journey-to-the-attic

[journey-to-the-attic]

uh oh

#art #obey me #obey me raphael #jtta ik #forcing myself to have a go at shading things. if i never try i will never get better!!!!!!! #mind if i brain dump real quick bc i've been thinking lately about how i refer to myself as a writer but never an artist #whenever i mention it i always say 'i draw stuff' or 'illustrate' instead #it's not like i feel particularly inferior about how i draw bc of course! i haven't gotten around to even touching an art course!! #but to me 'artist' encapsulates a sort of abstract skill and i always feel like i draw much more objectively #it is just The Thing That I Am Depicting and that's prob why i have such trouble with shading and any non-literal colouring #the best thing i've made so far is that one satan thing and i have yet to remember how i managed that #anyway i've been trying some new stuff out!! slowly but surely #that's all mostly stuff i'll keep to myself though #anyway if you actually read through all that Thank you i love you

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So in the past you shared your thoughts about the demon that was sent to earth for the exchange program—-how do you think things went for the two demons sent to the Celestial Realms? Or were they even able to send anyone over there since a lot of that realm is inherently harmful to demons-would they have strong enough protections?

i'm not even entirely sure if any demons were sent to the celestial realm in canon, but in my view the celestial realm wouldn't have allowed it - just seems more interesting, and probably makes more sense, given that an angel having a favourable view of demons seems to be the exception rather than the norm

though it's still interesting to note that the celestial realm was willing to send two angels - especially given that one is simeon, who (based on his being demoted during/after the war) has proved in the past that he isn't necessarily completely loyal - and the other is luke, who is young and impressionable and can both learn and unlearn prejudices very quickly

i say this as someone who does not know a lot about politics, BUT there are very interesting political implications for all this. is it possible that the celestial realm intended to use simeon and/or luke as a form of (unwitting) inside informant? did they actually believe in diavolo's desire for peace when they agreed to send them? even if so, they're basically broadcasting that they don't fully trust it by not accepting exchange students

and what exactly do they think of how the dynamics have shifted since the exchange year ended.....

#answering asks #anon asks #i'm of the opinion that michael is not a benevolent figure but he also isn't an antagonistic one #okay so this is mostly just my own interpretation given limited material BUT to me #michael places the realm above all in a the vein of a 'greater good' and believes in the good of its teaching #(which could draw some interesting parallels with diavolo actually) #while simeon places his loved ones above all - but is not always able to act on that #and is also sceptical about the realm's ideals and how it enforces them #(which of course draws parallels with lucifer who will just about ALWAYS act on it because that's just how he is) #'compliance but with rapidly mounting uncertainty' seems to be a theme for simeon #which is why it's REALLY big when he actively steals the ring for mc (which is Very similar to what lilith did) #(though of course with the difference in events he's do something different in jtta)

[journey-to-the-attic]

3rd anni req 16: lucifer, dad, aunt / home visit

ao3 link

note: finally got back to these! very quickly: lisa (aunt) has met satan and belphie but no one else, and zhao (dad) knows all the brothers already and specifically knows lucifer better at this point - the background things are stuff i intend to write in future. also i wasn't completely sure if the request wanted zhaolu, so i left it ambiguous (this would be pre- any relationship anyway, so take it as you like!)

∎ ∎ ∎ ∎ ∎

“I’m back! Where’s— huh, Lucifer?”

Lucifer lowers his glasses and polishes away the fog. “Welcome home.”

“...hi?” I dump my bag by the door and change into my slippers, then return to the kitchen door. He’s still there. “What’s the occasion?”

After all, last I checked, Lucifer had some pretty strict rules about hopping between worlds - special occasion birthday visits not counted, of course. At this, though, he just smiles mysteriously.

“Nothing in particular.” He takes a sip of his tea, then quirks an eyebrow at me. “Well? Tell me about your day.”

…sure, I decide, because as much as I’m suspicious about his reasons for being here, I’m still happy to see him. I pull up the chair opposite him.

Lucifer hasn’t been up here that many times, especially compared to Mammon or Satan (the latter who visits whenever he’s allowed, and the former who visits even when he isn’t) - but he looks completely at home in our kitchen. Oddly pleased with himself as well, though I have no idea what about.

A little smile stays on his face through one, two, three stories - he asks me to show him the pictures from a school trip to the maritime museum, and to send him the one of me sitting in a model submarine so that he can show the others. In return, he has a video of Mammon trying to teach a roc to swear.

“You can do it,” encourages the blurry Mammon on the screen, holding a little biscuit just out of reach. “C’mon, smart guy!”

The roc tucks its beak into his wing sulkily and doesn’t make a sound. Mammon tries fruitlessly for another little while, then ultimately throws up his hands and walks off.

Whoever’s behind the camera doesn’t move - they point it at the roc and wait silently. Sure enough, after barely a minute, it mumbles, “Son of a bitch.”

“He still hasn’t figured out its trick,” Lucifer says as I laugh. “It learns, but it doesn’t want him to know he taught it.”

“Does it have a name?”

“Would you like to give it one?”

“Ohh, can I?” I lean forward and peer closer at the roc in the video for a moment. “Mmm… Connie. Looks like a Connie.”

“Connie it is,” He says, smile widening.

At that moment, Dad totters unsteadily into the kitchen, lugging a cardboard box. Lucifer rises from his seat, then pauses.

“Careful— careful, mind! You’ll do your back in!”

“I have it,” Dad says through gritted teeth, and finally sets it down with a rather worrying crash. “There. Thank you.”

“You haven’t let me do anything,” Aunt Lisa says, disgruntled. A split second later, as if sensing him somehow, she turns and looks Lucifer directly in the face.

He freezes on the spot. Aunt Lisa scans him, and I can see her mentally taking notes on everything she sees - red eyes (weird, but could be contacts), extremely tall (unusual, but not impossible), and distinctly too well-dressed for having tea in someone’s kitchen.

“Hello,” She says smoothly, and if I didn’t know better I’d think she was completely unperturbed.

Lucifer clears his throat. “Hello.”

Neither of them make any move to introduce themselves. I catch Dad’s eye. He’s wearing the face of someone who completely forgot he had a guest over.

“Um,” He says. “This is Lucifer.”

Aunt Lisa barely blinks. “I see. Hello, Lucifer. Should I call you Mister?”

“No, that won’t be necessary.” He’s starting to look distinctly uncomfortable. I guess Avatar-of-Pride street cred only counts in the company of people who actually know what that means.

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” She says, folding her arms and leaning back against the counter. “From your brother. And your other brother.”

“That does not narrow it down,” He replies stiffly. She snorts.

“Tea?” I ask, then hurry to the sink without waiting for an answer. “I’ll put the kettle on.”

Dad taps the counter nervously as it begins to hiss. Then, probably a little too late, he adds, “Lucifer, this is Lisa…”

“Ms. Cassidy to you,” She tacks on sharply, and Dad and I exchange wide-eyed looks.

Neither Belphie nor Satan got the surname-only treatment. Heck, most of her clients don’t get the surname-only treatment. Then again, Satan and Belphie are quite possibly the worst demons for Aunt Lisa to have gotten her first impressions of Lucifer from, even if they didn’t just outright lie for fun.

I try to remember what I might have told her about him. It’s not like I’ve given her any horror stories, but I guess there are a lot of Lucifer traits that only become likeable once you’ve gotten used to his personality...

The kettle finishes boiling. I clear my throat and occupy myself with making the tea. Maybe I should be doing more to dissolve the tension, but I kind of don’t know how - besides, I didn’t even know Lucifer would be here today. I haven’t had any time to prepare a defence for him - no powerpoint, flashcards, anything...

Dad fiddles anxiously with his watch for a moment, then suggests (though he sounds more like he’s making a plea), “Everyone - sit down?”

Aunt Lisa gives Lucifer one more long look, then shrugs and pulls up a chair. Lucifer waits for her to sit down properly before doing the same.

“So what do you do for a living?” She asks him smoothly.

He opens his mouth and pauses. I realise that I don’t actually know the answer to that question, either - does he count as a government worker? Something teacher-adjacent? Actually, the others aren’t in employment, either. Where do they get their money from?

“I’m…” Lucifer deliberates over his words for a moment. ‘Deputy head of the student council’ probably wouldn’t sound very impressive, but technically 'second-in-command to the prince' isn't a title he officially has, and could arguably belong to Barbatos. “Ahem...”

“He works for Diavolo,” I say helpfully. “The prince.”

“The prince,” Aunt Lisa repeats. The corner of her lip twists slightly. “And what do you do - polish his shoes? Put on a jingly hat and dance?”

It isn't the 1600s anymore! Lucifer’s mouth tightens. Before he can get out a scathing reply, I interject again, “He does admin and stuff.”

“Oh, so you’re the paperwork guy,” She says with some dry amusement, pausing briefly to give me a smile as I set her tea down. “And are you busy? Managing hell, I mean.”

“...we don’t run the whole Devildom from one office.”

“No, I suppose you don’t.”

I opt to stay by the counter as the exchange continues, like a game of extremely terse ping-pong. Dad - watching all of this with a kind of slowly mounting dread - abruptly starts rifling around in the cupboard.

“Biscuits,” He says a little breathlessly, setting a plateful on the table with a loud clack!, effectively breaking the momentum of the match.

Aunt Lisa breaks eye contact with Lucifer for the first time in the last ten minutes to give Dad a fond smile. “Thanks, love.”

Lucifer shoots her a funny look - which I'm pretty sure he doesn't think anyone sees - and schools his expression straight back to neutrality when Aunt Lisa turns back to him. She pushes the plate forward a little.

“Custard cream?” She suggests sweetly.

“...thank you.”

She quirks a brow and settles back, focusing on her mug. Lucifer regards her carefully, then lifts the biscuit to his mouth.

As soon as his mouth is full, Aunt Lisa asks, “How much does the prince pay you?”

Lucifer’s face twitches. Having to hold up the illusion of courtesy is clearly beginning to get to him. He drains the last of his tea, then releases a sigh.

“Whatever it is you want to say to me, say it.” He doesn’t bother answering her question. “Say it. There’s no need to beat around the bush.”

“Alright.” Aunt Lisa fixes him with a cold look. “I don’t like you.”

A long pause. Dad dithers briefly, then sits down as well. Rather than mitigating the tension, though, it only seems to manoeuvre around him, like water around a rock in the middle of a river - no more words are said, but they’re both staring hard enough for the tension to practically become verbal. One after another, while they don't think the other's paying attention, both Aunt Lisa and Lucifer shoot him mildly apologetic looks.

“You’ve only just met him,” I decide to come to Lucifer's defence, seeing as he doesn't seem to intend to do it himself. “You don’t really know him."

“From what I’ve heard, I don’t want to.”

Lucifer’s brow creases. Then realisation dawns, and he turns to me with an unimpressed frown. “Satan and Belphie?”

“Probably Satan and Belphie,” I confirm with a mild grimace, and he gives another, longer sigh.

“Ms. Cassidy,” He starts after a moment, perfectly collected again, “I hope you realise that my younger brothers aren’t going to give you objective assessments of my character.”

She snorts. “Does Zhao think it’s cute when you use big words?”

“Have another biscuit,” Dad mutters before Lucifer can respond, shoving the plate towards her with maybe a little more force than necessary. “...A-Ke, can you let Hyde in?”

“Eh?” I listen for a moment. Sure enough, there’s a scratching from the kitchen door.

Hyde meows loudly as soon as it opens, then slips in before it can shut again. He scans the room with enormous green eyes, notes the foreign person, and immediately makes a beeline in his direction.

“...hello,” Lucifer says in mild surprise as Hyde rubs his cheek against his leg. “Where did you come from?”

He leans down to give him a scratch behind the ears. Aunt Lisa watches all of this with what can only be described as an air of betrayal. I don’t know what she was expecting - Hyde’s the friendliest old man any of us know.

Hyde’s favourite treat also happens to be cheese from our fridge, so I get him a little chunk and wave Lucifer over. He seems relieved to get away from the table (though he'd never admit it, of course). Under my whispered instruction, he crouches down and gingerly proffers the cheese in an open palm.

“You’ve met already,” Aunt Lisa notes, then turns her stare on Dad, who quickly looks in the other direction. “How many times has Lucifer been in your kitchen, Zhao?”

“I haven’t counted…”

“And you didn’t think I’d want to meet the man who kidnapped your daughter?”

“That’s not fair,” I object. “I got summoned. And it was Diavolo, not Lucifer. That’s different.”

Aunt Lisa turns to look at the two of us, still crouched beside Hyde, who’s devoured his cheese and is now sniffing at Lucifer’s sleeves for more. The look on her face is… dangerous. “Do you think that makes it any better?”

I’m just trying to make things less tense. I blink at her nervously, then reply, voice tiny, “No?”

Lucifer glances at me, then sighs and stands up straight again. Hyde lets out a dismayed meow, but immediately forgets about the non-existent cheese he was looking for as I start scratching his chin.

“Ms. Cassidy,” Lucifer says, suddenly sterner now, “I realise that we made several ill-advised choices, but IK was not involved in any of those decisions. I’d appreciate it if you left her out of this discussion.”

“Not involved? They happened to—” Aunt Lisa cuts herself off, then folds her arms. “No. Fine. I've plenty to say, mind - I just promised I wouldn’t go on about it.”

Hyde trills and flops down on his side. I run my hand down his fur as he purrs, keeping one eye on Lucifer as he crosses the room to take his seat again.

“We made the decision before we’d met IK," He says. "Now that I understand - I’d be furious if I’d been in your place, too. I don't blame you.”

“Understand what?” She asks, challenging.

Lucifer doesn’t falter. “Believe it or not - IK is an irreplaceable part of our family.”

I quickly look down at Hyde to disguise a smile. Aunt Lisa doesn’t seem to have a response for that - after a moment, I hear a crunch, and look up just in time to see her give him a begrudging nod, biscuit in mouth.

Neither of them says anything. Lucifer picks up his cup, then sets it down again.

“Mrs Prescott has a new rabbit,” Dad says a little helplessly as the silence stretches on. “Across the road. It’s very cute.”

“That’s nice, Zhao,” says Aunt Lisa.

“What’s its name?” Lucifer asks.

Panic crosses his face. “I… don’t remember.”

Hyde’s purring slows and quietens. He looks backwards at Lucifer, then twists to look at Aunt Lisa. I play idly with one of his paws, then stand up.

“Bake Off’s on tonight,” I say. “Let’s watch it together, shall we?"

#i was a little stuck on what to write so i settled on aunt lisa being an instinctive lucifer hater lol #also zhao has quite a small part in this and that's bc i've got stuff planned for him and lucifer in other things #3rd anni event #obey me #writing #obey me lucifer #jtta ik #jtta zhaoxi #jtta lisa #first time i've tagged her before dang #i still need to draw her and some other jtta side chrs actually

[journey-to-the-attic]

i can't sleep so please take this (barbatos look away)

#art #i'm v behind on the writing reqs but things have been whew. hectic recently #and i've mostly been drawing to unwind #obey me belphegor #obey me beelzebub #jtta ik

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i've missed may 3rd because this took so much longer than anticipated but!! birthday parade for my little superstar <33

#art #obey me #their clothes are based on the virtuoso outfits but 1. some of them kinda suck and 2. i didn't wanna draw all the stained glass textures #so they're all modified to some extent #okay now watch me tag everyone in quick succession. hang on i'm gonna time myself #jtta ik #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me solomon #obey me simeon #obey me luke #obey me thirteen #obey me mephistopheles #obey me raphael #jtta mephisto #jtta wiz #jtta alecto #jtta astaroth #1 min 7 seconds!

[journey-to-the-attic]

i was listening to all the feels when i read that and i just started imagining the boys performing their songs doing their idol thing and meanwhile ik is ten feet away doing kickflips

she's the most popular act of the night

oh my god i love this image so much. the boys finish their show but the night's nowhere near over, because there's a massive crowd of demons absolutely bringing the house down for ik doing mid-air pirouettes on a skateboard she nicked from mammon last night

imagine the crowd is primarily made up of folk older than diavolo. geriatric demons cheering uproariously for the coolest kid in the whole devildom

#answering asks #anon asks #you know how they address you as 'buddy' in all the feels #ABSOLUTELY the funniest thing they could've done. best possible word they could've picked. #barbatos wholeheartedly singing the line 'what's up buddy' is the best thing that's happened to me this week #also side note lucifer is always like a liiittle bit offbeat when he raps in these songs #i don't blame his va at all though (flow and articulation are Hard) and it's infinitely more endearing for lucifer to have this trait anywa

[journey-to-the-attic]

I feel in my heart that Ik is the only member of the main cast who can do skateboard tricks. Don't ask me where this came from

i feel in my heart that you are correct and also that solomon specifically is so mad that he can't do them.... also i'm going to make it a rule: if you can do magic you can't skateboard and vice versa. something about having magic throws off your inner boarder.....

this opens the possibility of ik becoming a tony hawk like figure within the devildom and i think this is the only variant of devildom fame that she would be okay with

#answering asks #anon asks #if anyone else in the cast was to be able to skateboard despite the magic rule it would be wiz #you'd think alecto but having to move on wheels just throws her off kilter entirely #alecto is however excellent at parkour. she's one of those dudes you see just vaulting across high rise building roofs

[journey-to-the-attic]

YOOOOOOOOO

my sweet girl!!! her hanfu is spot on and absolutely gorgeous (also is the spiky ball alatus.... i love him dearly he's so shaped)

a++, this is fantastic!

Drawing characters from (mostly) only written descriptions test!!

today's test subject, IK, belongs to @journey-to-the-attic !! next time? who knows!

(note: this hanfu was described as a "Han-style quju shenyi", but as I'm not entirely familiar with this culture's traditional clothing, I worry i did something wrong. Please let me know if i did anything incorrectly so i can fix it!!)

#art #jtta ik #mello-bee

[journey-to-the-attic]

i can't believe you all let me get away with this tag CHESS IS ALREADY 3D. I MEANT 4D

IK Knows What You Are

[journey-to-the-attic]

now that i think of it, i don't think i ever mentioned... this song basically encapsulates zhaoxi's entire vibe to me (i don't have an explanation for why)

the voice is pretty much what i imagine too, but i think zhao's speaking voice is like... slightly deeper, a little less nasal, more full - speaks more from his chest, if you know what i mean??? idk how to describe it

(edit: replaced the youtube link bc the translation on the one i picked originally was.. entirely wrong in some places??? just go here if you'd like the translated lyrics instead lol)

#jtta zhaoxi #dad in the devildom #i only realised recently that this song essentially just uses the exact same melody and verse structure like six times over #but somehow it's still so good #please do give it a listen #lucifer is a classical music snob and zhaoxi listens almost exclusively to either folk songs or opera. perfect match #Youtube

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I'm doing the pop quiz and I can't help but think the whole 'lose your memories of them' thing would give the brothers a little bit of PTSD after the memory disaster in jtta

i forgot that was coming out today hang on-----!!

okay i have now done the pop quiz! and oh yeah they totally would. funniest thing would be if ik herself wasn't even worried about it, she's just like "hell yeah i'm translucent that rules!!! hey why do you guys look so sad"

i still don't entirely follow the logic of the pop quiz's plot, so alternatively i think it'd be really funny if the flower just has inexplicable beef with this teenage human and that's why it's trying to erase her. it shows everyone else these idealised dream worlds, then gets to ik and immediately turns into the biggest hater in all three realms

#answering asks #anon asks #slightly unrelated but the new outfits are So ugly. unpardonably so. #the stained flower must've had a grudge of some kind because some of those outfits are so bad they have to be TARGETED #barbatos sweetie i'm so sorry for what they've done to you

[journey-to-the-attic]

I was scrolling DDVD as you do and it hit me just now. Lucifer is at least Zhao's second relationship but Luci's probably never done this before and... Suave Mr Peacock getting led in this relationship by a a scruffy single dad is so delightful

it's one of my favourite parts about the pair and i'm very glad you agree! i think lucifer is very practical and confident about getting what he wants (which is where the apparent suaveness comes from, he's essentially brute-forcing it) - but at a certain point he starts short-circuiting because wait he didn't think about getting that far

he also has a few bizarre and extremely dated misconceptions about relationships and zhao has to keep being like "ah. dear. we stopped doing that five centuries ago". or else it's just something that's entirely incorrect and it's more like "honey where the hell did you hear that"

#answering asks #anon asks #alternatively lucifer's only standard for dating is reaaally old-fashioned celestial realm style courtship #dad in the devildom #zhaolu

[journey-to-the-attic]

hello! how are you?

I was wondering if you were going to continue posting the rest of JTTA on wattpad? i read both and i noticed you had made some slight changes to dialogues and stuff (esp diavolo) and i really liked those changes so i just wanted to know.No pressure ofc!❤️

ahhh i do mean to!! i've been using the transfer as an opportunity to edit a little, and it turns out it takes me longer to edit a chapter than i thought it would, so i've mostly been using that time on other stuff... but i will get back around to it some time!

(i do transfer the edits over to the ao3 fic as well - nothing major, just making some of the awkward early character stuff work a bit better!)

#answering asks #anon asks

[journey-to-the-attic]

3rd anni req 15: levi / games (i.e. amogus)

ao3 link (i recommend looking at the end note of this one after you're done reading!! there is some supplementary stuff :^)

note: okay i did intend on fnaf for this prompt, but when it came to it i couldn't figure out how to write a proper thing - so amongus it was. thus the request list i published is a little inaccurate- hope you don't mind, vari! (requested by @valenrien

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“Ready?” Levi asks as soon as I slip into his room. “I’m all set up.”

“Ready,” I confirm, heaving myself over the edge of the bathtub and landing smoothly on a mound of cushions. “Are they online yet?”

“Raphael’s here,” Levi says, running his orange crewmate in circles around a completely stationary grey one. “Hang on, I’m gonna teach him how to put a hat on.”

“You do that…” I tip myself upside down, hanging my legs over the edge of the tub, then pull out my D.D.D. and ask, “Did Thirteen say she’d be free?”

“Should be. Hey, there’s Simeon.” Clicking, then a rustle as Levi turns to glance at me. “You’re gonna drop that on your face.”

“It’ll be fine,” I dismiss as the game boots up. Mammon’s out, so I decide to nick his colour for the game. “Thirteen in. Aw, look!”

Raphael’s little grey crewmate is wearing a halo. Simeon is still standing completely still in the middle of the waiting room. I’m not entirely sure if he remembers how to control the game.

“Solomon’s in,” says Levi over his shoulder, tapping the table restlessly. “Luke should— there he is. That leaves Diavolo, Barbatos…”

“...that’s everyone,” I conclude a few minutes later as Mephistopheles warps in. “Has Simeon moved yet?”

“Uhh, he walked a bit.” Levi types something at lightning speed.

-

[ Leviachan: simeon r u good ]

[ Salmon: We’re handling it ]

[ Mephistoph: The colour selection here is atrocious ]

[ Leviachan: just pick one n we can start ]

[ SSSime: 1 ]

[ SSSime: Pleas ]

[ Salmon: Could we get another five minutes? ]

[ Leviachan: fine ]

-

“I still don’t know what the plan is,” I say, setting my phone down as we wait for Simeon to get his bearings.

“Do we need one?” Levi asks, fiddling with a speaker. “We just need to point at Solomon.”

“Yeah, but if he is the impostor…”

“Eh, then we can wait ‘til the next game. Do you want your playlist on?”

“Oh, sure.” A bassline starts up. “...but we have to have a strategy, right? Otherwise everyone’ll know we’re trying to pull one over on them.”

“Eh… got any ideas?”

I hum. “Well, we need to keep track of him, otherwise we'll give it away if we accuse him when he has an alibi. So it won’t matter too much if one of us dies - we can track him better if one of us is a ghost. It’ll be a problem if we both die, but we might look suspicious if we just stick together the whole time - especially if someone figures out we’re trying to point to him. If we’re lucky, we put the idea in their heads, and they’ll start thinking everything he does is suspicious. We have to play the long game, though, or else they’ll vote him out in the first round and it won’t be any fun.”

“...you’ve been reading with Satan too much,” Levi concludes, but shoots me a grin. “Nice thinking, Counting on you, mastermind.”

Simeon’s little crewmate has started running excited circles around a motionless Barbatos. Diavolo is still cycling through hats, but everyone else seems ready. I give Levi a thumbs up, and he hits start.

“...huh.”

Levi glances over as the game loads in. “You okay?”

“Fine, yeah. Let’s split up first…”

I get a little worried about Simeon - he remains completely immobile at the main table for a good minute after the game begins, but soon enough he’s on his merry way. I head down to electrical, where Barbatos is evidently already having trouble with that spinning button-match task. I stop by the wires on the wall; I can tell when he finally completes it, because his little crewmate actually seems to jump when he notices me in there with him.

He comes a little closer. I step away from the panel and run a quick circle around him. He doesn’t move for a moment, but then does the same thing, and is soon on his way off to the next task, passing Mephistopheles as he leaves. I soon follow.

The action starts soon after that. I’m standing by one of the data download nodes when the buzzer goes off. Body reported!

-

[ Leviachan: where ]

[ 13: Electrical ]

[ Diavolo: Haha!! This game is delightful!! ]

[ Barbatos: If you could concentrate. ]

[ Barbatos: I was there earlier. I believe I passed the deceased on my way out. ]

[ Barbatos: I believe IK is innocent. We were alone in there for a while, but we both left unscathed. ]

[ detectiveik: barbatos is safe ]

[ Salmon: Barbatos, it’s just a game. You don’t need to type like you’re writing a telegram from the warfront ]

[ Leviachan: didn’t i see u go into electrical? ]

[ Salmon: Did you?? I haven’t been yet ]

[ Leviachan: pretty sure i did. 13 did u see him leave ]

[ 13: Don't think so ]

[ SSSime: How DO i VOt ]

[ Luke: We’re voting already? ]

[ Raph: Too soon to make any conclusions. Let’s play it safe ]

-

“Sowing the seeds,” Levi says triumphantly. “Hang on - what if he has medbay? If anyone sees…”

“I don’t think he even knows you can use it like that. He’s just gone into admin, anyway.” I run down and turn right, passing Luke.

A little while later, alarm goes off. Levi tuts. “Comms is down.”

“Oh, what? I’m up by O2. Hang on, I think Simeon’s stuck.”

“Solomon’s still in admin. There’s no one else in there…”

Body reported!

-

[ Barbatos: What a shame, Young Master. ]

[ Raph: Found him by the communications thing.

[ Raph: Whoever killed him left already. ]

[ Leviachan: any1 got an alibi ]

[ detectiveik: i’ve been watching simeon run in circles so i think he’s alright ]

[ Barbatos: And IK and I have both testified to each other’s innocence. ]

[ 13: Luke’s been with me on the left ]

[ Luke: Yes ]

[ 13: We were both on our way to fix the sabotage ]

[ detectiveik: solomon? ]

[ Salmon: I can’t get the damned card swipe to work ]

[ Leviachan: cmon its really not that hard ]

[ Leviachan: isn’t there a vent in admin ]

[ detectiveik: does it go anywhere close to comms? ]

[ Leviachan: idk i don’t remember ]

[ Salmon: I couldn’t vent! I was stuck doing the cards! ]

[ 13: Yeah right. Does anyone know where you were for that whole round? ]

[ Salmon: Yes?? Admin, obviously ]

[ Luke: It’s not like we were watching you in there the whole time though ]

[ Salmon: Well I haven’t left ]

[ SSSime: WHAtre we doing ]

[ detectiveik: i think it’s still a bit early to vote ]

[ Salmon: Yes good call ]

[ Raph: Hmm. ]

-

“...I think we’re getting there,” Levi says as we both leave the cafeteria together. “Who do you reckon it actually is, then? It looks like Thirteen and Luke are both clear… unless one of them just moved really fast. Or Diavolo was dead before comms even went down.”

“Could’ve been… maybe one of us should be tracking vitals. D’you wanna check security?”

“Sure. Oh, I’ve gotta do the fuel task down below first. Don’t wanna slack off.”

We pass Simeon on his way into the reactor. I think I see someone already on the cameras, but I don't get a long enough look at them to tell who it is.

There isn't peace for very long. Levi’s only just finished filling the fuel when another alarm goes off.

“Reactor’s down,” I say aloud, even though neither of us really need the confirmation - we're both already on our way there. “D’you wanna take the bottom one? I’ve got— oh. Hang on.”

Body reported!

-

[ Luke: SIMEON!!!! ]

[ Raph: That was fast ]

[ Luke: Raphael! Simeon’s dead!! ]

[ Raph: Ah, what a shame ]

[ detectiveik: top of reactor ]

[ detectiveik: might’ve been killed before sabotage but there's a vent right next to him as well ]

[ 13: Impostor pulled the same trick again? Really not slick ]

[ detectiveik: i think i saw someone in security just before as well ]

[ Barbatos: That's nearby. But that also could have been anyone. ]

[ Salmon: Well, I’ve been in admin, so it wasn't me ]

[ Leviachan: dude are you still on the card swipe ]

[ Luke: Maybe you should do a different task first? ]

[ Salmon: Nonono. I’ve got it. I can feel it. Next time it will work ]

[ detectiveik: are we going to avenge simeon or not ]

[ Barbatos: We still lack conclusive evidence, It might be wise to hold off on vengeance for now. ]

[ 13: Sure, if you stop using all those stupid big words ]

[ Barbatos: We shouldn't vote just yet. We don't have enough reason to. ]

[ 13: Now was that so hard ]

[ Raph: Makes sense to me. ]

-

Levi and I split up again this time. I stop to watch Raphael blast some asteroids - Barbatos runs past on his way to the cafeteria and briefly detours to run a loop around me. (Out in the real world, idling as he waits for some data to upload, Levi reaches into one of his drawers and tosses me a pack of gummy candy.)

Raphael finishes his task and goes straight down to shields. I toss one of the peach-flavoured ones into my mouth, then say, “Well, I don’t think Simeon's it."

“Duh. Hey, Solomon’s in admin again. Ooh, now he’s leaving… I’m gonna tail hi— argh! Oh, that’s just Barbatos.”

“Did Solomon get the card swipe?” I come back up from navigation and head to the cafeteria through weapons. “Did the task bar go up at all?”

“No idea. I turned it off in the lobby.”

“Now we’re never gonna know if the ghosts are slacking off.”

He snorts. “Well, we know Simeon definitely is.”

“Hey, not on purpose. And maybe he’ll be better at it now. It’s easier to get around when you can go through the walls.”

“Sure, sure. I reckon I’ll check admin now, actually— uh oh!”

Body reported!

-

[ Leviachan: admin ]

[ 13: Hmmmm… Solomon’s haunt. ]

[ Salmon: No!! I left admin ages ago! ]

[ Salmon: Barbatos saw me ]

[ Raph: Barbatos is dead ]

[ 13: Sure, he saw you. When you KILLED him ]

[ Luke: So it’s Solomon? ]

[ Salmon: Wait no ]

[ detectiveik: do we have proof of that ]

[ Leviachan: well whos been in admin this whole time? ]

[ Leviachan: isn’t it super convenient that barbatos dies as soon as solomon leaves ]

[ Luke: When you put it like that… ]

[ Salmon: Isn’t that just proof that I was keeping admin safe with my sorcerly presence (·•᷄∩•᷅ ) ]

[ detectiveik: please don’t ever use that again ]

[ 13: I’m voting you out right now ]

[ Raph: Hold on. We don’t have any hard evidence ]

[ Raph: All we know is that Solomon is the most probable suspect, but we can’t confirm that right now ]

[ Salmon: IT’S NOT ME ]

[ Salmon: I’ve been perfectly well behaved and trying to do my tasks ]

[ Luke: You’ve been doing ONE task and four of us are already dead!! ]

[ Leviachan: every1 who isn’t dead weight sound off. what tasks do we have left ]

[ Raph: I’m finished. ]

[ detectiveik: me too ]

[ Luke: I’ve still got to finish the test tube one ]

[ Leviachan: and ofc solomon still has like 10000 things left ]

[ Leviachan: if u even HAVE tasks.. sus ]

[ Salmon: I haven’t done anything wrong! ]

[ 13: We’ll see about that ]

-

“...tie,” Levi concludes as the voting ends. “Wait, who voted for Thirteen??”

“Solomon, probably.” I watch his little crewmate run straight up into the top corner of the cafeteria, probably to sulk. “...aww. Poor guy."

Everyone else has already left. I decide to do the same and head left to the medbay.

“Don’t go spilling the beans ‘cause you feel bad,” Levi says warily. “At least wait until we get him out, alright?”

“Why are you mad at him, anyway?”

“I’m not mad,” He objects. “Just betrayed. He knew I wanted that pack! He doesn’t even collect those cards! And— and what’s the deal, dangling it over me for a pact? How shallow does he think I am, huh?!”

“It’s like a best friend bracelet from him,” I say, running a brief loop around electrical and then heading out towards storage. “He does it to everyone in the Newspaper Club, too.”

“Well, it’s not funny. I’m not in the market for making any new pacts, anyway. Or new best friends... do they usually come in two-in-one deals?”

“He’d have way too many best friends to keep up with if they did.”

“Guess you’re right. I’m just lucky, then.”

Body discovered!

-

[ Raph: I found Thirteen in that big room with the boxes ]

[ Raph: Oh. Luke’s dead, too? ]

(“This is it!” Levi whispers loudly.)

[ detectiveik: a double murder? unprecedented ]

[ Leviachan: uhh we really should vote someone out. there’s only four of us now ]

[ Salmon: Not unless you’re sure! Because if you get it wrong, it’s a guaranteed win for the impostor ]

[ Leviachan: good thing we’re gonna get u out first then ]

[ Salmon: What???? ]

[ Salmon: It’s not me! ]

[ Leviachan: who do YOU think it is then huh ]

[Salmon: I don't know! I was in the cafeteria the whole time ]

[ Leviachan: well then even if u weren’t killing, u were skiving ]

[ detectiveik: solomon i don’t think any of us have seen you this whole round ]

[ Salmon: But I really haven’t done anything. Won’t anyone believe me? ]

[ Leviachan: u’ve been sus from the beginning ]

[ Leviachan: just accept it, we caught you ]

[ detectiveik: sorry solomon ]

[ Salmon: What did I do?!!? ]

[ Salmon: Someone??? Anyone??? ]

[ Salmon: Raphael….. please say something ]

[ Raph: I think you killed them, yes. ]

[ Raph: I have to admit that you acted the fool quite convincingly though ]

[ Salmon: Am I alone in this world ]

[ Salmon: I feel like I'm going crazy ]

[Raph: No hard feelings, Solomon. Justice is justice.]

[...]

[Salmon was ejected.]

-

The game, of course, doesn’t end. The map fades back into view, leaving the three of us standing alone at the centre table.

“Nice one!” Levi crows, and we send each other an air-high-five from across the room. “So it was Raphael? Didn’t think he had it in him. Guess there’s no winning for us now.”

“Nope…”

“He’s not chasing us,” He notes, running around the centre table, then stopping by me. “Or sabotaging anything. What’s he planning? He’s basically got it in the bag now.”

"Hmm."

"He's not even moving. Weird..."

“Very weird,” I agree, then hit kill.

Levi’s yelp rings through the whole house.

#the formatting on this is kinda wonky in tumblr so please do read it on ao3 instead if it's tricky to navigate! #3rd anni event #obey me leviathan #jtta ik #idk if i should tag the others #obey me solomon #obey me raphael #i'll just leave it at them since they're the most prominent #writing

[journey-to-the-attic]

Idk if it was intentional but to me it looks like band Ik is wearing Levi colors and I find it very cute

it was semi-intentional! at first it was a coincidence - i coloured in the jacket first, and the black + white and that shade of blue reminded me of him, so i leaned into it and added the orange shirt stripe :D

#answering asks #anon asks #the band will have had a bunch of outfits for shoots and performances or whatever so i like to think #all of ik's outfits are modeled after/match the colour scheme of one of her best friends

[journey-to-the-attic]

3.4Hz Harmony could be a great album name I feel. For band names, I was going to suggest Unknowables? Like the secret nature of the existence of other realms. Mostly because it just sounds like a cool band name though.

that's a good one actually!! now i'm thinking of song titles and everything... i can't decide whether they'd be pop-rock or psychedelic rock... maybe both

i like "unknowables"! it reminds me of a suggestion from @/reblogs-are-the-love, "the unbeatable" - the unverbables just works as a band name i think...

i was reminded of the band names ik suggests in ch47 (gaggle of geese, army of frogs).. i feel like "unknowables" and "the unbeatable" would be mephistopheles and thirteen's suggestions respectively, but then ik wanted to have more fun with it, so it's like "the unknowable geese", or "the unbeatable frogs"

(raphael would be fully willing to vote on her side to give her this victory)

#answering asks #anon asks #i was contemplating the au version of the whole thing and i think it'd be cute if mephistopheles was ik's older cousin or something #like idk i feel like it works #(also more justifies why this band has three grown adults and one young teen) #idk how the brothers and the others fit into this though. maybe mephistopheles and the brothers were originally under the same company #and while mephistopheles was having a rivalry with lucifer ik was making best friends with all of them

[journey-to-the-attic]

something's just reminded me i need to get around to drawing luke n ik in fancy clothes but luke gets the cute dress and ik gets the little suit. someone hold me accountable for this in the near future

#delete later #(maybe probably)