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justcallmefox89 · 4 years

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Artist in the Devildom

Jax has just arrived in the Devildom as the newest human exchange student at R.A.D. With Arianthi and the seven lords of the Devildom to guide them this exchange year should be a breeze. Right?

Written from the perspective of my non-binary OC, Jax Montgomery. Jax uses they/them pronouns.

This story takes place in the Truth or Dare AU where Mammon and Arianthi get engaged.

I would like to give a massive shout-out and heartfelt thank you to @fivenightsat-enbys for all their help and being so wonderfully patient with me and my questions.

The flash of bright white light is blinding, and my body feels like it’s falling through an endless tunnel. I know that this is allegedly safe, but that doesn’t stop me from scrunching my eyes closed and letting out a high pitched scream. I’m still screaming when I feel my feet touch solid ground. After a few seconds I simmer down and open my eyes, blinking away stars.

Once I can see again I find myself standing in front of two men and a girl around my age, in an office that can only be described as rich old white man aesthetic. Lots of large dark oak furniture, some obviously antique oil paintings of naked people and things I’ll probably have nightmares about later. Gold lighting fixtures.

Into it. Very into it.

I clutch onto my duffel bag and octopus plushie, shuffling my feet and giving them all an awkward wave.

“Yo,” I say, attempting a smile.

Given the current state of my stomach and the fact that I was currently standing in the Devildom, face to face with some real life demons, it feels a little forced.

Why did I agree to this? Definitely, most probably, in the top three of my worst ideas of all time.

The taller of the two men steps forward, flashing me an enthusiastic grin.

“Jax Monteiro? Welcome to the Royal Academy of Diavolo. We’re so excited to have another human student here!”

“Whoa! Down boy,” the girl says, stepping towards me with giggle, patting the auburn haired man on the arm. “Give them a second to adjust. Portal jumping is harder on us poor humans than it is on you all.”

She holds out her hand. “Hi Jax, I’m Arianthi Wolf. I’m the ambassador to all the exchange students here at R.A.D. And I’m a human student too, so you’re not all alone down here.”

She gives me a soft smile of reassurance.

I quickly give her hand a shake, returning the smile, mine more genuine this time. Arianthi is about six or seven inches shorter than me, with long curly black hair and bright green eyes. A smattering of freckles runs across her nose and cheeks, standing out against her pale skin.

I’d love to draw her.

I’m itching to get my hands on my sketchbook.

The guys too. And this room is insane.

She motions at the auburn haired man next to her. He towers over her, looking like a giant standing next to a pixie. I’ve always considered myself tall at 6′3, but this guy has a good six or seven inches on me.

This must be how mom felt when she asked me to get stuff off the high shelves at the grocery store.

“This is Lord Diavolo, founder of R.A.D., and the human, angel, demon exchange program here. The goal is to bring the celestial realm, human realm, and the Devildom closer together and foster a better understanding between the three.” She pauses for breath. “He’s also the prince of the Devildom.”

Holy shit.

“Do I need to like, bow or something?” I ask nervously.

Diavolo chuckles. “Please don’t. I just wanted to welcome you to the Devildom before returning to my duties. Arianthi will help you get settled in and go over your course schedule with you. You’ll be staying with her at the House of Lamentation along with the seven lords of the Devildom.” He gives me a boyish grin. “I hope your year with us is less eventful than Arianthi’s first year.”

“Diavolo!” Arianthi gives him an exasperated grin while he waggles his eyebrows at her.

He holds his hand up, laughing. “Sorry princess, I couldn’t resist.”

Princess? Oh, I’m totally asking her for a story time once we’re alone.

Diavolo motions the other man in the room forward. He’s closer to my size, with delicate features, turquoise hair, and moss green eyes.

“This is my servant Barbatos. If you find yourself needing anything and are unable to reach Arianthi or any of the lords, he can help you.”

Barbatos offers me a small nod.

“Barbatos is the one who really runs things here.” Arianthi gives me a mischievous smirk. “He’s also an amazing chef. The best baker in all three realms. His devilberry tarts are to die for.”

She mimes swooning.

Barbatos beams at her praise. “You flatter me Arianthi.”

Diavolo rubs his hands together, smiling. “Well, we really do need to be going. I have to welcome the new angels to Purgatory Hall. I’ll leave you to it Arianthi. Don’t worry Jax, you’re in very good hands.”

He gives Arianthi a wink.

Hate to break it to you Diavolo but as cute as she is, I’m more interested in how good your hands are.

“Dia!” Arianthi gives him a dirty look. “Stop that! I’m sure Jax doesn’t appreciate it, and you know Mammon hates it when you do that.”

Mammon? A third player has entered the game. This could be some spicy telenovela shit. Must. Know. Now.

Diavolo just chuckles at her and exits the room, Barbatos in tow.

“Okay, tell me everything princess. I have to know.” I smirk at her and she rolls her eyes good naturally.

“Dia and I were a.....thing for a while.” She waves her hand dismissively, looking slightly annoyed. “He’s still a little in his feelings about things, but I’m engaged now. Sometimes he likes to push my fiance’s buttons. Diavolo is a lot of fun but he is a world class shit stirrer.”

“Mammon is the fiance?” I guess.

She gives me a soft smile. “Yeah. He lives at the House of Lamentation too, so you’ll be meeting him soon. Anyways, we should get going. Do you need help carrying anything?”

I hold up my duffel bag and my plushie. “This is all I brought with me. But you can carry Samson if you want.”

I hand over the large purple octopus.

“He. Is. Adorable. Levi would love him.” She cuddles Samson close to her chest as she leads me out of Diavolo’s office.

“So, right now we’re in the Demon Lord’s Castle. Diavolo and Barbatos live here, and there are always some high ranking demons staying here too, trying to get in good with Diavolo. You’ll be here off and on throughout the year for parties and things like that. Hopefully you’ll escape the “bonding sleepover” ordeal I went through my first year.” She shudders.

“Bonding sleepover? Like a summer camp bonding sleepover?” I quirk an eyebrow at her.

She gives me a long suffering look. “Dia is like a kid in a candy store when it comes to human world activities. It was his idea.”

I chuckle. “It was that bad?”

Arianthi holds up a hands and starts ticking events off on her fingers.

“I got sucked into an evil possessed painting with some others and we ended up in the dungeon. In the dungeon we were almost eaten by Henry 1.0, who may be the biggest snake to ever exist, like anywhere. Then when we tried to get a picture of Lucifer sleeping we ended up getting chased by Cerberus and we wound up in the dungeon again. Where Henry 1.0 tried to eat us. Again. And there was a pillow fight where everyone ended up unconscious except for Diavolo and Lucifer. And me, but only because I was hiding under my bed.”

I stare at her, mouth open, debating if she’s being serious or not. She looks back at me, face unchanged.

“Oh, wow, you’re actually being serious,” I say.

I don’t know if I’m terrified or....nope. Definitely a little terrified after that story. And why did they want a picture of Lucifer sleeping?

As if she can sense my fear Arianthi gives my shoulder a comforting squeeze. “I know it sounds insane but every day isn’t going to be like that here. And you’ll always have someone looking out for you.”

I breathe out a sigh of relief and give her a quick grin. “Thanks, Arianthi.”

We make our way outside, and I’m startled by the fog and dim sunlight.

It’s the middle of the day, right? Or does time work differently here?

I must look confused because Arianthi quickly explains. “Time works the same here, but the weather is different from the human realm. We don’t get bright sunlight down here.”

She shrugs apologetically.

“It’s all good,” I tell her with a smile. “I figured things would be different when I agreed to all this.”

She giggles. “At least they gave you some warning. I was one of the first humans picked for the program and they just zapped me out of my apartment without warning. One minute I’m on my couch watching The Great British Bake Off, and the next I’m down here. Mammon and Asmo had to take me shopping for a whole new wardrobe.”

“Damn.” I join in on her laughter. “So how did you adjust to being here?”

Her mouth scrunches to one side as she ponders my question. “It was hard, that first month. None of the demons were really used to humans, and a lot of them didn’t want me here. But I gradually got closer to the brothers and that helped. Now it’s hard to imagine my life without them. They’re family now, you know?”

I nod. “Do you think I’ll have any issues here?”

“Nah.” She shakes her head. “I’ll be looking out for you and whatever classes we don’t have together you’ll have with one of the boys. Lucifer made sure of it. But if you do want to go out somewhere be sure to take me or one of them with you. Some of the lower level demons are still assholes about humans being here. I get a little more respect now that I’m Mammon’s fiancee and a full time resident of the House of Lamentation.”

We meander through the R.A.D. campus, Arianthi pointing out various buildings and explaining the curriculum to me.

“Ok, so......the seven demon lords that we’ll be living with. Lay it on me. I wanna know what I’m getting into.”

Arianthi takes a deep breath. “I’ll just give you the rundown from oldest to youngest. Hold on, because this family is a roller coaster of ‘what the fuck’.”

I snort out a little laugh. “I’m from Florida. There is literally nothing here that can shock me.”

“If you say so,” Arianthi replies with a smirk. “Buckle up buttercup, because we’re going to run through this fast. Oh, and the brothers are ranked in accordance to how powerful they are, not their actual ages. But they are all thousands of years old, in case you were wondering. Anyways the oldest is Lucifer, the Avatar of Pride. He’s Diavolo’s second in command down here. Very serious, doesn’t laugh much. He’s like the dad at the House of Lamentation. But not the fun kind. Don’t let any of the others talk you into trying to prank him. Unless I’m in on it, because I’m always down for that shit.”

I have found my people.

“The second oldest is Mammon and he’s the Avatar of Greed. Don’t leave anything valuable laying around or he’ll take it and try to sell it for some quick Grimm.”

“Wait? Isn’t Mammon your fiance?” I’m confused.

She gives me a self-deprecating shrug. “The heart wants what the heart wants. We’ve been working on the stealing thing, but at the end of the day he is the Avatar of Greed and it’s hard to control that. He models too, to earn some extra Grimm. I’ve been pushing for him to do more of that to curb the stealing. Oh! I forgot, Grimm is our currency down here. I’ll hook you up with some so don’t worry about that.”

“Oh no you don’t have to-” I try to protest but she cuts me off with a smile.

“Really, I want to. I want you to be able to enjoy your time here, not worrying about trying to find a part time job to earn some cash.”

“Lucifer is the house dad, but you’re totally the house mom aren’t you?”

Seriously, this girl might be an angel.

She blushes a little. “Um....guilty. I sort of fell into it my first year here. The boys needed someone to take care of them then.” She pauses. “They still sort of do honestly.”

I laugh. “Alright, who’s next? Hit me with it.”

Arianthi pauses, like she’s trying to come up with the right words. “Levi. Well Leviathan, but you can call him Levi. He’s more introverted than the rest. Very into gaming, anime, movies.......and a book series called The Seven Lords.”

“I’ve read that!” I exclaim. “Great series. I brought some anime with me too.”

“Cool.” She grins at me. “Sounds like you guys have some things in common. I bet he’d love to see some anime from the human realm. He’s obsessed with Ruri-Chan too, but I’ll let him explain all of that to you. He’s also the leader of Hell’s Navy because of the whole lord of the sea thing he’s got going on. And he’s the Avatar of Envy, so try not to take any of the things he says too seriously when he’s acting jealous.”

“Wait, what? Lord of the sea thing?”

Mind. Blown.

“Yep.” She nods enthusiastically. “He can summon and control sea monsters and all sorts of underwater nightmare fuel.”

“Bad fucking ass.”

“Right?” She laughs. “On to the next. This is where things get kinda weird.”

“Weirder than summoning sea monsters?” I ask.

“Like daddy who is also my brother weird.” She answers with a straight face.

“Get the fuck out of here,” I say with a laugh.

“Satan is the fourth brother. He’s the Avatar of Wrath so try not to piss him off. He’s very intelligent, loves to read. But don’t touch his books without permission. Actually, just stay out of his room all together.”

I look at her and smirk. “This is all fascinating but I’m still waiting on the daddy/brother angle.”

She laughs. “Ok, ok, ok. When the boys fell from heaven Lucifer’s rage was so intense that it became a sentient entity.”

“Satan?”

She shoots me some finger guns. “Exactly. Lucifer and the other brothers raised him. He gets a few characteristics from each of them, but he’s most like Lucifer. Which pisses him off because he hates the thought of being like Lucifer. And Lucifer doesn’t want to think of Satan as his son, so everyone just refers to Satan as their brother.”

I shake my head in wonder. “It’s just like being back in Florida.”

Suddenly a white haired demon comes and grabs Arianthi from behind, picking her up and spinning her around.

“Yo, what the hell?” I yelp in surprise.

The demon sets her down, hugging her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder and nuzzling his face into her neck. Arianthi lets out a high pitched squeal as his hair and nose tickle her. He eventually stops, staring at me suspiciously over her shoulder.

“Hey babe, who’s he?”

Awkward.........

Arianthi elbows his ribs. “Mammon, this is Jax. They’re the new human exchange student who’s going to be staying with us this year. So be nice to them.”

She stresses my pronouns and a look of realization crosses Mammon’s face.

“Oh shit!” He looks contrite. “I am so sorry. I shoulda thought before I said anything.”

He releases Arianthi and holds out his hand.

I shake it. “No worries. It happens. Thanks for apologizing though.”

He gives me a crooked grin. “Still, I am really sorry. Won’t happen again. And if anybody tries to mess with ya since you’re the new human around here, THE Great Mammon will handle it.”

Arianthi rolls her eyes fondly at me and shakes her head behind his back. “I’m sure Jax appreciates the sentiment, but everything will be ok.”

I grin back at Mammon. “Arianthi’s probably right, I should be fine. It’s cool of you to offer though.”

Arianthi wraps her arms around his waist and looks up at him adoringly. “But if any demon does try to give Jax a hard time I’ll tell my big, strong, handsome fiance and let him sort them out.”

Mammon puffs up with pride and he looks down at her lovingly. “Damn right ya will.” He presses a kiss to her forehead. As he pulls away he notices Samson in her arms. “Oi! What is that?”

“Isn’t he cute?” Arianthi holds him up and wiggles one of his tentacles.

I shrug and kick away a rock. “He’s mine,” I admit.

“Cute as hell,” Mammon says, one slender finger reaching out to touch the plush fabric. “Levi would love ‘em.”

“That what’s she said.” I gesture at Arianthi.

He chuckles, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “I just wanted to tell ya hi baby. I gotta run to the store real quick then get back to the house. I’m on dinner duty tonight with Levi.”

Arianthi stretches up on her tiptoes to give him a soft kiss on the lips. “Ok, I’ll see you at home.”

“See ya later. Bye Jax.” Mammon gives us a small wave and starts to walk away.

“Oh! Don’t forget that Beel had practice today so make extra! He’ll be hungrier than usual!” She calls out after him.

He turns around and blows her a kiss to acknowledge that he heard her. She smiles as she watches him walk away, then turns back to me, serious.

“I really am sorry about that. I’ve told everyone your preferred pronouns so it shouldn’t happen again and if it does -”

I hold up my hands and give her a small smile. “Hey, hey, hey. Shit happens. And it’s not like he did it on purpose. Plus he apologized, then offered to look out for me which was pretty cool of him.”

She still looks concerned. “I just don’t want you to feel like you can’t be yourself. Especially at home. I want you to be comfortable here.”

“It really is fine. He figured out his mistake and apologized, and I bet it won’t ever happen again.” I smile and gently nudge her with my elbow. “And if anybody starts some shit I’ll just let the house mom take care of it.”

Arianthi gives me a soft shove and laughs. “Damn right you will. I’ve got your back down here.”

We start walking again.

“Ok, who’s next in the line up?” I ask.

She gives a big sigh. “The Avatar of Lust, Asmodeus. You can call him Asmo, everybody does.”

“Lust hmmm?” I raise my eyebrows.

“He’s sweet, he really is. Very into self-care and indulgence. Just don’t spend any time alone with him until we know how his powers affect you.”

I look at her in shock. “Are you saying he’d try to.......?”

“No! Nothing like that,” Arianthi reassures me. “Asmo would never force anyone to do anything they didn’t want to do. But since he is the Avatar of Lust he’s able to bring out other people deepest wishes, kinda like a walking aphrodisiac. Some people are immune to it, others can learn to block it out. Those that aren’t have a tendency to.......overindulge in their most decadent desires.” She gives me a pointed look. “So until we know how you’ll react, no alone time with Asmo.”

I make my most serious face and give her a quick salute. “Yes ma’am.”

She uses one of Samson’s tentacles to slap my arm and laughs. “Smart ass.”

I smirk. “Alright, Asmo is number five so who are the last two?”

Arianthi chews on her lower lip for a moment, as if internally debating what she wants to tell me. Finally she gives me a small smile and starts to talk.

“Beelzebub is sixth and Belphegor is seventh. We call them the twins though, because their father created them at the same time, and they’re extremely close. They’re together almost all the time.”

I interrupt. “Wait, their father? Like God?”

Arianthi’s eyes grow dark and she scowls. “He’s a piece of shit,” she mutters.

“Did you just call God a piece of shit?” I ask her, shocked.

“When there’s a dad out there who can make my dad look like Father of the Year, then you know the guy’s a total ass bag,” she growls.

“You just called God an ass bag. I feel like I’m missing a lot of backstory here,” I respond.

She shakes her head as if she’s shaking away her negative thoughts. “I’m sorry Jax. There’s a lot of history you’ll learn this year, and how the boys fell from grace is part of it. It was hard on all of them, but Beel and Belphie took the hardest hit. It will be up to them to tell you their side of things though, in their own time.”

“No worries. I’ve got patience for days.” I grin at her. “You’ve got serious beef with God huh?

“I’d throat punch him if someone gave me half a chance,” she answers seriously.

“You don’t look like it but you’re frightening.” I laugh. “But it’s the kind of frightening I want on my side at all times.”

She laughs with me. “I told you I have your back Jax. Always.”

“That means a lot Arianthi.”

Not many people do now days.

“So Beelzebub and Belphegor?” I ask.

“Beel and Belphie.” She smiles to herself. “Beel is the Avatar of Gluttony, and his food intake is phenomenal. Do not ever come between him and his food, and if you see a container in the fridge with his name on it, don’t even breathe near it. He once wrecked the kitchen and one of the walls to my old room because Mammon and I ate some of his custard.”

I stare at her.

“It’s like I haven’t even left Florida,” I whisper reverently, and she huffs out an amused laugh.

“A lot of people treat Beel like food is his only interest, but it really isn’t. He plays sports and he works out everyday, so if you ever want to join him for a workout he’d be thrilled to have a buddy. He’s really sweet, thoughtful, and kind. And sensitive, but he tries to hide it so he can stay looking strong for the people he cares about. He never wants to let anybody down if they need him. He’ll open up if he gets close to you though.”

“It sounds like you guys are really close,” I say quietly.

I wonder how Mammon feels about that?

She stops walking and turns to look at me, a shadow passing over her face. “I’m an only child and my mom and dad weren’t very good at the whole parenting thing. I wound up in foster care when I was 5. Stayed there until I aged out. I would have given anything for a big brother like Beel back then. He’s really taken care of me since I’ve been here, and been nothing but supportive of me.” She gives me a shaky smile. “I’ve got my big brother now so I try to look out for him however I can.”

“He sounds like a really good guy,” I say, suddenly feeling guilty for my earlier thought.

“He is,” Arianthi answers and we resume walking. “Belphie is the Avatar of Sloth, so he’s constantly sleepy. He can nap anywhere, and he gets super cuddly with people when he does, so if that’s not your jam be sure to let him know. Don’t touch his cow pillow. He’s pretty sarcastic and he can be hard to get to know, but he’s sweet when you do.”

We turn a corner and she stops in front of a large three story house. Even though it’s well maintained and beautifully built something feels a little......off about it.

This place would give the house from Texas Chainsaw Massacre a run for it’s money in the creepy as shit category.

“Here we are!” she says brightly. “The House of Lamentation, and your new home for the next year.”

My eyes dart around, taking in every detail of the house as we walk up the steps to the front door.

Arianthi suddenly pauses with her hand on the doorknob. “Jax there’s something else you should know about the house before we go in.”

“Ok?” I say, confused.

“Satan is a little bit of a crazy cat lady. He’s rescues strays and keeps them until he finds new homes for them. Lucifer says he can only have one in the house at a time, so you may occasionally be called upon to help hide one. Or five.”

“Totally ok,” I answer with a grin, relieved that the big secret is just contraband kitties. “I love cats so no problem on that front.”

She smiles at me as she opens the door. “Great!”

We walk into the foyer and she shuts the door behind us.

“Also, allegedly some guy murdered his whole family here a long time ago. So this place is probably haunted.” She smirks at me.

“Of fucking course it is,” I mutter, playfully giving her a dirty look.

“If it makes you feel better I’ve never seen any paranormal stuff as long as I’ve been here.”

“It does. A little bit.” I look over and smile at her. “Oof!”

I ram into something large, solid and......warm? I look in front of me and see a very large, very muscled chest. I tip my head back until I see a pair of friendly violet eyes looking into mine.

“Beel!” Arianthi gives him a quick squeeze. “This is Jax, the new exchange student.”

“Sorry for running into you,” I say. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

I take a step back so I can get a better look at him. Like Diavolo, he is huge. And built. Really built. His shaggy, bright orange hair highlights the color of his eyes.

“It’s ok,” he tells me, smiling before he takes a large bite of the sandwich he’s holding. He squeezes Arianthi back. “Hey Arianthi. When’s Mammon coming home? He’s supposed to make dinner tonight and I’m starving.”

That smile is goddamn adorable.

I shake my head.

Get it together. You’ve seen cute guys before. But he is beyond cute. And built. And taller than me. And if he’s everything Arianthi says he is............

I quickly slam that thought back into its box and tune into their conversation.

Arianthi is frowning. “He should be back soon. If he isn’t I’ll help Levi get things going so dinner isn’t late.”

He beams at her. “Thanks Arianthi.” He turns that megawatt smile to me. “Do you need any help getting your stuff to your room Jax?”

I’m flustered. Why am I flustered? I don’t get flustered.

“N-n-no. Thanks though.” I give him a small smile.

Did I just stutter? Oh god.

I internally cringe.

I see Arianthi’s eyes flicker between the two of us, and she gives me a mischievous smile.

“We might need help later though. In case they want another dresser or any of the furniture from my old room brought into their room,” she tells him.

Beel gives us another easy grin. “No problem. I’ll be in my room if you need me before dinner starts. See you later Jax.”

He ambles away, munching on his sandwich.

“See you,” I call after him.

I look to my right and see Arianthi looking at me with a shit eating grin on her face.

“Shut up,” I mutter.

“He’s cute right?” She nudges me with her elbow.

Oh my sweet baby Jesus yes!

“He’s ok,” I say, trying to stay nonchalant. “Seems nice.”

“Is nice Jax code for a “total snack”? Or “I want to climb him like a tree and never come down”?” She snickers, teasing me.

“Ok, you are officially the worst,” I tease back, reaching out and ruffling her hair.

“But am I officially the worst and right that you think Beel is a cutie?” She raises her eyebrows.

I’m saved from answering by Mammon bursting in through the front door, two shopping bags in hand.

“Oi! H-h-hey Jax. Hi baby.” A faint pink blush dusts his cheeks and he tries to quickly edge past us. “Runnin’ a little late, gotta get dinner goi-”

Arianthi snags the hem of his jacket, stopping him his tracks. “What’s the rush my love?”

“N-n-no rush. Just wanna get dinner on time. Ya know how Beel gets.”

What is he so nervous about?

I’m suddenly very suspicious.

Please don’t be a fuck boy Mammon.

She pulls him closer and loops her arms around his neck, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Mammon?”

“Y-yeah baby?”

“Why do you smell likes witches?” Arianthi keeps her voice light, arching an eyebrow at Mammon.

Ooh, I know that look. Mom used to give me that look all the time. Wait, witches? They have witches down here too?!

“I maybe, mighta stopped at a little card game on the way to the store.” Mammon’s tone is smug, despite the guilty look on his face.

Arianthi rolls her eyes, smiling. “How much did you win?”

“650 Grimm.” He smiles back at her.

She holds her hand out in a “gimme” gesture.

Mammon groans, reaches into his jacket pocket, and hands her a thick stack of bills. “Come on baby. Aren’t ya gonna let me keep any of it?”

She quickly divides the money, handing half to me and pocketing the rest.

“Wait, what’s this for?” I ask, confused.

“We agreed that whenever Mammon goes gambling half of whatever he wins goes to you, so you’ll have Grimm for whatever you need here. And the other half goes to a joint project we’re working on.” Arianthi laces her fingers with Mammon’s and cuddles into his side.

Mammon’s irritation is instantly gone, replaced by a dreamy smile as he squeezes her hand and presses a kiss to the top of her head.

“That joint project is going to be amazing. I just know it,” he softly whispers.

“What’s the project?” I ask, curious. “If it needs any artwork, I could totally help you guys out with it.”

Arianthi disentangles herself from Mammon. “It’s a surprise for his brothers. It’s really sweet of you to offer Jax, but I wouldn’t want to bother you -”

“You won’t! You wouldn’t be,” I interrupt. “I feel bad just taking your money like this, even if you guys did plan it. So let me help you out with whatever art you may need done for this project.”

“That’s really cool of ya Jax,” Mammon says, grinning at me. “We appreciate it.”

“Seriously,” Arianthi echoes. “I saw some of your art when I went through your student profile. They are insanely freaking talented,” she tells Mammon.

I can feel my face turning red. “I’m not that great,” I manage to mumble.

“Hey, if you’re good at somethin’ don’t go bein’ modest about it,” Mammon tells me. “I gotta go get started on the food before Beel smashes down another wall. See ya at dinner.”

“See you,” we respond in unison as he moves towards the kitchen.

“We should get you settled into you room,” Arianthi tells me. “I’ll show you the kitchen after dinner; you’re on dish duty with me tonight. I hope that’s ok.”

“Totally fine.” We start climbing a set of stairs. “So are you going to let me in on what this surprise project is?”

“Are you going to tell me what you really think of Beel?” She counters with a smirk.

“Touche.” I smirk back.

“Ok, here you are.” She stops in front of a closed door.

“That’s Beel and Belphie’s room,” she says, gesturing to the door to the right of mine. “And Mammon and I are to the left of you. My private library and office is on the other side of our bedroom. If you ever need to use it you’re more than welcome to; I never lock the door. I’ll show you where everyone else’s rooms are tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” I smile at her as she hands Samson to me.

“I’ll let you check out your room and unpack your stuff. If you think of anything you want for your room we can go check out my old room tomorrow and see if you like anything in there. I’ll come get you in about an hour for dinner. If you need anything before then just knock, ok?”

“Ok.” I open the door to my room, then think of something. “Hey Arianthi? Will my iPhone work down here?”

She shakes her head. “No, but we’ll get you set up with a D.D.D., which is the Devildom version of an iPhone. Barbatos is supposed to bring one by in the morning for you.”

“Oh cool, thanks.” I smile at her and she turns to go into her room.

“Hey,” I say quickly.

She pauses in her doorway and turns towards me. “What’s up hun?”

“You would’ve made a really good big sister.”

She gives me a gentle smile. “Thanks Jax. That means a lot.”

She slips into her room, softly closing the door behind her.

I step into my new room and start looking around. There’s a desk, a couch, a small dresser, and what has to be a king size bed.

Fucking awesome. And an en suite bathroom? I officially love this place.

I drop my bag onto the floor and wander over to look out the window. My room looks out over a wide expanse of forest.

Pretty view.

When I turn back around I notice that someone has left a pile of things stacked in the far corner of the room, next to my desk. Someone has left me a bunch of............ art supplies?!

An easel, canvas, charcoal, sketchpads, pencils, oil paints; I eagerly rummage through what looks to be anything my little artist’s heart could ever possibly need or want.

Arianthi. Had to be. Her thoughtful ass would do something like this.

Grinning to myself I shuffle over to the bed and flop down, cuddling Samson to my chest.

I think I’m gonna like it here.

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