#desire magic

Désiré felt like he was being tugged for a split second, which was all the time he had to prepare himself before he was violently thrown like a baseball through time. Call that a home run.

By the time the Demon landed, he hit the ground pretty hard, letting out a very undignified squawk, rolling a few times, before being stopped by the trunk of a tree. He just sort of lay there for a minute for the world to stop spinning and the feeling of wanting to throw up to pass, slowly sitting up with a groan, and just leaning up against the tree.

...Wait, where the Hell was he?

Désiré looked around, and very quickly came to the conclusion that he was absolutely NOT in modern times, a very dreadful realization that came with the immediate feeling of loss for chocolate crêpes, indoor plumbing, and every kind of modern transportation.

Standing up and looking at whatever architecture and landscape markers were around him, it must have been a couple of centuries that he was thrown by his estimate. With a small curse, Désiré ran his hands through his hair, and made a mental list of all the things he was going to need—Era appropriate clothes, this time's currency, and a meal. Preferably also a way back, but honestly he wasn't counting on that one coming too easily.

Awakened Suit: Desire Magic

First and foremost, his reflection sounds like it’s based off Rhythm Zero by Marina Abramović which, to be brief, she placed 72 objects on a table for her audience to use on her, and she did nothing until the end of the performance to allow them to do anything they wanted. At first, people put rose petals on her and posed her arms, but they soon cut up her clothes, stuck thorns into her, loaded a real gun and placed it to her forehead etc. 

Nightbane, 16 years prior to current events, manipulated a playwright to create a performance art of a doll to become famous. The doll was at first taken care of by the audience, her skin was rubbed with honey because she was “sweet” and other simple things, but audience members started to abuse her, stabbing and cutting her and destroying her. The doll, at the end of the performance, said she would do everything harmful that they did to her to all the audience members and slaughtered everyone to absorb the darkest parts of their souls. Then, Nightbane made the playwright sacrifice himself to give the doll his soul as well to create a baby. Nightbane was disgusted by the fact the baby, made of all the evil and sin of humans, was still an unspoiled, pure, and innocent thing so he crushed/killed it to try again. 

Nightbane (and by extension Desire) planned Ashley and Lilith’s descent from the beginning. Lilith being 16 years old and Nightbane telling the Player he created a baby 16 years ago isn’t exactly subtle. I personally HC the scar on Ashley’s face was caused by either the baby being destroyed and remade, or that its residue, so to speak, of all the bad things the people did to the “doll” before she was sacrificed to make Ashley. 

Thus, Nightbane is also technically her father/creator, which adds an additional layer to his servitude to Lilith (and his reflection lines insisting he will some day serve the perfect master)

Now, I think that’s up to speed regarding spoilers. Here’s some additional thoughts and headcanons I have about it: 

In his references to his “Master” (Desire) and Lilith (the girl, her, etc) in the captions of Desire Magic (awakened Soul Magic) he seems to have a different attitude between them. In his reflection, he hated how pure and innocent the baby was that he created so much he threw up and smashed it. But on the other hand, the way he talks about fulfilling anything Lilith desires sounds more genuine, even to the point he almost romanticizes being in her shadow and guiding her towards a fairytale. It could very well be, however, that it’s just a predator spider wrapping a caterpillar in a false cocoon if you don’t mind my metaphor. Especially as he seems to be asking Desire permission to devour Lilith’s soul/heart. There’s a certain protective nature he has when he talks about Lilith, which canonically I think is just a predator being possessive of prey, but I prefer to headcanon it as being a protective father-figure. 

I do really like the subtle inference that he could potentially betray Desire for Lilith or his own demonic impulses, however. Additionally, his Soul Magic captions warn that he calls all his prey “master” which makes me wonder if he thinks of Desire more like his prey since that seems to be how he exclusively refers to her (although there is the possibility that it’s just Paper’s way of keeping Desire’s existence a secret until later).

Personally, as much as I think canonically he’s just a demon who wants to eat Lilith’s soul, I do really enjoy the softer father/daughter dynamic potential they could have. Nightbane, according to his Intel, had a home in Starheaven but moved out (obviously to stay in the palace with Lilith). If you want the more horrific aspect, it was likely he was stalking Ashley all these years in Starheaven, corrupting perhaps every circumstance that would make her hate humanity and force her to make a pact with him. If you prefer the more fatherly side of things, perhaps it was to watch over her, protect her, guide her, and when she finally had enough, he would offer her his power to get her revenge. 

Honestly I just *clenches fist* love the father/daughter dynamic, of Nightbane never telling Lilith that he created her, keeping it to himself, but continues to watch over her and give her anything she desires, no matter what, is proud of the queen she’s made herself to be, how intelligent her performance is, and perhaps how strong her styling power is — a HC I have is that people love her not because she’s a good manipulator but bc she has insanely strong styling power in the way Vulture, Qin Yi, and Mercury can manipulate people’s perceptions. 

A cow that I'd milk all day long

Désiré's eyes narrow in suspicion, moving himself a full step away before answering.

"...Like skin mostly. Though I've been told that there is a specific, more subtle taste, too. I guess it was to make a Succubus like me be more enticing, but I've been told that there is a subtle taste of Raspberries, powdered sugar, and pomegranate."

Désiré takes another step back, still looking rather suspicious as he crossed his arms.

All of Nightbane’s Clothes & Captions (So Far) 

*You can go into “Pieces” in Nightbane’s Reflection to see Soul Magic and Desire Magic captions, but for non-set items I don’t believe there is a similar, compact way to view them. 

I love the difference in how Soul Magic and Desire Magic narrate, changing from a disembodied warning to Nightbane narrating himself. Soul Magic warning the reader not to go near Nightbane, that his disguise is sweetness, charm, and acting submissive to get what he wants, while also warning that, if you’re part of the unfortunate many that can’t resist his temptations, that you shouldn’t wish for anything impossible. 

I also enjoy the way he frames the difference between Lilith and his “Master” (no spoilers but if you know you know /shrug). I think the way he distinguishes them is very purposeful, and perhaps even touches into unreliable narrator territory - almost as if he does care about Lilith in his own demonic way and seems to hinge on the edge of betrayal to his real master in favor of her/his demonic impulse to corrupt her, but that could very well be to lower the reader’s inhibitions as the unreliable narrator refuting Soul Magic’s warnings. 

Désiré ran his hands through his now wavy hair, pouting that all his hard work to make it straight was now completely undone.