((I feel like he’d turn him into like a stereotypical 50’s housewife, just all bubbly and sweet but not allowed to express any real feelings))
((I totally didn’t say this because Simon reminds me of Grace from The Umbrella Academy. Totally))
Emile immediately felt bad for the human. He couldn’t even guess how long the poor soul had been here for but they just looked so…defeated. Defeated and empty.
(Oh lordy he's totally gonna now-)
(Pff–)
Astral continued to fidget with the small person, quiet as he did. When he pulled on an arm, it came clean off. That's when the seams became apparent. Even though they were alive, and their body was flesh and bone, Astral had modified them. Cut them into pieces, stuck magnets in place so he could take them apart and put them back together again.
((I mean with Astral’s obsession of turning people into dolls it’s only a matter of time until he turned Simon as close to that as he can while still keeping him human))
And that sight was definitely disturbing for Emile to witness, but he wouldn’t let that emotion show. He didn’t let any emotion show actually. He really hoped he’d be able to find a way out of this place as soon as he’d finished helping Simon.
(Have I ever mentioned how screwed up in the head I am? :') )
((Dude it’s okay I definitely am too lol))
(Yeahhhhh. If not literally :) )
Astral did this, undoing the human and putting them back together, for some time before growing bored. He let them fall to the table, coming undone as their pieces scattered. Astral would clean them up later.
((Oooooof. I feel like he wouldn’t turn Simon into a doll only because he says he loves him and stuff but like idk man))
Emile watched, concern growing in the back of his mind, but he wouldn’t let the feeling out. He reminded himself that he needed to focus on Simon and Simon alone.
((And I’m guessing the child would be the one to break Simon out of it (if that’s even possible) and that’d be hella depressing))
(Like, yeah totally, but if at that point Simon, like, had a breakdown, Astral might 'have pity' on him and turn him into a doll so he would 'have less stress' while still keeping an eye on the kid)
So, with that toy used up, Astral picked up another one. He turned it as well, humming some to himself. This one was newer, it seemed, because after so long being left alone they'd worked up to being able to struggle again. Astral couldn't help but smirk some when he saw this, tilting the frightened human's head up with his thumb.
This was going to be a long day, then…
(Oh yeah the kid totally would)
(Also:)
(Emile, watching Astral torturing humans all day long: This is much worse than we had known before)
(Astral, laughing as he tortures his 30th human in a row:)
((Who’s ever going to tell Astral that he’s the problem because he’s clearly not getting it))
So this is what the god did all day while pretending he was off crying and trying to be better. Emile still didn’t let any feelings show, knowing at the moment the only person he could worry about was Simon, not all of these other souls.
Astral really had been crying, he'd been crying so much. But with Emile there now… he didn't feel so much pressure to be good to everyone. He had a fail-safe, something to help Simon feel better, and he would take advantage of that for as long as he could. So, he'd let himself fall back on old habits, old coping mechanisms. His thumb soon found itself inside the human's mouth to keep them from screaming too loud as he toyed with them, pulling on limbs that had no stretch to them.
(Yeahhhhhhhh… good luck to whoever tries aha)
Emile was thoroughly disgusted with Astral. He was exactly the same as all of the other guys Simon had the misfortune of winding up with. Manipulators and abusers who were very set in their ways.
It just so happened Astral was also a god who now owned Simon's soul for the rest of eternity and could easily get tired of trying to play nice and do to the man what he was doing to the human in his hand currently. Which, for this one, was using his mouth to blow them up like a balloon until they popped.
Emile knew that was the part that had upset both him and Alec the most. That whatever happened to Simon for the rest of his life and after that was all up to Astral. Alec had raged about it for a solid week, and even Greg, who risked death by Alec’s hand on the daily, knew better than to bother him when he was in this state of mind. Alec had been keeping an eye on Simon since he was seven years old, and most definitely considered Simon to be his own son at this point.
It was too bad, really. Simon was a good person. It just so happened that this world took advantage of good people to birth superhumans, or demigods, or whatever this child was going to be. There was nothing anyone could do about it, too. Simon was Astral's now, and no matter what happened, it was all up to the god in the end. And that was never a good thing.
The god let out a breath, much more relaxed now that he'd had some fun. He started to clean up after himself, pieces his broken toys back together.
Emile was very much aware of this. And on some level, Simon was too, he’d just refused to accept it. He kept telling himself that he was going to be fine, and that he’d get that chance to get away from here and have a happy life.
Astral would let Simon live in his little, happy bubble of refusal until it needed to be popped. By the time it was, he would have his child- and then he could make sure Simon was always happy. Could make Simon love him. A smile crept its way slowly across his face at that.
He'd try Simon and the other being's way, but when it didn't work, he'd swoop in and save the day.
((Astral really had his chance at his redemption arc and said “nah I’m good” and yeeted the EXACT OPPOSITE DIRECTION))
Emile couldn’t help but shiver at the smile that had appeared on Astral’s face. He’d only be more disturbed if he could actually hear the god’s thoughts, hear what he was planning.
(YEAH BASICALLY)
(Horrible Astral is more fun than Nice Astral though-)
Astral slowly looked up at Emile, his smile still on his lips.
"Something wrong?" He asked, looking much, much to calm and pleased with himself. Something had switched that night, standing with Emile, and it had sealed Simon's doom.
And it was all Emile's fault.
((NOT FOR MEEEEEEEE))
Emile offered the god no response. Literally nothing, no movement, no sound, he didn’t even move his eyes from where he’d been staring.
((FUCK NOOOOOOOOOOOO))
(AWWWWWWW)
(I'll work on getting him back on track then lol)
Astral could wait. He would, too, arms folded on the back of the couch as he looked up at Emile. The only reason he wasn't one of the ones Astral had been cleaning up from his 'play' was that Astral still needed him for Simon.
"Don't like what you see?"
((Okieeeeeeeeeeeeee))
Emile could probably play that game for forever as well, essentially being a mother to a bunch of dead serial killers had its perks he supposed. But he knew he was supposed to be trying to behave so he just replied “it’s none of my business.”
"Oh, why not? It's my house, after all." Astral hummed some, looking up at Emile. He had calmed down, mostly, all his humans put back together and in their places. Now, his undivided attention was given to the visitor on the shelf.
“It doesn’t have anything to do with me.” He replied simply. His purpose here was to protect Simon. He couldn’t worry about anything else.
"Oh, come now, it most surely has something to do with you. Come on, tell me what's on your mind." Astral hummed some. He didn't grab the being to take him down from the shelf, not yet.
“Nothing’s on my mind.” He replied, his tone doing nothing to indicate otherwise.
"Liar. Everyone thinks something." Astral reached up then, picking Emile up and setting them on his palm.
“Does it even matter?” He questioned, his tone staying neutral as he spoke.