This could be bad...
is a Recursive Fanfiction written by cornholio4 based on A Divine (Romantic) Comedy written by Dystopian God.
Lucifer Morningstar, the feared King of Hell and the Sin of Pride, has been in a happy relationship with the human Camila Noceda for 4 months. Now he feels ready to let her know the truth about who he is. He is sure that bringing his daughter Charlie and her girlfriend Vaggie to meet Camilla and her family will make it better.
Out of everything that should have went wrong with this plan, the biggest wrench to throw things off the rails is a certain group of imps with a contract to kill his girlfriend's daughter Luz.
Followed by a sequel, Tales of the Nocedas & Morningstars.
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This could be bad....
- Adaptation Origin Connection: On their date, Collin ends up telling Loona that after IMP got CHERUB exiled from Heaven, they had set up a MewTube account to reveal the truth of demons to the humans. However, they filmed the videos while drunk and depressed, so their explanations had them spouting out nonsense. It’s stated in the author’s note that these were the videos that set Jacob Hopkins off on his demon-hunting crusade.
- Alternate Universe: This fic seems to diverge from the original at some point prior to Camilla and Lucifer's second date, as IMP never ended up accidentally date-crashing and being punished by Lucifer forcing them to become Charlie's bodyguards. Instead, they're still operating independently, and end up being hired by Belos to go after Luz. Plus there is never any indication that the Nocedas had suspected that ‘Lucius’ was anything but a human nor that Millie was ever pregnant or Amity preparing to propose.
- Always a Bigger Fish: Mammon pretty much gives a speech to Eda about this, saying that Eda might be the biggest fish in the Boiling Isles (which he calls a pond) but calls Lucifer the biggest shark in Hell (which he calls an ocean).
- Amicable Exes: Lucifer and Lilith are shown to still be on good terms and meet amicably. Lilith is even happy for Lucifer having found love again.
- Badass Boast:
- The 7 Deadly Sins (minus Lucifer) manage to get on the bad side of a gang leader in a Boiling Isles saloon. They end up surrounded and the saloon locked up but are eager to fight. Belphegor states that their impression that the Sins are locked in with the gang, and Leviathan finishes the statement with saying that the gang are locked in with the Sins.
- Mammon makes one to Eda on behalf of Lucifer, saying that Eda might be the biggest fish in the pond that is the Boiling Isles, but Lucifer is the biggest shark in the ocean that is Hell.
- Big Bad: Belos is the one in Hell who hired IMP to go after Luz, and this acts as the Spanner in the Works to Lucifer’s planned confession to Camila, as well as all that follows. However, as he is stuck in Hell (specifically the Pride Ring as a sinner) unable to do much except rant to anyone who will listen (or even pretend to) as well as try in vain to convince the staff of Heaven’s embassy that his damnation was a mistake, Blitzo acts as The Heavy leading IMP’s mission.
- Blood Knight: While looking for Charlie in the Boiling Isles, 6 of the 7 Deadly Sins get on the bad side of a dangerous criminal gang in a saloon. Satan realizes that no one knows who they are and the reputations that they have in Hell don't exist there, so the gang are willing to take them on in a fight. They react with glee at the prospect.
- Brick Joke: In the first chapter, Lilith calls out Lucifer for never paying his tab in his favorite bar. Near the end of the story, he does exactly that when snapped out of his depression over worrying about Sera's valid points about his relationship with Camilla.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: Belphegor is stated to be the smartest of the 7 Deadly Sins and the most likely to take charge when Lucifer was absent or in no state to lead. However, befitting being the Sin of Sloth, she rarely puts in the effort of even participating in their activities.
- Continuity Nod: When Luz sees the inside of the Hazbin Hotel, she once again asks if she’s in the Bad Place. However this time, she is actually there.
- Cruel Mercy: After seeing the pathetic wretch that Belos has been reduced to in Hell, Luz and the others decide that perma-killing him for sending IMP after her would be merciful, so they let him live (so to speak), with the added punishment of having to be the Hazbin Hotel's custodian.
- Curb-Stomp Battle:
- Charlie manages to knock out harpy-mode Eda with one punch.
- This was said to be result when Satan had challenge Lucifer for leadership, upon the latter gathering the 7 Deadly Sins together for the first time after Hell was forged. The fight had last two minutes, Lucifer had looked like nothing had happened afterwards while Satan apparently was on the ground crying for a mommy he never had if Mammon was to be believed.
- The other six members of the 7 Deadly Sins are shown wiping the floor with the Boiling Isles criminals who attack them in a saloon, with it being noted that the "fight" isn't ending sooner only because the Sins are Just Toying with Them.
- Dramatic Irony: In the social media chapter, Emily gushes about Charlie and even posts a picture of her. A Winner by the name of Alma said that Charlie looks like someone she would have wanted to set her daughter up with. Her daughter is all but said to be Vaggie as in Charlie’s girlfriend, while under the impression that she has been out on a mission for Heaven’s guard for the past 3 years.
- The Dreaded: Like in the main story, Lucifer is this to the rest of Hell. Others give him a wide berth even when he is just walking down the street and greeting them kindly. When he walks into his favorite bar, everyone is fearful... until he declares that everyone there is to put their drinks on his tab for the day. Then several are comfortable enough to pat him on the back.
- Emo Teen: Charlie apparently went through a Goth phase, which she made her parents promise to never tell anyone about.
- Entertainingly Wrong: Lucifer had told Camila that he had a special surprise to tell her at their next date; intending to reveal himself as the King of Hell to her. However, Camila came to the conclusion that he intends to propose to her, and she shares that with her daughters.
- Everyone Has Standards:
- As confirmed by
Word of God, Adam throws Belos out of the Heaven embassy, not just due to his usual dismissal of sinners, but the fact that Belos was: a dictator, a genocidal maniac against the Boiling Islesnote , and is another religious fundamentalist claiming their sins were in the name of God. - When Belphegor reveals that Beelzebub lied to her about Charlie proposing to Vaggie; in order to trick her into unlocking her party drugs, the other Sins react judgementally towards Beelzebub. Mammon admits that even he thinks that it was a low move.
- As confirmed by
- Family of Choice: The Seven Deadly Sins were the first beings to inhabit Hell, Lucifer having rounded all of them up to try and construct a working society and instill what little order it has today. Thousands of years later, they are all Like Brother and Sister to one another, the other six all competing for the title of "Charlie's favorite aunt/uncle" (while getting into fights with each other most of the time).
- Hero of Another Story: Luz, like in the main story, has been said to have gone on more adventures in the Boiling Isles offscreen. It is also revealed that Vee and her friends from Cabin 7 have been acting as their own mystery solving team in Gravesfield, going on Scooby-Doo-styled adventures.
- Hidden Depths: Odette (one of Carmilla Carmine’s daughters) is apparently a fan of Fizzarolli, enough to put the fact in her social media handle.
- How the Mighty Have Fallen: Belos went from the feared, respected and powerful tyrant of the Boiling Isles to being a weak sinner demon in Hell. To add insult to injury, he had entered Hell with the power to become an overlord, but only found out after signing a contract with an overlord that zapped his power and strength away. As if that's not enough, he keeps getting thrown out of the Heaven Embassy on a normal basis trying to beg Heaven to take him in. He now owes a lot of money to various demons (including Carmella Carmine the top arms dealer in Hell as well as an overlord), and as if that weren't enough, by the time he's caught at last, Lucifer decides the Hazbin Hotel needs a new janitor.
- Hypocritical Heartwarming: Satan states that only the Sins get to insult or steal from each other for no reason.
- Internal Reveal: Lucifer intends to come clean to Camilla about who he really is. It finally happens in Chapter 10, in less than ideal circumstances when the Camila, Amity and most of the Owl House gang ends up following the Sins through a portal to Hell (specifically to Hazbin Hotel), and Alastor ends up referring to Lucifer by his real name in front of them.
- Interspecies Romance: Besides Lucifer (a fallen angel) and Camila (a human), there is also Luz (a human) and Amity (a natural born witch), as well as Loona (hellhound) going on a date with Collin (a cherub from Heaven).
- Laser-Guided Karma: Belos is revealed to have fallen under contract with an overlord after coming to Hell. Unfortunately, they died in the last Extermination, so he's free now, albeit having lost what power he had entered Hell with due to said contract.
- Let's You and Him Fight: After Charlie and Vaggie end up on the Boiling Isles while chasing Moxxie and Millie, Eda ends up finding them, and ends up mistaking Vaggie for a local demon (working with Moxxie and Millie) who had kidnapped Charlie (whom she thinks is human) and nearly attacks her. Which causes Charlie to attack her in retaliation.
- Locked Out of the Loop: The social media chapter showed that up in Heaven, Vaggie’s mother Alma is under the impression that she had been on a mission for the past 3 years. What’s worst is that she was told this by Lute, who attacked Vaggie and left her to rot in Hell.
- Mama Bear/Papa Wolf:
- The other 6 members of the 7 Deadly Sins all consider Charlie their honorary niece. Lucifer unwittingly telling Beezlebub that Charlie got into trouble causes her to hang up and they instantly exit through a portal, all determined to help find her. They even insist to their leader that they will help in the search, Satan being willing to fight him on this despite knowing he had no chance of beating him.
- Sera tries to be cordial and professional as she speaks to Lucifer. However when Lucifer ends up ranting at Emily upon the implication that she views the lives of humans as soap operas, Sera instantly goes protective and tells him that she was created long after he was banished so he should have no beef with her.
- Mayfly–December Romance: Sera points out that Lucifer will vastly outlive the mortal Camilla and that asking her to stay with him after death would mean her willingly forgoing Heaven.
- Never My Fault: Even after ending up in Hell, Belos is still convinced that he was in the right, and that his damnation must have been a mistake. Or that it was what was done to his body to transform him that damned him, forgetting that it was his choice to go through the process.
- Noodle Incident: Chapter 5 starts with Vee telling the end of a story of a mystery that she and the Cabin 7 gang had solved about a night gremlin. All that is known that it got them permanently banned from a restaurant and upon hearing the story, Vaggie remarks that it involved illegal activities from them.
- Not Worth Killing: Luz sees Belos as this upon seeing what he had been reduced to in Hell, a weak powerless demon who has many demons he owed money (including those on behalf of Carmilla Carmine the biggest arms dealer in Hell). She convinces the others to let him continue his miserable existence while also being forced to work as the custodian of the Hazbin Hotel as dictated by Lucifer.
- Oh, Crap!: This is the reaction of Moxxie and Millie when they realizes that their latest target for assassination is the daughter of Lucifer's girlfriend. Blitzo follows suit when he finds out.
- Old Shame: Charlie regards her goth phase as this to the point where she had her parents promise not to tell anyone about it and was horrified when Lilith brought it up to Camila.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted, as we have both Lilith Clawthorne and Lilith Morningstar. Eda talking to her sister and calling her by name; causes Lilith to react as if someone was referring to her as she enters.
- Pet the Dog: Moxxie ends up explaining about Blitzo having initially stolen the grimoire from Stolas in a way that leaves out Stolas allowing them to use it in an arrangement and thus absolving him of culpability. Blitzo notices and is grateful for this.
- Sequel Hook: Jacob Hopkins ends up being removed from police custody and given an offer by DHORKS, being shown video footage of IMP at work.
- Spanner in the Works: IMP's contract to go after Luz ends up interrupting Lucifer and Camilla's date, derailing his plan to tell her who he really is.
Tales of the Nocedas & Morningstars
- A Day in the Limelight: "A No So Simple Caper" serves as this for Vee and Cabin 7, after serving a minor supporting role in the previous story.
- All Myths Are True: Discussed, when Luz questions if other pantheons are real or if it's just Christianity.
- Everyone Knew Already: To her shock, Emily finds that her crush on Charlie and Vaggie isn't a secret to anyone in Heaven. One Winner is actually more surprised that it was meant to be a secret at all.
- Expy Coexistence: The infamous finale of Game of Thrones gets brought up. However chapters later Emily is revealed to be a fan of The Ninth Circle and goes over the backlash over its controversial finale. Said show and reaction of the finale were inspired by Game of Thrones.
- Hidden Depths: It turns out that some of Adam's hostility over Lucifer comes from blaming free will being brought into Earth for Adam's first born son Cain killing his brother Abel. Reasoning that if he didn't have free will then he would never have done so.
- Hypocrite: Fizz bitterly reflects via flashback how Mammon had no problem using his likeness for a sex doll (despite the Sin saying that he viewed Fizz as a son), but flew into a rage when he found out that one of Asmodeus's designers had made a prototype one with Charlie (who Mammon views as an honorary niece).
- Internal Reveal: Emily accidentally gets the existence of the Exterminations revealed to her in "Implications".
- Named by the Adaptation: Vee’s friends in Cabin 7 besides Masha are given the names Marcus and Rachel.
- Parental Substitute: Like in the original fic’s inspiration, Lilith is stated to have become Amity’s mother figure to the point where she gets directly referred to as “Mum” by Amity.
- Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: The first law of Hell is "Whatever Lucifer says fucking goes".
- Take That!:
- Cabin 7 ends up trapped in a Hell club after having attempted to dine and dash with security looking for them. One of the speculated options for punishments if they end up caught is being made to watch the final season of Game of Thrones.
- Willy's Chocolate Experience gets mocked as Lucifer puts up a social media post talking about it and thinking that Mammon could get inspiration. Mammon retorts in a reply that his shows are a lot more put together.
- The One That Got Away: Sera reveals that she had a crush on Lucifer back in the early days, and still occasionally thinks of those feelings.
