Shadowess

Honestly, it's fine! Anyone in the castle could've gone to help, including Jean. 🙂

Atma looked up at Abaddon and blushed both at the compliment and at taking notice of his outfit. "Thank you." She said shyly as the corner of her mouth lifted into a small smile. Rickster gave Ricky an amused and knowing look before pretending to fire an invisible arrow at the pair. The joke, of course, was that by dressing them, he'd somehow managed to play the part of Cupid. Smiling at them and also smirking at having noticed Rickster's gesture behind them, Amelia stepped forward to give Abbadon and Atma her hands. "Alright, shall we get going?" --- "Hey, Travis," Kodi said whilst also signing to him out of habit. "Who's on call tonight? I need to file a missing persons report." --- Hannes gawped at Nil in disbelief. His face had turned red from anger as he opened his mouth, ready to lay into him. Once again, Jessica stood between them and squared up to Hannes, poking a finger at his chest. "Niko. Wanted. This!" She snapped. "He asked me for it! Practically begged me to let him go and do it! So, don't you dare take this out on Nil! All he did was help!" "Help?!" Hannes snapped back and gestured to Niko. "You call this helping!? He doesn't remember being a vampire!-" "Exactly! Because all the traumatic shit that happened to him was while he was turned! This is his second chance, and you have no right to take it from him!" "No right?!" "No! None!" "He's my best friend and practically my brother!" "He's my maker! I didn't want this any more than you do, but this was HIS choice! HIS!" "But-!" "Hannes, will you shut up and listen? We tried! alright?! We all did! But his pain was too deep! He told me himself that if he didn't try this or if it didn't work, then he would eventually find a way to kill himself!" Jessica stopped suddenly as she realised what she said and saw the wounded look on Hannes's face as she finished saying the words. He was shocked by those words, but the shock alone wasn't what made Hannes speechless. It was the truth in them. He knew it even without it needing to be said. They had all tried to talk to Niko. Jessica, Hannes and even Jean. It only ever seemed to temporarily lift his spirits, but inevitably, he'd become brooding and begin isolating himself again as his mental state continued to decline. He hadn't wanted to think of it or even accept that it could be a possibility, but Jessica was right. It would only have been a matter of time. "Hannes... I didn't-" Jessica started, but Hannes held up a hand to quiet her. He sighed while shaking his head and glanced over at where Niko had been standing, only to find that he was no longer in the room. He had run out during their argument. By now, he'd made it halfway across the castle. He was still freaking out about the apparent time he'd lost and couldn't fathom where or why he'd been away for so long. Or even how long he'd been away for. His mind was still racing as he slowed to a stop to catch his breath. Then something drastically unexpected tore him out of his panic and distracted him entirely from his own problems. The sound of a woman groaning and crying. He listened carefully and followed the sound until he found a very pregnant Patience gripping the wall in one of the hallways, apparently in too much pain to move as her other hand gripped the underside of her belly. "Mein Gott!" Niko gasped and hurried towards her. "Lady! Do you need help? Shall I call for a midwife?" he asked her rapidly in German. Thankfully, Patience knew enough German to understand what he was saying to her. "Niko?" he gasped between breaths, but then her face scrunched up in pain, and her knees bent slightly as she groaned through another contraction. "You know me?" Niko asked her in surprise. "Niko, help me." Patience gasped between breaths again. Without hesitation, Niko wrapped an arm around her waist while moving her arm around his shoulders. He helped her to walk further down the corridor while calling out in German. "Help! Midwife! Doctor! Someone! This lady is in labour!" --- "The pursuit of power and knowledge need not be a lonely one," Shezmu answered simply with a small smile as he stepped away from Warren to approach his apprentice. He casually fixed Dariel's bow. "When you become strong enough to make your foes quake at the sound of your name, you too might choose to take a lover or two. After all, you will have all the time in the world for such things when I give you my gift." Warren stood idly and rubbed his arm while awkwardly looking away from them. He was surprised to hear Shezmu was planning on eventually turning Dariel, but then again, what else did he think would happen to the young man that the old Blood God had taken under his wing? "Now, are you ready to go?" Shezmu asked Dariel as he stepped away. --- Lillith looked at the bottles and the differently coloured liquids curiously as she stepped closer to the bar. "The humans drink these?" she asked, intrigued. She had no idea what any of the names of the drinks meant or how they'd be any different. These beverages were completely alien to her. "This one looks like water," she noted while pointing to the bottle of clear liquid, unable to read the label. --- "Of course." David nodded as he brought his gaze back to Raven. "I don't think your father would thank me for letting you wander into Hell alone anyway. The realm is currently under... reform. So, there are a few Demons that are still trying to cling to old traditions to watch out for." He offered Raven his hand. "I'm sure you're capable of handling yourself, but all the same, I'll ensure that you're protected." --- Kris jolted awake with a gasp and quickly lifted himself to sit on his knees. Although he could still vividly remember the strange man's face, he knew any link he'd had to him was gone. His head throbbed painfully as he cradled it in his hands for a moment. He felt moisture under his nose, which he patted with his fingers to see he'd been bleeding. Groaning quietly, he brought himself to his feet and then moved into his bathroom to look in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at his reflection, yet he barely registered his own state as his mind raced. Who was that man? What kind of desert could ever get that hot? How did he manage to connect to Kris's mind like that? What did he mean by he was suffering? All the questions that Kris would soon become obsessed with answering. For now, he took a moment to wash the blood from his face and ears. As he rubbed his face with a towel, he heard the soft, unmistakable sound of crying. For a moment, he found it odd that he could hear it from his room, but considering what he'd just experienced, he decided not to overthink it. He left his room and followed the sound to Violet's room. He contemplated opening the door but paused as he realised she might not appreciate him barging in on her. Instead, he gently tapped his knuckles against her door. "Violet? May I come in?"

No worries 🙂

Go for it

"Ricky is right," Amelia said to Abaddon. "I'm sure the council wouldn't have warped you into that meeting if they thought you'd be in any way a danger. Also, even if no one else knows you at the party, it just means that you can take this as an opportunity to reinvent yourself. Like, introduce yourself as the kind of person that you want to be going forward." Atma hadn't seen Abaddon staring as she worried over how short and snug the dress was as she fidgeted with one of the tassels on the skirt. She certainly pulled it off, but it was never an outfit that she'd normally wear. But then again, she was still finding herself and hadn't actually had any opportunities to go out on the town since her new life had begun. --- Kodi skillfully hid his emotions, but inside, he was panicking. He watched Harris leave and then spent a few minutes having another look around the bus stop. Unable to pick up any more clues as to who or what had taken Clementine, he decided to head straight to the station first to report her as missing in case she was still on Earth somewhere. --- "Yes, thank you. I noticed." Jessica snapped irritably. She took a breath to keep herself calm. "Sorry. It's just- think about it for a moment." She said to Nil. "Niko asked for this... he- maybe deep down, this is what he wanted, and your magic water somehow granted his wish?" "What's happened?" Hannes asked as he appeared in the room. Two things happened simultaneously in this moment. Hannes caught Niko's human scent, and his eyes snapped to him with a mixture of disbelief and confusion. Meanwhile, the sudden appearance of Hannes has caused Niko to jump so much that he almost fell out of his seat and stumbled clumsily to his feet, all while his wide eyes stayed fixed on his best friend. "Hannes?! How did you do that?!" Niko said quickly and still in German. "And- you're a vampire already?! We were supposed to be turned together! As brothers!" Hannes stared at Niko in shock as this was happening, and then he rounded on Nil. "What happened to him?" he demanded. His eyes were intense and angry. "What have you done!?" "Calm down!" Jessica snapped back. She stepped between them. "Calm down? Calm down?!" Hannes repeated. His furious gaze was now on Jessica. "Hannes? You're speaking English now?" Niko asked in German. He took a step back and then glanced around the room as if really looking around for the first time since Nil brought him back. He realised there were other vampires in he dining hall that he'd never met before. "Who-? What is happening?" he asked worriedly as he took another couple of steps back. His eyes continued to wander the hall, and he noticed decorations, rugs and tapestry that he hadn't seen before either. They were new to him, but they also looked worn... even, old. "Things are different... how long have I been gone? Where did I go? What happened to me?!" --- Warren had picked out one of the black Victorian suits from the wardrobe. It had dark, blue trims and fit him perfectly. Thinking over what Insanity had said, he frowned as he stared at himself in the mirror. "You should wear such clothing more often." Shezmu's voice behind him had made him jump and whirl around to see him sitting in an armchair near the bed on the other side of the room. "How long have you been watching me?" Warren gasped. "Not long." The Blood God answered as he rose to his feet. He was wearing a similar suit but with red trims with a red silk cravat. He walked towards him with a small smile. "Beloved, your mind is troubled." He stopped in front of him and lifted his hand to caress Warren's warm cheek with his fingertips. "Might I make a selfish request? Don't dwell on it. For tonight, simply be mine." Warren stared at Shezmu for a moment, and his cheeks flushed pink as he glanced away bashfully. "A-alright," he said softly while unable to conceal the little smile that crept across his lips. "Good. Now, come. My apprentice awaits us." He held out his arm for Warren to take, and without any hesitation, his consort wrapped his arm around his. A second later, they'd be standing in Shezmu's home to meet with Dariel. --- Lilith tilted her head slightly while looking at the glasses. She'd cautiously and curiously taken a step towards the bar. "Favourite?" she repeated. Anything she had ever consumed had been out of necessity and survival. She'd never had the luxury of experiencing enjoyment when eating or drinking. Other than the thrill of the hunt, of course. --- "My condolences," David told him quietly. There was understanding in the way he said it. David had experienced his own losses over the years to know the kind of pain that Raven was likely feeling. He then nodded and briefly glanced across the room as he thought of where Hades would likely be now. "She's been spending a lot of time with her friends in Hell recently. I'd imagine she'd be with them now and getting ready for the ceremony."

Lilly's Dress

Atma's Dress

Amelia's Dress

Use ai images to try to get some visuals on the dresses I'd imagine. Scary how close these came to being exactly what I pictured lol

"I-! Uh-!" Atma faltered awkwardly. Having forgotten everything from her previous life when she became human, she had no idea that Death's Kingdom was a thing. She knew vaguely of Heaven and Hell from her friends talking about it with her, but most other things were practically brand new to her now. Additionally, she was surprised to even be invited to anything. She usually spent a lot of her time maintaining the garden or reading. She rarely went out or socialised at all, but this was fine by her. She figured out fairly quickly that she was more introverted than her friends. "Please go, Atma. I know you won't remember anyone there, but I'm sure it'd make things a bit more special to have a veteran Midwife in attendance. Not to mention keeping Abaddon company." Amelia had winked during that last sentence, and Atma felt her cheeks grow a little warmer as her eyes moved back to Abaddon. But then she looked at Amelia again in surprise. "Was I really that renowned?" "Girl, you were famous! First Midwife in existence. You've been around since the beginning, from what I heard." "Yeah, you were actually mentioned during the history seminar when I was training to become an Angel." Rickster chimed in as he looked hungrily at the plate Ricky had set down. "Man, you're such a good cook," he complimented him. Atma was nervous at the thought of going somewhere new and being surrounded by strangers, but her curiosity overshadowed her anxiety. She turned to Abaddon and smiled with a nod. "I'd like to go with you, then." "Wonderful! You might want to hurry and get changed then. It starts soon. Black tie, formal." Amelia told her quickly. "Oh! That soon? Uh, alright. I'll go and get ready then... I'm sure I saw a black dress in one of these wardrobes somewhere..." Rickster smirked, seeing an opportunity to show off his Trickster skills and snapped his fingers. A second later, Atma's, Amelia's and Abaddon's clothes changed to the appropriate attire. Atma's short, slim black dress had small tassels along the skirt and came with a silver shawl that loosely hung from her arms. Amelia's was a long black dress with a mermaid-style skirt and subtle red accents. "There! All Cinderellas are ready for the ball." Rickster chuckled proudly. --- "Me neither," Kodi said worriedly as he met with Harris. "That scent..." He took a few more lungfuls, trying to place it. "I don't know what the other one is, but there was definitely an Angel here..." He looked around wildly, half expecting to see them with Clementine somewhere. "I just don't know who. Or why?" He looked at Harris. "Go home. One of us needs to stay there with Autumn in case she comes home. Try to keep Autumn calm. I'll report Clem missing first so that the other officers can keep an eye out. Then I'm going to Heaven to see what I can find out." --- "Look at this red-haired beauty! You must be new to the castle!" Niko said to Jessica in German. Jessica looked at him in mild confusion, not really understanding what he'd said as Nil led her away to talk more privately. When he told her the news, she was stunned. "He-... he doesn't remember? He doesn't remember me?" She asked quietly as she glanced at Niko, who was obliviously smiling and greeting the vampires as they entered the hall, going about their own business. Jessica frowned and then sighed. "Hannes. From what Niko told me, they grew up together. He'll be your best bet, but... Maybe-" She hugged herself as she tore her eyes away from her maker. "Maybe this is for the best. If he can't remember his trauma, he can't suffer from it." --- Warren gave Insanity a torn and teary look. "But Eris said she'd die if you took it all back." He bit his lip and looked away from him. "I won't lie. I want you to be an adult and for us to be together, but... not at the cost of someone else's life." he sighed heavily and stepped away from him. "Please don't get my hopes up if it's not possible. Don't play with my heart like that... I should get ready," he walked away, into the bedroom to get changed. --- "My child..." Lilith smiled as a couple of tears rolled down her cheeks, and she looked down at her sleeping son. She was deceptively small despite the strength that she possessed, and she lifted him easily, only the bed. There she took a moment to study him. To drink in the moment. Cherishing his return to her. Hesitantly, she quietly stepped away as she moved towards the door. She kept looking back at him, worried that he would be taken from her again. But he's not an infant anymore, and she reluctantly accepted this truth. She stepped out of the room, wanting to see this new home he'd picked out for her. She wandered into the different rooms along the upstairs before eventually making her way down and pausing in the bar area at the sight of Gabriel. She stared at him silently. Her eyes gave him a silent warning not to try to approach her. Her eyes remained fixed on him as she moved around the bar, and only briefly she'd take them off him to glance around at the rest of the room curiously. "My son trusts you," she said finally as she came to a stop across the room from him. "You mean much to him." --- David had been adjusting his tie in front of a mirror when Raven had appeared. He looked at him and then smiled warmly. "That colour suits you." He complimented him while nodding to the green. "I believe she does. Is it something that you can do?"

It's ok, I understand! I'm sorry I kinda went MIA there for a bit. Just been busy between work, unpacking and settling in to the new place. Not to mention the joys of finding and reporting various faults to the landlord that don't seem to have gotten picked up before we moved in. I haven't forgotten our story and I can't wait to start writing again. 😄

Rickster had appeared when Ricky called him, and he briefly looked at everyone. The only ones he didn't recognise were Abaddon and the man. He gingerly took the man from Abaddon's grip and carried him over to a chair, where he snapped his fingers, summoning ropes that bound the man's hands and feet. "So... why are we doing this?" he then asked. Wanting to see what the commotion was, Atma had also wandered into the kitchen and looked at everyone curiously from the doorway. Amelia had been about to answer Rickster's question when Atma caught her eye. She looked at Abaddon. "What about Atma, here? She used to be a Spirit of Life, but she retired." "What about me?" Atma asked, looking confused. "What's going on? Who's that man? And why is he being tied up?" --- "You won't," Kodi assured her. "Alright, I gotta go. I'll call back soon, ok?" he ended the call and started his car before taking off towards the local green grocer. His heart sank as he approached the bus stop not too far from the store and saw the abandoned bag with its contents spilling onto the pavement. He pulled up next to it, hurriedly turned his car off and took his seat belt off before hopping out and getting a closer look. He caught Clementine's scent here. And an Angel's. And something else that he couldn't quite place. It was human, but not the ordinary human scent. He looked around, hoping to see Clementine still nearby. "Clem? Clementine?!" He called out. He tried to teleport to her, but found that he couldn't. His heart began to race. Something was very wrong here. --- It took several minutes for Niko to awaken, and even then, he was groggy as he tried to make sense of what Nil was trying to say. When he eventually figured out of context that he needed to put the clothes on that were nearby, he blushed at realising he was mostly naked and hurriedly put on the strange clothes. He looked at himself in confusion, wondering why he was wet, and then he looked at the nearby pool and assumed he must've been bathing in it. But where was he? How did he get here? And who was this strange man who kept trying to talk to him in English? Were these his clothes? He didn't recognise them. Then, even more jarringly, he found himself suddenly standing in the Vampire Castle. He smiled widely. "Oh! This is a dream! I'm dreaming!" he laughed in German. Jessica appeared and looked in confusion from Nil to Niko. Having missed what Niko had just said, she couldn't tell that anything was wrong except that Niko was now staring at her in awe. "What happened?" She asked. --- Shezmu seemed unfazed by Insanity's protective display. "I believe that what Warren decides to do is his decision." He said simply. He then looked at Warren. "Time grows short, and I have yet to get ready. Will you come with me to this Ball?" Warren looked uncertain. He'd learned so much in such a short space of time, and he was still torn about how he wanted to feel towards either of them. He looked at Insanity sadly. Once again, he was forced to realise that his love for him would not be reciprocated, so he might as well see where things go with Shezmu. He looked at the Blood God and nodded. "The event is formal, black tie. Please take some time to prepare. I will collect you before we go in around thirty minutes." Shezmu nodded and then vanished, leaving Warren and Insanity alone. --- Lilith held him to her and gently stroked the back of his head. She frowned as she listened to him, and when he was done speaking, she did the only thing that she could think to do to try to comfort him. While still stroking his hair and cradling his head against her chest, she began to hum the lullaby that she used to sing to him when he'd been a newborn. The lullaby that she hadn't sung again after he'd been snatched from her as an infant, until now.

"Hi, Ricky. Sorry to drop in like this. This is Abaddon, and this is... um..." She gestured to the emo-looking man and paused. "Well, he doesn't have a name yet. I guess he was technically just born. We pulled him out of Abaddon, but he's a little... uh, what's the nice way of putting it? Disturbed? I'd normally deal with this myself, but Abaddon and I have been summoned to an important event that we can't miss. Would you mind watching him for a while?" She asked and then gave him a serious look. "Don't let your guard down around him, though. Especially not around anything he could use as a weapon. In fact, it might be best to restrain him before he wakes up. I'll come by after the event to take him off your hands." --- Kodi's eyes lit up. He knew where to look. "Yeah, we do. Alright, I'll see if she's still there. Stay by the phone in case she calls, and if she comes home, let me know, ok? Try to relax, I'm sure she's fine." --- Leaving his underwear on, he stepped towards the pool and gingerly dipped in a toe. It was a little cold but not uncomfortably so. Not feeling any different, he moved further in and kept going until the water reached his shoulders. He sat there for a moment and wondered if he'd need to dip his head in, too. That's when he started to feel dizzy. He suddenly reached out to the edge of the pool. The water splashed up as his arm flung towards the grassy ledge, and he gripped it to try and steady himself. Before he could react, he lost consciousness and started to sink. When Nil would realise and pull him out, he'd be pulling out a human Niko. The only way that the healing waters could save him from his traumatic memories was to remove them completely. All of them. The memories of his torment at the hands of Donnie and Insanity. The memories of his trial and punishment at the hands of Xenos. Even the memories of his family and friends being murdered by Steinheil hunters. All the way back to the time he'd been human, and so, in reversing these traumas, the waters had also reversed his change from human to Vampire. He was a mortal German man again who barely knew a lick of English and whose last memories had been of when he had been excited to be welcomed into the Vampire society at the castle with his best friend, Hannes. --- Shezmu looked from Warren to Insanity as he asked his question. Warren's heart hammered and ached as he heard Insanity's words. "All of my consorts have my word that I will protect and respect them," Shezmu answered simply. He looked at Warren as he continued. "My consorts' lives are their own, and how they live is up to them. If they wish for our bond to include romance, I am not opposed to the idea. But I must be clear; I am not a monogamous man. My harem was once spread out across the world and consisted of dozens of men and women. It is only fair that I expect some of my concubines to have lovers of their own." He explained, not wanting to be misunderstood regarding his preferences. "That's-..." Warren stammered. He recalled Shezmu mentioning that he'd previously had a few consorts, but he'd never imagined it had been so many. "Oh, wow..." he was caught more off guard by Insanity's offer to destroy the contract he had signed. He'd been about to object, knowing it was the only thing left that tied him to Insanity, but then something unexpected happened. Black blotches on the scroll started to appear and spread, as if the ink was running. It continued to spread until the entire thing was just black parchment, which wilted and rotted in Insanity's hand. "Ah," Shezmu said as he watched what happened and saw their confused faces. "You mentioned before that your beloved Donnie had perished. I assume he had co-signed these contracts with you?" he asked Insanity. "Co-signed contracts are never a wise idea. It only takes one of you to perish, and they all become void. None of the contracts that you had co-signed will be in effect anymore." While this news disheartened Warren, Shezmu saw this as a good thing. Not because Warren was free now, but because he was now able to offer a contract of his own to his consort. --- Lilith's eyes were fixed on Nate as she listened to him talk. Her heart ached to know what her first child had gone through during his life. When he finished speaking, she hesitated before slowly moving from the corner of the bed to sit more in front of him. She lifted her hands up to cup his face and to take a proper look at him. She slowly ran her fingers through his hair and brushed some out of his face. Her finger traced over his scar as she looked at his eye with a frown. "My child." She whispered and smiled tearfully. "My Naoutha." She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly.

"I know what you mean, but you got summoned the same as I did. I don't think the council would take too kindly to you not making an appearance." Amelia pointed out while looking over the man warily. "I have some friends who could watch him for us. They have powers of their own, so they'd be able to handle him if he acted out. Let's drop him off and get ready for the event." She said while considering Ricky and Rickster as an option. --- Kodi paused. By now, he'd gotten into his car, and his hand was hovering over the key in his ignition. "Autumn, listen to me. Don't go blaming yourself, ok? You've had a lot on your mind, and Clem is a capable adult. I'm sure she's fine. Maybe she hopped onto the wrong bus or something. It happens. I want you to take some deep breaths and try to think. Did she say anything to you before she went out? Anything at all?" --- "So do I," Niko replied, and his hand trembled as he held his. He turned his head slightly to Jessica. "Let me go, liebchen," he said softly. "But-" Jessica started, but Niko cut her off. "Please." Jessica hesitated, and reluctantly, she let go of him, then took a step back while hugging herself. --- After leaving Dariel to get ready, Shezmu had made himself comfortable on Warren's couch to wait for him to return, as he had done a few times by now. Only this time, when Warren returned, he had brought an altered version of Insanity with him. "Ah, you have returned to your family." He greeted him with a nod. When Insanity asked him why he was here, his eyes drifted to Warren's and noted the discomfort in his consort's eyes. Warren was conflicted about how he should feel. He had longed for Insanity to return, but at some point during his stay in the castle, he had begun to accept that what he felt for Insanity would never come to fruition. Then Shezmu had come along, and although Shezmu had never made any advances, he had filled the emotional hole that had been left. Now he was standing between both of his love interests, and other than wanting the floor to swallow him up, he didn't know how to feel. "Warren and I have an agreement," Shezmu explained. "In payment for delivering his message to his family, he agreed that from time to time he would help me to -ahem- quench my thirst." "I'm his consort," Warren admitted numbly. "That is the term I use for such a position, yes. I'd like to assure you, though, that there is nothing nefarious about this arrangement. Warren is consenting, and I never take more than I need." Shezmu said casually. He then stood and straightened his jacket. "I-um-uh maybe we could have some privacy?" Warren asked awkwardly. His cheeks turned a deep shade of red at having this conversation in front of Insanity. "Of course. I did come for another reason, though." "Oh?" "My apprentice and I have been invited to a Ball in Death's Kingdom. It is a rare event that is set to be quite memorable. The Spirit Council have permitted invited guests to bring one person with them." he looked at Warren expectantly. "Y-you want to take me?" Warren blinked in surprise and blushed. He glanced at Insanity, and part of him wanted to accept in a bid to make Insanity jealous in the hopes he would find a way to become an adult faster. --- Lilith opened her eyes and then sat up quickly. She was startled to see she'd been moved to an unfamiliar location. She backed up into the corner of the bed, where her back rested against the wall and the bed frame, while she hugged her legs. She heard Nate while her eyes darted around the room. When she realised it was just her and her son, she relaxed a little but was still very much on edge. She hadn't really understood half of what Nate had said. She didn't know what a pub was. Or alcohol. Or Ireland, for that matter. Having spent the majority of her eternal life in Hell, which in her mind was still Eden, she had mostly survived in a similar fashion to beasts in the wilderness or cavemen before there was civilisation. But one word she did understand was 'home'. "H-Home..." She repeated the word and looked around again, but this time her expression had shifted from fear to wonder. She looked back at Nate. "The Angels?" she asked in a half whisper. She'd been referring to Gabriel and Azrael. She was distrustful and even fearful of all Angels, but now she seemed a little more willing to listen to Nate. --- "The honour is mine, your Grace," Azrael replied in his soft voice. He held on to the kiss for as long as he could, and he felt himself swooning at Death's touch. He had to tear himself away as the desire to stay close to him grew. "I will see you there," he said dreamily as he dragged himself away to make sure the preparations were all in order.

"I call it 'optimism,'" Amelia responded with a smile. "And it doesn't have to be a romantic partner. I was just kidding around with David. You could bring a friend. What about Ash? Or Insanity?" --- "I'll have a look for her too. Do you know which store she was heading to? It might give me an idea of which bus stop she would have gone to." Kodi asked. --- "Niko..." Jessica replied simply with a frown. This hadn't been Niko's first breakdown, after all. Although he had seemed to be getting better recently, so having just missed Insanity, she wasn't too sure what exactly had triggered this particular episode. "Jessica..." Niko said shakily. He pulled away to look at her. "I want to try it. What he said..." "But it won't work-" "We don't know that, Liebchen. I have to try. I can't keep living like this. You and I both know it. It's only a matter of time before I-..." He looked away. "You won't," Jessica said resolutely. "I'll help you, like I always do." "You'll watch me, yes. You'll stop me from ending my life over and over, but eventually you will get tired, your guard will drop, and I will find my opportunity..." He sighed heavily. "You are the greatest thing that I have done with my life. I don't want you to waste yours by worrying over me, and I don't want to cause you any pain. Please, Jessica. Let me try this." "And what if it doesn't work?" Niko looked at her sadly. "I have to believe that it will... but if it doesn't... well, we shall cross that bridge if it comes to it." He took her hands in his and gave her a weak smile. "For me, liebchen. You have saved me enough. Save me this one last time." Jessica blinked back tears and looked conflicted for a moment before relenting. "Nil... Please come back." --- "I don't know..." Warren answered. He sighed and shook his head. "Don't worry about me. You got some of your powers back, you're still you, and you came home, so that's something worth celebrating. We should probably head home." --- "Woah, don't go too crazy there, tiger," Lang joked with a short chuckle. He took a sip of his drink. "Well, I guess it's a start. I was thinking maybe I'd like to get into pottery. It's messy, but you come away with something you created that's also useful." --- "Heavy is the head that wears the crown." Shezmu quoted the phrase nonchalantly. "He is the king of his own realm with millions of citizens and reapers who count on him to protect them. It is therefore understandable that he be... what is the phrase? 'closed off'? from almost all others." Shezmu explained. "But that does not mean forming an alliance is impossible. One just has to know how to properly conduct oneself. Always bear in mind that while we are in his kingdom, we are merely guests and must act appropriately. Do not do anything to insult him, his kingdom or his children." He began walking towards his wardrobe. "When speaking to him or his children, do so respectfully. This ball will give us a unique opportunity to create a good rapport. Realms rarely invite so many guests for such events anymore, so do not squander this." Shezmu then opened his wardrobe. "Choose a black suit, then head to the baths to cleanse and get dressed." He turned to Dariel with a small smile. "You are around the same age as his children. I believe our best chance will be for you to get close to either one or both of them." He then glanced away. "I shall need to sate my thirst before we attend the event. I will do this while you get ready," he mentioned as he thought of paying Warren a quick visit. --- Lilith was still sound asleep by the time Gabriel checked on her. Oblivious to the fact that she had essentially been left alone for a short while. --- Lilly shared Raven's excitement and ran with him back into the castle, heading to her own room to see a beautiful black lace dress hanging in her wardrobe. Hanging behind that was a thick black robe made from crushed velvet. Its hood, sleeves and hems were lined in silver thread, which was intricately woven into swirling patterns. She spotted a scroll on her bedside table, which she hurriedly picked up and unrolled to see the oath written in fresh, black ink. 'I, Lillian De Morte, do hereby accept the title of Princess and heir to the Kingdom of Death. With this, I accept the duty and responsibility to the Kingdom, its citizens and the Reapers. I swear to serve and protect the Citizens of the Kingdom of Death. I swear to guide the Reapers to Reap souls with compassion, peace, patience and understanding. Above all else, I swear to uphold The Balance by any means. May all present here today bear witness and keep me to my oath from this day until my last day." Lilly read the scroll over and over. It seemed simple enough, but she didn't want to run the risk of getting it wrong when she had to recite it. She guessed Raven's would be the same except with his name instead and 'Prince' instead of Princess. Meanwhile, in the courtyard, once the children had run into the castle, Azrael turned to look at Death. "I had a new ceremonial robe made for you, too, your Grace," he said in a soft voice. "I should oversee the catering and decorations. I suppose I won't see you again until the ceremony begins."