Chapter Text
'I've fallen from grace, but I can't forget my virtues.'
When confronted about their nature, why they don't succumb to their sins, why they don't act as true demons, their answer always remains the same:
"I may have fallen from grace, but I can't throw away who I once was."
Lucifer:
•he felt the difference almost instantly. A pride he was always told would lead to his downfall. Pride that is the root of all evil. Pride that leads to hubris and arrogance. Pride that causes strife amongst men.
•even so, he couldn't help but feel pride in his new appearance and demonic power, so much so that it scared him. He spent a very long time trying to shut away his new nature. He was afraid that his pride would push away his brothers, that he'd become so arrogant he'd hurt them. He couldn't stand the thought of his family being hurt, especially if by his own hands. So, subconsciously, he began to distance himself from his brothers, thinking it was for the best.
•one day though, he found himself in HOL's library, silently observing a young Satan reading his first book. It was a rather simple children's book that was gifted to him by Mammon, but the fact that he made enough progress to begin reading on his own made his heart swell with the joy and pride only a parent would hold for their child.
•since that day, he found himself shifting the feelings of pride away from himself and focusing more on his family's accomplishments. Mammon and Asmo became well known models? Levi found a passion to follow and fill his days? The twins lifting each other up through their new routines? Satan rambling to him about the newest plot of a book he's reading? It all fills him with pride in a way he never thought possible.
•he still does stand a bit taller whenever his skills get praised, but his true pride lies with his family.
Mammon:
•when his greed began manifesting, he couldn't help but panic at first.
•he's seen first hand from his time as an angel how greed destroys people. He's seen greed destroy ecosystems, relationships, families... He couldn't bear the thought of burdening his own family in such a way.
•similarly to his older brother, he tried to suppress his new nature for as long as possible. It irritated him and riddled his mind with anxiety, but what was he to do when all he wanted to do was to take and take?
•that is until one day he was approached by his youngest brothers, Beel and Belphie. They seemed worried about him since he became eeriely quiet since the fall. Mammon told them he was struggling with his new nature as a sin of greed and he gained sympathetic nods from the twins. They understood. Everyone was going through the same thing in one way or another.
•in order to distract his mind, the twins raised a question for him. Very serious, they claimed. They asked: "is a hotdog a sandwich?". Mammon was stumped, thinking that a hotdog is just that, a hotdog, but the twins have been discussing this all day apparently, so now they've been trying gain insight from others.
•mammon seemed to ponder this question for a moment before telling the twins that he'll answer them in a day. They were confused but agreed. So then mammon's research began. He went to the library and read anything he could about the history of sandwiches, the different types of sandwiches, as well as the definition of each.
•he has never been so invested in anything before. He was always used to giving his time away for others and never for himself, and now he has found himself learning about something so silly...and yet he's having fun for the first time in a while. And then it clicked. He didn't need to seek items and wealth to satisfy his greed. During his research he noticed that he felt very content. Perhaps he could shift his greed to gaining as much knowledge as possible, indulging in the things he likes for the first time in his life.
•he immediately made his way to the twins room and proudly announced to them that according to his research, a hotdog is indeed a sandwich, only for the two of them to look at him with a mischievous smile and let him know that they've come to the conclusion that a hotdog is a taco.
•the debate is ongoing to this day.
Leviathan
•it didn't take long for him to feel it. He first felt envy one day when he happened to see Lucifer cuddling up to Mammon. Remembering how he used to be like that with him in his angel days, he felt a strong wave of jealousy that burned in his heart. He never felt something like that before, he was terrified. What would that mean for him now?
•he locked himself in his room for so long that his brothers became very worried. (I like to imagine this is around the time is when Lucifer introduced Leviathan to anime and manga).
•leviathan felt disgusted with himself. His new envy was so dirty, so heavy on his heart. He was scared of what he might do if he succumbed to this sin. This train of thought was interrupted one day when Satan and Asmodeus somehow managed to pick the lock to his door and make their way in.
•he wanted to tell them to get out, but he didn't have the heart to do so after seeing how happy they were to see him. They approached where he was lying in his bathtub bed and began fretting over his well being. They asked him what was wrong, and in that moment he couldn't help but spill his heart. He let them know about Lucifer and Mammon, to which Asmo giggled and told him that his new found envy should become a motive for him to go after the things he really wants, like the closeness the two elders have.
•something clicked in his brain at that moment. Through blushing and stuttering, he pushed through his embarrassment and decided to do something he never thought he'd do: talk about his emotions. He found Mammon and Lucifer and told them what was going on in his mind and heart, and the two of them couldn't help but find it endearing. They promised him that they'd spend more time with him if he so wished, while also commending him for being upfront with his feelings and wants. They also encouraged him to fuel his envy into pursuing what he wants to accomplish.
•while the jealousy still makes him feel some sort of way, he decided to begin listening to this envy as he deemed it an emotion that's trying to communicate something to him. With that in mind, he began expressing himself when necessary and working to obtain things he wanted that others also had.