A Demon's Grand Adventure, Chapter 1: A Meeting with Gluttony

-RELGION, GLUTTONY MANOR-

"Of all the people we could ask for information..."

 Satoshi was not pleased. Not one bit. They had to fly a bit of ways out to get here to the manor. After Scarlet strangled the mothman half to death, it admitted that it didn't know much else about the situation other than what he heard, and that it would be much better to ask someone else. Trying to ask Ra for advice was out of the question, or at least, Scarlet insisted on not bothering with him. Penelope didn't know much about the situation either; It was too new, so nobody knew much about the situation to even gossip about the possibilities.

 Unfortunately, that left only one choice.

 "We have to ask him," the demon said with a scowl.

 "Worth a shot, at least," Scarlet said as she approached the wooden double doors and knocked. Tina and Sora were dragging Felix's unconcious body with them, tied up with chains. "He gave some pretty good info last time I asked for help, he might give us a hand here, too."

 Satoshi crossed his arms and grumbled, "I don't see how. We don't have any sort of bribe for him."

 "Why do you think I brought this dumbass along?" Scarlet pointed at the nekomata with a smirk. "He wasn't worth much, just 100 bucks or so, but information on how to kick Dark Council ass? Priceless!"

 "So you're actually planning to feed this petty thief to him. What a fate to wake up to."

 "You got any better ideas?"

 "We could ask someone else rather than a demon who cares only for satisfying his own lust for food."

 "Oh yes, let's go ask Ra, who wants my eyes! That'll turn out really great, yep! And nobody else knows jack shit about this. Face it: this guy's our only source right now, and if that means feeding his dumb ass, whatever."

 The doors swung open before Satoshi could respond, two Prinnies happily leading the succubi and the sole male demon right inside. It was cushy as always, with a giant kitchen and an even bigger living area, where Prinnies played and ate and watched TV amongst themselves. Satoshi glanced around, taking in all the paintings of food and portraits of the owner, while Scarlet marched on up towards the staircase and called out, "OIIIII! GLUTTONY! GET YOUR STINKIN' ASS OVER HERE!"

 No response. The bounty hunter rolled her eyes.

 "HEEEEEY! PORKHEAD!"

 Still nothing.

 "Perhaps you should call him Your Graciousness, The Lord of All Things Food, Grand Duke Gluttony," Satoshi said sarcastically.

 Scarlet exchanged a look with her fellow bounty hunter before calling out once more in a sweeter, more seducing voice, "Oh, Lord Gluttony, your graciousness~! We have brought you a gift, my lord~"

  Satoshi paled, his jaw dropping as far as it could go. The buffcubus never uses that voice! Never! This wouldn't even wo-

"Oh, did you~? How ever so sweet of you, my darling Scarly~!" came the sing-song reply.

 Of all the times to be wrong.

 He pirouetted in like a ballerina, droplets of water falling from his short, black hair, wearing nothing but suit pants, his butler clothing wraped around his neck with his towel. His idiot hairs danced in the wind with him, as he spun on his toes and posed at the top of the staircase with a cheeky grin.

 "Ta-da~ The wonderful, lovable, huggable, ever-so-hungry scoundrel of darkness, Lord Gluttony, is here~!" the sin said with a flourish and a wink. "So nice of you to let me grace your presence, my dears! Especially you, Scarlet!"

 If it were possible to come whiter than a sheet bleached several times over, Satoshi was just that, shocked that Scarlet's plan even worked. Scarlet couldn't help but grin.

"About time, porkhead! What took you so long, huh?"

 Gluttony frowned and crosssed his arms. "I liked it better when you called me 'Lord Gluttony,' " he pouted, taking his towel and drying his hair. "And I was just getting out of the shower when you called me, so excuuuse me for taking my sweet time. Unleeeesss... " A mischevious grin spread on his face. "You like me all wet, hmmm~?"

 He promptly found himself socked by a couch pillow. "Piss off!" yelled Scarlet, picking up another pillow and socking him with that, too, just for good measure. "I only came here because you might know something we don't!"

 "Awww, not for little ol' me?" Gluttony replied with a sigh, picking up the pillows and allowing the Prinnies to take them back where they belonged. "Too much to hope for? Weeeell... if you have questions, I have answers!" The demon glanced over at Satoshi and added, "Although I didn't expect you to bring him along! It's been a while, hasn't it, Satoshi Nakamura! Or shall I call you Sato-chan~?"

 Satoshi responded with a glare, "Do not test me, glutton. I need only your information on the Dark Council's plans. Not your damned nicknames and jokes."

 "Good to see you're a sour apple as always," Gluttony sighed again beforre sliding down the stairway railing and leaping into a kitchen chair. He tapped the table twice, loud enough to catch the attention of his servants. The prinnies dropped whatever they were doing and rushed towards the kitchen, putting on chef hats, getting fresh ingredients from cabinets and the fridge, and generally preparing to cook. He motioned again towards the other demons to sit down, and sit down, they did. Sora didn't, however; she was busy zapping Felix back into unconciousness once he managed to open his eyes.

 The gluttonous demon put his hands together and asked, "So, interested in the Dark Council again, are we? Isn't it a bit too soon to jump back headfirst into the fray? You are their most hated enemy, after all~!"

 Satoshi closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "I wish I did not have to, but I must," he said. "There is news that they kidnapped a queen for her powers and plan on ruling all of Relgion... and the Overworld. Is this news true?"

 "Indeed it is! Raven Queen business! Poor girl was put under a spell in the middle of the night, whisked off by demons of yore! Her power is a fine one, too, I hear! Power over darkness and all of the Tengu! Trapped in a little bird  cage and guarded by Overlord Adreneil!"

 Satoshi opened his eyes and glared, Scarlet and Tina wide-eyed at these relavations. "You mean they actually went up TO the Overworld to kidnap a poor old lady?!" Tina asked. "That's just rude, impolite, rude, stupid, and did I mention rude?"

 "You said it like three times, Tina, calm down! Although I forget: Who the fuck is Adreneil? I can't remember all these fucking names now."

 "The major Rifle Demon," Satoshi said, voice full of scorn, "who claimed the title his predecessor had after I had killed him. He is despicable, strongarming others into doing what he wishes and forcing women into his harem. One who is more than eager to toss them away like used rags once he's done with them."

 "Eeeeeexactly!" Gluttony said cheerfully, as the Prinnies started setting the table and laid down cups of tea for the group of demons. Their master took a sip before continuing, "He's a selfish little demon who wants nothing but power, power, power! Pretty persistant and vengeful, too. Oh, did you know he sent a gang of ghouls after me after I took a bite out of Mistress Sanella?" He began to pout again, looking away and crossing his arms, even after the Prinnies set out a plate of pork and beans. "It was just one little nibble, and he sends out an army, can you believe that?"

 Scarlet stared at Gluttony blankly. "How big was this nibble, porkhead? Because I doubt a little nibble would have pissed him off enough to send an army after you."

  Gluttony looked back at her in surprise before holding his arms out wide. "It was thiiiiiis little! Honest!"

 Everyone at the table groaned, although Gluttony wasn't exactly sure what the big deal was. "Moving on," said Scarlet with a grunt, "So, can we just storm their headquarters or something and kick ass? That's the easiest way to deal with them, probably. Fastest way, too."

 "Ha! You wish it were that easy, my dear Scarly~!" the sinful dullahan taunted before clearing his plate of food. "But nooope, never that easy! You see, Lord Ardeneil may be full of muscle and rage, but he isn't stupid. Anticipating what some people would do, he placed a spell on the Dark Council Headquarters much to the north of here. I hear that only his finest generals hold the keys to opening them! Six in total! Scattered across Relgion, much to eeeeveryone's annoyance~! Isn't that nice, hmm?"

  Satoshi grumbled, "Of course, they force others to go on a fool's errand to reach them. Of course they do." He took a sip of tea and slumped in his chair ever so slightly, holding his head with a hand. "Never as easy as it seems. Looks like I will be the fool to go on this errand, if only to stop them."

 Scarlet turned towards her fellow bounty hunter with a glare and snapped, "Oh, not without me, you don't! I've been rearing to have a go at these guys, and now's my chance to kick their asses and show who's the real deal!"

 "And maybe become Overlord while she's at it!" Tina added, pumping her fist into the air.

  Satoshi seemed unphased by Scarlet's glare as he continued to sip his tea. "You must not be aware that the council usually does not pull punches, Scarlet. They will anihiliate you first chance they get. I have experience with them, while you do not." Another sip. He took a moment to think before he added coldly, "I am better off unhindered by allies, anyhow."

 The buffcubus slammed her hands on the table, hard enough so that Gluttony's teacup soared through the air. "Fuck that noise!" she snapped. "The best way to get experience is to toss yourself out there into the fray and never stop swinging! I need something trying to anihilate me because the last couple of fucks that tried were piss easy! And apparently, you forgot that we worked together before and we were a dream team, you dumbass! So don't give me any of this lone wolf bullshit; I'm joining you, and that's that!"

 The bounty hunter glared back at Scarlet, opening his mouth to speak, when he realized it would not be a fight he could win. She would only force herself in, whether he liked it or not. He instead settled for, "Fine then, if you insist. But don't get in my way."

 "Wasn't planning on being on your way, Sato! Also, Tina's coming because a healer is always a great idea, right?"

 "Darn skippy!" Tina said with a smile. "I'll be the best healer and ally you could ever ask for!"

 "One hinderance is fine, but two? No."

 "Shut the hell up, Sato, because she's coming with us anyway! She can handle herself almost as well as I can!"

 "Not against the Council," Satoshi emphasized, standing up and slamming his hands into the table. "Neither of you know what I've been through trying to deal with them! They are a menace! A blight! They aren't your simple bounties you've hunted before; they are demons to their very core, doing anything they can to kill anything they deem a threat! I won't allow you two to throw yourselves into something you barely-"

 "A-HEM."

 The demons turned towards Gluttony, who was casually waving the cooked heart of... what was that? A tiamat? Well, whatever it was, he was casually waving it in the air, his fork piercing right into it, looking rather bored.

 "Sorry to interupt your lovers' quarrel," he said, "but shouldn't you worry more about where these keys are and who these generals are before you argue over who does what and all? Besides, you're being rather loud, and I can't concentrate on just how tasty this is with you guys yelling at each other over stupid things."

 Scarlet and Satoshi exchanged glances angrily before taking their seats in a huff and looking away from one another.

 "I guess so," Scarlet said, watching as Sora summoned a marker and drew all over Felix's bald spot. "Guessing you know who they are and where they are?"

 "No to the former, yes to the latter! But do me a favor, Scarly~?"

 Scarlet paled, especially when he flashed that shit-eating grin. "Y-yeah?"

 "Please call me 'Lord Gluttony' agaaain~ I like you better when you call me that!"

 And there went the entire table, sending everything on it flying towards the Sin as Scarlet roared and put her entire strength into it. Tina scrambled behind Satoshi, who sat there quietly and watched as the table broke over Gluttony's head and all of that tea spilled onto his head.

 Gluttony blinked once before groaning out, "Aaaw, and I just took a shower a few minutes ago!"

 "I'm surprised you aren't unconcious from that alone," Satoshi commented.

 "I was always told I had a hard head, you see. And they're right!"

 Scarlet coughed, Prinnies working their hardest to clean up the mess and their master as the buffcubus lost herself in her thoughts. Her eyes darted between the prinnies and Gluttony. Prinnies. Gluttony. The sin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow before the buffcubus asked, "You have an army, money, and some power of your own. Why not go and handle the Dark Council with us?"

 It was fortunate that Satoshi didn't have any tea on hand. Otherwise, he would have spat it out in shock. "Are you mad?!" he asked, eyes wide. "You are asking one of the Seven Sins to help us?!? A devourer of worlds?! Someone so foul, he was banished here by the Sages of Orion?!?"

 "Normally, I wouldn't. But you say this council is dangerous and blah blah blah. Better if we have the extra manpower, even if I don't like him."

 "But he's mad! He'd just devour us and the entirety of the council in one fell swoop and take the title of Overlord for himself!"

 Gluttony could only chuckle at these comments before crossing his legs and holding his head up with a hand. "So considerate, my dear Scarly," he said with a smirk. "Buuut you see... there is nothing in it for me. Not even the title of Overlord is worth a damn to me! I just want to eat and eat and eat all I want~!" He paused for a moment and added reluctantly, "I guess the other reason is because I rather not have the Dark Council bother me again."

 "There's your answer," Satoshi said coldly to Scarlet. "Leave it at that. We have no need for anyone like him. Not that I would like to take you with me."

  Scarlet turned to Satoshi and said with  a small smile, "Good on ya to realize I'm gonna be there anyway, Sato. No matter what." She then turned back to Gluttony. "And come on! The Dark Council sending goons after you is like them sending an All You Can Eat Buffet! Surely you can't turn that down, can you?"

  "I don't remember good All You Can Eat Buffets where your food attacked you in droves," grumbled Gluttony.  "So my answer is still no. Tough luck!"

 Scarlet was about to argue some more when everyone heard an explosion. One of the prinnies that were upstairs ran on down, flailing about. "Baaaad news, dood!" it said. "Something's outside, something big! And it's firing at the manor!"

 Scarlet grinned. Tina summoned forth some smaller rifles. Gluttony paled and rushed upstairs, saying something that Satoshi could only assume was a swear.

 Satoshi? His hands began to glow orange, a serious look on his face. He could smell the steel and smoke, smell the familiar scent of battle.

 A warm up before the long war wouldn't hurt, it seemed.

A Demon's Grand Adventure: Prologue

---RELGION, YAMABIKO SHOPPING DISTRICT---

 "Out of the way, out of the way!"

 A nekomata, carrying a huge sack of goods on his back, shoved his way through the crowds, bumping into children and women and just about anyone as he scrambled to get away. Each breath was a hard one, with how heavy this bag was, but he just couldn't let it go. He needed this cash more than ever, stores be damned! This all belonged to HIM now!

 He slipped in through an alleyway and slumped against a wall, catching his breath after a long run. He took a peek out of the alley for a moment before looking upward. Good, no sign of them. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. No more running, no more bounty hunters to worry about. With a smirk, the nekomata took off the sack of goods and opened it, revealing all the gold and cash he stole from the stores. He even snatched one of those mystical crystal balls that dumb bird woman was selling in her store. Oh yes, all of this would fetch him a pretty penny if he sold them to others, maybe to that Greed guy he always heard about.

 He was so preoccupied, he didn't notice someone casting a shadow over him.

 "Yo."

 His fur stood on end as he slowly turned his head, catching a glimpse of crimson hair.

 "You fucked with the wrong place."

 He could hear the woman crack her knuckles as she lifted up... what was that? A halberd? It was huge!

 "So then," said Scarlet with a mischevious grin, "you gonna return what you stole, Felix? Or do I have to show you a few moves before I force you to return 'em, eh?"

 His answer?

He packed up his things in a jiffy and bolted, leaving the buffcubus in the dust. The crowd seemed ever thicker, ever dense as he tried to weave through the hordes of demons that simply wanted to hang around the district. It was pretty difficult, especially with such a heavy sack of stuff he wouldn't part with. Felix could hear the screams and yells of people, especially the battle cry of an angry buffcubus bowling over dozens and dozens of shoppers.

 "YOU'RE FUCKING DEAAAAAAAAAAAAD!" she screamed. Felix was overcome with curiosity and turned back towards her, only to see the halberd swing overhead. A clump of fur fell out and he heard panicked cries and the sound of something falling over and crashing into the ground. He didn't bother waiting for Scarlet to swing again before running for dear life, scrambling up taller demons and leaping onto the rooftops. Not even the yamabikos that echoed advertisements were safe as Felix shoved them off, and Scarlet flew up and swung again, nearly chopping their poor little heads off.

 The entire district was in a panick now as they watched the nekomata run and his pursuer destroy most things in her path to try to get at him. Felix leapped down from a rooftop and into another alley, blending in with the shadows with his dark fur and watching as Scarlet followed after him, confused as to where he went, and running out towards the open streets. He snorted for a moment before sneaking into a clothes store and stealing a trench coat and a fedora and sneaking right out, taking a chance to put them on in the alley before trying to blend in with the crowd. Yes, this wasn't suspicious at all. Nope.

 "YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD HIDE, DIDN'T YOU?!?"

 "Ew, trench coats are SOOOO last millenia."

 "You're gonna pay for thinking you can get away from us, little kitty cat!"

 If Felix could pale under all that fur, he would, as Scarlet returned with company. Company with claws and a gattling gun.

 He wailed like a little kitten as the chase scene began anew, this time with a purple haired succubus firing heart-shapped bullets from above and a blue haired succubus launching fire spells every which way. On top of that, Scarlet was causing collateral damage and trying to hurl roof shingles and chunks of buildings in front of him to try to slow him down. He almost thought about surrendering, oh yes he did, but the siren song of cash rang in his head, fueling his desire to run, to escape from the crazy minded, crazy beautiful bodacious babes. Adrenaline fueled him, allowing to run faster and faster, dodge the bullet and fiery hell they were raining on him.

 As he ran faster and faster and weaved through bigger and badder demons, Felix noticed that he was outrunning his persuers, their faces lost to the crowds. He began to slow down as the end of the district was in sight, the path to Devil's Forest in reach. Once he entered the forest, nobody would be able to find him, that's for sure. Not even those succubi. A smirk crossed his lips again as he walked towards the exit, his path to victory. The way is clear, the end was in sight-

 He stopped once someone stepped in front of him, wearing brown robes and a weird red and blue bandana. He groaned internally for a moment before puffing up his fur and trying to look as intimidating as possible.

 "Another bounty hunter tryin' to get me?" he snapped. "You got some nerve! But you aren't going to catch me!"

 The bounty hunter did not move. He simply asked, "Are you sure you rather not turn yourself in?"

 "When I'm just about to get away from you people?! Hell no! Now, get out of the damn way!"

 The bounty hunter stared for a moment before stepping aside. Felix grinned and ran down the path, almost tempted to whistle to himself. That was easy, way too easy! What a freaking pushove-

BZZZZZZZT.

 Thousands of volts of electricity coursed through his body, through his nerves. And before he could even hit the ground and pass out, the great Felix was damning his bad luck.

-----------------------------

 "Hold on a second, lightning traps?!?"

 Scarlet was kneeling beside the twitching, unconscious body of the cat thief, staring at the now-inactive runes drawn into the ground. Tina picked up the bag of stolen goods while Sora picked up the cat and dragged him away to a safer place, as the succubus leader glanced over to the mysterious bounty hunter.

 "I'm surprised that you weren't aware," the bounty hunter replied. "One must not be afraid to use deception to win against the unjust."

 Scarlet stood up and glared at him. "That wasn't what I was talking about! I'm wondering why you didn't use ice traps instead so, I don't know, you can freeze his feet in place before I sock him in the head!"

 "To be quite frank, I wasn't aware you were even here."

 "I hunt bounties all the damn time, you dumbass! You know this because we worked together!"

 "People do change, you know."

 "Well, I'm not most people!" Scarlet huffed, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. "I'm goddamn Scarlet, bounty hunter for hire, and I'm gonna stay that way for the rest of my life! Right, gals?"

 "Yepparooni!" Sora replied cheerfully, happily chaining Felix up with geas.

 "Until it becomes boring and you prefer bodybuilding to fighting," Tina said with a smirk.

 "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Tina." Scarlet sighed and desummoned her halberd before stretching out her arms, turning towards the bounty hunter and smiling. "Good to see you're back from Limbo, by the way. How was it?"

 The demon shrugged and replied, "Quiet. Eerily so, but after a whirlwind of success and the death of Giradin, I needed it before the rest of the Dark Council decided to have my head on a platter."

 "Well, can't blame ya. You actually went ahead and killed him after he screwed with the weak one time too many. And he challenged you to a fight and brought help when he promised it was one on one. And you won."

 "Well, I wasn't going to let a dishonorable, filthy liar win against me. And all it took to find out he cheated was to take advantage of one of the lesser Rifle Demons, so eager to spill gossip after two or four drinks."

 "And you went and killed him, the council that helped Giradin, and Giradin himself, big bad lion demon he was," Scarlet yawned, putting her hands behind her head, a bored look on her face. "And you didn't even invite me to help you kill him."

 "I rather take the high ground and keep my promise of a one on one battle than to sink to his level," the demon replied, his voice cold as ice. "I hope you will eventually see that not everything is about fighting for entertainment, Scarlet."

 "And I hope you can lighten the hell up, with all these rules and shit, Satoshi," the buffcubus grumbled. "You really haven't changed in all these years!"

 Tina overheard part of the conversation and chimed in, "Well, he was in Limbo for quite a while! I bet he even missed out on Gluttony's birthday party! And us kicking Flower Witch butt!"

 Satoshi turned to Scarlet, raising an eyebrow at Tina's remarks. "What's this about Flower Witches?"

 Scarlet grinned and replied, "Long story short, some witches were terrorizing the place and had some Ordrak Stone thingy. We killed the leader and turned the other two in. They were complete jokes, lemme tell ya! I even got pissed because they didn't summon a giant, world-ending monster or anything! That's Witch 101, seriously!"

 Satoshi stared for a moment and put a finger to his chin, deep in thought. Scarlet glanced over at him before asking, "Whatcha even thinking about?"

 "Perhaps they lacked the means to summon this monster... Or maybe they weren't powerful enough or skilled enough..."

 The buffcubus groaned and playfully punched her fellow bounty hunter in the shoulder. "You're overthinking this, Sato!" she said. "I mean, sure, maybe that's the case, but who cares? What's done's done. Or in this case, what isn't done is left undone or something or other. Let's worry about bigger fish we gotta fry, huh?"

 Satoshi glared at Scarlet for a moment before his attention was drawn by a mothman, flying in the skies in a hurry and diving down towards the group. Satoshi and Scarlet stepped out of the way, but the moth demon ended up crashing into Tina and knocking her over, flailing about like a fish.

 "Badnewsbadnewsbadnewsbadnews!" said the moth, after prying itself away from Tina and hovering over to the two bounty hunters. "We have baaaaaaaaaaaaaad news! Horrible news! Horrendous news!"

 Satoshi raised an eyebrow. "And what are these bad news you speak of?" he asked.

 "New threat to demon world! Very scary threat! Terrifying!"

 Scarlet scowled, grabbing the mothman by the fuzzy neck and commanding, "Out with it, already!"

 The moth demon cringed before turning his head to the side, trying to avoid eye contact with the scary buffcubus. "Y-yes, yes! Trouble abrewing with the Council! They kidnapped someone from the Overworld and is holding her hostage!"

 The two bounty hunters exchanged glances before Satoshi asked, "And this concerns us... how?

 Suddenly, the moth sprang up, wings flapping rapidly, his voice now high pitched, strained with worry.

 "The Raven Queen! The leader of the Tengu! They kidnapped her and want to make use of her power to create an unstoppable army! You guys have to stop them! Again! Please!"

 Satoshi could have sworn his heart sank for a moment.

 All this time away... only to be thrown into another adventure, another battle with the Dark Council.

365 Days of Sin: The Outcast, Part 2

-RELGION, GLUTTONY MANOR-


 The manor didn't particularly stand out amongst all the other manors Penelope had seen. It was a lot more modest than Greed's, every brick made of gold, or Pride's, which might as well have been a tower rather than a manor. It just sat there, not too far away from the shopping district, with nothing else surrounding it aside from the trees.

 It was a lot more welcoming, though. Or, at least, Penelope thought it was as she cleaned her hooves on the welcome mat and peered in through the window. Already she could see the Prinnies playing about and watching TV and cooking. A cheerful bunch, those Prinnies, even if they were sometimes layabouts. She did remember reading about them from a book written by this "Etna" woman, who spoke so harshly about those poor, adorable penguins. They were souls drenched in sin, worthless in life, damned by the gods to be sewn in a suit of special hide and to work towards redemption for their sins. Always working, trying to do better, improve themselves for the next reincarnation.

Sometimes she wished she were a prinny, with cute stubby legs and a cute little pouch around her hips. So cute and cuddly.

 She blushed as she realized she was thinking too much about prinnies when she had actually came here to speak to Renais. She then hastily rang the doorbell over and over and over, hoping someone would come over and stop her from thinking about those cute, adorable, cuddly-wuddly prinnie-winni-

 The door swung open.

 "May I help you?"

 Penelope suddenly felt tiny again, as the muscular maid towered over her. She was reminded of the behemoth, paling for a moment before mustering the courage to ask, "U-Um, is Renais here...?"

 "Whatcha need her for? She's busy flailing about about Gluttony."

 "I-it's a personal thing...could I?"

 The maid shrugged and helped Penelope in, allowing her to see the complete interior of the manor for the first time.

 She had never once stepped within, only coming here to deliver the goods Gluttony normally ordered from the Emporium. But now, she marveled at the golden chandeliers, the velvet carpet, the bustling, clean kitchen, the little living area where the prinnies sat with a child to play video games... everything. It all had a warm, welcoming feeling to it, and she couldn't exactly explain why. Maybe it was just the chattery voices, cheerfully talking about the days of past. Or maybe it was the various photos that hung about, with smiling faces all around.

 Penelope took a seat at the kitchen table, turning and watching the game on TV, which looked like one of those fighter games. Whoever was playing as the guy in red was kicking major butt, which she assumed was the little girl, smirking as she pushed button combinations and watched her prinny opponent flail about. It wasn't long until she was poked from behind, though.

 "You caaaalled for me, Miss Penelope?"

 Miss Kiki always said that Renais was a special sort of Prinny. She wasn't like the others, believe it or not. "A saint, delivered unto us by the Fates," she called her. Penelope wasn't sure what she meant by that, but she did look different: she was pink, first of all, and wore an outfit she believed she saw in some anime. Maybe it was "Doki Doki Princess ~ Sentinel of Love"? She even had one of the magical, heart-shaped scepters the heroes used!

 Either way, Penelope's heart fluttered as the cutest prinny of them all graced her presence. She struggled to speak, awed by her presence, until she could force out a, "Y-you know me?"

 The prinny did a little twirl in place before she replied, "Of course! I know everyone! You're the nice little girl that delivers all of those magical tomes Gluttony likes to order! Thank you soooo much for your help, by the way; he absolutely loves what you bring!"

 Penelope's cheeks flushed bright red as she stammered, "Th-that's good! That's great, even! Um, er, but I didn't come for that or anything. I mean, there's a... something I neeed to... uh..."

 Renais tilted her head to the side. "What is it?"

 "It's really important, uh... I just... it's... um..." The baphomet gulped, her entire body trembling before she forced the truth out. "I-I want to change and become braver and I was wondering if you knew how to do that!!!"

 Oops. Too loud. All eyes were on her again, and she could do nothing but slump and try to appear as tiny as possible. The pink prinny, however, just took both of her flippers and held one of Penelope's hands as she said gently, "Oh, I know. But it's a really, really long process."

 "I-is it?"

 The prinny nodded and said, "Yes, it is! It involves going on adventures with friends and exploring who you are from what you say, what you do, and how you think! And changing what you say, what you do, and how you think ever so slowly! Learn from those that inspire you! From your own beating heart, from your own will, bring about the change you always wanted!" She accented her talk with exaggerated movements and flourishes, and for a moment, Penelope was pretty sure the background changed into that of Mt. Fuji, with waves crashing into it.

 Probably just her imagination.

 "U-um... b-but what if... you don't have any friends? Or people you know? And don't go out on adventures? O-or... or anything...?!?"

 Renais stopped her routine and stared right into Penelope's eyes. She then waved her scepter around, summoning forth a brochure. Penelope took it from her and stared at the front page, showing a city of neon lights under the blanket of night.

 "Then you make some~!" the Prinny said happily before turning to the muscular maid, who was busy watching the video game. "Sophiiiiaaa, did Gluttony tell you you guys were going to that city?"

 The maid didn't turn back as she replied in a flat tone, "Yes. Pretty sure he drilled it into my head back then, with how eager he was to eat at every buffet there."

 "And you know that these Kobbers are going there too, right?"

 "Yeah. Gonna be fun with them around. They draw trouble like moths to a flame, and beat the everloving crap out of it. Betting Gluttony is gonna start doing some serious planning after he puts himself together again."

 Penelope's eyes widened in shock. "Gl-gluttony is...?"

 Renais sighed and replied, "Oh, he's six feet under again! Got involved with Pestus and ka-blooey, he was all gone, gone, gone!"

 "By a beam that screams 'magical girl powers'," Sophia added with a smirk. "Should have been there, it was great!"

 "But yes, he won't be back until November 28th! No earlier, no later! Did you need him for something?"

 "O-o-oh no, no," Penelope said, flailing her fuzzy arms about. "I was just shocked because you guys talk about it so... so casually!"

 Sophia shrugged. "Death happens. For Gluttony, moreso than others. He's the cat who comes back every time, no matter how far you shoo him away or how fucked the planet is. Besides, with the Kobbers? Death doesn't mean much when there are priests on-call."

 The three didn't speak for a long while, only the cheerful yells and pleads for mercy echoing throughout the manor. It was Penelope who spoke first, getting close to Sophia and all in her face and pleading, "Please! You have to lead me to these kobbers! To this city! Th-they can bring about change, can they? M-maybe they can help me change, too!"

 "They're gone for the season, but maybe in a few months," replied the maid. "You shouldn't rely on them too heavily, though. I heard some people changed in their presence, but it took a lot of dying and being beat up for that to happen. That, and maybe people telling them how much shit they are or whatever, I don't know. What I'm trying to say is that maybe you should try going out on your own and find yourself a bit or something like that before you go all gung-ho on this kobber train."

 The baphomet blinked once before looking down at her feet. "But I'm so busy... I can't always go on adventures... I mean, I help run the store, so uh..."

 Renais walked over and patted Penelope on the back, replying with a smile, "Oh, no worries, no worries! We'll make time to help you get your beautiful wings, help you take that first step towards adventure! Towards learning! Towards living! Towards loooooooooove~!"

 Again, the Prinny posed dramatically, only this time hearts and rainbows appeared behind her. Penelope rubbed her eyes, but they simply wouldn't go away.

 Either way, she did feel a little comfortable with the answers the duo gave her.

 The city of neon lights... these kobbers... Renais and Sophia...

 Fate was certainly smiling on her now. Maybe she would be able to change. Not for her family or her friends...

 For herself.

365 Days of Sin: The Outcast, Part 1

----RELGION, NICO NICO'S MAGICAL EMPORIUM----

 Sweep, sweep, sweep.

 Customers came in droves, leaving messes and glass and other such things to clean up. They were always so fascinated by the magical artifacts that Miss Kiki had collected over the years. The ancient pottery said to give good fortune upon all who held it, the portrait of a crying boy that would burn the houses that held it to the ground, the mystical orbs said to see past and future, the stars, and all else in the universe. They marveled at them, marveled at the tomes and grimores in the back of the store, marveled at all the octopus tentacles and beating snake hearts and behemoth guts used for potions and more... culinary things, if it were to your taste.

 Sweep, sweep.

 Personally, she prefered the animals, the familiars. Six eyed mice that could dance, dogs with no eyes, three legs, and could open their mouth in quarters to spit acid and goop, vampire bats with six wings that prefered sucking the juices out of tomatoes rather than people... and her personal favorite, a four eyed, twin-tailed cat with a pair of bat wings that purred like a motorboat whenever you scritched his ears juuuust right. Miss Kiki would find these things off the streets and try to find them new homes with loving owners. Or owners who would eat them, much to her dismay. Miss Kiki did not have the funds to keep all of them indefinitely, and any money is good money.

 Sweep.

 She could understand why Miss Kiki would do that, but she didn't particularly like it. Every animal had a life, a soul. If you put your ear close to them, you could hear them talk, reveal their darkest secrets and fears. The meanings behind the squeaks and the barks, hidden from most, would reveal themselves to her.

 For a moment, she stopped her cleaning and walked towards one of the cages, containing the four eyed cat. He was sleeping peacefully, curled up in a soft bed of cotton, his tail swishing from side to side. She reached in and scritched his ears a little, and felt the motorboat "Prrrrrrr", heard the, "Yessss," tiny as it was.  And she smiled,  because she knew the cat was happy, and that was all she could ever ask for.

 "Hey, goat girl."

 Her body seized up, her hand withdrawing from the cage as she turned slowly behind her. She could see the shadow of the behemoth demon who towered over her, his breath hot and awful-smelling. She pointed at herself, as if to ask, "Who, me?"

 "Yeah, you, goat girl!" the behemoth snarled. "Tell me: why are you selling my brethren's innards in this store, hm? Why are you allowing them to be sold when they rightfully belong in their graves?!"

 "S-s-sorry," came the quiet reply, "I-I don't stock the emporium, I-I just clean up and take care of the-"

 In a moment, she could feel claws grip onto her face, her feet no longer on solid ground, her eyes meeting with the demon's. If looks could kill, the behemoth's glare would slit her throat.

 "You think that's a proper excuse?!" he bellowed, attracting the attention of all of the customers. "You think apologies will make everything better, you pathetic goat girl?!? When my brothers are dead, your master collecting their parts and selling them?! Their worth reduced to whatever prices they fetch?!?"

 "N-no, I didn't mean that, I swear, it's not my fault, it's not my-"

 SLAM.  A gasp escaped her lips as all the air was forced out of her, her head hot and wet, her body writhing in pain. She could hear the excited customers shout and holler, "Fight, fight, fight, fight!" as the behemoth spat in her face.

 "Get up, you damned baphomet! Here, I'll avenge my brothers, and sacrifice you to their gods!"

 She could not muster up anything aside from pained sobs. It hurt too much, too much, to even move, nevermind stand.

 "Get up."

 She didn't have a choice, though. The behemoth did it for her, grabbing her and propping her up before punching her, sending her flying into a shelf of glass bottles. The bottles tumbled over and crashed, glass digging into her skin. She could not do anything but sob, but to listen to the bloodthirsty crowd, but to listen to the thump, thump of powerful footsteps coming closer, closer, so close...

 "Hmpf. Seems your clan was right: you are a weakling. You don't even stand up to fight me."

 More sobbing. Thump, thump. She could feel herself picked up by two mighty hands.

 "Fine. I'll do them a favor. I kill their outcast... and kill the one who condones the murder of my breathren!"

 She closed her eyes, crying out, "Please go away, please go away, please no, no, no," feeling the power behind those two hands beginning to crush her. She did nothing wrong, nothing, but she would die here...

 Her thoughts flashed back to the four eyed cat, his warmth, his motorboat purr, and awaited death.

 She heard a cry of pain, the pressure on her body released as she fell onto the ground. She opened her eyes  and saw that the behemoth's arm was entirely missing now. No, severed, flailing on the ground like a fish out of water. The goat girl looked up, past the behemoth, eyes wide.

 "Miss... Miss Kiki?"

  Draped in mystical, purple robes, her feathers as silvery as moonlight, her talons smoking from the power she unleashed upon the goat girl's attacker, Miss Kiki glared at the angry customer and said, "I will tollerate no fighting in this shop, sir. Please leave."

 The crowd booed at her, while the behemoth smirked, taking a step closer to the shopkeeper. "Ah, so the master comes to defend her pathetic pupil," he said. "I will enjoy tearing you apart for the crimes you've committed against my kind!"

 The sorceress did not budge. She only repeated, "Please leave."

 "After I've come all this way? Ha! I'll have your head AND hers to stuff and mount on my wall!"

  The goat girl watched as the behemoth demon charged towards Miss Kiki in a blind fury, the crowd cheering him on. She put a hand to her head and sat up in time to see her master's talons burst from the demon's back, holding his still-beating heart.

 The entire room was silent until the bird woman ripped the heart right from his body and tossed it into the bin of behemoth guts, the demon's eyes rolling to the back of his head as he collaped on the ground. Miss Kiki had gotten blood over her robes, but she didn't seem to pay attention to that as she turned to the crowd and said, voice cold as ice, "The Emporium is closed. Leave, or meet the same fate as he."

 The goat girl watched as the crowd ran off, leaving the bird woman to walk towards the store's entrance and pull down the shutters, preventing any others from coming in. The mistress then walked towards her, feeling the talons brush against her face, through her locks of pink hair.

 "I am sorry I could not arrive sooner, Penelope," said Miss Kiki, as she brushed through the goat girl's hair, magical blue sparks playing across her scalp and stitching back what was broken.

 "I-I'm sorry for getting you involved," whimpered Penelope, even as she could feel the healing magic repair all that was damaged. "I-I should have done something, and I apologized, but..."

 The sorceress shook her head. "There is no need to apologize over things you cannot control. He came here, angry at my practices, and took his anger out on you when he could have called upon me and placed his anger where it rightfully belongs."

 "B-but again... I couldn't stand up for myself... I couldn't..." Penelope's eyes began to water as she looked down at the ground, unable to hold back a sniffle.

 "I understand, young Penelope. It has been this way all your life, has it not?"

 The goat girl wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. "Always. My family... my friends... they said that I should have died when they abandoned me... That I was weak and had stupid dreams..."

 Her eyes met with Miss Kiki's, a brilliant gold. "They were wrong then, and they are wrong now, even as they have outcasted you," the bird woman said, her voice reminding Penelope of gentle winds through the leaves. "You are more than they. The Fates have spoken, and they have chosen to breathe life into you, to bless you with the experiences you have yet to enjoy, to give worth to you, my dear. No matter what anyone says, the Fates have spoken. From all the wicked lives they could have chosen to bring into the world, they bring you, and named thee 'Penelope'."

 The sorceress held the goat girl's hand and helped her onto her wobbily, hooved feet before she said, "You may take the rest of the day off, my dear. Jasmine and I shall clean up the place in your stead."

 Penelope looked down at her feet for a moment before turning to Miss Kiki.

 "M-Mistress?"

 "Yes, my dear?"

 "How... how can  I become stronger?" she asked, her voice quivering a little. "How can I... how can I get the power to stand up for myself? How do I change?"

 The bird sorceress turned to her, a talon placed  on her beak. And she smiled.

 "It is a question I am not fit to answer, my dear. All I can say is that it must come from within, and that perhaps Renais can answer it better than I."

 As the mistress left to the back of the store, Penelope took her chance to walk back to the cat's cage, watching as the cat stretched and turned to her, looking at her with all four of his cute little eyes. The goat girl picked him up, holding him close to her chest, yearning for the comfort of his welcoming meows and purrs.

 "Renais, huh?" Penelope asked no one in particular, petting the cat gently as her mind wandered.

 Another trip to  Gluttony Manor, then. This time, for a different reason than normal.

365 Days of Sin: Magus Night, Part 4

-RELGION, BEHEMOTH PLAZA-

They left under the cover of night.

The moon shined overhead, the clouds passing through and obscuring parts of it as the succubi trio soared through the skies like birds of prey, circling the city below. They could see the lights and buildings, so tiny and distant, from above, and could hear some of the buzz below. The people were noiser than usual, though. While the plaza was the place for gatherings and parties, the succubi had never seen so many people gathered around at once. Especially not around three colored dots Scarlet knew had to be the flower witches.

They descended slowly, trying to get a better look at the scene. The Flower Witches, especially. Scarlet could tell the one draped in red was the leader, with hair the color of fire. Not to mention, she was holding the Ordrak Stone in her hands. The blue haired one had longer hair and looked devoid of any and all emotion, like one of those robots from the Techno Kingdom. The last was blonde and wearing a more traditional witch outfit, and she couldn't stop jittering, even as she sat on her broom. Maybe she had a few energy drinks too many.

 "Yo, what the heck is up, you miserable fleshbags?!" said the red haired witch with a smirk. "We're the Flower Witches, and you know what? We're gonna rule the whole damn place, ya hear! No more of this Dark Council shit! The world belongs to us, and we're gonna show you how the fuck we do!"

 "Yeah," said the blue hair in a flat voice. "We're going to... um... fuck you up. And stuff. Woo."

 "Imsoexcitedsoexcitedsoexcitedohmanohmansunnycanwekicktheirassesnow?" asked the blonde, speaking as fast as lightning strikes.

 The demons glanced at each other before snickering. The red hair saw them, though, and with a snap of her fingers, they combusted into flame, screaming and melting into mush. She turn turned back to the crowd, all who stepped back.

"Anyone else wanna talk shit about us? Or did we make ourselves clear?"

 The crowd nodded. The witches smirked. Or at least, the blonde and the red hair did.

 "Good. You guys get to die last! Now, here in my hands is this stone, ya see? And when I power it with my magic, some real fuckin' shit's gonna happen. Any fucks who wanna stop us can step right up right now, and maybe get a real good taste of defeat before I turn all ya'll into paste!"

 Silence. More backing away. The red hair smirked and raised the stone in the air-

 BOOM.

  The crowd was scattered as something crashed onto the scene, a cloud of dust getting into the witches' eyes. When it cleared, however, the trio could see another group, standing before them: a blue haired succubus, summoning a pair of claws and putting her hair in a ponytail; a purple hair succubus, with hair braided back, her glasses adjusted, and with a gattling gun held in her hands; and one helluva buff succubus, holding a giant axe, armor black as the hearts of men, hair the color of blood spilled on the battlefield.

 She smiled, this succubus, and said, "You're trying too hard, kiddo! Maybe you should cut the shit and leave world domination to, I don't know, the professionals, hm?"

 The red haired witch snapped, "Who the fuck do you think you are, talkin' down to us like that! Talkin' down to ME. SUNFLOWER. THE MOTHERFUCKIN' BOSS OF THIS JOINT?!?"

 "Someone who lived longer than your sorry ass and killed more competent gang members than you, you little shit." Thunk, went the axe as she slammed it onto the ground. "I don't have a proper name. If I had one, people are to fuckin' scared to mutter it these days. I've done a lot of bounty huntin', after all. 100% success rate, too. So I wouldn't blame 'em.

You? You can call me Scarlet. It'll be the last thing you say before I crush your head under my boot!"

 "Fat chance, musclehead! I'll turn YOUR head into paste!"

 "Andwe'lleatyourgutstooandhaveapartyandfingerpaintwithyourblood!"

 "And we'll do other horrible things, like... uh...um... buying lots of things with your credit card."

 "Yeah! We'll give you massive credit card debt, yo! Then you'll be cryin' back to momma for money, like a little pissbaby fleshbag!"

 The succubi turned to each other with bored expressions before turning back to the witches.

 "Too bad for you, we don't have a credit card," Tina said. "And we're broke."

"And you're still trying too hard," Scarlet grumbled. "Seriously, 'fleshbags'? Come on."

 "BET YOU CAN'T DO ANY BETTER, SHITHEAD!"

 "Oooh, looks like we have a badass over here!" Sora said in mock worry, waving her hands in the air. "Scarlet, can we kick their asses already?"

 "Yeaaah, why don't you kick our asses already?" taunted Sunflower, putting her hands on her hips. "You're just full of shit, you know? Talkin' shit and all but you can't even back up your fuckin' words! Bet you're just CHICK-"

WHAM. The blunt side of Scarlet's axe smashed into Sunflower's side, sending her flying off her broom and into a building. Before she could get up, Scarlet was right there, standing above her and glaring down.

 "You wanna fight, mate?" she hissed. "Fine. We'll give you your fight.

AND WE'LL MAKE SURE YOU'LL REGRET IT. "

The succubi sprung into action without waiting for the opponents to react. Tina took her gattling gun and opened fire, spraying heart-shaped bullets at Marrigold the blonde. Sora soared towards Water Lily, the blue haired witch, and tried to dig her claws in, only for her to put a barrier around herself. Scarlet slammed her fist into Sunflower's face before delivering a mighty kick,  the little girl flying even farther this time. Her broom zoomed back to her, though, and she climbed up and started launching fireballs at the buffcubus, forcing her to back off and launch a bolt of lighting to try to knock her off. No such luck; Sunflower moved out of the way and lashed Scarlet with fiery whips before surrounding herself in flames and slamming into Scarlet at full speed.

 Marrigold became as light, zipping around all of the bullets Tina fired at her before sneaking behind her and zapping her. The succubus flinched, giving her the chance to barrage her with a lightning-fast magical barrage, sending her skidding back. Tina could hardly respond with a barrier spell before Marrigold struck again with an electrical tackle, then raining down bolts of lightning. When it appeared she let her guard down, the lightning witch went in for another tackle, only for Tina to bring up her gun and fire at her at point blank range, the witch screaming in pain and falling off her broom. Tina didn't give her a chance to get back on, sending her tail towards the broom and snapping it in half.

 Sora was having trouble piercing through Water Lily's barrier. No matter how many times she struck, it would hold fast. Water Lily pointed at her and fired a stream of bubbles, the succubus grazing by it as she flew off to dodge. The bubbles then stopped in mid air and flew down towards Sora,  dodging most of it but some of the stray one slamming into her. Water Lily soon summoned an icy wind, sending it towards Sora's wings, but the succubus was too fast, only litle bits of frost forming on her wings.

 It was then that Sora realized something: Fire. Water. Lightning. The elemental triangle. She went to mage school for this stuff, and it was a game of rock-paper-scissors: Water beats fire. Lightning beats water. Fire beats lightning. It was the basics of magic.

 And so, she shouted at her comrades, "Hey! Scarlet! Use some water weapon or something on that chick! And Tina, use fire! Or maybe just don't use light!"

 "Would have appreciated that earlier, Sora!" Scarlet grumbled as she struggled to hold her ground against the aggressive witch, who would simply not stop barraging her with fiery attacks, and definitely wouldn't stop laughing at Scarlet's misery. Unfortunately, she didn't have anything that would allow her to use water attacks. Not that she could shift her armor and weapon anyway, not while being on the defensive. She had to get an opening... but how?

 Sunflower soon summoned a fiery flail and charged in, swinging it about before slamming it into the succubus's face. She grinned as Scarlet yelped in pain, enjoying the sweet smell of flesh burning, that distinct sizzle. And she did it again and again and again, eager to see the demon's brains spill from her head for her defiance. Even when she was knocked down, she slammed it into her, laughing and enjoying every minute of it.

 She did stop, though, to put her boot on her face. "Not such hot shit after all, huh, you little bitch?" she laughed. "Some  bounty hunter you turned out to be! Serves you right! You and your little bitch crew should just leave, with your little weak shit! Because the only reason you're even alive, homie, is 'cuz I like watchin' you bitches suffer and die slowly!"

 Scarlet didn't respond. Sunflower scowled and dug her heel in before stomping again.

 "Did you even fuckin' hear me, you little shithead? DID YOU?!?"

 The buffcubus smirked, even as the witch stomped on her.

 "I heard you," she said quietly. "And I say this: you're still trying too hard."

 Before Sunflower could stomp again, light surrounded the buffcubus, bright enough to blind the witch. When the light died down, Sunflower found herself kicked off as Scarlet got right back on her feet.

Not in her black armor, though. No, she was as brilliant as the flames...

A flaming empress.

Before Sunflower could react, Scarlet summoned her axe to her side and slammed the blunt side into the witch's gut. She followed with a mighty slash, and another, and another. The witch howled in pain before continuing her strategy of barraging the buffcubus with fire. However, Scarlet only laughed at her attempts, as the flames  hardly scorched her skin anymore.

 "Like my new digs?" Scarlet asked with a chuckle, flying towards Sunflower and punching her right in her face. "It's pretty effective against fire! Too bad you're stuck dealing with me, huh?!"

 Sunflower tried to speak, only for Scarlet to punch her again, knocking some of her teeth right out. One good swing from her axe chopped Sunflower's broom in half and left a nasty wound on the little girl's chest.

  Marrigold was still using her speed to her advantage, dodging bullet barrages and all, although now she was unable to soar through the air. Tina stopped shooting for a moment, allowing Marrigold to get up close and try to sock her with a bolt, only for the succubus to put up a barrier last minute. She relished in the blonde witch's surprise before turning around and jabbing the witch with her tail. Marrigold screamed as the tail dug into her skin and drained her of power. The witch used her speed to get away, but she seemed more sluggish and tired, unable to keep up the pace she had before.

 Tina waggled a finger, her tail charged with electric energy as she said, "Oh, sorry! I just wanted to borrow your powers for a while. Do you miiiind~?"

 "OfcourseImindyoudummy!" came the angry response. "Thatsmypoweryoucan'thaveititsmineminemindMINE!"

 The purple haired succubus adjusted her glasses before putting a finger to her chin, deep in thought and ignoring the thunderbolts and bubbles flying between Sora and Water Lily behind her. She then smirked and replied, "Then come and get it, if you're think you're good enough for me~"

 "I'llmakeyoueatthosewords!"

 Marrigold used a burst of speed to try to get close to Tina, but she was so high up in the skies, she looked like an ant hopping to try to reach a bird. When it was obvious she would not be reaching Tina that way, she angrily fired lasers from the fingertips, only for Tina to bring up a barrier and return them back to sender. The witch then sent lightning bolts, only for those to be reflected back, too. After many, many, many tries, the witch decided to fire a barrage of star-shaped bullets at Tina, who counteracted with heart-shaped bullets.

 She couldn't help but yawn before flying down and delivering a mighty hip drop upon the poor blonde.

Needless to say, the child could not handle the booty as well as certain fallen angels could, falling to the ground with a THUMP.

 Water Lily's barrier was beginning to crack under the pressure of electric attacks from Sora. Not even water jets and homing bullets deterred the blue haired succubus away from her. All Sora needed to see was the look of worry forming on the normally emotionless witch's face to know she was on the right track before whistling at Tina. The witch desperately tried to keep them away with geysers of water and normal energy blasts, but too late: Tina and Sora's tails twisted together as the energy Tina drained transfered over to Sora, and she charged her claws with electrical energy and sped towards Water Lily, barraging her like Marrigold did with Tina.

 Sora could only smirk as the barrier, unable to handle any more attacks, cracked and broke under the pressure, her claws raking over the witch's chest, the witch writhing in pain and dropping like a sack of potatoes.

 The succubi gathered together, trumphant at last. The demons around them cheered, the young tyrants defeated.

 Well, sort of. Sunflower waddled over to them, Marrigold and Water Lily crawling and stumbling until they stood up with their leader. "You haven't won yet, assholes!" Sunflower yelled, holding up the Ordrak's Stone. "I still have this rock! You're going to fuckin' regret leaving it intact!"

 Scarlet's heart beat faster, not from fear, but from excitement as the stone heart glowed in Sunflower's hands. Finally, more of a challenge. What would happen? Would she warp life around her and turn the crowd against her? Would she warp the fabric of reality herself and become an eldrich monster? Or would she summon Ordrak, rumored to be stronger than the Seven Sins combined?

 Her heart beat faster and faster as the stone glowed brighter and brighter...

 The witches gathered together and held their hands up before they unleashed a brilliant red laser in front of them. It ripped through the earth, destroying everything in its path. Sunflower cackled as she kept it going, only stopping when her comrades ran out of juice, the beam dying down. "How do you like THEM apples, huh, bitch?!" she shouted. "No one would survive our Magical Death Ray! No fucking way! That'll shut your big, fat lip for good!"

 "I'm sorry, what was that?"

 The witches paled as  the dust cleared, the succubi and the crowd behind them still intact, Tina holding her hands up to make a barrier around all of them, although it had quite a few cracks. She let it down and sighed in relief, Scarlet staring blankly at the Flower Witches.

 "You had the power to do anything," she said, her voice quiet at first. "You could have done anything you wanted. Warp life. Warp reality. Summon a giant fucking 'I will fucking END YOU' enemy to ravage the demon world.

And that's what you chose to do. Used the Ordrak Stone for a giant laser attack. A fucking laser attack."

 The witches were as white as a sheet before the succubi trio  towered over them, glaring down at them. They could only turn on their cute, looking like puppies guilty of tearing up a couch, hoping that would spare them long enough to get the hell away.

 Scarlet laughed and said, "Well, I guess you did one thing right. You deprived me of a better challenge. Congratulations, by the way. Now, you plan on giving up this dumb shit, or do you want to die?"

  The witches seemed to become cuter as Tina, in her moment of weakness, reached out for them, extending the hand of mercy. Sunflower reached for that hand...

 And fired one last laser, right at Tina.

 Oh, the succubus was fine. She felt worse things in battle than that. Her dress was tattered and burned and her glasses, broken. She smiled through the pain, retracting her hand as the little witch laughed at her. Oh, that hideous laughter of a girl who pranked her.

 Sunflower might have opened her mouth to say something about them being stupid and naive. About how they would never change, how they would be Gs for life, and they'd come back to rule another day after licking their wounds.

 She had no such opportunity as Tina revved up her gattling gun and turned her into nothing but paste.

 "Anyone else~?" the succubus said sweetly, relishing in the fear, the panick in the remaining two witches' eyes. "I have plenty of bullets left~!"

 When it was clear that they were no longer going to oppose them, Scarlet stomped on the Ordrak Stone, shattering it into pieces before stomping on those, too. Sora conjured chained and tied the two witches up before letting Scarlet left them up over her head with one hand.

 And with mighty wingbeats, the trio left, taking the witches away under the cover of night.

-------------------------------

 A week later, they were back at Reggi's, sharing  a hearty meal with Gluttony and Penelope. Sora and Tina were enjoying their bowls of ramen, but Scarlet didn't even touch her bowl, a look of disappointment all over her face.

 Gluttony turned to her and asked, "Oh? What's got you all down, Scarly? Forgot to do your sets the other day?"

 "It's not that," Scarlet grumbled, taking her chopsticks and swirling her soup around.

 Penelope glanced at Scarlet and asked, "W-was it not enough money for that job?"

 "Not that either. Hell, it was plenty of money. "

 Gluttony tilted his head, his idiot hairs forming a little question mark. "Then whatever is making you look so down, hm?"

 Scarlet's lips moved, but nobody could hear her. She was a little louder next time, but it was still a whisper. And then finally, in a mighty shout....

 "THEY FUCKING ROBBED ME OF A CHANCE TO KICK ORDRAK'S ASS, THOSE LITTLE SHITHEADS! THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING COOL WITH THE STONE, THEY JUST WASTED IT ON A STUPID DEATH RAY! 'OOOOH, I'LL PASS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE COOL AND SMART FOR ONCE AND JUST TRY TO BLAST YOUR ASS INTO SPACE!' YEAH FUCKING SMART, TOO BAD TINA'S A FUCKING WHITE MAGE HUH?"

 Scarlet panted, catching her breath as all eyes turned to her. Penelope was shivering in her seat, while Gluttony just stared at her.

 "...So you're just mad because you couldn't fight Ordrak?"

 The buffcubus sat down and slammed her face into the table.

 "Yes. I am."

 Sora slurped a bit of her soup happily before commenting, "But that's our leader! Always wanting to beat world-ending enemies just so she can have another thing to be proud about!"

 "Cheer up, Scarlet," Tina said, patting her leader's back, "Next time, we'll find a bounty that's a lot smarter and harder to deal with!"

 "I hope so," the  buffcubus sighed. "Otherwise, I might die of boredom."

 Penelope put a finger to her chin before she said timidly, "I, um... I might know someone... who fits that description... I think his name was Irasha... with ten eyes, ten arms, and ten legs, and with a lot of power behind his bite..."

 Scarlet sat up straight, a serious look on her face.

 "Tell me more. Now."

 And as the baphomet told Scarlet all about this new threat and bounty, her cohorts sighed in content as they continued to finish their meal.

 One adventure after another. This was the life they were used to leading.

365 Days of Sin: Magus Night, Part 3

-RELGION, REGGI'S RAVING RAMEN, SUSHI, AND HIBACHI-

Great food. Good vibes. Affordable prices.

That was the motto Reggi's lived by. The owner, Reginald Durai, simply could not let any one person, whether it be human, demon, or anything inbetween, go without food. So he strived to make the best ramen that he could and make it as cheap as possible. The affordability drew customers all over the Overworld and Underworld, enough so that he could afford to make the place a little bit snazzier and upgrade it to a sushi bar. More customers came, more money flowed in, and finally, it became what it is now: A place for anyone to hang out and have a taste of the Far East, without bleeding their wallets dry.

Scarlet loved coming here for the ramen and to talk to friends. It was always busy and loud, with all the cheery vibes everybody had just by relaxing and eating together. The smell of steak and seafood wafted about as demons witnessed hibachi chef tricks, what with their onion volcanos and egg juggling skills. Just being here made her smile as children had their first taste of quality food and laughed and played among the adults chatting about the latest developments.

 She didn't smile for long, though, as she took a seat at the bar, where a hooded demon enjoyed a plate of sushi rolls, and a big, blue tiger demon, wearing what looked like a gi and a bandana around his head, carefully sliced sushi in utter silence.

 Tina and Sora took seats beside Scarlet as the tiger demon handed them a menu. They all glanced through the menu before the purple haired succubus pulled out coupons from her little white purse, along with five dollars.

"Dragon roll special," she said.

"California Roll," Sora added with a smirk.

"One heaping bowl of pork ramen," Scarlet demanded.

The tiger demon looked down at the coupons and picked them up. He then took up the five dollar bills and stashed them in a pouch hanging at his hip, pulling out two dollars and handing it back.

 Tina smiled as she took the bills back and said, "A normally 13 dollar meal, gotten for only 3 bucks! I am the best at saving money!"

  As the demon handed the succubi their meals, Scarlet glanced over at the demon beside her. His plate still had quite a few sushi rolls on it, even as he was chowing down on them pretty fast. She opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated. What if this guy wasn't the right one? Anyone could order stupid amounts of sushi, right? No, it had to be him. But what if their bribe wasn't enough? Trying to take down someone like him in a restaurant was a death wish. Should they really be doing this?

 Before she could get her words out, the demon beside her asked, "Isn't it a little rude to stare at someone like that? Especially his plate?"

 No more time for hesitation, Scarlet thought.

 "Just making sure it was you and not some other gluttonous jerk."

 "You wouuund me, Scarly!" the demon sighed, placing hand to his heart  and leaning back as if he were about to faint. "Wound me, I tell you! Who else would sit here and eat 50 rolls by himself, hmmmm? Have you ever asked yourself that?"

 "No, because quite frankly, I have better things to think about."  Tina pulled out her last coupon, staring at it wistfully before sliding it down to Scarlet. Scarlet slid it over to the hooded demon and continued, "Tell us everything about the Flower Witches. Don't hold anything back."

 The demon took the coupon and stared at it. It was one of those punch-hole coupons, where every time you ordered something, you got a hole punched in. Four got a free bowl of ramen.

 This card had 12.

 The hood came off, revealing the grinning demon underneath, with his stupid idiot hairs and even stupider butler outfit.

 "Oh, I wouldn't hold anything back for you, dear Scarly," said Gluttony, as he turned in the coupon to the tiger demon and eagerly awaited his meals. He straightened up a little before he turned to Scarlet and asked, "The Flower Witches, hm? What piqued your interest?"

"The fact that we're broke," Tina admitted, slumping in her chair before nibbling at her sushi. "Dead or alive, these girls will give us some reaaaally badly needed cash!"

 "And they've been causing trouble around here, and I need a challenge before I die of boredom," Scarlet added, grabbing a spoon and taking a sip of her ramen. "They also might have this Ordrak Stone thingymabobber that would probably destroy the world as we know it better than you and your siblings could."

 Gluttony crossed his arms and glared at the buffcubus, who pretended to ignore him as she continued enjoying her meal. He couldn't keep it up, though, as three huge bowls of ramen greeted him. With a sigh, he shrugged and replied, "Well, I'm so sorry that we were stuffed here by the Sages instead of destroying things in the overworld. Nothing can ever be that easy, can it?"

 Scarlet watched with disgust as the dullahan devoured his first bowl of ramen in mere seconds and wiped his mouth with a napkin. After putting it away, he smiled and continued, "Anyway, Flower Witches! Sunflower, Water Lily, and Marrigold! Three delightful little children! Heard about them after they broke into that manor and stole everything! They've done just about everything that would have them gutted and beheaded up on the Overworld, all for fun and games and a bit of street cred, I assume!"

 "So they think they're a gang."

 "Pretty much,  dear Scarly! The Ordrak Stone, I think they stole from an old, rattly alchemist who might as well be on his death bed, poor thing. Complaining about the blights of yore and how the end hath commeth and oh, you know, all those dark little things. Didn't even notice when his poor little artifact was stolen right under his nose! "

 The succubi began to glare at the dullahan in unison before Scarlet said bluntly, "Skip all that. Where the hell are they going to be tonight?"

 Another bowl, gone. A smirk plastered on the dullahan's face.

 "Why, they'll be showing off in the Behemoth Plaza, of course~!" he replied. "They're inviting everyone to witness their little act of destruction! Such little rascals want all eyes on them when the world comes to an end!"

 "Like hell I'd let 'em go through with it! I like the world as it is, thanks!"

 "Me too!" Sora chirped, setting her hands on her hips and smirking.

 "I dunno, I just really want the cash," Tina said with a shrug before smoothing out her little white dress.

 Gluttony clapped a little and said, "Wonderful, wonderful~! Good to know someone is taking initiative!" He then  put his hands together, his expression changing into something more serious, as he continued, "But do know this: they have strong abilities to draw on. Fire, Water, and Lightning. If you plan on fighting them..."

 Scarlet smirked. "Then don't underestimate 'em, got it." She then stood up, leaving what was left of her soup to the dullahan to devour, while her cohorts hurried and ate the rest of their sushi before following behind her. She did turn back to him and said, "Thanks for the tip, ya big glutton. Ya sure you don't wanna join us for the pummeling?"

 "It's bad to fight so soon after eating, you know. Cramps are rather annoying, you see?" came the cheerful reply.

 "Well, offer's open whenever. For now, see ya!"

 The buffcubus then left with her two friends, the fires of excitement burning deep in her heart.

 Let the witch hunt begin.

Character Development Infodump, Part 3: Orionians/Relgioners/365 Days of Sin Crew

This one has a weird, weird origin. I will preface this by saying that usually, I hardly remember my own dreams. Only the more vivid ones or those I bother to write down after I wake up from them before going back to bed, I remember. It's kind of strange, which ones I remember and which ones I don't.

This particular dream about a maid working for a demon, both of which seemed particularly happy about the situation, seemed to stick. And damn, did that demon eat. Once I woke up, I didn't seem to forget about it, especially since I kept building and building on it. Then, of course, I changed elements of it (The maid is reluctant! The demon is ACTUALLY the embodiment of a sin! PRINNIES!) and finally, it made its way to RP in time for Halloween 2013.

I must have been on drugs, with how much worldbuilding I managed to do within a few posts and within a month. A thread that wouldn't be picked back up until Halloween 2014, then again next year.

No, seriously, I'm usually bad at worldbuilding, what the hell.

So allow me to bask in the glory of my own creation until the hype calms down, and write down all the shizzzles I must.


"SUNDAE" SOPHIA ELRICH - Fist of the North Star

oraoraoraoraora

The maid in my dreams may have enjoyed the arrangement she made between Gluttony, but this gal sure didn't. I wanted someone that wouldn't take any shit, to create an interesting dynamic between unwilling servant and overeager master. Someone who would be strong enough to stand up for herself and for others. A maiden who is also a mastodon and probably wrestles men who rely on their masculinity for their reputation into the ground.

Yep, that's Sophia. Look at 'er flex.

While Gluttony, to an extent, has a leash on her, she also serves to keep him in check, considering that two millenia ago, he almost straight up ate kingdoms, and had to be weakened and banished into Relgion, the demon world. She knows how to use her noodle in the heat of combat, although her brain might shut down for a few seconds if you ask her philosophical questions. A fighter, not a scholar. Active rather than passive.

I also wanted a character that would use holy magic a bit more offensively than it's typically associated with, something that matches her personality: helpful, but rather than heal, she rather tank half the time and punch things in the face.

A mix of feminine and masculine. Not letting herself be defined or rediculed by society's standards. A fierce warrior and an ever loving godsister. That is the essence of Sophia.

But what spurred her into becoming a mastodon? It's not like you wake up one day and decide, "I want to become strong enough to snap the necks of demons!", right?

Maybe we'll see more about that next year!

XAVIER DU LEVOUSE, THE GLUTTONOUS - Cheerful Demon of Feasts and Festivals

Alternative title: Fueled by the Power of Thanksgiving.

Woo boy, this guy. Honestly, I'm not sure how the hell I'm going to RP him without people wanting to punch him at times. I originally intended for him to be a major asshole, with no qualms about devouring anything he deems good enough to eat. Cheerful and goofy, contrasting with the terrible image of a demon who can and will devour you whole.

But things are difficult, and I have to maintain this delicate balance between insanity and sanity: the fine line between Gluttony and du LeVouse. An asshole, but not of his own choosing.

I guess the trouble is dealing with someone who has two seemingly separate personalities without swinging too much to one side of the pendulum most of the time.

Eatting too much, sharing little, thinking of only yourself... Gluttony is not just the embodiment of overeating, he is the epitome of selfishness, right next to Pride. Granted, most sins revolve around selfishness to some degree, but when you would be willing to let the poor starve just to feed yourself to a stupid degree, well... that makes you a monster.

Anyway, when I think of the sin of gluttony, I also think food. So Gluttony is powered by food in two ways: copying the abilities of monsters he ate recently (that tasted really good, mind) and becoming stronger after eating a lot. He also has stitches on his stomach, hiding the fact that really, don't touch there, it might open up and bite your hand off. Gastric acid is also a pain in the ass to deal with. These abilities are based off of Kirby and Toriko (which is a manga/anime about a man who wants to eat everything and becomes stronger after eating food... HMM), and are pretty fitting for a foodie! And from eating a lot of different things, I guess you could say he developed a finer pallate, and probably evolved these abilities over several years to deal with the things he preys on.

But what about his non-gluttony based abilities? His abilities were originally based on D&D 3.5 spells, although I may start doing a mix. He also has the ability to separate his head and body and move them independently of one another. Just another trick for a Dullahan to use!

His more demonic, superpowered form has changed several times since its conceptions. Well, actually, I guess it was just three times: He was originally going to look like the Lucavi demon of the Scorpio Stone, Cuchulainn, from FFT, only with the stitches horizonal. Then, a while after growing used to the picture of Pestus Goops drew for me and all, part of me wanted to adapt some of it for Gluttony, like the arm appendages and huegness. Then apparently, late yesterday, I decided "you know what, fuck it" and decided that he adapted most of Pestus's looks, excluding all the boils and grime and taking the eyes and extra arm apendages, one pair that he can summon on his own without going full murderdemon.

Pestus with hair, including idiot antennae. Horrifying.

(damn u goops)

Oh yeah, since I tend to associate sins with colors, Gluttony is indigo.  The only other sin that would be competing for that color is Lust, but I figured that since lust is more... passionate, heated, I figured orange would be a better color. Besides, Indigo is close to being the most royal of colors, purple, and the nobility of olden days grew fat on feasts as the peasants toiled for food.

Yeah, that's-a Gluttony, alright.

PRINCESS LILAH PARFAIT - Pretty Princess Magical Girl

Honestly, I just made her up on the spot, after concieving the idea of the Cupcake Kingdom. And as the princess, she must have some sort of food based abilities! MAGICAL GIRL!

She's only 11, though, so she's more naive and genuinely thinks Gluttony is neat. I mean, he eats all her food and saved her from that giant ball of arms that was destroying her kingdom! And didn't eat her! So he's cool beans, yeah?

I wanted to RP a combat-competent kid without really losing that childlike wonder and way of speaking. One who wants to adventure and learn more about the world, even though the world's history is full of bloodshed and pain. Someone who looked up to Sophia and aspires to be as strong as her, in their own way. Someone who could possibly shine light on the enigma that is Gluttony and tease out his kinder side.

Someone who can take out a gun and fire broccoli bullets at Slenderman and get away with it.

No drastic changes here, though I wish one day I can promote her to a less minor character. :I

SATOSHI - Dragon Demon of Fire and Ice

and lightning and light

lel

A more serious type fellow, who relies not solely on strength, but on trickery and tactics. He's an expy/straight up copy of Crono of Chrono Crusade in appearance, but not in personality. He's actually one of my older characters whose concept changed over time, again and again and again, until I finally settled on him being a dragon demon.

He never did stray away from the fire concept, though. Nosiree.

I don't think I did him much justice in RP. He was meant to be a bit more active and reveal bits and pieces of WHY he turned against his own kind, why he was fighting against Pestus aside from the fact that he is a horrible being and made people miserable and waaah. He also was supposed to have his own plot in 2012, related to this strange demonologist named Kuroma, who wished to claim him as her own.

then I disappeared.

And so, Satoshi is supposedly not much of a party guy. He takes things more seriously than Sophia does, and works as a bounty hunter, much like Scarlet and the Succubi. The info gatherer. Shamelessly trapping things. Confused by these things known as "compooters".

Alas... maybe in 2016, I will be able to fulfill this dream. Maybe.

Any other char I introduced, such as Scarlet and the Succubi and Elise? Well, they won't get a spot here until I RPed/blogged about them a bit more. Stay tuned!


POSSIBLE CHARACTER CONCEPTS


A little pudgy batcat, seeking shelter from the storm of abuse.

A woman with control over ravens, ruling over the Tengu, with no memory of life before she came to Relgion.

A man who loves the seas as much as he loves the skies, his hearty laugh and his immense power the things Sophia remembers most.

A baphomet, working hard in Nico Nico's Magical Emporium, a disgrace to her clan, an outcast.

One of these ideas may see light, either in the blog, the RP, or both.

What might you enjoy seeing?