He Chose You (Pt. 2)
Lucifer/Reader
Rated E for the smex coming next chapter I SWEAR. ((Also there will not be any non-con in this fic, so please don’t worry. You’ll see when you read.))
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11
Tag Requests: @loslox, @for-hearthand-home, @navierkalani
‘The worst thing they could be are swingers.’
Your heart was racing, and you felt ridiculous for how uppity you felt at the prospect of having dinner with your two elderly neighbors.
Normally, meeting new people would cause a healthy amount of anxiety in you. You’d grown up into a recluse and upholding social niceties took most of your energy. It was even worse to be in their home, and among people that you likely did not have much in common with.
These were personal reassurances that you told yourself after denying the first invitation for dinner with the Farrows. The guilt you felt, paired with the subsequent relief of not having to spend more than five minutes with your chatty neighbor, stirred an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach.
Of course you’d been unable to stop thinking about what a wretch you were, how karma was going to bite you on the ass for denying an old couple some company.
And oh Karma did come back to bite you. Hard.
You felt like you were hanging by a thread at work. Three weeks into the job and you’d already been reprimanded. Even the memory of your supervisor looking down her nose at you from the other side of her desk made your eyes water.
“We have a ‘three strikes’ policy here. I’m afraid this will count as your first.”
Never having been fired from a job notwithstanding, you felt like the idiot your parents always purported you to be.
If you’d have just stayed in your hometown, living off your parents’ good graces and kept your head down, instead of prancing out the door as if you had self-respect and no need for a safety net…
Maybe things wouldn’t be so dire.
Maybe you wouldn’t be on the verge of having a panic attack at this very moment, feeling the anxiety and restlessness from declining the previous invitation tenfold.
With a deep breath in and out, you crossed the hall with the hesitance of a mouse approaching a snap-trap. You knocked on the door to Unit 606 with a shaking hand.
There was a moment left to blanch at the realization that you hadn’t brought anything with you. Like the shittiest, most thoughtless guest ever.
——
“You made it!” Mrs. Farrow held her arms out dramatically. “Come in! Come in! You’re right on time! Oh and you look lovely dear!”
“Thanks.” You felt heat rise to your cheeks as the door closed behind you.
The layout of the apartment was a mirror image to yours, but you were overwhelmed by just how much stuff had taken up the space. From the kitchen to the living room, the apartment was brimming with kaleidoscopic color. Antique statuettes of unknown deities, handcrafted vases and sculptures in-set with gems and gold filigree, expertly framed posters of old Hollywood, and Persian rugs beneath well-worn furniture were visible from just a cursory glance.
It distracted you from the unusually bitter, earthy smell that assaulted you upon entering.
“Wow,” You said in genuine awe. “Your home is lovely.”
“Aw, you’re too kind sweetheart. Too kind. Here, let me take your shawl - we’ll hang it up on the rack here, see.” She took your cardigan and placed it on an old hat stand before steering you out to the living room by the back of your shoulders.
There was a man sitting in a leather armchair adjacent to the couch. He was wearing a tweed jacket and his silver-blond hair had been combed back finely to show a pale, wrinkled face and eyes so dark they shone almost black in the lowlight.
He looked at you with interest once you’d finally caught onto his presence, and opened his mouth to speak.
‘Quack!’
“Lou!” You laughed as the duck came racing over on its little legs.
Without delay, the bird climbed onto your flats with an impatient flap of its wings, trying to balance while looking up at you adoringly.
You couldn’t help but reach down and pat his little head, murmuring ‘hellos’ and ‘how you doing buddy?’ softly and sweetly.
The man opposite you both smirked. “My wife was right. He’s quite taken with you.”
“I’m always right!” Mrs. Farrow called out from the kitchen.
You looked to the kitchen and back to, presumably, Mr. Farrow, an uncertain smile on your lips.
“Welcome to our home.” The elder man’s voice was almost hypnotically deep. His hand was outstretched and waiting. “Please excuse me for not greeting you properly. When you get to be as old as I am, your body does everything it can to make you stay put in one place.”
You shook your head. “Oh no, please don’t worry about it! I understand.”
Mr. Farrow’s smirk seemed to soften as you spoke.
“Please make yourself comfortable, my dear.” When he gestured to the couch, you awkwardly shuffled to sit down. Lou was right on your heels, loathe to spend even a second without your warmth.
The duck ended up snuggled on your lap after begging to be lifted as you sank into the plush sofa. And you were grateful, hugging Lou to you gently as if he were a plush toy.
It helped take your mind away from that spine-tingling feeling when it made a comeback — the way Mr. Farrow’s eyes glittered when he looked at you and his duck.
‘Oh god, they probably are swingers. And they lure in their targets with this crazy well-trained duck.’ You thought, punching yourself in the face mentally. ‘And you fell for it. Walked right into their den of debauchery. You stupid bitch.’
“Here’s some water, honey. We’ll save the stronger stuff for dinner.” You jumped in your seat when Mrs. Farrow appeared at your side, setting a glass of ice water down on the end table beside you.
You reached for the glass as its contents sloshed over the edge. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Farrow.”
Mrs. Farrow beamed.
“What did I tell ya, Warren? Isn’t she lovely? Just a peach. Lou is smitten.” She patted your shoulder. “And it’s Cassie, honey. Call me Cass.”
“You were right, Cass.” Warren Farrow intoned.
He took on a conspiratorial tone as he addressed you once more. “You must know, my wife hasn’t stopped talking about you since you met the other day. I wondered if she was preparing us for a new roommate.”
Heat flooded your face for the second time. “Aw.”
“Oh poo, as if you wouldn’a done the same.” Mrs. Farrow sniffed derisively. “Dinner in 5 minutes!”
Her exit left room for you to start a conversation, but you couldn’t find it in you to say anything. Mr. Farrow kept staring, smiling, which made you stroke Lou’s feathers for comfort that much more.
The silence lasted a little while, save for the clinking, crackling, thudding from the kitchen dining room. Aside from catering to Lou, you surveyed your surroundings in an effort to avoid bouncing your legs.
The Farrows didn’t have a TV, only a large fireplace that they’d positioned their furniture around. There were displays on either side of the grate. On one stood an oversized chalice with intricate, swirling patterns. The other had a statuette of a goat-headed figure sitting crisscrossed on a throne, one arm poised to reach out to the sky.
“Baphomet.”
You turned from the sight, head swiveling to face your human companion. He was eying you keenly again.
“O-oh, the statue is…?”
Warren nodded. “Baphomet. Conceived as a false god around the time of the crusades. Most people see him as a depiction of Satan these days.”
The association wasn’t too far-fetched, you figured with another look at the figure. Its goat-head and large horns were the most eye-catching thing about it.
“I apologize if the sight upsets you, dear. I hadn’t thought to remove it before your arrival.”
“Oh no, please. It’s alright.” You said. “It doesn’t bother me. It’s very interesting.”
The rumbling hum at your side seemed to signal approval, or maybe general geniality with your neutral response. “Are you religious by chance?”
You turned to Warren again.
“Ah, no.” You replied apologetically. “I grew up in a Christian area, but I was never very involved with the church.”
Warren nodded. “That’s just as well. The institution and its practices can be stifling. I was never very involved with it myself.”
“Religious artifacts have always been fascinating to me, however. There’s no shortage of temples and synagogues in this world.”
“Have you been to many? For the history?” You were genuinely curious.
The old man nodded again, stately and dignified even as he puffed up in his armchair like a peacock. “Cass and I are seasoned travelers. We’ve been to all 7 continents at least twice, seen the wonders of the world from the Hindu shrines in Malaysia to St. Basil’s Cathedral. I have a particular fondness for those countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. I was able to convince Cassie another trip to Rome wouldn’t put us in the poor house last year.”
Your little huff of laughter was sincere, though the idea of traveling to Rome - or anyplace outside of the familiar - sounded amazing. “I’d love to be able to do that.”
Warren’s head tilted to one side. “You’re quite young, I’m sure you’ll get the chance if you haven’t already.”
“Sure.” You scoffed before immediately falling into contrition. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me —”
“Dinner time!”
Mrs. Farrow hollered from the kitchen, stopping you from trying to come up with a suitable excuse for yourself.
Luckily, Mr. Farrow chuckled good-naturedly. He rose from his chair stiffly, legs visibly straining. “No need to apologize, my dear. But we best get going before the Missus comes out and drags us by our ears.”
——
All things considered, the dinner was perfectly fine.
The jitters never left your frame, but you had chalked that up to a simple byproduct of your skittish nature. The red wine that Cass had insisted upon you made you feel warm and solid, at least.
As did the fact that Cassie Farrow could hold entire conversations all on her own with very little effort or input from yourself.
“You got a boyfriend, honey? Or girlfriend? No shame in that at all. We may be old but by no means bigoted. We’ve been all over the place, seen so many things - what’s natural to you and me could be the furthest from, in certain places. Isn’t that right, Warren?”
“Men in Ancient Greece often had relationships with other men.” Warren replied. “Royals in Europe had extramarital affairs with different sexes. It was all about keeping the bloodline pure, but romance was a different thing altogether.”
“I haven’t dated in a while, actually.” You said. “It’s not been a priority.”
Cassie nodded, exuberant as she drank from her wine glass. “That’s good too! Plenty of independent women these days! It’s about time, I say.”
‘Quack quack’
Lou was beside you, red eyes locked in as he gazed upon you at the dining table. It made you giggle.
“Mm!” Cassie had a spastic moment. “I almost forgot!”
The chair lurched out from under the old woman as she rose and scuttled out of the room. It left you blinking, and out of the corner of your eye you saw that same smirk on Warren’s face before his wife had returned.
She had a small wicker basket in her arms.
“This is for you, honey. Housewarming present from your kooky neighbors across the hall.”
As she drew nearer, you caught a glimpse of the contents, some of which shone beneath the light of the overhead chandelier.
“Thank you! You really didn’t have to.” The basket was pressed into your arms and Cassie was back in her seat before you’d finished your sentence.
“Nonsense. It’s the least we could do. I still can’t believe no one welcomed you for a whole week!”
The basket was lined with shredded filler, and nestled in between were little gemstones and crystals.
“There’s jade and ruby in there, and I believe there’s moonstone as well.” Mr. Farrow recalled. “Is that it, Cass?”
“Yes, yes, and carnelian too. It’s all scattered about there, with the Scrabble and the socks and the hand cream and oh!” Mrs. Farrow laughed. “Forgive us honey, we saw that little rubber duck and just had to get it for you.”
There was a little rubber duck. It was a novelty type, with a tiny red jacket and a tiny black top hat.
“It’s a carnival barker. No, it’s something like that. It’s on the tip of my tongue.” Your nose scrunched in thought. “Oh, a circus ringmaster!”
“Exactly! See, what’d I tell you, Warren? She loves it!”
“I believe I was the one who suggested it.” His voice carried through the otherwise silent dining room.
“Oh well maybe it was, so what. She likes it. Don’t you, honey?”
“Yes, but…” You felt funny again. Tingly. “This is too much. Really. You’re both so kind but I can’t accept this.”
A hand laid gently on your shoulder and you looked up at a frowning Warren Farrow. “It’s no trouble at all, my dear.”
“The cost must’ve —”
“No cost, really. Gemstones and crystals are quite popular these days. You can find them all over. And the little trinkets are just the same. Given to you in good faith of course.” He patted your shoulder gently.
You swallowed, eyes once again roving over the little mundane treasures. Silken feathers brushed against your ankle under the table and you met those red eyes, sparkling like the crystals in your basket.
Lou was such a funny little thing. So expressive, he looked as if he were waiting as he stared at you.
So funny.
… You felt funny.
Perhaps the anxiety from before was doubling back, just like that prickling sensation. It was less of a tingle and more a shiver or chill as you sat there.
“I think it’s about time for dessert, don’t you?” Mrs. Farrow was saying somewhere far away. “You like chocolate, sweetheart? I made mousse, all fancy-like. It’s not as fancy as the kind you get at that restaurant downtown, the Ivy, but they’ve got fancy ingredients and such…”
Reaching up to wipe the sheen of sweat from your forehead, you felt heat coming off from between your temples. With a shaky breath, you slumped down in your seat.
The basket was gone.
Your chair was scraping against the wooden floor as it was pulled out from the table.
“Are you feeling alright, my dear?”
Wrinkled hands swept the hair from your face as your eyes rolled in their sockets. Words couldn’t get past the cotton-dry feeling in your throat.
“It’s the wine, the wine. Said she’s not much of a drinker, it has to be the wine.”
Cass’s voice was dampened and thick, like it was trapped underwater.
Or perhaps you were trapped. Your head was spinning, limbs heavy as if you were a puppet sans strings. You had to be picked up from under your arms like a toddler and pulled upright.
The next second you were walking through your neighbors’ kitchen, the door held open for you.
“Maybe we oughta call a doctor? Honey, can you hear me?”
“I… yes. I can hear you.” It felt like an Olympic feat, but you spoke clearly. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what’s happening.”
You stumbled against the wall and strong arms caught you when your knees buckled. It was Mr. Farrow allowing you to lean on him, solid as a rock.
“Cass is right, you had quite a bit of wine.” He said. Another pat to your shoulder.
Did you? You could’ve sworn it was just a glass.
Your apartment was barren and blank, the smell of laundry comforting against the memory of that earthy incense smell.
“Get some rest, honey. We’re right across the hall.”
“Thank you.” You breathed, lying on your sofa bed. “Again, I’m very sorry. Thank you for the welcome.”
“Oh no, thank you.”
——
When you opened your eyes next, you were shrouded in darkness. The outline of your entertainment system was in front of you, and the kitchen at your right.
It was raining outside; little raindrops smattering against the glass. The sound was normal, no longer muffled until you were straining to hear it.
‘Well that’s good.’
The heavy feeling in your arms was still present.
‘That’s not so good.’
You felt perfectly sane and hysterical at the same time. It was like being caught in the eye of a storm. The danger had abated momentarily, but would begin again shortly.
Your door opened, and in your peripheral you saw a shadow cut across the wall as a new figure emerged from the hall.
You squinted in the dark. ‘Lou?’
The duck’s silhouette stilled as if you’d spoken aloud. You could feel something shift in the air, tension breaking through to your mind when it could not seize your body.
That shift grew stronger, sucking in the air around it until a dazzling flash and crack of light blinded you.
Lou’s shadow was gone. Or… it had changed. The shadow on the wall wasn’t a duck anymore it was…
Your blood ran cold as the man stepped into your apartment and let the door close behind him.
“Hello there!”
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Hydrodynamic AU
uhhh hi so. This has been cooking in my brain for a few months now (6???) and basically it’s a ROTTMNT Separated AU with Donnie as the focus but like, y’know. It’s all of them. I call it Hydrodynamic AU cause a lot of it comes from Donnie being more…water-based I suppose?? Either way. Yeah.
The story (if I ever find the willpower to draw it up) would revolve around Donnie going out and finding their siblings in the various locations; not to try and turn them towards the side of light or whatever. Donnie just wants to hang out. The universe has other plans, however.
More on each character under the cut!!! And lmk if any of you are interested in this!
Donatello Hamato
•Raised by Splinter
•They/them pronouns (Non-binary!!)
•Goes by the usual canon nicknames, but mainly uses “Dee”
•This Dee’s whole thing is being extremely water-based
•Donnie actually knows Repo Mantis before he got mutated! They started sneaking into his junkyard as a kid and got caught and they actually bonded
•When Don got older, they started helping Repo out with repossessing work; the two are even closer after Repo mutated!
•Don usually doesn’t wear their battleshell in this AU! It gets in the way of swimming stuff, so they prefer to be without it most of the time
•All of their stuff is painstakingly designed to the waterproof
•The whole lair has a ton of water slides in it, it’s super fun
•AUTISTIC!!!
•Don is extremely bad at socializing and doesn’t know how to mask (nor do they care for it). Can’t identify social cues well.
•Still friends with April; Don also hangs out with the Purple Dragons regularly (they give them ✨validation✨)
•Athletic only in how they’re an avid swimmer
•Really likes Lou Jitsu movies, and likes hearing their father talk about the films
•Splinter helps them train when they ask, thought Donnie also trains on their own with just. Copious amounts of research and looking up techniques
•Splinter is also extremely overprotective of D due to both their soft shell and the fact that he lost D’s siblings previously.
•More open to active destruction than canon Don?? At least in the way that’s like. More disregarding the well-being of others sometimes. Basically this Donnie doesn’t have their brothers to stop them from doing stuff. Violence and loose morals ensue.
•Builds Shelldon earlier on in life (was lonely and wanted company)
•Don has thoroughly explored the city’s sewers and set up tons of markers so they wouldn’t get lost; they’ve practically memorized the layout underground by now. Don has also installed a filtration system in the sewers to help take care of pollution because they don’t like how icky the waters can get
•Uses more turtle noises than actual words at times
•Fights with tech bō staff, but also knows the basics of other weapons; has the second most proficiency in daggers/knives.
•Doesn’t know anything about mysticism until meeting Mars and Draxum
•Technically, Donnie meets Mars first, then Leo, then Rento. However, we later find out that Don has met one of their siblings beforehand and knew of their existence. But that’s for later.
Marciano Draxum
•Raised by Draxum
•He/they pronouns
•Goes by Mars most commonly, but other nicknames include Marc, Marcie, Mar-Mar, Marky, Marce, and Marcus
•Draxum is actually a good parent okay
•Instead of Doctor Feelings and Doctor Delicate Touch, we get Sir Feelings and Sir Delicate Touch (they’re used as ranks, it’s some class thing idk. It’s ranked below Baron is all I know)
•Feral
•At a certain age Draxum started letting them out more (with supervision) and Mars got super friendly with all the yōkai he came across!! Due to this, Draxum has a much stronger active relationship with the Hidden City yōkai community.
•Mars uses their free time to create art around the Hidden City
•Has never seen the surface; wonders what the sky looks like
•Extremely strong mystic powers that were discovered early on
•Mars knows like, everyone in the city, and by the time they’re older are allowed to go about it from the lab as he pleases.
•Has a secret fascination with humans and their stuff that he keeps from his dad
•Draxum mellows out a tad raising Mars, being fatherly and all that. Still wants to take down humanity, he just wouldn’t do it if it meant endangering his child.
•Mars is an extremely adept fighter, having trained with Draxum since they were able to.
•Secret love for Lou Jitsu movies that he found one day in the yōkai markets
•He and Leo have met before and they have a very intense rivalry. Those two. Do not like one another.
•The reason behind the name “Marciano” is that I doubted Draxum would name his kid after some human artist. “Marciano” has French, Italian, and Latin origins, though I was mainly going for Latin when I chose it. It means little warrior! The name also has a lot of relation to the Roman god of war, Mars, which also happens to be the main nickname I picked! So it fits.
•Doesn’t like to kill; would rather thoroughly incapacitate a person through extreme measures instead.
•Terrible swimmer
•Draxum’s whole place is a lot more…nice looking? It’s got more style and creativity to it. Mars helped decorate.
•Fights with kusari-fundo and hand-to-hand mostly. Also knows the basics of fighting with other weapons.
Leonardo
•Raised by Big Mama
•He/him pronouns
•Trans man
•Goes by Leo most commonly; the other in-canon nicknames still apply too
•Both outfits are colored after Leo’s pride flags
•The paint designs vary a lot, Leo likes to show variety
•After meeting Donnie, he actually starts to incorporate more purple into his color scheme!
•Gay gay gay gay gay gay GAY.
•Fights in the Battle Nexus for fun; really loves the thrill of it.
•Spoiled
•Manipulative as fuck, picked it up from his mother. EXTREMELY good at lying
•Gets bored easily and will act out to negate this feeling
•Talks a whole lot while fighting; always making jokes, trying to throw his opponents off their game. (Think Spider-Man or Deadpool)
•Leo can actually get really violent at times
•Backstory behind Leo’s name is that they had an old name when they were younger and hadn’t come out yet, but upon realizing they were trans, wanted to pick out a new name. Big Mama gave him a ton of resources and books and stuff to help with that process, but it was actually in an old book of Lou’s that had been left behind that Leo found the name “Leonardo” and went with that. It’s a really stupid coincidence, but it is what it is.
•The fact that Leo chose that name from one of Lou’s books is bittersweet for Big Mama. And kinda funny lol
•Mars and Leo have a rivalry that formed because of BM and Draxum.
•Super fond of Lou Jitsu movies, but can only ever watch them in secret
•Leo will sneak out to Hueso’s whenever he can because he feels like it’s the one place where he can relax and not have to hold up appearances
•Leo still knows Spanish in this au
•He’s still a very cocky showboat in this, just dial that up to 11.
•Mainly uses ōdachi or katanas to fight, however, Leo tends to just use whatever’s on hand in matches. Knows how to fight with a wide variety of weapons semi-professionally (and I say that loosely, Leo mostly just wings it)
•Able to use mystic powers and uses them well, but prefers not to when fighting.
•LOVES stage magic with a passion, and actually practices it in his spare time.
Rento Jones
•Raised by the Foot
•She/he pronouns
•Goes by Ren for short
•Backstory for Rento is that little Cassandra was lonely and didn’t have anyone her age in the clan, and the Foot Lieutenant & Brute ended up finding this baby snapping turtle on a whim and gave him to her as a pet. Little did they know Cass just gained a new sister instead of a pet.
•Much more prone to violence than in canon (or at least to anger)
•The name Rento has a few meanings to it, but I mainly chose it because it started with an R and it fit. And was of Japanese origin.
•Cassandra is adamant about the two of them being siblings, and since Ren didn’t have a last name of her own, Cass shared hers
•Rento is still extremely soft on the inside, but is very afraid to show that side to people he doesn’t know.
•The entire Foot Clan will annihilate you if you hurt Rento in any way
•The clan is super fond of its spiky murder reptile!
•Ren doesn’t realize what she’s doing might be seen as “wrong”, he’s just focused on helping the Foot and being proud of that. Only ever hesitates when directly hurting innocent people or animals comes into the picture.
•Rento’s only issue is with hurting innocent people or creatures; she won’t hold back if something gets in his way.
•Cass and Ren have a habit of hyping each other up
•Rento is super proud of looking big and scary cause it means she can better protect the people she cares about!
•Cass and Ren can both speak Japanese to a degree
•She has a huge collection of plushies that have either been gifts to him or were stolen from large businesses; can’t sleep without at least a few plushies around.
•Only turtle of the four who doesn’t know anything about their backstory or having siblings
•Switches between sai and tonfa to fight, but mainly sticks with the sais.
•Second-best fighter of the turtles; also knows how to fight with other weapons in basics. Mainly relies on hand-to-hand combat.
•Doesn’t know anything about mysticism
•Not very good at origami
•Loves watching Lou Jitsu movies, though Cassandra doesn’t share the enthusiasm.
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