Shadowess

Kris spilt some of his drink when trying to pour it into the glass. He hurriedly set the bottle down and gripped his head, groaning. He stumbled to the wall and leaned against it. His eyes shut tight as the image of the man was thrust into his mind once more. "Who are you?" He breathed. "Where are you? How are you doing this?!" --- Clementine took his hand and shook it, but her eyes were fixed on him with a mixture of surprise and newfound respect. "Thank you, Adam. That-... That means more to me than you know," she said softly. --- Niko sobbed openly. His shoulders heaved as he gasped. His thoughts spiralled. His already depressed state threatened to pull him to the brink once again. Jessica appeared near them, having felt Niko's turmoil. She pulled her maker into a hug and held him tightly. The only person in the entire castle that Niko would comfortably allow to touch him. She looked at Nil sadly. "I know you're trying to help." She said to him. "Niko, he's right. You are a good man now." "How? How do I come back from this? What I did? I am no better than he is, and if I can't forgive him, then what hope do I have for myself?!" Niko sobbed. "You keep trying," Jessica affirmed. Tears hung in her own eyes. "Try and try. Don't ever give up trying." "Even if forgiveness is impossible?!" "Yes," Jessica said firmly. "Especially if you don't believe you will be forgiven. Try anyway. Because you're not him and because you're not the same you anymore. So, you might as well keep trying. Even if it's just for you." Finally, Niko's breathing slowed down. He held on to Jessica. Simply breathing and holding on. "I don't want to feel like this anymore." He breathed. "I know." --- Warren bit back his own tears as he stared at the floor. "I meant... when you get your powers back. Please... I don't think I could lose you again." Tears rolled down his cheeks. He lifted his eyes to look at him. "I always knew that you were good, you know... deep down." --- "You too." Carol nodded. She gave Sara and Ophelia one last smile before vanishing. --- "My hobbies?" Lang grinned as they walked into the bar. "Believe it or not, the police force is my hobby. My real job is a Guardian Angel. Or- is it the other way around?" he chuckled and shrugged. "I'm a simple man. I just like to help people." He sat on a stool at the bar and nodded to the bartender. "I'll have a rum and Coke..." he then turned to Reed. "Do you want to pick something from the menu, or do you want to try the same as what I'm having?" --- "Your what?" Shezmu looked at Jean in confusion. Welcome parties hadn't been a thing until well after he'd gone into slumber. "What about an after party?" Amelia suggested after overhearing Death's words to his daughter. "An after-?" Lilly looked at her, perplexed. "After party. So, you do your ceremony and ball as you would traditionally and then right at the very end, if there are still people wanting to keep the party going, then they let their hair down and have an informal after-party. Maybe that's when your friends' band could play?" Lilly's eyes lit up hopefully, and she immediately looked at Death. "Please, Father? Could they play at an after-party?" Unity suddenly looked up and, in a man's voice, said, "We have agreed that an informal gathering could be beneficial to relations between realms. However, we would request the leaders and representatives of each realm to bear in mind the purpose of this gathering so as not to let personal relations or biases interfere with your decisions." "Who could've seen that coming?" Samael mumbled sarcastically. He then looked across the table with an easy smile. "Well, you all know I have no interest in trying to get your votes, so I'm just looking forward to a decent party." "Councilman, we have already discussed a potential venue-" David started, but Unity cut him off. "Do you think we do not hear your discussions when we converse with each other? The Coronation of Death's children will be suitable." Unity looked towards Azrael. "How long will you need to prepare?" "A few hours, councilman," Azrael answered. "Then it is agreed. We will return you all to where you were called from. Please ensure you are dressed and ready for the event-" Unity paused. Amelia had her hand up. "Queen Amelia?" "Uh, yeah, sorry, before you randomly throw us all back... What's the dress code?" Amelia asked while turning to look at Azrael. "Formal," Azrael answered. "Traditionally, for Death's realm, it would be black tie." "Can we bring a plus one?" David asked. Amelia turned to look at him in surprise. "What? I'm sure others are thinking it, so I thought I'd ask."

Just a quick heads up, I'm moving house next weekend so the next two weeks for me are going to be super hectic with a big chunk of it not having any internet at all lol I'll post when I can but I might be inactive for most of that time.

Kris had been deep in meditation by the time the vision of the trapped man would thrust itself jarringly into his mind. He'd caught a flash of the man's face. Blood seeping from his eyes. The man seemingly frozen in what looked to be an ancient dungeon. And how real it seemed! Kris had felt such oppressive heat around them that it was a little difficult to breathe. He felt with absolute keenness the man's fury and heard, clear as a bell, the man's thoughts as they echoed in Kris's mind. All of this had happened in just a matter of a second, and as soon as the vision was over, Kris had jolted back from the cushion, practically jumping to his feet as he gasped. Stumbling, he reached out to grip the post of his bed and knelt by it as he caught his breath. His heart hammered in his chest, and sweat rolled down his face. He wondered for a moment if he might've dozed off and it had been a nightmare. But it had felt too real. He could still see the man's face whenever he closed his eyes, as if the image had been imprinted in his mind. He could hear his words still ringing in his ears. What was that?! He'd never experienced anything like it. As his heart rate returned to normal, he slowly lifted himself to his feet and wiped the sweat from his face. Still shaking a bit, he walked over to his bar and began fixing himself a drink to ease his nerves. --- Clementine avoided his eyes. There was a hint of guilt in her own. Not from anything she'd done, but from what she knew. She took a sip of her drink and walked over to a nearby oversized cushion. Carefully, she eased herself down to sit on it, finding it surprisingly more comfortable than it looked. "I used to be a Cherub, you know." She told him. "God liked the infants that you and Eve created so much that he created Angels to resemble them," she trailed off. Her eyes misted for a moment, and she smiled bitterly while blinking them back. "When I realised that I would never grow like your children did... I was so angry. My existence felt... like a cruel joke. A novelty to be paraded around and cooed over by Angels who were supposed to be my equals... but would always look down on me, literally and figuratively." She looked down at herself. "This is all I ever wanted... To grow into the woman that I felt I was deep down. And all it cost me... was everything." "I got cast down for my rage. For my 'ungratefulness'," she took another sip, starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. "And then I spent millennia in Hell trying to be more than just the 'Demon Child'... until I was destroyed. Even on Earth, as I am now, I look at my friends and I just know that all they can see is the little girl version of me... The pity they have for me. It sickens me." She took another sip, almost draining her glass. "So fuck Heaven. Fuck Hell. And fuck Earth," she looked up at Adam thoughtfully. "Maybe this was why I was brought back? To help you build something new. Something entirely our own, without Him." --- Niko shook his head and lowered his hands to stare at the tears which now covered them. "I-..." he started, but found his words catching in his throat as he tried to speak. "Oh, God..." he said in disgust and covered his face again. He realised with sickening clarity that he was a hypocrite. He'd spent the last year or so working to prove that he was a better man in the hopes of earning Rachael's forgiveness for what he'd done to her... yet, now that he was a victim of similar circumstances, he found himself unable to forgive his attacker when presented with the opportunity. --- Warren was conflicted. He frowned as he carefully set Insanity down on the couch and pulled up a small stool to sit in front of him. He looked at him seriously and with some concern. "I want to help you... But you need to promise that even with your powers back that you'll try to be a better man. Please promise me." --- Carol smiled at the little family. "Well, I should probably get back to my duties... Ash, congrats on the job by the way. I'll call you when we get another mission." --- "Look, I'm not going to pretend to understand your job or what the CIA do... I hear stories, but like all stories, I'm sure more than half of those are fabricated and the other half are embellished in some way." Lang said after a minute of thought. "I don't hate you, Reed. But just a suggestion? Maybe you need to find a hobby outside of work. Something fun. That you do just for you." He pulled up to a bar and parked nearby. "We're here," he said, turning to give him a smile. "C'mon, let's unwind a bit." --- "Wait, like an actual royal coronation?" David blinked. "Yes." Azrael nodded with a smile. "To officially and legally welcome Princess Lilly and Prince Raven to Death's Kingdom as his heirs. A ball will follow the ceremony." Lilly blushed as Azrael had suggested their coronation to host the gathering and explained to the others the purpose behind it. Feeling all eyes on her and her brother, she lowered her gaze and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. Meanwhile, Azrael had turned back to Death to give him another polite bow. "I have already planned most of it and will be happy to carry out the final preparations whilst everyone gets ready." "Oh, wow! I think we might need some time to pick out an outfit and things." Amelia said excitedly. "Do you think Elliot and Vincent would mind watching Oliver a bit longer?" She asked while turning to face Charles. An idea struck Lilly, and she looked up at Azrael. "My friends are in a band," she then turned to Hades. "Do you think the guys would want to play at the coronation?" "Uh-! Oh!" Azrael flustered. He'd arranged a more classical approach to music and hadn't considered anything else. He looked between Lilly and Hades. "I suppose if they can, we could host them." "Boy, they're really talking it out in there..." Samael commented, noting that Unity hadn't made a decision yet.

Kris watched the boy leave. For a few minutes, he stood where he was and took a couple more swigs from his bottle before throwing it at a nearby wall. He stared at the broken glass. At the red liquid that was already starting to stain the carpet and the wall. Sighing heavily, he marched to his own room and closed the door behind him. He paced a bit before lighting up some of the lavender incense and then sitting on the cushion in his designated meditation space. Crossing his legs and resting his wrists on his knees, he closed his eyes and took some breaths while trying to process his emotions. Mostly, his regret at the way he'd spoken to Blake. He couldn't help wondering if he was as hard as he had been because of something Ortiz had said. He wondered if perhaps he'd been too harsh, but then again, he also didn't want any animosity between Violet and Blake to grow, so perhaps this was his way of attempting to nip that in the bud? And Violet... Kris had no idea where to even start with processing those emotions. --- Clementine looked at Adam. At first, she gave him a look of surprise. Then her eyes softened. "Thank you," she said, sounding relieved. "If I'm going to be your wife and Queen, then I suppose we'll have to be intimate at some point. But it's nice to know that there's no rush. I've never... well..." She glanced away while smiling shyly and took a sip of her drink. "Maybe, one day. When we've had a chance to grow closer," she told him with a small smile. She then tilted her head with an amused but thoughtful look. "Eve said we're not married until we... so I guess that means it's more like we're engaged, for now?" --- Niko involuntarily flinched at Nil's touch but soon relaxed when he felt his aura. He sighed as he felt his anger ebbing away. Then he lifted his hands to his face and sobbed. "I wanted to hurt him," he confessed. "I wanted to tear him apart." --- It took Warren a moment to realise who it was that Layla had in her hands, and as soon as he did, he hurriedly took him into his arms. "Insanity!" He gasped and looked at him sadly. "Oh, what did you do?" Tears filled his eyes, but his question wasn't just about him being exhausted. He also meant about his appearance. When Warren thought back to the Insanity he'd become enamoured with, he remembered him being radiant and beautiful. He looked up at Layla and nodded to her. "Thank you. I'll take care of him from here..." Layla nodded back and turned to leave. --- "Oh..." Carol sniffled and wiped her tears away. She smiled at Ophelia and held her little hand. "I'd love to, but I tend to get super busy too, being a Royal Guard and all... but maybe I can visit from time to time?" --- Lang didn't answer Reed immediately. The question had made him wildly uncomfortable. "To be honest, that's not something I'd ever considered before, Reed," he said while keeping his eyes on the road. "I like to listen to music to lighten the mood or make me feel a little happier." --- Amelia chortled at Charles's comment. Then, with very pink cheeks, she tried very hard to cover it up as she lifted her hand to her mouth and pretended to cough. "Um, that's a very generous offer, thank you." She said to the Archangel between laughs that were half disguised as coughs. Meanwhile, although Samael never looked in Charles's direction, he barely contained a smirk at his remark. "I beg your pardon for my daughter and son-in-law's behaviour." David began and turned her head to smile at Hades. "That was a good idea," he told her proudly. Unity paused before asking in an older woman's voice. "Is it to our understanding that you would prefer to get to know the Archangel candidates in a more informal setting before votes commence?" "I believe it is, councilwoman." David nodded while turning to look at her. "This is not usual. We must deliberate." Unity responded and then went straight to staring hard at the table. While they were occupied, a thought occurred to Azrael, and he decided to seize the moment and rose to his feet. He cleared his throat as a polite way to get everyone's attention. "Pardon, I do not mean to intrude on your already generous offer, Shubael," he said whilst turning to the owl-shaped Archangel. "But if the council agree to this gathering, then I propose that it be done in a more neutral setting, rather than in a candidate's home," he turned to Death and gave him a short bow. "With your permission, Your Grace, perhaps we could use the coronation of the Prince and Princess?" he asked while gesturing to Lilly and Raven.

I'm not sure if this will help you decide which Archangel to choose, but when I wrote about Raguel & Uriel, I had done a quick Google search for a brief summary of their roles to get some inspiration and then put my own spin on it. Anyways, here are some short summaries of the Archangels left over in the meeting that haven't been claimed yet: Archangel Cassiel Cassiel is sometimes described as the angel of tears and the angel of temperance. As Qafsiel, he is sometimes regarded as the ruler of the moon instead of Saturn. Averroes and Ibn Arabi likewise listed Saturn as the planetary counterpart of the archangel Kafziel. Archangel Raphael Due to his actions in the Book of Tobit and the Gospel of John, Raphael is considered a protector and healer, and so the patron of travellers, the blind, happy meetings, nurses, physicians, medical workers, matchmakers, Christian marriage, and Catholic studies. Archangel Jophiel Jophiel, whose name means “beauty of God”, is the archangel who supports artists. She's the archangel of creativity, wisdom and fresh ideas. Jophiel clears chaos and brings calm into our lives. You can call on her to manifest beauty into your life and guide your thoughts back to love. Archangel Haniel Archangel Haniel is known as the angel of joy. He/She works to direct people who are searching for fulfilment to God, who is the source of all joy. Archangel Camael His roles encompass divine protection, illumination, and judgment. As the leader of the angelic choir known as the Powers, Camael is responsible for maintaining divine order and justice. He aids individuals in overcoming fear and doubt, providing spiritual strength and courage. Archangel Shubael Although not explicitly mentioned in all versions of the Christian canon, interpretations often delineate him as a guardian angel who guides humanity towards the right path. Seen as one among seraphims, he is equated with love for God’s creation and teaching mankind spiritual wisdom. He is revered as one who sparks inspiration within souls, leading them towards their ultimate goal.

Kris frowned, hearing Violet's words, and he turned his head to watch her leave. His sunglasses hid the hint of regret in his eyes. He then heard Blake's voice and sighed irritably as he took another long swig from his bottle. "You should be in bed," he scolded him. He then turned to face him. "Salem is safe and alive. Violet is no longer a threat. Would you rather I beat her? Belittle her? Humiliate her? Hmm? Does that sound good to you? Does it sound like it would be the right thing to do?" he asked him in a stern tone. "Does that sound like it would be justice? Would it make you feel better? And what if that doesn't make you feel better? What if that's not enough and you want to take it further? At what point would you stop yourself from becoming the very monster you accuse her of being?" he paused and took another sip of his drink. His eyes were fixed on Blake. "It's a slippery slope, Blake. Once you're on it, it's very difficult to get off before you hit the bottom, and once you're there, there's almost never a way back up. I want you to think about that very carefully. Now, go to bed." --- Clementine swallowed her drink hard as Adam explained that John's powers meant that no one could find them unless they wanted to be found. She realised immediately that her attempt to blackmail him wouldn't have worked regardless because Adam and John still had the advantage. She managed to hide her surprise and realisation by taking another sip of her drink. "Is that so? How clever you both are." --- "On it." Layla hurried out of the room with Insanity towards Warren's room. Meanwhile, Niko continued to seethe and shake as he stared hard into his fireplace. He didn't answer Nil straight away. He waited until his heart wasn't beating so hard before he spoke. "You're the fae that helped us when part of the castle collapsed," he answered with a small nod. His voice was still trembling. His entire body was tense and rigid. "I remember." When Warren answered the door, he'd been hoping to find Shezmu there, and his shoulders dropped in disappointment when he saw it was Layla. "Oh... I was hoping you were someone else," he tutted, then looked at the strange creature in her hands. "Can I help you?" "I hope so..." Layla said uncertainly. "I was told to bring him to you. Apparently, you know him." --- "I-I'm not crying!" Carol blustered as her face grew a little redder and the tears threatened to fall even more. "Why would I cry? It's just a baby. Nothing sad about that. Just a baby that's small and cute and helpless and relies on you and calls you mommy and then one day she'll grow up, call you mom, or sometimes she'll call you by your first name if she's being sassy, and then before you know it she's off ruling hell, acheiving peace, getting married and having kids and a life of her own and she never needs to be held or protected anymore...." she rambled and then stopped and felt her cheek with her hand to find it was now wet with her tears. "Huh..." --- "A reason?" Lang glanced at him with mild confusion. "You don't need a reason to enjoy music. Just listen to the lyrics. The beat. The rhythm. Sometimes certain music can feel like it's talking to you. Like, you hear it and immediately identify with it. It can even alter your mood." --- Lilly looked at her father. "I know what's at stake. I've lived through what happens when a world has no Balance, remember? I don't want that to happen here. I would do anything to protect our homes." She then looked up at Dariel in surprise at his offer to assist them. As did Shezmu, who, for a moment, bristled before relaxing. Perhaps this would be a good opportunity for him to build some rapport with Death and his kingdom? He turned his head to look at Death. "Perhaps my student and I can offer some form of protection for when your children attempt to seal the void. Should the worst happen and Armageddon comes to pass, you will need every ally by your side to defend your efforts." "Anything you need, we can help too," Amelia added while also looking at Death and his family. "You don't have to be alone in this." "Then it is settled. You will have one month to prepare. We will not be able to grant you any more time than this." Unity nodded to them. "Speaking of," David began. "How can we afford to wait a month?" "We are utilising what resources we can to delay the rift as much as possible." Unity answered. "But even our combined energy is not enough to reseal the rupture and will eventually be depleted. We have evaluated our options and, with the help of Raziel-" The Archangel sitting next to Life shifted uncomfortably in his seat while averting his gaze from the others as Unity gestured to them. "-we have assessed possible outcomes. The unique circumstances of Lilly and Raven's arrival into our universe provide us with the best solution. Now, are there any more questions regarding this before we move on?"

Kris looked at Violet for a moment. In that moment, he forgot himself and leaned a little closer to her while tilting his head toward hers. Then he caught himself and hurriedly turned away from her, figuring the drink had already started to affect him. "You should get some rest, Violet. It's been a hell of a day." He glanced over at Cecil, who was awkwardly standing by and looking away from them, pretending not to have been paying any attention. "Thank you, Cecil. You can go back to bed now." "Yes, sir." Cecil nodded and looked a little relieved to be dismissed as he hurried back to the bunks. --- Clementine smiled. Content with his answer. "Good." She took a sip of her drink and glanced around at the brothel. "How is it your little plan hasn't been discovered yet, by the way? I'm actually impressed that you've gone this long without any trouble." --- Layla smiled as Nil brought her closer to him. "Alright, I'm ready when you are." --- Carol had hoped Sara would take the child off her, but she felt too awkward to complain when she merely fixed it so that Carol was holding Ophelia correctly. She looked at the little one and felt a rush of something she hadn't felt in a long time. Holding her like this reminded her of when she used to hold Amelia when they had hidden her away in the Library. How small and helpless she'd been back then. So innocent and with so much potential ahead of her. "Uh..." she stammered, feeling her eyes becoming misty as she hurriedly passed the child back to Sara. "I'm sorry. I just- I need a minute..." She flustered and looked around quickly, feeling her face turning a little red from embarrassment. "Um- bathroom?" --- "You haven't heard Queen? They're a classic." Lang glanced at him in surprise. "This is one of my favourite songs." --- "You don't need to know the ins and outs of how Heaven works," Samael answered Hades. "You're just here to vote for whichever Angel you think would best represent Heaven when conducting business with your own realms." "So, it's more who we would feel to be trustworthy if we needed to work with Heaven for anything?" Amelia asked. "Pretty much." Samael shrugged. "That's why we each have to make our case to you before you vote. Not that I'll be doing that." He then shot a glare at Unity, who either didn't or simply chose not to notice. "Quick question- sorry to interrupt again- but I'm just really curious-" Amelia started again while looking at Samael, and he sighed, already seeing where she was going and figuring it best to get it out of the way. "When Lucifer fell, I had to go into hiding. As you can imagine, looking identical to a tyrannical, psychopathic Devil can cause a lot of problems. Not to mention the odd accidental fight with fellow Angels looking to make a name for themselves," he explained quickly and then looked at Unity again. "Can we please get back to why we're here? You said we'd deal with votes at the end, and you had other things to bring up." "Correct." Unity nodded. "So, item two on today's agenda is...?" "The Balance is at risk." The room became silent for a moment until it was broken by David. "You couldn't have started with that?!" "What exactly do you mean, at risk?" Azrael asked, trying to be respectful but also looking alarmed. "Destroyed beings have been returning to the material plane from Oblivion through a cosmic rupture." Unity explained. Amelia timidly raised her hand like a student in a classroom. "We kinda already knew that. That's how Donnie came back and caused havoc. Damien and Clementine returned, too." "We are aware of those beings. We are not concerned that they have returned. We are concerned about the damage that they caused in the process of their return. With each being that passed back into existence, the rupture grew. Now, destroyed beings are falling out of Oblivion and back into the realm of existence. If the rupture continues to grow, The Balance will fail, and all will cease to be. This could potentially become the catalyst for Armageddon." Amelia lowered her hand with a sombre look. "Armageddon?" David repeated the word. "Humans did a poor job of chronicling The Word Of God..." Samael said while staring at the table. "But that one they got mostly right..." "Dad?" Amelia looked at David anxiously. She'd learned a lot from Hell's Library growing up, and she was hoping this wasn't what she thought she'd read that one time. David didn't respond and gave her a look she hadn't seen before. Somewhere between sadness, worry and despair. "For those unfamiliar," Unity began. "Armageddon is a prophecy of a great and final war that will become the end of all things." "B-But, the war is over." Amelia stammered while glancing at Charles and taking his hand nervously for comfort. She looked back at Unity. "We saw to that." "Not the war between Heaven and Hell." Unity clarified. "The Great War. Between all that is good and all that is Evil." David was trembling, and he placed his hands onto the table as he slowly rose to his feet and stared at Unity with a grim expression. "He's back, isn't he?" Samael stiffened in his chair and stared at Unity, as did they all, while awaiting Unity's answer. "Satan..." David glanced at Amelia, who stared back at him with the same look of dread. The last time they'd faced him was before Amelia had become a Devil. She had changed herself just to be strong enough to bring him down, and even then, it had been a very close fight. Back then, Satan had merely been interested in taking Hell's throne for himself while Lucifer was missing. He'd been such an angry and brutal Devil that if he came back, David was certain he would try to destroy everything out of spite or revenge. Unity didn't answer immediately, which only increased the tension in the room. Instead, they lowered their head and stared blankly at the table for several minutes. Those who knew what Unity was recognised this immediately as the council discussing the matter among themselves before they'd give an answer. Finally, they looked up and towards David. "We do not sense his presence in the material realms," they said in a man's voice. With a sigh of relief, David sat back down. "But as the rupture continues to grow, it would only be a matter of time." "Well, I guess I'll ask what everyone else is probably thinking then," Samael said and looked at Unity expectantly. "How the fuck do we close something we cannot see, sense or locate?" "We will not warn you again about your language, Samael." Unity snapped. "Oh, no. I do beg your pardon, oh great and powerful council!" Samael responded sarcastically. "I'm just a little on edge, you see. By the potential destruction of all things that you dropped onto our laps as if this is a casual fucking business meeting!" Unity had raised their hand to snap their fingers when Shezmu stood. "Counsilman," he addressed them in an urgent tone whilst straightening his jacket. During his time living in the German castle, and with a little guidance from his student regarding modern attire, he'd managed to update his wardrobe quite a lot. "As you can understand, this news has troubled us all greatly. Please," He looked around at everyone else. "Let us be calm. I do not believe the council would have begun our meeting by discussing Archangel votes if they did not already have a solution for The Rift." "Thank you, Shezmu." Unity said in a woman's voice as Shezmu took a seat once more. "There is a way to close the Rift." "Which is...?" Samael asked impatiently while raising a brow. Unity's glassy eyes wandered slowly across the table until they landed on Lilly and Raven. Lilly felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "This brings us to the next matter of this meeting to be addressed," they said carefully as their eyes moved to Death. "We understand that you have adopted these children as your own. That you have begun training them to harness their powers? Our solution will require them both to become fluent in the use of their powers. Therefore, we would request that you spend the next month training them thoroughly. In return for their aid, we will grant them both permanent residency within this universe." "A month?" David asked, glancing from Death's children and then back to Unity. "What about The Rift? Won't it continue to get bigger in that time?" "Our lives and the sake of everything in existence... and you're hoping two children can fix the problem?" Samael guffawed in disbelief. "I'm not doubting their abilities, but Samael has a point. They're just kids! This is a lot to place on their shoulders!" Zadkiel said worriedly. "I was no older than Lilly when I fought Satan." Amelia pointed out. She glanced at the children. "I don't doubt they'd be capable, but I have to agree with... uh..." She stared blankly at Zadkiel for a moment. "Zadkiel." He introduced himself quickly. "Right, -thanks-, I have to agree with Zadkiel that this is a lot to put on them. It doesn't seem fair. Is there no alternative?" "As of yet, there is not." Unity replied. Lilly had been watching this conversation tensely, and when Unity had said there currently wasn't an alternative, she looked at Raven, Azrael and her father with a resolute expression before looking at Unity. "I will gladly do what I can." --- Niko looked at the creature with a mixture of shock and fear. He heard his words and didn't know how to react. He was shaking with a combination of rage and grief as he turned away from him. He felt sick. "Please leave. Please... please just leave," he said in a trembling voice, on the brink of tears. He could feel his fangs lengthen as a dark desire to get retribution began to grip him. "Get out!" he growled.

I have to force myself to stop. There's so many characters who want to get a word in during this bloody meeting xD

Kris gestured to Violet. "If not for her, you'd be cinders now. Just remember that the next time you want to call me soft." He growled and then waved his hand, causing Ortiz to be teleported from the chair and flung to the ground just outside of the sanctuary, which would now bar his entry. Emotion came over Kris, but he buried it deep as he marched over to the table to snatch up the bottle and take several long gulps of the strong liquid to drown his sorrows. He lowered the bottle and took a few breaths, seething. "Asshole..." --- Clementine rolled her eyes. "Regardless, all of your wives would technically be Queens in your new Eden, would they not? I don't care if you make Eve the Queen Superior out of all of us, as long as I have a throne of my own!" She stepped towards him. Her eyes fixed on his with a look of cold determination. "Or should I call for help and bring your plans crashing down around you before your Kingdom even has a chance to flourish?" she asked him darkly, quietly. They had attempted to manipulate her into helping, so as far as she was concerned, turnabout was fair play. --- "Ok!" Jack beamed, immediately taking his answer for a 'yes' before bolting back into the house. He'd started stripping down and throwing his clothes behind him as he ran, deciding he wanted a bath before bed. Tia ran after him, scooping up his clothes as she went. "Jack!" she called after him, and Jack's giggles could be heard as he reached the top of the stairs and rounded a corner. The patter of his feet was rapid against the floor above. Layla chuckled and looked at Xenos. "Thank you for letting us meet your family. We should probably head home now," she smiled at Nil. --- "Oh, ok, we're here..." Carol mumbled as Ash brought her to his family anyway. She then caught Ophelia and timidly held her a little away from herself with a look of fearful uncertainty. "Um! Hello there! Tiny Devil child!" She tried her best to sound cheerful, but her voice shook from nerves. "Am I holding her right?" she asked Sara, frightened she would hurt the little one by holding her wrong. --- "Sure, why not?" Lang chuckled as he turned on his radio and kept the music low enough that they'd still be able to hear each other talking. Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' started playing. --- "And why was I pulled out of retirement?" Samael asked in an equally frustrated tone. "We would have patience from all of you." Unity addressed them in an older woman's voice. "There are several important matters which need to be brought to your attention. First and foremost will be Commanding Archangel Raguel's replacement." Several Archangels leant forward in their seats to give Unity their undivided attention, except Samael, who looked as if he couldn't care less. "Excuse me, councilwoman. It was believed that the Superior Archangel's replacement would be decided via votes?" Uriel asked. "Correct." Unity answered. "But not from the civilian Angels." "Then who-?" "The spirit council does the voting among themselves." Samael rolled his eyes. "To remain impartial and unbiased so that you assholes can't rig the system because the council can't be bribed or tricked. Honestly, read a scroll sometime..." "We would ask that you refrain from using such language in this meeting." Unity snapped at Samael. "But your crude explanation is correct." A lot of the Archangels at the table, Uriel included, looked troubled by this news. It would appear that Uriel hadn't been the only one trying to earn the trust and loyalty of Civilian Angels in the hopes of being voted into power. "With regards to why you are here, Samael." Unity continued, "Before our votes can commence, the position of Archangel Michael needs to be filled.-" "Nooo..." Samael stared at them. "And as you have prior experience-" "No!" "We have decided to reinstate your title of Archangel-" "No, no, no!" "Until such time as you can find a suitable replacement." "Fuck!" Samael slammed his hand against the table. "Samael, please control yourself!" Unity scolded him. Shezmu leant a little towards Dariel and whispered, not meaning to sound as sassy as he came across, "Take note, how not to conduct oneself at such a meeting." When Samael sat back in his chair with his arms crossed, still visibly furious but seemingly not wanting to argue, Unity turned to face the rest once more. "As this decision will also affect relations between Heaven and the other Realms, we have selected among you those who best represent their respective realms, also to submit their votes in this matter. These are as follows. King and Queen of Hell, Charles and Amelia." Unity gestured to them. "Hello!" Amelia sang to the group while giving an awkward little wave. "King of the lifeless realm, Death." Unity gesture to Death. "King of the creation and survival, Life." They gesture to Life next. Then they paused before continuing. "As representatives of the diverse nature of Earth, we have also selected the following to submit their votes: the ancient Blood God, Shezmu. The King of Vampires, Jean. And the Leviathan heir, Hades." They gesture to each in turn. "Each Arch Angel will have the opportunity during this meeting to present to us and the chosen leaders or representatives with their reasons to earn their votes. Voting will be concluded at the end of this meeting. Are there any questions before we move on to the second topic of today's meeting?" Unity paused and looked around the room expectantly. --- Niko stiffened at the name. His features grew cold and hardened. He looked away from the creature and gestured to his door. "Warren lives in his own home. Theron has been adopted by Bianka and her wife, Larissa... You should stay away from Insanity," he then warned him. "He's-... he's not safe."

Lol it's cool. It was Warren that was serving them

Also, also

I just realised I forgot to put Abaddon at the table lol He'd be between David & Jean, I guess

Also, I've left the other archangels vague for now in case you wanted to claim a few as your own character

Bigger version in case the first one is unreadable lol

For ze visuals