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sepublic · 4 years ago

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Lilith didn’t intend for Luz to be truly hurt (but she was still awful)

So, a lot of people rightfully give Lilith flack for… well, just about everything she did! This woman is low-key a screw-up in life and a lot of her issues come from acknowledging this, but then either doing nothing to address it, or handling the problem in a rather non-productive manner, for fear of further guilt and retribution for her mistakes; The way a child hides the vase they broke, even if they fully admit in their head that this was their own fault and the result of a mistake they no longer intend to commit! They’re still leaving the person who also suffers from this to deal with the pain on their own, even if they pretend to be innocent and buy a new vase! And that’s even assuming Lilith doesacknowledge/notice that she did something wrong.

And while Lilith using Luz as a human shield IS pretty sus, and not gonna lie, part of why Agony of a Witch is so genuinely painful to me is BECAUSE of Lilith’s treatment of Luz in that episode (legit it really riles me up)… But once I step back to acknowledge the way things were working from her perspective, I don’t think she intended THAT much harm? That isn’t to say Lilith STILL didn’t mess up big time and she deserves to be called out for this, on-screen or at least implied between events. It’s just that…

Lilith didn’t intend to harm Luz? I don’t think she did, at least, there was no reason to… At worst, she may have been operating on the ‘bluff’ of hurting Luz, but I don’t think that was ever her intention. To her, it may have just been a matter of keeping Luz and Eda separate that would’ve compelled her sister to arrive- I’m not sure if she actually intended to hurt Luz, and it’s worth noting that Lilith makes a major point to Luz that the magic bubble was meant to protect her.

Which, given it was cast by Lilith- I think that says a lot about her original intention! The worst she planned could’ve been just to imprison Luz, or at least ‘rehabilitate’ her and/or send Luz back to earth. Which, that IS messed-up as well, but it’s not outright child murder, and more akin to what Camila almost did. Still wrong- But at least a lot more understandable…

Then later in the duel, when Eda is clearly going to overwhelm and kick Lilith’s butt, as she always did? THEN Lilith begins using Luz as a shield, but at the same time… She operated from the very beginning, under the original assumption, that Eda cares a lot for Luz; Even if Lilith doesn’t understand why, she can’t argue with this reality at least. Especially with Belos’ threat of execution, more on that later…

Lilith could’ve easily set up any other kind of shield to protect herself; Luz’s bubble was strong, but not THAT strong, given how Luz herself was able to puncture it. So it stands to reason that when Lilith puts Luz in front of her, it’s not necessarily as a meat shield meant to tank damage; It’s under the impression that Eda, who cares for Luz, will redirect her attacks in response, and by consequence miss Lilith! Lilith’s cowardly tactics admittedly hinged entirely on the –correct- assumption that Eda would not hurt Luz, no matter what. So again- No intent for Luz to actually be hurt, if anything Lilith’s life kind of dependson that?

Then there’s Lilith shoving Luz into a spike- And THAT is very much sus. But again, I don’t think Lilith necessarilyintended for Luz to actually get impaled; I think she just wanted Eda to assume Luz would, or act to prevent this anyway just in case and ‘fall for the bluff’, so to speak. In doing so, Eda would drain her magic, and then she’d be defeated, allowing Lilith to capture her sister and have her cured by Belos! In other words, I’m not sure if Lilith would’ve actually, fully gone through with impaling Luz had Eda done nothing to stop this- It’s possible she would’ve stopped in realization and maybe concern, but then go back to fighting Eda traditionally.

And Lilith already knows that Eda is willing to risk her victory in that duel for Luz’s sake, as shown when she maneuvered around Luz and went out of her way to protect the girl! So she knew that Eda was going to save Luz, that LUZ likely wouldn’t be in any real danger… And finally, it’s worth noting what Belos said. How earlier that day, he basically threatened to executeLilith, to kill her for failing him.

This is a different Lilith than one we’ve been used to. This is a Lilith who is stressed-out, more than she’s ever been, a Lilith who’s terrified for her life- A Lilith who is low-key being held hostage herself, because her own life is being threatened? It wasn’t literal, but it’s the Boiling Isles equivalent of holding a gun to someone’s head, unlike when she cursed Eda way back when. And as Head of the Emperor’s Coven, Lilith likely knows ALL the horrible things that Belos can do, he knows how unstoppable he can be once he sets his mind to things…

(More on her knowledge of the Emperor’s messed-up stuff later.)

And, if Lilith dies? Then Eda isn’t going to get captured. Eda won’t be cured, Eda will remain cursed forever… And so Lilith isn’t just doing this because she’s being threatened, she’s also doing this for Eda’s sake! Under the impression that if Lilith dies and fails, Eda will never be cured… Eda will never get to embrace her full potential in magic, and with how the curse has accelerated her aging, Eda would likely have a shorter life as well- So to Lilith, this is all a matter of Eda’s life too! Not to mention Lilith wants desperately to be with Eda a lot, so there may have been some resentment towards Eda for caring more about Luz, a stranger she’s known only for a few weeks, over Lilith, her own sister since childhood…

Especially since Lilith never thinks to ask Eda just to come join the Emperor’s Coven, under the knowledge that Belos will kill her otherwise! Obviously this speaks to Lilith’s knowing guilt… But to her, Eda doesn’t know that Lilith cursed her! So to Lilith, it’s a bit frustrating that Eda really doesn’t seem to care for her own sister… Because Lilith is operating on the idea that Eda would rather continue to be a Wild Witch and let her sister be executed, than join the Emperor’s Coven to save Lilith’s life! Even though Eda said she’d go out of her way to rescue Lilith beforehand, as seen in Sense and Insensitivity… Lilith is doubting how much Eda would care for her.

This of course, DOES make me question if Lilith would’ve gone that route, of mentioning Belos’ execution; Had Luz not gotten captured! How would Eda have reacted, if Lilith was honest and admitted that her own life was on the line, otherwise? I can only imagine… And of course, if Lilith is under the impression that Eda would prefer being a Wild Witch even if it meant Lilith’s demise… Then maybe she should’ve asked herself why that was the case? Why Eda would be so distant to her, if Eda didn’t know of the curse? Perhaps there was ANOTHER reason for why Eda hated the Emperor’s Coven so much, maybe something related to her disagreements with the system? Maybe Eda had motives unrelated to the curse for not joining Lilith?

This is Lilith we’re talking about here, so of course she doesn’t bother to consider the implications of this… Amidst being distracted by Luz’s sudden arrival, as well. Regardless, if Eda really hated the kind of environment that the Coven System offered THAT much, to disregard Lilith- Then maybe it says a lot about how horrible the Coven System is to her, rather than Eda simply not caring for Lilith! But this is Lilith, so instead she focuses on how her relationship with Eda is defined by this, because clearly to her, everything Eda does has to be with Lilith’s own best interests in mind. How DARE Eda prioritize her own life over Lilith’s?! Eda already has so much in life, why doesn’t she ever consider what Lilithneeds or wants?

It’s Lilith’s narrow-minded, tunnel vision; That in this world, only her relationship with Eda and vice-versa matters! That Eda doesn’t have any thoughts or dreams of her own, no other relationships (as Lilith herself claims at first), no personal beliefs against the Coven System or anything! It’s all about Lilith, it’s all about being sisters… And no doubt Lilith is projecting a lot of insecurities, but. STILL, that’s kind of messed up, Lily!

You already know what the Emperor’s Coven does to other Wild Witches, are you really not considering Eda’s own compassion for others to be enough reason for her NOT to support Belos? Or did you secretly think those other witches deserved it while Eda was special as someone you knew… Which of course, I can’t blame Lilith for being biased towards her own sister, but still. It’s all very selective stuff, it’s Lilith ignoring everything else, or attempting to justify it despite the unfortunate implications.

Which, gets me back to another point… But before I can do that, I need to return to the main discussion. Namely, back to that specific scene of Lilith trying to shove Luz into a spike… This is just speculation on my part. But if the Grudgby cards are any indication, it’s that Witches have an inherent healing factor that allows them to regenerate limbs… Possibly it’s the result of the bile naturally flowing through their veins, and thus not something that would require active Healing Spells to pull off, although those always help with the process! Though it DOES make me wonder how this would effect Eda, whose bile sac is no longer producing magic… But given all of the weird stuff with HER, how her survival of dismemberment could be due to the curse, or what she’s done to herself, or her own species’ abilities…

Eda might be fine anyway, and the latent effect of bile on her healing abilities might still exist, even if they can’t overcome the curse- Not that anyHealing Magic was capable of that, as far as we know! Regardless, my point is that while impalement would no doubt hurt a lot… It might not be nearly as serious of an injury to Witches, as it would be to humans! It’d definitely suck a lot, but it might be more akin to breaking your leg, VS outright death. STILL messed-up, but not irreparably so…

Of course, Lilith knows that Luz is human. But she may not be aware of the full differences, or at least forgot to take this into account… Understandable, Gus is a ‘Human Expert’ and even HE is baffled by human anatomy and has a lot of wrong guesses, among them being gills! Skara also apparently knows that humans are more ‘fragile’ than Witches… But that sounds like street knowledge and not a definitive fact she could’ve outright researched and confirmed. And given Lilith is Head of the Emperor’s Coven, I think her brain is full of other important information unrelated to humans… Such as how to cure a curse you cast decades ago!

Which, leads to a morbidly-hilarious scenario of Lilith having no idea why Eda is so insistent on protecting this human, clearly this won’t hurt her THAT much, it’s like losing your mind over someone getting their toe stubbed! At the very least, a broken ankle wouldn’t necessitate losing all of your magic! And then Lilith finds out that oh, that WOULD have actually killed Luz, because humans aren’t as sturdy as witches… And then she has an utter dilemma, because this realization would’ve occurred post-YBOS, and thus when Lilith was making an effort to actually take other people into account as well.

So in the end, I don’t think Lilith actually expected Luz to get hurt at all that entire fight… Or at least not seriously, especially since she might not realize that humans are more fragile than witches! She DID make an initial effort to protect Luz at least, before the desperation of her losing duel forced Lilith to resort to dirty tactics, especially since her own life –and maybe Eda’s- was on the line if she lost. That’s another point to consider… that if Lilith dies, she knows that Eda will never join the Emperor’s Coven without her sister to convince her, meaning inevitably Belos WILL track her down and kill her!

…But at the same time, even if she never expected Luz to be genuinely hurt, or at least not killed; It’s still reckless endangerment of a child. Even if Lilith didn’t decide to hurt this random kid just for the sake of it, she was still low-key taking out a lot of her resentment onto this poor child, just because Luz was a better person to Eda and thus more loved than Lilith by her for it! It’s still showing little regard for Luz’s safety, and even if Lilith never thought she would get seriously injured, she still played around with Luz’s life too lightly, and took too many chances.

Those chances paid off in the end, sure… But regardless, it’s like my past comparison of Lilith to a gambler who keeps making the same mistake in the hope that things will finally pay off, that previous failures and losses won’t have been for nothing! Even if Lilith saw her and Eda’s lives being on the line, that doesn’t excuse kidnapping and taking a child hostage, and Eda would never consent to that either! Maybe Lilith needs to consider how Edawould’ve felt… But she didn’t really, because she seemed surprised at how much Luz meant to Eda. Obviously she adapted to this …

But once again, it shows how Lilith refuses to acknowledge any other motive besides the curse as a reason for why Eda would be distant with her. And it’s not JUST because you failed to go after her the first time Eda transformed, and even if you did try to ‘make up’ for this by finding a cure for Eda… Again, it’s obvious there’s more to Eda’s issues than just holding a grudge over that kind of abandonment after the duel, especially since she went out of her way to save Lilith in Sense and Insensitivity! It’s funny how Lilith mocks Eda for having poor memory because of the curse… Because Lilith’s memory is even worse, because of how selective it is! And that’s her own fault…

Which is another recurring theme of this show, of people who have the ability to do better, of having the privilege to avoid a failing, going ahead and doing that mistake anyway! Just as Odalia is rich and powerful enough to let her kids be their own individuals without concern for their futures, yet goes out of her way to abuse and indoctrinate them more than anyone else would… Lilith has the power to change what she’s been doing at any moment, to alter her circumstances- But she doesn’t. It seems those in the position to do the most good end up either being irresponsible and negligent with that power, and/or using that power to make things worse.

The thing with Lilith isn’t that her memory is selective, either; She has a poor grasp not just of the past, but of the presentas well! She expects Eda to abandon her after getting attacked by a monster, implying Lilith knows there’s a reason for such callousness besides the curse; Or that Eda isn’t THAT selfish and apathetic… After all, she did abandon her spot in the Emperor’s Coven for Lilith’s sake! That, or Eda really DOES have an issue with the Coven System and what’s why she left the spot… Lilith really is full of contradictions and holes in the logic of how she views the world. A lot of her world-view consisted of accepting whatever was most convenient to her, or even making those kinds of facts up!

…Though, I WILL give her credit; Lilith seemed intent on letting Eda join the Emperor’s Coven at her own pace, on her own terms, as revealed in Sense and Insensitivity. Obviously there’s the assumption that Eda will eventually do so because clearly there’s no other choice and that’s why it’s an inevitability… But at least Lilith DID try to respect Eda’s feelings, to an extent. Even if she did so in a way that was more flattering to her own expectations in the end, she at least couldn’t outright deny that Eda clearly didn’twant to join the Emperor’s Coven. There’s still the expectation that Eda would ‘get over’ whatever ‘silly’ reasons she had for not joining Lilith, but Lilith wasn’t a lost cause for a reason!

After all, Lilith had that change of heart at the end, even if she was low-key forced into doing so because Eda would’ve straight-up died otherwise, which again ties back to her cowardly nature, only doing the right thing when there’s literally no other feasible option she can turn to. It was a LONG time coming, finally admitting the truth –more by accident honestly- and sharing the curse with Eda… But hey, better late than never, am I right? And it’s a pretty big reason why I’m no longer as mad at her as I was post-Agony of a Witch… Though I’ll still give her the stink-eye in general for that, because that episode messed me up and Lilith contributed the most to that.

#the owl house #owl house #the owl house lilith #lilith clawthorne #the owl house luz #luz noceda #the owl house eda #edalyn clawthorne

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im-whatchamccallit · 6 years ago

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Wicked pt.3// Xu Minghao (Seventeen)

Part 1|Part 2|Masterlist|Request Guidelines

Pairing: Xu Minghao x Reader

Genre: Demon!AU, Fluff, Angst

Warnings: Mentions of death/suicide (no details of it, though), suggestive content, sexual harassment (slightly detailed but not really), a bit nonsensical towards the end

Words: 7.3k (This shit is fucking loooonnnnngggg)

(A/N: Hey, kids, I’m back. This is the third (and possibly last) part of the Wicked series. I’m sorry it took so long to upload and sorry if the grammar is off but, c’mon, this thing is 15 freaking pages, it’s was 4am, and my eyes were starting to hurt ;-; Anyways, request are open and I love you)

You sighed bitterly as you typed away on your desktop, nodding unconsciously to your coworker as she said a quick goodbye, leaving you more alone than you already were in your small cubicle as you tried to fix the mistakes of your superiors. None of this seemed to be your fault but, being the head of the finance department, it was your job to fix it.

You ignored the faint footsteps approaching you but suddenly froze at the feeling of two hands on your shoulders, massaging them gently while sneakily drifting lower, stopping just beneath your collarbone. You took a shallow breath before typing once more, trying not to give him the satisfaction of getting a reaction from you today, especially since you had your plan set up to get him out of this company.

“You know, it’s getting late. Why don’t we take a break and eat out?” The last two words were an obvious sexual innuendo, something that fitted the sleazy male’s profile perfectly, yet, the way his breath collided with your ear made you involuntarily push your chair into him as you stood, disgust written on your face as you tried to remain focused on the plethora of numbers on your screen.

You loved your job, mostly because you were great at it and it seemed to be as easy as breathing for you, but your boss, Andrew Kim, made it unbearable.

He was a transplant from New York, a big shot from the big city that your company couldn’t wait to have on board. He’s been cocky since day one, annoying and harassing everyone in sight but his work was phenomenal, his charisma and methods of persuasion astonishing. So, when he became your company’s COO in as little as a year, it was a devastating, but expected, surprise.

Ever since that day, he’s been more forward with his actions, groping you and your colleagues with no shame, whether you were alone or in a full room, no man or woman was left untouched by the hands that could make or break your careers.

“If you haven’t noticed, sir, the reports you took from my desk before they were complete have suddenly made their way back because someone blindly approved them despite the fact I never submitted these forms.” Each word came out more venomous than you intended but it’s only because you had so much more to say.

How this entire form was filled with errors of both commission and principle, how your entire department could have been fired if this wasn’t caught in time, how he needs to move his hands away from your hips before you grab the closest pen to stab them.

‘Just breathe, (Y/n), you’re almost finished. You just need to email this out and you’ll be fine.’ You thought to yourself, your hand gripping the mouse as the other typed out the last two digits.

Your eyes watched as it all autosaved, a smile on your lips at the small victory but it fell as quickly as it came, the sudden realization that his hands had made their way to your butt and was squeezing ever so gently causing you to angrily face him. You couldn’t hit him, you were still technically on the clock, but you couldn’t just stand there and take his shit.

“I’m not sure you realize that sexual harassment laws in Korea are synonymous to that of America.”

Your words had no effect on him as he stepped closer, watching as you moved back to avoid him only to be trapped between your desk and his chest. Your face tried to remain stern and bitter but the way your eyes shakily stared into his, the way your grip on your desk tightened in anticipation and fear as your legs crossed in a sad attempt to keep him away, it showed he was more than just your boss, he was a predator. And you were the small lamb he was going to devour.

“You see, (Y/n), the thing about those laws are that you need hard evidence to make them work. And, seeing as I know you better than you think I do, I know you have more than enough.”

You swallowed hard, your body relaxing in defeat at his words as you stared at him for any sign of a bluff but he was serious, a small smirk growing on his lips as he reached past you, your eyes trained on one another as he gripped the small webcam tapped behind your monitor, angled just enough to capture you and anyone who entered the confined space and enough to his the bright blue light that indicated that it was on and recording. Except it was off, the previous events not documented for the case you wanted to bring against him for you and your colleagues.

“Maybe if you hadn’t shared your plans with people who’d give you up in a heartbeat, it would’ve worked. And maybe, if you didn’t make every password the same, or think your computer was safer from me than any other in this office, you’d still have all those little files with all the videos and messages you were collecting.”

You could feel your eyes burning with unshed tears, a lump in your throat as you pursed your lips to hold back a sob. You took a deep breath, trying to hold yourself together, not wanting to look worse than you already did in this moment before regaining your voice.

“So what now? You’re gonna fire me?” Andrew looked away as if he were thinking, knowing he could make you leave for good to save his reputation or use your indisposed submission to his advantage. The latter was risky but what did he have to lose? His boss loved him too much to fire him.

“I have a meeting first thing in the morning and I may or may not bring up your behavior and how you’re a liability to this company. You’ll be in my office an hour before then and I’ll give you a job to do. Do well and we’ll see if I change my mind.” The tone of his voice made it obvious this was completely sexual, your mouth threatening to spill the swears you’ve been holding back for so long as well as the sobs building in your throat and chest, your fist clenching and unclenching as you tried to decide if punching him would be the smartest choice. But you loved your job. You needed this job. So what else could you do?

“Okay.” You mumbled softly, avoiding his eyes.

“Okay, what?” God, he was a dick.

“Okay, sir.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” He finally stepped away from you, giving you the space you desperately needed as you readjusted yourself, standing straight and no longer cowering in fear.

“Well, if you’re done here, you can go. And, remember, 8am sharp, my office.” He spoke in such a mocking tone as he began to walk away, leaving you in a state of mixed emotions, mostly anger and devastation.

You didn’t bother to shut down your desktop as you quickly grabbed your messenger bag and jacket from the hooks on your wall and rushing to the elevators, impatiently waiting as your teeth sank into your bottom lip, your eyes burning as your vision blurred, your mind racing with thoughts of what just happened and what’s to come, everything in your body screaming at you to breakdown but to also stay strong but the main thing you heard was your heartbeat, ringing in your ears as your anxiety kicked in, drowning you in utter panic as you tried to find some way to calm down but nothing was working.

You were so focused on staying calm and sane that you didn’t realize time had passed and you had been moving mindlessly, already sat in your car and parked in your driveway almost as if someone transported you there.

Minghao waved his hand over the laptop screen in his lap as he heard heavy footsteps and various keys clanging together just outside your door. He had been watching you all day, curious as to what your day to day life consisted of, only to be appalled and shocked by the end of it. Sure, he’s cut back on making your life miserable, trying hard to win you over to favor him, but now he knows there’s only one person who could hurt you more than he ever could, your boss. A strange bubble of bitterness mixed with an overprotective rage filled him at the idea of someone he thought was so strong and unassailable being broken down to nothing more than a sexual favor by someone so immoral.

The soft squeaking of the door’s hinges alerted him, causing him to place the laptop on your coffee table as you stepped inside, shutting but not bothering to lock the door. Your weary eyes met his face, causing you to roll them at the thought of having to deal with another bastard you couldn’t stand for the night. Instead, you ignored his stares as you kicked off your shoes and tossed your belongings on the ground, just wanting to crawl into bed and forgot about the pain you called life.

“(Y/n).” Minghao called to you softly, your body pushing past his as you maneuvered down the halls to your room.

“(Y/n).” His voice increased as he trailed behind you, your face forming a scowl as you felt his warmth right behind you, a hand suddenly gripping your forearm to stop you from moving.

“(Y/n)-”

“Can you leave me the fuck alone?! Why are you even here? Can’t you see I just want to be alone right now?!”

Minghao has seen you in many ways. Sarcastic and bitter, happy and drunk, even embarrassed and flustered from the first time he accidentally walked in on you using the bathroom. But this you, the one with glossed over eyes, a swollen and shivering bottom lip, and an angry yet timid and pleading voice, this wasn’t you. Not one that he wanted to see, that is.

You felt his grip loosen slightly, hoping he would finally listen and let you rest but, instead, he stepped forward, wrapping both arms around you tightly as you weakly tried to fight him off, his arms folded around your neck to drown out your protest as he slowly shut his eyes, a small breath slipping from his nose.

“I’m not going to leave you alone, (Y/n).”

Of all the blows he prepared for you to throw at him, his body unnoticeably flinching in fear of a punch or kick, he didn’t expect for your arms to wrap tightly around his torso, a loud sob slipping through your lips as you finally broke down. Besides sleep, this was what you needed most for the night: comfort. Someone to tell you it’ll all be fine even if it wasn’t, even if they didn’t know your situation. He may be a demon but, recently, Minghao’s been showing a more human side of himself, one that you were surprisingly beginning to warm up to.

Andrew watched the hands on his clock tick by, his head tilting in disappointment as they finally reached 9am. You hadn’t shown up like he asked, which was a bit skeptical since you were someone who’d kill and die for your job, but your absence made his decision about your position there easier to choose.

He sighed as he stood, grabbing his files from his desk as he headed out of his office door. Everyone was working as normal, his secretary checking through his list of appointments to slowly cross off your name.

“Did (Y/n) (L/n) cancel our appointment today?” Andrew asked, the young woman peeking up at him through her thin framed glasses.

“(Y/n) (L/n) hasn’t been here all morning. It’s strange.” She said the last part more to herself, curious as to how someone so enthusiastic about their job could suddenly not show up.

Andrew let out a small hum, a bitter smile on his lips as he turned and headed down the halls of the office to the conference room, five blurry bodies visible through the opaque glass. He eagerly stepped in, watching all but one stand to greet him. It was a young man who looked as if he was too young to be in this meeting, it was for COOs and above after all.

Andrew eyed him suspiciously, approaching him with a stretched hand.

“I’m Andrew Kim, COO. And you are?” Minghao’s eyes darted down to the waiting hand before trailing back to the male’s face, his gaze sharp and piercing as neither refused to look away.

“Xu Minghao, President of this company. Please have a seat.”

The men held their gazes, one filled with undeniable hatred, the other with disbelief and amusement. Nonetheless, Andrew slowly took his seat, placing his files on the dark cherry table before folding his hands on top of them, a smile gracing his face to deride Minghao’s stoic expression.

“So, “Mr. President”, what’s the first order of today’s meeting?”

“Your employees. Any complaints? Any praise?” He watched as Andrew jumped at the chance to open the files, your name slipping off his tongue easily followed by half-assed excuses to paint you as a bad employee.

Minghao’s mind wandered to you. How you opened up to him just a few hours ago, no words exchanged as he held you until you fell asleep, even taking extra precautions to make sure you didn’t wake up in time for his plan. Behind your assholish façade, you were sweet and defenseless, something Minghao felt was worthy of protecting.

“-and, the final straw, is that we had a meeting today for which (Y/n) did not show. I believe this calls for some kind of punishment.” Andrew said matter-of-factly, eying the other superiors who only stared at him blankly, unbeknownst to him that they were brainwashed, unable to respond to any of the words he said.

Minghao sighed, catching the male’s attention as he stood from his seat to pace behind it.

“My (Y/n) is probably one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met.”

“’Your (Y/n)?’” Andrew scoffed, eying the lanky demon that took small yet threatening steps towards him.

“You see, I’ve been watching you, Andrew. How you harass the workers here, threaten them, force them to do things to and for you in exchange of keeping their jobs. And you were planning to do the same to (Y/n) today, correct?” Minghao stood next to him, towering above him as he waited for a response.

Andrew abruptly, trying to not let the man towering him intimidate him with that knowledge, his eyes frantically finding the other CEOs and chairmen.

“Are you going to believe this man? He has never stepped a foot in this office until today!”

“They can’t hear you, Andrew. Even if they could, what could any of them do about it?” Minghao’s voice dropped an octave as he stepped back, glaring at Andrew as he let his anger take control instead of his logic.

Andrew gasped as he suddenly felt his airways clog, his eyes widening as he tried to grasp at the many stone-faced men for help, feeling lightheaded the further he struggled, Minghao’s eyes watching as he collapsed to his knees, crawling and gasping for air he couldn’t receive.

“I guess I’m just like you, Andrew. Abusing my power. Maybe I shouldn’t be so hard on you.”

Andrew let out a large cough, panting and wheezing as he felt the oxygen return to his lungs, his bright red face and tear-brimmed eyes staring back at Minghao who was suddenly in front of him, his eyes wide as he wondered who this man was and what he was capable of.

“I’d have so much pleasure in firing you-“

“F-fire me! I’ll leave! Please, j-just, don’t h-hurt me.” Andrew stuttered out, bowing to his demonic junior.

“I’d love to but I’d have more pleasure if you died. We’re both evil guys, Andrew, you should’ve saw that coming.”

“Don’t kill me! I’m begging you!” He stared up at Minghao, tears slipping from his eyes as he pleaded, his hands clasped tightly together in hopes he would change his mind.

“I’m not killing you. You’re doing it for me.”

As if a switch was flicked, his tears stopped falling, his body had risen from the ground as he stared at Minghao expectantly.

“Go to the roof, jump off. Consider this your termination, Mr. Kim.”

Minghao watched the mindless man tread out of the room and to the elevator, finding his seat and staring at the others who would have no memory of the day’s events.

“You are all dismissed.”

“Yes, sir.” They spoke in unison, standing one by one and exiting the office like zombies, the heavy door slowly coming to a close as he was left alone, listening closely to the complete silence before a loud crash was heard, quickly followed by loud screams and chatter from outside, a smirk tugging at his lips.

He slowly stood, readjusting the black suit he wore before checking the clock on the wall.

9:36

You should be up by now.

He shut his eyes and instantly found himself in your bedroom. You were nowhere in sight, the duvet and sheets left a mess but your phone laid right by your pillow, dinging every few seconds with messages from colleagues informing you that Andrew was dead.

Minghao didn’t have time to check when he suddenly heard soft sobs and sniffling, making his way down the hall to your living room to find you sitting on your sofa, a hand covering your mouth as you listened to the news reporter explain the details of his death, Minghao slowly falling at your side, surprised at how fast they covered the story.

“Andrew Kim, the 37-year-old COO of Hahm-Myung Corporations, was found dead just a few minutes ago by bystanders here outside of the company. Police on the scene believe this was a suicide and suspect no foul play. This story will be continued tonight at 6.”

Minghao quickly turned off the television, pulling you into a hug despite his indifferent feelings. Where you actually involved with Andrew in some way? Is that why you were so emotional to his death?

“This is all my fault. If I had just went to work, none of this would be happening. I can’t be-“

“This isn’t your fault, (Y/n). He was a terrible person who did terrible things to you and so many other people, maybe he just couldn’t live with the thought of that. But don’t say that this is your fault.”

Your eyes stared blankly at the black screen, your head slowly raising to stare at Minghao as you involuntarily sniffled once more.

“How’d you know that?” The question threw him off guard until he realized what he said, his mouth slightly agape as he tried to think of an excuse, letting you slip from his arms as you waited for his response.

You were opening up to him, finally giving him your trust and lying when you probably already knew the truth would just ruin that so coming clean could only set him back by so much.

“I’ve been watching you while you were at work. I just wanted to see what you dealt with every day and, honestly, if I didn’t, he’d still be alive and he’d still be making your life a living hell. I know I’m a pain in your ass but I’d rather be the only one, not with him.”

The confession and statement alone was mind-boggling, your eyes squinting at him as you tried to make sense of what his real motive was but all you could focus on was him saving you, being there for you when you didn’t ask him to, when he didn’t need to be. You’ve always wanted Minghao dead, or gone at least, but haven’t really took the time to notice how nice he’s been lately, from subtle things like holding a door for you to something as large as vengeful murder.

You slowly crept forward, tilting your head just slightly as you slide closer to him, your lips slowly pressing to his as your hand found his cheek. He was confused but excited, his wide eyes slowly shutting as he leaned into you, allowing his lips to react and move steadily against yours, his arm wrapping around your waist to bring you closer.

To say you haven’t seen yourself in this position before was a lie, to say you both weren’t a little scared was an ever bigger lie. But for some reason, it felt right, addictive. It made you wonder why you waited so long to do this, memories of bickering and fighting disappearing as you both slowly began to part, your eyes slowly fluttering open to stare at his slightly doe-like eyes, a shy smile playing on his lips as yours remained parted.

“Thank you.” You said softly.

That was over six month ago.

Since then, you two were completely different people. The walls and boundaries you built for one another quickly falling as you coexisted, almost as if nothing had happened in the past. You were inseparable, living as a normal couple and facing all and any obstacles that come with relationships, the major one was meeting each other’s families.

Your parents remembered Minghao from your friend’s weeding months prior, excited to see you both still together after so long, smiling and laughing with the demon boy although you couldn’t tell if it was his natural charm that pleased them or his mind manipulation. Overall, the experience was positive, everyone loving his presence and charisma, pulling you aside and begging you to not ruin it.

Today was your turn.

Minghao watched as you pulled the black blazer on over your navy blue button up shit, your eyes trying to determine if you should stick with your black skinny jeans or go with something lighter, shrugging it off as you dug through your closet for a pair of black sneakers.

“(Y/n), are you listening to me? This is really important.”

“I am, Hao. You wrote all the rules down for me, I memorized them, and I know not to leave your side because they may kill me but you trust them enough not to. I have to stay clear of Mingyu, Hansol, Chan, and Jihoon or be near them with someone else. Don’t do anything Wonwoo or Jeonghan ask me to, and don’t laugh at any of Seokmin’s jokes.” You said plainly as you gripped the doorframe of your closet to pull on your Vans, letting out a small sigh as you stood with a smile.

“Okay, let’s go.” Minghao stood and grabbed your hands, a smile unconsciously forming on his face as he watched you cutely shut your eyes, finally understanding how to deal with his convenient way of transportation.

Your body felt as if he were tingling, some spots burning slightly as he transported to his home, every gathered in their human forms as to not frighten you. Seungcheol was the first to stand as he approached you, a polite smile on his face as you slowly opened your eyes, amazed at the large and homey space.

“You must be (Y/n). My name is Seungcheol.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” You spoke timidly but loud enough to not seem wary.

Seungcheol motioned to the other 8 men sitting around as you removed one hand from Minghao’s, the other he refused to let go.

“These are our brothers: Jeonghan, Hansol, Junhui, Jihoon, Seokmin, Joshua, Wonwoo, and Seungkwan. The others are… somewhere.” All gave a mix of eager and limp waves, some muttering a slight ‘hello’ and you bowed politely.

“Wait, I’m here too!” You heard a voice call from the Kitchen, gaining your full attention as a tall black figure emerged.

“And this is Mingyu- What the hell did I tell you?! ‘Human form’, Mingyu!” Seungcheol screamed at the poor boy.

His demon form was simple but terrifying to most. He was gigantic, his head touching the ceiling which caused him to crane his neck to fit into the room. His body and face were completely black, leaving him to appear as a shadow with visibly grotesque claws and piercing red eyes. He shyly complied, returning to his “normal” appearance for you as he apologized profusely, your hand waving him off as an awkward laugh slipped through your lips.

“No, it’s fine. This is your home. If you’re comfortable in the form, please, stay in it. Don’t let me effect the way you live.”

Your words were sincere and sweet, Mingyu was almost tempted to take your advice. But, from the glare Minghao and Seungcheol gave him, he choose otherwise.

“That’s okay. I’m going to finish with dinner.” He quickly retreated to the kitchen, leaving everyone to awkwardly stare at one another as the situation was fairly new to all of them.

You never thought you’d be in a demon’s home nor did any of the demons there, present or not, think they’d ever have a human in their home. They all had the natural urge to toy with you, see how much they could drive you insane before you snapped but, for Minghao, they decided to behave, watching you carefully to see what made you so special from the millions of other humans they or Minghao have encountered in their centuries long lifetime. Well, not all of them. After all, Jeonghan, Wonwoo, and Seungkwan were the demons of tricks and mischief, it was in their nature to act out.

“(Y/n), can you check the temperature outside? I was thinking of going to the store before dinner.” Wonwoo said in an innocent tone, his eyes staring into yours as you hesitantly stopped your head from nodding.

“This is hell. Shouldn’t it be hot?”

“No. Our weather works the same as Earth. See for yourself.” Jeonghan said finding your eyes as a small smirk grew on his lips.

A small voice in the back of your mind was whispering ‘door’ repeatedly, something in your body making your limbs twitch to turn in its direction. But you remembered what Minghao said: don’t do anything those two said. You were obviously hesitant and mind manipulation was their only way to make you act.

You giggled as regained your focus.

“I can’t be manipulated, you know? Once you know someone’s controlling you, you can stop it. So, what’s outside that door?” You asked, an amused smile on Wonwoo’s face as Jeonghan’s smirk remained.

“Hell hounds. They’re the only creatures in hell that can smell human flesh and want to eat it.”

You nodded thoughtfully, feeling Minghao’s hand tighten around yours slightly as he glared at the two. It was their nature, what did he expect?

“Do you mind if I use your bathroom?” You asked shyly, Seungcheol looking to you with an apologetic smile.

“Of course. Upstairs and down the hall.” You bowed slightly and successfully pried your hand from Minghao’s awkwardly making your way up the stairs and away from the suffocating environment.

“I should fucking kill you.” You heard just as you reached the top of the stairs, chuckling at the failed attempt at whispering before heading down the hall.

You mentally groaned as you noticed there were 9 doors, two being the bathroom and the others possibly bedrooms or closets. You stared at each one skeptically, Seungcheol’s vague description not much help as you found yourself at the third to last door on the left. Your hand hesitantly gripped the doorknob, twisting pushing the door open and stepping inside, a soft gasp leaving your lips. It was a bedroom.

The room had a strange red lighting to it, making it both terrifying yet stimulating. The curtains were black as well as the bed sheets, very few items bringing different colors to the room. If it was less ominous, it could pass for a normal room. A television, a bed, a desk covered in materials for writing as well as a laptop, a shelf of books and other items.

“Like what you see?” You gasped again, turning to see Minghao behind you as he slowly moved past you, grasping your hand to pull you further inside with him.

“So this is your room? Doesn’t really fit how cute you really act.” You joked.

His arm wrapped around your waist to pull you closer, his lips tugging into a small smirk as he leaned forward, burying his face into your neck to allow his nose to graze the crook of your neck, slowly dragging upwards until his lips were at your earlobe. You yelped and pushed him away at the feeling of his tongue sliding inside of the canal, staring at him in disbelief as he just gave you a smug look.

“What’s wrong, babe?”

“You know I have sensitive ears and I especially hate tha- Wait, what’d you just call me?” You stood up straight, your hands curling into fist as he moved closer to you.

“I said ‘babe’. You’re acting weird, (Y/n).” He brought his hand towards you and you only stepped back, scowling at the now obvious stranger.

From the moment you and Minghao began dating, there was only one nickname he used with you and it was ‘bubba’. You two used to laugh and joke about some angry asshole that tried to start a fight with him for parking in the last spot at the movie theater, calling Minghao ‘bub’ every few seconds. It was hilarious. So much so you used it in your conversations to remember the moment, Minghao eventually recreating the word as he grown accustomed to using it for you.

“Who the hell are you?” You asked threateningly, not noticing the small snake wrapping around your leg and slithering up your back, its small head resting on your shoulder.

“I can be anyone you want me to be.” He spoke, his face changing from Minghao to Joshua, from Joshua to Andrew, from Andrew to some man you didn’t recognize, from that man to Park Bo Gum.

His face continued to shift to various people, the smirk still evident on his face as you heard a soft voice in your ear. It was your voice.

“He’s toying with you, (Y/n). No one’s here to protect you. You have to protect yourself. He thinks you’re an idiot, he thinks he so smart and funny. A punch to his jaw would be hilarious wouldn’t it? You know you want to. It’s the only way to make him stop.”

You let out a yell as you mindlessly let your fist collide with his face, knocking him off balance and causing him to stumble away from you, his head whipping up to glare at you menacingly as he held his face. It was Soonyoung.

“So much for not being able to be manipulated.” You heard an unfamiliar voice from behind you, turning to see someone you’ve yet to meet. He probably didn’t live here.

You let out a loud scream before a series of footsteps rushed to the doorway, Minghao, Seungcheol, and Junhui staring at the scene before them. It was almost like a renaissance painting.

“Hi, (Y/n). You found the bathroom?” Junhui asked, earning a glare from you, your anxiousness turning to utter anger as each demon tested you more and more.

“Soonyoung, Chan. Dinner. Now.” Seungcheol said, watching as they both moved past you without another word or glance, all of them heading back to the dining room and leaving you and Minghao alone. What was he, their leader?

A nervous frown was on your lips as you moved closer to him, your hands fumbling together as you tried to form words.

“I know nothing happened and I know you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s okay.” He said, already forgiving your silent but unnecessary apology.

He grabbed your hand and led you downstairs where everyone sat at the table, watching you and Minghao as you found your seats.

Mingyu carefully handed out the various bowls and plates on the tray to everyone, your eyes examining the brothy meal as he placed it in front of you. Meat covered with scallions and paired with rice and kimchi. You hesitantly grabbed your chopsticks before digging in, everyone staring as you picked at the small chunk of food.

“What is this?”

“Korean goat stew. I guess humans aren’t used to eating goat meat?” Jeonghan asked, his eyebrow raising slightly as if to challenge you.

You sighed in relief and quickly at the meat, letting out a small hum at the tenderness of the goat and the warmth of the broth, your eyes meeting his as you gave a small smile.

“Tons of humans eat goat, including me. And, no offense, but eating goat is the most normal thing that’s happened since I got here.”

That comment alone made them realize you were human. Of course they were treating you as a demon would any other human. But if they treated you as a demon would a demon? Most of them never fought or played tricks on one another, only in joking matters. Minghao did ask that they behave and treat you normally but for a human to be treated like any other creature in hell? It didn’t make sense. The way Minghao lovingly stared at you, playfully wiping some broth from your nose as you laughed together made them realize it was possible somehow, so why not actually try instead of half-assing their attempts.

After the twelve men passed the idea around telepathically, making sure to keep Minghao unaware, they settled on who’d speak first.

“(Y/n),” Jihoon spoke for the first time all day, your eyes widening as you faced him.

“We never asked about you. I think it’d be nice to know a little more about you.”

You cleared your throat as you readjusted yourself in your seat, an awkward smile and laugh leaving you as you looked at the group, all eyes fixed on you.

“Uhm, sure. I’m not really sure where to begin. Is there anything you’d wanna know specifically?” Almost in an instance, various response came, all completely different from the next.

For the first time that night, you felt at home. No one was a threat to you and they smiled and laughed with you as you answered and told stories, even the ridiculous ones about humanity for Joshua who would never get to experience it himself. You even got to know the others better, realizing that entities of hell were just the same as humans.

Jeonghan was nurturing to his roommates while Seungcheol was the strict but sometimes joking one. Soonyoung, Seungkwan, and Seokmin were hilarious together and apart, although one of Seokmin’s jokes nearly killed you. Vernon, Mingyu, Junhui, and Wonwoo were quiet and strange, off in their own world but coming back just long enough to grace the conversation with something weird but relevant. Joshua and Jihoon were actually sweethearts despite their positions in life and quite talented from what you were told of them. And Chan was observant and insightful, having almost all of their personalities in his off but somehow remaining his own person.

Everything seemed good and well as you laughed together before Joshua’s words pierced into your heart and caused everyone to freeze in fear.

“It’s too bad the only way we got to meet you was because of your deal.”

The deal. The one you and Minghao made almost eight months ago. You both were so caught up in each other that it was a complete afterthought but, now that he’s mentioned it, it was eating away at you. You could always pretend that the deal was never made, but then every time you think of how you two came to be, think of how the only reason Minghao came into your life was because you offered your own, it’d probably torture you.

You felt his hand grasp yours beneath the table, your eyes glancing at him to see he was already staring at you with a sad but reassuring look. Everyone scattered, some clearing the table while others moved to give you both space, anything to get away from the tense situation before them.

“Come with me.” Minghao said in a hushed voice, you both standing as he guided you down the hall just beneath the staircase, seven doors present on either side of the hall, one bathroom and six bedrooms.

Minghao opened the furthest one on the right, allowing you inside first. The room was lot brighter than Soonyoung’s but just as minimalistic. The small plush Kermit the Frog by his pillow caused you to let out a small, amused noise but it wasn’t enough to take your mind off of what needed to be addressed.

Once he shut the door, he stepped closer to you, finding his arms around you as a way to comfort himself more than you. He thought about your deal every day for the past six months, looking for loopholes and ways to get out of it but he couldn’t be summoned by anyone else, or even accept them, if your deal wasn’t complete. He hadn’t even eaten another human’s soul since he met you. In all honesty, he was starving, but taking your soul? It was a quick and easy solution but you couldn’t bring himself to do it, not at this point, that it.

“Let’s forget about the deal. We don’t have to talk about it or anything, okay?” He said softly, hoping you’d just nod and that’d be that, but you couldn’t.

You looked up at him with a sad smile before moving back from him, your hands moving to his as you swayed them between your bodies.

“Minghao, have we ever lied to each other?”

“Tons of times.” You couldn’t help but laugh at the response.

“I mean, since we’ve been together. We’ve never broken a promise to one another.” You sighed and looked at your fingers, your thumb brushing over his surprisingly warm skin as your eyes began to water.

“When we made that deal, I wasn’t ready to die. I lied about not being happy for such a long time, trying to do everything to get out of it, because I was afraid. But, if we just ignore all of this, it’d the first and biggest lie of our relationship. Even if it took almost a year, I won’t break that promise to you.” You stepped forward, your eyes scanning over his face as you let your tears finally fall, your smile never disappearing even at the sight of his own sadness, a small sniffle coming from his.

“I’m not afraid anymore, Hao. It’s okay.” You gently released his hands to bring them to his face, wiping away the tears on his cheeks only for him to grasp onto them as if they could save him and you, like you were both drowning and they were a raft to keep you afloat.

“It’ll all be fine, Minghao. I promise.” The bittersweet words left your mouth with ease. It was frustrating.

Minghao was thinking way too much and speaking way too little, his eyes watching as mouthed ‘it’s okay’ to him as you took another step closer, preparing yourself for your own death for his sake. He took a deep breath, shutting his eyes slowly as he continued to massage your hands, dragging them to his lips to place small kisses to them before letting go, opening his eyes to see your own shut, your lips twitching in anticipation as you tried to hold back a sob.

He placed one hand on your cheek, the other cupping your neck as he lowered his lips to yours, pressing his thumbs into your flesh as he inhaled slowly, your lips parting for a gasp as your body began to grow hot, your chest heaving at the pain as your esophagus burned, an almost transparent stream of baby blue air escaping you and flowing into his mouth. The movement was slow but painful, causing you to whimper at the sudden weakness you felt, your knees buckling beneath you but Minghao’s hands trying desperately to hold you up. He was tempted to speed the process up, to consume your soul in its entirety, but the one thing he learned from spending so long with you was how to stay humane. He reluctantly shut his lips, the remaining trail of your soul reentering your body as he placed a small peck to your lips.

You gasped, eyes bloodshot as you grasped your throat, panting loudly while Minghao’s arm held you, keeping you from collapsing on the carpeted floor. You looked around the room, finding his shocked face as he slowly sat you on the bed.

“Shit,” He breathed out as his eyes were trained on your hair, your free hand trailing to it as you tried to make sense of the situation.

“What happened?” Your voice was weak, cracking on the last syllable.

“I don’t care about the deal, I just want you here. Alive. I don’t need to make contracts with other people to get souls, I can just take them if I wanted to. But I wasn’t going to let you die, Bubba. I couldn’t.” You smiled slightly at the sound of your nickname, glad to be able to hear it again.

You shoved him playfully, your head resting on his shoulder as you grabbed his left hand.

“So, that means, you didn’t have to take my soul?”

“I was actually starving, sorry.” He giggled, his face growing slightly warm at the confession.

“But, the good news is, you’re alive. But you kinda look old now.”

“What?” You sat up, staring at him before rushing to your feet, ignoring the dizziness to rush out of his room.

You began to open and slam shut each door before finding the bathroom, the lights turning automatically on as you checked your appearance. Your face hadn’t aged at all, everything the same except your eyes that were temporarily red but you noticed your hair suffered a great fate.

White. Pure white from the roots to the ends.

You gasped as you raked your fingers through it, not sure what to think of the new transformation. Was it permanent? It sure as hell looked permanent.

“We can always dye it to cover the color.” Minghao said as he stood behind you.

Holy shit, it was permanent.

You groaned, rubbing your hands over your face before staring back at the mirror. It wasn’t that bad, it could make it work, somehow.

“It’s fine. Let’s go down before they think you killed me.” You half-joked as you gripped his hand, pulling him along and towards the stairs.

The boys froze at the sound of footsteps, all standing to prepare to comfort their now single friend.

“It’s okay, Minghao. Maybe the timing wasn’t rig- what the fuck?” Junhui watched as you stepped closer, Minghao is tow.

Everyone looked between you both for some kind of answer, anything to explain why and how you weren’t dead and why you looked like a banshee.

“He only took part of my soul. Now, I look like this.”

“I knew it wasn’t a bad time to bring this out.” Chan muttered as he resumed pouring glasses of wine, Mingyu rushing to find a glass for you.

Seokmin sighed as he grabbed the closest glass, Joshua and Wonwoo handing out the others, you and Minghao bowing to the demonic double agent as he finally reached you.

“(Y/n), we tried to scare you away. We’ve tried to trick you, and, most importantly, we tried to kill you. And, somehow, you survived.”

He held the glass up high, giving you a small nod as everyone followed his actions.

“Welcome to the family.”

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