being in a small fandom is like being given a bone, chewing on it until you're done with it, burying it in your backyard, and then digging that same chewed up bone months later to continue chewing on it, and then the cycle just repeats.
this is especially true for small fandoms that you know won't be getting any new content, so you just have to consume the content you've already consumed thousands of times before.
A Book of Creatures by @a-book-of-creatures doesn't update these days but is another thing along these lines, really huge, fully illustrated all by the author and cites all sources
oh, no, you misunderstand me. those were my monkeys. yeah the circus and i have since parted ways. yeah it was the elephant thing, i dont really want to address that right now though
Hiiiii I saw your requests were open so I'd like to request "relax it was one time, you don't have to ask for my hand in marriage - yet." with Rafayel
A dance
When you pretend to be madly in love with Rafayel in a party where your family is watching both of you.
⠀୨୧⠀⠀˙⠀⠀˖⠀Tags: fluff, fake dating. Reader does not necessarily be in-game MC.
⠀୨୧⠀⠀˙⠀⠀˖⠀Thank you so much for requesting 💖
୨୧⠀⠀˙⠀⠀˖⠀ Prompt by: ❀
Melodious music began to drift through the hall. Naturally, you were not about to pass up the song you loved. You glanced over at Rafayel, who had his eyes closed, immersed in the bliss of each note. You smiled.
"Would you like to dance?"
At your question, his eyes widened. A look of surprise flickered across his face, and then he smiled.
"Why not?"
Rafayel looked at your outstretched hand and smiled with satisfaction. He took your hand and allowed you to draw him out to the center of the hall. His attention moved to the corner of the room, where your relatives were gossiping about the two of you.
"Relax," you said with a playful smile. "It’s just a dance. You don't have to ask for my hand in marriage, yet."
Rafayel looked a bit flustered, though he did not let it show on his face. He gave your hand a gentle squeeze while his other hand rested against your back.
"If you want them to believe we’re a couple," Rafayel murmured into your ear, drawing you closer to him, "You need to act a little more head-over-heels for me."
The two of you were attending a relative's wedding. After enduring endless nagging about not having a boyfriend, you had decided to bring Rafayel along. It was all just an act to convince your family to stop pressing you to find a partner and setting you up on blind dates. The thing was, Rafayel was playing the role so convincingly that everyone believed he was absolutely smitten with you.
As for you? There must be a reason why Rafayel was the one accompanying you, not anyone else. Yet, you restrained yourself from overthinking it. After all, you feared that once this act ended, if you found yourself wanting more while he did not, you would lose what you had with him forever.
"That's better," Rafayel whispered as you danced. At such close range, it was hard to look him in the eye. It was hard to pretend your heart was not racing and that you were not clumsily stepping on his feet a few times.
The music played on, while you remained lost in thoughts that you would never let Rafayel discover. Watching the bride and groom exchange their vows, you imagined the two of you standing in their place. As you danced with him, you wished that this celebration were for you. You tried to brush aside those ridiculous thoughts, hoping Rafayel would not notice your flushed cheeks. Yet, he always paid attention to the slightest things about you; so, when the dance ended and he led you away from the center of the celebration, he teased:
"Your family might just want me to tag along for the next big occasion."
You glanced back at your relatives, who were smiling and waving at the two of you from across the banquet hall. Joy radiated from your blushing face. You said to Rafayel:
"Are you sure you don't mind going along with this?"
"Going along with what?" Rafayel assumed an expression of utter innocence.
You replied, "This fake dating thing, of course."
"Who told you this was just a pretense?" Rafayel gazed at you. His expression made it impossible to tell whether he was being serious or just amusing himself.
"Relax. You don't have to ask for my hand in marriage, yet." He even mimicked your expression after seeing that look of astonishment on your face. "But I don't recall agreeing to go with you just this once. Your family invited me to dinner, after all. What would they say if you broke my heart after just one date?"
That was the moment you realized you were done for. You could only stand there and watch as Rafayel flashed a sly, knowing smile as he strolled over to your family to strike up another conversation. You realized then that there was no escaping him; and the truth was, you did not want to.
Can you analyze Rawdog by flavor foley, please? (*´▽｀)
RAWDOG - FLAVOR FOLEY ANALYSIS
Note: oh dear heavens, first time listening to the song i didnt expect the lyrics lol, but i still like it very much ;3
TW: EXPLICIT LYRICS
"Hot dog (H-hot dog)
Last date we had we went for hotdogs
You try to act like such a heartthrob Come on strong before you falter on the long con"
In these lyrics, hotdog is a pretty clear metaphor... last date they had a different type of "sausage!
I need a rawdog lovin' tonight
Hogtied, when the crop calls
Bruises on thighs and a rough ride
For rawdog lovin' tonight Can I hit from behind? So I can't see your eyes When I make you mine
According to google, the definition of "rawdog" is to engage in sexual activities without protection, this is confirmed in the chorus, when the narrators mention wanting to hit their partner from behind
Everyone knows you're just a horndog
The narrator is pretty much calling their partner horny lol
In Vane's own words: "it also has a bit of Gender in it. (I’m not your princess, I’m your martyr.)"
On a less sexual tone, this song can also be interpreted as a surface level relationship only built on carnal desires and not on actual feelings, with hayden secretly craving for something more that just that
Pretty short explanation, but theres not that much to say about this song /lh
i wish we were able to talk about women's rights without someone mentioning how much they do or don't want to have sex with them. i don't care if you're a lesbian Stop finding worth in women purely from their perceived attractiveness
"I think women should not be expected to shave for societal respect / to avoid discrimination" "yeah🤤 i love bush" ok well that's not what we're talking about is it.
i hate how many posts about trans women deserving respect always devolve into "I love girldick" or "trans rights but I don't want to date a trans person" because that's entirely unrelated to the topic at hand. you should not respond to feminism with "YESSS I loveeee you because I see you as nothing but a sex object" you people sound like other men I get stuck talking with that end up saying "free the nipple so I can see boobies in public" and thinking they're feminists. why can't we just respect women regardless of your attraction to them or not. why does it need to be brought up in every conversation regarding their rights
Imagine the quiet night, on the bed laying beside each other. Getting ready to fall asleep. Your F/O cuddling you, both of you planting kisses from neck to cheek. Then, hearing their soft voice mumbling
" Goodnight, dear. I love you.. "
and thus, both of you close your eyes for a goodnights rest.
Hi! I hope you’re feeling better and taking your time to rest! When you have time, could you theorize if there’s a in universe explanation for the D.D.D. to show private conversations between the characters? And if you think that MC also sees/experiences the extra scenes that normally appears in the hard mode? Thanks, and hope you feeling better
Thank you! I'm trying to be somewhat careful as I don't want to delay any of my fic updates but I think I caught it in time. Arm stuff is always annoying!
So I actually have a bit of a newer theory I've been puzzling over...
Obey Me: The Theory of Karasu
Some of this is a theory I've kept tucked away until now as there wasn't really enough information for me to find any conclusions. But three recent developments in the story of the game have joined the dots, and upturned my previous thoughts.
First up, what we already knew.
When the player/MC is first given the DDD, a being called Karasu introduces themself as the "virtual assistant to support your life in the Devildom". As part of this tutorial stage of the game, Karasu announces that the new version of Karasu OS has been installed on the DDD, and a feature has been added called "Eye See You".
Eye See You is the function that allows the MC/player to see chats they are not a member of, without those in the chat being aware. Karasu mentions that Eye See You is "only meant for a handful of demons", but MC was granted the right to use it. Karasu refers to it as a privilege with the ability to "become the spy you've always wanted to be!"
~~~
Karasu - the Virtual Assistant
The disembodied helper calls himself a virtual assistant, and the operating system that runs on the DDD is called Karasu OS. This means that it is likely the same OS on everyone’s DDDs, giving each user their own Karasu.
However, this isn’t actually confirmed by the game, and in fact there are ZERO mentions of Karasu outwith the player/MC's own DDD experience. Given that the Devildom seems pretty keen on franchises and corporate mascots - including of the company that makes the DDDs - this is somewhat odd.
(Other appearances of crow/raven/feathers are in Akuzon and Devilgram, but these are not named or positioned similarly to Karasu.)
So it could be the case that while the OS is the same across all DDDs, the phones are either not all equipped with the Karasu virtual assistant, or that they have a less helpful version of it. The player/MC's Karasu after all has to step them through some processes unique to the MC (ie Nightmare and Your Tasks which focus on using the demon brothers' powers as protection against lesser demons), as well as explain very basic functions that usual users wouldn't require assistance with.
It is also possible that all of the above is true, with one central Karasu working across every DDD, able to give more assistance to the most vulnerable exchange student and with access to all chats sent through the Karasu OS, making them available for Eye See You users.
Karasu, whether in individual or franchised form, could then be a single being, or a network of such.
~~~
Karasu - the Demon
The word karasu has one very clear meaning - it is the Japanese word for crow or raven (烏 / カラス). The fact that Karasu uses a corvid icon in the game definitely points to this definition.
If you've read my notes on the three-legged crow, the name may sound a little familiar. Yatagarasu (八咫烏 eight-span crow) is a well known mythological figure in Japan (alongside his fellow three-legged crows/ravens in China and Korea). But Yatagarasu originally was renowned as being a divine crow, the three legs came later, and it's here that he shares some similarities with other famous legendary creatures: the Karasu-Tengu (烏天狗, crow tengu).
Tengu are beings that straddle the line of god and demon, as well known today as they were in ancient Japan. The bright red faces with large noses pop up all over the place, but these human form daitengu, now thought of as the greater kind (大天狗, greater tengu), are actually younger than the kotengu (小天狗, small tengu) who appear in bird-like form.
These kotengu are commonly known as Karasu-Tengu, because as the name suggests they often appeared as creatures with the attributes of the crow/raven or other fierce and intelligent birds.
Not exactly demons, tengu were long considered the opponents of Buddhism, dedicated to tricking the pious astray, disguising themselves as priests or sexy ladies, and endowing their own worshippers with unholy power. Gradually they became known as the ghosts of the arrogant, and the creatures became strongly associated with vainglory and pride (Lucifer: 👀).
Over time, a lot of other creatures began to fall under the tengu umbrella, often less troublesome tricksters, and tengu were divided into good and bad tengu. The former were in command of the latter, and the overall mood of the tengu became far less aggressive and malicious. Some people see tengu as beneficial spirits, and they are known for protecting the forests.
But where tengu truly took flight was in pop culture - from the folk tales passed down the generations to manga, anime, and games today, they even get their own emoji! 👺 Crow imagery and symbolism is used a lot, to represent mischief and malice both, while actual Karasu-Tengu are portrayed more sympathetically, either interested in swordsmanship or light mischief.
~~~
Karasu - The Theory
The three key events that have occurred recently that form part of this theory are:
Demons are said to derive their power from the three-legged crow
Diavolo, Barbatos, and Solomon are hiding information from Lucifer
Mammon has the ability to use crows as familiars and spies
In recent lessons we have learned that demons are said to derive their power from the three-legged crow, that the company that makes the DDDs is called Three-Legged Crow, and that the character stickers in the chat app are of the mascots of said company: Red Devil, Nancy, and Blacjak.
Blacjak is a three-legged crow who is "super popular" in the Devildom. (But remember, Karasu, the alleged virtual assistant for the DDD, is unspoken of!)
This brought up many questions about Mammon’s (hidden) power, as the second-born demon lord has the crow as his symbolic animal.
As I mentioned in my previous piece, crows were derisively labelled as tricksters in newer religions that painted the birds as unclean, but in older cultures they were venerated for their intelligence - their cunning kept them alive. This partly explains why the legendary three-legged crows and ravens also became synonymous with the sun - the centre of celestial power - and the sun of course is also at the heart of Mammon’s demon symbol in the game.
Mammon then not only has a link to the three-legged crow via his symbolic animal, but also through the symbolic sun that is part of how the game presents him.
Back to Eye See You. Karasu tells us that this feature is meant only for a handful of demons. Previously, I assumed that this was likely to be Diavolo, Barbatos, and Lucifer, as the latter certainly always seemed to know of every conversation being had regardless of his presence.
However, recent lessons have shown that this is less likely to be the case. Unless Diavolo, Barbatos and Solomon are keeping their discussions out of chats entirely, Lucifer cannot have the feature Eye See You - or if he does, it is blocked for the chats of those three other characters. Lucifer does not know all that is going on, but this does seem to be a new situation.
Lucifer and Mammon also use the chat to discuss Mammon's findings on what transpired between Diavolo and Solomon. We see no sign of this successful spying being recognised, so it is unlikely that Solomon or Diavolo have access to Eye See You - or if they do, it is blocked for Lucifer's chats.
I’d posit that perhaps Eye See You users can see all chats except those of other Eye See You users buuuuut MC can see all the chats regardless, so that ain't it.
This also had me dig back to find Karasu's specific wording - he doesn't say that only a handful of demons HAVE this feature, he says that the feature is "only meant for a handful of demons". The meaning may well be the same, but it could also mean that nobody else has the feature as it was only meant to be for a handful of demons but never actually pushed through, or that many demons have the feature, despite it only being meant for a handful of them.
And then the third and final piece of the puzzle. Unlike any of his brothers (that we've seen) Mammon has the ability to use his symbolic animal as familiars and spies. Not only does he have this ability but it's one he has already been using, as he already has crows as his familiars - it's possible even that ALL crows are his familiars.
Lucifer requests that he use this ability to gather information on what Diavolo is up to, and Mammon is able to do this with little difficulty. Bear in mind that he was using crows to eavesdrop on a conversation between the demon king-to-be and the most powerful sorcerer ever known. We've seen no hint since that this eavesdropping was noticed, in which case Mammon has a means of gathering information and spying on people that is powerful enough to escape the notice of even the most powerful beings in creation.
Either there is no magic being done to these crows to make them obey, or his own magic is imperceptible. I suspect the former, and that Mammon has the ability to speak with and understand corvids - but that this ability is unknown to anyone else other than Lucifer. And that in itself takes power to conceal, because Diavolo has the ability to know whenever someone is telling the truth or lying.
(This also ties into demonology, in which various forms of Mammon have had connections with crows, regardless of whether he is a demon or not.)
~~~
Tying Everything Together
Okay. So. We've got a virtual assistant on the DDD called Karasu. Karasu has origins as a crow demon. Mammon has the ability to speak with crows and use them as spies that are completely untraceable. The DDDs, and thus the Karasu OS, are made by a conglomerate named Three-Legged Crow. Demons are said to gain their power via the legendary being, the three-legged crow. Mammon is the only demon brother who has not demonstrated their full power.
Mammon is also the demon who is most attached to MC from the very beginning. He is the first to make a pact with them, the first to fly to their defense, and the first to show his feelings. He is the Guardian Demon, and MC is placed under his care in the very first part of the story.
Karasu does some interesting things during the tutorial stages. The first use of the DDD is in seeing Mammon’s missed call, and calling him back. Karasu tells us who Mammon is, where he lives, and that he's the second eldest. He also adds, "he is well known for being THE troublemaker of the Devildom. I can’t really recommend him, but oh well..." which fits in with the early treatment of Mammon as being the black sheep of the family.
However, further into the tutorial, Karasu explains that turning on push notifications will alert us whenever we get messages... from Mammon. Obviously, this is true of all the demons, and Karasu uses Mammon as an example, adding that "He’d be SO sad if you ignored him, that’s for sure."
Well, Mammon as the example for both phone call and chat isn't too strange, right? Karasu then steps us through a ten card pull, in which the rainbow pull will ALWAYS be Mammon's The Mammon Way SSR. When we are shown the Devilgram app, we’re encouraged to view the devilgram in which Mammon is shown to actually be highly intelligent but with trouble focusing.
Then we're directed through a battle, and the surprise guest is... Mammon. Karasu informs us that he has searched for what Mammon likes, so we know exactly what to give him (his fave, Instant Noodles (Hell-Sauce Flavor).
So that's Karasu showing us how to call Mammon, how to chat with Mammon, how to use Nightmare and get Mammon cards, how to view Devilgrams of Mammon, and how to give Mammon his favourite things, all with an explanation of who Mammon is, where he lives, and that he's a troublemaker who would be very sad if you ignored him.
The final thing Karasu shows us is the Eye See You feature.
Now, given that Karasu uses a crow icon, has a name meaning crow, that the Karasu-Tengu is a well known trickster, and that Mammon has the ability to use all crows as his familiars and spies...
And that Karasu specifically mentions Eye See You as allowing the player/MC to "become the spy you’ve always wanted to be!", and that when we eavesdrop on Lucifer and Beel early in the game, Mammon is also eavesdropping, and is the only demon who actually commits a full act of spying at Lucifer’s request...
Would it be crazy to think that Karasu can be influenced by Mammon as well?
While Mammon clearly has the ability to gather information from his crows at any time, it's also fairly evident that he doesn't always do it. But on the other hand, he is the one demon who always has a habit of managing to find exactly where MC is, whether during the story lessons or in events - Mammon has stumbled out of forests, in enchanted gardens, in the middle of shops, all where MC happens to be.
During An Elegant Tea Party, Luke is startled by a large crow watching him, Simeon, and MC enjoy a picnic in the woods. In this case Solomon shoos it off with magic, but it's notable that it's an angel who actually spots it.
Mammon has also made a show of shadowing MC in person at times for their own safety, only to always be caught, despite having the ability to use his crows to actually keep an eye on them. However, this is when MC is with Lucifer, and his big brother is aware of Mammon's familiars.
If Mammon can truly gather info from every crow, and those birds are somewhat revered in the Devildom due to the association with the three-legged crow, his access to information is absolutely limitless. A demon with a nefarious agenda could stage a successful coup with less.
But the one demon we know that never loses control, who has complete mastery of his powers, who hasn’t even shown the true extent of his powers, is Mammon. And perhaps only Mammon could have such a limitless resource at his fingertips and choose (mostly) not to use it. He uses it at Lucifer's request, and he (perhaps) uses it to locate MC to keep them safe. He doesn’t use it for himself, which is a big deal.
Consider how easily he could win any card game with a well positioned crow!
We don't know who owns the Three-Legged Crow conglomerate, and we don't know whether Karasu is truly a widely used platform or unique to MC's DDD. We don't know how widely used or even known about the Eye See You feature is. But if, IF, Karasu is a crow demon, then there is one demon brother who could instruct Karasu to give MC extra perks without anyone else knowing about it, to keep them safe.
~~~
Eye See You
In conclusion then. Eye See You is a VIP feature that was meant to be used by a "handful of demons". Who that handful is we don't know, but given even Diavolo uses a DDD, it has to be a very exclusive list... or a non-existent list, a feature that was never implemented.
(Diavolo also tells MC in the first lesson that he has previously only ever received chat messages from Lucifer, and remember, Diavolo doesn't lie. But that doesn't mean he couldn't be busy reading everyone else’s chats, but again, unlikely given Lucifer and Mammon's conversation.)
So it's quite possible that only MC has this feature, that it is unique to their DDD.
This could be engineered by Diavolo himself, in order to give the most vulnerable exchange student some protection that they don't have via demonic, angelic, or magical power. After all, the king-to-be didn't use chat much before by his own admission, and doesn't seem to use it for any sensitive discussions he might be having.
It could be engineered by Karasu himself, if he is indeed a sentient being, either an actual demon behind the scenes, or a digital demon of some persuasion, deciding of his own volition to install features on MC's phone that didn’t ever get released elsewhere.
It could be engineered by the Three-Legged Crow conglomerate, who we know nothing about.
Or it could be something to do with crows, Karasu, familiars, and Mammon.
~~~
Further reading:
Obey Me: The Three-Legged Crow
Mammon: The Fallen Warrior
Obey Me: The Theory of Demon Symbols
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