Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

B: “Welcome, dear traveler. I see you’ve come to my presence in search of another story, yes? In that case, my name is Beelzebub, The Great Fly. I will be your narrator, the story of the Helltaker yes?- Oh? No? You want a story about the wacky hijinks he and his girls got into after he claimed Hell? Well, I suppose I have a story like that somewhere… ah, here it is. Life in a harem full of girls that could kill you with the slightest bit of force will always be an interesting one, I have a story here that I believe will leave you satisfied. So sit back and relax…”

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The holiday festivities were finally kicking off, it was the girl’s first Christmas Eve and everyone was excited. Especially Malina, you see, Malina still believes in Santa Claus. She was confident in her observations to recognize that presents don’t just appear out of nowhere; she had convinced Cerberus, Azazel, and Modeus of the same thing and they were pretty thrilled to see if Malina would be correct. Things would’ve ended right there and they would just wait in peace, but when Zdrada is around, nothing is peaceful. Zdrada comes around to make fun of Malina once more as the acclaimed ‘Bitch Demon’ usually does.

Z: “Bahahaha! I still can’t believe you think Santa’s real!”

Ma: “He IS real! Just you wait! I’ll prove you wrong and this empty Christmas Tree will have PRESENTS under it! Just you wait!!!”

Malina snapped back, Zdrada responded by simply giving her little sister a noogie. A noogie of which Malina tried to escape from but failed. The Helltaker was quick to get between them, he looked at the two and shook his head.

H: “Alright that’s enough you two, come on, we’re preparing food for tomorrow.”

Malina blew raspberries at her sister as she used the Helltaker as a shield and walked away, Zdrada laughed and went the opposite direction. Modeus and Azazel went back to making decorations as Cerberus was pulled back to their room by Judgement. Lucifer and Justice were in the kitchen preparing the food, and Pandemonica was doing paperwork as usual. It seems everyone had something to do, everyone except Zdrada, who was lazing around on the couch as usual, scrolling on her phone and smoking. Little did everyone know, Zdrada was about to do the most important job in the house.

Zdrada looked up from her phone to see Azazel and Modeus in front of the TV, and this is when she would strike. Zdrada looked around to see any undecorated spots to immediately point out.

Z: “Yo. It’d make more sense for you to decorate the stairs and stuff.”

Modeus and Azazel looked at Zdrada curiously, then at themselves, then at the stairs. Then their faces lit up to prettify the stairs too, and so they ran over. Zdrada chuckled watching them run over like children, and now that nobody was around… she could finally initiate her plan into full swing. It will be the first time she’s doing this in the mortal world so she’s going to have to take some more precautions going through with it, but it’ll mostly play out the same. But first she modified the living room to make it seem like she was there, when in fact she will be sneaking out.

The Helltaker stepped out of the kitchen, looking for Zdrada. He looked in the living room… strange, there was nobody here. Everything here made it seem like she was still here. He looked in the dining room and then in her room, finding nothing and returning to the living room. He looked around all confused, but then his eyes went to the screen door, seeing the outside snow through the glass, and the footsteps out there.

Bingo.

He turned everything in the living room off and waved Lucy goodbye before heading out, following Zdrada’s trail to a …local supermarket? That was strange, Zdrada never really bothered with stuff like this; Zdrada was more inclined to just sit outside and smoke. Nevertheless, the Helltaker snuck over to the entrance and spied on the bitch demon entering the store, he followed after. In the massive mall filled with tons of people, he almost lost track of her, but it was as easy as following her smoke trail. It looked like she had some earplugs in too, listening to music and stuff, so this would be even easier for him.

Was she ordering dog toys and… some bones? This was pretty new, he wouldn’t exactly put it past Zdrada to order something like this for herself but the vibe he was getting was rather… jolly. Very out of character for her, he could only imagine why she’s doing this. Could Zdrada finally be turning over a new leaf? He was hopeful, but this may just end up being another prank, maybe her most elaborate one at that.

Z: “Jeez, Heroes IV. I hope this one is at least a step up to the last.”

WHAAAAAAAT?!?!!?

Helltaker didn’t know Heroes of Might and Magic even had a sequel, it performed so badly but he supposes anything can happen tonight… just look at Zdrada. To be honest, this was a pleasant surprise to him, he never would’ve expected her to go out of her way to do this for not only herself but for everyone else. He continued to observe Zdrada pick up items for the respective girls they’d love to have, all the while nodding in silent approval at her interesting show of kindness. After this it was hard not to believe in Christmas miracles, Zdrada was a hard cookie to crack; with time he’s certain Zdrada will open up. Finally, she stops shopping and goes to checkout.

Once the demon girl finally stepped out of the mall, she pulled out a comically large bag and a few sticks of wrapping paper. One by one she grabbed the presents and wrapped them outside the mall on the spot, being as quick as she could. Then when she was done, she threw the presents in the bag and threw the bag over her shoulder, determined to make the long haul back. The Helltaker couldn’t help but admire her tenacity, Zdrada seemed like she was trying to make this as quick as possible. Whether it was because she wanted to get over it, or the time for the night was running out, it didn’t matter.

The Helltaker had followed Zdrada back to the house, watching her peer into the dark house to see if anyone was there. Once she figured that nobody was there, she snuck in quietly, Helltaker assuming Zdrada’s previous position. He watched her unload the presents under the tree in a quick but careful fashion, very sneaky too. When she was done, she stuffed the bag in the trash and headed upstairs back into her room like nothing happened. And when she was done, the Helltaker snuck back in to observe the tree in all its glory.

He couldn’t help but chuckle at this ridiculous situation he just witnessed. He’d love to stay but Lucifer gets quite cranky without anyone to cuddle with at night and no, she will not admit it. All there really was to do now was to sleep until tomorrow and see the girl’s reactions.

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It was Christmas Day, and everyone could feel the atmosphere immediately. The harem house was as lively as it has ever been, the earliest they’ve been up since forever. Malina, Cerberus, Azazel and Modeus were the first to get up and run downstairs; their surprise coming soon after when they all saw the presents under the tree.

Ma: “Hah! See? Nobody could’ve gotten in last night!”

Mo: “Now I have to learn more…”

C: “Woah! That’s sooooo cool!”

A: “My oh my! I can’t wait to see what I got for Christmas! I hope God has smiled down upon me!”

Azazel reached for a present, but her hand was quickly slapped away by Judgement, whose sudden appearance made everyone jump. Judgement, as usual, scolded them for trying to take a peek at the presents before everyone else was up and they all made an agreement to just wait until they’ve all had breakfast to play out the holiday festivities. Soon enough, everyone wakes up and does just that, and they all sit around the tree as Lucifer pulls the presents out and gives them to their respective girl. The Helltaker watches from the stairs, seeing everyone’s excited reactions to their presents and the items they wanted. He looked around and noticed one girl was missing…

Ah, Zdrada wasn’t present.

The Helltaker took a look around and found Zdrada smoking by the window, how curious. He saw Malina approach her sister and gloat in her face, Zdrada accepts her defeat casually and waves Malina away. Zdrada almost looks… happy? It was relieving to see such a genuine smile on her face and he noticed that she didn’t have her contacts in again, so Zdrada was rocking her glasses. Once she’s alone again, he decides to go and check up on her.

H: “Having a nice Christmas Zdrada? Or should I say… Mrs. Claus?”

Zdrada raised an eyebrow at the Taker, wondering where he got that nickname from. It was by no means a bad one, but she was just a little taken aback.

Z: “Where the hell did you get that from?”

H: “Well I saw you at the mall participating in the holiday spirit, getting all the girls presents and such. I never knew you had the heart in you to do something like that. Thank you, Zdrada, for making everyone’s Christmas.”

Zdrada was about to laugh before she was caught off guard by what the Helltaker said, she immediately wiped her mouth and rubbed her cigar out on her ashtray. All while having a face that said “who does this man think he is?”

Z: “So you were creeping on me yesterday huh? What gave me away?”

H: “You weren’t exactly subtle, if anyone bothered to see where you were they would notice decently quickly that you just suddenly disappeared. It wasn’t that hard to track the footprints in the snow either, and the fact you decided to wear headphones with it made it easier to spy on you from a distance.”

Z: “Alright alright you creep, maybe I’ve gotten a bit carefree with Christmas these days….”

H: “..... Are you implying that you’ve done this more than once?”

Zdrada sighs, guess she’s gotta come clean now. Sure it would take a bit of a blow to her ego, but it was the Helltaker. He’s going to keep this secret locked up tight. She clears her throat and begins her explanation…

Z: “So, we were obviously born in Hell right? Who would’ve guessed that such a place wouldn’t be fit for children like us? Cutting ahead, when Malinka picked up her drinking habit, she was at the peak of her sourness. Not a lot of things made her happy besides her video games and such, that’s when I told her about Christmas, and all the shitty rules it had. Surprisingly, she latched onto this idea harder than I thought, and when time came… I snuck out and got her a few games. Boy, the look on her face…”

Zdrada laughed, looking haphazardly off to the side. Reminiscing of these events was nice… even if she didn’t exactly do that a whole lot. She looked back at the Helltaker and immediately dropped her satisfied expression though.

Z: “...uh, it's sorta been like that for a while. Just something to keep her sourness to as much of a minimum as I can. She’s got enough shit to be sour about in her life, I’d ‘appreciate’ it if you didn’t go along and tell her.”

H: “I understand, not that I’m judging the tough love from the teasing though. I get that there’s a purpose behind that. Hell isn’t exactly a positive environment to grow up in, nor is it necessarily for the weak I’d say. Just a suggestion though… to occasionally show kind of a- less mean side, if that makes sense. Least while you two are here.”

Zdrada paused, looking down at the ground. She did have a reputation to uphold, but she was already doing all of this for her. It wouldn’t hurt to try, especially when she’s already operating behind the scenes with her…. Yeah, yeah she will. The Helltaker made her realize something, but she wasn’t going to admit that either; she waved him away.

Z: “Alright alright, go along and enjoy Christmas. You deserve it for dealing with everyone's bullshit.”

Both of them chuckled as the Helltaker turned around and walked away, Zdrada stayed by the window and grabbed a new cigarette for smoking. She adjusted her glasses and turned towards the girls that were having fun, all preoccupied with their gifts.

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B: “What a wonderful Christmas, and a wonderful little story full of twists, turns, highs, lows… How soft! Did you like it? If yes, then I’ll have more in store for you soon. If not then… well, there’s cookies and punch by the door. It’s not a perfect story by any means, maybe it contains ‘out-of-character’ moments…. Someone oughta complain to the entity reading this~! Ah! Toodaloooooo~”

Chapter Text

B “Hhhhhn. I’ve gotta clean my bookshelf some of these days… not like I have anything better to do- OH! Hello there visitor! Have you come for another story? I believe I have a follow-up to the last right here… ah there we go. Here, let me just…”

The Great Fly blew on the book, shooting off a bunch of dust.

“The New Years holiday is a time that mortals are excited for, but equally dread. Everybody wants time to process the passing time so the change is pretty jarring, however it can be quite the fun experience. Here we have a little story about… Lucifer?! …I see. Lucifer and her little lapdog Justice spending the New Years together. Let us get started shall we~?”

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The aftermath of the Christmas cheer was beginning to die down and New Years was just around the corner. Lucifer was… surprised to say the least. These humans had so many holidays already, and that’s coming from someone who just came to this planet a few months ago! But, I suppose this one made sense, a new year is a new year of course. But how they considered making a holiday about the son before making a holiday about the Queen of Hell herself was just beyond her.

She sighed, leaning back in her seat a bit. The house was silent, relative to how it usually is anyway. There’s still chatter in other rooms of course, but it’s not as excessive. Perhaps this silence was a blessing in disguise? Nobody could really tell for sure, but it was at this moment that Justice entered the room; perfectly navigating the room and not walking into anything.

L: “...Justice.”

Jus: “Heya Luci!”

Justice turned her head to her queen’s voice, a brighter smile being plastered across her face. She enjoyed Lucifer’s presence already and she just entered the room, Justice was always a peculiar one. She had an endearing nature that was like no other, she was the life of every party she went to. As casual as she is, Justice has her own way of going about things and Lucifer respected that. It was a stark contrast to Lucifer herself, she wanted to have demons and humans fear her.

But by Lucifer’s tone of voice, Justice could immediately tell that something was off. Boredom, maybe a bit of sadness? No… this is Lucifer we’re talking about here! She was as mighty, if not mighty-er than God itself! Luci couldn’t be shaken, perhaps she could quell her queen’s boredom.

Jus: “Something got you down, Luci?”

L: “Apart from the demons disrespecting my rule and barely listening to me? I’m just a little unsatisfied to be honest, I suppose this place can’t be interesting all the time…”

Justice looked down for a minute, trying to think of something that would bring her out of this slump. Then, she figured it out, she heard that people go out to eat for these kinds of holidays. Perhaps she could treat Lucifer to some dinner? It would certainly be worth the shot, praise be god if Lucifer catches the bait! And that she’ll have fun, that too.

Jus: “How about I treat you to a nice dinner out of the house then? It’s the least you deserve for all your work as the Queen of Hell!”

Lucifer’s face now had a slight blush on her face to Justice’s sudden proposal, being caught off guard by such a casual sounding tone. She brushed that feeling off pretty quick though, laughing her slight embarrassment off. Lucifer turned her seat over to face Justice and leaned forward granting her right-hand woman full attention. It was the least the Queen could do after such a bold and confident offering, however that as much could be expected by Justice. Justice is unfazed by most things, it wasn’t a stretch to assume that this would be one of them.

L: “Is that so, Justice dear? Are you sure you can handle me?”

Jus: “I’ve handled everything so far, I can do it again. Just because I’m blind doesn’t mean I’m completely out of the picture, I may be disabled but I can still offer you niceties.”

L: “...ahahaha! Alright alright, I’ll bite. I’m going to go tell the Helltaker and then I’ll get dressed. I’m interested in seeing what happens.”

Lucifer gave Justice a smug smile as she got up and left, looking around the house to find the Helltaker. Room to room until he found him making coffee for Pandemonica, she approached him and cleared her throat. The Helltaker, on guard in case the ‘tired’ demon snuck up on him to try and just him, immediately turned around expecting to be met with a grump waiting for her coffee, but was pleasantly surprised to see Lucifer. He let the coffee maker do its job while he turned around to face her. Interested in hearing what she has to say.

L: “Justice wants to treat me to dinner, so for this New Years, you’ll have two less demons on your plate; considering the possibility that the others don’t have plans too.”

The Helltaker looked at her curiously for a moment before a small smile crept across his face.

H: “That’s wonderful, I hope you too have a wonderful time.”

L: “Of course, thanks. I hope you and the other girls have a good time here too, you’re gonna need it. In any case…”

Lucifer walks up, standing on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. Helltaker’s face glowing a light shade of pink.

“...I love you.”

H: “I love you too, now knock that date out of the park!”

It wasn’t often that the Helltaker brought out true emotion like that, it was usually a sign that he meant what he said. His words were comforting in a way; as she turned away, a small smile grew on her face when she left. She gathered her composure and went to her room to sift through her clothing, to find a suitable dress of course. She tried on a few, to little satisfaction. But eventually she came across a black sparkling dress that was quite eye-catching, Justice was sure to enjoy this.

She grabbed her purse, put on some matching high heels, pulled her hair into a ponytail, then left to meet Justice back at the living room.

Jus: “Ah Luci, there you are-”

Justice paused, almost enamored by Lucifer’s dress despite being blind. Lucifer looked off to the side and blushed lightly, enjoying Justice’s judgements.

“...well well! It’s at times like these where I curse my blindness!”

Justice laughed a little, putting her hands on her hips. It was almost hard to tell if Justice could see or if she was just saying these things to flatter Lucifer, Luci would be flattered ANYWAY so it doesn’t really matter, but it was still a puzzle. The Queen cleared her throat, standing up straight and summoning her confidence. She would need it for the following date that would ensue. She only hoped that things would go well for once.

Not to mention the fact Justice hadn’t changed outfits,

L: “Come on, let's just go. The night isn’t lasting forever, you know.”

Jus: “Oh, of course my Queen! Right this way…”

Justice hummed, opening the front door for Lucifer and the two departed. Walking towards their destination didn’t take too long, but once they were there, they booked a table and sat down. Lucifer, as expected, had all eyes on her and her dress. She was the prettiest girl at the function, sitting down on a date with a blind girl. Many single guys and some couples had been staring at her especially, but she waves off her suspicions and the both of them order food.

Everything was going especially smoothly, the bar was lively and so was Lucifer and Justice’s conversations. They were sitting there, eating the food, leaning forward, talking about the past. It was nice to just have a little retrospective of life with someone she trusts, and one that was around for as long as she was. Justice was a long time friend, but was it safe to say that they were something more? If love was in the air, only the two women would know the answer for sure.

That was, until some random hot shot decided to pull up to the table.

DGW: “Hey there hottie! Why don’t you come with me and I can show you a real fun time?”

This cocky motherfucker… his words were obviously directed towards Lucifer, as her outfit was naturally quite alluring. But she was out with someone, and it was quite disrespectful to her because she still had a man back at home. Not to mention Justice was right in front of her, Justice herself had a look of unamusement. She wasn’t about to abandon her date right now, she wouldn’t even go out with this mortal normally… How disrespectful of this human to think he even has a chance!

L: “Excuse me! How disrespectful of you to ignore the fact that I’m on a date!”

DGW: “Well let’s just ditch this ugly broad then, I’ll show you an even better time.”

Justice was about to speak up before Lucifer stood up from her seat, glaring at this inconsiderate dude. Luci picked him up with one hand and slammed him into the table, breaking it in two. Nobody insults Lucifer’s court right in front of her like that and gets away. Immediately, everyone’s eyes are drawn to the commotion. A few people call 911 as some of the bartenders rush towards the two demons, and then Justice decides that it’s time to bounce. She grabs Lucifer bridal-style and runs out the door with her, much to Luci’s embarrassment.

L: “H-Hey!”

Jus: “Sorry Queen, just gotta go!”

Justice dashes off, towards a nearby amusement park. The both of them hear sirens pursuing them and they rush into the crowd, noting how this was quite the new experience, but Lucifer found herself laughing with the newfound adrenaline rush. Justice smiled widely and cut the line to jump in a free spot on a Ferris Wheel. The former High Prosecutor closes the door as the Ferris Wheel advances upwards, confident that they lost the policemen that were after them. Finally, they had some time to relax.

L: “I hope that guy didn’t hurt your feelings too hard.”

Jus: “Of course not, it was a little rude but it was nothing I haven’t shrugged off before. This isn’t exactly how I wanted this date to go, heh.”

L: “So you admit it then… I’ll be honest, this night was a nice relaxing trip away from the other girl’s shenanigans. The food was nice, hearing you talk was just wonderful, and us running from the human police? I could’ve handled it myself but something about letting them try to catch us was fun…”

Lucifer chuckles a bit, her face was tinted red with her blush this entire date. She truly did mean her words down to the smallest detail, it was enough to make Justice’s casual smile drop in surprise. Lucifer leaned forward, reaching over to take Justice’s aviators off. Then placing a hand on her friend’s cheek, Justice gave her a sweet smile and placed her hand on Luci’s. It was silent only for a moment.

Lucifer looked at the time strike 11:59 PM, how convenient that they made it in time. They both locked eyes with each other, to make this night shine, it was obvious what they had to do. Lucifer leaned forward, closed her eyes, and embraced Justice in a passionate kiss. The clock moved to 12:00, fireworks went off in the background, it was all so surreal. But this night was theirs, and no amount of angelic or demonic intervention could ruin this.

All their cares, their worries, their thoughts, it all went out the window. The kiss was held for a solid 2 minutes before the two broke it off to catch their breaths. Both of their faces were obviously red now, and they just started to giggle uncontrollably. They can’t believe they just did that, it was a long time coming of course but still. Suppose it was just in the heat of the moment, suppose not, but the both of them cuddled with each other until the ride came back down to the ground.

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B: “An interesting piece of fanfiction… Well it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve read something like it! …what do you mean ‘what do I mean’? Mind your business. I’ll admit, it is a bit jarring to read a story involving both of my jailers but, what can you do… I suppose it just made me think a little. Like what would happen had I not done the things I did… What would happen if I stayed in Hell, did my job, and did not try to ignite a revolution? …hmmm. It is unwise of me to dwell on ‘What if’s?’, I apologize. Those things did not happen in reality and now I pay the price for it.”

Beelzebub closed the book, clearing her throat and placing the book back on the shelf.

“...in any case, I do hope you enjoyed another one of my readings. You seem to like these stories, so I shall continue to deliver. Farewell, I’ll see you soon~”

Chapter Text

B: “...Hrmmmm…. These stories are quite invigorating, wouldn’t you agree? I’ve begun feeling things I haven’t felt before… Which is quite strange, I know you’re here for more stories so I won’t waste too much of your time… Today this chapter is about the curious little angel residing in the Taker’s home, and her little descent into darkness... Let us see where this ride takes us, shall we~?”

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Another day has passed, the new year has come and yet again Azazel here is writing yet another report to Heaven. She’s humming, the familiar sound of clicking and clacking filled her room as she typed up an email in the same fast pace she usually does it. She still reports her situation even though she hasn’t gotten a single response since she left, she silently swallows her fear and continues on. Could something have happened to the angels up there? No that can’t be, they’re in Heaven after all!

Perhaps they could just be reading it only? Yeah… that must be the case.

In the corner, Judgement watched Azazel silently. She’s been there for a while, on multiple occasions too. She’s been there, still and silent just watching Azazel typing her reports to Heaven each and every single time she’s bothered to type one out. As a fallen angel herself, Judgement recognizes that what Azazel is doing is a fruitless endeavor. She never really knew when to intervene at times like these, the curious angel was practically talking to a wall.

But the fact that if she would listen or not still lingered in the prosecutor’s brain, Azazel was stubborn, which was an admirable trait in the correct circumstances; but she refused to admit that Heaven was beginning to lose her. Judgement couldn’t find it in her heart to simply just ignore it any longer. She stepped out of the shadows, looking down at Azazel as she approached. Azazel herself jumped in her seat, but couldn’t turn around out of a bit of fear. She knew those footsteps coming towards her; the clinking of chains and metal, the slow but heavy stomping, it was unmistakable.

Jud: “Still trying to contact them? After months of dead air, are you really expecting a response?”

A: “J-Judgement! What a surprise! O-Of course they’ll respond… they’re just on holiday! Yeah! That’s it! They probably just don’t have time, you know!”

Azazel stuttered out her response, her delusions on full display. It physically pained Judgement to see this problem persist, but to give it to her straight would make it better on the angel’s life in the long run. She sighed, feeling a little sorry for her; Heaven was the one true place an angel could call home but Azazel was having that taken away right before her very eyes. Judgement could just feel it, the whole reason she fell was because her and the angels there couldn’t come to an agreement on what to do about the sinners. If Azazel fell too… then she may see things differently.

Jud: “How many times are you planning on going through this? Surely this isn’t worth your time, and such could be better spent elsewhere.”

A: “Y-You’re just going to have to trust me, they’re going to respond and none of this is for nothing. You just have to see…”

Azazel spoke with blinded confidence, so sure that they were going to respond soon. Judgement was convinced she was huffing a deadly amount of copium, her stubborn nature literally refused her to see the truth of things. This was going to be a long road for the two girls, but Judgement was determined to see it through to the end. She began thinking of a solution to tear Azazel away from her computer, take her mind off things, maybe even convince her that Heaven isn’t worth it anymore. Azazel being Azazel though would make things a bit complicated though, she’ll find a work around in the process though.

Azazel was crafty, but Judgement was crafty…er.

Jud: “How about we go out and do something? You haven’t been outside in a few days, some sunlight wouldn’t hurt you know.”

A: “I know… but I’ve been so caught up writing my paper and I-”

Jud: “No buts! No excuses! Come on, we’re going to get you out of the house to do something productive!”

Judgement grabs Azazel’s hand and snatches her away from the computer, much to Azazel’s dismay. You can imagine the confused looks on the girl’s faces watching Judgement drag her out of the house, a few laughs too. But soon enough, the angel was finally outside; Azazel looked up and covered her eyes as the sunlight beamed down on her. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the brightness before she looked at Judgement, anxious at what the High Prosecutor was going to do with her. This wasn’t the first time she was nervous around the fallen angel, and it surely wouldn’t be the last.

A: “Uhhh…. What exactly are we going to do…?”

Jud: “I’m glad you asked, little angel. We’re going around town visiting the various buildings! Looking around, doing things, maybe you’ll adopt a new hobby during! That’s my goal, at least.”

Azazel gulped, would this be good material for her work? Possibly! So she nods along, following after Judgement when she began pacing away from the house and towards the town. Judgement wanders around a bit, looking for something to satiate Azazel’s curiosity. She looked over at an arcade and grinned, dragging the angel over yet again.

Judgement busted through the doors of the arcade center, Azazel following close behind her. The place was colorful but dark at the same time, the air reeked of moist carpet and delicious pizza. In other words, this place was perfect. Judgement ushered the angel over to the counter to get some free coins to spend on the machines in the building, maybe it helped that the prize corner attendee was intimidated by the fallen angel’s appearance. Finally Judgement encouraged Azazel to try out some games for herself.

Jud: "How about you try this game here? 'Whack a Mole'. Basically you just hit the things that come up through the holes, I’m sure this menial task will be simple for you.”

A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead; Judgement inserted a single coin in the slot, stepping back and letting Azazel take the wheel. Azazel herself gripped her toy mallet anxiously, unsure if she was ready to abuse some poor moles… they were just trying to peek out above the surface! But if Judgement was so insistent about this, then perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad… right? I mean, she’s the nicest demon around! The others are more… arrogant, prideful, teasing, the whole kit and caboodle.

Suddenly, she jumped at the sight of a mole popping out of its little hole. She swung immediately, and when her rubber mallet collided with the plastic mole, she observed it going back in its hole. But she was surprised at how hollow the supposed animal felt, it was something more akin to that of hollow plastic. So perhaps this thing wasn’t so “alive” as she initially thought… that’s embarrassing! But it doesn’t deter her from continuing, she readies her mallet for another strike…

And sure enough, another comes up; and another; and another. And even surer enough, she whacks them all with her mallet, each time the number on the machine goes up and up. She found herself having a little… fun? As a workaholic, she never really would’ve imagined anything else other than her research could be “fun”. This was exhilarating… her heart was racing… she looked down seeing the tickets pop out of the machine, presumably payment for the experience she went through.

And she was proud of herself, which was why she pulled out her pen and notebook to write about this.

Judgement on the other hand immediately swiped the notebook away, giving the inanimate object a look of disdain. You can already imagine Azazel was not so pleased by this.

A: “Judgement! What the heck?! Give it back!”

Jud: “No. We’re supposed to be spending time here. All that writing is gonna get to your brain, you know.”

Judgement tapped her temple with one of her claws, Azazel sighing in response, there wasn’t much she could do in retaliation against a demon—much less a High Prosecutor. So she put her mallet down and looked around, attempting to find something else to do. Judgement, feeling a bit bad, placed a hand on Azazel’s shoulder.

Jud: “You’ll always be able to write later, just live in the moment for me, okay?”

It was weird, the both of them certainly felt that way. Judgement didn’t usually cheer people up too much, sure she was kind but it wasn’t the same. But it clearly worked, despite feeling as if she’s losing herself nowadays, Azazel appreciated the attempt; giving the prosecutor a warm smile. Judgement seemed surprised and turned away at this action, scratching her chin and passing off her light blush as just searching for another game to play. Then, her eyes lit up as she saw the Laser Maze.

A bunch of people crowded in a dark labyrinth shooting lasers at each other? She’s gotta get involved with this!

She turned to Azazel, tossing her a few coins in case she wanted to play any games around here. The two went their separate ways, promising to meet back up later. Perhaps this was something the angel needed, just time to cool off by herself. But with the wide variety of games at her disposal, what could she possibly do to pass the time? She looked around at all the flashing lights, the bouncy castles, the machines and such; it impressed her that humans managed to do all of this…

\\\

On the other hand, Judgement was putting on her gear and getting familiar with the required equipment. She looked at her possible companions and possible enemies, most of them were teens and children, so maybe they were a little out of their element here but it was no worries. She made a promise to go easy on everyone, and she was met with weird looks right before they were let into the maze. The group she was ushered with was presumably her team, meaning that everyone else was the enemy, which she would have to then laser down… Quite the cruel fate that nobody else seems to be questioning, why was this “kids game” so dangerous?

With the risks acknowledged on her part, she also just realized she was at a major disadvantage here. She was bigger than everyone in this darkened maze here, which also meant she would make a lot more noise moving around. She would have to be quick and decisive in her movements otherwise she’ll be another casualty, and god forbid she goes out fighting children with lasers. She gripped her gun with both of her metal claws—no she will not take them off and yes because it makes her look absolutely badass—and she darted to a corner, peering around and checking if the coast was clear. To an outside viewer, she would be looking crazy right now.

And that’s when she spotted one of her enemies; a child, no more than 10 years old, laughing and having fun, and oblivious of her presence. She looked down at her gun and gulped, looking back up at the child. Would she have the heart to vaporize this innocent kid with more to gain from life than her? How could she make such a difficult decision?

\\\

Azazel was preoccupied with one of the “Price is Right” machines, tilting her head and looking up at the screen. She could… win money from this thing? At least it appeared that way, and if she was lucky enough of course. She sat up on the stool and placed a token into the slot to begin the game. She looked at the screen and tapped the icon to participate, and she was presented with a large amount of golden suitcases of unknown purpose.

She tapped on it and a lady next to the case opened it to reveal… $1,000,000!

She pumped her fists in the air, cheering with excitement, she just got the million dollars off the bat! ..Until she realized the crowd was expressing remorse rather than excitement, she shot her head back at the screen and saw her million being taken away!

A: “NOOO!!!”

She may have gotten a bit too invested in the game, she yelled for it not to be taken right there and the people around her began staring at her like she was a weirdo. And as much as that was true, it was still mega embarrassing for Azazel there, she just kinda scrunches up and hides her face. After everyone continues doing what they were doing, she takes a deep breath and gets back into the game. She taps another suitcase, $250,000; another, $50,000; another, $100,000; so on. It gets worse actually, now she’s on the two last suitcases.

She needs to figure out which one is the $1 suitcase and the $750,000 suitcase, with the threat of losing such a large sum of money looming over her head. It was nerve wracking to say the least. How could she make such a difficult decision?

\\\

It was time for Judgement to choose an option, the child had turned and spotted her. The little boy had spotted her and all she could do was stare. She looked down at her weapon, was she really up for disintegrating a child on the spot? This game was a nightmare… torture! All the words… but she dropped her gun.

She would rather have the kid live long and prosper than end the young lad’s life, he still had his whole life ahead of him after all… Knowing that he has no other option in this matter, she could only hope that whatever pain she’ll be inflicted with would be mercifully short. He pulled the trigger on his weapon, making her flinch and look away. But to her dismay, nothing happened, in fact she felt just the same. She opened her eyes and looked down at her costume, seeing the lights blink to a close.

All she could feel while being escorted to the loser’s lounge was pure confusion. Sighing, of course they wouldn’t just introduce a game so dangerous to a child. She should’ve known better, hmph.

\\\

Finally, Azazel had made her decision, she raised her hand and moved a finger to one of the suitcases. She swallowed the lump in her throat and pressed on the screen with her eyes closed. For a few seconds she sat there in silence, opening one eye slowly to see that she selected the $750,000 case to be sent away. She whined, looking down at the floor disappointed; winning a whole $1 from that whole game. She doesn't even collect her tickets, she just leaves the game in shame.

She gave away her last few tokens to a few teenagers and went to the building’s exit finding Judgement there leaning up against the wall.

A: “Oh thank goodness..”

Judgement looked up at her face recognizing she experienced something pretty much on caliber to what she did and decided that arcade time was about over now.

Jud: “...alright Azazel, let's just get out of here.”

The two beings left the dark arcade and let their eyes adjust to the light, the mood was down from their respective failures.

\\\

Beelzebub closes her book, huffing a bit.

B: “Golly, wasn’t that quite the long story? Azazel always seems so focused on her duties that she misses out on the important things in life, but she’s completely helpless when it comes to Judgement. …oh Judgement, the latest installment of High Prosecutors; she’s been made to inflict suffering on sinners, but her heart melts when confronted with someone as innocent as Azazel. They’re quite the duo too, their shenanigans in this chapter was quite hilarious. Ah well… that’s all for today, void walker. Be seeing you soon~”

Chapter Text

B: “Welcome back dear viewer to another one of my readings. Today’s chapter is what happens when a tired demon meets a demon of lust. But before I start, I have something interesting I’ve noticed. The title of this chapter is named ‘Paradise Found’, whereas Pandæmonium (in reference to Pandemonica of course) is the capital of Hell in a human poem called ‘Paradise Lost’. …don’t ask me how I know that, I just thought that was a neat little detail. Alright I’ll stop stalling…”

\\\

The Helltaker’s household was bustling with activity and energy as per usual, demons were up and running around as conversations bounced off against the walls—you get the gist. All of the demons were up except one; the Tired Demon herself, Pandemonica. For staying up at night or working long hours was simply par for the course, she was Lucifer’s customer support for a reason after all. Despite the pushback from the Helltaker, Pandemonica found herself absorbed in this lifestyle. A few of the demons observed this yes, but they didn’t really do much, if they could do anything at all.

But today, this life would be met with unexpected change when Modeus walked in the room. Modeus had been watching Pandemonica for a while—as she usually does with everyone in the house—she had adopted a certain attraction to the tired demon. Remembering her experiences with men always running away from her, it would be a nice change of pace if her person of interest was too lethargic to do so. Modeus watched Pandemonica silently from a door frame from the living room; the demon in question was sprawled across the couch, her glasses askew and her groaning becoming more apparent by the second. The lustful demon walked over to the couch, peering over it to look at Pandemonica’s face in more detail.

Poke. Poke. Poke.

Pandemonica slowly opened her eyes, groggy from the night before. It seems like she had passed out from whatever she was doing, or just fell asleep. Whatever it was, she was laying down on the couch now, with a curious demon poking at her forehead. She adjusted her reading glasses and took a moment before responding to Modeus prodding at her face. She slowly sat upwards, yawning and shooting an irritated look at the girl just beyond the couch.

P: “...what? What the hell do you want???”

Mo: “Rise and shine sleepy head. Today’s a brand new day.”

Modeus purred happily, smiling and tilting her head which was met with an eye roll from the tired demon.

Mo: “You look exhausted- and awful in general! Have you been taking care of yourself lately?”

P: “It’s really no big deal, Modeus. I’m just a little tired. Mind yourself. I am a demon, I don’t need human things like sleep or stuff like that.”

Mo: “You’re not just any demon, Pandemonica. You’re MY demon. I can’t help but worry.”

Pandemonica stared at her for a moment with a face that said: “Is this bitch serious?” But she could tell by looking in her eyes that she was being genuine, an odd comparison to how she was before the Helltaker came. She just went around sexually assaulting people and breaking their knees whenever they didn’t comply with her demands. But now she was a whole other person, like someone had taken her identity and replaced her. It made the tired demon wonder what exactly this world was doing to its demonic group of new inhabitants…

But she was observant enough to recognize that resisting whatever Modeus was about to drag her into would cause more problems—or in this case, annoyances—than it’s worth. When Modeus took Pandemonica’s hands into hers, she didn’t react at all.

Mo: “I know you’re a demon, but even demons need to take care of themselves. I want you to trust me with helping you out with your constant exhaustion. Will you?”

Pandemonica grumbled, seeing Modeus’ puppy eyes didn’t really help this situation out. She sighed, a bead of sweat falling from her forehead.

P: “Alright FINE. Maybe I do need to do something about it. Did you have anything in mind…?”

Mo: “How about a little exercise?”

Pandemonica raised an eyebrow.

P: “Exercise? You want me to work out? Modeus, I’ve seen humans exercise. Doesn’t really look like my idea of fun.”

Whatever Pandemonica found fun, it would certainly be something nefarious. Modeus simply laughed, placing her hand on the accountant’s shoulder.

Mo: “No… like a date! Something more enticing and to keep you up and running!”

Modeus, with the help of Helltaker, is much more resistant to flushing easily now that she’s more adjusted to human romance. He was helping everyone out in their own special ways. Pandemonica remained unamused however, though the prospect of a date sounded interesting she was still wondering why.

P: “A date you say…? What kind of date are we talking about??”

Mo: “A little dance date! Dancing is not only fun but it’s a great way to get your blood pumping and your energy flowing!”

I mean, Modeus was still blushing, but just a little bit. To keep your composure was key in moments like these, it was important to impress your soon-to-be date! Modeus got up off the couch and held her hand out to help Pandemonica up, just in case she might stumble up to her feet like she just learned how to walk a few minutes ago. Pandemonica looked at the lust demon’s hand for a moment before taking it, stabilizing herself on the other woman as they finally got up from the couch. The tired demon was quiet for a moment before speaking up again.

P: “Well… I suppose it wouldn’t be the worst thing… Alright I’ll bite. Where to..?”

Mo: “To my room of course!”

Oh boy, Pandemonica hasn’t really been in Modeus’ room at all so she can just imagine all the weird and depraved things that might lie in wait there. The slow walk up the stairs and through the hallway until the two girls reached the room at the end of the hall. Pandemonica prepared herself for any perverted jumpscares, Modeus just remained oblivious to what Pande was trying to brace herself for. Finally, the door was opened and… the room looked pretty normal?

Oh. Guess Pandemonica was the weird one after all.

The two demons entered the room, Modeus closing the door behind them. Pandemonica looked around the place, it was surprisingly sophisticated, she’ll give that lustful bastard that. Her tired eyes followed Modeus as she walked around the room; turning off the lights, closing the blinds, lighting a few candles, turning on some nice music, and after all that, taking a deep breath.

Mo: “Preparations set… yes, this’ll be perfect!”

Modeus walked up to Pandemonica, taking her hands and feeling her palm a bit. Modeus was officially losing it, her face was blushy and she was breathing heavily. Pandemonica found the setup charming, and Modeus herself? She was simply amusing. The tired demon couldn’t help but break a smile.

P: “Well then.. Now that we’re here, how about you lead the charge…?”

Pandemonica didn’t realize it yet, but it was like she forgot she was tired in the first place. Just a few minutes ago her brain was too tired to process words and yet… here she was. Having a dance with Modeus. Modeus herself was panicking a little, but still managing herself properly. They were both trainwrecks in their own little ways.

Mo: “E-Er- oh yes- right…”

Modeus gained her composure and the lustful demon began to sway to a slow, sultry rhythm. With her guidance, Pandemonica started to move her body in time with the music. At first, she felt a little clumsy and self-conscious, but as the moments passed, she began to enjoy herself. Despite her feelings though, she still shared a bit of advice and tips with Modeus for how to dance effectively, and to tell her to quit with the heavy breathing. The tired demon all but forgot about her sluggishness and lethargy, and Modeus would never live this moment down.

As the music continued to play, Pandemonica and Modeus danced away. The tired demon found herself filled with newfound energy, and she couldn't help but silently thank Modeus for the odd but effective suggestion to start off the day.

Mo: “Ain’t this so much more fun than just sitting around lazing on the couch?”

P: “Perhaps you might be onto something.”

She didn’t know why, she didn’t know how, but somehow this world had been changing them by the day. Whether it would be for better or worse, she didn’t care. She already found herself having much more fun than her years down in Hell. The Helltaker definitely had a hand in their shifting morals and personalities, that was a given. But who could really know for sure?

As the music reached its crescendo, Modeus dipped Pandemonica down low, where their eyes met in a heated gaze. The room looked to pulse with the beat of their hearts as the tired demon felt a sudden surge of energy she had never felt before. The dance concluded with a nice little spin, and Modeus pulled her in a heartfelt embrace. They sat there for a moment to catch their breaths, Pandemonica didn’t even realize her face was completely red. Her tiredness transformed into a kind of warmth she didn’t exactly want to get rid of.

P: “Modeus… that was… incredible.”

Mo: “What did I say? Dance is the proudest language of the Heart!

The two girls took a moment to hug one another.

Mo: “Now come on, let me make you some coffee.”

P: “Are you sure? Usually the Helltaker makes it for me…”

Mo: “I’m sure it’ll be fine… now come! I’ll even make it super quick, just for you!”

Pandemonica sighed and complied with her, following Modeus to the kitchen where she prepared the coffee machine. And true to her word, it was done relatively quickly. The lustful demon claimed to speed it up with a bit of her love incantations, which made a bead of sweat roll down the tired demon’s face. She’s not exactly fond of any magic affecting her brew, as it’ll wildly change her personality depending on how it was. Pandemonica didn’t say anything though and just remained quiet.

Mo: “There! See? It looks amazing, just like you! Go ahead and try! Go on!”

Modeus held out her new batch of coffee and held it out for Pandemonica to take, which she did. She looked at it for a few moments before finally taking a sip.

Mo: “Does it taste great? I’m haven’t exactly made any before, but I’d be happy to make more for you in the future if you so desire-”

P: “Modeus.”

Modeus turned her back for one moment before jumping as Pandemonica had suddenly interrupted her, she slowly turned to see Pandemonica was changing..???

The hair around her head grew a few hearts, similar to how Modeus looked, her pupils being similarly shaped too. She had an intense blush and a wide grin showing off her sharp teeth. She pulled on her eyes with both her hands, staring wide-eyed at the lust demon. And furthermore, Modeus knew that look all too well; it was the look of pure lust. Modeus looked bewildered, but her confused face turned into a sly smile as Pandemonica lunged at her.

Oh no.

Looks like Modeus’ Love Magic was too irresistible, now she’ll be in for a long LONG day.

\\\

Beelzebub’s eyes had narrowed, she’d rather not dwell on the implications of that last line.

B: “Ahem- I do hope you enjoyed the chapter. One more thing- did you enjoy the little intro at the beginning? I thought I might experiment with it a bit more pizzazz, I think it was pretty neat. In any case, I won’t take up any more of your time. So be good for me and live until the next chapter, alright? Goodbye by dears~!”