ok, so i tried drawing rune in the om sprite style, along with what they look like when using magic (bc they glow)! i changed up how their joints look just because nezha inspired me. (also, here’s a link to his updated profile.)
the asmo fic i ended up writing while trying to figure feelings out! it became more rune lore and an analysis of asmodeus’ starting relationship with him than anything else.
slight tw for body horror (talk about rune and their android body) and an existential crisis, as well as major spoiler warning for chapter 16!
When Asmodeus started to get to know Rune, there was an indescribable feeling settling in his chest. No, he knew the words to put to it but he was above them, he was perfect. He had to be.
But he couldn’t help the foul thoughts that invaded his mind as he stared at Rune’s smooth skin, never a blemish despite only taking care of MC. Asmodeus was sure he should’ve had poorer, harsher skin when he touched his hands. Yet his hands were so smooth and soft it felt like touching an angel’s hands, like how he used to be.
He hated it, hated Rune. The jealousy in his gut filling up his chest as he watched him be so poised and patient, skin so undeniably flawless. How dare he not work for it the way Asmodeus did, how dare he not bleed and sob to be as beautiful as him. He hated him, hated his soft skin, hated his composure, hated his kindness. Asmodeus hated Rune. It should be impossible for a human to be so doll-like.
He finally understood when he saw Belphegor on the floor, nose broken and cheek swollen amongst other cuts and bruises. Asmodeus understood when he saw the arm next to his brother, the familiar “tattoo” on the arm, the wires dangling from it. He understood when he saw Rune, fangs bared, eyes aglow, and only possessing one arm, the other side having the same dangly wires as the arm on the floor. Rune wasn’t human.
Of course, of course that was it! A sense of relief flooded him that shouldn’t have, for Rune and, most importantly, MC were in danger. But he felt relieved to know that someone he perceived as flawless wasn’t human, no they were a doll, just a doll. The porcelain skin and the unnatural beauty all made sense.
He didn’t pay much attention to Rune as they attached a new arm to themself, only Levi and Satan were really gawking at the technology. With a final click and hiss, their new arm was in place and they moved it around in a windmill, testing it out to make sure all was right.
In his excited state, Levi harshly grabbed the arm to get a better look when Rune had offered the two to look, in what would be a bruising grip. Usually they’d let out some sort of yelp or noise of pain but this time they didn’t.
“Oh, I forgot I wouldn’t be feeling anything there. It’s been so long since I’ve had to repair a limb I’ve forgotten the time it takes to readjust all the feelings to it.”
Rune had looked just as shocked as Levi about his lack of pain, but something dark clouded his eyes in a way Asmodeus couldn’t place, in a way he didn’t like. He didn’t understand why he’d get so upset when Rune would on those rare occasions, and the confusion that settled in his mind now only seemed to agree. Everything about Rune was so strange, so odd, made him uncomfortable.
Later, he sat down next to Rune in the silence of the living room, nothing but the crackling fire and a book to keep him company. It was a few heartbeats of silence before Asmodeus spoke up.
“Has your arm regained feeling?”
“No, it takes about a week to really get everything back to full functionality.”
Rune closed his book after a few seconds of silence, looking up at Asmodeus. “I know that you’ve been jealous of my skin, MC’s told me about it.”
Asmo pinched his lips together. “And?”
“You’re not the only one here who’s jealous.”
He rose a brow in surprise, as Rune’s own eyebrow scrunched together, he curled in on himself.
“I only recently gained the ability to physically feel, I think it was 1903. Until then I was just metal. Magic would’ve been able to grant me that, but no one had allowed me that privilege. You may have known me as human, but I’ve never forgotten how inhuman I really am. At least you can feel whatever you want, be sure you’re alive.”
Asmodeus balked, eyes wide. “E-excuse me?”
“I’m essentially a magical being, yes? But in a metal body. Well mostly metal, the skeletal structure. I, well I don’t think I even have a soul. Not the way demons or humans or angels do. I’m literally just a few steps away from being a pretty decorative roomba. I-I wish I could have what you have. A body that needs nourishment and aches and can bleed. There’s no answer to what happens to things like me when I die. At least you have blood and-and know that something is there inside you!”
His hand rubbed over his chest, as if he felt he were missing something, but Asmo drew his brows together. “You know we’d be able to tell if you didn’t, right?”
“So I don’t particularly understand how none of you knew.” The laugh that left his lips was bitter, and Asmo found himself hating the taste, so different from the sweetness of the words he usually spoke.
“No, you don’t understand. You have to have a soul. There’s no other way, you couldn’t have fooled Diavolo or Lucifer.”
“And where would my creator have gotten...oh.”
“What, did he kill someone?”
“No, I. His daughter. She died near the time of my creation. He-he had planned to gift me to her on her wedding day as a gift, to help her take care of any future children and her estate. You don’t think that, he took her soul? I-I…”
Asmo bounced up, closing the distance between the two. “Do you two look anything alike? It could be he decided to design you after her? Like make you her to replace her? Did he ever push a marriage to her fiancé on you?”
“I-I don’t. He never kept any portraits of her. Many of the guests had told me that they thought he kept me around because I reminded him of her but I, I just don’t know. Could that even be possible?”
Asmodeus was about to add in more of his speculations when he noticed Rune’s shaking, arms wrapped around himself. “We can ask Solomon tomorrow, but for now, rest. I...I’m sorry, for asking so much. It’s a lot to take in.”
He blinked, eyes clearing, “I, yeah. Thank you. I just don’t know how to feel about this. I’ve always been so worried about just being erased.”
He had to be gentle, Rune needed him to be gentle. He didn’t know how to feel about that, that Rune needed him as him. “I can promise you that won’t happen. I won’t let you be forgotten.”
“Thank you…” it came out barely above a whisper. Rune was so tired.
Asmodeus couldn’t understand what he had been jealous about. If his past self knew, he too would be kicking himself. Jealousy over perfection that never existed, what an idiot. As he tucked Rune into his arms — he was always one for physical comfort — he couldn’t help but wonder what he’d be feeling now if he hadn’t let that feeling get in his way. The only thing he could decide was to leave jealousy to Leviathan.
i wanted to do another relationship analysis sort of story like i did with asmo, but this time with belphie! i have plans to do one for barb and simeon too!
trigger warnings for: a bit of robotic gore, a tiny bit violence
Belphegor had only prepared for one unwittingly stupid human exchange student, yet here stood two. Obviously whoever stood near MC wasn’t Solomon, he’d be too smart to trust the demon. But it ticked him off exponentially to know that there were three bloody humans in the Devildom, made his blood boil and that urge to cause havoc to twist unpleasantly in his stomach, making it hard to play nice.
“I thought we had promised to keep this secret. Are you still upset that I lied to you, MC?”
“No, it’s not that!” MC shook their head, he could only see them, the other human was smart enough to hide their appearance. “I thought it’d be smart to try and get Rune in on this as well, to help warm your brothers up. They’re very friendly!”
“You make me sound like a pet dog.” The voice was soft, teasing in a way his brothers once had been.
“Oh shush!”
“So who is this Rune, exactly?” He pressed his face up against the gate, trying to get any form of a glance.
“He’s my brother! He ended up coming with me as well, accidentally. Don’t you want to introduce yourself?”
He heard Rune hum, then the shifting sound of clothes let him know they were resting against a wall. “I’m Rune, MC’s adopted brother. They say you want to try and patch things up with Lucifer?”
“Yes, and in order to do so I need you to get pacts with my brothers. It doesn’t matter who, so long as they trust you enough to open the door.”
“Hmm.” Belphegor saw MC look over to where Rune was, exchanging a look. “Okay then, we’ll try things out. Though if you do anything stupid though and I’ll kick your teeth in.”
MC let out an exasperated gasp, “Rune! Be nice! You’re not like this to the other brothers!”
“Ah, I can be like this to Lucifer. You know like when he tried to kill you?”
“Wait, that was you who tried to deck him?”
“Yup. Now c’mon, MC. Sorry Belphegor but we have to leave, so your brothers aren’t suspicious.”
He heard the walk away as MC gave a wave before leaving him all to his lonesome once again. Usually he’d hate it, stew in his anger. But he was intrigued, what a peculiar little human Rune was.
~
And then the almost daily visits from Rune started. At first Belphegor wondered if the tough guy stick was all an act, for Rune sure seemed to not be bothered by him. They’d come up, talk quietly about whatever to him for a while before saying their goodbyes. Rune had become one of his first real interactions outside of using MC or cursing Lucifer, and he soon started to crave them.
“You’re late.” He huffed, pouting despite the fact that he couldn’t see them.
“I don’t have a set schedule to see you, you know.”
“You have a pattern, nimrod.”
“Ah, is that it? Guess I have to wait longer for my next visit then, so your brothers don’t catch on.”
The statement was joking, he knew it was. Rune wouldn’t do that, yet it still flooded his nerves with panic.
“Don’t. Don’t leave. They have MC, they won’t notice, they’ll be fine.”
If he could have, he would’ve reached through the gate to them, keeping them close. That realization sent an unpleasant, fiery stone into his gut. What was he, some stupid, lovestruck human? He couldn’t become what he hated, what he wanted dead. He shouldn’t be craving them, needing them like this.
The pause Rune gave him made that stone hurt worse. Was what he said wrong? Then Belphegor saw Rune’s hand, resting outside his door. He didn’t move to try to see more of him.
“Sorry, I won’t joke like that again, okay?”
Belphegor swallowed thickly, “Whatever.”
Belphegor’s eyes didn’t leave Rune’s hand as he talked of random things, opening Belphegor up like some delicate package. He began to relax, that stupid human’s presence was soothing. Soon another feeling replaced the fiery stone, much more pleasant and comforting. Even when silence lulled around them, the warmth wrapped pleasantly around Belphegor. He wished there was a blanket like that, to keep close to him at all times. He missed that type of comfort.
“I want to show you lots of things once I get out.” He spoke softly.
“I’ll be waiting for that. I promise it’ll come soon.” Belphegor liked the tone of Rune’s voice, it felt like a warm cup of tea.
“Maybe. But maybe we’ll see each other in our dreams.”
For another time Belphegor was glad Rune couldn’t see him, his face heating up. He had many dreams about his human companion, many desires that he couldn’t believe. Waking up from each dream about a date or holding their hands under starlight put that fiery stone back in his gut and twisted it up red and angry until he wished he had dreamed of anything else. But he also didn’t want to dream of something different, wanted Rune to stay and keep that warmth that made him feel safe. How could a weak, squishy human make him like this? He wanted to scream.
He didn’t hear them say goodbye, which was a good thing. He hated hearing them go, hated it because the cold of the attic settled back into his bones and made him want to cry.
~
Freedom. No more gate no more attic he was free, he could do what he wanted. What did he want now? Belphegor only felt anxiety, he couldn’t comprehend this freedom, panic instead ate away. That painfully hot and angry stone was back to twisting up his gut, screaming and making him feel all of his grief and the coldness of the attic wouldn’t leave him. He should be free, be rid of this. Why was it still here? Why did it all hurt so much?
Seeing MC painted his vision irrationally red and bloodlust filled up his mind. It’d be so easy to do something so stupid. Get Diavolo to let go of his stupid little idea of humans being good. So he invited them in for a hug, which they took. He was going to threaten them, form shifting and horns protruding.
But MC ran, smarter than he thought. It stunned him a bit, he thought they were too naive. That should’ve cooled him down but it only fueled his anger.
He found MC in the foyer, about to do the unspeakable when a fist collided with his face and white hot pain flooded his brain, not even registering the crack of bone.
Belphegor looked up to see what he could only describe as a brunet Satan, if his irises were to swallow up his eyes and glow a soft green. The markings on this guy’s joints were aglow in the same way, arms poised to defend.
“I told you I’d kick your teeth in if you tried something dumb,” his voice was familiar, the pain that ebbed it’s way into his tone twisted at Belphegor’s heart. Perhaps if he were in a better state of mind the hurt that came with it would matter.
“Oh, what do you think a pathetic human can do? I’m going to do what should have been done when you got here. The reasons for Lilith’s death, I’ll make you suffer the way she did!”
He lunged again, grabbing hold of Rune’s — this had to be Rune, who he longed for but was now going to tear apart — arm, twisting it so it would break. He wanted them to shatter like Lilith.
It did, not in the way he expected it to. The tearing sound was like that of a machine, wires popping loose as the appendage came off. Belphegor stood there, dumbfounded. Machine. How could Rune be a machine when an undeniably human soul rested in his chest?
And then another swift feeling of pain hit his face as he fell back on his ass, letting go of the arm at impact. He was coming out of that fever, that rage of grief slowly.
After the front doors opened everything was a blur. He understood MC was Lilith’s descendant, that his sister had been reborn and lived a human life. That Rune was some sort of android and was MC’s bodyguard in the form a protective sibling. That he was somehow getting off light, despite the attempt of murder and actually injuring Rune.
It bothered him, bothered him that worse wasn’t happening. Bothered him that Rune seemed so nonchalant about his arm.
So when Beel wanted to go catch up, Belphegor first asked to see if Rune was okay. He had to make sure they were. Couldn’t rest until he was sure. What was going to happen to their arm now? What did they feel towards him? They should hate him, it felt like a rational emotion for the circumstances.
He barely peaked his head in, listening intently to Rune’s explanations to Satan and Levi about how he was going about to repair his arm. A hiss, a click and then a small “done” parted from Rune and he was fixed, a new arm attached.
He was going to release a sigh of relief, Beel’s hand on his back comforting as Rune was okay, until Levi let out a sharp gasp. He had grabbed at his arm, yanking Rune towards him. The grip on Rune should have been painful, especially since Levi had grabbed him so roughly, but both seemed to have frozen in shock.
“Oh, I forgot I wouldn’t be feeling anything there. It’s been so long since I’ve had to repair a limb I’ve forgotten the time it takes to readjust all the feelings to it.”
Belphegor stiffened before turning and running, wanting to sleep away everything like he used to. Rune couldn’t feel his arm because of him, Rune had been hurt because of him. How could he even think that he’d even want to be near him? The cold of the attic crept back in despite him clearly being in his and Beel’s room now, and it ached.
Beel was there too, rubbing his back and cooing. Cooing? Oh, Belphegor had been crying. He had been crying for Rune.
“What’s wrong with me?”
“You like them, Belphie. You feel guilty about what you did, but now you’re afraid of hurting them.”
“Again. I’d hurt them again. After they came and visited me nearly every day. A-after—“
“After you had begun to like them.”
It was a simple way of putting his feelings, ones that he had tried to bury in his furry. But Beel understood him better than anyone else, and knew he couldn’t handle the full truth quite yet. Because Belphegor couldn’t bear the idea of hurting another person he loved.
hey adrian, thank you for the ask! i hope you’re having an awesome day/night, and please remember to take care of yourself!
barbatos and rune have a sort of relationship that’s kind of a rivalry at first? because they’re both butlery and rune’s been around long enough to be nearly skilled as he is, but they’re not so interested in competing with him. and it evolves into this sort of friendship where they’re both really playful and relaxed around each other, in a way diavolo notes he hasn’t really seen in barbatos.
i think fans would like to ship the two not only because they open up the good in each other, but they both coparent luke (along with simeon too)! they’re a fan favorite ship bc it’s luke’s parents! there’s probably be a lot of domestic content of the three/four of them cooking and baking together and such. fans just love how sweet it is! (also lots of “hey luke who let you have three dads?” memes)
kai thank you for the ask, i hope that you’re having a wonderful day/night, and please remember to take care!
rune would probably be like the only canon character, sans MC, that isn’t afraid of diavolo! like he’s very curious about the devildom and he’s just like “ah a friend to ask about this”. while in turn diavolo’s very much excited because rune knows so much about humans and he just wants to be his friend!! it’s very much an exchange of info over tea type of friendship.
i think i could see fans either really liking to ship the two or just wanting to keep them friends (because finally diavolo gets friend that isn’t impacted by his royal status!). you have one side of the fandom that created cute fluffy content on them going on human world/devildom dates and being like super sugary cute and the other where they’re huge dorks together. also the fans of a more platonic relationship between the two probably ship rune with barbatos so like, lots of content of diavolo attempting to be a good wingman!
by the end of the year of the exchange program mc has a compilation video of rune fighting people trying to attack mc and the only ones not in the video are asmo and mammon, while lucifer is there three times
