#would they even exist had Iruma been the same but in a demon body?

[redrobin-detective]

Iruma is an invasive species within the Netherworld, and like many invasive species he will conquer if left unchecked.

We know at some point, humans and demons interacted though, at some point, they each became each other��s myths. I propose that the separation was intentional on the demon side, relegating humans to bedtime stories. They did this because they knew a single human could elevate or devastate the Netherworld. Humans are weaker in demons in most ways physically but their real strength lies in their cooperativeness and desire for community, adaptability  and perseverance despite adversity.

Right from the start, Iruma has unnaturally succeeded in a world that incredibly hostile to him. And yet from the start be began building relationships. We’ve seen demons don’t have much of a concept of ‘friends’ the closest being ‘allies’. The Misfits individually were lazy and self-centered which is what got them sent to troublemakers class. Only when Iruma reached out and formed positive relationships, created a foreign system of giving and receiving help did they really flourish. With each arc, we see the class cooperating and relying with each other more and more, even in individual events. Its helped them grow exponentially in power and personality and only occurred because Iruma planted the notion that they are stronger together.

Iruma is also extremely adaptable not only from his hectic upbringing but his innate humanity. Despite not knowing the context of what is happening during most of his day, he adapts extremely well. He uses what skills he gained in the human world by tweaking them to suit his needs and picked up new demonic skills (such as using Ali-san’s stored magic) very quickly. Part of the ‘special training’ leading up to the Harvest Festival was forcing the kids to break out of just using their bloodline abilities. Iruma has no power himself and thus isn’t limited in what he uses to complete a task. We’ve seen on a few occasions he wins simply because his opponent is too stuck in a particular way of fighting and thinking. Being able to think on his feet and not just stick to the familiar is what makes him such a fierce opponent.

Finally, we’ve observed that demons on the whole are self-centered and lazy. This is not always the case but overall many lack the ability to pursue or accept change. Even the Six Fingers is all about returning to origins and reviving Delkira, in other words, moving backwards. But since he arrived in the Netherworld Iruma has boldly moved forward. He integrated well into a completely alien environment and not only became popular but powerful very quickly. He worked hard to unlearn an ingrained skill (dodging) to win a contest going head to head with the most powerful student. Even when his fellows wanted to give up, his dedication and well known compassion helped win them the Royal One. He became an expert archer even when his master said most demons gave up, refusing to put in the effort. Challenges that most demons backed down from, Iruma charged on ahead.

Iruma used his ability to bring people together, to adapt to any situation no matter how strange and to see his ambitions through to go from someone who should’ve been eaten on day one to a stand out demon. Iruma himself is a kind, extraordinary young man but he also has a natural advantage in an environment he is unknowingly adapted to. It’s one of the reasons why he will eventually be demon king because who else deserves to stand at the very top than the creature who can outnumber, out-think and outlast any demonic opponent?

[meabh-mcinness]

In Sickness

Humans do not have 'Evil Cycles' it's true. However, they can bend under stress in other ways. Some lose their minds and others present more physical symptoms. With all the stress of parenting, working as a teacher, and doing your best to make sure no one figures out either your or Iruma's rather human status, it's no wonder you fall victim to a stress fever. Luckily for you, the resident gargoyle demon is more than happy to help nurse you back to health once he discovers your ill state.

This was originally created/inspired for @snippychicke because I love their Balam x reader story "For Sake of a Smile". While not finished yet it's incredibly well written and I would highly recommend it, also for Sleepylilacfox who writes "New Start: The Beginning of a Beautiful Life" on AO3 and wattpad which is a well-written FemIruma x Everyone story I highly recommend!

No TriggerWarnings! I think.

Main Masterlist

You quietly groaned at the massive headache that had made itself known to you the moment you had woken from your alarm. Head pounding, all you could do was curl into yourself just that much tighter. Pulling your blankets up further to block the almost nonexistent light from daybreak, you did your best to give the impression that you did not exist. If you did it well enough, perhaps you wouldn't, and then all your pain, physical or mental, would be gone as well.

Of course, you knew you couldn't. There were people who depended on you, Iruma depended on you. Never mind the entire school body of both students and teachers who needed you to do your job. And yet you just couldn't make yourself move, your brain just felt so slow and your body so heavy. Perhaps one day off wouldn't be so bad.

Right?

No, you needed to get up. There was paperwork to be done, you were supposed to supervise that new library project for Professor Farbas, and Professor Stolas was expecting your help with the greenhouse as they deconstructed the Harvest Festival. Slowly you started to undo your burrito wrap, mind racing with both nothing and everything you needed to do; like your classes needed teaching (who would have thought you'd be such a natural at your field) and you needed to –

"Fall back asleep, my lady." An even voice broke through the fog, and a cool hand placed itself gently onto your forehead, startling you. Red and yellow eyes stared unwaveringly into your hazy ones, slowly getting further away as you were gently pressed back down. When did they get here? There couldn't have been that much time spent after your alarm, and you hadn't even heard your door open, much less seen them come in.

"But Opera, I need to-" You started to get out and tried to push back up but were quickly silenced when they easily overpowered you despite still feeling like they were only barely touching you. Seriously, were you just that weak, or was the Cat demon just the embodiment of excessive strength?

"While I am not often in the business of disobeying my masters," that was a straight-up lie, they disobeyed Sullivan all the time, "it is my belief that what you need is a couple of days rest. You have been overworking yourself, the same as Master Iruma does. Had you been a demon, you would have already entered an Evil cycle, even now I worry you still will." Opera stated while fixing your blankets to lay over you properly again.

"Humans don' evil cycle," you tried to protest, slurring the sentence out. They only had mental breakdowns, and you did far more things at once in a shorter amount of time in the human world than here while staying completely sane. Honestly, you felt as if you had barely any work here and were taking advantage of Sullivan's kindness. For the most part you just spent your days reading, keeping an eye on the school library, and teaching classes. And when you weren't working you were hanging out with your family or the other teachers. You did occasionally (often) help others out as well, but not enough that you felt you had taken on to much.

"Royal one." They rebutted easily, cutting through your thoughts, causing you to flinch.

Iruma's overnight personality change had thrown you all for a loop. Though you had come out of your shock far quicker than anyone else seemed to; you were certain Sullivan was still traumatized. After all, Iruma was a teenager and more than deserved a rebellion or two after the life he had!

You also may or may not have let slip to the janitors that you were worried Iruma wouldn't know Kalego meant all the faculty employed at the school and not just the teachers.  Your own personal rebellion against Kalego when he tried to bully you into not helping the misfit class, but that was another story, and therefore another thought that needed burying at the moment.

After all, you had a feline to bargain with right now. Or make that felines, when you barely made out the faint pitter-patters of small feet coming into your room. The resident hellcats making their way in to back up their leader.

Before you could even open your mouth and try, though, Opera successfully managed to wrap you up in a sheet under the comforter so that you couldn't even try to get up. And on top of that, the two resident hellcats have decided to jump up and lay on top of you. You blinked in confusion, you hadn't been that deep in thought, had you? Still, you were determined to try, even if the blankets were so warm and heavy with the hellcats' weight, and you could just make out a light circling pressure on the edges of both sides of your temporal.

You tried to struggle but you barely even wiggled and succeeded only in making one of the hellcats readjust itself with a yawn and close its eyes again.  You were close to joining it, but still, you tried to hang on.

"O-per-a," you slurred out slowly before your traitorous body gave in to the persistent demon. Your eyes closed and you knew no more.

**********

You were quite rudely awoken by a quiet knocking sound later.

At first, you weren't even sure you had heard knocking or if it was the hellcats moving on. Still feeling the warmth but lacking a good amount of pressure made you decide it was simply them leaving and curled back up under the blanket. Until the sound returned, rousing you slightly more.

Groggily, you poked your head out of your blanket-made cocoon. You fully expected to have to shield away from the daylight, only to find the room pleasantly dark, curtains drawn shut.

You vaguely remembered Opera coming in and putting you back to sleep; one turn of the head confirmed that it wasn't a dream. A small tray with a kettle, two different-sized glasses, and what appeared to be a note sat on the bedside table. You would bet your life that the kettle and smaller cup were filled with steaming hot 

Hell-gray tea (Opera's specialty, for they never seemed to make anything else, though to be fair you wouldn't know what to ask for), and the taller of the two glasses with cold water. They must have closed the curtains as well on their way out. You would have to thank them later for their thoughtfulness, though you still felt this was all quite unnecessary.

You were drawn out of your thoughts once again by a third knocking. Still faint and barely there, though more easily heard now that you were more awake. You were tempted to drink some tea and bury your head, never to be seen again, but the knocker seemed quite persistent. Steadily getting louder and faster with each repetition. So, with a tired sigh and great effort, you heaved yourself out of your comfy bed, only to flinch at the cold floorboards.

'Whoever was at the door better have a good reason for being here,' you thought as you made your way out of your room towards the front door with heavy steps.  It surprised you, how slow you were moving. It was as if every muscle in your body had been replaced with lead and were still expected to move.

'Was the front door always this far away?' Perhaps it was a good idea you stayed home. If you were this slow and a student got into some kind of trouble, you would never be fast enough to help them in this condition. And after all, Opera hadn't said you couldn't do paperwork from home.

But first to deal with this intruder.

You swore, as you opened the massive front doors, that if this was some delivery Sullivan ordered for the nth time since you and Iruma came, you were going to tear him-

"Balam-sensei!" you choked out, surprised at the massive demon standing on the other side. This was most definitely not who you were expecting as your bleary eyes did their best to make out his pale skin and white hair from the blinding noon sun. If it wasn't for his recognizable dark clothes and eyes, your blurred vision might not have noticed him at all.

Squinting, you tried to look him in the eyes as best as you could, but the shine of his metal mask reflecting the already bright sun made it hard to look even close to his face, much less that high up it. You ended up settling on staring at his fur collar, watching it sway in the slight breeze. Just high enough to see his face in your preferential vision but low enough for his own body to block a majority of the rays.

To be honest, you did expect a delivery demon or even Kalego to drag you to work as one of the few people the misfit class voluntarily listened to. Not the resident biologist, whose happiness for the two humans' existence in the Netherworld could probably rival Sullivan's. Considering his rather high paranoia of discovery where you and Iruma were concerned, though, maybe this shouldn't have been such a shock.

And, oh, his eyes were crinkling with furrowed brows. At least you thought they were, it was hard to see the white eyebrows against his skin on your best days. Oh no, had he been talking this whole time?

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" you croaked out, wincing at the way your voice cracked. You had to focus! What if he was here to report a serious issue, and you were just standing there zoning out?

"Ah, I was just saying hello and how I noticed you weren't here today. Opera told the staff you were on the verge of an evil cycle," he started to fidget here, one hand raising to rub at his no longer shaved neck. You blinked, was it just you, or was his hair several inches longer than when you last saw him a few days ago?

"But when Iruma stopped by during lunch, he mentioned that humans just didn't have those." He eyed you questionably as if asking if his information was correct as he continued. You nodded in confirmation; it was true after all.

"We don't," you added verbally to his unasked question, "even if Opera is entirely convinced otherwise." You tilted your head to the side in confusion. You may have been a bit slow today, but "that doesn't explain why you're here, though?" The words slipped out before you could stop them. Never mind, you were slow today.

A matching set of flushed skin appeared on both of your faces, though for different reasons. Yours was for embarrassment for not being able to keep control of your own mouth, his for being called out. It was true, when you later thought about it, he could have simply phoned or even just asked Opera or Sullivan privately.  The hand rubbing his neck pulled away before awkwardly pushing his two index fingers together, eyes staring down at them as they pushed against each other repeatedly.

"I... may have gotten a bit anxious that it was something more serious and decidedly human, so others couldn't know. With my classes done for the day, I rushed over after Iruma left, to make sure you were okay."

You felt your heart clench a bit at his words. Seriously, how did this being exist? He was the literal embodiment of a giant teddy bear, and quite honestly, you wanted to give in and squeeze him in a hug. Thankfully, though, your brain hadn't left you behind that much, not yet at least. The longer you stood here though the more certain you were that it would.

"Thank you for rushing over to see me, but I can assure you I'm fine. I'm sorry for worrying you. The only reason I skipped today is that Opera trapped me in bed and lulled me back to sleep." You spoke nonchalantly, despite being slightly irritated at the whole thing. You were determined to get on Opera about this. Even if they were slowly being proven right, it didn't mean you were happy to admit it.

Some clouds flew overhead blocking the sun, leaving you in the blissful shade, almost as if the Netherworld itself could feel your frustration at the feline demon. Sighing in relief for your poor eyes you looked up at Balam properly and froze. Or, perhaps, the clouds had been a warning.

His entire body was tensed up and his eyes were zeroed in on you with such focus you honestly felt a bit like prey, much like the first time you encountered him. It took everything in you to not slam the door and hide in the deepest darkest corner you could find until safety arrived, or the threat left. You mentally shook yourself; this was Balam, he would never hurt you. Even if he could be intense at times, he never meant harm from it, often seeking the opposite result even.

"Ba-"

"You lied." He stated bluntly. Huh?

"I-Wha?" You were so startled by what he said you couldn't even form a sentence. Lied? When? Everything you stated was the truth as far as you knew. Opera had essentially trapped you; they had made it quite clear that you would not be leaving that bed even if they had to tie you down. While they hadn't physically said it, you could just tell that they would.

"You lied," Balam repeated, "Just now."

You shoved yourself off the door-frame you were leaning on (when had you leaned on it in the first place?) and stared indignantly at him. "What part of what I just said was a lie? I would expect you of all demons to understand Opera's strength especially compared to a normal demon much less-"

"Not that part." Balam interrupted, short-circuiting your brain. Not that part? But what other part was there? "When you said you were fine, you were lying," He took a step closer to you, hands reaching out to grasp your shoulders so lightly that if you didn't see them, you wouldn't have known they were there. "Where are you hurt? Was Opera too rough? Do you need medical attention?"

"I'm not injured though?" You blinked incredulously at him. You were certain you were not lying about that. Sure, you may still have a crazy strong headache and you felt dizzy just standing here, and your muscles did still feel like lead. Or maybe concrete the longer you stood here, or was it the other way around? It had been so long since your physic class days and your head was getting fuzzier by the minute. Regardless you were fine. You've experienced far worse things and still worked; this was nothing new.

His head tilted slightly and moved closer to your own. So close, in fact, that you could see that what you once thought were tiny irises were actually pupils, surrounded by incredibly light grey rings that made up his actual irises. To be honest you thought it was very pretty and slightly memorizing, especially in your current non-focusable state. So memorizing in fact that even though you watched them move back and forth across your face as if searching for something, you barely processed it.

"That's good, I believe you" You let out a sigh of relief at that, "however."

However?

Eh?

"Ehhh!? Balam-sensei!" you couldn't help but shout in surprise at suddenly being lifted into his arms. Your legs were thrown over one of his arms and his other arm supported your back easily, even lightly pressing you to lean against his chest. You gripped his tank top right under the fur collar tightly and closed your eyes in both shock and to protect yourself against sudden vertigo that plagued you from the unexpected fast movement. A furious blush spread across your face as you tried to comprehend what exactly was happening.

"Sorry, but you're swaying as if you're about to fall over. Even if you're not physically injured, you're clearly not fine." He apologized while walking into the mansion and shutting the door behind him with one of his feet. "Not to mention your eyes are glazed over and your face has been getting paler and paler since we've started talking. Where's your bedroom? I can't believe Opera left you alone in this state, I can feel the heat radiating from you more than normal and it's upstairs, is it?" Balam continued without stopping for breath even once, barely even acknowledging when you weakly pointed towards the large staircase in the center of the room, still dazed and flustered from your sudden position in his arms. If he was worried about you being pale, that problem had been fixed with the searing hot blush that covered your entire face to your ears and refused to leave.

Ah, you suddenly realized. This must be one of those famous Balam scoldings Iruma warned you about. You buried your face in his chest, silky fur collar tickling the top of your head like the feathers you saw in those ear-cleaning videos back in the human world. Briefly, you wondered if they had the same practices here. (Later you would find out that they did in fact do them and that Opera was trained in it. You obviously did not put this knowledge to use later on. Not at all.)

Pressed against Balam like this you could feel, more than hear him lecture. A low rumble in his body worked in tandem with the strong beat of his heart and gentle steps. Despite his grumblings, he was extremely delicate with you, with barely enough pressure from his arms to keep you in place and slow methodical movements as he made his way upstairs without jostling you. You could feel yourself starting to relax and zone out again as he continued to berate both you and the absent Opera. Who knew being chastised could be so relaxing?

He found your room rather easily, despite your lack of help after your initial point. While it wasn't the only, nor the first, room open on the second floor, it was the only one with both a strong smell of fresh tea and something undeniably you. Entering it almost cautiously, Balam gave it a cursory once over, unable to deny this small piece of instinct in unfamiliar territory while holding precious cargo. Deeming it safe he quickly laid you back in your bed and moved to pull your blankets back over you, fussing to get them just right. Once he deemed it good enough, he kneeled by your side and brushed some loose hair from your face, before settling his hand on your forehead.

Despite the mask covering half his face, you could tell there was a huge frown marring it. You wanted desperately to wipe it away. He had become too precious to you to have anything other than a smile.

"You're so warm," he mumbled, seeming to have stopped his tirade for now. That was nothing new. As a human, you had discovered that both your and Iruma's bodies ran hotter than the average demon's. To the point that you had even been mistaken as a fire-based demon by multiple others, which you had found quite funny considering your affinity for water and ice runes. You even laughingly reminded him of such before dissolving into a fit of coughs, body curling in on its side.

Oh. Oh no. No, you refused to believe it. You weren't sick, you simply must have choked on some air when laughing.

.....

That sounded weak even to your addled brain. Especially since the longer you laid here the more you could feel just how off you were. Seriously how did you not notice? Was the Netherworld so much better that you had forgotten what it felt like to be sick? The resounding yes in your mind was very loud and you chose to ignore it.

Well, you counseled yourself, at least you could tell Opera that they were wrong about the possible evil cycle. It was simply your body betraying you to whatever was infecting it. And oh, you were not looking forward to the simply insane fest that was going to occur when Sullivan found out you were sick. You mournfully resigned yourself to his hysterics already.

When the last cough rattled out of your chest you breathed harshly while unfurling your body again. Bleary eyes focused on the sudden appearance of a glass in front of your face as you recognized a sensation fluttering in circles on your back. You gave the panicked-looking gargoyle in front of you a grateful smile as you carefully leaned up, grasped the drink, and took a sip.

Cold water traveled pleasantly down your throat, spreading its soothingly frosty touch throughout your chest. Once you had your fill you handed back the glass and flumped fully down again. The pressure on your back never lets up once and you take a minute to fully savor the feeling. How long had it been since you enjoyed the touch of another like this?

The longer you laid here, focusing on feeling the ministrations on your back and just trying to breathe, the hazier you could feel your mind becoming again. Almost as if a fog was just rolling through your mind, blowing away any conscious thoughts and leaving only a mess behind. While you heavily disliked not being all there, never truly feeling safe enough to zone out, you much preferred it to the pain of the migraine you had woken up with.

Sullivan's desire for you to have the best of the best meant the fluffy bed you were laying on took away the weighted feeling of your lead filled limbs. Combined with your increasingly hazy mind meant you felt something similar as to floating in space kept grounded only by the feeling of the gargoyle's hand and the itchiness slowly growing in your throat. 

You could feel sleep trying to claim you again and you were honestly more than willing to answer its call. Now that you acknowledged you were sick it was easy to want to stay in bed and just sleep through it all. You were well acquainted with what would happen next and had no desire to actually be awake for it. As much as a tiny voice in the back of your head yelled that you should push through it, it was just as it easy to squish it when your brain went all fuzzy.

Until it abruptly stopped as Shichirou pulled away and said something. You didn't even bother trying to understand him and simply whined at the loss of contact, reaching out blindly towards where you thought he was. Briefly you wondered when you closed your eyes but just as quickly threw the thought out. It wasn't needed. What was needed you had decided, making grabby motions at him, was for the contact to continue.

One eye squinting open you found, quite frustratingly, he wasn't even looking at you. Instead he was moving things about on the tray as a sudden vine reached across the wall from your bedroom holding a small container. You watched him screw up the container and shake a small amount into the tea cup. Swirling the cup to mix the powdery mess with the tea Opera had left behind, he eyed it critically before nodding to himself and turning back to you.

Finally you had his attention, making another whining sound and reaching out for him again you ignored the cup and grabbed the outer part of his hand instead. A low chuckling sound hit your ears as his other arm wrapped under your side and gently hauled you up. With the cup now close to your face you couldn't help but wrinkle your nose at the off putting scent rising from it.

"Just drink this darling and I promise you can go back to sleep." You threw him your best (most pitiful) dubious glare before relenting and opening your lips just a bit. The slightly thick liquid that poured into your mouth reminded you of pepto bismal, if pepto tasted like oranges that was. When the cup was drained, he carefully laid you back down again, smoothing your hair out of your face.

"As promised I'll leave you be to sleep," he pushed b back one last stand and started to rise to leave. Leave? Well that certainly wouldn't do. You hand lashed out faster than it had any right to and gripped his again. Eyes widened in surprise as he looked at your combined hands before locking with yours with a question already on his lips.

"Stay?" You asked, a pout already forming on your lips at his possible refusal. "Please? Just till I fall asleep at least." His face softened immediately and nodded his consent.

Tugging his hand closer to you, so that his knuckles were tucked directly under your chin and the length of his arm ran down your body. Legs pulling up so his elbow was just barely locked in between your knees. You never fully realized how tiny you were in comparison before. The length of his forearm alone was the same as your torso's. Logically, in a different situation such a size difference would frighten you. But here and now, curled around something that could easily harm you brought only the feeling of safety.

It was rather easy to drift off to sleep in that position as his other hand came up and started petting your head, rubbing away any potential headaches before they could even start. When you were better again you might regret this (highly unlikely, you were going to treasure this feeling forever) but for now you would fully relax and just drift off.

**********

A shuffling followed by a quiet chuckling-like noise drew you out of your sleep. Groaning you opened your eyes to try to find the source of the disturbance in your sleep yet again. You were facing the wall with your vanity against it and able to, rather blearily, see your room door through it. 

Through the mirror, you could see a pair of bright red ear-like horns poking through a crack in your vine-covered door along with a blue scythe-like antenna just underneath it. Opera and Iruma your mind supplied and judging by the pale clawed hand far higher up the door, Sullivan was there too. But that wasn't what caught your mind addled attention.

Just behind you was an incredibly large moving lump sharing your blankets. It was only then that you realized that you were not only laying on something long and hard but that something of the same shape and size was carelessly tossed over your middle as well. Arms. You were being held by someone. That woke you up quite a bit. As your mind frantically raced to remember what happened before you fell back asleep again you felt said arms tighten around you fractionally as a muffled groan came from behind you. A groan that you were quite familiar with, even in its sleepy form.  

Balam Shichirou.

Was in your bed.

You were almost positive your head was going to explode from how hard you were blushing. Your hands drew up and covered your face as you fought the squeal demanding to escape your throat. As your memories came back, you vaguely recalled grabbing him and asking him to stay, but you didn't think he would join you in bed too! 

As if sensing your plight in his sleep, his large arms drew you further into his embrace, nose nuzzling into your hair in an attempt to soothe you. You didn't want to admit how much it made your body relax to feel it but as the tension left, you could feel sleep calling you again. Resolving not to deal with this when you were still in the throes of whatever sickness had claimed you, you resolutely turned away from the mirror and into the safety of the wall of flesh and feathers behind you.

"愛してる Shichirou...." You whispered as you fell back asleep, nuzzling back up against his warm chest as his arms unconsciously wrapped around you even tighter.

*At a later date *

"Thanks for the book, Balam-sensei!" Iruma said, antenna wagging happily as he held the new book to his chest. Unlike the heavy textbooks the human boy usually got with his classes, he quite enjoyed the picture books he got from the gargoyle teacher.

Said teacher leaned forward and patted Iruma's head, ruffling the blue hair about as he smiled at him.

"It's my pleasure, really. I'm just glad that you enjoy them and that they're so helpful to you." Balam said as he drew his arm back. "How are your studies coming along by the way?"

Iruma's eyes sparkled in pride, "I've gotten far better! I'm getting an average of seventies thanks to everyone's help! You, Kalego-sensei, Mom, Azz-kun, Clara, and everyone else. You've all helped me come so far, and I can't wait to go further!" Iruma clenched one of his fists in determination.

Shichirou looked at the small human boy and felt something akin to parental pride. To a demon ambition was everything, and to see this child who had such a big disadvantage in the Netherworld giving his absolute all to see his goals through, and manage it. It was amazing and reminded him all the time why he found living things so beautiful.

Among other beings. Which reminded him...

"Hey Iruma-kun," Shichirou started, as he unconsciously drew the boy into his lap to pet him some more, "I have another human question if you don't mind?"

Iruma tilted his head in confusion, giving a rather devipup image in his mind, before nodding his head in consent.

"What does 愛してる mean in the human language?"

"....Eh? EHH!?!"

___________

*Fun fact; 愛してる (or ai shiteru in romaji) translates roughly to I love you and is only used when the person is absolutely certain in their romantic feelings for their partner. The meaning is so strong that it's actually very rarely used in real life, even between married partners!

Or at least that's what my studies say ^u^'/ If you're native Japanese please correct me if I'm wrong!

This turned out way longer than I expected it to, which is part of the reason it so long to get out(it was supposed to be out in Nov ಥ ͜ʖಥ). The other is that I actually fell into a stress cold, because of course I did, while in the middle of writing e.e and then life struck. But hey, it's out now!

Also I may or may not make Kalego and Opera versions of this

[snippychicke]

For the Sake of a Smile (V.2) Chapter Fifteen)

Title: For the Sake of a Smile (Revised)

Overall Rating: Mature (18+)

Chapter Rating: M for Mature. We've begun the 18+ content

Trigger warnings: Nothing beyond the child abuse hinted in the series, though we do explore the consequences a bit more.

Main Pairing: Balam Shichiro/Reader

Summary: Hell on earth was your motto for your job. Granted, you were pretty sure earth really was hell, considering the shit you had seen in your life. And the fact your coworker was a child. 

A child named Suzuki Iruma, in fact. A kid who’s life was decidedly worse than yours, but yet he smiled despite everything. It wasn’t long after meeting him that you decided you’d do a lot for his smile. Including summoning a literal demon and signing your soul away.

But as it turns out, hell (The Netherworld, actually) was a lot better than living on earth. Demons were more humane than a lot of humans you knew.

And Iruma’s smile wasn’t the only one that would change your life.

Masterlist | Ao3| Mairimashitai! Simps Discord

The next morning you were lost in your thoughts as you walked towards Furcus's prep-room that she shared with Dali, arms laden with the books that you had convinced Sullivan --Dad-- to find (which he hadn't even hesitated over, wrapping you up in a hug as he promised to do his best). The next you were literally swept from your feet and being cradled gently but firmly to a familiar chest, shoulder-length white hair tickling your nose.

"Shichiro!" You laughed as you clutched to him, careless of the books that had been unceremoniously dumped on the ground.

"Good morning," Shichiro mumbled as he buried his face in the crook of your neck.

"Good morning," You agreed, your whole body feeling warm and your heart light. "How are you this morning?" You asked, raking your fingers through his hair, careless of the looks you were garnering from the students in the hall.

"Good, you?" He asked, pulling away enough to look you meaningfully in the eye. 

And really, compared to how you had been, you could answer him honestly. "Better. Much better." You showed him the vines that were no longer barbed or black, though still looked a darker shade of green then they had been. His expression brightened, and you were sure there was a wide smile behind his mask. You gave into impulse and leaned forward to press a kiss to his forehead, and felt as well as heard his sharp intake of air. The cold metal of his mask contrasted with the warmth of his breath as he pressed his face against your neck.

You cursed the mask's existence, part of you yearning to feel his lips ghosting across your skin instead of his breath. 

"Really, Shichiro?" Kalego sighed as he added your name with the same hint of annoyance. "It's far too early in the morning for such public displays." 

"You're just jealous," You teased, clinging to Shichiro as you looked down at the dark-haired professor. You were sure your cheeks were as flushed as Shichiro's, though that hardly stopped you from grinning impishly.

"Disturbed is more-so the correct term," Kalego shot back, clearly unamused with his eyes narrowed. "You're both making a scene in front of the students."

There was a rebellious part of you that wanted to make more of a scene; but that would mean removing Shichiro's mask, and you weren't sure he would be happy with you doing that in public. Even if it was to show how much his scar didn't bother you in the least bit as you covered it in kisses. 

"Oh, right." Shichiro mumbled, sounding rather embarrassed as he carefully set you down before picking up the books you dropped. "Sorry."

"Don't be," You answered honestly as you accepted the books back, though you weren't sure if his apology was toward you or Kalego. Either way, you gave him a smile as you brushed his hands with yours. "You just made my day a hundred percent better."

He smiled behind his mask, cheeks a deep pink as his fingers brushed yours as he allowed you to take the weight of the books. "I'll see you at lunch then?"

You nodded your head, silently hoping that this time around, things would be less… emotional and allow you to actually enjoy the fact he was as interested in you as you were in him.

"I don't want to know," Kalego once more interrupted your daydreams. Your face felt as warm as Shichiro's dark-red cheeks looked, and the relatively-smaller demon tugged at his friend. "Come along, Shichiro. I don't trust you two alone at this point."

--+--

It was no secret that the entirety of Babyls faculty and students knew about you and Shichiro courting. Looks and conspiratorial giggles followed you through the halls, and you found even more students attempting to watch you nonchalantly yet failing utterly.

Though after the revelation of Iruma's classmate Purson, you wondered how many more were watching without you noticing.

But really, you couldn't care less at the moment. Your heart as well as your mind was happily drifting on cloud-nine as you went through the day, eagerly awaiting the noon hour.

"Ma'am?"

You looked up to see the half-dozen students that formed the small Library Battler; headed by Furcus and her love of knowledge, they had been a large part of helping organize the library.

Furcus had teased you were also stealing her students' affections from her. (Well, you had assumed it was one of her dry teasings.)

Yet today, instead of vibrating from excitement about some new rare book their teacher had shared with them - or fuming with righteous anger of another student disrespecting a text - the six young demons looked unsure; most of them stood behind Mneme, the fifth-year student leader of the batra.

"Who did what?" You asked with a sigh. After all, they would only pull their noses from a book if it was something important.

"We heard you've... accepted Professor Balam's offer to court." Mneme continued, clutching her book tightly. "While we are not skilled fighters like many of our peers, we wish to offer our assistance."

You blinked owlishly at them, sure you misheard or misunderstood. "Assistance...?"

"Professor Balam, while one of the more powerful of demons, and skilled with the knowledge regarding biology of both flora and fauna of the Netherworld," Alim offered as he peeked around Mneme. "He also has... questionable hobbies."

You groaned, "Devi, not that stupid rumor again. Professor Balam does not experiment and torture students. Yes, he can be a bit handsy and enthusiastic at times..." Which weren't exactly negatives in your book by any means.

"We're aware of that, Ma'am," Ji-Su interrupted as you trailed off, your mind trying vainly to clamber into a daydream of being wrapped up in Schichiro's arms, him mindlessly stroking your hair as you nestled in his lap, safe and happy. But this time, instead of platonic, you could be sure of his feelings for you. "But we mean his other hobbies."

Other...hobbies? "Huh?" You asked, mind turning to try to figure out what they were talking about that would warrant such a sneer in their voice.

"Well, the picture books," Ismene admitted with a whisper. "What kind of self-respecting demon - let alone a professor of Babyls - likes picture books?"

"His picture books? That's what's got you all up in arms?" A soft snicker escaped first, before you started laughing whole-heartedly, or maybe it was hysterically. Devi, they had issues because of that?!

"He is a teacher!" Mneme protested. "Ma'am, as powerful and intelligent as he may be, you have to admit it's disconcerting."

"I wouldn't say disconcerting," You defended with humor still coloring your tone. "I actually find it quite adorable."

"We are scholars," Wasi spoke. "Such things are beneath us! Professor Balam is one of the leading scholars when it comes to biology."

"And imaginary creatures!" You protested, for some reason feeling like you had to remind them that he was knowledgeable about both.

"Well, yes, but again that's hardly something a demon with his status should be focusing on!" Memne scoffed. "Theories that can never be proven, and books that dumb down knowledge are beneath him! Beneath Babyls!"

Ah. Now you could kinda see where they were coming from. Not that you agreed - and definitely didn't want to argue about how imaginary wasn't quite as fictional as they thought. 

Instead, you switched back to the topic of Shichiro's picture books. "But I believe it's a testament to his knowledge of subjects to be able to explain it in such simple terms. If we didn't have picture books, how hard would it be to capture the interest of small children? Also, while imaginary creatures are impossible to prove, I think it's a great mental exercise. And plus, have you ever seen his drawings? They are so cute!"

The group of young demons looked at each other, doubt and suspicion on their faces. "Perhaps she is just as mentally unstable as the professor after all," Wasi murmured non-to-quietly. 

"Hey! There is nothing wrong with enjoying picture books, let alone creating them!" You defended, your humor slowly melting away. "Creating cute pictures to entertain along with funny little stories to help explain the intricacies of complicated subjects in a way others can understand is an amazing talent. It's part of the reason that I fell in love with Shichiro! Those books helped Iruma --and myself-- so much on subjects we were struggling with!"

You realized you might have said a little too much in your passionate speech, judging by the looks the Literature Battler - as well as the other students - were giving you. How were you going to salvage this?

"Both me and Iruma... didn't have the greatest resources growing up," You explained awkwardly after a long pause. "Especially before the Chairdemon found us. So, to be honest, our knowledge of some fundamentals were... spotty at best. Professor Balam's books helped a lot to fill in the gaps, bringing both joy as well as understanding."

Silence still reigned over the library, making your pulse seem even more deafening in your ears. That dark whisper started to crawl back from the dark recess of your mind, pointing out how much you had screwed up. 

"Ma'am, did you just say you loved Professor Balam?"

Mneme's question made that whisper shut up despite the flush of your cheeks. You had said that… but it was nothing you were ashamed of, persay. You crossed your arms and jutted out your chin defiantly. "And what if I did...?"

The students looked at each other with silent nods confirming whatever they were thinking "We concede," Mneme spoke, giving a slight nod as she turned back to you. "You have always been an unorthodox teacher..."

"I'm a librarian, not a teacher."

"And as the librarian - with a love of knowledge that rivals Professor Furcus - we must admit we obviously have more to learn from you." Mneme replied. "Nor did we mean to insult your beloved."

You opened your mouth a few times to argue - or at least say something - but words escaped you until the bell screamed. "Just, uh, be more willing to think outside the box-- and apologize to Professor Balam, not me!"

The students made varying noises of agreement as they left. You wondered if admitting that you loved Shichiro was too soon, but you couldn't deny your feelings. You had been enamored by the giant demon for quite a while, and you had still had difficulty understanding why no one else had taken to him before your arrival to the Netherworld.

And he cared for you. So you were going to cling to your feelings, digging your heels in as well as your metaphorical claws. 

--+--

Shichiro was waiting for you in his prep room as the lunch bell rang, a small buffet set out on the coffee table, the smell causing your stomach to growl. 

"Hungry?" Shichiro laughed lightly at the soft noise, making you blush as you entered, touching your stomach as if to make it behave. 

"Maybe," You answered with an embarrassed chuckle, taking a seat as he closed the door. "I don't quite have Iruma's appetite, but it has been a while since breakfast." 

He sat next to you, his large body pressed against yours and his arm wrapping around your waist. As soon as you had a plate full of the offerings, you found yourself curling into his side.

It reminded you of the evening after Walter Park, the first time you saw his face without his mask. Learned how strong and powerful he was. 

Woke up to that soft smile of his. 

"I'm so relieved to see you smiling again," Shichiro admitted, casually stroking your side. It didn't tickle, but caused goosebumps to race across your body. 

"I'm sorry," You apologized, and held up a finger when he tried to argue. "Let me explain. I was talking with Iruma last night, and kind of… had a revelation. And making you guys worry while trying to pretend I was fine wasn't… the best thing to do." 

He hummed thoughtfully. "I still don't believe you need to apologize. When demons have their evil cycles, they're not held responsible. Strong emotions are impossible to control. But if there is a way for us to help you next time, I would love to learn about it." 

"Hopefully there won't be," You sighed. "I mean, I still worry that I'll mess things up, but…" A lot of it had been because you were so full of love for this giant demon, and so sure that he couldn't - or wouldn't - return your feelings.

His hot breath was suddenly ghosting across your skin as he leaned over to press a kiss on your cheek, his mask settling on the table. "I'll be here to protect you, I promise. You and Iruma. " 

Your pulse quickened, both from his words and his gentle kisses. You quickly abandoned your plate and shifted to meet his lips with your own, a new appetite growing in the pit of your stomach. Especially as Shichiro groaned lowly against your mouth as you teased his lips with your tongue, running it along his large exposed teeth before brushing his own larger tongue. A soft, almost cautious touch to assure you weren't overstepping. 

He was far less gentle as his tongue chased after yours, quickly invading your mouth as his body shifted against you. His large hands helped move you to lay back on the couch, allowing him to hover over you, one arm bracing his weight from crushing against you. 

You liked this. You really liked this. It lit a fire in your chest and loins, chasing away any self-doubt. Studying his thick hard muscles with your hands, enjoying his odd mix of rough and tender affections. His kisses were hard and desperate, as if he had been starving, yearning to taste and explore every bit of you. 

Yet his hand was soft and careful as he squeezed your breast through your shirt or studied the curve of your waist and hips. As if you were made of glass and he was afraid to break you. 

But devi, you wanted to be broken. To be laid bare and utterly fucked by him. You tried to convey that as you mimicked his kisses with your own desperation, shifting your legs open so your hips could meet his. 

He groaned as he rolled his hips against you, the prominent bulge pressing against the junction of your thighs. You didn't know which affected you more, but decided it really didn't matter. 

You just needed more. More of the noises, more of him pressing against you. More of everything that made Shichiro Shichiro. 

"Please," You whispered between kisses, breathless and needy. "Please, Shichiro. I-I need you." 

The noise he made against the sensitive flesh of your neck was a cross between a growl and a groan. His hand grasped your hip, fingers digging into your flesh as he rutted against you. "You have no idea how long I wanted you to say those words. How long I've wanted you like this. My precious sweet human." 

It probably wasn't the healthiest way to bolster your self esteem, but there was no denying how it made you feel. To feel and hear how much he wanted you, that he found you desirable in the most basic of senses made your heart soar and also stirred your own arousal even more. Your fingers pulled at his shirt, desperate to feel more of his skin. To be able to run your fingers along his abs and chest. To see if there was any difference between him and a human. Did he have hair? Feathers? Scales? 

Either way, you wanted to touch him. Discover more about the demon you loved. 

Something heavy wrapped around your wrist, making you freeze. Four sets of claws pricked your skin. And Nigyul's chirp was unmistakable in the sudden silence.

"Shichiro? Why is Nigyul holding onto my arm?" You asked after a moment, feeling the wooden dragon settle deeper, nuzzling your hand with his damp snout. 

The demon sighed as he sagged against you almost… embarrassed? "Well, you know how he feeds off my mana?" 

"Yeah?" You answered, still perplexed. What did that have to do with the dragon cuddling your hand right now? 

"Well, mana is affected by emotions and those emotions can also affect beings that feed off it." 

You hazy thoughts struggled to piece the information together and compare it to the situation. "Are you saying he's being cuddly because of your feelings for me?" 

"Well, roughly. More like he, uh, may see you as my mate?"

He pulled back enough to meet your eyes, the deep pink of his face contrasted by both his pale skin and deep black eyes. "... is he trying to mate with my hand then?" You asked, deciding not to touch the term 'mate' quite yet (especially given your current position.) You focused on Nigyul clutching to you, completely still and definitely not pressing any 'bits' against you, unlike Shichiro himself. 

Shichiro chuckled awkwardly, looking thoroughly embarrassed. "No. He just wants to be close to you… rather like myself."

Your worry faded as you touched his face with your free hand. "I like being close to you too." 

The smile that crossed his lips made your heart skip a beat. So wide and happy. You pulled him closer, your kisses soft and tender despite the way your blood was virtually boiling with lust. 

"Okay. Nigyul," You muttered after a long moment of tender kisses that were doing nothing to help your situation. "I love you but I would really like my hand back." Your arm was trying to fall asleep between the dragon clinging to it and the awkward way you had it wrapped around Shichiro's large shoulders. 

Nigyul protested with another chirp as you tried to dislodge him and only held on tighter. 

Shichiro carefully shifted, pulling away from you and sitting up. He scruffed Nigyul like one would a kitten, though grabbing his vines instead of fur. Like a kitten, the small dragon seemed to freeze and go limp, letting out a rather pitiful cry as Shichiro lifted him off your arm. 

"I know you want to be close to her," He chided softly while you begrudgingly sat up as well, shifting so you were still pressed next to Shichiro as he coddled the dragon. "But you can't cling to her like that." 

The dragon huffed but sunk into the scritches Shichiro offered in compensation. The dragon started to trill, especially as your fingers joined in on the pets. As frustrated as you were, you had to admit logically it was a good thing that the kitten-sized dragon had disrupted the moment. The clock on the wall showed the lunch hour was nearly over, and having time to unwind before returning to the library was probably a good thing. 

However, whereas your arousal was overall easy to hide, Shichiro's definitely was not. From him rutting against you, you had a good idea of his size - but seeing the actual tenting his member caused in his pants made you realize he was far bigger than your earlier assumptions.

"So… is that something in your pocket, or…"

Shichiro flushed as he shifted in his seat, as if that would hide any. "I am so sorry," He mumbled, and you grinned as you saw the tips of his ears turn bright red.

"It's nothing to apologize about." Not when you were trying your hardest to keep your mind from wading deeper into the gutter. "Though, I suppose it's going to make teaching, uh, hard."

There was another groan as he covered his face, making you laugh lightly despite his apparent discomfort.  It was just so odd to you, considering any man on earth would likely be boasting if they had anything comparable, and likely try to swindle you into helping. 

But not your sweet demon. "I can, uh, handle it," He admitted after a moment. "Before leaving. You…should probably get back to work."

Annnd your mind freed itself of its tether and jumped straight into the deepest part of the filth, happily supplying you with images of him dealing with it; legs spread wide on the couch, head tilted back as he panted for breath, hand wrapped around himself as he quickly worked...

Would… would he think of you? Call your name as…

"I can help," You blurted out, before freezing as he met your gaze. His face was a bright red, eyes wider and darker than before. You could hear him swallow thickly as his breath caught, as if struggling to process your words - or maybe struggling to accept them.

You gathered up your courage, keeping your eyes focused on him as your hand drifted downwards - trailing along his chest. You wanted to be sure you weren't crossing any boundaries; but there was no signs of that in his expression, just eyes hazed with lust as you felt him switch from being unable to breath to short shallow gasps.

Even feeling him through his pants, you could hardly believe the girth pressing against your palm. There was a kind of primal delight watching his expression shift as you rubbed your hand against him through the fabric, his eyes fluttering close and his lips parting slightly.

It gave you the courage to shift slightly, giving your hand more room to work as you asked in your best sultry voice. "Can I help you, Shichiro?"

"Please," He whined quietly, making your stomach knot even more. How in heaven and hell were you supposed to deny that? Not that you had any intention to, but fuck.

It gave you the courage to find and loosen the fastenings hidden in the folds of his pants, partially aware of Nigyul deciding he had best leave you two alone. Vines gently pulled the dragon back up into the ceiling, and truthfully, your mind was so focused on other things you didn't notice where he went after that. 

His cock met your hand, making Shichiro groan as your fingers traced along the hard shaft as you guided it free. You wanted so, so badly to take your time; both to study his member since you could feel hardened skin - reminding you of the different texture of his forearms - but also just to draw out his pleasure. There was a certain delight in watching him struggle with control as you stroked his cock with a careful touch; his eyes screwed shut, fingers digging into the couch, breath coming in harsh gasps...

The power was intoxicating as you leaned closer to him, lips marking his neck as your hand pumped along his cock.

"Is that good?"

His head nodded quickly as he swallowed thickly, a whine escaping his throat as you tightened your grip. You hummed in approval, "Good, got to make this fast though. What do you need?"

"You," He gasped out your name, "Just need you. Just like this. Please."

You smiled against his neck, peppering little kisses. You. How could that little thing make your heart race even more when you were already in this kind of position?

"Think of me then," You whispered, some part of you mortified by what you were thinking - saying. But hell, you were so far gone you didn't care. "Because I certainly am. I can just imagine what you'd feel like stretching me out, your hard cock buried deep inside me." His hip gave a harsh, barely-contained thrust as his breath became ragged, making you grin. "You're so big, Shichiro, I'm going to be so tight around you, but I want every inch of you inside me. Just the thought of you railing into me has got me all wet."

You could feel the pre-cum leaking over your fingers, making your movements easier, and allowing you to go faster over the rougher skin. Just the way he was trembling and gasping and you knew he was close, his hips rolling to every movement.

Devi, how much would he release when he came? The thought made you clench both your hand as well as your core. More than enough to probably stain his pants, but there wasn't exactly anything else to catch…

Well.

You licked your lips. He was big, but you could probably fit at least his head if not more - and it might set him over the edge.

He cried your name as you pulled away, sounding desperate as he grabbed your arm. You gave him a reassuring smile as you moved from awkwardly straddling his lap to kneeling between his legs. His eyes widened as his breath caught once more, realizing what exactly you were up to.

You were fairly sure it was the first time you heard him swear as your lips wrapped around him. You were also sure you heard the couch cushion rip again as he thrusted up into your mouth. Devi - he was huge, barely able to fit just his head in your mouth without gagging; so you continued using your hands as you sucked and swirled your tongue against his member, bobbing your head every so often to see if you could go just a little bit deeper.

He was soon chanting your name with a pleading tone, making you push even harder - forced to take him deeper as you sucked. The hand that had grabbed your arms was soon buried in your hair; though you could feel him still struggling with himself as he'd grip, release, and grip again - afraid to hurt you.

Hanging on to that edge when you just wanted to make him let go.

You grabbed his hand and encouraged him to grip tight, pulling your hair. A moan echoed from your throat as his hand soon tangled in your hair and pulled you closer - and that was all the more it took.

His hips arched off the couch as he thrusted sharply, driving deep into you. You could taste and feel him cumming inside your mouth; warm, earthy, and more than you could easily swallow no matter how hard you tried. But the small bit of cum leaking from your lips would be easier to clean than any other option.

You finally pulled away when he was spent, being careful not to make a mess as you wiped your lips and chin. Satisfied pride filled your chest as you looked up at Shichiro, who was more or less a panting mess as he slumped back into the couch; his cheeks and tips of his pointed ears flushed red, eyes closed in bliss.

You wanted to climb back in his lap; covering his face, neck, chest in little kisses, but knew that was definitely off the table.��

For now.

"You know you're already ten minutes late for class, right?" You teased instead as you climbed to your feet. He groaned as he covered his face, muttering something under his breath. You chuckled as you guided his cock back in his pants and refastened the hidden zipper and clasps before leaning to press a kiss to his cheek. "What kind of example are you setting right now, Shichiro?"

"Are you really human, or actually a succubus in disguise?" He grumbled, peeking at you between his fingers, making you laugh.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

--+--Su-Ki-Ma --+--

As it turned out, Balam's class after lunch was the Misfit Class. No one really noticed the first few minutes after the second bell when their professor didn't show, too wrapped up in discussing ideas for the music festival.

But after five minutes, they started to question his absence. After all, he wasn't one to run late - unlike a few of the other teachers. And after ten…

"You don't think something happened, do you?" Iruma posed to the rest, feeling anxiety bubble up.

"Obviously you didn't train with him," Sabnock said as he clapped a hand on his rival's shoulder. "I'm positive nothing could defeat our teacher."

"Agreed," Asmodeus stated with a frown. "So, what could be delaying him?"

Just as Asmodus finished the sentence, the door opened with a bang and Balam rushed in, looking more than a little frantic.

"Sorry for being late. I, uh, well, it, uh, doesn't exactly matter. I won't dull you with excuses. Let's see, where exactly did we leave off…"

Silence lingered as Balam ruffled through the books on his desk as the Misfit class shared confused and worried looks.

Except for Elizabetta, who tilted her head as she studied him for a moment. "Professor?" She called, raising her hand out of habit. Balam froze as he looked up at the student. She smiled sweetly as she tapped her cheek, "You have some lipstick right here."

Everyone shot the blonde demon incredulous looks; there was definitely nothing on Balam's cheek - the mask covered most of it.

But then Balam turned blood-beet red, and rubbed at his mask.

"Yes - well, um, there is a perfectly normal explanation for that." He paused as he looked at the student again, his blood-line trait ringing in his ears - barely audible over his own heartbeat. "You were lying."

Too late, however. Nearly all thirteen students of the misfit class had mischievous grins on their faces.

"You and Mom share lunches, right?" Jazz offered, crossing his arms haughtily. "Good thing she doesn't usually wear lipstick."

The flush on the professor's face only became darker making most of the class grin like the demons they were. 

[danganronpa-fantasy-au]

Kaede Akamatsu is the princess of the kingdom of the bards, Meoria. She is known for being a strong leader and a beautiful musician, with just as much golden fingers as her golden heart. She and her twin sister, Kaori, often spend their time among the commoners in order to better understand and provide for their people, preparing for the day Kaede becomes queen.

Rantaro Amami is a traveler who travels on the ocean sea, conquering new lands, taking over pirate crews, and going on adventures far and wide. He is the most renowned for taking more lands for the king and queen of Meoria. His conquests are marked with the fact that he is an impeccably charming man, capable of enchanting anyone who dares stand in his way, making him perhaps the most ruthless and dangerous conqueror to exist thus far.

Ryoma Hoshi is a prisoner in the dungeons of the Meorian Royal Palace. It is unknown why he was originally imprisoned or what his crime was. All that is known of him is that he awaits execution on death row and is considered a maximum-level threat to public safety.

Kirumi Tojo is a maid of a wealthy lord, and is often seen in the town running errand for him. She is the cook, the cleaner, and even the entertainment for him, and she gets paid very well for it. It is said that she originated from a land in poverty, and works to provide a better life for herself and pave the way for the people of her homeland to do the same. However, due to her strange and unusual hair and eye color, and her half-demon status, she is discriminated against quite a lot.

Angie Yonaga is a nun in the St. Atua Nunnery. A noble born young woman, she was traded off to the nunnery by her father when she refused to ever marry, and certainly not a man she didn't truly love. And due to this, she takes her responsibilities very seriously, but still manages to have fun and bear a smile along the way. Though she's more than willing to sin if she finds it fun, believing it would be what Jesus died for if she did, she won't abandon her job, grateful that it allowed her to never marry.

Tenko Chabashira was once an aspiring nun, being a lady of noble birth, herself, but upon seeing the effects it had on Angie Yonaga, she ran off, and instead found a shaman willing to train her in martial arts, instead. And now a skilled warrior, she fights against those she perceives as injustices, including violations against women primarily. Abuse, sexual assault, even so much as raising your voice to a woman can get you body-slammed, so much so that her fierce dedication for protecting the vulnerable has been acknowledged by Princess Kaori.

Korekiyo Shinguji was rumored to have faced severe abuse at the hands of someone who claimed to love him, and as such, has skewed his idea of love very much. He grew up to become a male prostitute, which he does in search of either true love or something to make him feel "clean". He is so desperate for it, that it is well known that sleazy people have abused that desperation for their own selfish gain, and he now wonders if it'll ever truly be different for him...

Miu Iruma is an inventor who hides away in the woods to avoid the constraints society holds on women. She has invented several mechanical masterpieces, including metallic tentacle-like appendages to carry her around and carry things for her while she reclines in comfort. She is very sexual and crass in nature, but has a shyer, more soft side to her upon being either yelled at or having a longstanding relationship with someone, platonic or otherwise.

Gonta Gokuhara is an animal tamer, most commonly known for working on the behavior of the pets of noble families. Everyone from the Chabashira family to the Yonaga family, to even the royal family, themselves have hired him to calm their animals. Due to this, he has excelled at taming, caring for, breeding, and operating on animals of all kinds, but his true passion is bugs. He studies them in his free time, and though he can't find a profession to do it, he records all his observations and findings about the unique species in a leather-bound journal, which he carries on him at all times, noting new findings at any given opportunity.

Kokichi Ouma was a vampire king at the age of five who it's said ruled with tyranny until age fifteen, when his people revolted, stripped him of his power and his fortune, and exiled him to Meoria, allowing his twin sister, Kokona, to rule in his stead. On the streets and homeless, the former king quickly found a refuge through stealing and pawning off items for money, if not stealing money, itself. Through this, he became so infamous as to be known as "Dusky Rouge", and he has even managed to gain himself a living space, if it can be called that, with it. To this day, no one has ever gotten a good look nor been able to capture the phantom thief.

Kaito Momota grew up in the care of his sickly grandparents, who died when he was very young. Upon their deaths, he was adopted by the Captain of the Royal Guards, and he was raised to be a knight, which Kaito takes with pride, protecting those in need and not afraid of flaunting his status to do it. He has a heroic ideology, and is more often than not perusing the streets for any conflict in need of solving, unaware of just how dangerous that could prove to be with a bounty on his head...

Tsumugi Shirogane, known under her nickname as Deathless God, masquerades as a man, including a plague doctor mask, in order to practice medicine. She is also a tailor publicly, sewing clothing for both the elite and the poor, being the name worn by most of the other muses on this list. Little is known about her, other than the fact that she's a determined woman and will fight for what she wants if not given to her, but despite this, she's known for being very shy and reserved, simply finding unusual ways around her problem to get what she wants.

Kiibo Idabashi is the creation of a mad scientist, built to have feelings and free will like any normal human being. Due to this, when he's in disguise, it is near impossible to determine he's anything less than human, and unless you befriend him, he will go out of his way to hide it, covering his black tearstains with makeup and using that same makeup to turn his skin a more alive color. He has also worn contacts to give himself brown hair and brown eyes in order to fool people, which he does with ease. However, he has a job as a florist, as taking care of life is what intrigues him the most, not having a true "life", himself.

Maki Harukawa is a dangerous assassin with a bounty on the head of Kaito Momota. In her early days, she was an orphan taken into assassin training, purely based on the level of submission she showed to other orphanage kids. There, she was given a task: eliminate Kaito Momota to pave the way for her boss to take over the kingdom. With the prized nights gone, the boss figures the princesses, the king, and the queen will surrender the throne, and if not, he'll have Maki kill them and make an example of them. However, Maki fights only to protect her best friend from the orphanage, Etsuko, taking on the pain to protect her... including the pain of taking the life of someone who's kind to her.

Himiko Yumeno is a powerful but lazy mage, whose magic is said to be unrivaled. She gained her power through unknown means, but she is said to be so powerful that she, alone, protects the kingdom from supernatural threats, and her mere presence sends all beings with malicious intent, from vampires to unicorns, running away with their metaphorical and/or literal tails between their legs. With that said, after her initial debut, she has taken to alchemy and selling common potions as medicinal cures, making her close rivals with Tsumugi Shirogane.

Shuichi Saihara is a detective on the trail of the infamous Dusky Rouge. Dusky Rouge (yes, Rouge as in red, not Rogue) has constantly evaded his tracking, and he's determined to bring him to justice for all the people he's left destitute. This is in part because of pressure from his uncle, but mostly due to him having seen the destitution and poverty that follows the infamous thief's trail. And little does he know, the thief knows full well that he's getting close...

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Magia Record 4 | Uchitama 3 - 5 | Eizouken 5 | Iruma-kun 17 - 18 | BnHA 76 - 79 | ID: Invaded 5 - 7

Magia Record 4

There’s a fish behind Iroha. Also, I was confused about the ketchup cake thing Jenn mentiond in one of her posts until I saw it here.(On a related note, ketchup cake seems to really exist…but only in Canada.)

Ah! Tsuruno. I’ve heard of her from reading around about this mobage.

The coding of the episode went funny again…

I feel like despite this being everything Madoka was, this seems to have lost some of the charm somehow. I’ve been reading that others are having similar experiences, though. Update: I think I know why now…although there are magical girl events fuelling the entire thing, the show is currently more bent on being a CGDCT. That’s why I’m not so happy with it…I dunno about others, though.

I suspected Séance Shrine was Mizuna Shrine…I mean, it was right behind Iroha and co.

Who was that blonde girl…?

I thought I just saw face-stealing aliens swoop in (i.e. someone didn’t bother drawing in the girls’ faces). I thought that was just a Bones thing exclusive to BSD.

“Olibe oil” (sic). Also, there are creepy blue (green?) figures walking the aisles…

I notice Iroha needed an extra bounce to get over the gate.

What’s that orange marking on the girls’ faces…? Update: Reading the wiki reveals it’s the Witch’s Kiss, or something similar to it.

Uchitama 3

Well, it says “chome” but gets translated to “street”…which is a bit weird. A chome is a city district, which functions much like a street but isn’t the same.

I just realised the title card has a dog’s face on it. Maybe next time it’ll be a cat’s face…

Oh my gosh, it’s a Yu-Gi-Oh duel! Teenager-ness…(?) What is that (LOL)?! *squints at screen* Oh, chuunibyou. That makes sense.

They even materialised the (Gon’s) chair! (LOL)

At least this matchup isn’t Bull vs. Momo…thank goodness(!)

I seriously love how much skin they make Bull show…(LOL…?)

Well, if the race to the top is exciting then the race to the bottom should be humiliating, no? That’s how these things work.

LOL, just seeing a badass dude that’s meant to represent a wolf howling like one is hilarious. (But seriously, are any of these neighbourhood dogs a Bad Enough Dude, to paraphrase an old game meme?)

Don’t Naruto run, Pochi! It’s dangerous!

Ahhhhhhh, so that’s why people call Pochi “Shiro” and feed him tofu…

The video got encoded funny again…

Uchitama 4

This is like Wakasa all over again…

The “My Name is Gon” title is a reference to “I Am a Cat” (Wahagai wa Neko de Aru). It actually doesn’t have the word for “name” in there, which is a bit weird…Update: It’s about the day-to-day introspection and life of a cat and the wagahai suggests the cat thinks rather highly of himself, so I’d assume the former (applied to a dog of course), if not both of those things to be part of this.

The fact that Gon doesn’t move his mouth while telling us weird things (such as how Bull’s sweater reminds him of an old lady in Osaka) is hilarious. It’s almost like a play with Gon as narrator.

See? That titlecard has a different dog’s face now! (I believe it’s Kuro’s, actually.)

This series is actually really informative about cats and dogs!

The Detective Conan parody cat is pretty interesting in regards to how the series wants to play with the human/animal dichotomy.

Now the titlecard has a cat’s face.

This song is so energetic! The banners are pretty funny too – I mean, “trying to get a ripped body” is impossible for a dog, right?

Yyyyyyyyup, Ume is singing this song (Sanchome no Hoshi* or The Star of 3rd District*)! I’m being spoilt!

Eizouken 5

Iron Giant…I thought the name sounded familiar. Turns out it’s a Brad Bird-directed movie.

This episode is very Scott...LOL.

I like how they showed the back of the guy to correspond with the back of the robot.

Iruma 17

Gap = sukima, as you might know from a post I made re: Mairimashita! Iruma-kun puns.

“Yes, boss!” in English.

Why do people being questioned  at a koban always have katsudhum? (Hataraku Maousama reference)

Ooh, this long-haired demon from the Game or New Magic battler is hot!!!

That's the 1st time Acchan and Bakemi appear...

I'd assume the ga in Gabuko means gakkou (school).

Now it's ki su ma...(instead of sukima)

Iruma 18

Aw, Kiriwo's so cute...

...and he's now a sadist. (Good job, me...I don't like sadists much.)

The cyclops girl's name is Dosanko, huh?

Hanabi are "fire flowers" (translating somewhat literally), which is why they "bloom" in the translation.

Update: Oh, I accidentally skipped ep. 17. I was wondering how Sabro got to hold up Comecome's stall…

BnHA 76

I’m not sure how the subbers got “Go entropy! Plus Chaos!”, although it might have something to do with Saikou da! (which I made out from listening to the audio).

Okay, now you can hear them say “Plus Chaos”.

Note Overhaul’s eyecatch background is purple, which contrasts Deku’s green. By the way, the eyecatch says that Overhaul belongs to the Shie Hassaikai and not the League…the guy’s always been picky about not being associated with the League.

The one time I turn the volume off, I don’t need it (LOL).

Dame da is closer to “It’s useless” or “You’re useless” than “Naughty girl”, subbers.

The coronavirus has taught me that masks make people seem less human, especially those with weird mouths like Overhaul’s plague doctor/bird one.

BnHA 77

In one of the Discord servers where Mudamaid appears, I decided to take Chronostasis. Why? He isn’t that bad-looking when he hasn’t got his mask on, to be real with you.

Froppy uses “senpai”, not Tamaki’s hero name.

I believe Tamaki calls Tsuyu “Kero-chan”, hence “Miss Ribbit”.

I wanna cry…I know Nighteye won’t see All Might again until All Might himself dies…(and this is because I’ve read the manga – thanks Viz and Shonen Jump for doing that!)

Shigaraki makes me beg the question…where do those hands of his come from??? Update: Ewwwwwwwww, those hands come from individuals affected by Tomura’s Quirk! (I think that’s a spoiler though…)

I almost got to the point of crying. I mean, I knew it would happen, but seeing it animated…makes it worse, y’know??? (Also, I accidentally might’ve stuck my finger in my eye when I was trying to wipe away tears, so either way, I teared up.)

BnHA 78

Huh? This OP is awfully cheerful after Nighteye’s death…I think it’s called Star Maker? Update: Star Marker by Kana Boon.

Well, you do realise I don’t know about anything after this point…all over again. So your surprise will be mine too.

LOL , it’s a Titan! (Apparently – according to the wiki pages I read – Gigantomachia is based on the Titans of lore, so…that’s true in more than one sense when you take into account Attack on Titan.)

The birbs are so cute!

That was just a few solid minutes of recap. Not as bad as Detective Conan where they frontend it, but still bad.

Hmm? I thought I saw black hair on Kurogiri…?

“He’s a walking disaster.” – That’s what I’d say about Bakugou, LOL.

Shouto “Daddy Issues” Todoroki taking the stage again…not that I mind, but…isn’t this Midoriya’s story?

I think I saw a Funko Pop All Might in the ED…?

You can see someone with a red wing Quirk. Based on what I’ve read around, that guy is Hawks.

Deku’s shirt at the end says “sheets”, not “shirt” (it’s missing a small ya).

BnHA 79

“…and I like udon better!” - *facepalm* That’s not how you make friends, Yoarashi.

Gang Orca’s like the Gordon Ramsay of heroes…with much less swearing.

*laughs behind hands as kids spill out the door* Welp, this is going to be real good.

This blonde kid is basically Monoma ver. 2!!! I hate him already!!!

Oh…that’s surprisingly strategic, Bakugou…*shows image of kid being dangled by a rope* Uh…or maybe not.

Who’s this guy with the bolo tie, anyway…?

Uchitama 5

I seriously thought this cat was Nora…(Sakura)

Does “big sister” refer to Lilly or another cat…?

Oh, I was wondering why Sakura didn’t have a cat tail…turns out she’s a pig. (Huh. It reminds me of a kinder version of the Africa Salaryman mixer joke.)

I like how open the series is in regards to interspecies love. Then again,…bestiality is an absolute no-no in my books, so maybe not.

Is it just me, or is there a slight bruise around Nora’s left eye…?

It’s like a Boueibu reunion! Shirai and Ume at the baths! Yay~!

There’s something absolutely silly about seeing anime boys hide in cupboards like cats. It puts a stupid smile on my face, like Eizouken does.

“I told you to get in the bath already!” – Gaddammit, Koma!

How do Gon’s glasses not fog up in the bath? (MST3K mantra required)

Oh, Nora does have a bruise around his eye! What’s it from, though?

Way to upsell Koma’s services, Kuro. (partially sarcastic…?)

“Can I say we’re having a doggone good time?” – Remind me to check what that sounds like in Japanese later. Update: Kuro says something that sounds lik izoizo in the line beforehand and then matches it in this line. In order to match the puns, there’s a pun in the English translation too.

ID: Invaded 5

Matsuoka’s glasses thing reminds me of Kanamori (Eizouken)…

“hole experience” – Is that a pun…?

Never ask a woman her age.

Hmm…”maidenly innocence”…

Why do some people believe “never mind” is one word???

I just noticed there’s a differently coloured bar on the title card…maybe that’s how far into the episode you should be. Also, is this well a pun on “falling for you”?

I noticed the blood had a weird texture to it. Also, I noticed the woman had heterochromia bfore it was pointed out she’s not real.

I have a theory. See, John(nie) Walker is an alcohol (sake) brand, right? This is Sakaido (as opposed to Anaido, who’s the Perforator and ana = hole). It’s the same character, so (I suspect) Sakaido’s crime has to do with alcohol…

Hmm…this ain’t gonna pass the Bechdel test after all…

Oh! Post-credits segment! Keep watching.

ID: Invaded 6

“Matsuoka was injured” – Er, he still has the knife in him…?

Ohhhhhh…this has gotta be Hondomachi!

I predict Hondomachi and Sakaido are going to go head-to-head someday. Update: Or those two vs. Johnnie Walker.

There was a cut-off footprint…

Isn’t it possible for a person to kill someone without knowing their name?

*cries* Sakaido! I’ve never seen you so emotional before…!

ID: Invaded 7

So Narihisago did look like Sakaido at one point…when his daughter was murdered.

The thing that reads cognition particles has “Back ground. Rad. Lev.” on the bottom of its screen.

I don’t have the sound on right now, so I dunno what Matsuoka was reacting to specifically…(aside from the guy owning up to whatever was done.)

Interestingly, Katsuyama has the character for “win” in his name. However, this is the only link I’ve found between the serial killers and their names.

There’s a character which appears in both the word for “martial arts” and one of the (dead) professional fighters – Takehiko Fujita. It means stuff like “war” and “military power”.

Oh! There’s a bar on the titlecard and this one is up to 900 of 1200…I wonder what that means? Is that an indication of time, perhaps? Also in the bottom left, “CAM 025”.

Miyo Hijiriido?! Oh my gosh! This is new, indeed!

Okay, so the characters for Miyo look like this: 聖井戸 御代 The first character in “Miyo” is the same one that denotes “go” in goryoushin (formal way to denote “parents”) and similar words in keigo. The characters which aren’t “well” (water well) are the character for “saint/holy” and “age” (as in the period of time, alternatively “generation”), aside from the one I’ve already discussed. Therefore, I’d suggest Miyo is actually “the great detective [who ushers in a new] age” or “the great detective [of the current] age”. Update: Apparently Miyo means “age of a ruler”, as in the period of their reign (specifically referring to the emperor if it needs to be). I’ve heard there’s specific words in the Japanese language used only to refer to the imperial family…this is probably one of them. That specific name combo (as “odai”) is also a very polite way to refer to spare change, although that doesn’t seem very useful to know.

What’s that thing on Tamotsu’s wrist…? (A watch? Wouldn’t that be illegal in a prison like this?)

Interestingly, all other killers wear white. Narihisago is the only one in black (or brown…or whatever colour that is).

What would Miyo need a key for? The key to the mystery, or a physical key?

I don’t think you can see Narihisago’s face in any of the pics he has of Muku or his wife.

Ooh…Sakaido’s pretty ripped. (Me likey…not that I would like a killer…)

Why is Sakaido…or I should say Narihisago…dead in his own imagination, huh?

Hmm…Miyo wears a black singlet or sleeveless top of some sort under that cape...poncho…Holmes cosplay thing. She still has a gun in her detective form, too.

Notably, no detective wears a skirt in this world…*sigh* So much for Nancy Drew and Miss Marple…

Muku has smiley faces on her hair decs.

Does that mean you’ve met the real Muku…? (I think this is Momoki speaking about Muku.) Update: It might be Habutae, actually. I never really got a grasp on the names of the peanut gallery.

Hondomachi’s never seen the cockpit in real life, right?

Well-ception! (It’s a bit of a joke that when there’s something in something, I call it [X]ception as a homage to Inception.)

Table flip! That meme hasn’t been around for a while, come to think of it…

I find it interesting that they point to the circles of the roof when talking about pi. As you know, the circle and pi are related.

Hmm? I don’t remember seing the quote “Let us try to make this world a better place” in this episode…

[aljksfj8eru094r9wfjasldjsadflk]

You did say before that death related stuff is ok right? Um, this might sound a bit spoilery but I swear if it does I don't mean for it to. But, if possible, could I request the guys meeting their s/o in the afterlife. (Is it spoilery? I mean, everyone dies at some point.)

Nah it’s not spoilery, everybody dies eventually!!! Also sorry it took so long to get to this one, I was trying to find a way to avoid the topic of religion :’)

Kaito Momota

He does not let you go you are going nowhere please do not ever lose his sights again.

You’d died before him, and he’d been torn to pieces.

It’d be hard to live with.

And then he just stopped living.

There wasn’t really a reason to, with you gone.

You two sit in the room you met in, hand intertwined while the world morphs around you to create that paradise we all seek, but it never feels real.

You can’t taste what you want to taste and you can feel what you want to feel.

But with Kaito there, who doesn’t have a pulse anymore, it seems a little more grounded.

Kiibo

He’s confused.

He doesn’t know why he’s here.

But you’re here, so thats okay.

You two do what you can with the artificial reality offered to you.

He never realizes its just a fake construct of what you were like, one he made so it would perfectly mimic those times he’d spent and recorded with you.

He never realizes his body is dismantled and he’s running off of borrowed power from Iruma, with the one part that functions from his brain tucked snugly away in a space no one will find.

He doesn’t feel it when it melts away as the battery dies.

Rantaro Amami

He cries.

He had been expecting his death, he knew it would come someday soon because he knew the feeling in his gut.

But now you’re here.

He’s rightfully upset, asking who killed you, looking furious.

He’d resurrect himself, he doesn’t care how, just to get revenge on your behalf. 

You calm him down.

All the rest is tranquil.

Kokichi Ouma

He’s shocked when you’re gone.

At first it’s just numb, where he just stares at your corpse in silence.

And then, it just

IthurtsIthurtsIthurtsIthurtsIthurtsIthurtsIthurtsIthurtsIthurtsIthurtsIthurtsIthurts

He’s found dead soon after.

You two meet, you’d been waiting for him, because the second you arrived you knew.

You always knew.

He’s practically on your arm, keeping you close.

Everything is too placid, too still, there’s so many things but it just feels empty.

So you two decide to just make the most of what you can.

It’s pleasant.

You two get bored easily, but even in the quiet and the lull, you’re happy.

It’s so much better here, where neither of you are demonized.

He still lies.

You think it’s hilarious.

Because why would he need to?

He says it’s just a habit.

Shuichi Saihara

He sobs.

He couldn’t go through with the investigation of your murder because all he could think about was how you were gone and it was painful and he couldn’t bring you back.

He lives on for a while after that, living for you, but eventually falling ill.

The depression that replaced you in your absence made him unable to seek medical attention.

You hadn’t waited for him, but others recognize him, direct you to the bubble you made your own.

It’s filled with copies of him, none ever comparable to the original, and they all disappear once you two finally meet again.

You hug, tightly, closely, almost as if you’re trying to fuse your metaphysical bodies into one so you’re never apart again.

You stay like that for a while, and it doesn’t feel like it used to but it feels so much better than being alone.

You both agree on that.

Korekiyo Shinguji

He hadn’t seen it coming.

He hadn’t seen his death, he hadn’t seen how he’d been slaughtered.

You had, you’d been there, watching it in full view.

You’d covered your mouth, trying to keep silent, trying to keep yourself from screaming.

You get so close to making it, so close to having the killer leave you alone, so close to being able to live, no matter how painful.

You panic, and knock your elbow against the side of the wardrobe you hid in.

You’re gone before you can even recognize that it’s your own blood you can taste sliding down your throat.

You two meet at the crossroads, him wanting to go left with you, and you wanting to go right, to go back.

Eventually the right path disappears, and it’s no longer a choice.

You two walk that path, bubbles of tiny realities created for the deceased surrounding you as you two attempt to find one suitable.

Your search never ends, and you’re okay with that.

Gonta Gokuhara

He’s torn to shreds when you’re gone.

His entire world just caves in on itself.

He can’t handle it, he can’t bear to see you dead.

He tries, he really does, but his distress makes him an easy target.

He’s sorry for disappointing you, even if you’re not disappointed at all.

He keeps apologizing when you meet, and you draw him into a hug.

You say you love him, you say it over and over again until he says it back, until he believes you.

You two are happy, in a bubble closed off from the rest of those who’ve died before you.

He loves it when you create worlds with him, just the two of you, with galaxies in your eyes and sunshine dripping from your fingertips.

It’s gorgeous.

Ryoma Hoshi

You’re torn to shreds when you find him dead.

You wish you could’ve told him how important he was to you before he died.

You wanted to tell him so much, you wanted to make him feel special.

You wanted to raise him up from the hole he dug himself and just let him feel happy for once in his god damn life.

But instead he dies with a frown on his face, stress marks on his face showing his own disdain.

It’s horrible.

You die the same way.

You find him, having searched for days or weeks or years, the time doesn’t matter here, where it doesn’t exist except in your own head.

He’d hidden from you, guilt weighing him down, dragging him away from you.

You’re mad at first, but eventually you sigh and comfort him.

Because while you’re angry, you still love him too much, and understand why he’d hidden from you.

He’s always been fearful of making you sad, of not being good enough for you. 

He tries his best, with the second chance you graciously give him.

Thanks for the ask!! -Mod Tsumugi

[meabh-mcinness]

Anon that requested runaway!SO Narnia prompt here, and my heart squeezed when I saw you put it in your list. Thank you so much!

Saw your post, and I love the idea for it to take place before the 13th Deviculum, it changes Narnia's vitriol towards Iruma so much.

I don't believe that he doesn't think that Iruma's fame (as the Misfits are apparently a household name and in papers) DIDN'T influence his lover leaving him in a bid for freedom! Maybe he noticed that she had been paying attention to whatever news they got of Iruma's antics, like him even attending his first Deviculum.

Makes his beef with Iruma personal, if Narnia even slightly blamed the poor bean's (seemingly intentional) tendency to stand out as what put ideas in her head when she was pretty content to stay before.

(Actually, my first idea about why the SO leapt to the nuclear option of vanishing and not talking it out, prompt happening after-deviculum, was because he knocked her up. And girl got SO scared for her child, since at that point he revealed that he still hated 'dirty humans' and it fed into her pre-existing insecurities about how he kept her secret from everyone he knew, why he never married her in any kind of demonic ritual, and fed her growing misassumption that she was basically a pet that he didn't think was acceptable for demonic society.

Culminating into a major freak out when the SO found out she was going to have a half-human baby.

Like, would he want to keep her child? Would they be raised to never know that their mother was human, with the belief that her heritage made them weak compared to full-blooded demon children? Would Narnia still keep her secret and introduce their child to society as without a mother, without her?

...most of her worries aren't quite true, as imo Narnia *wasn't* trying to treat her like a mistress/guilty secret wife, it was mostly his yandere tendencies and unrestrained demonic territorial possessiveness talking and getting irrationally jealous of possible competition, of anyone else taking up her attention.

Part of it is because Narnia doesn't have many trusted allies (friends) that weren't also co-workers (and thus can recognize a human) and wouldn't set his instincts off! And he got way too comfortable with their current lifestyle, since he was probably an intensely private demon in the first place.

Truly a misundestanding of tragic proportions. Were it Kalego in his position, he could at least be alright to introduce her to Balam, and Balam Shichiro could have gotten a human to eventually open up and communicate about their discontent and gotten things addressed. Alas, this isn't a Kalego story, though it might be interesting to have one where Kalego and the Sullivan household come together over their secret humans, hehe.

But Narnia's SO hasn't been in a good place mentally and emotionally, not for a long time, and worked herself into an irrational panic that culminated into a flight into the night decision.

Sorry, this took so long to get out! I hope I've lived up to your expectations! My beta tells me this made her tear up a bit so I'm hoping it has the same effect for everyone but enjoys it anyways.

The Price of Freedom - request (Yandere!Narnia x fem!reader)Ⓐ

Narnia keeps you trapped on the property to keep you safe from the rest of the Netherworld and while his intentions are good he's doing more harm than intended. After all, humans are social pack animals meant to be able to roam about wild and free. And while there are exceptions to every rule, you are not one of them. So when you see a chance to leave, you take it. Leaving your heart behind but gaining your freedom in the process.

Also, this is a two-parter! The first part is angst but I haven't decided if our little couple here will get a happy ending or not yet. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

You took a deep breath, glancing over at the slumbering body holding yours. His long hair was fanned out behind him and his pale skin practically gleamed even in the darkness of the room. Soon enough, his alarm would go off, and those dark eyes would open blearily, and he'd grumble while trying to turn it off and pull you closer. Eventually, he'd give in, wake up more with a smile and a kiss for you and get ready for the day. It was a daily routine that had lasted for a few years now, and it was one you loved.

Your heart clenched at the fact that this would probably be the last morning it ever happened.

Your eyes travelled all the lines of his face, taking in every detail that you could, hoping to memorize them to the best of your ability. You had plenty of photos stored away, that you already knew you would take out over and over again until they faded with age and even afterwards, but no photo could ever beat seeing him in person. You were tempted to gently run your fingers over his cheeks and down his hair but knew he would wake up immediately, startled.

He was such a light sleeper due to the years of growing up under the Naberius household that you always tried hard to not make too much noise or movements so that he could sleep in when he could. And as this would be the last time you laid beside him, you wanted to enjoy this moment. To have time freeze over this peace, and not have the negative feelings swirling through your body running circles in your mind. To leave this all behind no matter how much you loved it because you couldn't stay caged in any longer.

But you couldn't. As a human, you held no magic beyond what the power of runes and already magic-infused items could give you, much less the amount of power needed to freeze time itself. So instead, here you lay, trying to absorb as much as possible because the moment that he leaves property lines, you would be getting to work. You had even purposefully made a bit of a mess last night and promptly shoved the both of you to bed so that you would have an excuse on why you were moving things about if he came back early for whatever reason.

You could only hope he didn't come home early.

Today had been forecasted to be nice and sunny until the afternoon rolled around with thunderstorms. If you timed it right, you'd be able to pack everything up, leave and make it to town right before the storms hit, with several hours to spare for the rain to wash away your trail. Otherwise, if the rain came early you would be stuck here until the next time such an opportunity presented itself, and who knew when that would be? More than likely you would have gone stir-crazy before that happened, and who knew what kind of damage you would do when that happened?

Not that this idea was much better. Had this been a more ordinary relationship, you would have easily just talked out the fact you had wanderlust and gone out to visit new places. Instead, as much as you loved Narnia, you could admit he was a bit paranoid and even straight-up territorial about your standing in this world. Always going on about the dangers of this world and wanting to keep you here in this safe bubble of a home he had made for the two of you.

Not that it was without reason. The Netherworld was indeed a harsh place and there were so many dangers just out your front door, much less the rest of this big bad world. And yet the human world was not without its dangers as well, and while you knew many threats had magic which left you at quite the disadvantage, you could at least protect yourself semi-well. Narnia had seen to that with what started as daily training sessions, which slowly moved to once every few days then to a few times a month as you proved more proficient, and he gained harder and harder cases to solve.

At first, you hadn't thought much of it. Even in the human world, it was quite often that schedules could get packed. You would have been fine with it if you had something to do other than roam this tiny amount of land. Instead, you were trapped here like a prized pet in a cage, forever waiting for your precious master to return. You couldn't live like that. Not anymore at least.

Suddenly your thoughts were broken by the sharp tones of his alarm. You couldn't help the startled movement you made, having not fully expected it to go off so soon. This in turn startled Narnia awake. His eyes snapped open and immediately focused on you before swiping the room for any danger.

You gave him a sheepish smile, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

Narnia brushed off your apology with a casual wave of his hand and leaned in to give you a soft, lingering kiss. A large pale hand caresses your face and sweeps into your hairline to pull you in closer. It was a sweet morning ritual, one that you cherished. He tasted like roses and dark chocolate with a hint of mint, a flavour unique to him. His lips were warm and inviting, and for a moment, you allowed yourself to forget the impending departure.

Breaking the kiss, Narnia slipped out of bed, his movements fluid and graceful. He grabbed a towel from the nearby rack and headed for the bathroom. You watched him as he moved, his silhouette bathed in the soft morning light filtering through the curtains.

He began his usual morning routine, the sounds of running water and the clinking of toiletries filling the air. You couldn't help but smile as you listened. It was the ordinary moments like these that you would miss the most.

While he showered, you took the opportunity to slip out of bed and start preparing for the day ahead. You retrieved a backpack from the closet and began packing it with essential items: clothes, food, a first aid kit, and a map of the Netherworld. You knew you'd have to travel light, but you wanted to be as prepared as possible for whatever lay ahead.

As you worked, you couldn't help but glance over towards where Narnia in the bathroom would be. You could hear him humming a tune over the splashing of water, likely with a contented expression on his face as he went about his routine. It was moments like these that made leaving even harder.

But you couldn't stay. Your longing for adventure, for freedom, had grown too strong to ignore. And so, you continued to pack, determined to make the most of the time you had left with him. After packing the essentials in your backpack, you carefully zipped it up and placed it under the bed, hidden from plain view. You couldn't risk Narnia stumbling upon it and asking questions before you were ready to explain your decision.

With that task completed, you moved on to the next item on your agenda: breakfast. You headed to the kitchen, quietly so as not to disturb Narnia in the bathroom. You had learned to navigate this small cottage with a gentle touch, ensuring that your movements were subtle and silent. In the kitchen, you gathered the ingredients for a simple breakfast - eggs, toast, and a few vegetables. As you cracked the eggs into a bowl and started whisking them, the aroma of cooking filled the air, a comforting and familiar scent that made your heart ache with nostalgia.

By the time Narnia emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed, you had already set the table for two. He gave you a warm smile as he approached, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind and placing a soft kiss on your cheek.

"Smells delicious," he murmured, his voice filled with genuine appreciation.

You returned his smile and turned to face him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "Just a little something to start your day off right," you replied, trying to sound as normal as possible despite the turmoil in your heart. Together, you shared a quiet breakfast at the cozy table, the two of you lost in your thoughts. Narnia talked about his plans for the day, the cases he needed to solve, and the colleagues he'd be meeting with. You listened attentively, offering words of encouragement and support.

As the time for Narnia to leave for work approached, you couldn't help but feel the weight of impending separation bearing down on you. You walked him to the door, his hand in yours, and shared a lingering kiss before he stepped outside.

He gave you a weird look, seemingly studying you, causing you to pause and tilt your head at him in response with the most curious look you could muster, before he shook his head and went back to making sure he had his things for work. You felt your body relax at passing whatever test that had been. You could thank the fact that years of wearing a mask in the human world also helped you here, even if you didn't much like why you were using it now.

You gave him a smile and leaned up on your toes to give him a kiss. 'Your last kiss' your mind supplied. What a shame you had to pass it off as your regular see-you-later rather than pour everything you had into it like you wanted to. But that would be suspicious, and he would want to stay longer or it might make him think you were in the mood and stay for a completely different reason. As much as you wanted the touch of his body one more time, you couldn't have it. Not without messing up your carefully laid out plan.

"Have a good day at work!" You chirped at him before waving him off with a laugh as he grumbled under his breath about how no day at work without you was a good day. You leaned against the door frame as you admired the large leathery wings that suddenly burst from his back, the appendages giving a few small flutters to stretch themselves out before he took off into the dawning sky with another wave at you.

You gave him another small wave in return and watched until you could no longer see him on the horizon. Even then you gave it a few seconds to see if he happened to turn around. It wouldn't be the first time he'd purposely forgotten something so that he could come back and spend a few more moments with you. Once those few seconds passed you deemed it safe to carry on with your plan. With Narnia gone for the day, you had a limited window of opportunity to execute your plan. You took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of excitement and fear as you prepared to embark on the journey that would take you far away from the life you had known, and into the unknown.

You only had a few hours to tear this place apart, grab everything you could, put it back together again and be on your way to a new life. It wouldn't be easy as you first went back into the bedroom and stripped the bed of everything. Throwing the sheets into the laundry and tossing your personal pillows aside to be packed later. Next, as the blankets washed, you scoured the walls and frames for every photo of you that you could find. There was an almost surprising amount of them, considering both your and Narnia's aversion to photos, but you supposed that anyone would want to have captured moments when they were in a relationship.

Had this been a normal relationship perhaps you would be packing everything up for a completely different reason. Perhaps moving into a bigger home than this little one-bedroom cottage, or even moving things aside until renovations were done to expand this one. However, this wasn't a normal relationship, and you couldn't entertain the idea of it ever being so any longer.

With every delicate movement, you took great care to erase any trace of your existence from the cottage. You gathered any personal belongings that tied you to this place, from clothing to small trinkets, and stowed them away in your backpacks, making sure not to leave behind a single item that might raise suspicion. The cottage itself bore no signs of your occupancy; the walls were stripped of photos, the bedroom was bare other than his belongings, and even the living room was devoid of any of your personal touches.

You took a deep breath as you stood in the now almost empty cottage, a sense of finality washing over you. It really was as if you had never lived there at all. With one last glance around, you knew it was time to leave. Gathering up your bags you took a deep breath as you took in the boundary line from where the property ended and the next one began. You knew from several small tests that there were no wards that would alert Narnia to your leaving. A serious oversight on his part that you were happily taking advantage of. As you stared at the line you couldn't help but think of Samwise from Lord of the Rings and couldn't but wonder if this is how it felt for him to leave his home behind for a big adventure.

Heart pounding and veins singing you made the first step across, then another and another until you laughed at the fluttering of pleasure that coursed through you. The imaginary shackles that had bound were falling free as you walked determinedly onward towards your new life. You wanted to stop and observe every plant and animal you came across, but you had a long way to go still and you could already smell the rain on the horizon.

Yet, deep within you, a tiny spark of hope flickered, for you were on the path to a new beginning, and the possibilities of the unknown stretched out before you like an open book, waiting to be written.

________

Narnia landed more harshly than he meant to in his attempt to get inside from the torrential downpour quicker. Mud splattered as high as his thighs from his hard crouched landing before he straightened up again to move towards the door. He wasn't entirely sure why he was so anxious to get home, but something in his veins told him that something was wrong. He hadn't gotten this far in life by entirely ignoring his instincts, and yet he couldn't think of anything that could be wrong.

Well. Besides the way you had been acting lately that was.

He wasn't blind, he had known there was something off with you. You had been steadily getting more and more twitchy, almost like a caged beast in too small of a kennel. Perhaps you were entering some kind of new phase? Like when birds moulted old feathers to make new ones, perhaps you were going through something similar but a more human body version? Your skin had peeled several times over the years, so perhaps a more involved version appeared when you hit a new phase. Such a thing would certainly make him twitchy.

As he came closer to the door, forcefully coming out of his thoughts, he realized that all the lights were off. This wasn't too unusual. You had a habit of occasionally going to bed early or watching TV late and purposefully leaving the lights off for a better ambience. But after the weird way you acted this morning and the feeling he had all day, it just made him feel more anxious.

Wrenching the door open, he quickly stalked into the living room, shaking his head much like a dog to get the excess water off his hair before tilting his head to the side. He listened carefully for either the low sounds of music or the TV or even just your steady breathing.

Nothing. It was absolutely silent. Heart pounding, he raced through all the rooms, praying that he would find you simply dozing off and would berate him for waking you. You would laugh before comforting him over his silly anxiety, and everything would be perfectly fine.

Only it wasn't. As he swung the last door open into your shared bedroom, water still trailing behind him, it hit him that you really weren't here. As his eyes swept over every inch, he finally registered none of you was here. The photos on the walls were missing, and your half of the closet was empty. Hell, even your pillows were gone, the bed freshly laundered and remade to look like only one person slept in it.

With this sudden realization, he tore back through the house carefully to confirm what he already knew. Everything you owned, every craft you had made, every book he had bought you, was gone.

You were gone.

If it wasn't for the faintest scent of you still trapped in the furniture, it would have been as if you had never even existed. As if you hadn't spent literal years together here in this home, cuddling on the couch or playing board games on the table. As if you had never had mini cooking wars in the kitchen that usually ended with you both laughing and kissing the food off one another or in the large tub relaxing as the warm herb-infused waters soaked into your muscles.

Had someone taken you? Had someone noticed your existence and decided they wanted you for themselves? Taken you against your will and made it look like you didn't exist so that he couldn't go to anyone for help without looking crazy? Or perhaps, since such a thorough job was done, had Border Patrol swept in without his knowledge? Purposefully kept him out of the loop with an important enough job to ensure he couldn't stop them.

But no, Henri would have kept him from leaving and questioned him regardless. Always playing by the rules, Henri did, and that left him, for the most part, predictable. So not Border Patrol then. But who else? Perhaps Baal? He hadn't been as subtle as he could have been in trying to figure out if Narnia was willing to return to origins. Had he discovered you when trying to stake Narnia out and gotten rid of you?

At the thought, a feral growl ripped out of Narnia, and he ran out of the house and back into the rain in the hopes of catching some kind of trail. With it raining as hard and long as it had, all scents and tracks would be long gone, so the only thing he had left was to feel out any foreign magic that would have been used and try to track that. And yet, no matter how hard he tried or how much power he threw into his wards, he couldn't find any recent detection of foreign magic. None at all. Even the local mail demon flying in would have left something to follow.

It was almost as if...but no, that was impossible. There was absolutely no way you would have left on your own. You knew the dangers and never strayed further than a couple of yards from the walls of your home. Even then you didn't usually go further than your flower beds, or food gardens in the back. With a snarl, Narnia turned back and raced back through the house more closely, determined to find even the smallest clue.

As Narnia's desperate search through the house came to an agonizing conclusion, he stood in your shared bedroom, drenched in rainwater, his chest heaving with anxiety and disbelief. Your absence was undeniable, and the once-familiar space now felt alien and hollow. His racing thoughts continued to churn with questions and fears, each one more unsettling than the last. The eerie silence in the house seemed to mock his growing panic.

Unable to accept the possibility of your disappearance, he clutched at straws, desperately searching for any sign of your presence. He scanned the room, running his fingers over the empty hangers in the closet and the vacant space on your side of the bed. The absence of your cherished belongings was a stark reminder of your absence.

With trembling hands, Narnia stumbled upon something that sent a shiver down his spine. A faint but lingering scent of you still clung to the furniture, a trace of the life you had shared together in this very room. It was both a cruel reminder of what had been and a glimmer of hope that you hadn't vanished entirely.

His heart ached as he clung to that scent, unwilling to let go of the memories and the love that had defined their life together. But as the minutes passed, reality continued to gnaw at him, and he realized he needed answers, no matter how painful they might be. Turning away from the room that had once been filled with your presence, Narnia retraced his steps, still soaked from the rain. His determination to find you grew stronger with every passing moment. He couldn't bear the thought of losing you, not without knowing the truth.

Tripping in his haste he fell to his knees next to the coffee table in the living room. With shaking limbs, he started to force himself to get up when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Laying innocently on the ground, a folded-up piece of parchment, his name written in your distinctive shaky handwriting. You never did get the hang of writing the demonic characters simply because you couldn't practice properly with the spell forcing you to see the letters in your own language but writing in his.

His emotions churned as he approached the letter, a fragile piece of paper that held the key to your mysterious departure. With trembling hands, he unfolded it and began to read. The words on the page weighed heavily on his heart, each sentence cutting deeper into his soul.

His hands trembled as his eyes scanned the letter quickly, hoping for some clue about where you were, only to grow more despondent the further he read. A pained howl tore from him as he took in what exactly your letter had meant, and he hadn't even realized he had started crying until the letters started bleeding together from his tears. With a choked gasp, he immediately wiped the tears away and tried to fan the letter dry again.

This letter was the only thing he had left from you besides the flowers you had planted outside. He had to take perfect care of it all. Had to keep it well until he could find you again. Because he would find you, no matter what it took. If you wanted the freedom to explore, then you could have it, just as long as you came back home-- back to him. His voice quivered with whimpers as he clutched the letter tightly to his chest, his heart aching with love and longing for the one who had vanished from his life.

To My Beloved Narnia,

As I sit here writing this letter, I can only think of all the moments we've shared together.

From our first meeting to our last embrace this morning, our courtship has been

nothing but a source of joy in my life. Sometimes, though, love isn't enough to make

something work. And I've come to the painful decision that we need to separate, at

least for a while. I will always cherish the moments and memories we shared and I am

sorry for the pain that this may cause you, but I can no longer do this. Humans are

not meant to be caged, no matter how nice that cage is. I need to be free, to be able

to go out and about, meet others, and explore this world, even if it's at the cost

of losing you. I'm truly sorry it came to this, and I will love you always.

Forever Yours