Deja Vu

Chapter 8: All Fun And Games

It's the morning after everyone has returned from the retreat.

Asmodeus is still gushing about making a pact with you, talking about how excited he is and how wonderful the retreat was for him. Much to Mammon and Levi's frustrations.

Mammon decides to try to drown him out by talking about how good it is to be home again.

Beelzebub's happily eating as Lucifer enters the room.

Satan seems to have been waiting for just this moment, as he announces to the room that he's going to make a pact with you. You blink, pausing in eating your food to look at him, only to see him glaring daggers at Lucifer behind his seemingly chipper smile.

Lucifer sighs as Satan begins to explain that he knows it'll make someone's life difficult if he does, and that he wants nothing more than to stick it to them. Lucifer immediately steps in to tell him to stop his nonsense, which goads Satan into his wrath. Seeing Lucifer's hint of annoyance really seems to tickle him as he begins to openly goad Lucifer. Lucifer responds by acting as though Satan's anger is trivial, which just seems to piss Satan off more.

A fight begins to brew between them, and they begin hurling the most cutting things they can say at each other. You can tell that this isn't about the pacts, but you're not exactly sure about what to do. The fight gets bad enough that Lucifer demands that Satan get out of his house, and Satan storms off claiming he's happy to follow the order.

You try to step in to mediate, but Lucifer tells you flat out that if you wish to survive this year, you'll stay out of this.

After breakfast's excitement dies down, you, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Leviathan and Mammon all head back to your room for a huddle. Here, you explain to Asmodeus that you're interested in helping Lucifer and Belphegor make amends. He's surprised, but immediately on-board. The brothers advise you that making a pact with Satan for the reasons he listed at breakfast wouldn't earn you Lucifer's respect. If anything, you'd lose respect with him for it.

So you know you can't take Satan's pact offer.

You can't help them make amends by helping them tear each other to shreds.

Yet, you need Satan's pact to help Belphegor escape the attic. At least.. That's the plan you currently have. The brothers don't know that part yet. Afterall, Belphegor told you that if they knew he was trapped, they'd start a war.

Maybe you need to dig deeper.

Find out why they hate each other, so you can help them make amends. If anything, that'd help establish you as a mediator, right?

Then, you'll finally be able to make amends between Lucifer and Belphegor, the thing in the attic will never plague you with insomnia again, and you can coast by the rest of the year in relaxation.

At least.. That's the plan you've got for the moment.

"Why do they hate each other?"

The brothers explain that Satan was born of Lucifer's wrath. When Lucifer rebelled against their father, his anger and rage and wrath was so palpable that a demon of wrath was born on the spot. That demon being.. Satan.

The brothers all took turns taking care of him and helping him come into his own as a person, but Lucifer affected and shaped him the most.

Satan was born of Lucifer's wrath, and Lucifer was the one that mostly shaped him into who he is today. Because of that, Satan feels a frustration that without Lucifer, he's nothing. And when these frustrations bubble up, Lucifer just doesn't take it seriously, and it begins a violent feedback where Lucifer's pride amplifies Satan's wrath, which causes Lucifer to cuttingly rely on his pride to weather the storm, which in turn just amplifies Satan's wrath again-

And the cycle just spins out of control from there every time.

You decide to go talk to Satan. It's time to get your hands in the dirt and see what you can do.