* DRABBLE. OUT OF LOVE. ( v. a touch of tyranny. )
they hadn’t felt this alone before. but they weren’t expecting things to turn into something like this. ell fought relentless with gin, who had been trying to get a firm hold on them to keep them from any more fighting. eleanor would continue to throw punches and kicks in order to slow him down, but the relief was only momentary. in all honesty, ell hadn’t the heart to seriously wound gin, even if he’d turned against them. which would prove to be their downfall.
ell throws another punch, and even though it connects, gin is quick to grab their wrist before they had time to pull it back. nox seems to watch this from the desk with the slightest bit of amusement dancing in his eyes. they pull and pull at their captive arm, but can’t seem to weasel out of his grip, which was bordering painful. gin pulls them closer and manages to capture their other wrist as they try to thrash and push at him. ell lets out a scream and uses their body weight to try and pull out from his grip, which eventually did turn painful.
gin forces ell’s arms behind their back and holds them there. it was at that moment that nox rises from his desk chair, and ell seems to panic. with a burst of strength, eleanor manages to pull one hand free as it had collected bruises from being held so tight. gin huffs and quickly takes their hand back and restrains them once again. nox had begun to saunter his way over, to which ell continues to fight against gin but to no avail.
ell’s eyes well up with tears as nox is within reaching distance, baring their teeth in an acute sense of helplessness. nox, with his usual grin, reaches up and thumbs away one of two streams of tears racing down their face. ell pulls their head as far from his touch as they can, only for nox to take them by the jaw and readjust them. their heart was pounding and their knees felt weak, giving one last fight with gin in vain.
nox’s hand rises slightly, placing itself so his palm is on the bridge of their nose and his fingers rest against their forehead, dipping into their hair. tears continued to run down their face as their form trembles, eyes wide and full of fear. ell could feel their sense of self being torn away from them, and their body becomes tense. they move their head from side to side, trying to shake his hand off, but without success.
nox’s grin widens when ell’s form begins to loosen up. red irises dilate and tremble, breath hitching as they seem lost just then, not quite sure as to what was happening. they couldn’t remember what they were doing or why they were doing it, but they were aware that parts of them were being replaced somehow. it makes them feel misguided, they knew that something was wrong but couldn’t quite bring themself to do anything, as if they had no control over their own body.
ell’s form was now loose in gin’s grasp, eyes fluttering before closing as their head lulls forward and into his palm. after a moment more, nox removes his hand, lingering enough to gently brush their bangs to the side. ‘ a wonderful job on your behalf, gin. i couldn’t have done it without you. ’ ell’s eyes meekly crack open, as if waking up from a nap, taking a brief glance around before lifting their head again.
gin notices this and lets go of their arms once he thinks they can hold themself up. there was a certain look in their eyes, or perhaps lack there of, as one of their hands come up to rub at their face. nox reaches forward again and takes ell by the chin, taking in the details of their face. there wasn’t a lot of effort put into a specific expression, and their eyes seemed only somewhat vacant. he also noticed that ell doesn’t pull away when he touches them.
‘ you must be exhausted, my dear. why don’t you head to your room and get some rest? ’ ell’s expression softens as nox’s hand lets go of their face, looking towards the exit of the study before decidedly heading out, on route to their room. nox watches with the grin that had never quite left his face, looking to gin and giving him a pat on the shoulder. ‘ now there shouldn’t be any more problems to worry about. i couldn’t be happier. ’
things had taken a turn for what could be very well considered the worse. ell had forfeited control over their own person and for what reason slips their mind now. as of now, they were seated besides nox, on the floor with both legs folded at either side of their thighs, just behind the desk where nox was sitting. a hand cautiously comes up and rests on nox’s knee, gently resting the side of their head against his thigh.
nox acknowledges this and casts his gaze downward, and he couldn’t help but crack a smug grin when his eyes catch eleanor. a gloved hand comes down to give their head a few pets, and at that moment the doors to the study suddenly open, a figure lingering in the doorway. nox brings his gaze up, hand resting atop ell’s head as he recognizes this figure as gin.
‘ i don’t remember requesting you to stop by. ’ nox muses with a raised brow. the look of gin’s face could only tell him that he was right, he didn’t, and yet here gin was. gin makes his way in, feeling the fury in his steps as he draws near. ‘ i’ve had enough of the bullshit, you bastard. ’ gin is seething, continuing to approach until he’s at the opposing side of the desk, hunching over and propping himself up with his arms.
ell’s head raises slightly, a blank stare drawn up as they lean back just a bit to see gin. nox only draws them back into his side, giving a few thumb strokes to their head. ‘ oh? i haven’t the slightest clue as to what you’re on about. ’ nox plays rather smoothly, which only continues to add to gin’s frustration. gin’s hand suddenly lurches forward and take nox by the front of his robes, pulling him up and out of his chair.
‘ i don’t appreciate the way you’re treating eleanor. ’ gin seethes through grit teeth. at that moment, ell calmly pulls themself from the floor and stands in place, staring gin down as if they were going to attack. gin’s gaze passes over to ell, and his eyes narrow as he growls and lets go of nox. nox, continuing to stand, takes ell by the closest arm and draws them near, the other hand coming up to hold them by the jaw. a grin creeps onto his features as he goes on to say, ‘ i’m only treating them with as much respect as they deserve. don’t forget how ferocious they used to get just by being around me. i think this suits them much better, don’t you? ’
ell continued to remain eerily calm, gaze never once leaving gin. a feeling of disgust pulls gin’s features into a sneer, fists tightly clenched and trembling. anger takes over and gin takes nox by the robes once again and slings him full force across the spacious room. he moves to give chase to nox, only for eleanor to jump onto the desk and capture him in a headlock, legs quickly wrapping across his waist from behind. gin struggles momentarily, only to reach over his head and take ell by the back of their shirt, effectively slinging them from over his head and throwing them down in front of him.
they’re quick to recover, winding back and launching a fist forward that ends up connecting with the side of gin’s face. a hand chases gin’s head, which turns to the side on impact, only for his gaze to meet ell. he couldn’t quite bring himself to throw a punch back, but it was at that moment where ell backs off. nox, having gotten to his feet after being thrown, approaches and steps just shy to the side of ell.
gin’s rage returns upon seeing nox and one hand shoots forward, taking nox by the robes once more and reeling back for a punch. but nox speaks up before he was meant to throw his fist into nox’s face. ‘ ah, ah. i’d be careful now. ’ gin hadn’t noticed, but dark had begun to flood the floors and in turn take ell hostage. two blades made of concentrated shadows takes a scissor like formation before resting against ell’s neck, to which ell doesn’t even flinch, but their lips draw back slightly into a genuine smile, something sinister lingering on their face.
gin looks on in acute horror, which forcefully causes him to release nox, who takes a step or two back to be with eleanor. ‘ i don’t know if they’ve ever been decapitated, but whether or not they survive, it’d certainly be traumatizing to see, don’t you think? ’ nox gives gin another grin, and gin’s eyes seems to fill up with tears. he bares his teeth as his anger comes anew, but something is different this time.
gin palms one of the two streams of tears rolling down his face and he eventually storms right out of the study. nox keeps a close eye on him up until he’s out of sight, shadows beginning to dissipate into thin air and releasing eleanor in the process. ell’s smile drops at that moment, nox eventually speaking up. ‘ that brother of yours just can’t come to accept the new order of things. but at least i have leverage now. ’ a gloved hand gently comes up to the side of ell’s face, to which ell leans into and gently brings their own hand up to place against the back of his hand.
* DRABBLE. BARK MEET BITE. ( v. a touch of tyranny. )
trigger warnings for / child abuse.
ell remains tied to the ground, seated on their knees, bound by greedy shadowed hands that take up most of their shrunken form by the dozens. ell’s face is one of indifference, even if one clawed hand cups the side of their face, as signature to nox’s behaviours towards them. nox paces back and forth in front of them, occasionally turning his head to look them over, cracking a grin after his last look.
‘ you know, i think you’ve become the only one who stands a fighting chance against me. which makes you a threat. ’ two hands that had gripped their shoulders come to rest against either side of their throat, to which riles a reaction out of ell as they almost pull themself to their feet in a monstrous burst of energy. the arms drag them down however, and pull them right back down to their knees.
nox peers over in thought, gloved hand holding the side of his face. ‘ but, it doesn’t have to come down to me killing you. you know i’m capable of that, don’t you? ... of course you do, you’re a smart kid. ’ eventually, he stops pacing, turning to face ell directly. ‘ but you’ve caught my interest, albeit only slightly. you’d be powerful in the right hands ... ’ nox takes to carefully kneeling on one knee, reaching forward and taking ell by the jaw. he looks over the specifics of their face, and notices how all there was, was anger.
he also noticed how they were tense, bringing their gaze to meet his own. ‘ you’d make a good dog ... ’ he mumbles, looking down upon them as if honestly seeing them as such. his comment rouses another reaction and a hand rips from confinement in the form of dark claws aimed for nox’s throat, but is drastically slowed down by the hands that are quick to react and pull their arm back behind their back.
nox notices he’s struck a nerve and the hints of a grin tug at the corners of his mouth. suddenly, eleanor sprouts a grin of their own, one that’s ear to ear and wolfish in nature, showing off their fangs. ‘ i’d never be your dog. ’ spat in a sickly sweet tone of voice, something mocking in their articulation. nox’s grin disappears and a slightly annoyed look crosses his features.
it was that that moment where, in another absurd burst of energy, ell springs to their feet, this time holding it long enough give a vicious kick to the side of nox’s head. nox loses balance and fumbles to the floor, catching himself on both knees. when he peers back up, his gaze holds a twinge of anger. a sadistic cry of laughter leaves ell, speaking up in a howl. ‘ go on then, kill me! i’d like to see you try. ’
a scowl graces nox’s features and he seems irritated. icy gaze meets ell, leaving him more infuriated that it no longer has an affect on ell. ell keeps a ferocious grin on their face as nox situates himself back to his former stance, on one knee in front of ell. the hands that rested along ell’s throat suddenly clasp together and squeeze, robbing ell of the breath they were about to take. ell strains themself in mouthing some words, which nox picks up on almost immediately. the hands loosen their death like grip as ell gasps for air, head tilted down slightly.
‘ now, what were you trying to say? ’ nox raises a brow as he places the side of a loose fist under their chin and brings their gaze up. a look of annoyance crosses their face, eventually speaking up. ‘ i was trying to say that i might take you up on your offer ... ’ a slight grin pulls across nox’s features. ‘ is that so? ’ ell seems the slightest bit of angry, lips peeling back in a snarl. ‘ maybe. depends on how nice you are to me. are you gonna treat me nice? ’
nox’s grin only widens and he eventually comes to stand. soon enough, ell is allowed to stand as well, eyes narrowed as he turns his back on them in thought. ‘ i’ll treat you well, rest assured. i knew you’d see things my way. ’ ell rolls their eyes, arms coming to loosely cross in front of their chest. ‘ i wouldn’t get too comfortable if i were you. ’ nox turns to them, a pleasant smile on his face as a hand comes up to pinch at their cheek. eleanor is quick to swat his hand away. frustration and disgusts mingle together and birth a new look on eleanor’s face as they turn on their heel and begin to storm off to their room. nox couldn’t help but give an amused chuckle, turning as well and heading back towards the study.
* DRABBLE. CHARMING, DISARMING. ( v. little lost things. )
ell had just about given up on things ever seeming right for them. they had a mere taste of a normal life, only for it to be twisted into something too familiar for their comfort. he may as well had been ignoring them, it’d hurt all the same. it was also evident that ell hadn’t been holding it together so well, their mood had been in sporadic ups and downs with nox’s help. it was beginning to wear them down, and they thought, nox could see that.
in a house of two other people, eleanor had never felt so alone. they dare say it was even worse than living with their father. ell had grown tired, exasperated from the amount of time they’d spent trying to convince gin that this wasn’t the ideal life for them. but he wholeheartedly believed that life was fine with nox. ell almost dared to hate their brother for that sole reason, taking it out on him by keeping interactions with him to the bare minimum. they also had the creeping sensation of paranoia leeching onto their mind, which didn’t make things any better.
ell doesn’t even remember how they were before the two of them met nox. they would have thought that gin would have noticed the difference in them, but it didn’t seem as if he did. as far as gin was concerned, life was pretty good. but then again, he’d always been the family favourite, and that made ell seethe. it was unlike ell to hate their brother for anything, but it was also times like these where ell considered him with a thick skull.
at dinner, ell barely even touched their food, their appetite having been consistently and persistently lost over the last few days. gin had worried only a bit that there was something wrong, but felt as if ell would come around to see things as he did. ell stares daggers into nox, who sat right across from them at the table. nox eventually speaks up, coming off as not phased by the way he seems to ignore them. ‘ it’s rude to stare, you know. ’ eleanor’s eyes stay glued to him, looking as if they were ready to pounce.
gin notices this and fears that he may have to intervene. nox continues after ell’s silence. ‘ this is the third night in a row you’ve barely eaten at dinner. is there a problem? ’ ell blinks once, feeling their body become tense with this bottled up aggression that have been eating them from the inside out. ‘ yeah, i’m looking at it. ’ ell seethes, teeth becoming tight after they speak, voice dipped in hatred.
nox gives a sigh as he sets down his utensils, instead folding his hands in front of his mouth, elbows on the edge of the table. ‘ you can’t keep hating me forever, dear. it makes you seem ungrateful. i, who give you food and a place to sleep. i’m doing this out of the kindness of my heart, you know. ’ ell’s nostrils flare at their breathing had become intense. suddenly, they stand from their seat, scooting the chair out with the back of their legs. they lean over the table, propping themself up with their arms.
‘ you’re using us. ’ ell spits, eyes wide and staring right through nox. nox, raising an eyebrow, closes his eyes in brief contemplation before opening them as he chooses his next words. ‘ i haven’t the slightest clue as to what you’re talking about. i thought i was doing something good when i brought you two into my home. it’d be a shame if one ungrateful child were to ruin the good thing you and your brother have going. ’
ell’s intense expression falters as their brow arch upward and tremble. they felt their heart skip at that moment, and they couldn’t name as to why. soon they stand upright, hands clenching into trembling fists as they grind their teeth. after a moment of silence, ell decidedly storms off, yanking away from their brother, who had gotten up from his seat to grab them by the wrist to calm them down. giving a sigh, gin sits back down. he’ll have to talk to them later about the scene that they caused and try to get an apology out of them.
* DRABBLE. THE PARTY IS OVER. ( v. sooner than later. )
the two of them would sit in the dining room for about half an hour, holding out for lucifer to have provided them with dinner. gin was beginning to believe that he had forgotten, which wasn’t as likely as he just doesn’t care, leaving an infant and a teenager to fend for themselves. ell had begun to beat the small tray that held them in their chair and cry, so that’s when gin pulls himself up from the table with a sigh.
he’d head into the kitchen, which was only the next room over, and ell still kept line of sight all the while. gin already knew that whatever food he prepares wouldn’t be as half as luxurious as what his father usually makes for them, but he’d shoot for something simple. getting into the fridge to check on just what foods were available for them.
he could make sandwiches, but wasn’t sure if they should be peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese, since ell seems to like both. he could also cut up some fruit for them, but thought that’d be more of a side dish than a main course. eventually, he settles on some grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and may also cut up some strawberries for ell. getting out the meat, cheese, and strawberries out from the fridge, he notices ell had quieted down some, still smacking the tray, but probably more so out of excitement to see someone in the kitchen.
he gets the bread from the pantry and gets to work, getting out a frying pan and setting it on the stove top. he turns one of the burners on and generously sprays some cooking spray into the pan. he didn’t cook for himself very often, let alone others, but it was the thought that counts, right? next, he gets to pieces of bread out, placing one in the pan and then turning to the meat and cheese. since he’d make ell’s sandwich first, he thought he should add an extra piece or two of ham, since ell always seems crazy about bacon in the morning. eventually, he puts the sandwich together and grabs a spatula from a small vase of other utensils for pots and pans and sets it aside.
while the sandwich cooks, he decided to get to cutting up a few strawberries. he gets out a small cutting board and retrieves a knife from a wooden block of various other knives. it wasn’t the first time he’s had nights like this, and he’s sure that at lucifer’s pace, it won’t be the last. he admires the occasional effort their father puts into him personally, but ell always seemed to get the short end of the stick. gin would never quite understand why ell detests their father so much, but he’d work around it as best as he could. after all, they at least like gin, which was a win in his books.
retrieving a tiny, pink plastic bowl from the cupboards, he puts the pieces of strawberry in it and sets it aside. the smell of burnt toast wafts at his nose, and he spins around, hastily flipping the sandwich onto the other side. definitely burnt, but he knew that ell would still probably eat it as long as he cuts off the crust. cooking was definitely a bit stressful, and his father was much better at it than he’ll ever be.
now with his undivided attention on the sandwich, he cooks the other side and instead opts for a paper towel instead of a plate. setting the sandwich on the napkin, he takes the knife he’d used for the strawberries and gives it a brief rinse and a few shakes before using it to half the sandwich and cut the crust off. he was already tired of being in the kitchen, so he’d just settle for a plain sandwich after he serves ell their dinner. making his way from the kitchen with the sandwich and strawberries, he sets both in front of ell.
immediately, ell takes one half of the sandwich and starts to chow down. it was then that gin was glad he’d put extra ham on it, turning his back to fix his own dinner and clean up his mess. by the time he comes back with his own sandwich, ell had begun to attack the strawberries as if they’d never eaten them before in their life. sitting next to ell at the table, he watches them eat with a satisfied smile before beginning to eat his own sandwich.
‘ what are we gonna do, ell? it looks like it’s just me and you tonight .. ’ as sad as that makes him feel, he was sort of glad. even if gin wasn’t the best brother at times, it was a nice feeling in knowing that his efforts were appreciated. ell glances over at they begin to snack on the last half of their sandwich, their pace slowing down now that they’ve just about had their fill. about halfway done with his own sandwich, he gets up one last time to get ell a sippy cup to get them ready for bed. by the time he’d return, ell was already nearly asleep, arms folded in front of them and head down.
gin gives a small sigh and soon walks over, gently waking ell enough so that they lift their head. handing them a sippy cup full of milk that they instantly take and start drinking from, gin unhooks the tray from the chair and takes eleanor into his arms, turning off all the lights, cleaning up, and heading out. taking care of his sibling was a lot of work, but somehow it was all worth it, and that’s all that really mattered. he heads for ell’s room and leaves the door cracked behind him.
* DRABBLE. BLOOD AND WATER. ( v. sooner than later. )
trigger warnings for / child abuse.
it was unlike all of his meticulous wordplay to unravel. a rarity in itself, but nothing was more frustrating. eleanor had begun to rebuild what nox spent time and planning into breaking down between them and gin. on top of that, it seemed as if ell had begun to ignore nox’s existence completely. it was then that, nox felt, it was made personal.
nox enters their room without much of a sound, shutting the door behind him with a small click. eleanor had been on the floor by their bed, drawing various pictures, some of which consisted of gin, even one or two of lucifer, but none of nox. nox approaches and takes in each drawing, a strange feeling passing him by when he realizes that he had been excluded.
but as the feeling leaves, he only becomes angrier. lacking his usual grin, he makes his way over, kneeling on one knee and sifting through the overlapping drawings, as if looking for something. ‘ you know, you’ve been very rude for ignoring me lately. i haven’t done anything wrong to you. ’ his eyes come up from the drawings to ell, as if awaiting a response. ell doesn’t seem phased in the slightest, other than the slightly irritated look on their face.
nox’s eyes narrow as he seethes, suddenly reaching forward and taking ell by the wrist of the hand that had been drawing and yanking them forward, causing papers to shift and crinkle. ‘ what’s your damage? are you dumb? are you brain dead? answer me when i talk to you. ’ ell finally looks up, seeming more irked than anything. ‘ you’re ruining my drawings, lemme go. ’ ell gives their captive arm a couple of tugs, but nox’s grip doesn’t let up. in fact, he tightens his grip, painfully so, causing ell to bare their teeth and become more desperate to pull away.
‘ I SAID LEMME GO! ’ eleanor yells, beginning to beat at his arm with their free hand, but in vain. nox pulls ell even closer, invading their personal space as his free hand abruptly takes them by the throat, catching them mid scream and forcing them to the ground. nox’s form hunches over them as his other hand joins in, eleanor beating and flailing their hands and feet wildly. ‘ you are going to stop ignoring me, and you’re going to show me respect, or else i won’t hesitate to kill you right here. do you understand? ’ ell continues to struggle, eventually fixing their legs so they begin to kick his torso.
eleanor was fading fast, each kick and swing seeming less and less. nox cracks a grin, continuing to apply more pressure in hopes of crushing their windpipe. it was at that moment where gin peeks his head in, having caught nox’s form entering ell’s room and had since learned to check up on them if he felt there would be danger. his eyes widen and he swings the door open, taking long and quick strides over and grabbing nox by the shoulder and forcing him around to face him, leaving ell without hands around their neck and struggling to collect air.
gin doesn’t even ask any questions and instead forces nox to his feet, only to sling him in the opposite direction, away from him and eleanor. gin’s face is one of rage, browbeating the opposing man. nox, collecting his thoughts, begins to dust himself off, giving a chuckle and a slight grin. ‘ well if it isn’t big brother, coming to the rescue. pathetic little eleanor can’t fight their own fights. it’s not even surprising, really. ’
‘ you know damn well that they’re still just a little kid. you should leave before things get nasty. ’ gin could only hold himself back for so long, and he thought he was being generous when issuing the notice to leave. nox, giving a brief shrug, lets out an amused sigh and turns his back, taking his leave as instructed and leaving the door slightly cracked open as he does. gin’s focus instantly turns to eleanor, who was still on the ground, but luckily was able to catch their breath, albeit coughing every so often.
gin carefully approaches, scooping ell up and holding them against his person, taking a seat at on their bed as he did. he begins to rub circles into their back, taking in the fact that their form was trembling. his eyes dart to the door, staring daggers as if he expected nox to come back and give him all the more reason to knock some sense into him. luckily, he doesn’t, and gin is left alone with eleanor, whose arms meekly come around his torso.
* DRABBLE. ROSE GOLD AND FIRE. ( v. sooner than later. )
‘ but i‘m sorry .. i really am. ’ tears well up in their eyes, only to race down sides of their face. they had only gone to gin’s room out of guilt for what they had said to him earlier, which was unnecessary and unprovoked. they didn’t know what was wrong with them, they just snapped, and even they were left surprised by what had left their mouth.
ell makes their way over to gin, who had been sitting on the edge of his bed in contemplation. they gently place their hands one on of his knees, eyebrows arched upwards in a sorry looking expression. ‘ i dunno why i said that .. ’ their gaze tilts downward as they sniffle, hand briefly coming up to their face and wiping their face. ‘ nox made me think that you were just a big stupid head who hurts people .. ’ eyebrows tilt downward in slight anger at the thought.
the toddler nervously takes one of gin’s arms into their grip, carefully bringing his hand to the side of their face, to which gin entertains the gesture with a few thumb strokes to their cheek. the tears don’t stop, and somehow ell just feel worse. ‘ i didn’t mean it .. i really didn’t .. i don’t think you’re stupid .. a - and .. i don’t think you hurt people on purpose, you just .. get really mad .. ’
eventually, gin moves to take ell by under the arms and sit them beside him on the bedside. his eyes search the space without ell for an answer to their apology. ‘ .. it’s okay. ’ it still didn’t feel okay to gin, and he’d still probably have issues for a while over what had been said. but as long as ell was willing to put forth the effort to improve, then he supposes he can learn to trust again. he feels eleanor’s little arms sheepishly come around his side and almost make it around his waist, humouring them by placing an arm over their shoulders and pulling them in a bit. he noticed their form was tense.
gin eventually lets out a loud sigh, glancing over to ell and giving their back a small pat. he could tell by how they approached touching him that they were at least a little bit scared of him, and that makes his heart sink if only a tad. but it’d be a mutual effort to rebuild what had been broken, and gin would put in his half as much as he could without backtracking. eleanor eventually began to relax, face buried in gin’s side. ‘ don’t leave me, okay .. ? ’ they murmur from his side. it was hard to hear, but somehow gin got the gist of what was said. ‘ .. yeah, sure. ’ he mumbles, his hold on them becoming more firm.
* DRABBLE. EVIL INCARNATE. ( v. the devil’s dance. )
trigger warnings for / blood, gore.
eleanor’s crumbled form holds the limp form of lucifer in their lap. they were screaming and crying their heart out, as nox had a rather sinister grin on his face, dusting off his robes with a sigh. ‘ the poor, old fool. this is completely of his own doing, you know. ’ eleanor’s trembling form suddenly holds strong, as hands loosely grip the front of their late father’s suit, sobbing no longer evident. nox’s expression continues to bask in something smug.
eleanor’s hands suddenly come to their head, and something seems wrong just then. they seem to be fighting themself at that instant, until eventually their hands drop from their head and rest on the chest of their father, who was truly believed to be gone. then, eleanor speaks up, but something about their voice is different, nox couldn’t quite describe it. ‘ oh, you pitiful, little man. ’ their articulation was laced with an intense hatred, as they slowly rise to their feet, leaving the man’s body on the floor.
ell’s head remains tilted down, until it too, begins to slowly rise and cock to the side. their expression was collected, save for their brows that arch down, constructing a look of mild irritation. nox’s grin seems to lessen, brows furrowing together in distaste. ‘ you think killing me would make a difference. that you could just take what’s mine. but you should know that i don’t like to share. ’ eleanor begins to slowly stalk towards nox, to which nox seems only slightly surprised. he thought he’d done it, and that would be the end of it / after all, who’s heard of dying in hell? nox presumed lucifer would cease to exist.
eleanor continues to lurk nearer, before nox decides to attack, taking a long stride forward and reeling back in order to sling a fist into the child’s jaw. eleanor counteracts this in a blink, hand holding back the fist with no preparations like a widened stance. the same look of seething hatred on their face, nox struggles to land the blow, only for his other hand to shoot for their neck. ell’s other hand shoots forward with a flat, straightened hand and actually manages to sever the upper half of the man’s arm with sheer strength alone.
nox, both in shock and pain, pulls away from them and holds the stump of an arm he’d been left with, blood pouring to the floor. he summons enough shadows to reconstruct the arm and leave him with clawed digits, to which he makes another lunge for eleanor. eleanor suddenly brings up their leg incredibly high and swings it with all the force they could muster, connecting with nox and sending him across the lobby.
he skids across the hard floor, taking all but a moment to recover and pull himself back to his feet. when his gaze locks onto eleanor, something begun to happen. eleanor’s form becomes consumed with physical shadow, leaving onto their vague form and their head visible. the darkness spreads through the lobby, and nox couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit of fear. as the darkness meets nox’s feet, clawed hands begin to reach from the ground, grabbing onto his ankles and beginning to pull him down, as if he was sinking.
‘ i know your every fear, and it’s only my job as the devil to exploit them. ’ eleanor’s head tilts up slightly, eyes half lidded as a fanged smile pulls across their face. nox’s eyes dilate in an acknowledgement of childhood fear, struggling as if it’d make a difference. more and more hands began to cling to him, his clothes, and bring him further down what would be known as an agonizingly slow descent. nox didn’t even notice, too hellbent on trying to break free, but tears began to streak down his face.
‘ but not to worry, i’ll only smother you within an inch of your life. maybe. ’ eleanor gives a hardly noticeable shrug, as shadows continued to envelop the man before them. it didn’t take much longer before the top of nox’s head disappears into the floor and into a void without oxygen, a voice of endless screams, and dozens of eyes that stare him down.
nox holds what little breath he has left, but one could tell he was fading fast. there was no light here, only the glow of crimson eyes that surround and mock him with their merciless stares. meanwhile, eleanor couldn’t help but give a brief chuckle, stepping towards the spot where nox had disappeared. they contemplate whether or not retrieving him, disregarding his life completely and only seeing him for the troubles he’s caused them. it was at that moment where they drop their smile and knit their brows together. eleanor lets out a wail as hands fly to their head, arching their back before hunching forward. they quickly drop to their knees and reach down into the floor, arm submerged as if reaching into a pool of water.
fishing around, they eventually take nox by the collar and with one massive heave, yank him from the void and back into reality. nox is barely conscious as he lands on the floor with an exasperated wheeze. eleanor seems to be crying now, teeth bared as if they’d realized that they’ve done something wrong. sinking all the way to the floor, eleanor lets out a pained scream as their palms fly to cover their eyes, back arching as their breathing became laboured.
‘ YOU CAN’T .. KEEP THIS UP. ’ they called to no one but themself in a strained voice, eventually rolling to their hands and knees as they almost seem to force their body to stand. the struggle that they seemed to go through lessened until they were composed again, stalking towards the crumpled form of nox and taking him by the front of his robes and bringing him up from the ground. ‘ you pity the life of this man? why, i was expecting you to be overjoyed when i’d decided to kill him. out of all the people here, he’s made you suffer the most. ’
nox slowly begins to regain control over his person, just as eleanor drops him, an intense stare is all that can be given. the shadows begin to retreat back into ell’s person, soaking them up as if some sort of sponge. a sneer of disgust pulls at their lips and they give an annoyed huff as they turn their back on him, heading towards the office and having the doors shut behind them. while he didn’t want to rub ell out completely, he’d need to hold control over their body so that he may work his way towards a new body of his own. easier said than done.
* DRABBLE. PRETTY LITTLE DEVILS. ( v. sooner than later. )
trigger warnings for / child abuse.
ell had noticed that he was acting different lately. not the smart and charming individual they had come to enjoy, instead deceptive and sinister. ell had assumed he was just having a rough week, but the little devil on their shoulder told them that something was wrong. but their train of thought would chug away as their door began to open and reveal the form of nox as he steps into their room.
they give a small wave and a chipper smile, but the way he looked at them made their smile melt. eyebrows come to knit together at the grin on his face, cold in comparison to the smiles he’s given them before. ell felt the atmosphere drop as the two of them locked in a stare, but nox eventually breaks eye contact as he saunters over to their bed where they had been sitting, and seats himself at the edge of the bed closest to them.
‘ and how are we today? ’ coos nox as a gloved hand comes up to pinch at their cheek. the tiniest hint of a smile tugs at youthful countenance, playfully nudging his hand away as it did. ‘ i see your father still isn’t giving you the attention you deserve, but that’s why i’m here. ’ eleanor pulls themself a bit closer and brings small arms as far around his torso as they could. nox held his grin, which widens and becomes laced with malice / they’d play right into his hand. ‘ you know, i don’t think your father loves you very much. ’ eleanor’s head rose as they pulled back some, eyebrows arched up as if they didn’t quite catch what he said. but they did, loud and clear.
the way the words left his mouth makes them feel bad, something teasing in the way he articulates the sentence. eyes peer down in brief thought / did their father really not love them? the shred of happiness on their face dissipates, but then nox chimes in again, bringing a finger under their chin and tilting their head up again. ‘ but not to worry, my dear, that’s why i’m here. ’ a more somber smile plays their features, but as soon as they made eye contact, their heart seemed to sink. they saw something vicious in his eyes at that moment, something that was just dying to tear them apart. it fills them with fear.
‘ you know i love you, don’t you? ’ the hand under their chin comes to gently rest against the side of their face, carefully thumbing the side of their face. they should be happy, they thought, so why do they feel so bad? small hands come up and softly hold the wrist of his hand, giving a brief nod in reply. nox’s eyelids drop slightly, only for his eyebrows to arch downward to a noticeable degree. ‘ good, good. because i’m the only one who could love a something like you. ’
eleanor’s expression drops and they look on in shock, the sudden heartlessness in his tone of voice taking them by surprise. their brows tilt up and their breathing seems to hitch, which is exactly the reaction nox had been hoping for. the child’s hands slowly release his wrist. ‘ it’s sad, really. a thing like you shouldn’t be loved. you’re pitiful. but at least you’ve got me, because, if i’m honest, i don’t think your family enjoys your company. ’ little eleanor’s eyes begin to gloss and fill with tears as nox finally draws his hand back. the child’s unconscious instinct was to grab his hand back, as if in fear he’d leave them in that instant.
nox seemed amused by the way they clung to his arm, giving in and bringing his hand back in to gingerly stroke their cheek with the back of his fingers, catching a streak of tears that run down. he had them right where he wants them, and it was at the time when he couldn’t help but think back to alastair, and how he also clung to him much like the child before him. how pathetic all the same. in a faux reluctant manner, he slowly pulls his hand back, but eleanor still clings, leaning forward some before their grip slips and their left with empty, open hands.
‘ it’s as i said, your family must not love you very much, but that’s why you have me. ’ his hand returns to his lap and his gaze on them breaks as he looks towards the door, giving his lap and contemplative pat. he inhales and exhales, eventually pulling himself up from the bed as ell still sat, hunched over so far that their face was not visible, but nox knew that he had left them crying. their frail, little hands clench into fists as they choke back a couple sobs. it was at that moment that nox decides he’s overstayed his welcome, and saunters back towards the door.
‘ remember that i’ll love you even when everyone else doesn’t. ’ was his closing sentence has he files out of the room, gently closing the door behind him. eleanor hadn’t the slightest clue as to what happened, but they felt so heartbroken that all they could do was cry, clutching a portion of their blankets and bringing them to their face as their small form trembles. eventually they bring their teary eyes up towards the door, as if expecting him to come back in and say something else. a part of them hoped he would, while another part wanted to keep an ocean’s distance away from him. they didn’t know what was wrong, but they knew that something was wrong.
* DRABBLE. HELL HATH NO FURY II. ( v. the devil’s dance. )
trigger warnings for / blood, gore, and child abuse.
he was the boy with gunpowder organs, ready to ignite from the inside out and bring anyone and everyone down with him. he was appalled by the treatment of their little sibling, it’d almost been as if they’d been transformed into a completely different person. while he appreciated that they no longer had major issues with lucifer, their behaviour was something he couldn’t quite describe. they were subservient, yet lucifer still berates them as if they had done something horribly wrong.
he couldn’t stand seeing ell in such distress, a rage set to boil over as he counts down to self destruction. and he dares to approach lucifer’s desk, walk around and grab him by the tie of his suit, forcing the man to stand on his feet. eleanor, who had been sitting on the ground beside his desk, seems to be sent into a feaful panic and scrambles to their feet. lucifer doesn’t so much as bat an eye, but when he does, sclera become black, surrounding ruby irises / a warning to his son that what he is getting into is unwise.
gin doesn’t seem to respect lucifer’s warning and raises a fist, reeling back and slinging it forward. but the punch doesn’t connect, and instead hovers just shy of lucifer’s face. gin, overcome with rage, tries to lob his fist into the man’s face once again, only to be stopped at the exact same spot. it was at that moment were a telekinetic concussion burst overwhelms gin and sends him flying against the left wall. eleanor braces themself and skids back a few feet, but remains standing. lucifer begins to fix his suit before gaze flicks to his son, who quickly recovers.
and it was at that moment that the room was overtaken by pitch black, and eleanor grabs the arm of lucifer in a pleading manner, to which lucifer responds by taking his arm back and smacking the side of their head with force, causing ell’s hands to carress the same side of their head and nearly crumble to the ground. ‘ it’s a shame you have to do this. i expected more from you. ’ claws limbs begins to sprout from the darkness, making reaches for gin, who uses enough force to cut them down before they can take hold.
but eventually, the appendages grow in numbers and begin to overwhelm gin, to which gin becomes even angrier. eventually gin charges lucifer, to which lucifer braces himself and catches the hands of gin as the two struggle for superiority. ‘ i expected more from you, son. but i suppose i’m at fault for that, aren’t i? you’re disgraceful. ’ lucifer calls through tight teeth. on the tick of the next moment, a clawed appendage bursts through gin’s chest from behind, speckling lucifer’s face in blood as the appendage had ripped gin’s heart straight from his chest. eleanor let out a scream and cowers where they sat on the ground.
but this only seems to momentarily stun gin, to which lucifer takes full advantage of. another clawed hand takes gin by the throat and throws him across the office, towards the double doors to which he bumps into. gin takes a moment to collect himself, his regen having to construct a new heart from nothing and leaving him in a momentary paralytic state. lucifer is in front of him in an instant and takes gin’s throat into one hand, raising him from the ground and kicking his office doors open. the darkness follows the radius around lucifer and begins to follow him outside the office, to which lucifer throws gin to the floor, now standing in the lobby.
as appendages begin to wrap around gin’s person, he attempts to yank himself from the ground, succeeding in severing some of the appendages from their grasp, only for more to take their place and pull him to his knees. it was then that eleanor had run to the doors of the office and lingered, watching as lucifer became cloaked in the surrounding physical shadows, draping his figure as eyes began to open from the abyss. eleanor’s fear of what would happen next was too great and they decide to charge lucifer. the man is almost thrown off balance by the intrusion, only for hands to sprout from his back and take ell by the hair, brutally shoving their head into the stone floor as they let out a yelp.
as hands begin to collect eleanor as well, the child attempts to crawl for gin, reaching out with one arm and nearly closing the distance, only for their arm to be pulled back and held down. a severe frown, near grimace on lucifer’s face, he seems to stare down gin, who comes close to lunging for lucifer, but is dragged down by the strength of the hands still holding him down. ‘ you children cease to disappoint me. had i known it would come to this, i would have never created you. this is unacceptable. ’ there was an intense amount of hatred in lucifer’s voice, causing even gin’s eyes to well up with tears. gin lets out a fierce roar and with another burst of strength, attempts to rip free, but to no avail.
‘ what have i done to deserve your hate? i, who feed you, dress you, put a roof over your heads and give you a place to sleep. what more could you possibly want? ’ eleanor makes an attempt to sit up, forcing a foot under their knelt stature and almost succeeding, rising only to be met face to face with lucifer’s rage. eleanor’s fear bursts through the roofs at that point, and they lose their footing, sending them back to their knees. one of lucifer’s gloved hands comes over to grip a handful of eleanor’s hair, giving them a disapproving look before throwing their head back, turning his attention back onto gin.
‘ you’ve always been an angry one. i dare say i knew this day would come. you’re both ungrateful. i should have the two of you into a small cage in a dark room and let you rot there. ’ lucifer’s gaze turns to eleanor, who still squirms in vain. he almost considers forcing the soul out of their body just then. gin regains lucifer’s attention as the boy seethes, ready to snap once again. it was when he makes another lunge that a pointed appendage comes bursting through gin’s neck from behind, effectively severing the spinal cord and causing gin’s body to become limp.
ell lets out a scream, fighting their way closer to gin and forcing their hand out again, tears running down their face. eventually they give up at their hand is pulled back again. gin sat there on his knees, struggling to breath as blood pours from the wound in his neck, left in shock by the sudden brutality. it was then that the hands holding them apart disperse as ell frantically crawls over to gin. they honestly weren’t sure if he was going to be fine, taking gin’s large upper half into their lap and holding his head up. there was slight relief as the hole in his neck begins to heal, but his form remains limp, probably trying to reconnect the nerves to the rest of his body.
eleanor doesn’t stop crying, hugging their brother as close as they could, passing a hateful glare up to their father, who collected the darkness back into his being, returning the surrounding area to its former state. the glare is caught by lucifer, who kneels down, a look of disappointment on his face as he reaches across and grabs ell’s jaw, pulling them forward only slightly. ‘ let this be a lesson to the both of you. the next time either of you do something as avoidable as this, i will have the both of your heads on my desk. ’ eleanor pulls out of his grip as he stands, still holding onto gin, who’s limbs sheepishly begin to move again. lucifer heads back to his office, both doors slamming shut behind him.
* DRABBLE. A NIGHT IN HELL. ( v. the devil’s dance. )
the form of eleanor draws towards the room of lucifer. having been struggling to stay asleep, they hoped that their father wouldn’t mind their intrusion. giving a couple, gentle knocks, they carefully open the door to his room, only to be met with lucifer’s gaze across the room from where he lays in bed. their heart skips, and they almost consider closing the door and going back to their room, but they persist, tediously stepping inside and closing the door behind them.
‘ can i ... is it okay if ... i, um .... ’ eleanor sputters, trying to form the best sentence as words came along. lucifer, fixing himself so his back lays on his bed, legs crossed, and hands folded atop his stomach. his gaze never once leaves ell, already knowing what they were trying to say and eventually speaking up. ‘ of course. ’ eleanor was surprised by such a passive answer, but took the invitation immediately, or otherwise seem rude. they make their way across the room and climb onto the other side of his bed. lucifer does not so much as pass them a glance, eyes still locked on the door from which they stood just a moment ago.
eleanor began to climb under the blankets, while lucifer remains on top of them. one hand unfolds and pats the spot directly next to him and eleanor freezes as they see the gesture. at first, they feel a twinge of fear, hoping that this was not with malicious intent, but they oblige and begin to scoot closer. once eleanor was close enough, his arm wraps across the and holds them close to his side. he feels one of their arms gently rest on top of of his stomach, giving out a long sigh.
‘ is something the matter? ’ eleanor peeks upward, still with a fear that almost didn’t allow them to ask. ‘ nothing. i just want you to behave, eleanor. ’ lucifer’s hand gives a few rub to ell’s shoulder blade as his gaze points forward. ell gives a gentle nod, squeezing in their knees between their two forms. eleanor was suspicious due to the fact that lucifer held his cool when on the subject of eleanor’s behaviour.
‘ and i’m not asking a lot. just that you obey me. a little respect would be nice as well. ’ eleanor eventually pulled their form upward in order to rest their head against his shoulder. lucifer’s hand follows, gently resting against the side of their head and giving a few pets to their hair. lucifer begins again, saying, ‘ you used to be so good when you were younger. i still don’t know what happened. ’ eleanor’s eyes form the beginnings of tears, avoiding any possibility of eye contact.
‘ but if you want to keep your body and your powers, you’ll have to listen to me, child. my patience is wearing thin. ’ eleanor’s hand comes to their face to wipe at their eyes. ‘ i know. and i’m so ... i’m so sorry. ’ the words fell out of their mouth with a strong sense of emotion, to which lucifer gently shushed them and stroked their hair. ‘ i know you’re sorry. you should be. but i need to see improvement. ’ eleanor gently places their arm back where it was, across lucifer’s stomach.
‘ that’s enough of that. it’s time to sleep. ’ lucifer coos, gently placing his hand over eleanor’s eyes, drawing them a bit closer to place a small kiss at the top of their head. after, eleanor snuggles up to him, feeling lucifer’s arm gently come back to rub their shoulder blade. ell eventually lets their eyes close, as lucifer continues to look on in contemplation. he hadn’t the slightest clue as to how things would go on from this point, but he hopes that this talk would at least mean something in the end.
* DRABBLE. HELLISH, HOUNDLIKE. ( v. the devil’s dance. )
trigger warnings for / child abuse.
eleanor had been through enough today, with the kitchen fight earlier exhausting them, they decided they had earned a good night’s rest. but as they were pulling the covers over their legs, nox, of all people, decides to let himself in. red eyes narrow and scrutinize as he sits at the foot of their bed, back towards them. they hadn’t to slightest idea as to why he was in there room / they’d done nothing wrong, leaving their father satisfied for another day. they were bracing themself for the worst.
‘ do you enjoy the way your father treats you? ’ he muses, the lack of eye contact leaving him unreadable to ell. eleanor, giving a drawn out sigh, replies with another question. ‘ what are you on about? ’ instinctively, eleanor grips the bed sheets, staring him down as if expecting him to make a leap for them. ‘ oh, you know .... like a dog. he treats you like a dog. ’ eleanor’s eyes dilate, swallowing down the sudden lump in their throat.
eleanor doesn’t find the words to reply with, so nox takes their silence as an invitation to continue. ‘ i see the way he looks at you. i looked at my son the same way once upon a time. not that i regret it or anything, i just know that look. ’ eleanor continued to be silent, peering down in brief contemplation, trying to dissect his words, but finding no real malice in them. ‘ where are you going with this? ’ ell questioned, unable to find his reasoning on their own.
‘ it just seems unfair to me. he doesn’t seem to care about you. but i think at one point he did, pardon me if i’m wrong. ’ he drawls as he rolls his hand slightly, turning his head slightly, though not fully, in their direction. ‘ anyway, all i’m saying is that i could maybe ... put in a good word for you. you seem like a good kid, after all. ’ at that moment, eleanor’s look of suspicion seems to melt, still trying to understand his motives. ‘ you could? ’
nox’s head comes to completely glance over his shoulder this time, brows arched downward and a wolfish grin spread across his face. ‘ i’m only joking, of course. i don’t think you deserve the time of day. ’ eleanor is physically taken aback by his words, pressing themself against the headboard of their bed. brows arch up in a slight panic, finding his sudden hostility offensive and unprovoked, causing their eyes to tear up slightly. for all but a moment, they had hopeful, and had therefore let their guard down. how cruel.
a chuckle is all that leaves nox before he pulls himself up from the foot of their bed, as he continues. ‘ what i think you deserve is exactly what you’ve been getting. it won’t be long before your father decides to stick your mind in the body of an actual dog. then you’ll completely fit the bill of family pet. ’ nox’s grin drops for a moment, gaze locking onto theirs. ‘ but ... you don’t roll over. you don’t play nice. you don’t obey your master. who knows, you might even have rabies. a very poor excuse for a dog, if you ask me. ’ the grin creeps back onto his already sinister countenance, and he begins to stalk towards the door.
‘ if your father wants a dog, he’ll have a dog. he’s already got that thug you call a brother under control. it’s only natural for you to follow suit. all in time, i suppose. but i very much look forward to that. ’ lingering in the doorway, he turns partially and gives a tip of his hat, taking the doorknob into his hand. ‘ sweet dreams, my dear. ’ and he gently shuts the door behind him. eleanor, left completely shaken, shocked, and faithless, lays down on their side. a hand comes to wipe away the tears that they had lost track of as they curl up slightly, reaching down and pulling the blankets over their head.
* DRABBLE. THE LIGHTER SIDE OF HELL. ( v. the devil’s dance. )
trigger warnings for / blood, child abuse.
they didn’t want any of him today. not that what they wanted really mattered. eleanor hadn’t been having the best time as of late, and they were struggling to keep their cool. little did they know, nox would serve as a catalyst on this fateful day. they had originally been on their way to the kitchen to fix themself something to eat, but had noticed nox following not too far behind. usually they wouldn’t mind, but he seemed to stop in the archway as ell found their way into the fridge.
ell didn’t get much rummaging done, feeling the piercing gaze of the man just across the kitchen. eventually, eleanor couldn’t stand it any longer and a severe frown tugs their lips, eyes rolling upward in an obvious annoyance. ‘ is there something you want, freak? ’ their words laced with venom as they closed the door to the fridge and turned, giving nox their undivided attention. nox, with his usual grin, raised a brow at their inquiry. ‘ is that any way to talk to a member of the family? ’
ell’s brows beat downward and eyes dilate in an anger that begins to boil at the pit of their being. their lack of response coaxed nox to go on, finally making his way into the kitchen and beginning to circle ell, never once taking his eyes off of them. ‘ but to answer your question, i just thought i’d stop by to tease you. ’ ell’s jaw was tight and they began to grind their teeth, hands becoming white knuckled fists. nox could see their rage building, and could only find it at least a little bit amusing.
nox stops right behind them, placing one hand on their shoulder as he leans down some, just shy of their ear. ‘ does it bother you if i do this? ’ his other hand snaking around the opposite side and barely ghosting of their neck. the pressure building was too great, and caused ell to snarl in response, pivoting on their foot in a flash and throwing a punch right into the center of his face. eleanor, taking a few steps back, enters a defensive stance with fists raised.
nox’s head had whipped back from the force of the punch, one hand coming to hold his nose as it began to bleed. icy gaze flicks towards eleanor, eyes narrowing as his grin lessens slightly. nox is quick to retaliate with a punch of his own, to which ell is even quicker to dodge. in the very same instance, ell takes a hold of his outstretched arm with both hands and slings him over their head and to the floor. it was at that moment that eleanor began to wail into him with kicks, becoming more and more vicious with each swing of their leg. they continued this for a good few seconds.
eventually, they stopped their assault, staring down at nox, who was on the floor and in pain. nostrils flaring, they give one more vicious kick to his torso, before beginning to mellow out. eyes of red wine narrow and they carefully step over his form in order to head out of the kitchen. the last thing they were expecting with a hand to clasp around their ankle and trip them. ell caught themself on their hands and knees, but another hand latched onto their other ankle and pulls their legs out from under them.
nox forces them around so their back is against the floor. in an instant nox is on top and pinning them to the floor, to which ell struggles and flails in vain, letting out a cry of distress. nox with a wicked grin on his face, instantly goes for their neck, to which ell does their best to prevent. this time around, eleanor is more capable of fending nox away from their neck, but only momentarily as he utilizes the strength in his back to force his hands down on ell and around their throat.
ell begins to scrape their feet against the floor in protest as nox begins to shake their head, effectively banging it against the hard floor a few times. eleanor’s hands shoot up towards nox, wispy with physical shadow that struggles to envelop their arms, but fall just shy of making an impact. eventually, claws begin to form their fingers as they reach down to their neck and begin to pry nox’s hands away with a sudden burst of strength. nox, seems to only slightly glare as shadows consume his own arms, giving him his own burst of strength as he forces eleanor’s hands down by either side of their head.
nox’s grin persists as he takes a moment to admire the sight before him. as usual, he had wound up on top, leaving little eleanor at his mercy. ‘ you’re getting better at this. i like the improvement. it’s almost a challenge. ’ his eyes dart from each pinned hand before back to ell. ‘ maybe one day, you’ll give me a taste of my own medicine. but that day isn’t today. ’ ell’s eyes drag away from his own and towards the archway of the kitchen. nox peers up, only to find gin had been standing there for but a moment. and the look in his eyes did not earn the idea that he enjoys what he sees.
nox cracks another sly grin as he reluctantly releases eleanor’s arms. eleanor’s eyebrows arch upward, finding the new fear that is their brother’s rage. the shadows that consumed the arms of nox and ell dissipate and nox begrudgingly climbs off of ell, to which ell immediately scrambles to their feet and beside the form of gin. nox, giving his robes a few brushes, keeps his cool as he walks passed gin, whose eyes never leave him until he turns the corner, to which gin’s closest arm brings itself tightly around ell and reel them close to his side. once nox is gone, ell finally speaks up, mumbling into his side. ‘ he started it, i swear. ’ to which gin gives an agitated snort. ‘ i don’t care. just cut it out. ’
* DRABBLE. A KNOCK ON YOUR DOOR. ( v. the devil’s dance. )
trigger warnings for / child abuse, body horror.
something wicked this way comes, creeping towards the child’s room without so much as a creak. eleanor, the child in question, was having a nap, stuffed animals littering their bed and one such animal, a black stuffed bear, was held close to their person. the darkness seeps in front under the door, filing in like the blackest smog and soon a vague mass began to rise from it, soon taking the form of none other than lucifer.
it was in that moment eleanor rolled from their sleep, suddenly filled with a sense of dread. they rub at their face as they began to sat up, but the second that their eyes landed on their father, ell jumps back, planting their back against the headboard of their bed. lucifer, stepping closer, takes a seat at the foot of their bed. ‘ you should be scared. ’ was all the man says, not even passing a glance their way, which worried eleanor even more.
shadows began to swirl and shift into clawed appendages as black begins to fill the frail pink of the room. the claws begin to slowly reach for eleanor, crawling along the bed as if reaching from beyond the grave. ell gives a few panicked kicks, only for two of the hands to grab both of the child’s ankles and pull them towards the man, who had still yet to look at them. another pair of hands take ell by the wrists and pull them forward, sitting them up as they did. eleanor’s eyes ran with tears as they fought long and hard, but to no avail. another hand takes a generous amount of their hair into its fist, holding their head in place.
once ell was close enough, lucifer turned, sclera taking on a pitch black, leaving only red hues. he turns so his upper half is hovering over eleanor’s shrunken form, nostrils flaring and a grimace on his face. ‘ i have never seen a child so ungrateful. i gave you plenty of opportunities to shape up your act, but you don’t. ever. LISTEN. ’
eleanor could hear the hatred in his voice, a paralytic fear taking over their person. all they could do was cry, but even then, they were silent tears. one of lucifer’s normal hands come up to eleanor’s face, giving their cheek a gentle brush with the back of his fingers. ‘ i don’t have to give you all these wonderful things. i could strip you of your powers, your body, throw you back into the fire and leave you there. but i don’t think either of us want that, now do we? all i’m asking of you is to obey me, eleanor. that’s all. ’ the shadows at his back begin to morph into the grotesque head of a dog with numerous rows of teeth and about a dozen eyes, staring eleanor down as if they were supper.
‘ because if you don’t, i won’t hesitate to eat you alive. ’ as soon as it had manifested, the head of the dog melts back into the back of lucifer. the hand that had been stroking eleanor’s cheek instead cups the side of their face into his palm, gently thumbing their cheekbone.
eventually, the many appendages began to release eleanor, but as little ell began to retreat, lucifer grabs them by the jaw and pulls them even closer. it was then that they could see in the promise of hell in his eyes. ‘ know your place in my domain, child, or so help me god, i will show you no mercy. ’ a threat through grit teeth. roughly shoving eleanor away, the black in the room begins to dissipate into the air as lucifer stands from the bed, turning his gaze back to eleanor as his eyes had return to normal.
‘ i only do this out of love. one day, you may understand. ’ he said, the tone of his voice somber and almost regretful. he makes his way out of the room, gently closing the door behind him as he did. the moment he leaves, eleanor feels a wave of frustration bathe them and they take fistfuls of their hair and bury their face in their knees. they didn’t know what made them like this, but it had come to the point where they either fix it or else die fighting.
* DRABBLE. HELL HATH NO FURY. ( v. the devil’s dance. )
trigger warnings for / child abuse.
the form of eleanor comes bursting through from the office of lucifer and sliding across the lobby of the castle. eleanor lets out a few weak coughs as they attempt to get up, but is roughly taken by the back of their neck by their brother gin, who had lost control of his temper on account of his father. with a yell of frustration, gin throws ell once again, this time against a nearby wall, to which ell couldn’t crumbling to the ground.
eleanor’s body wobbles, set unsteady by how much of a beating they’d already taken prior to being thrown out of the office. as soon as they’re able to run, they do, making a break for their room upstairs, but gin is even faster, and wraps an arm around eleanor’s neck, lifting them off of their feet. the choke hold is a merciless one, as gin continues to tighten his hold until eleanor is red in the face and gasping for air. he eventually drops ell, who crumbles to the floor once again at the foot of the stairs.
gin, still full of rage, takes eleanor by an arm and a leg and lifts them about his head. he brings a knee up the same time he brings the child down against it, in hopes to break their spinal column. judging by the pained scream eleanor belts and how they fall limp to the ground, gin supposed it was a successful operation. eleanor continues to cry and scream, arms attempting to crawl away with what little control of their body they had.
with the huff of a raging bull, gin steps closer to them under he stands right around their left side. the oldest than proceeds to let loose on their side, hammering kick after kick into their broken form. eleanor begins to cough up blood, the sensation of their legs returning to them as their form begins to curl in on itself. gin’s foot continues to ram pain into them, cracking their ribs a little more with each kick. eventually, ell’s body becomes still, and they barely cling onto life.
lucifer, who had been coming from his office since the start of the fight, comes up behind gin and gently places a hand on his son’s shoulder. gin stops in the middle of a kick, and turns to the other man. ell’s eyes flutter and they catch a glimpse of the slight guilt that washes over gin’s face, as well as the disapproving gaze of their father. gin, becoming frustrated with his own emotions, gives a growl and shrugs off lucifer’s hand, storming to his room upstairs and slaming the door.
lucifer, collecting the beaten, bloody, and limp form of eleanor into his arm. begins to make his way for their room, giving a sigh as he did. ‘ you know, it won’t get any easier from here. continue to disobey and i won’t be as generous as i was in stopping him. next time, i will let him kill you. ’ ell just gave a few bloody coughs in reply, taking in air in the form of a wheeze. entering their room, lucifer sets ell in their bed and partially pulls the covers over them.
the only thing going through eleanor’s mind as lucifer leaves the room and gently shuts the door behind them is the next time they act out. they had never taken their father’s word for granted, and knew that the next time may very well be the final time. eventually, ell begins to feel physically better, though their mentality was still suffering. they eventually sit up and hold their head in their hands. they never asked for any of this, and yet somehow that didn’t matter. they never asked to be made. but obviously, all that mattered is that they were here now and they needed to act right, or else the torment would continue and they would never have anything to live for. eleanor couldn’t help but begin to woefully cry into their knees as they sat in bed, letting every little emotion out of their bottles..
* DRABBLE. WELCOME HOME. ( v. the devil’s dance. )
trigger warnings for / child abuse.
‘ eleanor, come here. ’ calls the voice of lucifer, who sat casually in the chair to his generous office. he sat steepling, and his scorn could be felt burning into their skin at any given distance. eleanor, with brows raised upward, feels a twinge of fear for what could be coming their way. but they find new resolve to not listen, and without even giving him acknowledgement, broods toward their room and firmly slams the door. with the eyes of both gin and nox watching the scene unfold, lucifer gives an exasperated sigh.
‘ what a surprise. ’ mumbled lucifer in a very passive manner. crimson hues dart from between his son and nox. gin looked particularly agitated, which would be all the more delicious if taken out on eleanor. but then his eyes rest on nox, who met his gaze with raised brows, as if knowing he’d choose him to do the work, as usual. ‘ nox, i want you to go talk to them. ’ purrs the devil as he reaches for the untouched glass of wine and takes a small sip. nox could only come to oblige, heading out and towards eleanor’s room.
luckily for nox, the door had been left unlocked, and he stalks his way inside, gently closing the door behind him. eleanor could be found buried underneath the blankets on their bed, stuffed animals and other toys strewn about the floor. nox takes the blankets at the end of the bed and pulls them entirely from eleanor’s bed, thus revealing eleanor and leaving said child in a slight panic.
‘ what do you want?!’ eleanor belts, defensively clutching a fistful of the sheets still covering their bed. ell could feel the fear already creeping up on them, unsuspecting. nox cracks a grin, slowly stalking closer until he’s able to side along the bedside, to which ell scoots to the furthest side of the queen sized bed. nox could tell they were scared by the look in their eyes alone, and would use to to as much advantage as he can. ‘just to talk.’ he says in a bland manner, cracking a sideways grin, a dawning horror on ell’s face.
‘ you know, you’re a very selfish child. ’ nox begins, prefixed with a long sigh. he breaks eyes contact with ell, which alleviates at least a bit of fear. ‘ and your father only wants you to listen. he’ll achieve that by any means necessary ... ’ nox turns his head again, the grin wider than before as he catches eleanor’s eyes in a gaze. ‘ even if that means tearing you to bloody pieces. ’ ell felt their heart jump into their throat / it was very hard to swallow at that moment.
maroon irises dilate and tremble, one hand grasping onto a pillow and bringing it in front of them defensively, as if they felt that nox would make a leap for them and close the gap. as if reading their mind, nox moves to close the gap between them, climbing onto the bed and soon cornering them against the bed post. ‘ your father’s a good man, you know. he only wants what’s best for you. ’ ell instinctively wads up into a fetal position with the pillow held close to their person. ‘ better than my father. maybe even better than me, but that’s a long shot, isn’t it? i’m wonderful. ’
the grin never leaves nox’s face, he makes an agonizingly slow reach for eleanor. eleanor, in a sudden flight or fight instinct, smacks away his hand and springs from their squished position in the corner of their bed. they easily take nox to the bed with them on top. their hands latch onto his neck and don’t let go, squeezing, to which nox momentarily struggles before sending a fist flying into eleanor’s cheek. the blow was enough to daze eleanor, which gave the man underneath ample opportunity to flip and pin eleanor against the bed.
eleanor, in a panic, begins to flail, gripping nox by either wrist as his hands came close to them. but their frail arms couldn’t exert enough strength to keep nox at bay, as one of his hands close into a fist and reel back, only to hurl itself toward ell’s jaw, knocking their head to the side with its force. the other hand begins to summon physical shadow and as he takes a fistful of eleanor’s hair and pulls their head back, clawed digits gently tracing circles into the center of their neck. ‘ if you don’t start acting right, you and me are going to get to know each other very well. your brother is pretty scary too, but for now, it’s just little old me. ’
child’s eyes were watering and their hands were clutching fistfuls of nox’s robes and pushing, but to no avail. nox, leaning down some as the wispy claws gently walk along the length of eleanor’s neck. ‘ if you ask me, i think these little encounters are rather fun, don’t you? the look on your face is priceless. ’ giving ell’s hair a nasty yank, eyes upturn in satisfaction as ell lets out a yelp.
nox’s claws eventually come to wrap around eleanor’s neck, puncturing either side and provoking a scream from eleanor. dainty hands come up to latch onto his arm, clawing all their own as they trying to summon their own shadows. ell choked up blood, coughing as their own blood speckled their face. ‘ you’re also very fun to rip apart. you remind me of a certain someone ... oh, what was his name again? ’ nox gives a chuckle like tinted glass, and squeezes their neck, juicing it for more blood before reluctantly releasing his grip on them entirely.
‘ you’re picking fights you can’t win, eleanor. but at least this is better than that brother of you coming in here and beating you to a bloody pulp, right? of course it is. who wouldn’t want to spend time with me? ’ hands returning to their normal state, nox gives a thoughtful hum as he eventually climbs off of eleanor and the bed. ‘ if i were you, i’d take a moment to think about whether or not you should see what your father wants from you. otherwise, i’d be delighted to come back in here again. ’ dusting off his robes, nox begins to head to the door as if nothing but a simple talk had gone on just moments ago. ell, whose wounds had mended, still lay on their bed, silent tears still rolling down the sides of their face, staring up at the ceiling in a paralytic fear. they hear a brief, one sided exchange between nox and gin, who had apparently been listening just beyond the door for some time.
* DRABBLE. A SLICE OF HELL. ( v. devil’s dance. )
trigger warnings for / blood, gore and death.
it had been about a week since eleanor’s passing. alastair had not been taking it so well, and would close himself off to those who tried to talk to him. he’d visit the spot where he found them every day since that day, laying a different flower there, under the great tree where he found their body. he knew that nox was still around, but didn’t have the slightest clue as to what he would do about that.
walking through the forest that evening, he was shocked to find someone else standing under the tree he had come to put a rose under. gathered in the stranger’s arm was the slightly wilted flowers that he had laid there, as they picked at the petals. initially upset by the sight, alastair takes long strides over to the newcomer, taking them by the shoulder and turning them around. his anger was washed over by a wave of shock as he found the stranger to be eleanor. but had it not been for their eyes, he would not have recognized them, and he could tell something was wrong by the look they had on their face.
eleanor’s eyes were full of some sort of emotion, but alastair could not decipher what kind. gently taking ell by the shoulders, he kneels on one knees and give them a heartfelt hug. ell looked to be on the brink of tears, giving a half hug back as their other arm remained occupied with flowers. after the hug, alastair drew back to search eleanor’s face for what was wrong, brows furrowed in concern. but as he was about to ask, an arm wraps around alastair’s neck and he stands on instinct, hands flying to remove their aggressor. eleanor motioned to retreat slightly, red irises that tremble and promised tears finally dripping down their face.
alastair prompts not to remove the arm, but reaching over his head to grab the shoulders of whomever had been attacking him. with a burst of strength, he flips the body behind them over his head and to the ground in front of him. he wasn’t even too terribly surprised to see nox on the ground, but fear began to feed on him regardless. alastair took a few steps back as nox rolls over to his knees and begins to stand, dusting himself off as he did.
nox, dipped with his signature grin, begins to stalk towards alastair, who begins to step in the opposite direction. al turns to ell for help, eyes pleading that they leap to his rescue. eleanor, who doesn’t even get to take their first step in his direction before the hand of nox is drawn out in front of them as means to stop them, and ell reluctantly stays where they were for now. nox’s attention never leaving alastair, eyes locked with his, as nox suddenly takes longer strides. sending an uppercut in alastair’s direction with all the force of a wrecking ball.
alastair is sent flying from his feet and briefly into the air before toppling back to the ground. eleanor watches, eyes wide and hands trembling / frail arms release the flowers that may as well have strangled, and they throw their hands onto the arm of nox, gripping onto him for dear life and using their weight to reel him back. nox, only mildly irked by the inconvenience, throws a glare towards eleanor, who begins to sputter out pleas, overwhelmed with a fear that they’d yet to determine. but fear nonetheless.
‘ you need to listen when you’re being told what to do. ’ using the arm that eleanor clung to in order to launch them into the air, ell skids across the forest floor, but is quick to regain their stance. had nox not noticed the charging alastair a wink later, he may not have been able to stop him, sending a bone crushing punch to the side of his head and sending him to the side.
eleanor, still feeling the need to assist, charges nox with fear in their heart. nox catches them by the throat and draws them in closer, eyes narrowed with an overall uninterested look. ‘ get in my way again and i won’t hesitate to kill you. now be good and sit still. ’ nox’s bent arm becomes straight as he again launches the child across the area. eleanor squirmed to their feet, slightly hunched, coughing and holding their neck with one hand.
attention draws back to alastair, but not in enough time to stop the blow laid directly to nox’s face. before nox were to fall back, a gloved hand shoots out to grab alastair by the sweater, and nox bounces back with another forceful punch to the side of alastair’s neck. alastair suddenly crumbles to the ground, still and out cold. eleanor lets out a scream and runs for alastair’s body, crying out his name, but nox grabs them by the hair and collects them into a headlock with one arm. eleanor kicks and screams again, one of their arms outstretched as if they could close the distance and grab alastair.
nox, already slightly frustrated with ell’s performance thus far, takes them by the neck and throws them again, this time a couple yards away. ell’s recovery would take even longer as nox rolls alastair onto his back and grins, one hand collecting physical shadow and forming into claws. he kneels down and briefly traces alastair’s heart with clawed digits before reeling back and launching his hand into alastair’s chest. nox’s wicked grin widens and blue irises dilate as his hand clasps around alastair’s heart and reels back once again, ripping the still beating organ from his chest.
it was the very same moment eleanor throws their form at nox as they let out a woeful wail. quickly climbing on top of nox, eleanor relentlessly begins to beat nox with their fists, each having a turn to land a blow as ell cries out for alastair in vain. when they’re sure that nox won’t be getting up, they dismount him and scramble towards alastair’s body, only for their wrist to be grabbed by nox. tears fled their eyes as they wrestled with nox for but a moment as nox rose from the ground and hooks his arms under ell’s and lifts them from the ground as his mouth poured with laughter.
eleanor let out another loud wail as they kicked and flailed, only a few feet from alastair’s body. ‘ take a good long look, my dear! he’s not getting up after something like that! ’ ell throws their head forward, only to throw it back at the same speed, effectively butting heads with nox and causing him to let go of them. ell scrambles to alastair’s side and cries out again, shaking his form as if the gaping hole in his chest would begin to repair and he’d wake up. the grim reality of what had happened finally taking ell by storm, they take one of al’s arms into both of their and hold it close to their person.
nox, taking ell by the upper half of their arm, yanks them away from alastair’s body and begins to slowly drag them off. ‘ your father must have overcooked you because your behaviour is absolutely atrocious. brat. ’ ell gives their arm a few tugs, but cannot seem to obtain the leverage they need in order to pull away. the two began to dissipate into smoky shadows and leave alastair all alone on what would be the quietest evening that day.
