Real Life on the Seventh Floor, Chapter 36: Pool Party!
Heck yeeeeeah, lookit that!!! Look how cute this is!!! I love it so much it’s so adorable UGH YES!!
It’s taken me forever to post this, but thank you thank you thank you so much to @amphinogiz for being willing to put in the time and effort to make this for me!! They are always so great to work with, and I love their stuff. I can’t decide if my favorite panel is Mira’s seriousness rushing to dunk Demi or Demi as he laughs. It’s tied with every silly expression Mira makes ok fine I love every panel don’t judge me I can’t pick favorites
(Excerpt from the chapter to match and extra art below the cut!)
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“Just checking, um—oh, just a sec, can I—” You reached over and took off his glasses as he stood still, clearly confused, and set them on a table behind you. Luna over Demi’s shoulder was face-palming as you turned back around. You ignored her. Fine, maybe you were stalling. Just a bit.
C’mon, you could do this. Luna eating a salad was riding on this. You got this. “Ok,” you said. “Ah, so… So, you guys were talking about what again?”
Demiurge cocked his head. “Mira, is something—”
You lunged.
His eyes widened as you rushed forward, and for a moment the confusion he wore when you removed his glasses persisted as your hands shoved him backwards. He didn’t resist you, of course.
Then in the flash of an instant you saw the pieces connect, and he understood. He grinned.
And he grabbed your hands.
You squealed as you found yourself tumbling after him into the pool, the rush of cool water making you pull your hands back into you. Demiurge was under you and still grasping your hands, and as you surfaced you both were together, holding onto each other.
He was laughing. Eyes squinting, shoulders shaking, whole-heartedly laughing. He shook his head to move the hair out of his face, then went to work helping you move yours from your eyes. Kicking a bit closer to him to help the effort, you giggled along. How could you not? How could you possibly not laugh with this wonderful man?
He leaned as your lips came into view and kissed you. An awwwww sounded out from around the pool and you blushed, suddenly remembering your audience. He leaned into your ear with a chuckle. “You are spectacular,” he hummed. “You are my everything.”
Your chest filled with his words. You tucked your arms in, letting him pull you closer. Yeah, you wanted to have that talk later. In fact, you were pretty excited to have that talk.
Movement over his shoulder caught your eye, and you glanced up in time to see Charlotte handing a crisp bill over to Luna, who was already holding a bill in the hand closer to Alanna. “Worth it,” you heard Charlotte say as Luna accepted the winnings.
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….Later that night:
I can’t remember if I’ve posted this extra one before (I think I have?? 🤔🤷♀️I feel like I have. I’ll check later because if I haven’t, I should do that!) but it fits here so well I absolutely had to add it!
Little personal update: It’s been a while, but I am still working on RLotSF! I found some inspiration on a personal project and have been working on that lately, but I would guess… probably mid-late december? this fic will update again! In the meantime, I’ve got a backlog of art to post and incorrect quotes to share, so I’ll be around! See y’all later!✨
@amphinogiz surprised me the other day with this gift art and holy cow, it’s so stinkin cute!! Lookit these two absolute dorks, I cannot get over the panic on Mira’s face 😂
Demi moved to stand, tucking blankets around you as he did. “I will return momentarily,” he said, and leaned in towards your face.
You lurched back.
“Woah, hold on, don’t kiss me!”
His ears fell. “I—m-my apologies, have I—?”
“You’ll get sick too!! In fact, you probably shouldn’t even be near me, I don’t wanna get you—”
His ears shot right back up. “Sick? Why, there’s no cause to fear any such thing. Devils are immune to such troubles, my Lady.” His smile was wide, and he leaned in for another kiss, which you hesitantly allowed.
“You’ve never been sick?”
“I would have made a poor floor guardian if a few microscopic enemies could prevent me from my duties.”
“Huh. I guess… that’s true. We were careful to prevent status effects. But, you’re sure you can’t get sick?” You pulled a blanket up over your mouth, still not convinced.
“The internal body heat of a devil is adverse to the climate required to afflict,” he stated, “and with the added capabilities of cold spells as well as natural resistances, sicknesses in high-level devils are rare enough that they are considered non-existent, even mere wishful legends imagined by lesser creatures. And I am only of the finest caliber,” he cooed, teasing his face in close yet again for another kiss. “As are you, m—”
He froze in pulling the blanket from your face. You waited awkwardly. “Uh, is… everything ok—?”
His hand leapt to his pocket, digging through his jacket until he held a small item between you. “Of course! Forgive me, I should have considered it sooner—it’s obvious! There is no need for you to go through such an experience at all.” In his hand, he presented to you the Ring of Infiltration. “My very nature can be applied to spare you this pedestrian ordeal. All that must be done, is for you to acquire it as well.”
You looked at the silver band as it caught the light and turned a furrowed brow to him. He lifted his palm a bit more in offering.
“Forgive me for suggesting a dose of pain to expel a prolonged misery. But I would much prefer to be your cure, rather than simply bring you comfort in sickness.” He tilted the ring a little closer.
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Ok, place your bets, who thinks everything is gonna go according to plan and there will be no shenanigans whatsoever this chapter? … Anyone? No takers? None at all?? … Drat, you all know me and my tricks too well by now.
I’ve posted this art before, but I’m very happy for an excuse to post it again! Art by @amphinogiz (And it is actually a set of three! If you wanna see the piece with Mira and Demi in their fiend forms as well, I’ve got it tagged with their username here on my blog. So if tumblr doesn’t fail me, you should be able to click “amphinogiz” down below in these tags and find it relatively quickly!) Go check their stuff out, they’re such a wonderful artist and person with such a great art style!!
I have been so excited about this project, and I’m kinda in a daze posting it because oh my gosh, a comic page?? Of my fic???
I could cry. I love this so much, I could cry. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out!
I love @amphinogiz’s work, and when I asked it I could commission a scene drawn from my fic, I did not expect the response to be, “how about a whole comic page instead?” Like, what?? Yes?? Please??
(Watch for it to get added at the end of the first chapter of RLotSF on ao3; @download077 is gonna help me put it up there! I’ll edit this with a link when it’s added in. (Here it is!!: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17506664/chapters/41237897) I’m so excited!!)
Thank you again so much, for drawing my girl and her boi meeting for the first time “irl” so wonderfully!! Now, to go print it on a poster and plaster it up on my wall~
“And with that… I believe your affairs will be well maintained for the time being.”
Charlotte let out a sound of relief. “Well about time! I thought the limo’d run out of gas before we were done.” She pulled her stare from the window to watch Demiurge close the last manila folder, her reclined posture doing nothing to hide her boredom.
He let a slow blink convey the same level of entertainment. “This might come as a shocking suggestion, but such concerns could have been alleviated by arranging our meeting within your office rather than on the road.”
“This was more convenient! At least, it was supposed to be, before you decided it had to take twice as long as usual.”
“Your dabblings this week have been twice as faulty, when compared to average. In which case, you as the head of your operations should have recognized the extra time that would be required.”
The corners of Charlotte’s lips twitched, but then she pulled herself up in the seat, gesturing a hand out. A martini glass was placed within it. “Well! Either way, it’s done. And after how long it took, we deserve a little reward! Get Demiurge that stuff he likes,” she said to her bodyguard. “And, tell Brandi we’re finally headed home!”
“I won’t be indulging, thank you,” Demiurge said, extending a hand to wave away the offer only to find a drink already being placed between his fingers. The bodyguard was quickly back to watching him from the other side of the limo. She gave three swift knocks to the driver’s divider, intentful glare trained on the man opposite her. The vehicle took a left, and Demiurge tapped his fingers pointedly against the chilled crystal before cocking his head to Charlotte.
“For enduring such an unpleasant task, you’ve certainly recovered to a cheerful mood. Might I inquire as to the reason?”
“Why, our extra business tonight, of course! Don’t tell me you already forgot, Dem. You’re the one who just suggested it! To help recover from last week?” She tipped her whole martini into her mouth, downing it like a pregame warmup to a much bigger evening, then trilled a laugh. “Mmm, yeah, this should be fun! It’s been a while since we did one of th—”
“Ah. I will not be joining you.”
“...—Wait, wha-at?!”
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Soooo... oops 😅 I kinda forgot to post an update for chapter 43. But! Now 44 is posted, so here’s a notice on both!
The incredible art up there (and the two additional ones down here!) are commissions from @amphinogiz! They’re the three forms that Demi and Mira have shared together; Fiend, Devil, and Human. And I love them so. much.
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you have a spectacular one!!
Hi hi, I saw what happened with your art being use without your permission, I just wanted to send you all my support. People are mean and immature for what ? I'm so fustrated for you ! I hope it will get deleted and that you're still having a good day, take care and never stop doing what makes you happy, I know there's a lot of people enjoying your content out here. Please put yourself first and take care, I hope my message is not out of place, have a good night or day ! 🧡
Thank you so much for the kind words and support. 😭♥
I did go to the link provided me in that Reddit thread. I have to admit, I've never had the care to make a Reddit account, so I don't know how any of that site works. I think what really hurt was how the mods said 'yeah, we could delete it but eh.. see what the higher ups say on the site'.
I don't know why if an artist asks for their works removed (or credited), people won't do it. 😅
I know as far as this year has been, I may have been brash in my decision to step away from the fandom. But I do think doing this will just help me heal a bit. Not hate a character I adore so much. I hope I can return to writing and drawing to him in his series with a better perspective.
Thanks again for the lovely words. It means a lot. ♥ 🥺
