugly handwriting of one of the officials in a document and the second time - during lunch when he choked while swallowing a vegetable.

"It just sounded funny," Y/N said with a wide grin. The King didn't mind one bit.

Later the two were taking a stroll in the back garden and she paused in front of one big crooked tree. The girl appeared deep in thought so he didn't bother her by asking why she had decided to stop exactly at that spot.

It was a difficult time for her - she understood perfectly well this state of mind was not normal for Y/N and yet it was comfortable. Her brain was not straining or running laps like a while ago but now it was all coming together. The young woman felt ready to talk to Jungkook. "I need to tell you something."

"Sure. Tell me Y/N" he put a hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

"First of all I want to thank you for the efforts and enormous patience you've had with me."

"But that's not needed, I did it because I care about you." Those words made Y/N blush and turn shy but she tried pushing forward despite the need to regress once more.

"Uhm… sorry, it's… you almost made me revert back." With an awkward smile she turned to look at him. From what the psychiatrist had said certain words and behavior could trigger shifts in her state of mind and it was best if the girl warned those around her about those. "I feel so much better now, almost as before. Just…" she took a deep breath trying to sound confident. "What I think is that from this certain point on you can behave like you did in the past. Of course keep in mind you have to be careful not to trigger me for a while, but I think I'm in the safe now."

Jungkook's chest began rising up rapidly, oh this thrill, the buzz of hearing this was making him want to fly. "Whatever you want Y/N" his voice rose a few octaves and with trembling hands Mammon cupped Y/N's face. The urge to envelope the young woman in a tight hug was almost unbearable and also…

"You can kiss me," she smiled kindly. "I see you want to."

Without waiting to be told twice he dived in. It was so long since the demon had felt this whole. Jungkook moved one hand to her waist and the other places behind Y/N's neck, pulling her closer. The feelings this action stirred were mutual - she was content and thankful for all the demon had done and proud because the struggles to overcome that low-point led to a happy ending in this "chapter" of her book. After a few seconds they separated and Y/N rested her forehead on the King's collarbone. "You think we can call Trophonius here so he can help me fully recover and guide me further into choosing a side?"

"We can do it now" Jungkook grabbed the girl's hand and the two ran back to the palace.

A few hours later the Oracle was there and they were escorted to one of the training rooms. Jungkook promised not to bother the two so he returned to his office to look at some war diagrams.

The sun was setting already but the white-haired man and Y/N were still talking, sitting cross-legged facing each other.

“Are you sure you want to choose the darker side? Your parents wouldn’t want you to, they were striving for the Light their whole lives.” It was irritating to listen to this but Y/N was giving her best to be rational and reasonable and listen to all the Oracle had to say.

“It’s so tiring to think of what someone would want from me or for me. It’s my choice in the end, isn’t it?” So much for the attempts not to sound like a brat… Trophonius’ lips widened ever so slightly in a small smile. This was a sign that Y/N has not given up on her free will and wanted to be in control of what was coming her way. Satisfactory enough.

“Very well child” Trophonius praised and put his hands together. The girl appeared confused for a few seconds but quickly understood that his words were just a test so she nodded with a straight face. “So how you want to go about it? There’s a way to get those abilities faster or you want to wait and help me guide you naturally to them?”

A question for a million dollars. How to do it…? She remembered that time when Mammon had explained how the demons were getting their powers and the process usually was taking decades.Y/N couldn’t wait that long. “I want the shorter way” was what she told the Oracle.

“As exprected.”

“General!” one of the soldiers saluted when he entered the meeting hall. “I have terrible news.”

“What?” Taehyung placed the pen calmly in the holder and casted his eyes up at the lower demon. “Pilwon came forty minutes ago to tell me that the check was going well.”

“We have seventeen long swords missing.”

Gaap’s ears began ringing. “How is that possible?”

“I decided to do a double check before sealing the armory and this is what I came up with” he presented a sheet of paper with the newly counted weapons. The swords that were gone were made of draconic steel and were causing severe burns if someone was cut with it.

“This is bad. Very bad… there’s still a spy among us. Fuck!” The General shouted and kicked and desk, it toppled over and sheets of paper and ink began flying everywhere. “Impossible! That’s just impossible! We checked every unit in the legions!”

The other demon stood quietly on the side, looking at the raging man. “What should we do?” He asked quietly.

“We can’t do shit now! We’re leaving in a few hours…”

Later Trophonius was ready to do his thing. He was standing straight, facing Y/N and holding hands with her. Their energies were intertwining and doing an invisible dance. “Now be ready to let go of all barriers in your head. We’re going back to the time when you first saw the markings on your face. Don’t be scared. You must let them spread all over your body and soul.”

“Is it going to hurt?” she asked the white-haired man sheepishly. The small child in her was still surfacing from time to time.

“Don’t worry to much, I will be as gentle as possible. Of course those things are not pleasant but the key is to not give up. Can you do that for me?”

Taking a deep breath there was one final request from Y/N before starting the ritual. “Can we call Jungkook too? I need him to be here…” there was shyness in her voice but Trophonius seemed unbothered. Letting go of the the young woman’s hands he nodded.

“Let’s call the King.”

Minutes later the demon appeared at the doorway, his gaze falling immediately on Y/N. “You sent for me? Is there something wrong?”

“No. Y/N wanted you to be here for the initiation.”

“Oh” King Mammon looked surprised. Closing the door he stepped closer to the two. “You’ve chosen a side then, princess?” Wide smile softened his sharp features and the man’s nose scrunched at the base. His happiness was not fake, not anymore. The demon was ready to accept whatever Y/N had chosen.

Y/N answered him with a confident smile.

“Then you should take a seat somewhere and wait patiently. Don’t interfere because our bond might be severed and I don’t know what might happen.” Jungkook turned around and slowly approached one of the chairs that were further from them.

“Now then. Take my hands” Trophonius instructed the girl. “I will tap in your memories once again and find the one we need. It will play just the way it had happened in the beginning but you need to find the precise trigger moment and change it yourself. I told you” the Oracle’s long slim fingers were wrapped around Y/N’s tightly and she could feel the soft electric surges going through her. He was already doing it. “Let it play, don’t fight it, don’t be scared. You must let the change wash over you.”

“Okay…”

And it began…

Y/N was back in the bathroom of the room she was using then. She was lazily washing her face and teeth, not paying any attention to anything. Then the girl bent over to rinse her mouth of the toothpaste and when she got up there were the markings. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of the reflection. Scream was ready to escape Y/N’s lips but she took a deep breath in an attempt to ground herself, then her facial features haredened and the eyes got colder.

Raising her voice she called for King Mammon specifically this time. “Jungkook! I need you now!” The sound echoed loudly in the bathroom and seconds later the demon was standing at the door.

“What…” when he saw the scene his eyes widened. “What is going on?”

“I need your help with this.” Y/N informed him flatly and turned to the pierced demon. She placed her hands on his muscular chest and stared straight into Mammon’s eyes. “Do you know what are those weird stains?” He couldn’t take his eyes off the inky black substance sliding down the girl’s chin and neck.

“You’re a demon Y/N” the King gritted his teeth still in shock. “Those are the markings of the transformation.”

“What is their purpose?”

“To show what kind of power you will possess once you’re fully turned.”

She closed her eyes and leaned forward a bit, still touching the demon. He didn’t move one bit and even placed his hands over hers. The young woman’s throat was burning and it felt like her whole chest was on fire. Mammon looked down and saw how the black substance was spreading in thin lines through the girl’s veins. “Let it pass through you, don’t fight it love” he encouraged her and turned Y/N towards the mirror. She slowly opened her eyes and they looked muddy and unfocused.

The King lifted his hand and as if he was in trance with a single motion he smudged the mark on Y/N’s lips even more, pressing himself harder to her back. The vision was so captivating that the demon couldn’t stop.

Tears were glistening in the corners of the girl’s eyes, threatening to spill out any moment. “I feel like…” she chocked on air. “Like I’m dying. What is going on? How much longer is it going to take?”

Back in the real world Trophonius was kneeling in front of Y/N who was breathing heavily, sweat was covering every inch of skin and the hair was sticking to her face. King Mammon was on the verge of losing his mind yet again but then the marking began appearing and he realized - she’s turning into one of them.

Oh the joy…

With trembling hands Y/N leaned on the counter. The black liquid was reaching the tip of her fingers now, it was scary to look at it. On top of that shiny transparent scales began appearing on her cheeks and coming down her neck. The girl’s eyes turned transparent too, the blood vessels were visible under her new “skin”. This was the form she was going to take when shifting. The King found the new Y/N extremely beautiful and unique - he has never seen a demon with a transparent alternative form. The raw excitement triggered his change too…

After one whole agonizing hour the whole ordeal was over and the young woman collapsed on the ground completely drained and breathless.

“Congratulations Y/N” the Oracle spoke quietly “Weclome to your new life.”

Mammon was hovering over her, holding a glass of water in hand. “Hey princess, you did well” the velvet-like voice caressed the girl’s ears and she lowered her eyelids, basking in the pleasant sound. The blurry vision and vertigo were messing with her head but the demon was her anchor and Y/N was thankful for that. “Let’s take you to lie down comfortably. You should rest.”

Once in the bedroom, Jungkook continued talking to the young woman who was already drifting in and out of consciousness. “This was the most beautiful transformation I have ever seen. You will be great.” She only smiled weakly. “Now I can make you my queen for real…”

Chapter 12 / Chapter 14

Masterlist

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@princess-sunshyn @thedarkwinterrose

#those evil ways #chapter 13 #bts fanfiction #bts fluff #min yoongi #kim seokjin #taehyung #jimin #jungkook #j hope #namjoon #bts angst #bts x reader #bts demon au #taglist open

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caligvlasaqvarivm · 4 days ago

Text

Actual Ultimate Classpecting Guide

For real this time.

Buckle up, this is a really long one. For everything that's posited, I can provide textual evidence; that being said, I'm not going to be including the textual evidence within the essay itself, because it's already long enough as-is. As such, please feel free to ask for clarification or sources on any assertion, and I'll do my best to provide.

Before we begin, there's some things to discuss about how we're going to be approaching classpect in the following essay. In numbered list form for our short attention spans:

1. There is a concept Hussie talks about multiple times in his book commentary, "personality alchemy" - the idea that there are these "platonic ideals" of certain characters, which can be mixed and matched with others, in order to create new characters. The examples he gives are of how Eridan was a proto-Caliborn, how Kanaya has shades of Jade, how Nepeta was a proto-Calliope, and how Sollux and Eridan have shades of Dave in them. Classpecting is fundamentally a form of this personality alchemy:

2. Class describes the character's arc and emotional hurdles, while Aspect describes the character's base personality traits by which this arc is experienced.

3. For example, all three Seers struggle with hubris: Rose's need to be the smartest person in the room led to her being manipulated by Doc Scratch, Terezi's obsession with meting justice led to her engineering a situation where the only option was to kill Vriska, and Kankri's desire to be seen as a spiritual leader amongst his friends led to him furthering their divisions and harming them.

Then, when their pride is shattered, they cope by inflicting willful self-blindness: Rose turns to drinking herself stupid (the opposite of Light's sway over knowledge), Terezi gets down with the clown (the opposite of meting out Mind's justice, as it's a Gamzee W), Kankri goes celibate (Blood L) despite his clear romantic feelings for certain teammates.

4. As for Aspect: note how all three Life players share the personality traits of optimism, stubbornness, and obstinacy. All three Breath players share an immaturity and naïvety, and are quite frankly irresistible to people for some reason. All three Light players share a need for the spotlight and a tendency toward long-windedness and persnicketiness. So on and so forth.

What's interesting is, if you start analyzing characters that share Classes and Aspects, these specific types of similarity crop up over and over - all our Knights struggle with insecurities and facades, both our Bards have a crisis of faith. All three Breath players have an aspect of immaturity and childishness to their characters, and all three Light players are deeply concerned with appearing intelligent and feeling important.

5. As a result, this guide is NOT intended for classpecting real life people, because we are complicated, we contain multitudes, and we don't have arcs. This is primarily an analysis of what Class and Aspect mean in Homestuck based on textual evidence, because I genuinely believe that you can basically figure it out if you read carefully.

6. Duality, and the idea of "equal and opposite," are major themes within Homestuck - Prospit and Derse, Skaia (described as a crucible of birth and creativity) and the Furthest Ring (the literal afterlife). Which classes are involved in an Active/Passive split, and opposing Aspects, are the same way. This is the primary method I used to determine the Active/Passive pairings and opposing Aspects. After all, as Callie describes, both Thieves and Rogues are classes "who steal" - so, too, do I try to unify Classes by a common theme, even if they diverge wildly in how that theme is expressed (as Thieves and Rogues do). In the same way as the opposite of "up" is not "apple," but "down", because "up" and "down" are both fundamentally concerned with relative vertical position, so too can be defined concepts like Breath and Blood, Hope and Rage, Light and Void - as well as the reasoning behind Class pairings like Heir and Page, Maid and Knight, and Seer and Mage.

7. Descriptions for both Class and Aspect are left deliberately vague and up to interpretation within the comic itself, and this is by design: the actual manifestations of an Aspect can vary wildly given the Class, and even individual person, that it's tied to. Calliope even makes note of the fact that, under the right circumstances, someone can manifest effects that appear to be the opposite of their aspect. She's also careful to couch her language in "may" and "can" - because these concepts are intentionally somewhat nebulous and malleable. As such, while this guide certainly lays down what can be gleaned and inferred from the text, do note that Homestuck runs on a soft magic system, and as such, nothing stated is firm, 100%, must-always-be-this-way - just an overview of what we've seen.

8. There is often great overlap between Aspects, Classes, and Classpects - which Calliope herself notes. Heart and Blood are one of the most salient, as they both have a fixation on relationships, and Calliope mentions that under the right circumstances, a Classpect may even be able to manifest what appears to be the opposite of their Aspect. Again, Homestuck operates on a soft magic system, so this is a feature, not a bug.

ASPECT

There's a little less to say about Aspect, not because it's less complicated, but because "base personality traits" are much more nebulous compared to Class's sway over character arc. Still, Aspect represents the fundamental way a character is, and thus, color every interaction that character has. There's a reason Ultimate Selfhood is sought through Aspect, not Class - Aspect is the core of the character's being, what makes that person that person.

That all being said, Class has major sway over how an Aspect manifests, and certain classes can even invert the Aspect and even the character's role in the party. As such, these descriptions must be parsed carefully in relation to Class. Moreover, due to the soft magic system, there is at times overlap between unrelated Aspects, which can also be exacerbated by Class - Heart and Blood being the most obvious in this regard. Still, overall, you'll find the Aspects to be fairly distinct from one another.

Please also note that every Aspect can deal with its literal counterpart by default - Light players can wield lasers, Breath players can wield the breeze, et cetera. Because this kind of goes without saying, and because the non-literal stuff is more interesting to discuss, I'm not really going to go into too much detail about the literal qualities.

SPACE / TIME

Space and Time are both concerned with physical reality, goals, and the way one approaches them.

Space is associated with "the big picture" - with recycling, reproduction, and the interconnectivity of all things. The aspect also presides over the enjoyment of the journey over the destination - Space players serve as reminders that the present moment is as important as the end goal. Space is often a more passive Aspect, being the stage upon which the story is set. They're the hosts of the party, and the one who marks the ending.

Its players reflect these tendencies, often being feminine, with penchants for life-giving acts such as gardening. Their personalities tend towards frivolity and silliness, finding it difficult to stay on-topic or bring full gravitas to serious situations. Perhaps a better word would be "distractable;" when the aspect is so concerned with all things in connection with each other, it's easy to lose track of details, and it's easy to enjoy things simply as they come. Space players tend to be kind, patient, and forgiving, which is a strength as much as it is a flaw; it's easy for malicious actors to take advantage of this compassion, or for the Space player to find themselves in a poor situation by being overly permissive. They can easily be painted over by stronger personalities, and tend to struggle with romantic relationships, as they attract many with their kind and giving natures, and few are naturally so considerate of the Space player in turn.

A Space player's struggle lies in finding the strength to assert themselves, picking out the good from the bad, weeding the garden so it can flourish and thrive.

Time, in contrast, is associated with "the little things" - with details, minutiae, and processes. Time presides over the struggle toward something greater, the endurance of hardship with an eye on the prize - the destination over the journey. Time players are the ones keeping track of the tasklist, marking off each item as it reaches completion; they are the tireless workers keeping the whole engine running.

Time players, thus, are ones whose lives are marked by struggle. They are highly goal-oriented; in contrast to how Space players can easily move from goal to goal, task to task, Time players feel bound to see things through to the end, finding satisfaction only when they've achieved their desired result - and only until they come across the next goal in their journey. A Time player isn't happy without a goal to work towards, a craft to polish, a prize to win - but this driven nature can easily be its own downfall, as it leaves little room for the player to admit to their own shortcomings, or ask for help from others. Moreover, their focus on minutiae can leave them blinded to the bigger picture, and it's easy for a time player to fall to despair, able to do nothing more but spin their wheels. They're prone to directionless anguish, frustration, and resentment towards the seeming futility of their actions, becoming destructive and defiant even when it doesn't serve them to do so. In the worst case scenario, detach entirely, coming to a standstill.

A Time player's struggle lies in finding peace with themselves, such that they can enjoy the fruits of their own labor - labor whose rewards only multiply when the cause and methodology become clear.

BREATH / BLOOD

Breath and Blood are both concerned with directionality, interpersonal relationships, and autonomy.

Breath is the Aspect governing freedom, liberty, and independence; it is a force that breaks shackles, clears out social norms, and refutes "the rules," whatever those rules may be. Breath players can't be tied down, whether by physical bonds, societal rules, or even the ineffable forces of the narrative itself. They are leaders of example, pioneers, and trailblazers, opening new paths for their teammates to follow.

Breath players are goofy and gullible, often with hearts full of childlike whimsy, naivety, and even immaturity. They are friendly and well-meaning, fond of simpler things, and easily swayed by others. They approach the world with a sincere earnestness, which is not always well-received. Something about this sincerity seems to make Breath players irresistible to others, and they often find themselves the subject of romantic attraction. However, in this childishness is also the great pitfall of many Breath players - their natures are naturally conflict-averse, and egotistical the way a child can be, failing to see beyond themselves. They can be incredibly callous when not considering the consequences of their actions, or the viewpoints of others. Their easy-come, easy-go natures make it difficult to focus them towards a goal, and it's easy for them to simply allow themselves to be tossed around by circumstance and the whims of others, or to simply run away from their problems entirely - never confronting their own responsibility or fault for a situation, passing along the blame.

A Breath player's struggle is letting themselves mature - letting themselves take responsibility, and understand that their actions have consequences for others. Only then can their breeze blow in the party's sails, aiming towards victory, breaking through all obstacles to reach it.

Blood, in sharp contrast, is the aspect that governs bondage, contracts, and interdependence. It is a force that binds. Under Blood's sway are not only romantic entanglements, but familial, friendly, and societal ones as well. This aspect sees overlap with Heart, but the division is this: Heart concerns itself with feelings, and Blood concerns itself with compatibility. Blood players are diplomats, forces that remind us all that we are more similar than we are different, and that that similarity should bring us together when we are on the verge of pulling apart.

Blood players, reflective of their Aspect's association with bonds, tend to be neurotic and obsessive. They have a tendency to over-examine and overthink, constantly fretting over the infinite and infinitesimal variables that influence the shape of society and interpersonal relationships. However, this judgmental nature stems from a deep well of idealism and empathy; Blood players can't help but care about others and wish for the best for them. In a way, this makes them one of the most mature members of the team, capable of cutting through to the core of other peoples' interpersonal issues. Unfortunately, their prowess does not extend inwards, and their assessment of themselves is usually direly incorrect - all the worse because Blood players always feel responsible for those around them. Blood, being the Aspect concerned with interdependence, is the weakest one when all alone. Thus, it's easy for the Blood player to wind up a nag - desperate to make sure everyone is moving according to their vision, they'll fuss and bother and interfere and boss people around until everyone else gets sick of them. It's easy for them to wind up pariahs of their own making, severing their own ties with others by their efforts to establish them.

A Blood player's challenge is of learning how to turn that empathy and honesty inwards, to calm down and let themselves enjoy the presence of others; only then can they come to know how to build something stronger and better.

LIGHT / VOID

Light and Void are both concerned with knowledge, ontology, and "narrative relevance".

Light (as well as its counterpart) are perhaps best understood through the lens of "narrative" - this idea that, of all things that do and don't exist, and all events that do and don't happen, only the ones put to page are "relevant". Thus, Light is associated with knowledge and luck - that is to say, it's associated with the knowable, the objective, and the concrete, and the ability to determine "important" events. Light players have read the book they're participating in, and able to serve as luminary guides from one plot point to another, lighting the lampposts for others to follow.

Light players, naturally, are erudite and educated, possessing keen intellects and cunning minds. They are fond of knowledge itself, of markers of status and prestige - whether that's wealth, the adulation of the masses, or a massive library. They harbor a desire to be important, to be seen, to be acknowledged, and are happiest when they are looked up to. Conversely, they deal poorly with being looked down upon. Their confidence transmutes easily into hubris, and they struggle with having that pride challenged. As such, they tend to be volatile and unpredictable, quick to retaliate against those who threaten their egos, or obsequious to those whose acknowledgement they desire. Their desire for the limelight can quickly spell disaster for those around them, who are reduced to supporting characters in their minds. Craving so much external validation, they're often blind to what would actually make them internally happy.

A Light player's challenge is of coming to terms with their own limited reach, and allowing themselves to shine not for their own desire for importance, but for the betterment of the world in which they live.

Void, in contrast, is the blank spaces between the words. That which is secret, subjective, unknowable - these are Void's domain. It's associated with taboos and hidden things, sexuality and pleasure. It's also associated with the empty canvas - the blank space before creation, and the oblivion to which creation is eventually destined for. Thus, it stands for infinite possibility, though the collapse of those possibilities into a reality removes that reality from Void's domain.

Thus are Void players ever cosigned to the background, though this generally suits them fine. Void players are very self-possessed. Where Light players tend to exaggerate and complicate, Void players are honest and simple, preferring straightforward solutions. They don't tend to think very hard, instead letting intuition and emotion guide them to where they want to be - which makes them one of the more stable and reliable personalities on a team. However, this simplistic, feelings-driven approach often leads to complications and unforeseen consequences, and very easily to irrelevance, with which Void is so closely interlinked. A Void player's reliance on emotion and intuition can result in overindulgence of pleasure, to the active detriment of the party's goals or the Void player's self-improvement, leaving them lost and irrelevant, unable to act.

A Void player's challenge is in resisting the call of the Void's temptations, instead dragging the Void behind them, kicking and screaming, to where it can be of use.

MIND / HEART

Mind and Heart are concerned with what it means to be a sentient being, with identity, and with why we do what we do.

Mind is the Aspect associated with logic, rationality, karma, ethics, and justice. To a Mind player, they "are" because they "think". They are keenly aware of the consequences of every action, and well-versed in cognition and behavior, such to the point of manipulating others with ease. Deeply concerned with the "effect" of cause-and-effect, Mind players are always cognizant of debts and credits, where justice is owed and where it has been over-meted, and their subtle machinations culminate, like well-placed dominoes, in grand finales.

Mind players are schemers - it's in their nature. They have a tendency to view the world as a puzzle or game, with themselves and the people around them as pieces on a board, and set as their standard rules the laws of ethics and karma - owed debts and overhanging credit - guilty and innocent. Mind players are wickedly cunning, and have an high success rate with every scheme they commit themselves to, but the grand downfall of all these tendencies is that they tend to lack in a sense of identity, and have a poor grasp on their own emotions or desires. While they may know how to provoke a desired reaction, they don't know how to change someone's mind. They often find themselves grappling very painfully with their own selfhood, with feelings of emptiness, inadequacy, or uncertainty; this often leads them to seek codependent relationships, hoping somehow that they can find the validation they need externally, not realizing that they're deepening their own fragile self-images.

A Mind player's challenge lies in tempering their natural understanding of karma and justice with kindness and empathy - not just to others, but to themselves, and using that enlightened understanding to lead others forth.

Heart, then, is associated with feelings, motivations, intuition, the soul, and the self. To a Heart player, they "are" because they "feel" like they are - and they're keenly aware of the multitudes that are contained within themselves. Deeply concerned with the "cause" of cause-and-effect, they're drawn to desires, those of themselves and of others, especially where strong feelings are concerned. Heart players are gifted with an intuitive understanding of those around them, both their good and bad qualities, and are tasked with the grand task of bringing out the best.

It stands to reason, then, that Heart players have a firm grasp on who they are and what they want. For the same reasons, it's difficult for a Heart player to truly hate or condemn another person, because they are so adept at understanding them. However, this understanding comes with a price - because the Heart player is so aware of themselves, they can't escape their own worst traits - nobody self-loathes as accurately as a Heart player can. Nor can they ever truly be untruthful with another, making them poor manipulators. Capable of presenting a different facet of themselves as the situation calls for it, certainly, but just as it's impossible to lie to a Heart player, who always knows how someone really feels, it's impossible for a Heart player to lie to themselves. With this sincerity comes vulnerability, and vulnerability often brings with it pain; Heart players have a tendency to withdraw from others after being hurt too often, finding it easier to be alone and silent about their feelings than to deal with the pain of rejection.

A Heart player's challenge is in gaining the confidence to be open with others, to weather the pain of rejection, and let themselves share their gifts, that others may learn to share theirs.

LIFE / DOOM

Life and Doom are concerned with outlook, with journeys, and with trials and tribulations.

Life is an aspect concerned with healing, growing, and improving. It is associated with beginnings, optimism, and positive emotions. The very essence of Life lies in its healing abilities, in this idea of overcoming the odds and triumphing over hardship and difficulty. Life is action, movement, and motion, and its players can scarcely hold still. Life will find a way - and Life players harbor the same immutable belief; they are the most stubborn weeds in the garden, the cockroach that survives the apocalypse, and the beating heart that refuses to stop.

Life players tend to be optimistic and confident. They are self-assured individuals, with a stubborn belief that good things are on their way, and any hardship they face is not only temporary, but something that can be overcome. They can find the silver lining in any cloud, and enjoy themselves under any circumstance. They love to nurture, to care for others, though this love has a tendency to be one-sided. Indeed, Life's stubborn nature is its players' greatest pitfall; their persistence easily becomes obstinacy, and their confidence can become condescension. Their self-assured nature easily becomes egotism, and they can have great difficulty grappling with those who don't share their views - even coming to oppose those who bring emotional pain and suffering that can't be easily fixed. It's very easy for a Life player to decide another person isn't worth their attention, and opt to leave them behind - after all, Life has to move forward, no matter what it tramples in the process.

A Life player's challenge is in accepting the merit in taking a pause to consider unpleasant words and alternative viewpoints, in trying to understand the actual problems instead of imposing their own will onto others, so as to better focus their healing energies.

Doom, then, is the aspect concerned with death, with rest, and with endings. Doom is associated with suffering and with negative emotions, with peace, with sleep, and with dreams. Doom players have a natural penchant for prophecy, and are often dual dreamers, able to take advantage of both Skaia's oracular clouds and the Horrorterrors' voices over Derse. All things must eventually come to an end, and not all times will be good; in these troubling times, Doom players shine, as they are the guides who call the murk home, and know best how to navigate rough waters, course-correcting until the storm passes.

Doom players tend to be deeply pessimistic. They experience, to a much more magnified degree than others, negative feelings and impulses, and it's difficult for them to see the world without seeing its flaws, first and foremost. They are not healers, but commiserators, those who understand greatest that sometimes there's no way to deal with tragedy but to simply sit with it and wait for it to pass. The counterpoint to Life's insistence on breathless positivity, Doom is a reminder that pain, grief, sadness, shame, and guilt are not unnecessary things - in fact, excising them can lead to terrible consequences. Doom players are the universe's martyrs, often taking it upon themselves to course-correct, to sacrifice themselves in order to give others a chance to continue on, to avert a terrible fate. Unfortunately, this tendency also brings with it a tendency for Doom players to wallow in misfortune, or worse, to take themselves out of the picture, giving up entirely on seeing a better ending.

A Doom player's challenge is in rising above the melange of suffering and pain, to grasp personal peace, and to fill their lives, if not with happiness, then with meaning.

HOPE / RAGE

Hope and Rage are concerned with permission, and are the lens by which we define reality.

Hope is described by Hussie in the book commentary as being "framed as the most powerful aspect" because it is, literally, an aspect that defines reality. Its specific ability is lies in reducing the "fakeness attribute" of something, thus making it "real". Hope is associated with convictions, with idealism, with faith, order, holiness, and, of course, with magic - which Hope turns real. Hope is permission itself - a reality-breaking ability to look at the world and decree that it must be another way, a way in which the Hope player believes it ought to be.

Thus, Hope players tend to be hard-headed zealots. Their inclination towards powerful beliefs makes them very difficult to dissuade from a path they've set their minds to, and their specific suite of abilities makes them terrifyingly likely to make their vision come true. Hope players are usually not particularly cunning, nor particularly intelligent, nor even particularly empathetic. Given the Aspect's focus on conviction and faith, it's usually very difficult for Hope players to notice anything occurring beyond their own minds and feelings. Thus are Hope players hopeless optimists, hopeless romantics, and hopeless in general - usually not particularly well-liked, for their inflexibility, for their lack of empathy, and for their dearth of wit. However, their ability to define reality does not leave them when their beliefs are faulty (which they often are, given Hope players are not particularly introspective, either), which is what makes a Hope player so dangerous. Setting them on the wrong path, or breaking their Hope in twain, can result in disastrous consequences, as - one way or another - what a Hope player believes in comes true.

A Hope player's challenge is in seeing beyond themselves, letting others help guide their vision to something newer and more beautiful.

Rage, then, is the power of denial. If Hope reduces the "fakness" of a thing, then Rage reduces its "realness". Rage, too, is a means of defining reality, in this case taking a torch to the aspects of reality that it rejects. In more passive Classes, this works in subtler ways, stoking others towards destructive fury. Rage is associated with anarchy, chaos, revolution, destruction, anger, and nihilism. A Rage player will not suffer a world that does not satisfy them, breaking it to pieces, such that something new can take its place.

Therefore, Rage players are prone to harboring anger and resentment, discontentment with the status quo, and faith only in that what currently exists must somehow be dismantled. However, unlike Hope players, who can't help but be pathetically sincere, Rage players grasp that their natural inclinations are bothersome to others, and often try to mask and hide their embitterment and anger. This, ironically, leads to further ostracization, as others can tell they're being inauthentic. This only further compounds their sense of alienation, and drives them further into smoldering resentment; in the worst-case scenario, the Rage player turns that rage out indiscriminately, deciding that there is nothing worth fighting for - only unpleasant things to be brought to ruin. This makes Rage players sound volatile and dangerous, and they are - but the same fury that moves them is the fury that ignites revolts and tears down oppressive regimes, a necessary and vital well of energy and momentum. It takes careful handling to ensure that the team's Rage player can channel this energy towards righteous causes, rather than marking all as a target for their destructive ire.

A Rage player's challenge is in learning to be authentic and true, and to allow this to release the pressure of their mounting ire, such that it can be converted into productive, rather than destructive, energy.

CLASS

As previously stated, Class governs a character's character arc - the character's starting circumstances, whether their conflict is primarily internal or external, and what major aspect of their Aspect becomes a hurdle for them to overcome.

In the same way an Aspect's sways tie into the character's base personality, the character's Class abilities tie into the kinds of struggles they face, and have great influence on how their Aspects manifest.

That being said, a character - and their Class - are always subject to their Aspect, as their Aspect is tied fundamentally into who they are. Thus, it can be said that a Light player will always have an affinity for knowledge and provide Seer-esque guidance even when not in a Seer role, a Doom player will always have prophetic abilities even with a non-prophetic class (note that Mituna, an Heir, still had prophetic visions, despite those generally being the realm of Mages and Seers), and a Life player will always have a penchant for healing, even paired with a destructive Class like Prince or Thief (the Condesce, after all, could still extend life; a Prince of Life would likely manifest not as one who causes plants to wither and die (this would actually suit a Prince of Doom), but one who destroys in the way of nature overtaking an abandoned shack, or a forest breaking down a body).

This means that when a character's Classpect inverts their Aspect, it doesn't mean that they suddenly become a hero of the opposing Aspect - rather, it means that, at their very worst - at the nadirs of their character arcs - they will lean so much into their Aspect's worst traits that it will superficially appear as the opposite, when all it really is is an absence of themselves. Dave, a Time player, usually so attentive to detail (despite his disaffected facade, he's always paying rapt attention to Karkat's rants, and noticing all the clues pointing to his destiny of defeating LE), at his lowest emotional point (arguing with Grimbark Jade after sobbing about his lost childhood whimsy), states that he doesn't think Lord English is that big a deal, and never even did anything directly bad to him or his friends - when he was literally directly haunted by LE via Cal his entire childhood. Similarly, Rose drinks herself stupid in order to cope with her mother's death.

Note how, superficially, this almost appears to be an invocation of Space's "big picture thinking," its passivity and permissibility, or how Rose's case appears to be Void's tendency to indulge in vices and pleasure - but they're not. Time's worst traits superficially resemble Space, Light's resemble Void, and vice versa - Grimbark Jade is the Condesce's taskmaster, and Porrim at her worst was as much of a nag as Kankri, trying to do a Time player's managerial job. Horuss and Equius at their worst won't shut up and won't stop talking over their partners. So on and so forth.

Finally, Calliope tells us a couple things about Active/Passive pairings. The first is that Calliope introduces the idea of paired classes with the idea that both Rogues and Thieves "steal" (and later, that both Princes and Bards "destroy"). This presents the idea that both classes can be roughly summed up with the idea that every pairing can be summed up with a common theme.

The second is her description of what makes a Class Active versus Passive - that Active Classes move their Aspect to benefit themselves, whereas Passive Classes allow their Aspect to be moved in order for others to benefit. In a way, they're like active and passive voice in grammar (to tie in with the way Classes and Aspects are so tied to ideas of narrative and character arc) - an Active Class performs their Aspect, and a Passive Class allows the Aspect to be performed "by others" (the famous piece of advice regarding telling the two apart being that a sentence written in passive voice can have "by zombies" tacked to the end of it - eg, John is attacked "by zombies", as compared to active voice - John attacks).

Thus, the Class pairings, along with their basic themes, are as follows:

KNIGHT - / MAID +

"One who controls."

Knights and Maids are paired together through two key factors: the first is that they both hold leadership or managerial roles; the second is that both classes carry the connotation of serving a Lord. Fittingly, they are both struggle with the control of malicious forces - Knights with prophecies indicating their role as heroes, Maids with direct usurpation by malicious forces.

PAGE - / HEIR +

"One who inherits."

Pages and Heirs are paired together because they both fundamentally deal with the great inheritances placed before them. Pages can come into incredible, limitless power - but they must struggle and work hard for it; Heirs begin the game in societal comfort and wealth, and must learn to defect from their decadence.

THIEF - / ROGUE +

"One who steals."

Thieves and Rogues are highly adaptable, as Thieves are capable of fantastic on-the-fly adaptation, whereas Rogues have an infinite toolbox at their disposal. They are both provocateurs, shakers of the status quo, though the Thief does so for personal gain, while the Rogue does so to right injustice.

MAGE - / SEER +

"One who guides."

Mages and Seers are tied together by the gift of prophecy and future sight. Seers are privy to the endless branching paths that the future may take, while Mages are gifted with the ability to outright determine a future that will certainly happen, appearing to be prophecy.

WITCH - / SYLPH +

"One who changes."

Witches and Sylphs are individuals blessed with great magic, but poor judgement. Sylphs heal and nurture, but are drawn to those with strong desires, and enable them to cause great harm; Witches, meanwhile, possess strong emotions, which they often use as moral guidance, for better or worse.

PRINCE - / BARD +

"One who destroys."

Princes and Bards are representatives of society - the one who determines its course, and the one who recounts its passing. Princes suffer from a toxic overabundance of Aspect, and are prone to spectacular meltdowns, whereas Bards are always poised for a crisis of faith. Both are responsible for catastrophic failures - but also breathless victories.

INDIVIDUAL CLASSES

KNIGHT

"One who controls [Aspect] or controls using [Aspect]."

Knights are frontline warriors, rallying points behind which the party falls into line. Although they are often leaders, just as often, they are logistical planners, strategists, or simply the team's beating heart. They are almost always thrust into positions of narrative significance, often carrying grand destinies or even outright heroic prophecies on their shoulders. The are the party's rallying force, its center, and a guiding light - the one to lead the charge, behind which the party will follow.

The primary character struggle a Knight will have is with crippling insecurity. Knights are prone to self-loathing and imposter syndrome, and will often adopt a façade in direct opposition to their aspect (ie, their fundamental personality) in order to cope with their feelings of inadequacy. Thus, their relationship with their aspect becomes love/hate - though they're naturally drawn to their aspect, and even naturally skilled at utilizing it, they have a tendency to become their own worst enemy, as their insecurities make them push their façades, and their façades distance them from their aspect.

"Controlling their Aspect" means that the Knight has easy access to their Aspect, wielding it like a tool or weapon - for good or for ill; "controlling using their Aspect" is what grants Knights their leadership abilities, able to dictate how others ought to act in accordance with the Knight's Aspect - whether their understanding of their Aspect is high or low, whether their advice is good or bad.

Therefore, at their worst, a Knight will fall prey to their insecurities, retreating into their facades, rejecting their Aspect, which will allow disharmony or misuse of it to proliferate throughout the team. They may even wind up deliberately twisting their Aspect's presence within the team so that they never have to be confronted by it; these distortions ripple outwards and eventually culminate in major catastrophes, all on account of the Knight's negligence.

But at their best, a Knight is a shining beacon and guiding light; when they come to terms with themselves, and allow themselves to be comfortable in their own skin - when they no longer allow themselves to be ruled by their insecurities and anxieties - they ensure that their aspect is harmonious wherever it appears throughout their party, and can wield it expertly as a weapon, as if it were their own flesh and blood.

MAID

"One who allows control through [Aspect] or allows [Aspect] to be controlled."

Unlike Knights, which take positions of frontline prominence, a Maid is a managerial presence in the backlines, though no less crucial for the smooth functioning of a party. Just as the invisible hands of the hired help keep a household running, the Maid will be called upon to provide vital services to keep the game stable, even if those services are more noticeable by their absence than their presence. Maids are often the party's unsung heroes or even shadow leaders, tugging at invisible strings, fingers on the pulse.

A Maid's primary character struggle will be that of escaping oppression. Maids tend to start the game in positions of subjugation or subservience, especially to malicious forces, and their abilities often end up being exploited to serve their masters' ends. Therefore, one may even have the impression that a Maid is ruled by their aspect, held prisoner and slave - at least until they're able turn the tables.

"Allowing their Aspect to be controlled" means that Maids are capable of directly dispensing their aspect unto others - a Maid of Time can dispense time unto foes, pausing them in their tracks; a Maid of Life can grant so much life that they can revive the dead. Their boons are great and direct, straightforward in a similar manner to Knights. "Allowing control through their Aspect" grants them their uncanny managerial abilities, as their aspect dictates the realm in which nothing occurs without the Maid's knowledge or permission, a realm made available to whomever the Maid's allegiance lies with.

Thus, at their worst, the Maid becomes a saboteur. Exploited by malign forces, their abilities to allow control over others through their aspect, or control of their aspect, makes them perfect vehicles by which their aspect can be hijacked or usurped, and made to turn against the party, and they often find themselves placed into these positions through no fault of their own. It takes the party banding together to shake off the forces that would keep a Maid in bondage.

However, at their best, Maids ensure that the party can never go too far off the rails. There is a place for everything, and everything will be in its place; a Maid is a supply line, a safe haven, and a promise that everything will be neat and tidy when the party returns from war. When the Maid belongs to themselves, their homestead becomes a fortress, and nothing occurs under the Maid's watchful eye without their express permission.

PAGE

"One who works to inherit [Aspect] or inherits [Aspect] for themselves."

Pages are a class defined by promise. As the name suggests, a Page begins weak, but has the great potential to develop into one of the most powerful players in the game. The exact nature of a Page's powers are vague, not because they are insignificant, but because they are so great that it's difficult to encompass them all. At the apex of their arcs, Pages are capable of miraculous feats, overpowering even Lords and Muses - if only they could reach that point and stay there.

A Page begins the game weakest of all, reflective of their long journey of growth. Where most classes only fall into deficit of their Aspect at their lowest emotional points, Pages begin their arcs in deficit - exhibiting character traits opposite to those their Aspect normally encompasses. Moreso than any other class, a Page must learn to grow into their Aspect. Weak-willed, naive, and easily hurt, Pages require careful nurturing if they're to come into their own.

"Working to inherit their Aspect" describes the endless journey of growth the Page must undertake - one with many missteps, backslides, and setbacks along the way. Still, they "inherit their aspect," meaning that their full potential, when realized, is overwhelmingly great - practically becoming their Aspect in humanoid form, capable of utilizing it to its glorious full potential.

However, their nature defeats them, and even if they can attain this state, the Page usually can't stay there for long. At their very worst, the Page's deficit of their Aspect's better qualities can turn the Page into a gravitic well of misfortune - an albatross about the party's neck, the centerpoint, if not inciting incident, of a massive disaster, as their team is sucked in by the Page's natural weakness.

But this is only true as it contrasts to a Page at their best - having grappled and won with the greatest of all weakness, a Page is poised to come into the greatest of all strength. Shown kindness, compassion, and support, a Page at full power reflects a party at their best. A Page at full strength is breathtaking to behold, an unstoppable force of nature, their Aspect made manifest.

HEIR

"One whom [Aspect] grants inheritance or inherits [Aspect] for others."

Heirs, in contrast to Pages, start the game strong. They usually belong to the upper echelons of their respective societies, a position of great wealth, leisure, and comfort, and are set to be inheritors of even greater wealth. Similarly, their Aspect comes to them as if of its own will - it is powerful, but difficult for the Heir to control, reflecting the wealth and status they've enjoyed as birthright.

An Heir's main challenge is that of examining their privilege, and learning where they wish to spread the gift they've been given. Because of their positions of sheltered comfort, Heirs are not particularly world-wise, and often harbor massive blind spots to the suffering of others and the ills of society. As such, they tend to be fairly aimless, given great power but no strong motivations, and have a tendency to simply indulge in their Aspect without contributing great help or hindrance to their team at all.

The Heir's Aspect is practically an independent entity. Being one whom "their Aspect grants them inheritance" refers to how the Heir starts powerful, able to summon their Aspect to perform great, miraculous acts. However, it is highly intuitive and difficult to control. The Heir's challenge lies not in attaining great power, but in attaining control over, and the ability to direct, their existing abilities. Once they do, they can "inherit their Aspect for others" - Heirs become a conduit through which their party can experience their Aspect, making it a usable pool of wealth for them all to draw from. However, because of their comfortable positions, many Heirs end up dallying, finding no pressing need to do so.

But this dallying hides a ticking clock. An Heir's inheritance will come to them, one way or another, and if they aren't ready to receive the great responsibilities that come with such great power, then the power will eventually consume them. An Heir with no clear direction will eventually become lost to their Aspect, entirely removing both from play. Like how wealthy inheritors simply become part of the status quo, so, too, does an Heir disappear into their Aspect, fixing it in place.

Thus, Heirs must learn where they have been blind, where they have been foolish, and what it means to be underprivileged. Then, once they turn their energies towards addressing those injustices - to taking responsibility for building a better future - when their wealth comes to them, they'll be able to distribute it where it's needed most. An Heir, fully-realized, brings their Aspect to heel, and makes it a resource available to their entire team, as if welcoming them all into the family.

THIEF

"One who steals [Aspect] or steals using [Aspect]."

Thieves are, as the name suggests, greedy - much of their arc revolves around a desire to amass wealth, though what's considered "wealth" varies based on the Thief and especially their Aspect. They tend to be callous people by nature, capable of ignoring or trampling over the feelings of others in order to take what they want, in the hopes of filling an emotional void the Thief may not even be fully aware of.

The Thief's playstyle is one of careful resource management. Reflecting a natural tendency to take "wealth" from others, Thieves are unable to use their Aspect without first "stealing" it - a subtractive act which leaves the victim bereft of the Aspect, weakening them in the process. Because of the finicky nature of these abilities, it takes great cunning to be a Thief, and the Class both demands and requires the player to be adaptable, flexible, and quick on their feet, able to effect complicated schemes and engineer the perfect situations for their powers to have the greatest effect. Thieves aren't necessarily strong, but they have a very high victory ratio, because they're experts at turning a situation to their own advantage.

"Stealing their Aspect" refers to the fundamental way in which the Thief class is played, this resource management game; "stealing using their Aspect" reflects how the Thief often becomes a malignant force within the party, viewing their own teammates as caches of wealth to plunder. Thieves are naturally prone to hurting others for their own purposes, craving drama and attention, and being of such callous dispositions that they're able to perform extreme acts of cruelty given the right motivations.

Thieves often become a target of ire within the party, disruptive forces whose quest for personal wealth and fulfillment comes at the cost of those around them. At their worst, they can bring so much heat down upon their own shoulders that the party feels the need to treat them like an enemy, which is disastrous for party harmony. Moreover, it's disastrous for the Thieves themselves, as Thieves seek wealth to compensate for some emotional emptiness, and making enemies of their friends only serves to deepen their ennui.

Thus, a Thief must be taught that true happiness and fulfillment doesn't come from the struggle for wealth, but from the building of something better with those they care about. A Thief, thus turned to heroic purposes, becomes the party's pinch hitter - an adaptable spy, an unpredictable maverick, an element of surprise - and above all, a reliable ally, capable of turning any tide in the party's favor.

ROGUE

"One who steals from [Aspect] or steals [Aspect] for others."

Rogues, on the other hand, call to mind such figures as Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to distribute to the poor. Rogues are at their best when they're agents of a well-planned heist, as they possess an unlimited toolbox - their own Aspect - to play with. Their Aspect is a treasure trove, just waiting for the Rogue to plunder it and share its riches - if only the Rogue can figure out how.

Rogues are forces of revolution. They naturally carry a rebellious spirit, one which bristles at injustice, takes a stand against authority, and questions the status quo. Their ideas are unfocused, however; they know they must rebel, but usually don't start with a clear idea of against who or what. They know that their society is injust, but they don't know how to address that injustice. They know there are villains, and may even know these villains' identity, but they don't know how best to defy them. In a similar way, they're often lost as to how to utilize their Aspect beyond its most basic applications, and usually require external assistance in order to bring out its full potential.

Rogues' true potential lies in "stealing from their Aspect" - an additive act, rather than a subtractive one, as a Thief's stealing is. Rogues are capable of removing their own Aspect's sway over another entity, allowing it to exhibit the characteristics of the opposite Aspect; a Rogue of Void can create things out of nothing, a Rogue of Heart can tease out behaviors and actions. They can also "steal their Aspect for others," allowing them access to their own Aspect's suite of abilities as well. This allows the Rogue incomparable flexibility, their abilities - like their dispositions - rebellious and subversive.

But their rebellious spirit, coupled with their lack of understanding as to who their real enemies are, is dangerous when left unchecked. Rogues often suffer from a failure to start, giving up on trying to understand the deeper implications of their abilities, and of the society they can't seem to find contentment in - but they can also suffer from a worse fate: rebellion without a cause. Rogues' free spirits can lead to them bucking the status quo in ways that actively harm others, performing acts of taboo or poor taste just because that rebellious energy needs to be put to use somewhere. These can have disastrous knock-on consequences, as some things are taboo for good reason.

Thus, Rogues need to be guided - to make connections with others, and come to a greater understanding of the world at large. Once they know their target, and what needs to be done, the Rogue makes sure there are no obstacles along the way - no safe is uncrackable, no prison inescapable, and no problem unsolvable, so long as the Rogue is there to work their magic.

MAGE

"One who guides [Aspect] or guides [Aspect] for themselves."

Mages are prophets, of the "always correct" variety - or so it seems. In actuality, Mages don't "predict" the future, they "choose" it - in a setting where the future is mutable, the Mage's ability is to speak into existence a future they desire, to tip the scales of causality and collapse possibilities into a single definite course. Their Aspect is the lens through which their "prophecy" occurs, a realm in which they command the fabric of reality itself.

As if to karmically balance this incredible power, Mages are afflicted by deep and terrible sadness. They start the game miserable, having been subjected to the greatest injustices their Aspect can offer, tormented by guilt, shame, and self-loathing. Their worldview has been shadowed with a lens of suffering and anguish, and so, too, is their view of the future. Mages usually begin the game having already set several prophecies into motion, and these early prophecies are usually obstacles that the party must overcome.

Mages "guide their Aspect" - this refers to the way their prophecies, that is, their chosen futures, always come true. Their visions may be limited to the sway of their Aspect, but it remains a powerful ability nonetheless. "Guiding their Aspect for themselves," then, outlines the Class's Active nature - the futures the Mage picks must be ones the Mage believes will come to pass.

Unfortunately, Mages have a tendency to pick ugly futures. This isn't out of malice or anger; this is because Mages start the game sad, and without intervention, grow sadder. They're prone to spirals of negativity, self-loathing, and depression, and as their outlook dims, so, too, do their forecasts. Mages suffer, but even suffering can grow familiar - can even appear comfortable or desirable, if the Mage suffers long enough. It's easy for them to grow so accustomed to misery that misery is the only outcome they can see - spelling doom for the rest of the party, one prediction at a time.

But a Mage whose party shows them kindness and forgiveness, compassion and empathy, can pull them out of their misery. How beautiful, then, the future appears! A Mage who believes in a brighter future is a force to be reckoned with. When a Mage can bring themselves to say, "and everyone lived happily ever after," you had better believe they did.

SEER

"One who who is guided by [Aspect] or guides [Aspect] for others."

Seers, meanwhile, are the true future-sighted, able to see the myriad paths the future could take. Like Mages, their Aspect serves as the lens by which their vision is colored; the Seer can sense, with fine accuracy, which paths are closest to the sway of their aspect, and which paths will take them further away. As if gifted with a guide to the game, their intuition is tied directly to the mechanics of SBURB, and they serve as the party's guides, a role indispensable in a game with so many moving parts.

Seers will struggle with blindness, first by hubris and ego, and then by self-harm. Seers begin the game quite full of themselves, proud of their prowess in their Aspect - usually arrogantly so. When this pride is inevitably shattered, Seers have a tendency to deal with their feelings of shame and guilt with willful, self-induced blindness - as if flipping a switch, they become ashamed of the pride they once placed in their Aspect, and seek to place as much distance between it and themselves as possible. There's comfort in ignorance, even if it renders the Seer useless.

Seers are "guided by their Aspect" - able to sense its presence, they gravitate toward it, and towards futures with it in abundance. And, in the same way, they "guide their Aspect for others," lighting the way for others down the path of greatest reward. Seers truly love their Aspect, no matter how much they may misplace their faith in it, and seeking it out is a great joy for them.

This is why a Seer at their worst is so tragic. By inducing intentional blindness within themselves, they are functionally deadening the strongest part of their soul. No matter the temporary relief this brings to the sharp, jagged pain of shame, it invariably deepens the Seer's suffering, as they deny themselves not only their own joy, but their ability to help others - another act which inherently delights them.

Thus, a Seer needs to be made to deal with their shattered ego head-on, to accept their own shortcomings, to become at ease with the idea that they don't have all the answers. Once their vision becomes clear, and their view becomes honest, the party nevermore has to fear becoming lost or straying from the path - the Seer will see to that.

WITCH

"One who changes [Aspect] or changes [Aspect] in others."

Witches are the winds of change, tweaking reality all around them until it suits their desires. A Witch is presence that commands both fear and respect, and their Aspect bows down before them, reduced to a mere minion in the Witch's presence, ready to attend to all their needs. In a way, the Witch's powers are straightforward - they can manipulate their Aspect as they desire, changing its qualities as they see fit. "How they see fit," then, is where the issue lies.

Witches are usually of "outsider" status, never truly being part of the society from which the rest of the party descends. Free from the same rules and common sense that govern the others on their team, Witches instead operate on a value system heavily reliant on their own emotions. What a Witch deems to be correct, to be true, or to be righteous, are often based not in any objective measure, but in subjective, emotional bias - and they're emotional creatures, indeed. Prone to fits of great anger, Witches can be benevolent one second and malicious the next, and their abilities let them imprint, to a greater degree than any other Class, their desires onto the world that comes after them.

Witches "change their Aspect," as in, the crux of their abilities lies in manipulating the qualities of their Aspect in their surroundings - extending, shortening, magnifying, shrinking, growing, removing… so on and so forth. It's a fearsome power. They also "change their Aspect for themselves" - their Aspect is hapless but to obey their desires; Witches change the world to suit themselves, and their feelings of how things "should" be often become how things "are" in short order.

Thus, a Witch who has been swayed toward evil entities and nefarious ends is a truly dangerous opponent - and it is unfortunately easy for this to happen. Witches' social isolation means they tend to trust their emotions, and a force that flatters these emotions can easily win a Witch's trust. By the same token, those that fail to flatter the Witch are often considered enemies, even if they're benevolent forces. A Witch's morality can thus become warped and topsy-turvy, which has grave consequences for the world that the Witch then shapes.

Therefore, a Witch's struggle lies in learning to see beyond their own emotions, to take in the opinions and assistance of others even when it seems superficially unpleasant, to move beyond the childlike rejection of that which is uncomfortable. Once able to see a more nuanced form of right and wrong, once able to tell evil from good, Witches can build even utopia.

SYLPH

"One who allows [Aspect] to change others or changes [Aspect] for others."

Sylphs are nurturers and healers; they bring to mind fey folk whose very footsteps cause plants to grow. Wherever they go, whatever they touch, all becomes suffused with the Sylph's Aspect, which flourishes under their careful cultivation. Sylphs adore their Aspect, and their Aspect adores them; Sylphs generally feel at peace with themselves, surrounding themselves with what they like.

A Sylph's main challenge - or rather, the main challenge that Sylphs wind up posing the rest of the party - is that Sylphs are enablers. They're attracted to those with strong wills and extreme dispositions, amused by the havoc they wreak and pleased by their attention. Sylphs love to pick out favorites and lavish them with care and attention, excusing any wrongdoing on their behalf and shielding them from consequences. At the same time, those who don't strike the Sylph's capricious fancy find themselves discarded in the Sylph's mind, shut out from the boons the Sylph can provide.

A Sylph is "one who allows their Aspect to change others" - this almost always manifests as healing, as it's an additive ability (that is to say, the Sylph can grant more of their Aspect to someone). "Changing their Aspect for others," on the other hand, explains this enabling nature of theirs - the Sylph will intervene to make the world into a playground for their favored individuals, even to the point of turning other, less "interesting" teammates into playthings for the Sylph's beloved.

Thus, while the Sylph themself isn't particularly prone to wild mood swings and acts of malice, their influence can still cause disaster by allowing unscrupulous individuals to flourish - even encouraging their worst tendencies. A Sylph's touch is subtle, but that subtlety only lends it an insidious quality, as the Sylph quietly works against the good of the many for the cruel, selfish pleasures of the few. At their very worst, the Sylph can deem themselves their only favorite, and render everyone else a minor character in their one-man show.

Thus, Sylphs must be challenged. They must be made to reckon with the fact that favorable treatment is not necessarily kindness, and that bias can easily become harm. When a Sylph is able to grasp the difference between bias and doing good, and tune their approach toward that greater good, uncolored by bias and personal preference, then there is no place safer, kinder, and more conducive to growth than the Sylph's embrace.

PRINCE

"One who destroys [Aspect] or destroys using [Aspect]."

Princes are the most anxious, psychologically anguished members of a party. They suffer from a toxic overabundance of their Aspect - its traits are taken to an extreme, and not only the Prince, but those around them, are made to suffer for it. Princes are naturally set on a path of self-destruction, the culmination of their uncontrolled accumulation of their Aspect, and their meltdowns are spectacular, taking their Aspect - and whoever is unlucky enough to be in the same room - with them.

A Prince's challenge, therefore, is as simple to understand as it is difficult to overcome. The Prince needs to learn how to calm down, relax, and find inner peace. Princes are terribly prone to circular thinking and downward spirals. Their natural inclination is to feel anxious and responsible, like they carry the weight of the world, and this causes them to act out in extreme and aggressive ways. Eventually, others pull away, put off by the Prince's intensity. This only deepens the Prince's malaise, and Princes are - pushed by this hovering sense of urgency and catastrophe - willing to employ drastic, desperate measures to enforce compliance with their wills. They wake on their moons early, reflective of their driven natures. They're determined to a frightful degree, and no sacrifice is too great, no work too dirty, if it means achieving what they see as the greater good.

Princes "destroy their Aspect" in this way - by presenting their Aspect at its worst, they make others take distance, ruining it for everyone else. Their hard wills, intense emotions, and unshakeable drive to do what (they feel) needs to be done - at any cost - is their source of power. Thus, Princes "destroy using their Aspect" - their toxic overabundance of Aspect lets them channel it into a pure, annihilatory force; what they lack in the delicate utility of the other classes, they make up for in raw, ruinous power. Princes can easily deal the greatest damage in a combat scenario, their ability to destroy overriding nearly everything that would stand against it.

Thus is the problem with Princes. They're ticking time-bombs of anxiety and frustration; when they finally go off, they carve a path of destruction, before ultimately self-destructing, leaving no trace of their Aspect behind. Not only that, but it's very difficult to defuse the bomb early; Princes have finicky, aggressive, and complicated personalities, and tend to react poorly to straightforward attempts to calm them down and reason with them. They often appear to be their own worst enemies, marching inexorably toward their own destruction.

But Princes not only can be saved, but must be saved. They must be saved because kindness and compassion must exist for their own sake, and a Prince rescued from their own worst tendencies is living proof of the truth of that sentiment. A Prince, given the peace they need to reorient their priorities, will not rest until they see a brighter future realized. They will be the first to rise, and the last man standing, banishing - as if by royal decree - all obstacles, all enemies, all misfortune, and all ills.

BARD

"One who invites destruction through [Aspect] or allows [Aspect] to be destroyed."

Bards are the wild cards of a party, responsible for both improbable victories and catastrophic defeats - sometimes both in a single session. The methods by which a Bard works are a mystery to even the Bard themselves, which make it easy for the party to dismiss their powers - and, by extension, the Bard themselves. After all, who would expect there to be consequences for something so ridiculous as a Bard?

Bards are usually targets of abject ridicule by their teams. They can't help it - they're religious types, or at least types that hold great, lofty, ridiculous beliefs near and dear to their hearts. A Bard's primary struggle invariably winds up being a crisis of faith. Bards begin the game with a positive, "correct" faith in their Aspect; however, something will inevitably occur that shakes the Bard's faith in this viewpoint to its core. In this state, Bards are incredibly fragile, and it's very easy for them to succumb to whispers of cruelty and destruction, for their beliefs to warp, and for the Bard to come to serve the worst aspects of the society they represent.

A Bard "invites destruction through their Aspect" - their powers are subtle, but have catastrophic effects. Bards are instinctively drawn towards causing the first flap of a butterfly's wing, which cascades into a grand, impossible karmic backlash. They "allow their Aspect to be destroyed" by being the conduits for the forces of their faith - whatever faith they hold - to wreak unimaginable consequences across the game.

Thus, a Bard must not be allowed to fall into darkness. The cost is too great. They must be treated with kindness, patience, and sincerity, and given a chance to re-establish their faith in a better, brighter future. If this can be done, then at the party's direst moment - in their darkest hour - they will find that kindness paid back a thousandfold, as an innocuous act by the Bard that no one remembers balloons into a miracle.