"More Than You Bargained For" (MTYBF for short) is a story that follows Joseph Reginald, a priest who works in the Renaissance Church situated in Oregon. He finds himself stalked one day by a persistent demon. He is unable to exorcise it because they have not inflicted any real harm upon him, which brings them to a stalemate.
To find a way to resolve the issue, Joseph makes a rather brash decision and strikes up a bet with the demon: if he wins, he gets to attempt to convert the demon to the light. If the demon wins, Joseph will be dragged to Hell, doomed to suffer along with the other tortured souls. Taking advantage of the priest's boldness, they sever his connection to God for as long as the bet is present. He will have no assistance from a higher being. It will simply be his faith against the demon's coaxing.
So goes a test of will on both sides as they butt heads to see who has the stronger resolve. Who will last? As both sides begin to fracture apart, it becomes increasingly unclear.
Along the way, many secrets will be uncovered, and many morals will be questioned. Joseph isn't as strong as he believes himself to be, but the demon isn't all they've cracked up to be, either. In fact, it's quite unusual in a multitude of ways.
One thing is for certain: something inevitably has to happen. The question is; who will fall first?
(Any similarities to real life locations and names is simply coincidence. Everything in this story is fictional!)
Tags:🔥☀️🌙✝️
✝️ #mtybf - The tag for everything mtybf-related
✝️ #mtybf character reference - Will show you references to all the characters in the book and provide a short description on who they are (these will be updated overtime as the story takes shape. A lot is subject to change!)
✝️ #mtybf character art - Will show you all art of the characters, both in asks and any general drawings
✝️ #mtybf asks - Will show you the answers to any asks recieved on this blog! I'm hoping to attach pictures along with it, which will be fun
✝️ #mtybf lore - Will show any updates on the plot (that won't spoil the ending, anyway) and small fun facts for the characters. Anything I find good enough to mention!
✝️ #mtybf Joseph - Will show any media with Joseph in it
✝️ #mtybf Lavy - Will show any media with Lavy in it
Boundaries:
I have a very strong distaste for anything NSFW or suggestive. It's really not my thing. I'm strongly aroace. If any of that art is made of my characters, I ask that you keep it away from me! All the characters in this story are of legal age, but seeing suggestive art of them is literally one of my worst nightmares. Don't use any of the tags listed above if that is what you, for some reason, choose to post.
Please don't ask any really invasive questions, both for the author and for the characters. I have the right to choose what to answer.
I've been practicing drawing people and anatomy in my absence, and I think my break from this story has really helped me see some improvement. So, here are Joseph and Lavy's official references! It's about time I finally made them
Joseph usually wears solid colour shirts and pants. Very dadcore (despite the fact he isn't one). His clothing doesn't change much throughout the year. Just the length of his sleeves, really. And he's pretty content with it. He's a modest person
Lavy doesn't have anything else to wear besides the suit they died in. They used to have a suit jacket too, but it's hot in Hell, so it was taken off. Though the true reason is because it overcrowded the design-
I also wouldn't ask about the bruises around their wrists. They're...touchy about it
I did this for fun because the imagery popped into my head and I found it cool enough to draw. Poor Joseph ain't dying in his early 30's-
Thinking of Lavy distorting their features in different ways is a fun exercise for me. They're very fun to play around with, even if it's just a hypothetical. Joseph is fine and well physically
Mentally is a different story after this demon comes around, but he makes due with what he's got
So yeah, it turns out that once I let loose on my backgrounds and disregard making them super streamlined, drawing them CAN be fun! I finished this way sooner than expected
Details for this drawing are in the WIP!
Except I'll add now that they're in the interior of the Renaissance Church, alone
I got this whole thing done...except the background. Man, I despise doing backgrounds, especially complicated ones, like this church one is definitely going to be. I'm posting the WIP here now, in case it takes me a long while to get back to this.
But anywho, I am still proud of what I have so far! Not only is this the first time I've drawn both of them at a side angle, but the poses came out better than expected.
This is the final scene in chapter 1, where Joseph and Lavy shake hands to officiate their bet. Right after, Joseph immediately regretted his decision. Things had changed that he wasn't expecting. The cross around his neck (under his priest fit) felt...normal.
I've been working behind the scenes, and I've gotten an outline for the entire story done! I've also gotten much more of a hang on my semi-realism style I'm trying to go for. Here's a Lavy to show it off. Yeah, I don't know what I did either lmao, but I'm proud of it
I also have some process pics, if you're interested:
Well, accidents do occasionally happen, even at a church. Joseph just assumed it was a cute song about dancing and falling in love. Really took the first verse to heart.
Now he's stuck with a dilemna: does he take one of the patrons' favourite songs out of the mix, when they're all likely as oblivious as he was to the real nature of the song? Or does he keep it in and let no one be any the wiser? What a tough batch of choices.
Nope! The origins of this story are WAY more wild and unexpected than that. Believe it or not, I actually got this whole story from a c.ai conversation with an au version of Wally Darling. I was messing around one day and I was bored, so I hopped onto c.ai and then proceeded to get WAY too invested in making a narrative work for a few hours. Afterwards, I got inspired to make it into an original work! In case you're curious, Joseph came from the ai and Lavy came from me playing a dumb act.
So, moral is? Stories can hit you from the MOST unexpected places sometimes. But I'm glad I managed to stick with this one. I feel like it'll turn into something cool (at least that's what I'm hoping!)
As for actual inspirations, I have to owe Faith: The Unholy Trinity a top spot. I love that horror game trilogy to death, it is so good. If you want excellent pixellated horror, please check those games out! The world building for MTYBF is very inspired by it, at least with how the demons work
Do you have theme songs picked out for the two of your little guys
I gave this some thought over the day, and I think I have some selections! It was way harder to find songs for Joseph because of my music taste though, PSH
So:
For Joseph, I can link him to Karma by OR3O. It's got that positive mental attitude vibe and not letting hardship beat you down, which I think is very fitting for the type of person he is. Also the message that "karma is what you make" fits in with his faith in God. Everything happens for a reason, and divine justice will be eventually served to everyone.
For Lavy, I have a couple of contenders. Blood from MCR and Heaven Says (Gameplayah cover). Blood is mainly for the trans atlantic accent, but also the theming of blood can co-incide with them being a gunman and how it'll never be enough because their job won't ever truly conclude. It can also translate to their duties as a demon while trying to corrupt people. Heaven Says is Lavy's gripes with God's judgement and being deemed a sinner.
Lavy is both non-binary and gay! Though they didn't come out with the former until after they'd died. You can imagine coming out with that in the 1920's wouldn't be ideal- and you know, internalised transphobia.
This is a good time to say what the inspiration for its name is! "Lavender" is based on the nickname that the old 20's called gay men. They were commonly referred to as "lavender boys". Lavy took that in stride and decided to be called by that. Even if they were a closested trans, they were NOT a closeted gay in the slightest.
L: "What's the point in hiding I like men? Whoever disagrees can meet the tip of my tommy gun if they have a problem with it! That's what I always used to think in my waking life."
As it says at the top, the ask box is now open for business! I hope Lavy doesn't give you too much trouble as you submit your ask. No guarantees though
Some more art of these goobers, which are the current banner and pfp!
It's so odd seeing fresh designs gradually change as you draw them. Funnily enough, Joseph's stayed pretty consistent, but Lavy has not. Their ears have definitely gotten bigger, and something in their facial structure that I can't place changed too from the first draft I made. The hair's also getting progressively spikier. Also, they used to have an overcoat! Oh well, we can either dwell on imperfections or embrace them. That's what I've been learning to do. It can be hard to accept change, but I can't grow as an artist without doing that, y'know?
Lavy is a cunning, mischievous and unusual demon. They appeared one day to bother Joseph and takes great enjoyment out of messing with him. They have a sharp tongue and carries themselves around with a nonchalant, amused gait. They love doings things just for the fun of it. This can lead to others underestimating its intelligence, which can lead to a big mistake. They're cagey on their past, but from what the priest can glean, they were alive somewhere back in the 1920's and worked in a mafia. Its slight Trans-atlantic accent that comes out more strongly when it's upset is indicative of that as well.
It has an unusual appearance when compared to other demons. The typical demon has black eyes and bright red and bumpy skin, but Lavy possesses much more human traits. Acts more like one, too. They haven't tried stealing the priest's soul or doing anything above minorly inconveniencing him with their presence. In fact, the priest can have casual conversations with it while they're alone. This leads Joseph to believe they're not all that they seem, and he'd be right, too.
Joseph is a kind and gentle 32 year old man with the patience to rival his namesake and an innate urge to help those in need. He is a beloved priest at the Renaissance Church situated in Oregon, and he couldn't be happier with his position. The church attendees regularly note him as easy to talk to and understanding. His friends know they can rely on him as a mediator to an argument, or able to provide insight to a situation. Joseph is also one of the best exorcisers in the county, and has dispelled of a few demons in his time.
He came from not-so-humble beginnings, but that doesn't stop him from keeping it lowkey. His family has passed down the Renaissance Church for generations. He comes from a long line of Christians who all managed to settle in around the church. Despite being brought up from a rich family, Joseph regularly stays in touch with the community around him, which keeps him grounded to reality and the hardships those less fortunate than him face. Though, to what degree he really understands without personal experience is undetermined.
He is highly confident in his faith and abilities, even to a detriment. This can lead him to make dangerous decisions without heeding the consequences that will follow, because he's so assured he'll be able to get himself out of them. So far, his recklessness hasn't gotten him into any trouble, but that could change at any time if his boldness grows...
