#carim

[girlvinland]

Finally updated my Morne Knight and Pardoner of Velka fic! This chapter felt kind of tedious to write tbh (I think bc I’m so excited about writing the next one lol), but if you read at all I appreciate and hope you enjoy!!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46430476/chapters/116902795

[insectart]

Some first test designs of an idea had for group that would replace Carim's pardoners (lol as you can see the clothing is based on the og). I'm going to copy/paste what I wrote in my notes under the read more! The name is kind of tentative and I don't know if I intend for the final version to have three different colors, I just wasn't sure what I liked the most. Also, I used Samson as a model hehe.

Lacrymariae, the Tear Collectors.

They work for the Cathedral of Morne, influenced and driven by a high level of devotion to the goddess Caitha, and as such, they seek locations where profound grief subsists.

Tearstone rings and miracles of the goddess require tears for their creation, and the Lacrymariae visit with those who are in mourning, collecting their tears as payment for brief condolences.

To some, the arrival of the Lacrymariae is considered a bad omen, for their appearance indicates that tragedy has already visited or will soon be on its way. For others, their presence is a comfort, a reminder that the goddess is always watching over them, forever listening to their pleas.

[esto-perpetua]

[house-of-laminations]

On the topic of a Southern MC, there was one rule my dad's family always had and that's if you left the dinner table hungry it was your own fault. Everybody would hand you something to try and would gladly heap it on your plate if you liked it. Sometimes there'd be so much food it couldn't all fit on the table. Dishes would line the countertops, get put on stools, and all you had to do was ask and somebody would bring it on over to you.

Meat, veg, etc. Nothing was forbidden.

Taking that concept and applying it to the meals at the House, where we know the brothers consume a lot of food (even Asmodeus, who seems to cycle through diets like they're going out of style) - and MC just rising to the challenge.

Does it mean maybe getting up a little earlier to get everything started? Maybe. But they could also pre-plan meals, and have everything more or less ready to go in the oven and that's all the work needed. But any spot that's free at the table is fair game for a dish - red spider sandwiches that have a little extra sauce? Wedged right between someone's elbow and the fruit platter. Salads and savory veggies, breads and entrees ready to go. Something for everyone, even if they weren't previously feeling it.

(Obviously meals require a good bit of prep and it may take wrangling a couple of the brothers into the kitchen to help, but the end result is a feast for the eyes as much as the stomach)

Of course there's desserts. Don't even get me started. You want coffee? There's a fresh pot already brewed. Cream? Sugar? Molasses? Right there, just ask for it. Not sure what to do with leftovers? Send some on down to Purgatory Hall, Luke's a growing boy, he could use the meal. Simeon's probably a late night snacker, and Solomon keeps odd hours. Give them some, they'll love it.

The only way you'll go hungry is if you don't eat at all, which is your own fault (affectionate). Here, try this and tell me what you think.

🥺💛 this is such a sweet trait. Is this what they mean by ‘southern hospitality’?

MC would be a meal prep champion honestly, getting it right down to an art. Devildom food was strange for them to work with initially - lots of live, squirming meats and ingredients that are more concepts than any tangle additive. But they manage to get their head around it, plenty of it to practice with after all. Besides, the main ingredient is love, and there’s an over abundance of that.

They consider it a victory if they managed to get dinner on the table without a single pact use. Eventually the brothers see just how much work they put in and go above and beyond trying to help. Well, all of them except Lucifer - he’s banned from the kitchen for burning water. His one and only job is to find suitable drinks to pair with dinner.

[demonfamilytherapist]

⭐ for MC is a ghost after Lesson 16, or Pact Mark Headcanons

The ghost headcanons were a sequel to MC's permadeath headcanons, so I went back and read through those ones and included a basic sort of continuation of where the brothers were at the end of that fic. I'll go brother by brother, and the ending part to finish off:

Mammon: I think this isn't too controversial, but post-lesson 16 I think Mammon would be one of the worst affected. At least in terms of simple, uncomplicated grief, Mammon would likely get hit with the worst. In that scene in lesson 16, every other character was able to communicate to the others, or even comment on what was going on. Mammon was in a full panic. I think he would want to cling onto any memory of MC, and so would be one to dismiss his sightings of MC has hallucinations at first because of that. But he would also be grateful to have any part of them left and finally have an opportunity to be honest with his feelings. So I tried to portray him as feeling lost and empty and latching onto the possibility of MC still being around.

Levi: In the original fic, I gave Levi a bit of competency. Levi is one of the older bros and that does shine through sometimes, and I think if Mammon wasn't able to step up, he would. Levi is doing his best in the ghost fic to support his family, but that doesn't change that he's heavily introverted and anxious. All his efforts have left him extremely tired and self-conscious, especially since many of his brothers are likely too caught up in their own grief to acknowledge his efforts. Levi sees MC as the same source of reassurance as they were in life, but also as a source of motivation. MC's influence on him has encouraged him to interact more with his family even if it's hard. I wanted to show that positive impact - and how grief doesn't always change family dynamics for the worst, even if it's painful.

Beel: Trauma, trauma, trauma. Beel not only has residual guilt from Lilith, he now has new guilt over MC, and all of that is tied to Belphie. His twin, the one person he should be closest to and understand, stole someone he loves from him. The trauma has kind of overlapped for him and Beel can't reach out for Belphie for it, but he also can't just abandon his twin. Seeing MC again, Beel wants to correct his mistake and take care of whatever form they're in. It's not necessarily the healthiest coping mechanism, but it makes him feel more in control.

Asmo: Asmo is an interesting character for me to write. He's either super difficult or I have a really clear idea of him. For MC's ghost, I wanted to show Solomon's influence on him as well as why MC is important to him. He's using a very human coping mechanism (talking to MC without expecting an answer) both to feel more connected to them and because he felt they listened to him. It's only after he sees MC that it starts to have a more unhealthy bend, but well, I guess it's justified given MC really is there? I think as a character, Asmo has a lot to share in his areas of interest (fashion, trends, parties) but due to their apparent 'shallowness' few people listen to him. So I think MC taking the time to understand what he's talking about would be valuable for him.

Satan: Okay, here's where it gets interesting. I was not planning on necromancy coming into things at first. But I literally couldn't think about what to write for Satan. Satan is not a character who would just sit around and mope, he's someone who would want to try and take action even if it seemed totally helpless. Satan also made his pact literal hours (or even less) before MC's death, so I think the rawness of that bond and the grief over 'what could've been' in particular would've driven him to act. I also wanted him to go to Lucifer when it became clear he needed help to show MC's influence again.

Belphie: He was actually the toughest one to write. I firmly believe Belphie began to develop feelings for MC (not necessarily romantic) while still in the attic. However, he held his trauma, grief, and misplaced rage higher than those feelings which led to his actions. When the justification for his rage was removed, Belphie is left to realise that he killed an innocent person (which, demon, he probably could've recovered from that) and a person that his family dearly, dearly loved, and whose loss completely broke them apart again. That guilt informs his actions for every part of the story, and leaving his shared room with Beel at the end of his section sort of foreshadows what would happen at the end.

Lucifer: Lucifer doesn't have the same close relationship with MC as his brothers do, so while he does grieve their loss and his role in it, his primary concern is his brothers (which just happens to distract him from his grief too!). Lucifer's lack of close relationship with MC is also shown in his poor understanding of them (seen in his insistence that they would be hostile). However, Lucifer has faith in Satan which changes his opinion. I have a lot to say on Lucifer and Satan's relationship, but I think that Lucifer is a lot prouder of Satan than he always shows and has a lot of respect for his learning and ability. So when Satan approaches him with the truth about MC, Lucifer is able to accept it. It also helps that the whole situation has served him quite a bit of humble pie, too.

Ending: once again, necromancy was not my original plan for this fic, but it honestly made sense. Lucifer has already broken the rules of life and death for a loved one once. They're seven of the most powerful beings not only in the Devildom, but across all three realms. And MC is one of them now. Lucifer offering his pact is his way of making it up to his family and MC for hiding the truth. Belphie's offer to leave was written shortly before I played the s3 finale, and let me say I felt so vindicated on that point. Belphie hates being alone, he's scared of being alone, but he offers to isolate himself willingly because he wants his family to heal.

It was a very fun fic to write!

[knightscanfeeltoo]

Bored of Video Games, Oscar decides to Invite Solaire, Siegmeyer and Lautrec for a Board Game that he just found in some Forest...

[aenreth]

Details of Eugenia Lysa’s Dark Souls - Carim

A Carim knight will dedicate an entire career to attending a single maiden, just as Morne once served one goddess alone.

[mordicaifeed]

Carim by Alessandro Paviolo.