when i first started working for metabelle, she was very displeased with me immediately upon meeting me. she thought i was very ugly looking and that she didnt want to be seen next to me because i was detestable to her. i remember that she complained to the shelves management beings that were my superiors in the substitute throne program and said she was insulted that they would disgrace her by giving me to her and that she wanted "a different one."
but evidently the beings who run that program didnt like her either because they had no interest in humoring her and declined her ask.
she treated me horribly, as you know. i already did not have the best image of myself, but working for her definitely made it worse. it convinced me i was the lowest of the low, and that i was detestable, and the best that i could hope for was someone that would generally tolerate my existence and at least usually keep to themselves about what they thought about what i looked like and was like as a being, and not hurt me too much when they inevitably needed to beat me for something or another. i always expected that beings would not like me- the concept that a being could see me, know stuff about how i was, and still hold any positive feelings towards me past "it is useful for this specific task although i wish it were better/faster/different" was completely foreign to me.
so it was shocking to me when arseni didnt really hit me when i fucked up, just yelled, and it never really talked about anything related to what i looked like and didnt personally attack me for things most of the time because it didnt really give a fuck and it wasnt even into thrones. that was the highest kindness id ever experienced. that and it taking an interest in educating me, and treating me closer to a colleague rather than a servant. although it did still treat me like a servant a lot. i felt a great amount of loyalty to it and like i was also in a great amount of debt to it for treating me so needlessly kindly.
and then isaiah and aethriel treated me like a friend. i thought they were both crazy, because i couldnt consider that anyone would treat me the way they did unless there was something seriously wrong with them. at first i was really nervous that somehow i had unintentionally tricked them and that was why they were treating me nice, and i was very worried because i couldnt figure out what it was that i done to trick them, and i felt dually guilty about tricking them and also terrified that i would stop tricking them because i didnt even know what i was doing, and then the niceness would stop and they would be disgusted by me and be very angry with me. that didnt ever happen.
Ezekiel was the first being who ever treated me like i really really mattered to him deeply. like looked out for me and was kind and understanding and forgave me even when i did actually bad things. hes the first being who ever sat with me and explained to me that he really really loves me. ME, the wretched thing, ME. first being who ever took as much care as he did to ensure my comfort. ask what i want. listen to my incessant whining and say its ok to "vent" to him and he does not just tell me to shut up. i love aethriel and isaiah. i do. i love arseni too. but i have a special bond to Ezekiel and i would kill for him no questions asked. if someone hurt him they would never find their body. and yes i would do that for my other friends/lovers too. but i feel a special kind of primal rage burn in my chest when i see my human get mistreated. the only reason his father still lives is because he has told me he doesnt want me to hurt him, for example...
but there have been a few times i have been graciously allowed to defend my human with the violence he deserves. i can and will beat the fuck out of human beings on the street if they are harassing or threatening him which does happen sometimes. at one time i beat the fuck out of a demon who was touching my human when he had explicitly told her not to touch him and she did it anyway. broke her arm. fuck you. dont touch my human. i almost got arrested for it too but Ezekiel explained the situation to the legion guy who showed up took our side because why are you touching a being that didnt want to be touched of course his partner is going to hurt you. the fuck did you expect.
partner. i cant believe i have one of those. its incredible to me that he would stoop so low as to consider me a lover, my lowly self. never in a million years did i think i would end up with a partner.
he tells me i should think higher of myself. im trying. its just hard.
sometimes Ezekiel and arseni will cuddle together with me in between them in bed and when this happens i have often cried. because im happy because im safe. because these two beings are my favorite ones. my safety net. and i can feel so loved.