📜🎩 T H E ☆ M A G I C I A N - Act 65 (incl. pic!)

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Spotify🎵 Mel | Mary | Bastet | Lusje | Lynette 🎵

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T H E  ☆  M A G I C I A N

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Act 65

Mel

Once the young woman left the apartment, Mel threw back the blanket and opened their shirt, analyzing their excruciatingly aching abdomen. 

“What the fuck, Lusje, what have you done?!” they moaned while palpating their middle, which hurt like Mel had been drilled through but, contrary to that, looked only slightly bruised.

“I can’t believe you seriously said fuck,” the demon answered, surprised, but not very helpfully.

“Lucifer!”

“Oh, wow, your bringin’ out the big guns. Haven’t heard you callin’ me that in years. Why does it sound like an insult when yer say it?”

“Talk already!”

“Sheesh, wow, okay. Chill and put in a cocaine tampon, chum,” Lusje commented and left its tattooed shape by flowing off Mel’s fingers, into its organic, white serpent form. Immediately, without it sharing its strength with Mel, they felt weak; so much so that even breathing took effort.

“Aight, I’m gonna talk a little, though I really don’t see why you’re so upset, Melodie.”

The demon said one of Mel’s full names in a rather unpleasant way.

“You shut me out of my own body! Everything hurts, I have no idea how long I’ve been out, my … my midriff is flat and empty and hurts like I have been ripped apart and glued back together, and Mary — my girlfriend! — looks like she has been crying for days! Oh god, what has she gone through?”

“Hehe, you called her your girlfriend.”

“LUCIFER!”

“Alright, alright, wow. Thank you for nothin’, I guess. I did exactly what I told you. I settled things with Beelzebub. By the way, your “midriff” isn’t empty, I already filled it again, or why do you think you even have the energy to raise your voice at me?”

“Oh no, you wicked creature, you have to give me much more explanation than that.”

For a moment, Mel thought to see hurt in the snake's red eyes; But they didn’t care for it. 

“Chill, man. I don’t recognize ya anymore like this.”

“I don’t care! I feel massively violated, but even worse, you distressed or possibly even hurt Mary!” Mel yelled, while trying to get up.

“I saved her and you, Mel.”

“Oooh, that’s what you always love telling me, don’t you? That you — a creature made of the worst things our world has to offer, a literal demon — saved me. That you’re so gentle and cute and dorky and ‘not like the other demons’. That you have nothing more in mind than being kind to me. You know what? You can tell this stuff to me, I knew at least partially what I was getting myself into, and I let you play this charade. That you probably even believe yourself since we met! But I will not allow you to fuck with Rosemary’s soul like that.”

The serpent just looked at Mel with its beady little eyes. It didn’t react, not even to the second ‘fuck’ that Mel threw at it. It just watched them struggle to stand.

Then, after Mel managed to stay upright and watch themself in a mirror, it finally said with a cold voice, “You were out for six whole days. I managed to keep you alive. Your wounds are healed externally, but they are still pretty bad on the inside. You feel like you’ve been ripped apart, because you almost were. Ba’al made sure to extract my kin from you. I will not go into further detail, because you don’t need to know. Just know that things are settled for now. The Monarch is now tolerating you, and will therefore leave Mary alone and let you continue doing your thing as Melody of the Stars.”

It was strange, hearing the demon talk so factually and coldly. Almost eerie. But it calmed Mel down, at least a little.

“What about Mary? And the others?”

“Nobody knows where you are right now, except Mary. I figured you wouldn’t want Morris to know the trouble you got yourself into. Mary still doesn’t know anything, and I healed the worst wounds before showing up here, in her hotel room. Though you still looked rather bad. I thought about healing you myself, but … but I wasn’t strong enough.”

While the demon admitted these words, it eventually broke eye contact, looking away in shame. It was unusual for it to admit weakness.

“I needed help. And you like her, and I like her, so I thought …”

“You thought wrong! You traumatized her!”

The snake looked at Mel again. “I had no other choice! Or what would you have liked me to do, send you to the hospital?”

“You could’ve gone to Greg!”

Lusje looked at Mel, dumbfounded. “I really haven’t thought of that until now. But… nevertheless. Give her some credit, she’s stronger and more capable than you think. She didn’t call anyone, she cared for you and respected all the boundaries I gave her, like not taking off your pants. You’re welcome, by the way.”

Mel didn’t falter; they knew how manipulative the demon could be in its need to gather sympathy. 

“Did you do anything to her while I was out?” they instead pushed.

“No, fuck! I wasn’t even able to. I just focused on keeping your body alive and healing it, letting her feed you, and occasionally said thanks.”

Mel had no idea if they could trust the snake’s words, but for now it would have to do.

They turned away, throwing their hands in their face in horror and shame.

“My god… The poor girl. What have I dragged her into… I shouldn't have allowed myself to be enamored with her, much less allowed her into my life. I’ve been such a selfish, arrogant monster. I knew she would suffer one way or another, yet I still wanted to get to know her. I knew I shouldn’t have let myself go!”

“Cut yourself some slack, man,” the demon quietly interrupted, “You’re drunk on this self-flagellation.”

“No!” Mel retorted, while turning around and pointing their finger into the snake’s face, “You’ve manipulated me enough as is! You were the one pointing her out in the crowd back in Las Vegas, you pushed me to take her with me in my car and go on a date with her; you silenced all of my concerns for her — don’t you dare do it again!”

The snake just stared at Mel again. It either didn’t know how to respond, or didn’t want to. It was better this way.

“How could I be so dumb… I never let anyone this close since all of this started, never, exactly because of this. I’m a menace to anyone close to me, and I knew it. I knew it! I also knew that I couldn’t trust you! Why, in God’s name, have I listened to you? Why did I allow myself to open up to you again? I should’ve known better! I was already aware of the terrible things you could do!”

“Because you’ve been hurting. You were lonely.”

“Shut! Up!” Mel yelled so loudly that their chest hurt. They staggered and braced themself on the nightstand.

“That’s enough talk for now. Take me in again, and let’s figure out what to do next.”

“I know exactly what I have to do now,” Mel answered, breathlessly, without any tone in their voice.

The demon closed its eyes, knowing full well what Mel meant. Then it crawled up Mel’s arm again, merging with their skin.

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