- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hah! Well, that's just about the best compliment a writer can ask for, in my opinion~! I'm happy as long as readers enjoy.
Demon Queened
- Thread starter PrincessKay
- Start date
- Original Mature Novel
Hah! Well, that's just about the best compliment a writer can ask for, in my opinion~! I'm happy as long as readers enjoy.
Angus512
Year of the Lobster
- Pronouns
- They/Them
they are good tho - I think it's mostly an issue at all when you binge the whole story
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I'm admittedly self-conscious about that aspect of my writing, so I'm glad to hear I'm doing alright...
Chapter 27
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Content warning: Dehumanizing use of "it." (Very short lived, but present.)
I eyed the monster-who-may-or-may-not-have-been-the-Demon-Queen for a moment, before activating my curse to get another look at her magic power. It was basically the same as before - pants-shitting-ly terrifying. I was pretty sure she had enough magic in her to fry the entire city from where she was standing - Heroine included - without breaking a sweat!
"I don't suppose you could at least clarify the reason for your distaste?" it questioned, arching an eyebrow. "I'd appreciate the chance to address it, at the very least."
"It's nothing," I said, forcing myself to give it a weak smile. "I'm just not good with people I don't know."
"Meaning that you know Lucy well?"
"Everyone knows the Heroine. Not well enough to call her by name, though."
Shit. I had to fight the urge to flinch at my own words. Was I trying to pick a fight with the thing? Trying to get myself fucking killed? I was just glad the Heroine was still here, because otherwise-
"Well, I'm going to get some supplies!" said Heroine announced, with a big bright smile that stood in total contrast to the fucking doom she was hurling my way with every word out of her mouth. "Why don't you help Feyra get her stuff ready, Eena? I'm sure it would be a great opportunity for you two to get to know each other!"
"Wait, you can't seriously be planning to leave me alone with that…" I glanced at the creature in question, before settling on, "person?"
"I must admit that I'm not entirely satisfied with the idea of being left with someone who needs to think so hard on my classification, either," the monster added. "One would think personhood to be at least somewhat guaranteed…"
"Wait. Are you seriously offended?" I asked. I was ready to follow that up with a scoff, but the glare it… she gave me froze me in place. Not because she looked murderous or furious, or anything - because she didn't. She looked irritated.
"Is the concept so shocking?" she demanded. "Would you enjoy being treated as an object? Or a monster? I know not what bothers you about me, but I hope you realize that it's only for Lucy's sake that I'm not already turning down this proposal of hers."
Anger I'd call fake. Hurt? An obvious play at sympathy. But irritation? It was weirdly…human. As stupidly irrational as that might sound.
"...The same Lucy who has decided to put action to words and leave us alone, I might add," the brunette continued, after a moment. "Honestly, that girl… What sort of person just throws her friends together in a room and leaves?"
"We're not friends," I replied, woodenly. "And we're not in a room."
I couldn't believe the Heroine had left me alone with her.
I couldn't believe I was arguing with her. Shouldn't I have been… I don't know… Groveling for my life, or something? Trying desperately to appease her?
Except that I had no idea what she wanted in the first place.
"She didn't even specify when or where we're to meet back up," the dear-Goddess-just-let-her-be-a-dragon-or-something grumbled. "Seriously, that girl is so sloppy sometimes…"
Agreed. Except for some reason the definitely-Demon-Queen-with-my-luck was smiling when she said it.
Though it turned into a heart stoppingly terrifying scowl when she turned her attention back to me. "And if you're not friends, then why is she so determined to make us get along?"
"Because your girlfriend's a complete and total busybody, maybe?"
And also the Heroine.
I was badmouthing the Heroine.
In public.
What was wrong with me?
"We're not dating," the demon muttered, looking away from me. Was she… blushing? "In truth, I'm barely qualified to be her friend, regardless of what she thinks on the matter. She hardly even knows me…"
"Since when has that stopped her?" I asked, because apparently I had a fucking death wish. Or maybe it was just that I had no fucking clue what magical words would make her not want to kill me, anyway, so it was probably better to risk going out with a bang than hold back and die with a whimper. "That girl would befriend a literal monster if they let her, and you're over here calling her by name."
Or maybe I was just a fucking idiot who didn't know how to hold her tongue.
"You and her both keep referring to that as if it's some great and amazing thing," the disaster-on-two-legs said with a sigh, "but to me, calling one as they wish to be called seems to only be polite… Rather than acting as if I'm doing everything possible to be close to her, perhaps you should consider why everyone else is so determined to keep away from her."
"Because she's the Heroine. She's-"
"A person," the bane-of-all-existence interrupted, narrowing her eyes at me. "One who deserves to be seen as the lonely girl she is, and not just the symbol you all want her to be."
"...Whatever," I muttered. Because what the hell was I supposed to even say to that? How was I meant to explain to the maybe-embodiment-of-sin that most people didn't like hanging around someone who had the right to judge them for their sins? "I've got a few things I need to handle if we're going on a trip. Some of which require me to go outside the walls. Feel free to just hang out here, though - I'll tell the Heroine we tried to get along, if you do."
"Tempting," she replied, before shaking her head. "But I promised Lucy that I would not lie to her. If you're going beyond the walls to take care of your business, then I see no choice but to follow."
"Of course…" Okay. Smile at the maybe-source-of-all-evil, me. Smile and pretend that everything is okay.
"Besides," the living-embodiment-of-terror added, "you've already made up your mind to join us, have you not? So we might as well make a sincere attempt at getting along."
…Fuck. I had made up my mind, hadn't I? I mean, I couldn't exactly let the Heroine walk away with the Demon Queen, never to return. Not after everyone had seen me with them!
Not that I'd be able to do much more than die at 'Eena's' hand if I tried to get in the way… Hell, if she really was the fucking Demon Queen, then maybe she'd even make use of my cursed blood and turn me into one of her servants for real. Turn all those rumors about me into fact… But hey, better a life under the evil queen than a death from being torn apart by a mob of angry city folk who wanted to know what the fuck happened to their beloved Heroine!
It wasn't like I'd be able to sleep soundly knowing I sent said Heroine off to her doom, either, so…
"Though speaking of that request," the new-bane-of-my-existence added, "I'm afraid Lucy failed to fill me in on the details. Perhaps you could regale me with information along the way?"
"...Fuck it. Follow me." I gestured for the all-powerful-being-that-could-crush-me-like-a-bug to follow. She did - walking just a little to the side of me, where I couldn't help but catch sight of her in the corner of my eye. Like she was actively trying to give me a heart attack.
"First off," I explained, "what do you know about the Monster Movement?"
"Nothing," the probable-mother-of-all-monsters replied, shaking her head. "Though if I had to guess, I would say it had something to do with the movement of monsters?"
I snorted. She was being a smartass! The nightmare-of-all-nightmares was cracking jokes! And smiling, when she saw my reaction… Almost like she was happy to amuse me.
Was she even capable of feeling positive emotions like that? Or was she just trying to lull me into a false sense of security? I could always ask… if I wanted to die a horrible death at her hands. Or worse - get a well meaning lecture from the Heroine.
"Something like that," I said, instead. "More specifically, something happens inside Daroom Woods every three years or so- nobody has a clue what, but it makes the local monsters wig out and start moving out of the depths. Which makes the monsters that live near the edges move, and… basically just fucks up everything for everyone. But the important bit for us is that it makes the healberries in Daroom Woods harder to get, which jacks up the price of healing potions to the point where no commoner can afford them."
"Really?" the monster-in-human-skin asked, arching an eyebrow. "I would think that bit about it 'fucking up everything for everyone' would have just as much to do with us - that is why Lucy wants us to solve the root problem, is it not?"
"Yeah, well… she's the Heroine," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "It's her job to worry about stuff like that. We'll get first your rookie request taken care of as long as we can get the healberries, though. There's a standing request for them at the guild."
"If it were anyone but Lucy at the helm, I'd say my request was more of an excuse than a reason," the brunette-monstrosity said. "But with Lucy being Lucy, she probably truly does view both as equally important… She'd likely say that it was divine providence that we could try and take care of both issues in one go. Especially when she thinks that your reputation and mine could be improved through the use of this request…"
"Your reputation, maybe." Not that I knew what was wrong with said reputation, to begin with. "Me? I'll just be seen as the Heroine's pet rehab project. I'll probably get twice as much scorn from our guildmates, just for failing to live up to whatever the fuck they think that means, expectation wise."
Aaand now I was complaining about the Heroine's 'generosity' in public, where anyone could hear me. Fuck. My. Life.
"And yet you're agreeing to come anyway," the demon remarked, stating the obvious like it was supposed to mean something to me. "Was it a matter of feeling like you couldn't refuse? Or perhaps a sense of camaraderie, deeper than you'd have me believe?"
Was she… teasing me? "I'm coming because neither of you have the expertise to tell healberries from normal redberries."
"And you're the foremost expert on it?" the… evil-woman? Fuck the creative titles. Eena asked. "So good that Lucy could ask you, and you alone?"
"With my curse?" I replied. "I'm the best around."
"Your… curse?" Eena asked, arching an eyebrow. Did she not know? No. No way. Not if she was really the Demon Queen, anyway… But shouldn't a dragon (or whatever) at least be able to smell the Demon Queen's stench on me? Unless she was just faking ignorance.
"My bloodline curse," I said, instead of asking any of that and getting myself smooshed for my trouble. "It lets me see magical power."
"I wasn't aware that was something humans could do…" she replied. Which… I mean… 'Humans'? Seriously?! Was she even fucking trying to fake being one of us? "Wait… Is that why you were so scared of me when we first met?"
"...No." Yes!
"You're still scared, aren't you?" she accused me, crossing her arms and glaring at me. "You're just hiding it better."
"Why? Because you could squash me and everyone else like a bunch of bugs?" Or because my self-preservation instincts were apparently broken? But, again, what was I supposed to do here? Keep insisting that she didn't bother me, when she could already tell otherwise? I was pretty sure the only reason me and Lucy had been left alone so far was that Eena liked playing with her food!
Though, if so, I had to rethink my stance on her acting skills. The pained look in her eyes looked way too fucking real.
"I see…" she murmured, lowering her head. "So that's the view you hold of me…" And then, to my surprise, a small, sad looking smile flickered across her features. "I suppose Lucy would say that I simply need to change your mind, any way I can. Perhaps through civil conversation, for whatever good it will do? Starting with this curse of yours - I've never heard anything like it."
The pain in her voice? The forced optimism? It almost made me feel bad for her. At least until she asked about my fucking curse. Then I knew she had to be playing with me. There was no way the Demon Queen - or a demon, or a monster, or anything else that had to do with that bundle of sins! - wouldn't know. But I could still hear the Heroine's voice, telling me to give her a chance. And I knew she'd take Eena's side, so…
"It's a curse put on my family by the Demon Queen. It shows up in the bloodline at random - I was the first person to get it in three generations, or something…" My parents weren't exactly thrilled about it, either.
"The Demon Queen cursed your family to have… powers?" Eena asked, arching an eyebrow. Her words sounded almost mocking. Her intent was definitely mocking. It had to be. But her voice sounded confused. "That hardly seems like something she'd inflict upon her enemies."
"The power to know how screwed we are when we're faced with beings like you?" Not demons. I didn't say demons, or monsters, and the Heroine couldn't claim otherwise!
"The power to know what you can and can't fight is hardly disadvantageous," Eena countered. "Not to mention the auxiliary effects - the power to identify healberries, for example."
"Yeah, well… maybe she didn't think that through all the way… Or maybe the rumors about me turning into a demon after I die are true, and the powers are just a side effect."
Eena didn't reply to that. She just gave me this… look. Not one of pity, like I was used to getting about my bloodline, or distrust, or anger. Just… frustration. Was it because I'd figured out her game? It had to be… The other option - that she actually thought my powers were a blessing - was too ridiculous to even consider.
I decided not to ask what was going through her head, though. Something told me I wouldn't like the answer.
Feyra
I eyed the monster-who-may-or-may-not-have-been-the-Demon-Queen for a moment, before activating my curse to get another look at her magic power. It was basically the same as before - pants-shitting-ly terrifying. I was pretty sure she had enough magic in her to fry the entire city from where she was standing - Heroine included - without breaking a sweat!
"I don't suppose you could at least clarify the reason for your distaste?" it questioned, arching an eyebrow. "I'd appreciate the chance to address it, at the very least."
"It's nothing," I said, forcing myself to give it a weak smile. "I'm just not good with people I don't know."
"Meaning that you know Lucy well?"
"Everyone knows the Heroine. Not well enough to call her by name, though."
Shit. I had to fight the urge to flinch at my own words. Was I trying to pick a fight with the thing? Trying to get myself fucking killed? I was just glad the Heroine was still here, because otherwise-
"Well, I'm going to get some supplies!" said Heroine announced, with a big bright smile that stood in total contrast to the fucking doom she was hurling my way with every word out of her mouth. "Why don't you help Feyra get her stuff ready, Eena? I'm sure it would be a great opportunity for you two to get to know each other!"
"Wait, you can't seriously be planning to leave me alone with that…" I glanced at the creature in question, before settling on, "person?"
"I must admit that I'm not entirely satisfied with the idea of being left with someone who needs to think so hard on my classification, either," the monster added. "One would think personhood to be at least somewhat guaranteed…"
"Wait. Are you seriously offended?" I asked. I was ready to follow that up with a scoff, but the glare it… she gave me froze me in place. Not because she looked murderous or furious, or anything - because she didn't. She looked irritated.
"Is the concept so shocking?" she demanded. "Would you enjoy being treated as an object? Or a monster? I know not what bothers you about me, but I hope you realize that it's only for Lucy's sake that I'm not already turning down this proposal of hers."
Anger I'd call fake. Hurt? An obvious play at sympathy. But irritation? It was weirdly…human. As stupidly irrational as that might sound.
"...The same Lucy who has decided to put action to words and leave us alone, I might add," the brunette continued, after a moment. "Honestly, that girl… What sort of person just throws her friends together in a room and leaves?"
"We're not friends," I replied, woodenly. "And we're not in a room."
I couldn't believe the Heroine had left me alone with her.
I couldn't believe I was arguing with her. Shouldn't I have been… I don't know… Groveling for my life, or something? Trying desperately to appease her?
Except that I had no idea what she wanted in the first place.
"She didn't even specify when or where we're to meet back up," the dear-Goddess-just-let-her-be-a-dragon-or-something grumbled. "Seriously, that girl is so sloppy sometimes…"
Agreed. Except for some reason the definitely-Demon-Queen-with-my-luck was smiling when she said it.
Though it turned into a heart stoppingly terrifying scowl when she turned her attention back to me. "And if you're not friends, then why is she so determined to make us get along?"
"Because your girlfriend's a complete and total busybody, maybe?"
And also the Heroine.
I was badmouthing the Heroine.
In public.
What was wrong with me?
"We're not dating," the demon muttered, looking away from me. Was she… blushing? "In truth, I'm barely qualified to be her friend, regardless of what she thinks on the matter. She hardly even knows me…"
"Since when has that stopped her?" I asked, because apparently I had a fucking death wish. Or maybe it was just that I had no fucking clue what magical words would make her not want to kill me, anyway, so it was probably better to risk going out with a bang than hold back and die with a whimper. "That girl would befriend a literal monster if they let her, and you're over here calling her by name."
Or maybe I was just a fucking idiot who didn't know how to hold her tongue.
"You and her both keep referring to that as if it's some great and amazing thing," the disaster-on-two-legs said with a sigh, "but to me, calling one as they wish to be called seems to only be polite… Rather than acting as if I'm doing everything possible to be close to her, perhaps you should consider why everyone else is so determined to keep away from her."
"Because she's the Heroine. She's-"
"A person," the bane-of-all-existence interrupted, narrowing her eyes at me. "One who deserves to be seen as the lonely girl she is, and not just the symbol you all want her to be."
"...Whatever," I muttered. Because what the hell was I supposed to even say to that? How was I meant to explain to the maybe-embodiment-of-sin that most people didn't like hanging around someone who had the right to judge them for their sins? "I've got a few things I need to handle if we're going on a trip. Some of which require me to go outside the walls. Feel free to just hang out here, though - I'll tell the Heroine we tried to get along, if you do."
"Tempting," she replied, before shaking her head. "But I promised Lucy that I would not lie to her. If you're going beyond the walls to take care of your business, then I see no choice but to follow."
"Of course…" Okay. Smile at the maybe-source-of-all-evil, me. Smile and pretend that everything is okay.
"Besides," the living-embodiment-of-terror added, "you've already made up your mind to join us, have you not? So we might as well make a sincere attempt at getting along."
…Fuck. I had made up my mind, hadn't I? I mean, I couldn't exactly let the Heroine walk away with the Demon Queen, never to return. Not after everyone had seen me with them!
Not that I'd be able to do much more than die at 'Eena's' hand if I tried to get in the way… Hell, if she really was the fucking Demon Queen, then maybe she'd even make use of my cursed blood and turn me into one of her servants for real. Turn all those rumors about me into fact… But hey, better a life under the evil queen than a death from being torn apart by a mob of angry city folk who wanted to know what the fuck happened to their beloved Heroine!
It wasn't like I'd be able to sleep soundly knowing I sent said Heroine off to her doom, either, so…
"Though speaking of that request," the new-bane-of-my-existence added, "I'm afraid Lucy failed to fill me in on the details. Perhaps you could regale me with information along the way?"
"...Fuck it. Follow me." I gestured for the all-powerful-being-that-could-crush-me-like-a-bug to follow. She did - walking just a little to the side of me, where I couldn't help but catch sight of her in the corner of my eye. Like she was actively trying to give me a heart attack.
"First off," I explained, "what do you know about the Monster Movement?"
"Nothing," the probable-mother-of-all-monsters replied, shaking her head. "Though if I had to guess, I would say it had something to do with the movement of monsters?"
I snorted. She was being a smartass! The nightmare-of-all-nightmares was cracking jokes! And smiling, when she saw my reaction… Almost like she was happy to amuse me.
Was she even capable of feeling positive emotions like that? Or was she just trying to lull me into a false sense of security? I could always ask… if I wanted to die a horrible death at her hands. Or worse - get a well meaning lecture from the Heroine.
"Something like that," I said, instead. "More specifically, something happens inside Daroom Woods every three years or so- nobody has a clue what, but it makes the local monsters wig out and start moving out of the depths. Which makes the monsters that live near the edges move, and… basically just fucks up everything for everyone. But the important bit for us is that it makes the healberries in Daroom Woods harder to get, which jacks up the price of healing potions to the point where no commoner can afford them."
"Really?" the monster-in-human-skin asked, arching an eyebrow. "I would think that bit about it 'fucking up everything for everyone' would have just as much to do with us - that is why Lucy wants us to solve the root problem, is it not?"
"Yeah, well… she's the Heroine," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "It's her job to worry about stuff like that. We'll get first your rookie request taken care of as long as we can get the healberries, though. There's a standing request for them at the guild."
"If it were anyone but Lucy at the helm, I'd say my request was more of an excuse than a reason," the brunette-monstrosity said. "But with Lucy being Lucy, she probably truly does view both as equally important… She'd likely say that it was divine providence that we could try and take care of both issues in one go. Especially when she thinks that your reputation and mine could be improved through the use of this request…"
"Your reputation, maybe." Not that I knew what was wrong with said reputation, to begin with. "Me? I'll just be seen as the Heroine's pet rehab project. I'll probably get twice as much scorn from our guildmates, just for failing to live up to whatever the fuck they think that means, expectation wise."
Aaand now I was complaining about the Heroine's 'generosity' in public, where anyone could hear me. Fuck. My. Life.
"And yet you're agreeing to come anyway," the demon remarked, stating the obvious like it was supposed to mean something to me. "Was it a matter of feeling like you couldn't refuse? Or perhaps a sense of camaraderie, deeper than you'd have me believe?"
Was she… teasing me? "I'm coming because neither of you have the expertise to tell healberries from normal redberries."
"And you're the foremost expert on it?" the… evil-woman? Fuck the creative titles. Eena asked. "So good that Lucy could ask you, and you alone?"
"With my curse?" I replied. "I'm the best around."
"Your… curse?" Eena asked, arching an eyebrow. Did she not know? No. No way. Not if she was really the Demon Queen, anyway… But shouldn't a dragon (or whatever) at least be able to smell the Demon Queen's stench on me? Unless she was just faking ignorance.
"My bloodline curse," I said, instead of asking any of that and getting myself smooshed for my trouble. "It lets me see magical power."
"I wasn't aware that was something humans could do…" she replied. Which… I mean… 'Humans'? Seriously?! Was she even fucking trying to fake being one of us? "Wait… Is that why you were so scared of me when we first met?"
"...No." Yes!
"You're still scared, aren't you?" she accused me, crossing her arms and glaring at me. "You're just hiding it better."
"Why? Because you could squash me and everyone else like a bunch of bugs?" Or because my self-preservation instincts were apparently broken? But, again, what was I supposed to do here? Keep insisting that she didn't bother me, when she could already tell otherwise? I was pretty sure the only reason me and Lucy had been left alone so far was that Eena liked playing with her food!
Though, if so, I had to rethink my stance on her acting skills. The pained look in her eyes looked way too fucking real.
"I see…" she murmured, lowering her head. "So that's the view you hold of me…" And then, to my surprise, a small, sad looking smile flickered across her features. "I suppose Lucy would say that I simply need to change your mind, any way I can. Perhaps through civil conversation, for whatever good it will do? Starting with this curse of yours - I've never heard anything like it."
The pain in her voice? The forced optimism? It almost made me feel bad for her. At least until she asked about my fucking curse. Then I knew she had to be playing with me. There was no way the Demon Queen - or a demon, or a monster, or anything else that had to do with that bundle of sins! - wouldn't know. But I could still hear the Heroine's voice, telling me to give her a chance. And I knew she'd take Eena's side, so…
"It's a curse put on my family by the Demon Queen. It shows up in the bloodline at random - I was the first person to get it in three generations, or something…" My parents weren't exactly thrilled about it, either.
"The Demon Queen cursed your family to have… powers?" Eena asked, arching an eyebrow. Her words sounded almost mocking. Her intent was definitely mocking. It had to be. But her voice sounded confused. "That hardly seems like something she'd inflict upon her enemies."
"The power to know how screwed we are when we're faced with beings like you?" Not demons. I didn't say demons, or monsters, and the Heroine couldn't claim otherwise!
"The power to know what you can and can't fight is hardly disadvantageous," Eena countered. "Not to mention the auxiliary effects - the power to identify healberries, for example."
"Yeah, well… maybe she didn't think that through all the way… Or maybe the rumors about me turning into a demon after I die are true, and the powers are just a side effect."
Eena didn't reply to that. She just gave me this… look. Not one of pity, like I was used to getting about my bloodline, or distrust, or anger. Just… frustration. Was it because I'd figured out her game? It had to be… The other option - that she actually thought my powers were a blessing - was too ridiculous to even consider.
I decided not to ask what was going through her head, though. Something told me I wouldn't like the answer.
So, good news and bad news. Good news: we're getting back to Devilla next update! For a 3,000 word chapter, too. Bad news: there's a good chance I won't be posting an update next week. I had serious writer's block, and chapter 28 only went up on Patreon yesterday. Since I want to get at least chapter 29 - and preferably chapter 30 - done before I go public with it... Well, it'll depend on how long it takes me to write, but I'm not planning to risk burn out by pushing myself too hard. I am sorry for the delay, though - I promise to try and make the next update worth waiting for.
Thanks as always go to my proofreader FallingLeaf and my betareader Lulla.
Thanks as always go to my proofreader FallingLeaf and my betareader Lulla.
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- Location
- Oslo
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I think the erotic scenes are a vehicle for romantic plot and character development and kind of the nature of the genre/reality we're experiencing through the POV characters.
It's as natural to them as all the hand to hand fighting in the Matrix.
It's as natural to them as all the hand to hand fighting in the Matrix.
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- Pronouns
- She/Her
There's also the fact that this project was originally meant to be fluffy smut. It went and turned into something Serious, but the origin still affects it in some ways. I do try and ensure the smutty bits flow naturally as part of the story progression, though - and I am trying to make use of it for the sake of romance and character development, yeah.
Shwaggy
Weapon of Math Instruction
- Location
- Texas
- Pronouns
- he/him/his
Well, this was a fun find! I like the way you've had the reincarnation influence Devilla instead of overwriting her. Honestly, your story hits a lot of things I like - overpowered characters who can't just solve all their problems with power, fluff, a focus on character interaction, fluff, dialogue where I can tell who is talking without 'X said' because they all have unique voices, fluff, well written and tastefully integrated sex scenes, and a bit of fluff, too.
Thanks for writing it, I'll be following to see what comes next. (Though I'm bad about regular comments, so sorry if I mostly just react from here.)
Thanks for writing it, I'll be following to see what comes next. (Though I'm bad about regular comments, so sorry if I mostly just react from here.)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Well, this was a fun find! I like the way you've had the reincarnation influence Devilla instead of overwriting her. Honestly, your story hits a lot of things I like - overpowered characters who can't just solve all their problems with power, fluff, a focus on character interaction, fluff, dialogue where I can tell who is talking without 'X said' because they all have unique voices, fluff, well written and tastefully integrated sex scenes, and a bit of fluff, too.
Thanks for writing it, I'll be following to see what comes next. (Though I'm bad about regular comments, so sorry if I mostly just react from here.)
Glad you're enjoying~! No worries on lack of comments. As much as I love them, I'm bad at leaving them when I read, too....
- Location
- USA
Ah, I meant that the lewdness did nothing for me personally. I felt it was placed and implemented just fine.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I figured! You're not the first person to say that - or the first person to reassure me, when I get self-conscious. It's appreciated, though, since I do consider sex scenes something of a weakness for me. I do get that some people just aren't into them for reasons completely unrelated to my writing, though.
Chapter 28
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Devilla
For the second time in as many days, I found myself following Feyra down the street. Yet where once she had seemed skittish and scared, now she stomped upon the ground and scowled at the air as if the world itself had personally wronged her. An expression quite similar to one I'd seen Abigail make recently - a thought that might have tempted me to laugh, if I wasn't fully aware that I was the shared source of such feelings. Though Abigail, at least, would never put it that way.
Perhaps this was the difference between being paid to show me around for an hour or two, and being forced to reside within my presence for extended periods. Something I could understand - or would understand, had Feyra been one of the people forced to live under my incompetent rule. Then, at least, she'd have reason to despise me. As it was? The girl hardly knew me! She acted this way out of fear for my power - she was terrified of being around me, but forced to remain within my presence by Lucy's request, and so she lashed out without regard for self-preservation. Not that I was going to do anything to her for it, beyond frowning at the back of her head.
At least I was getting some useful information out of this whole ordeal. Two things in particular seemed quite worthy of my attention. The first, related to the Monster Movement, was admittedly more a matter of curiosity than importance - I simply wondered if it was connected to the pack of horned wolves that Bailey had been part of. If so, I was almost grateful that it hadn't been solved quite yet… as twisted and selfish a thought as that might be. Otherwise, I would never have met Lucy, let alone rescued Bailey from her abusive home.
The second thing of import was Feyra's so-called 'curse.' She seemed to believe that it stemmed from one of my ancestors, but I personally found that rather hard to believe. What sort of Demon Queen would give their enemy such a useful power? Let alone let it be inherited, potentially creating a multi-generational advantage for humanity… Not to mention the fact that I'd never even heard of any ancestors of mine directly interacting with humans, as an enemy or otherwise. They'd mostly restricted themselves to dealing with the Heroine, negating the influence of my aunts in heaven, but otherwise disturbing the balance of human affairs as little as possible.
Besides which, I wasn't entirely convinced cursing a bloodline was possible for us. We lacked the ability to even enchant items, let alone people - the Empty Bag and Indestructible Sword were so valuable for that precise reason!
At the same time, however, I had no alternate suggestion as to the origins of Feyra's powers. The ability to see magical energy was more in line with what I'd expect from a demon than a human - in fact, I was fairly sure some race or another had that exact ability! I wanted to say… tiger girls? Or lions? Or maybe just basic catgirls…? Some sort of feline, anyway!
I probably should have paid more attention during my classes…
"Is there a reason you're staring at me like that?" Feyra demanded, glancing back at me before turning down an alleyway. "Because it's really creeping me out."
"Apologies," I replied, wincing. While Feyra's attitude towards me didn't exactly beget fondness on my part, I still had no desire for her discomfort. "My mind was simply dwelling on the nature of your curse."
"Really? Because usually that comes with a lot more glaring."
"People judge you for it?" I asked, unable to stop a frown. "For something you were born with?"
"Pretty sure it's normal to judge someone for having evil running through their veins."
"What makes you so certain that it's evil?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes at her. "Does it cause you pain? Affect your judgment? Alter your behavior, or otherwise affect the lives of those around you?"
"Could you maybe not be all blasphemous in public?" Feyra asked, lowering her voice to a whisper. I have no clue why she thought I'd be able to hear her - something to ask her about later, considering how easily I could. "It's a curse because it came from the Demon Queen. Who the fuck knows what sort of strings come with it?"
"I hardly think asking questions is blasphemous," I grumbled in return. Still, despite my grousing, I acquiesced to her request. In truth, I lacked the heart to go against her in light of the clear distress painted across her features. Even if it was upsetting for her to label her power as a curse, while defending the people who made her see it that way… Not to mention the bit where she insulted my ancestors.
Of course, that isn't to say that I remained eternally locked in silence. "Aren't we nearing the Ruby Shop?" I asked, noting increasing familiarity with the area. "Don't tell me you have business with Gerard?"
"His daughter, actually," Feyra replied, coming to a stop outside the familiar two story building. Rather than walking through the front door, however, she began to circle around it towards the back. "Amessa makes my meds."
"Meds?" I questioned. I did seem to recall her saying something about that, when first we'd met - and the blonde girl that had been chasing her down had responded with something about… "Potions?"
The glare Feyra gave me was fierce enough to make me flinch. "So what if they are? You going to fucking join the parade of people waiting to judge me for them?"
"I don't even know what you're taking them for," I pointed out, trying not to return the girl's glare in kind. The way Feyra treated me was growing more tiresome by the moment, but something told me that this particular reaction had little to do with me. "Nor am I so conceited as to believe it is any business of mine. Though I am curious as to why one might need a dedicated alchemist - can you not simply consume the raw materials to receive their effects?"
From the way Feyra narrowed her eyes at me, I got the distinct impression that she didn't believe a word coming from my mouth. A shame, seeing as how I had neither a method nor desire to prove myself to her.
Nevertheless, after a moment of tense silence, she looked away with a huff. "Amessa's potions are just a little different, alright? You'll see soon enough." Saying so, she all but stomped her way towards the back of the shop, rapping her knuckles fiercely against the wooden door.
The response was near immediate - the door swung inwards, and a girl's head poked out. She looked almost a match with Feyra, at first glance, with her green hair and brown eyes. A closer look, however, showed the similarities to be rather shallow. Where Feyra was rather tall, at five foot nine, this girl barely came up to my own natural height, at five foot four. Where Feyra's skin was pasty white, this girl boasted a dark complexion. And where Feyra's hair was dark green, this girl's hair had a bright vibrancy about it, giving off the impression that it was mere moments from springing to life.
"Feyfey!" she called out, in a high pitched voice, a manic grin upon her lips. "You're just in time - the mirror lilies are done growing, so I just need to mash them, smash them, and make them into… what did you want this time? Pills? Paste? Soup? I bet I could make a great potion soup! Need you to take a look at them, first, though - let me know what the magic levels are like!"
"Whatever's quickest," Feyra replied, scowling. "And can you maybe not spill the beans on my meds in front of strangers?"
"Strangers…?" The girl's eyes locked on mine. "Oh! Feyfey made a friend? How rare!"
"We're not friends," Feyra interceded, before I could reply. "We're temporary party members for an important request."
"Hmmm… Hmmm…" The girl nodded, slowly, looking me up and down in the process. I couldn't help but notice that she paused for a moment whenever her eyes landed upon my chest. "Soooooooooooooo, you're totally secret besties and you don't want anyone to know? Got it! My name's Amessa, but a gorgeous girl like you can call me anything, so long as it's complimentary! Now get inside, so I can powder Feyfey's order for travel!" Saying so, her head disappeared back into the building, a hand taking its place a mere moment later to gesture at us to come in.
"Is it just me, or does your friend have rather selective hearing?" I questioned, moving to follow after the girl. While under normal circumstances the trait likely would have irritated me, I had to admit that her cheery acceptance was a wonderful break from Feyra's foul treatment of me.
"More like delusional hearing," Feyra rebutted, moving quickly to stay ahead of me and enter the girl's abode. I allowed it, seeing little reason to do otherwise. We would both be entering the same domicile, regardless.
In fact, I decided to go a little further, and stop moving for the moment. The better to take a deep breath, and enjoy the momentary respite from Feyra's presence after she'd passed indoors. It wouldn't last long - couldn't last long, as I didn't really want to know what nonsense she'd be filling Amessa's head with if I tarried - but truthfully, I needed a moment to myself.
The way Feyra looked at me… Like I was a step away from ending her, at any moment… If it wasn't clear to me that she meant something to Lucy, I would have abandoned all hope of getting along with her already. As it was, we were going to have to have a talk, and soon. Because as it stood, I had to admit I wasn't sure I could tolerate traveling with the girl.
A decision for the future. For now, it was time to enter the alchemist's lair. A lair which… to be honest… wasn't quite what I'd expected. Not that I quite knew myself what those expectations were, or how they had managed to form in the brief period I'd known about her. Yet I could say with certainty that they had been betrayed.
I suppose it came down to the term "alchemist" - it made me think of boiling cauldrons, bottles of liquids, and exotic ingredients. None of which this room had. Instead of potions lining the shelves, there were pots of dirt, with plants in various stages of growth. Instead of a cauldron atop a fire, there was what looked to be a small kitchen, featuring a stove and a pot atop it. And instead of exotic ingredients, there were… socks? And skirts, and shirts, all littered across the floor. In short, it felt less like an alchemist's atelier, and more like a messy studio apartment. It even had a shabby looking mattress shoved into one corner.
"Heeeeeey!" the alchemist in question called out to me, waving happily, as a far less chipper Feyra unleashed a long sigh. "Wanna see a neat trick? Feyfey told me she needs some extra meds, so I'm about to do a thing!"
"I said it would be nice to have more meds," Feyra corrected, groaning. "Not that I could afford it."
"Awww… I wanted to show off to the pretty lady…" Amessa's cheeks puffed up into a pout - for about half a second, before a new idea brightened her expression. "Maaaaybe we could do a trade? You get me some interesting plants, I throw in an extra dose or two of your meds?"
"I don't have time for a fucking side quest, Amessa. I'm going on a trip. Hence the whole damn reason I wanted extra meds."
"If it's materials you're after, I might have a thing or two to give," I remarked. "Assuming you're willing to take monster parts, as well as plants?"
"Like hell she is!" Feyra snapped. "Nobody's stupid enough to taint their soul with that sort of crap."
I paused, caught off guard by her vehement refusal. Though perhaps I shouldn't have been - I did recall Lucy saying something about people not consuming monster meat, now that she mentioned it. A shame, since plant based potions were by far the weakest variety, but I suppose most people didn't know what they were missing.
"Speak for yourself, Cursecurse!" Amessa declared, sticking her tongue out in Feyra's direction. "Maybe you can't risk that sorta thing, but I'm blessed, remember? I can totally handle a monster or two!"
"Don't call me that!" Feyra all but growled, crossing her arms. "And don't take her materials, either. I don't care if you're fucking blessed by the goddess herself, you shouldn't be fucking around with sins like that."
"Goddess above, you're more of a worrywart than pops," Amessa complained, shaking her head. "It's my body, and I'll do what I want with it! Up to and including putting… Uh…. What sort of monster materials did you have on you, anyway?"
"Horned wolves," I replied, thankful for the excuse to interject into their conversation. "Specifically their horns. What do you mean by 'blessed,' though?"
"I mean I'm from a blessed bloodline, of course! On my mother's side."
"Her ancestor was blessed by the angels," Feyra helpfully explained, no doubt noting my furrowed brow. "Just like mine was cursed by the Demon Queen. It's usually a highborn thing."
"Great gram gram was totally from a noble line… Or something? Pops gets all mad when I ask him questions about it! I get the feeling there's a dark and scary-"
"She was a bastard child," Feyra interjected. "It's a miracle that the blessing actually showed in her descendant. Why the heavens would choose someone like Amessa for it, I have no fucking clue…"
"Rude!" Amessa protested, puffing up her cheeks. "True, but rude! And it totally ruins the mysterious family background I was trying to spin, too! Rude rude rude!"
"Uh-huh…"
Feyra looked rather tired from the shenanigans - a sentiment I could well understand, though my own ire was directed at the church. The clear source of this blessed bloodline versus cursed bloodline nonsense. Nonsense I might have believed, had they restricted themselves to only the blessed - I could certainly see my human-loving aunts in heaven handing out powers, if they had the means. But the supposed nature of the 'cursed' bloodlines threw everything into doubt. As did the fact that the rich and powerful just so happened to be blessed, while common folk with Feyra were inflicted with a 'curse.' Something fishy was at play, here, and I…
Well, I had no idea what I wanted to do about it, or if I should be doing anything at all. Human politics didn't really concern me. It wasn't my job to sort out their prejudices. My involvement began and ended with irritation at their use of my family as a pawn in their games…
Still, if Lucy wished to counter this prejudice, through Feyra, I could at least try and swallow my distaste for the girl's behavior, so that I wouldn't interfere.
"Sooo about those horny horns I'm totally putting in my body, no matter what Feyfey has to say on the matter?" Amessa prodded, a grin upon her features that said she knew exactly what sort of pained facial expression Feyra was making behind her. "What do they do, exactly?"
"Horned wolves have two abilities," I informed her, deciding to ignore the way she'd chosen to word things. "One is destructive in nature - that which they pierce with their horns will crumble to ash. I must admit that I'm not entirely sure how it works without a horn - perhaps poking something with a fingernail will do?"
"Ooooooooooh, ash horns! I wonder what would happen if I used it on potion ingredients?" she murmured, eyeing one of her potted plants.
"I couldn't say," I confessed. "I don't know if the ash is edible, or if it would retain its power-giving capabilities. But I do hope for your sake that it proves beneficial - especially seeing as how the second property might not be of any use at all…"
"The second property?" Amessa asked.
I nodded, reaching into the stuffed bag at my side, and then further entering the Empty Bag within it, to find one of the wolves. I was careful to snap off its horn while it was still in the bag, muffling the sound with a bit of localized magic that stilled the air around it, before pulling out the pointy red shaft. "The wolves utilized telepathy, on a closed loop system. Only those who have imbibed the material would be able to participate - and only with permission. A problematic property, if nobody else is willing to consume the material."
"I dunno…" Amessa murmured, frowning. "Me and you equals two, doesn't it?"
My surprise must have shown on my face, for once again Feyra provided an answer.
"You wouldn't know what it fucking does if you weren't willing to take it. It's like you're not even trying to hide things!"
"Perhaps I simply see no shame in it," I replied, pushing through the embarrassment that surely showed itself upon my cheeks. "Monsters, to me, are but animals with magic - not the walking sins you seem to believe them to be."
"We can be no-shame buddies, then!" Amessa declared, grinning from ear to ear. "But later, 'kay? Right now, I wanna work on Feyfey's stuff! And show you a magic trick. Which the horn will totally cover - especially if you promise to come back again, at some point!"
"I didn't agree to this!" Feyra protested.
"But you'll still take the meds~!" Amessa replied. "We both know you get all grumpy without your potions, Feyfey, and this way I can give them to you without you feeling all 'Oh no, I owe you a favor!'"
"...Just don't come crying to me when you lose your blessing, or whatever," Feyra replied, looking away from the girl.
Somehow, I doubted she was at risk of that.
"So! Magic trick time!" The girl declared, running over towards the wall and pulling down a potted plant. How she knew what was what, in the absence of any labels, or so much as a leaf coming from the pot's barely grown occupant, I could not say. Though I did begin to get an inkling of an idea when her hair began to glow, and the sprout began to grow.
The girl was using dryad magic.
Fun fact: this chapter used to be half as long. I wasn't really satisfied, so I kinda just doubled it? I'm a bit happier with it now. (The first half took me ages to write, due to writer's block, while the second flowed so smoothly it was like my writer's block was a lie. And then the writer's block came back again for half the next chapter, too! Annoying, but at least I got it done. And chapter 30 went smoothly, at least!)
On another note, Amessa is…. interesting to write. I'm not sure why she ended up like this, to be honest. Maybe her name influenced me a bit? She's kinda childish, extremely stubborn, and maybe bit horny. A definite mess.
Other than that? I just want to give a quick thanks to FallingLeaf for proofreading and Lulla for beta reading~!
PS: I've written up to chapter 30, with it and chapter 29 both currently up on Patreon - though they aren't proofread yet. This means I'll be posting as normal for the next couple weeks.
On another note, Amessa is…. interesting to write. I'm not sure why she ended up like this, to be honest. Maybe her name influenced me a bit? She's kinda childish, extremely stubborn, and maybe bit horny. A definite mess.
Other than that? I just want to give a quick thanks to FallingLeaf for proofreading and Lulla for beta reading~!
PS: I've written up to chapter 30, with it and chapter 29 both currently up on Patreon - though they aren't proofread yet. This means I'll be posting as normal for the next couple weeks.
- Location
- united states
Nice, a new chapter. Thank you.
What I'm Getting from this chapter is that Humanity - as usual - is propagating a ton of false information about the origins of so called 'blessings' and 'curses' as whatever fits the narrative that the nobility wants to propagate. But its probably all just monster(girl?) ancestry or blessings somewhere in their ancestry Isn't it... yeah, I'm assuming so until such a time I stand corrected.
So its likely one of the 'if its from pretty monsters that seem benevolently harmless to the ignorant masses its passed off as a blessing' and 'If it comes from monsters that are off putting and its scary to the ignorant masses its been demonized and blamed on the Demon Queen as they call if a curse' Tropes. Meanwhile the 'Angels' - possibly being some variation of hypocritical assholes that is common in Monster girl settings or maybe not, if they are even aware of it and its not all on the nobility being the atypical nobility of these settings - take the credit while twisting the people to their agenda and making use of the ignorant masses or just ignoring it all together as they do not really care enough to correct anyone.
What I'm Getting from this chapter is that Humanity - as usual - is propagating a ton of false information about the origins of so called 'blessings' and 'curses' as whatever fits the narrative that the nobility wants to propagate. But its probably all just monster(girl?) ancestry or blessings somewhere in their ancestry Isn't it... yeah, I'm assuming so until such a time I stand corrected.
So its likely one of the 'if its from pretty monsters that seem benevolently harmless to the ignorant masses its passed off as a blessing' and 'If it comes from monsters that are off putting and its scary to the ignorant masses its been demonized and blamed on the Demon Queen as they call if a curse' Tropes. Meanwhile the 'Angels' - possibly being some variation of hypocritical assholes that is common in Monster girl settings or maybe not, if they are even aware of it and its not all on the nobility being the atypical nobility of these settings - take the credit while twisting the people to their agenda and making use of the ignorant masses or just ignoring it all together as they do not really care enough to correct anyone.
I think it's more along the lines of "if it shows up in a noble family it's obviously a blessing" and "if it's on one of those filthy commoners it's clearly a curse".
Taking a guess, but I bet the mirror Lillies are something like catnip.
Chapter 29
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Devilla
I watched as the plant grew in real time, the stalk and leaves forming quickly, followed by the rapidly budding and then blossoming flower - a multicolored thing, with white petals tinged by blue at their tips, and pink filaments and stamen protruding from its center. The combination of colors seemed oddly familiar to me, though I couldn't quite place where I'd seen it before… But then, my mind was somewhat preoccupied with the matter of Amessa's dryad powers.
Could they truly have been a gift from the heavens? Maybe. I certainly wouldn't have put it past my aunts to copy demonic abilities and pass them off as blessed ones. However, between her glowing green hair, a trait she had in common with many dryads, and the suspicious notion of 'cursed' bloodlines, I suspected there was actual monster girl blood running through her and Feyra's veins.
I wondered just how far back it went. Humans and demons had been in an extinction war for two thousand years, after all. Hardly ideal circumstances to form a romance. Add in the fact that her 'blessing' was apparently known to run through a noble family line… There was most definitely a story there, but I didn't have anywhere close to enough information to even try and piece it together. There was one kernel of info that stood out in my mind, though - when demons had children, their species would match the one who birthed them. Usually, that included both their form and wild magic. But if the birth mother was a human, with no wild magic to speak of… Well, who knew what would happen?
"Impressive, right?" Amessa asked, drawing my attention back to her and her bright smile. "Tooootally worthy of staring at. And the creator of it all? Heehee, definitely worth a second look, riiiiight? And that's when she's clothed! Can't you just imagine what she'd look like naked? Bet she'd be pretty hot, right?! Why don't you give it a try?"
"Why are you like this?" Feyra complained, putting her head in her hands. To look at her, you'd think the heavens themselves had abandoned her. "For the last time, we're going on a quest, okay? We don't have time for you to fuck around."
"Perhaps this is a thread better tugged upon our return?" I suggested, hoping to play peacekeeper between the two of them. The girl was certainly pretty enough to bed - with a prominent and what looked to be a rather full rear - but at the same time, Feyra was right about us being on a mission.
For some reason, however, my proposition garnered a glare from Feyra. "Is something the matter?"
"No," she all but snarled, before turning her attention back to Amessa. "How quickly can you finish? The fucking Heroine is waiting for us."
"I think you're overestimating the speed with which Lucy will conduct her business," I remarked, frowning a little at Feyra's suddenly increased aggression. I didn't understand what was going through the girl's mind - for someone who feared me, she seemed oddly eager to pick a fight. "She's liable to chat with anyone she has dealings with. Surely we can give your alchemist a little time to complete her potion making?"
"Well, if the Heroine's waiting…" Amessa murmured, glancing between Feyra and the flower. "I mean, I do have a toooon of questions! Like why the heck is the Heroine waiting for you Feyfey? And is your hot friend seriously on a first name basis with her? Buuuuut I guess it can wait… I just need you to tell me how well my growing worked - I tried to concentrate as much magical power in the flower head as possible this time!"
Feyra glared at the flower, her pupils elongating as her eyes narrowed. "It's fine. I think. Kinda hard to fucking tell when someone's radiating so much damn magic."
"Is that a request for me to leave?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. "Because I actually had a few questions of my own. Starting with the matter of concentrating magic power, and its effect on potion making." Not that it was more than an idle curiosity on my part. It was just intriguing to find there might be more to potion making than I'd realized.
"Do whatever the fuck you want," Feyra replied, shooting me another scowl before stomping towards the door. "I need a breath of fresh air."
I stared after the girl for a moment, before turning my gaze towards Amessa. "Is she always like this?"
"Nooooo?" Amessa replied, tilting her head to the side and tapping a finger to her chin. "I mean, usually she's only, uh… half as bitchy? Sorta looks like you stress her out, though."
"I was afraid of that." I sighed, shaking my head. "Considering the fact that I'm about to be embarking upon a journey with her… Well, I suppose it's time we had a little chat." About why, exactly, she was so scared of me - and about what, precisely, could be done about it.
Feyra
I was fucked. Really fucked. I mean, I talked back to the fucking Demon Queen! I stormed out on the Demon Queen! And why? Because she was maybe planning to cheat on the Heroine? They weren't even officially together! And also, polyamory was a fucking thing! Though going after one girl right when you started dating another was still a little fucked up, so far as I was concerned.
Also, the embodiment of sin wanting to fuck all my… not friends… was a thing in and of itself. I mean, sure, one of them was literally the Heroine, and the other had blessed blood running through her veins, but… if eating monster material was bad for your soul - something Amessa had already been tempted into - then who knew what the fuck eating one out would do to you?
Confronting Eena wasn't going to spare them, though. If anything, it would get me and them killed. Though I guess our souls would at least be free to move onto heaven? As fucking poor a consolation as that was.
"Feyra?"
I flinched. Which probably wasn't the best fucking move, considering how displeased the speaker looked over it. Displeased and hurt. Or at least she was acting hurt, anyway… It had to be acting. In what fucking world did monsters care what people thought of them?
"We need to talk," Eena said, after a tense moment. "About the way you've been acting towards me."
"Yeah?" I asked, trying not to tense up even more. Running wasn't going to do me any fucking good. Not against someone strong enough to wipe out the city from where she stood. "What's there to say? You're powerful, I'm weak and terrified. I'd think you'd be used to it." Didn't monsters and demons all cower before their mistress?
I felt a tingle, as magic washed over me. It didn't do anything to me, though, at least as far as I could tell. A quick toggling of my sight told me that it hadn't fucking disappeared either, though. It had, instead, formed a bubble around us. Probably some discount version of the Heroine's privacy spell.
"I've stilled the air around us," Eena explained. "So that we can talk without fear of anyone hearing us."
"Why? So you can threaten me into behaving?"
Shit. Why did I say that? What the fuck had happened to my surival instincts? Was I fucking tired of living? Except… I didn't feel afraid, as I said it. More like resigned.
I wasn't going to be able to keep on my toes the whole trip. I was going to slip up, and say something I shouldn't, and piss her off. And when I did, the Heroine was going to suffer alongside me. And then humanity was going to suffer, because there'd be no fucking Heroine… I wasn't exactly the self-sacrificing sort, but maybe it was better if it was just me who died horribly.
Though I couldn't help but notice there was an awful lack of me 'dying horribly.' Eena didn't even look mad at me. Just… frustrated?
"I don't understand why you keep assuming the worst of me," she said. "I know that I'm powerful, but surely you've come across others with enough strength to cause you harm."
"Powerful?" I laughed. I couldn't help it. The sound just tore itself out of my fucking throat. "Powerful doesn't even fucking begin to describe it! You make the damn Heroine look like a fucking ant. Just looking at you almost makes me lose hope for humanity! I mean, how the fuck is she supposed to even beat you if you can just smash her flat the moment you get tired of playing with her?!"
…Fuck. I said it. I fucking said it. I… shit. I… was going to die. I was going to fucking die. Or worse. I was going to die, or worse, and it was all because I couldn't keep my damn mouth shut, and… Oh. I was on the ground. On my knees. When had that happened? It didn't even fucking register. A second ago I was standing, and now I was on my knees, staring at the fucking Demon Queen as she got ready to… stare at me?
"Isn't this the bit where you kill me?" I asked. Because fuck it. I was done. I was done pussyfooting around the most powerful being in the mortal world. I was going to fucking die, and she was going to kill me, but before that I was going to say whatever the fuck was on my mind.
Except for some reason, she still wasn't killing me. She was just sort of… staring at me? With this… not quite sad. More… distant than that. And more familiar. She looked resigned. "You are really determined to see the worst in me, aren't you?"
"Am I wrong?" I asked. "Because trust me, I'd love to not fucking die. But you're too strong to be anyone but the Demon Queen. Or maybe a dragon in disguise, here to fuck around, but that probably ends about the same for me now that I've spilled the fucking beans, so…"
"Half wrong," she replied. There was… something to her voice. A lightness that didn't fit. I think she was trying to make it a joke, or something, but it mostly just sounded out of place. "I am the Demon Queen, yes, but… as unbelievable as this may sound to you, I have no intention of killing you."
"Why not?" I asked. Which was a pretty fucking reasonable question, if you ask me, even if it was a bit like glaring at a gift horse's mouth. There was no way in hell I was going to believe she'd just spare me, though. If she wasn't going to kill me, it was for a reason. And she'd probably do something worse. "Don't wanna give away your little game to the Heroine? Afraid she'll get suspicious if I up and disappear?"
"It's my chance at brokering peace that would disappear, actually. Alongside the trust Lucy put in me when she paired us up."
"....Peace?"
"That's right," the Demon Queen - the fucking embodiment of evil - said, with a nod of her head. "Peace. I want Lucy's help to end the war between our peoples… and before you ask, the look you're giving me right now is, in fact, the exact reason why I haven't gone to her directly. I want her to know me as a person, before she knows me to be the Demon Queen. That way she'll hopefully believe my wish to be sincere."
Once again, I couldn't fucking stop the laughter from bubbling up inside of me. This time, though, I didn't even spare a single fucking thought to stopping it. "You want to prove you're sincere by lying to her?"
Eena's cheeks flushed at that. But she also smiled, for some reason. "If it were anyone but Lucy, I'd concede the point. But Lucy… she already knows I'm keeping secrets. In fact, she explicitly granted me permission to do so, so long as I don't outright lie to her. Something that actually almost tempted me to admit the truth, strange as that might be. But I don't know enough about how she sees me. How the world sees me. So I need to make sure that when the truth comes out, she still sees me."
I was pretty damn sure I could answer both those questions. Starting with the fact that Lucy saw 'Eena' as the one who fucking killed her mom. Like hell I was going to give away information, though! If Eena didn't know Lucy knew, then it was better to keep it that way.
"So what? You just want me to keep quiet, and let you plot your little plot? Act like nothing's wrong?"
"I want you to give me a chance," Eena replied, frowning. "Look, you're going to be traveling with us, are you not?"
"...That's the plan." Assuming she didn't just kill me.
"And, in your mind, I have the power to kill you instantly, yes? I'm just stringing you along for some sort of game?"
"...Pretty much…" Where the fuck was she going with this?
"Then let the game continue."
"...Huh?"
The Demon Queen smiled. Big, and bright, and absolutely fucking terrifying. "Then let me keep playing the game, as you see it. Let me get close to Lucy. Talk with her. Convince her of my sincerity. And, while I'm at it, I'll also try to convince you."
"And why the fuck would I do that?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes at her, utterly ignoring the part of my brain screaming at me about self-preservation.
"Because, so far as you're concerned, the alternative is me getting bored and killing you and Lucy. A misconception on your part, I assure you, but… by your own words, you have nothing to lose."
I opened my mouth. Then I fucking shut it again, and started actually thinking with my head for what might have been the first time of the night. Because… she was sort of …right? I mean, as little as I enjoyed the idea of being this fucking monster's entertainment… life gave us a chance. Playing the game gave us a chance. A chance to figure out some way out of this situation. A chance to escape…
Not much of a chance, mind you. Like, basically nil. But if I had to choose between dying now, and dooming the Heroine in the process, or maybe finding a way for us both to survive down the line… or to at least fucking warn her…
"Fine," I said, at last, barely believing the words coming out of my fucking mouth. "But if you're going to play the game, do it right - stop fucking flirting with girls when you're already dating the Heroine."
Was it a stupid stipulation? Probably. The Heroine was already going to get her heart broken. And I didn't really expect the Demon Queen to follow it, anyway. But if I could spare her a little bit of pain… not to mention the bit where the Heroine finding out the hard way and confronting Eena would probably end the fucking game with our deaths, anyway…
"I think that's a matter between me and Lucy," Eena replied, brushing aside my good deed. Figures. "Though you're right that I should talk to Lucy about it. I didn't even consider that she might want exclusivity…"
The way she looked, when she said that… the way her lips thinned, and her eyes shot down towards the ground? The way she fidgeted, nervously, as if she were a little scared of the result. If I didn't know this was all a game to her, I might have actually thought she was taking things seriously.
As it was? There was one thing that bugged me. When the fuck did she turn into such a good actress?
So, I know some people already had a solid idea of what Feyra's potions were for - feel free to give yourself a cookie, if you're one of them! (Same if you didn't! And if you still have no idea… Well, just look up the color combo for those flowers.) I swear there's an in-universe explanation for the colors, though! It's not just me wanting to clue everyone but Devilla in… Not that I can tell you what the reason is… Just that it definitely exists!
I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I wasn't fond of splitting up the perspective like this... but the first half felt like it needed to be from Devilla's perspective, and the second half felt like it needed to be from Freya's. Devilla had information to share, and Freya... I wanted people to see what was going through her head, y'know? Though I also wrote it partly from Devilla's perspective, which helped with getting her lines right.
All else aside, I had some fun with figuring out the ending to this one. So far, Devilla's managed to convince everyone she's met to give her a chance. From Lissera, who chose to put her faith in the savior of her village, to Lucy who chose to trust despite lacking information... But Feyra isn't going to be so easily swayed from her opinion. Devilla's going to have to work hard on her....
Next chapter we'll be back with Lucy, and things should lighten up a bit! In the meantime, I just want to give a quick thanks to FallingLeaf for proofreading, and Lulla for beta reading! And to all of you for reading, leaving favorites, commenting, and just being here in general~!) Chapters 30 and 31 have already been written and put up on Patreon - though they're still awaiting proofreading - which means the next two weeks of updates remain secure!
I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I wasn't fond of splitting up the perspective like this... but the first half felt like it needed to be from Devilla's perspective, and the second half felt like it needed to be from Freya's. Devilla had information to share, and Freya... I wanted people to see what was going through her head, y'know? Though I also wrote it partly from Devilla's perspective, which helped with getting her lines right.
All else aside, I had some fun with figuring out the ending to this one. So far, Devilla's managed to convince everyone she's met to give her a chance. From Lissera, who chose to put her faith in the savior of her village, to Lucy who chose to trust despite lacking information... But Feyra isn't going to be so easily swayed from her opinion. Devilla's going to have to work hard on her....
Next chapter we'll be back with Lucy, and things should lighten up a bit! In the meantime, I just want to give a quick thanks to FallingLeaf for proofreading, and Lulla for beta reading! And to all of you for reading, leaving favorites, commenting, and just being here in general~!) Chapters 30 and 31 have already been written and put up on Patreon - though they're still awaiting proofreading - which means the next two weeks of updates remain secure!
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- Location
- united states
Fey would be a lot better off mentally and emotionally if she manages to lose even a few of her many complexes. Opening up to the idea of judging someone based on their actions rather than what everyone else says about them despite never even having met them could also help. But that is also part of and tied in with her many complexes, so maybe getting therapy to root out her issues would be the best first step?
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Maybe one day! They could certainly use one...
Angus512
Year of the Lobster
- Pronouns
- They/Them
could someone throw a bone to the totally clueless and tell me what's going on with the flower colours? it's didn't even flag up to me as something I should look up until the authour's notes, and I'm not convinced "tulips" was the right answer
I loved the split perspective! each segment is fairly long, but they do deserve to be so close together. I think that as long as you give each character enough words before a perspective shift it doesn't casue perspecive whiplash. also you gotta switch when you need to rather than when the chapters start/end - it's just a tool in your toolbox after all
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Blue white and pink are trans flag colors.
I'm glad people aren't minding the split, since I ended up experimenting with it over the next few chapters - someone suggested that it might be better to do a split perspective to show Abigail's side of things, back at the tower, versus having full on chapters away from Devilla where the audience isn't sure how long it'll be until they see her again. The two sides are happening almost simultaneously, after all.