Shadowess

Thankfully, the night had been uneventful as far as Kris could tell. He was in the planning room when Blake approached him. He's been leaning on the table with his hands, bent over to look at various city and underground maps. Hearing the name brought a sinister smile to his lips, and he glanced at Ortiz in amusement. "Rio the Wrong... Jeez, how long did it take the boys to drop that one? 12? 24 hours? Guess you won that bet," he chuckled, then looked back at Blake, his sunglasses catching some light as he moved. "Rio and I were trained by the same Trickster. He took us in much like I took you and the other boys in, only our boss wasn't as... nurturing as I am." He took his hands off the table and straightened up. He folded his arms and stared down at the maps. "I wasn't exactly close to Rio, but we were all we had at the time. We theived together. We swindled together. We killed together. In a way, we look out for each other. He got his nickname from our boss as a slight to remind him of how frequently he was a fuck up. As much as I hated my boss, he had a point, though... Rio would frequently give us false leads, walk openly into traps and then need rescueing, the idiot damn near brought an undercover pig into our den before our boss sniffed him out." Kris shook his head. "I always stuck up for him. As much as he annoyed the shit out of me, it was the closest thing to family that I had. I'd plead for our boss the forgive him, that he was just a harmless idiot and it won't happen again." Kris's jaw clenched as he recalled what had happened. "He was a rat! All the times he 'fucked up' he was actually attempting to lure us into traps. Get us arrested. Dismantle our whole way of life. Only instead of being a fuck up of a Trickster, he was actually a fuck up as a rat because every attempt failed and he was left to convince us all once again that he was just a clumsy idiot. Heh... kind of ironic, really." he looked back at Blake. "He lured me away from our home one day. Then he told me everything. He'd set it up for the police to raid our home while we were gone. He wanted to spare me because I always stood up for him. He thought we were friends... family. But I had other friends back at our hideout. They were my family, too. Like you and the other boys in there... can you imagine getting close to those other boys, seeing and embracing them as brothers every day and then one of them takes you aside and tells you he's sold out the rest of the family but wants to save you? I was just a kid. No older than you are now. But I was strong. I was skilled. I was betrayed, and I was livid," he said the last word in a growl. "We fought. Fists and fireballs were thrown. But in the end, I won. I knocked him out and then raced back to warn the others. By the time I got there, our boss had taken a few cops down, but the whole base was overwhelmed. It was a long and hard fight. We lost some boys... some real good boys. The human cops never stood a chance, but the ones who had been hiding their powers among them? They gave as good as they got. Like I said, I was just your age at the time. But I matched blow for blow the kind of power my boss and the supernatural cops were dealing. By the time the dust settled, there was only me and my boss left. He was so angry. He knew this meant our base was no longer safe. That he'd have to start again. To build his little gang again. With no one else around to blame, he blamed me. We argued. We insulted each other. But too exhausted to fight anymore, we chose to go our separate ways. That was the end of that era and the start of... this," he gestured to the base they now stood in. "I built all this on my own, starting at your age. I vowed never to be as cruel and greedy as my former boss. That my new family would be just that- family! And as for Rio... well..." he smirked and exchanged a knowing glance with Ortiz. "Let's just say he knows never to darken my doorstep again, if he knows what's good for him." Kris walked over to Blake and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think you need to worry about Salem. You didn't know her when the Succubus was around, so she likely has no idea she even exists. Also, don't underestimate Auntie Audrey. She looks like a walking raisin, but she's a formidable witch. If you like my stories, she's got enough experiences to tell you stories until the cows come home," he said confidently, then removed his hand from his shoulder and tilted his head a little. "Now then, are you ready for your first day?" --- "Well, crime isn't going to take a break just because we're having a bad day," Lang replied with a chuckle. Simply looking around, it would be clear that everyone had already gone back to their own work. Some had already left to respond to calls. "Want me to introduce you to everyone and show you around?" --- Azrael heard Raven's words, and as they let go of him, he saw both Raven and Lilly in a new light. Not just as Death's children. Death was his beloved, which made Death's children as good as his. Knowing these two had already survived such perils before their arrival here caused a feeling of protectiveness in him that was so fierce it almost frightened him. He would do anything for them. He would die defending them, if necessary. He watched Raven say goodbye to Conrad and felt his heart ache for them, knowing too well the longing that they both felt. Taking a breath, he flung the covers from him and winced as he got out of bed. Still in his black robes, he clicked his fingers. All at once, the various tears and holes in his robes stitched themselves closed. "Azrael, you shouldn't-" Lilly started with a gasp, but Azrael placed a hand on her shoulder while giving her a gentle smile. "Believe me, I am stronger than I look." He told her. Placing the amulet around his neck, he ran his fingers over it briefly before letting it rest on his chest. Regardless of its magical properties, he would cherish this gift for all time. "I have some business in Heaven," he said seriously. "I'm a Reaper. Death's right hand. But I am also an Archangel. I need to know what is happening in place of Raguel's command." Seeing an opportunity, Lilly glanced at Raven before speaking. "Take us with you." "What-? No." "We are safest by your side, and besides, if we are to take the titles of Princess and Prince, we need to be educated in diplomacy with the other realms, and who better to teach us?" Lilly argued. It was clear by her stance and hard stare that she was prepared to be as stubborn as possible. She glanced at Raven and barely concealed a cunning smile. "And Raven would be able to spend a little more time with Cornad without using up one of his passes." Azrael flustered and rolled his eyes upwards. He was very reluctant, but obviously considering it. Education-wise, he couldn't fault her logic. --- "I guess you'd have to anyway." Jessica shrugged with a chuckle. "We'll be human again, and we'll need money for groceries, rent, bills... not to mention a kid. Or maybe two?" She smiled at him playfully. "Oh my god... we'd actually be a 'normal' family." --- His arm around her. The feel of his warm skin against hers. His scent. It had been centuries, but she never forgot how good it all felt. She chuckled softly and nuzzled into his neck. "I've missed this." She sighed happily. "Paradise... Real paradise and this time it won't be taken from us!" --- Andi had closed his eyes and tensed, unsure of what to expect when Hades used her magic. He felt strange all over. Like his skin was rippling and moving. Shrinking in some areas while growing in others. It was unnerving. But when it faded and Hades spoke again, he opened his eyes then stared down in shock at himself. Where he was once very well endowed in the chest area, he was now practically completely flat. He glanced at the others briefly and awkwardly. "I feel fine-" he stopped and quickly brought a hand up to his throat as the deepness of his own voice surprised him. "Um... would you excuse me for a moment?" he asked, then quickly scurried around a nearby corner. A moment later, the group would hear him laugh. "OH MY GOD! IT'S HUGE! This is so surreal... It- IT MOVED! I MOVED IT! IT'S REAL! OH MY GOD IT'S FUCKING REAL!" A few moments later, he came back around the corner, trying his best to play it cool and hoping they hadn't overheard his little moment of celebration. David was still composed, but the twitching smirk on his face was in danger of giving way to laughter. His brief time as an amnesiac had brought back some of the humorous, playful man he'd once been. Andi cleared his throat awkwardly. "Thank you, Hades. You've no idea how much this means to me. I feel like I'm finally in the right body." --- "I duno. This lady says she's from social services." Parker answered as Will entered the room at seemingly just the right moment. "Sorry, you are-?" Penny asked as she blinked at Will's arrival. "This is Will, my boyfriend," Parker said quickly. "I see..." Penny quickly jotted something down on her clipboard. "What's this about?" Parker asked, visibly confused. Penny's pen stopped scratching against the paper abruptly as she thought about how to approach the subject. She glanced at Parker's leg but decided to ask about this later. "Mr Parker, are you familiar with a Miss Lucy Brunhill?" Parker shook his head with a blank look. The name kind of rang a bell, but he couldn't recall knowing anyone by that name. "She may have used a different sirname when you met her... I believe she also had a stagename of 'Candy' according to the information we have..." Penny explained as she flipped over a couple of pages on her clipboard before pulling out a photo. When she passed it to Parker, he felt a lump in his throat. He recognised her immediately. "Uh, yeah..." he answered awkwardly, then looked at Will. "Before I met you and after... You know... Bryce... I had a sort of rebound with her. She left me after one night, though, and I didn't hear from her again until..." he paused as the memories flooded back. The repeated missed calls from her as Parker kept hanging up. When he finally decided to answer, Bryce had been on the other end and threatening her, back before Bryce had changed for the better. As far as Parker knew, he had let her go after that, but he'd never heard from her again. "I'm sorry, what's this about?" Parker asked Penny again, this time looking a little paler than he had been. Penny braced herself to deliver the difficult news. She quickly fumbled and dug through papers on her clipbaord again until she had what she needed. "Did you say you kept in contact with miss Brunhill after your one night stand?" "No, not her. I was mistaken." Parker said quickly, then asked again. "Why? What's happened?" "So, she didn't contact you at all after that night?" "I just told you." Parker now started to sound a little agitated. Penny sighed and handed Parker some photographs as well as an official-looking document. Parker stared at these numbly. Some of the photos were of Lucy holding a baby. In others, she was holding a toddler with bright orange hair in little pig tails. There were ultrasound photos, and the document was a birth certificate for Madeline Brunhill. Under 'mother' was Lucy Brunhill, and under 'father' was Parker's full name. The date on the certificate would make Madeline approximately two years old. Parker stared at these numbly. Unable for a moment to comprehend the meaning of this. "Lucy didn't contact you at all about her?" Penny asked again, this time in a gentle tone as she saw the stricken look on Parker's face. "Uh-uh..." Parker mumbled as she shook his head a little. His eyes were on the little girl's wide, smiling face in the photo. "Of course, we will need to conduct a paternity test to know for sure. But I must tell you... If you are Madeline's daughter, then you would be considered her legal guardian. Lucy's family had disowned her some years ago, and when we approached them, they wanted nothing to do with Madeline." "A-a-and Lucy?" Parker found the strength the tear his eyes away from the photo to look at the social worker. "What happened? Why can't she look after her anymore?" Penny paused, her lips tightened for a second while giving him a sympathetic look. "Because she's dead, Mr Parker," she answered softly. "Wha-what?" "During the earthquakes. Her apartment building collapsed on top of her. She died instantly. Thankfully, Madeline had been at day care at the time, and the practitioners there had secured the children to keep them safe. But now she has no home. No mother. And she's too young to fully understand what has happened." "I can't-! I-I can't-! My leg is... How can this happen?!" Parker began to breathe heavily as tears ran down his face. "I understand this news will come as a shock to you. So, and given your... current situation..." she glances to his missing limb. "I understand if you will need time to process this and decide whether this is a responsibility that you want to take on. May I ask in the meantime that you consent to a paternity blood test?" Parker ran a hand through his hair, his eyes were wide as he held his breath, and he tearfully nodded. "Wha-wha-what will happen? If I'm not- or if I can't-?" he asked, his voice breaking from the effort to keep himself composed. He couldn't bring himself the finish the sentences, as if he couldn't quite bring himself to believe that any of this was real. Penny lowered her eyes sadly but answered his question. "If you're not her father, or if you decide you cannot take this responsibility... and Lucy's family have already made their intentions clear... then Madeline would likely end up going through foster care." Parker stared at her for a moment as he grappled with the reality of the situation before lowering his eyes back to the photo of the little girl. Penny took a card with her contact details from her clipboard and passed it to Will. "I'll leave you both to think and talk this over. Call me on that number when you have an answer. In the meantime, I'll ask one of the nurses to take a blood sample for the paternity test." She looked between them both sadly, then nodded to the photos on Parker's lap. "Feel free to keep hold of those for now. I can always pick them up later, if needed." She then left the room. Parker continued to stare at the photo and clasped a hand over his mouth as more tears fell. He mostly felt a numb shock. But another emotion he felt so keenly that it was difficult to ignore was guilt. All those times she'd blown up his phone with calls and he'd hung up on her every time... had she been trying to tell him? He tried to run the maths in his head, but the shock of it all was so overwhelming that he had to resort to counting on his shaking fingers a few times, but the maths checked out. Which meant she would have been in the early stages of pregnancy when she'd tried calling him... and when Bryce had taken her hostage. God knows what Bryce had done to her in that time or what he would have done to her to hurt Parker if they had found out she was carrying his baby. He felt sick thinking about it. It was no wonder she never tried to contact him again after that!

(Hahaha xD Glad you like it. I've been musing over this twist for a while and wanted to wait until juuuuust the right moment to bring it in lol Not sure if you want Will to 'visit' in time to hear the news?)

Cecil regarded Blake for a moment before answering, his arms crossed yet relaxed as he rested them against the wooden bed frame. Physically, he looked younger and smaller than the others. But with the way he carried himself, his posture and how he spoke, he seemed to be more like an older brother. His cobalt eyes were both sharp and warm, as if he held some hidden wisdom the others often overlooked. "You think this succubus might target you? For what reason? You're just as much a kid as the rest of us. The Boss, though..." He trailed off, not wanting to entertain the idea that their teacher and protector could be targeted like that. "But the Boss can handle himself. Did anyone tell you what he did to a rogue trickster who tried to overthrow him? The next time you get the chance, ask him about 'Rio The Wrong.' Kris is an honourable Trickster, but he knows how to play dirty when the moment calls for it." With a little grunt, he hopped down from the bunk and stretched his arms while making his way towards the door. "Oh, and don't dawdle. A cold shower is one thing, but breakfast is pretty competitive. If you don't get to the kitchen quickly, you'll be going hungry until lunch." --- "Humans are capable of more than they're usually given credit for," Lang commented. "Don't take it personally. Today has been a tough day for everyone here, so there's bound to be some friction. Give it time. They'll come around." --- Azrael looked up when he heard the door, expecting it to be his king. He looked at the trio with mild surprise as they approached the bed. Before he could speak, Raven gave him the amulet and explained its use. He looked at the trinket carefully while moving it between his fingers before looking up at each of them in turn, his eyes watering a little as the gesture touched him deeply. His eyes landed on Conrad as he spoke, and he nodded to him with a warm smile. "It's nice to finally meet you," he said, then looked between them again. "I don't know what to say!" he chuckled softly. "Thank you. All of you. This is so thoughtful!" Before Azrael could say or do anything else, Lilly had moved forward and wrapped her arms around him. Surprising him. "We know about you and father," she said to him softly, and anxiety seized Azrael's heart until she followed up with, "And I'm happy it's you that he chose." Relief and love overwhelmed him. Azrael laughed as tears dripped down his cheeks, and he hugged her back tightly. "Oh, children... what blessings you are!" --- "Ben..." Jessica let out a shaky whisper and then gave him a lingering kiss. When it broke, she rested her head against his and held his hands in hers. "This is going to be weird... going from this kind of power to normal humans... but we'll be starting a family," she grinned. "Our very own little family," she looked around the room, a little sadly. "I'm going to miss this place. But maybe we should move closer to our friends once we're human?" --- "It's not ours yet." Eve reminded him. "But it will be once we return it to its former glory..." She glanced around, noticing John wasn't lingering like he normally would be. For once, they were alone. "Do you believe it will work?" she asked Adam seriously. "I want to believe it, but I've survived all these years in this... nightmarish wasteland. Can it really be as simple as bringing in new life? What if those girls aren't enough?" --- "I'm not sure," David answered honestly. "Last I heard, she and her band were touring Hell and providing Demons with entertainment." He smiled proudly. "And it seems to be doing wonders for morale. Perhaps we can catch her between performances?" he suggested and offered his hands to them both to teleport. --- A nurse helped Parker back to his bed at the hospital after his physio session. It seemed learning to walk with one leg, both with and without a crutch, had its challenges. He was developing muscles he never knew would be so crucial to the task. Exhausted and sweating a little, he hopped into the bed and then gave a sigh of relief as his muscles relaxed. He had briefly mused to himself that this was enough life-changing events for one year, but a knock on his door by an official-looking woman with a clipboard pulled him from his thoughts. Ironically, she was here to bring him news that would add yet another life-changing event to his year. One that, if he hadn't already been sitting down, would have certainly knocked him on his ass. "Excuse me, are you Mr Alex Draven Parker?" The woman asked. She wore small rectangular glasses, a white button-down shirt, a formal grey jacket with a matching knee-length skirt, tights and a pair of polished black leather shoes. "That's me..." Parker answered slowly while looking at the woman curiously. "My name is Penny Ashford, and I am from Social Services. Could I come in? There's something important that we need to discuss." "Social Services?"

Just throwing a quick update on here cos I know I've been inactive for a while now. I basically got signed off by a doctor recently due to a combination of stress, depression and my migraines becoming too much regularly. I haven't forgotten our rp and I've been thinking up my reply while I've been off as I'm excited to come back asap. Just need a little time to work on myself first and then I'll be back in the swing of things soon 🙂

"Bad dream?" Cecil asked nonchalantly as he awkwardly tried to make his bed from the top bunk. The other beds were empty. "Drake, Benny and the others have already beaten you to the showers. Hope you don't mind cold water because there won't be any hot left by the time they're done." --- Henderson glared at Will as he shook him. He didn't say anything while Will spoke, but once the ultimatum was given, he shrugged off Will's hands and shook his head. "Guess I'm going home then," he grumbled as he walked past him. "You don't hang out with people often, do you?" Lang observed. "Let's make a deal," he said and gently pried the book from Reed's hands. "I'll promise to eat fewer dohnuts if you promise not to throw your head straight into a book whenever you're not sure how a social interaction works. If you're ever feeling uncertain, you can always ask me." He lifted the book with an amused smirk while gesturing to it. "Just think of this as your social dohnut, and I am your social salad." --- "You're right," Lilly said when Raven had said it felt weird. "I've never been more than a nobody, barely surviving on scraps. That felt odd... but exhilarating." She admitted with a small smile. Her smile grew until she was beaming when Raven said they should go and see Azrael now. "Yes, I can't wait to see his face when you give him our gift!" She led the way, heading to Death's private suite. Azrael was still lying in Death's bed. He rarely needed sleep, so he had spent much of this time being frustrated that he hadn't healed enough yet to return to his duties. He worried for Raguel's fate and longed to stand at Death's side again, but until his wounds healed properly, he was of no use to anyone. So, for now, he sat with his back against the headboard and watched the bruises on his arms as they healed. Though he had to admit, the way they changed colours before slowly blending back to match the colour of his skin was mildly fascinating. He'd never stopped to see that happen before. --- Jessica squeezed Ben's hands a little and bit her lip. She hadn't known how he'd react, but his answer caused her to falter. "We can go and check, but..." She looked away from him and took her hands from his. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "Ben, I don't want you to do something you don't want to do. You asked me to change you because you wanted to be with me, to know what it was like for me, and now that you've become comfortable, I'm asking you to change for me again. That's not fair. I'm not being fair to you." Tears stung her eyes as she brought them back up to look into his. In a fragile whisper, she asked him, "Are we incompatible?" --- A demon? An angel? Any other tormentor jumping out of the shadows? In a flash, Eve relived all the horrors she had endured during her time wandering Hell. Within the same moment, she realised the threat was no more than her ever carefree husband. Her face was still pale as he laughed, and for a second, her pupils shrank in anger. "Adam!" she snapped angrily, then placed a hand over her chest as she took a few breaths to calm herself down. Then, colour returned to her, making her face red from embarrassment as she chuckled. "Careful, husband. I may get you back one day," she said playfully. --- "You mean 'his' shape." David corrected him as he rose to his feet. Andi didn't speak but nodded at the Arch Demon in thanks. "I admit, I'm still new to the idea myself, but humanity seems to be taking great strides when it comes to this sort of thing. That being said, I know at least one person who has successfully managed to change their gender through magic." Andi's eyes lit up hopefully. When David had referred to humanity, he half expected to be told that he'd have to go about things the mortal way, via surgery and hormone replacement pills. Which would take years to complete. But at the mention of magic, he became excited at the idea that he could possibly change instantaneously. "Are you able to get us in touch with them?" He blurted out eagerly, then glanced at Death before lowering his eyes to the floor. "Apologies." David merely smiled at them and nodded. "It's Hades. My daughter. I'm not sure how she did it, but maybe there's a way she can help you?"

"Whatever." Drake chuckled as he got up from the floor. He brushed the cards from his bed, leaving them in a messy pile on the ground, as he climbed under his own covers. Benny tutted. "Really, man? That's the only deck we have with no missing cards." Drake shrugged his shoulders, and Benny scooped them up from the floor to put them away neatly before heading to his own bed. "G'night, guys!" "Shush!" Cecil grumbled, and silence quickly followed. Before long, Drake's snoring could be heard as the boys fell asleep. --- "I just- I can't believe they took over again! We made a deal, and they made us break it! It's not right!" Henderson vented when Will had stopped him. "And that prick, Xenos, who the fuck does he think he is?! 'Stay in your lane' he says, StAy In YoUr FuCkInG lAnE?! I'll show him what lane I'm in. That god-damn fast lane is what!" Lang turned to look at Reed with an eyebrow raised once more. "Word of advice? Don't tell people how they should eat. Ever. I know you mean well, but that's not a great way to make friends. Chances are people already know this information, but ultimately what they put in their bodies is their own choice, you know? Besides..." he smiled and leaned against the table as he plucked up a pink glazed dohnut that was covered in multicoloured sprinkles. He held it out for Reed to take. "One once in a while wouldn't kill you. C'mon, there's more things to enjoy and experience in life than what's written in a book." --- "Boys, are you forgetting something?" Lilly said coyly as she set her bags down in the empty room. She walked over to the door. "We're royalty now... and I've always wanted to try this." She opened it and looked into the corridor. When she saw a couple of Reapers walking by, she waved them both over. "You there! Would you mind taking our bags to our rooms, please?" The pair of Reapers hesitated for a moment and glanced at each other uncertainly. They knew these were the newly adopted children of their King but were unsure if they were supposed to drop everything to follow their orders just yet. But seeing as they hadn't been told either way yet, they didn't want to risk angering Death, and she had asked politely anyway, so both Reapers nodded with a short bow to her. "Yes, Princess," they said in unison. --- Jessica hugged Ben back then smiled at him while brushing some of his hair back with her fingers. "River told me something that might help us." She began. "I've thought about it... a lot. I want to have a family and settle down, but if we stay like this, we'll never have kids of our own." She took Ben's hand and pulled him over to the couch to sit down. She kept hold of his hand even while they were seated. "David found a cure for vampirism a while ago. Carter and Sebastian used it so that they could change into the same type of Vampire that Tom is. So that they wouldn't have to hide from the sun every day. I don't know if it'll work for us, given what we are... It might not. But if we want to have a family, it's worth a try, right?" She looked into Ben's eyes. Watching his reaction carefully. "I love being what I am... I've never felt more me, but... I don't feel complete." --- Without a word, John vanished. Eve lowered her arms and approached the magical barrier outside their home. She peered into the darkness with more intensity. She seemed restlessly alert. "Hmm..." Reluctantly, she turned away and crossed her arms again. Appearing to be lost in thought, she walked slowly back into the doorway, only taking one last glance towards the barrier before heading in and closing the door behind her. --- Death and Andi would find David on Earth. Specifically in London where they'd see him sitting on a park bench and watching a little cafe across the street going about its usual business. He had a reflective expression as he looked on. When he felt he was being watched, he looked up, and his expression shifted to that of mild surprise. "Ah, Your Grace." he grinned cheekily, knowing he needn't refer to Death this way anymore but thought it would be a humerous way to greet him after his last mission. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"I can think of a few things you could give her!" Drake laughed, and not content that it was doing an effective job, Benny threw down the pillow before tackling Drake. They wrestled while laughing loudly. "Guys, seriously, knock it off!" Cecil snapped at them, having now sat up to glare at them. "If Ortiz hears you're still awake and comes in, we'll all be in for it! I'm not collecting boil puss again just because you two have no volume control! Took weeks to get the stink out of my clothes..." --- Having been walking briskly, Henderson had already walked far down the road by the time Will had come out to look for him. He was still seething, and his mind was racing. Ideas of finding and breaking into the CIA facility kept popping into his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to do it. Even the idea that he could be shot down in the attempt was appealing to him, though he couldn't fathom why. Lang looked at Reed's book with an amused smile and a raised eyebrow. He chuckled and gently closed the book in Reed's hands. "It's not a bad idea, but maybe we could just start with something simple? Like, talk to each other over a coffee and some dohnuts?" he suggested. He then gestured towards the break room where there would already be some boxes of various dohnuts opened on the table. --- Andi hadn't met David yet, but if he had the answer she was looking for, then she was willing to give it a try. She nodded to Death, ready to follow his lead. Meanwhile, in the empty room, Lilly stood off to one side with Conrad as they watched Raven work. She was fascinated with the process and how easy he had made it look. When he was done, she smiled at the amulet. "He'll love it." She commented. "And you have to teach me how you did that!" --- Shezmu smiled and nodded to Dariel's thanks. He looked at the armour on the ground with an amused smirk. "I believe you will need to return it to wherever you retrieved it from," he told him simply. Meanwhile, across the castle, Jessica, who had been in a depressive state after the news that she couldn't have children, finally emerged from her bedroom. She'd washed herself up and gotten dressed up. Up until now, she'd had Ben and everyone else who cared for her worried as she had locked herself away and refused to speak to anyone. During his last visit with Shezmu, River hadn't gone straight home. He'd stopped by Ben and Jessica's place to check in and see if they knew about Shezmu. When he learned of Jessica's mental breakdown following the news that the ancient Blood God had brought, he'd stepped into her room to talk to her. It was some of his advice that had brought her back to herself, and she now held a determined look about her as she emerged and looked at Ben. --- Within the sanctuary of their new little Eden, John sat back on a large cushion, watching Daisy and Juliette babbling excitedly about their new lives and budding pregnancies. He glanced at the walls of their home and at the runes he'd carved. He wondered if there was any way to safely speed up the pregnancies to give them more of a fighting chance at succeeding in their endeavor before they'd be discovered. He didn't know of any spells or potions that would work, and in all his years, he'd only ever heard of one Demon that might've been intelligent enough to create such a thing. He'd heard of her destruction, but as he sat there pondering, he recalled the chaotic void that was his time in Oblivion. Most of his memory of that place had already faded by now, but he distinctly remembered sensing her there, and her presence remained even as his essence was yanked from the madness of the obyss. He had awoken on his own but with the distinct feeling that Clementine had also managed to escape Oblivion. He would need to locate and observe her before they approached her. He needed to know whether her mind had stayed intact the way his had or whether she had succumbed to madness from their time in the void. After all, she might be clever, but John wasn't about to risk everything they had worked towards so far if she was unstable. While the girls were chatting, John was lost in thought, and Adam was doing whatever he was doing, Eve stood outside the building. Still within the safety of the protection spell. The location here seemed to follow a timed illusion of night and day. Right now, it was night and the areas surrounding their home were shrouded in complete dark. Her arms were crossed as her eyes carefully scanned the field and trees close by.

Both Drake and Benny chuckled at Blake's quick defensiveness. "Man, chill," Drake said as he put a card down on the bed and drew another one from the deck to the side. "I mean, only a blind person wouldn't see that she was totally eye-banging you, but sure, whatever." "You're such a perv, Drake." Benny shook his head and then looked over at Blake. "Ignore him. He likes to push buttons." "Shut. Up!" A boy that had been snoozing in one of the bunks huffed at them. "Fuck man, do you guys ever sleep?!" "Yeah, I sleep right after I'm done banging your dad!" Drake laughed. Benny picked up the pillow from behind him and hit Drake with it, knocking a few cards to the floor and making him laugh a little more. The boy in the bunk gave an annoyed groan and turned over, pulling the covers over his head. "That's Cecil," Benny said to Blake while pointing to the boy in the bunk. "He's a snooty prick for a klepto. Keep an eye on your socks." Drake said, then leaned forward a bit with his mouth cupping one side of his mouth as he whispered loudly across the room. "He has a serious foot fetish!" "Drake! Stop being mean! You're going to scare away the new guy!" Benny laughed as he hit Drake over the head again with the pillow, sending some feathers flying. Drake laughed out loud again. --- Not wanting to risk a disciplinary, Malone didn't object but he wasn't happy about this arrangement either. Without a word he headed to the armoury to return his SWAT gear. Lang, having finished healing everyone by now, headed over to the new Agent and gave him a kind smile. "Don't mind the others. They're a prideful bunch, but they mean well," he said to him. "I'm Officer Lang." he turned to Will. "Sir, I can help Agent Reed here set up a desk and get settled in. I have a feeling Henderson might need to be talked down before he does something stupid," he said, reminding Will of how Henderson had been behaving manically before Dick had managed to knock him out back at the warehouse. --- Uriel said nothing as Gabriel left, but as soon as he was gone, his smile vanished and was replaced by a grim determination. Silently, he sent a private telepathic communication to his most trusted spies to keep a very close eye on his rival. Then he turned and also vanished. --- Lilly shook her head as well. Such a thing was unheard of in her own world. Andi had been caught off-guard as Death asked the group of teenagers about her very sensitive issue, and her face turned red from embarrassment. At least these teens seemed to be handling it in a mature way, and although none of them had any answers, she nodded to them thankfully all the same. "Maybe David would know?" Lilly suggested as she looked back to Death after seeing Andi's defeated expression. "I've only met him a couple of times but he always seems to know a lot." she then turned to Raven and Conrad. "C'mon. I'd like to see how your do your magic. Maybe you could show me how to do it too?" --- Shezmu paused and looked at Dariel with his head slightly tilted in confusion. Then he realised what he was saying and chuckled before shaking his head a bit. "No, no. You misunderstand. I mean, the event itself cannot be traumatising. It must be done in a peaceful environment and performed preferably out of love," he explained and then sighed. "In my time, I've regretably had to destroy one or two mad Blood Gods. Those poor bastards had been torn from their families, beaten bloody, likely feared for their lives as they were drank from and then had blood fed to them by a Blood God who could have cared less if they lived or died... either that or they were a half-Devil who was turned by an oblivious and cruel vampire master." He closed his book again and leaned back slightly in his seat while looking at his student. "It is how vicious rumours of our kind began. Now, many Angels, Demons and Devils believe we are always born mad when the simple, unfortunate truth is... when one mad Blood God is made, he inevitably begins a viscious cycle of creating more Blood Gods in the same violent way, which leads to more mad Blood Gods, and on and on. But no, if done right and if done safely, the risk of losing your mind is practically none." Shezmu stood and placed the book back onto the shelf. "And fear not, Dariel. You may have come from dark beginnings but you will always have a home with me." He turned to face him with a small smile. "I admit, I have grown rather fond of you." He then smirked. Now, if you don't mind, I believe you're beginning to stain my upholstry with your sweat and you may need to remove that armour before it rusts."

(Nice!) "It's fine. He gets on everyones case so we all get frustrated sometimes." the first boy shrugged. "Especially if the Boss gives you any attention." Drake chortled "But we're a family here. We give each other grief sometimes, but we still look out for each other. Ortiz included. I'm Benny, by the way. I've been here about six months. This is Drake." "Been here two years as of tomorrow," Drake told him with a nod. --- Henderson was a little shaken and furious from how Xenos had grabbed him and spoken to them. His head pounded as he stared at where he'd been standing just a moment ago. He then turned to glare at this new Agent and scoffed as he walked towards the door, aiming to 'bump into' the Agent's shoulder on his way past while calling over to Will; "I'm going to get some air!" then muttered under his breath; "Fucking god damn CIA bastards showing up, taking over everything and fucking us over... again!" At the Agent's question, Malone massaged his temple with one hand while pointing towards Lang with his other hand. "He's you're guy." Seeing Malone point at him, Lang squinted. "WHAT?!" he shouted, making Malone jump and the rest of the group groan from their collective headaches. "Lang, heal your damn ears!" Malone snapped "MALONE, WE'RE ON DUTY. WE CAN GO GET BEERS LATER." "No, ears- YOUR EARS, LANG!" "WHAT ABOUT ISLAM?" "EARS!!!!" Malone pointed to his own ears, then to Lang. "HEAL!!!" "OHHHH! RIGHT! GOTCHA!" Lang turned a little red from embarrassment as he placed his hands over his ears. A moment later, he removed them and made a few 'mawp' sounds to see if he could hear himself. "Oh, that's better." "Thank fuck..." Malone slumped back down and cradled his head in his hands. "Now, what were we talking about? Something about beer and Islam?" Lang looked at them all, confused. Malone groaned again in aggitation then pointed to the new Agent. "Fancy pants CIA agent asked if you can heal everyone." "Oh! Sure, I can do that." and with that, Lang jumped to his feet and started groing around the room to heal each officer. --- A flicker of irritation crossed Uriel's face for an instant before he went right back to his friendly facade. "I understand why you'd feel this way, but I'm trying to look out for you. I'm serious, if you know something and you don't come clean, you could also end up being investigated for conspiracy and treason here." He stepped back and raised his hands. "But I understand your concerns, so I won't press you. Just know that I only want to help you, so if you ever want to get... whatever it is, off your chest, I hope you'll come to me." he walked over to the office door and opened it, signalling that Gabriel was free to leave if he chose to. "You know how to find me," he said while giving Gabriel a caring look. --- Andi was a little disappointed by Death's answer, yet hopeful that he would at least look into it for her. She was a little surprised when he said that nothing like that had ever happened here but then again, although gender changes were at least a few decades old by now on Earth, she supposed that in comparison to centuries or even a millenia where such a thing wasn't even possible, that it wasn't too surprising for such a thing to still be unheard of in the after life. After all, what's a few mortal lifetimes but a meagre blip in an immortal's timeline. She nodded thankfully to Death, then continued to keep watch over him as his children entered the castle. "I've never felt like that before," Lilly commented as she placed her own bag down as well. It was heavy from the various gifts she'd received, and by the time they'd reached the castle, her arms were a little sore from carrying it. "Everyone was so excited to meet us. It was a little overwhelming, honestly," she said a little breathlessly while smiling at Death. "But it was fun." She looked over at Raven and Conrad. "We should give Azrael his gift." --- Shezmu watched the boy clumsily arrive in his room in metal armor. He held a small smile as he watched his pupil sitting down and removing his helmet. "You will make a fine warrior, yet," he mused with a grin. He stared at his book for a moment in thought as he tapped the cover with two of his fingers. "Dariel, you've been my student for a short while now, and so far, you have excelled in most of your studies. You have a tenacity about you that I admire and the potential to become one of the greatest warriors of this age," he said. Then he turned his head to look boy. Barely even a boy anymore. Almost a man. "What I mean to say is, I believe that were you to complete your training, you may become worthy of one of the greatest gifts that I can bestow." He quickly held up a finger. "I must be clear, I do not offer this gift lightly. I choose my fledglings very, very carefully. And I will not bestow my gift until you come of age but only if your consent has been granted. The choice to reject or accept my offer is entirely yours, and I do not expect an answer from you now. So, be sure to think on it carefully." He lowered his finger and turned his head with a faraway look in his eyes. "My kind is in danger of extinction. We cannot have children, you see. And there is great risk when creating a fledgling. It must be done out of love and compassion always, or you would risk condemning your fledgling to an eternal madness. A fledgling made out of violence and trauma will always be consumed by an unquenchable lust for power and blood." He closed his book and stared at the title. His fingers tracing the lettering on the cover as he continued to speak. "But a successfully created Blood God will have eternal life without the restrictions that the other vampires here live with. We can go out in the daylight. We can move faster and more silently than most Demons and Angels because we are their natural predators. We can fly and, on a healthy diet of Angel or Devil blood, we become a force to be reckoned with. We have the ability to kill our foes or destroy them entirely." He paused, realising that this might be a lot for Dariel to take in all at once. He gave the young man an awkward little smile. "As I say..." he opened his book once more. "Think on it. The offer is there for when you're old enough and trained enough."

"You're one of us now, bud." One of the boys replied. He was sitting cross-legged on his bed with another boy sitting across from him. They had been playing cards when Blake had walked in. "It's Ortiz you want to watch out for." The other boy commented, earning a nudge on the arm from the first boy. "Not so loud, Drake. He'll hear you." "And what? Crybaby wants all of "Daddy Kris"'s attention. I'll bet he's too busy jacking off with his ear to the Boss's door to hear us anyway." The boy, now known as Drake, chuckled. --- "What-? No!" Henderson gasped and then groaned as the sound of his own voice made his head throb. "Y-you can't lock Dick up! We agreed he'd get immunity if he helped us take down his boss!" He dragged himself to his feet to face Xenos. "You can't do this!" --- "Tortured?" Uriel feigned offence as he placed a hand on his own chest. "Why, Gabriel, do you think so little of me that I would resort to such barbaric tactics? No, dearest Gabriel. I will not torture you. But I must admit that I worry for you." he went on. If Gabriel's question had told Uriel anything, it was that he definitely knew something and currently had no intentions of sharing it. But Uriel was cunning. He walked over and closed Raguel's office door to give them privacy before walking back to Gabriel with a look of concern. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I worry because I know how close you and Raguel are. I fear he is manipulating you, my friend. If he's told you something and you fail to disclose it before his trial, you could be considered complicit in his crimes. He would drag you down along with him! I don't want to see that happen to you. You can trust me, Gabriel." --- Lilly smiled at the pair as they headed into the market. Learning how the trading system worked took a little practice, but the local residents were kind and patient enough to talk them through it. When the merchants realised they were speaking to the new Prince and Princess, however, they quickly began offering some of their items for free as gifts. Lilly had been hesitant to accept anything for free, but a couple of merchants seemed disheartened by her refusal, so she quickly changed her mind. Even Conrad was being given tokens and gifts just for being with Lilly and Raven. Jewellery, perfumes, gems and treats were being offered left, right and center. Making the trio absolutely spoiled for choice. --- Andi smiled at Death from her position. "They're in one of the safest realms there is, and their father is literally Death. If I might be so blunt, your Grace, they'll be fine. I'm sure they'd appreciate some time to themselves and it will help them develop some independance. If you're constantly around them, they might begin to feel smothered. Trust me, as someone who's been that age once, I know." She bit her lip momentarily as she worked up the courage to ask Death a question. "Sire, I know it's a little off-topic, and you have a lot on your mind already... I was wondering, when Azrael is well enough to resume his position, could I- that is, before I died, I was about to begin a um... transition. But I never got to even start when- my new life here began." She fumbled a little as she tried to explain as best she could. She sighed. "What I'm trying to ask is... is there any way for me to change, you know... into a man?" --- "You know of me?" Shezmu gasped as Ash revealed he'd been able to sense his power despite his attempts to conceal it. He watched the Devil leave, unsure of how to feel about the encounter. The idea that the two of them could be friends was novel, but by nature and from experience, he was dubious. He supposed there might be an opportunity here for friendship at some point in the future. But for now, he remained cautiously optimistic, especially now that their current deal had essentially just concluded. Leaving him right back at square one. With a thoughtful expression, he teleported back to his room at the German castle. At least now, he felt more or less like himself after such a nutritious meal. However, he noted that as soon as he arrived back in his room, he got a particular sense of relief. As if he'd sensed someone watching him while he was in Hell, but the moment he teleported, he was no longer being watched. He shrugged off this feeling, knowing Hell had always been a place of danger, so the feeling of being watched or hunted was fairly normal. Feeling a little more lighthearted, he picked a book from the shelf near the hearth and took it to his couch. He wondered how his pupil had been in his absence as he settled into his seat, ready to read.

Not drunk but not quite sober anymore, Kris answered his door and looked at the messily scribbled note as he listened to Blake. "Huh... Verrry interesting. That old woman is a wonder for collecting random magical relics. Thanks kiddo. Go to the bunks now, ok? Get to know your new brothers and get some rest. You've done good today, alright? But you need to be up bright and early tomorrow to start your training. Go chill." he put the note between the fingers of his hand that was also holding the half-empty bottle of rum, then used his free hand to ruffle the boy's hair before closing the door. He wandered over to the evergreen rug on the left side of his room and sat on it with his legs crossed. Insence was burning on a little wooden locker in front of him. He placed his bottle nearby and rested his hands on his knees as he began deep breathing and meditating. --- "Wha-What happened? Why does my head hurt so much?" Henderson groaned as he slowly came to. "Oh man, I feel hungover..." Malone said with a gag as he held his head in his hands. "Fucking gas..." "....WHAT?!" Lang shouted, making the officers around him jump. He was barely able to hear the others as his eardrums had burst from the siren. Meanwhile Xenos's agents were busy cleaning out the building, removing the sirens and the gas cannisters from the vents. They stormed the remote location and began decrypting and downloading all the files they could get from the computers. By the time they would be done both locations would be completely empty of equipment, cleaned from top to bottom and the bodies disposed of. Leaving no trace behind. --- "I see." Uriel said though he looked between the pair with suspiscion. Raguel glared back at Uriel. He didn't trust him at all and considering what Gabriel had told him earlier had a strong suspicion that he was manipulating Gabriel for his own means. "Gabriel, perhaps I could speak to you in Raguel's office for a moment?" Uriel asked him as he turned away from Raguel's white hot stare. "Why Uriel? Don't want me to hear you talking about me?" Raguel growled. Uriel merely glanced back at him and responded sassily. "It's classified and you're no longer my superior officer so..." he nodded for Gabriel to follow him before turning on his heels and strutting towards the door. Raguel seethed for a moment but as Uriel's back turned, he quickly looked at Gabriel. He pointed towards Uriel and mouthed 'watch out for him!' --- "Yes, your Grace." Andi agreed as she stood to the side. She was at ease but continually on alert as his guard. "I don't mind." Lilly chuckled. "Sort of. I came through a portal from another world, too. Long before you two arrived. But I was being chased by a Wraith. I'm so sorry, I think that's why the humans reacted to you the way that they did. They thought you might be another Wraith coming into this world. They are terrible, fearsome creatures. I wouldn't wish them on any world." Feeling a little awkward after explaining this, Lilly glanced around for a moment before showing him the flowers that they had been picking. "We were collecting these to trade for goods in the market nearby. We're trying to get a gift to cheer up our father's beloved. Would you like to help us?" she asked, and then, realising that these two might want to spend some time together after their ordeal, she quickly added. "But you don't have to. If you two want to catch up and go for a walk or something, I don't mind going back to the market myself." --- Shezmu didn't move. Knowing the strength of this Devil, he wouldn't risk getting too close just yet. Not until he could trust him, and he doubted that he ever truly would. Also, stepping so close and feeding would leave him open to an attack. With a small, cunning smile, Shezmu lifted a couple of his fingers and summoned Ash's blood from the small wound, lifting it into the air until it formed a floating mass the size of a golfball. He then levitated this ball over to himself and opened his mouth, allowing it to stream down his throat. He was a little sad that he didn't get much of a chance to actually taste it this time around, but at least he managed to get what he needed. Swallowing it with visible relief, he looked back at Ash. "Thank you. I had been quite starved of a proper meal for some time now." He walked casually towards the Library before stopping to admire the architecture for a moment. That this building was still standing after all this time was nothing short of a miracle. "A deal is a deal, and I am a man of my word. You wish to woo your wife? Earth has an abundance of gifts and sights that you can treat her to. Visit a florist. Select a bouquet of delicate and elegant flowers. Give these to her as a gift. Then, choose a destination to visit with her. Somewhere breathtaking to create a memory that she will cherish for all time. But most importantly?" he turned to look at Ash. "Use the time and her company to get to know her. As a person, not a conquest. Create a bond with her. Respect her as you would wish to be respected. After all, if she is to be your mate, then she is to be your equal in all things." He then gestured to Ash's appearance. "As for how a father should look. I'd expect that as long as she adores how you look as a husband, then she would logically like how you appear as a father." Meaning, if she already liked him as he was, then he didn't need to change anything.

"Yeah..." Amelia sighed thoughtfully. She recalled the intense fear she'd felt back before she knew Charles and had found out that Damien had been destroyed, making her a Queen overnight. Until that moment, she had been content to assume that Damien would always be there to rule Hell and had not at all been prepared to take over for him when he'd vanished. She had been so desperately against inheriting the throne that she'd even caught herself occasionally wishing that Lucifer would just return out of the blue to demand his throne back, and she would hand it over to him without question. But with David's firm yet gentle guidance, she was inspired to try enacting the very idea that Damien had continually shot her down on for years. And then, of course, she met Charle,s and the rest is history. So, she knew the heavy burden that their son would one day inherit and knew that they had their work cut out for them if they were going to build Oliver up to be a competent and confident King one day. "We have so much work to do before then..." she sighed. "We need to continue our work to make Hell more of a place of redemption rather than punishment. There are still Demons out there who refuse to accept us as royalty, are convinced that Lucifer will come back one day and are determined to continue their original work of torturing souls... They will need to be dealt with. We don't want our son to inherit a world where more than half his subjects aren't even loyal to him." She shook her head slightly. "And that's not mentioning bringing up Oliver, too. We'll need to teach him how to rule. To be firm but fair. To not let the power go to his head the minute the crown sits on it... We're going to be very busy for a long time... but at least we have each other for support in getting it done." --- Aunty laughed warmly at the question. "Go on back home now. I'm sure it's passed your bedtime, and Kris will likely be putting you to work soon like the rest of his boys. Pop back when you get some time off. I homeschool Salem, and she works in my shop most days. You can always find us here." --- "Actually, pig, we was counting on it." The thug chuckled darkly. Now that they had confirmation that at least some of these officers were supernatural and not regular humans, a trap had been sprung. They hadn't needed to move to put the trap into motion. Having seen the chaos through security cameras within the building, thugs elsewhere had flipped a switch. Immediately, the doors became locked down with thick sheets of metal, and speakers began blaring a siren sound that only those with supernatural hearing would be able to hear. Its pitch was so sharp that it caused agonising pain. Enough to bring Lang to his knees as blood trickled out of his ears. Even Henderson, who had lived his entire life believing he was an ordinary human, woke up and cried out from the pain. Once the siren had them all disoriented, vents opened up and began rapidly filling the room with knock-out gas. "Those Jap scientists will pay a pretty penny for you pigs. Thanks for bringing them Dick. You did great!" the thug grinned as he too began to lose consciousness. Outside, armoured black vans pulled up to the building. The thugs inside them were awaiting radio confirmation that everyone inside was knocked out before they'd hurry in to tie them up and transport them to Japan. --- Lilly watched the reunion with a small smile as she moved forward to scoop up the flowers that Raven had dropped. She waited patiently for them to finish, but when it seemed they might go on kissing forever, she politely coughed into her fist to get their attention. "You must be Conrad." She greeted him. "Raven has told me about you. I'm his sister, Lilly." --- "We may call on you to testify at Raguel's trial. But until then, your Grace, we can take things from here." Uriel answered. He was eager to get away and see what Gabriel had managed to find out. "Once again, I apologise on behalf of Heaven for his assault. Please don't hesitate to let us know if there is any way that we can assist you further." --- Raguel nodded to Gabriel's suggestion at one day talking to Nate about his true origins but said nothing. He had wanted nothing more than for Nate to know the truth since he was born but he'd been afraid of being found out. Then, as the years went on, he also became afraid of how Nate might react to the news. He smiled a little at Gabriel's offer to play cards with him. He'd been about to say that he didn't know how to play, given he'd never gambled in his life. But memories that were not his own flashed through his mind, and he realised he knew how to play after all. "You choose," he replied. There was no point in him worrying about the gambling aspect anymore, considering his current situation. He figured he might as well make the most of this time with his adoptive son while he was still able. --- Shezmu was intrigued by Ash's requests. He pondered on them for a moment while rubbing his chin. "I'm afraid my knowledge on rearing young is a little beyond me. I've never had children. However, I believe I may be able to locate suitable reading material to assist you with your venture into fatherhood," he said thoughtfully. Already he thought of the library with the German Castle. Granted, those volumes may be more directed towards vampiric children, but Shezmu supposed it couldn't be that much different than raising a Devil child. "Regarding your appearance and intent to woo your lady, I may be able to provide advice." he offered then looked at Ash expectantly. His advice wouldn't be free and he'd already told him what he wanted in exchange.

Ellesse's face turned a little red as Life handed her the book. She turned to him, feeling a little awkward. "I- um... Thank you, Sire," she said, then walked away with the book tucked under her clipboard. She'd never admit it, but she would spend a little of her free time glossing over that book. --- "Everyone's up for it!" Amelia cheered as she plopped herself onto the couch next to him and cuddled up to his side. "We just need to let them know when and where. How's Oliver been? Is he asleep?" she asked, noting the child wasn't in the room and the place was quiet apart from the TV. --- "Oh, pish!" Aunty said to him with a dismissive wave. "You're both young! I might be a stickler for manners, but I am certainly no prude! I had many a fella in my day. The odd dame too. I could tell you stories!" She chuckled. "Life is short and can be taken away at a moment's notice. So, make the most of these experiences. As long as you don't go breaking her heart, we'll get along just fine." She told him then reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled slip of paper with shaky handwriting on it. "These are the instructions for the bracelet. See that Kris gets this, would you? Had a lovely Demon stop in here back in '82... said he'd escaped an Angel that had called it a 'prototype' before slapping it onto his wrist. He had to cut his own hand off to give it to me. He said that only the person who places the bracelet onto someone can remove it, and it drains the power of the wearer, leaving them practically human. He seemed really glad to be rid of it, and then he went on his way. For the life of me I couldn't get the damn thing to open all these years and then last year, click! It opened. I'm guessing either the Demon met his demise or the Angel who had placed it on him had. Either way, it's Kris's to use now." --- Among the officers were Lang, Malone and Henderson. They charged in on Will's signal, and a gunfight broke out. The building was a chaotic mess of shouting, running and bullets flying in all directions. Malone saw Luis's brutality and stopped to shout at him that this wasn't supposed to be a killing spree. As he did, a stray bullet ricocheted off a wall and struck the back of his leg. Causing him to cry out and fall. Lang rushed over, pulling Malone behind a crate for some cover as he tried to quickly heal his wound. Henderson was screaming and laughing in an unhinged way as he charged ahead and fired off his gun towards criminals, not aiming at anyone in particular. His senses had been completely overwhelmed, and right now, he wasn't himself at all. --- "I don't think anything is even living here at all," Lilly answered. "I'm alright. It just... reminds me of things..." she said as she picked some more flowers. "I think I have enough to head back now. What about you?" --- "The passes work by simple teleportation. Simply hold one in your hand and focus on the mental image of your beloved. You will appear near them instantaneously. After twenty-four hours, your pass will teleport you back here and will evaporate so that it cannot be used again. So once you use one, be sure to make a note of the time as that is when you'll be brought home the following day." Uriel explained. "If you want to stay for longer than twenty-four hours at a time, simply hold the relevant number in your hand before you teleport. Two passes will let you stay for forty-eight hours before bringing you back, three would be seventy-two hours, etcetera, etcetera... Raven will also be getting five, so he can visit you here if he'd like. This is only a temporary solution. If you boys are happy to, we can arrange a pass that would allow you to teleport to and from each other as you please." --- "Take this seriously." Raguel groaned at Gabriel's theatrics with the glass of water. "You cannot!" he said sternly, with his voice kept low. "Gabriel, I am serious. If word gets out that I am his father, then it is only a matter of time before the Angels I had worked with back then put two and two together. There is no less terrible punishment for this. I directly interfered with His plan by completely destroying the first attempt at creating humanity, and His wrath for such a crime will be unbridled. Gabriel, please. I know you are his close friend, and I am asking a lot." --- It would seem Shezmu's hesitation to leave had resulted in this Devil finding him faster than he would have liked. He eyed the being cautiously as he contemplated how to answer. "Ah, you must be the Devil that stole Abbadon's powers," he surmised, given the immense power he could sense from him. He debated allowing this Devil to sense his own power to let him know that he wouldn't be easily intimidated, but by now, he had realised who he was speaking to and preferred not to risk this Devil becoming interested in potentially taking Shezmu's powers for himself. So he kept the volume of his own powers hidden so as not to tempt him. "I have not come to seek violence. My name is Shezmu, and I am interested in negotiating a deal," he explained. "I recognise that my species once hunted yours for sustenance. But now, it appears that the numbers of both of our kind have dwindled to a dangerous level. Therefore, I propose we come to an arrangement that might benefit us both. I would require but a few drops of Devil blood once every few days. But I wonder, what can I offer you to make this a fair deal? Therefore, I must pose your own question back to you; what is it that you desire?" The way he spoke to this Devil was smooth. Confident. There was no longer a hint of fear in him at all.

done lol

I'll edit it

Ah wait, I goofed lol Shezmu has already met Abbadon

Sebastian tilted his head back instinctively and let out a sharp gasp as he felt Carter's fangs. Then he moaned as quietly as he could as he felt the venom rush through him, increasing every sensation that he felt, especially what he was doing with his hand. "Oh, yes!" he sighed. His body quaked from the ecstasy of it all, and he could barely contain himself as he ran his nails over Carter's back just hard enough to leave light scratches. --- "I enjoy working, Sire," Ellesse said, but she knew that wasn't the point he was making. She turned to Amelia and smiled. "I would love to come." "Great! I'll get back to you on the when and where. I gotta finish organising with Charles first. But thank you. I just know it would mean so much to Sara." Amelia vanished. --- Aunty Audrey hobbled into the shop from the back area and smiled at her granddaughter as she walked past. "Salem dear, be a petal and hang the lavender sprigs to dry before you go to your room," she called over to her, then turned to Blake. "Such a gentleman, bringing my Salem home safely. Thank you, young man. Kris got his bracelet, I take it?" --- Henderson stayed with the group as they took up formations, ready to storm the building. He kept Dick in his line of sight as much as he could. The dark impulse within urged him to run ahead of them and fire off a few rounds to draw the fire of the thugs in the building, but he thought back to his conversation with Dick. He didn't want to die. He knew it without question. So why was his every instinct screaming at him to take the most drastic, dangerous actions? He followed Will's lead. Only moving with the group on command as they surrounded the building and positioned themselves at all available entry points. Just waiting for Will's signal to storm in. --- "I suppose..." Lilly said uneasily as she peered through the trees. Of course, there was nothing to fear here. Lilly's instinct to be wary of the silence was brought about from her traumatic life back in her home world. When such a sudden lack of sound or wildlife would indicate the approach of a wraith. She continued to pick flowers, keeping them bunched in one of her hands while she frequently looked around with her senses on high alert. --- "Greif and fear can make people do some wild things when they don't know how to cope," Andi commented. "He was grieving for you. He was lost and alone in a strange world with what he perceived to be monsters who had killed his beloved in cold blood. You cannot blame him for behaving irrationally." --- "Please keep your voice down..." Raguel sighed as he lowered his good eye to the ground. "He's not a kid anymore. That was millennia ago." Raguel glanced to the next cell and wondered what Gabriel had meant, then realised. "Ah." he began hesitantly. "She escaped," he admitted. "And no, I had nothing to do with it. I know that would be hard to believe given my confession just now, but she has gone quite mad... and she despises me now. Rightly so..." he rubbed the side of his head as it ached. "I believe she's managed to make her way back to Hell. I had already alerted Hell's leaders to her escape before-... before my transgression." He clenched his jaw as he contemplated telling Gabriel who his and Lilith's son was. He was tempted to dodge the question because of the drama that would be sure to follow the reveal, but given his current position and Gabriel's knowledge already, there was little point in keeping it a secret any more. "You must swear to keep this to yourself. He doesn't even know, and I'm not sure how he would take the news." he began then hesitated again. He took a breath to steel himself. "Had you ever wondered why God had a particular distain for Naoutha? Why he made his life so difficult and punished him so harshly whenever he questioned Him?" --- They kissed like this a little longer, and gradually their passion built up until May pulled back to take his hand and brought him towards her bed. She walked around him so that the bed would be behind him, and she lightly pressed her hands on his shoulders to motion for him to sit on the bed. There she'd straddle him and kiss him again while grinding her hips against his a little. As they kissed, she reached over to grab the pack of condoms. [Private time] --- Feeling it was time that he saw more of this new world than the German Castle, Shezmu teleported to where he'd sensed the most activity from afterlife creatures. There was another motive to his venture. Warren was fine, but his blood alone wasn't enough to sate his thirst. He needed more options to choose from. Preferably a mixture of Angels and Demons. He knew that Devils were just as endangered as his own species currently, but if he would be able to convince a Devil to provide him a few drops of their blood every so often, he would be over the moon. He had managed to track the movements of a particular red-haired Devil, but as he drew closer, he picked up another scent. A hint of vampire blood in his system. Only a trace amount, but enough for Shezmu to pick up. Quickly, he realised that some clever vampire had managed to claim this Devil as their own and given the blood in the Devil's system, they were on their way to becoming the vampire's thrall. "Bravo," Shezmu muttered to himself in compliment to this unknown vampire. "I had almost been convinced that such a practice was lost to the ages. For a vampire to aquire one so strong under their command... impressive." he chuckled quietly to himself as he left the Devil to his own devices out of respect to his vampire master. Damien would have been completely unaware of the Blood God's presence. Moving on, Shezmu found himself near a hospital. He could smell at least two Devils within and a half Devil. With soundless and graceful movements, he wandered through the halls until he came to a room where a man was strapped to a bed, sleeping. He could sense the other Devil nearby but couldn't see him. Having already met these two, Shezmu moved on. He came across the half Devil in another room. This one was also red-haired and reading a magazine in his bed. But the moment the man looked up and saw Shezmu, his face turned pale. "Fuck off." Parker snapped sourly. "Pardon-?" "You heard me. I know what you are. I've been one of you, and it didn't work out well. Now fuck off before I raise the alarm!" Shezmu opened his mouth, wanting to ask the dozen questions this encounter had given him, but the serious look on the man's face told him he wouldn't hesitate to make a scene if Shezmu didn't leave immediately. Shezmu held up his hands and backed away from the door. "Apologies. I didn't mean to alarm you. I'll move on." "Fucking better," Parker growled and continued to glare at Shezmu until he was no longer in sight. "Swear to fuck, am I just a fucking magnet for vampires or something?!" "Oh, it would seem Devil's blood may be a bit of challenge to acquire..." Shezmu sighed sadly to himself as he left the hospital. He had heard of Hell's current royalty, but approaching them for his needs seemed like suicide. It would seem, in this case, that he may need to take his search for Devils to feed from to Hell itself. A quick teleportation later, and he was standing near the library in Hell where he stifened and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he sensed a powerful presence unlike anything he'd felt in centuries. This Devil, whoever they were, had enough power to rival his own. For the first time since he awoke from his slumber, Shezmu was concerned for his own safety and contemplated going back before his own presence could be detected.

With a gasp and another stifled moan, Sebastian was pinned to the wall. He kissed Carter back passionately while wrapping his legs around his hips. With a smirk, he gently caught Carter's lower lip between his teeth and pulled a little playfully before letting go. --- Ellesse emerged from an adjacent room, ticking things off a checklist as she walked. She looked up from the clipboard curiously and paused when she saw Amelia. "Oh! Amelia, how can I help?" After a few moments of Amelia explaining the plan, Ellesse blushed. "She wants me to be there?" "Of course. You've been a great source of support. I believe that meant a lot to her. So, will you come?" "I-I... Sire?" Ellesse stammered, looking to her King uncertinly. She had always been a workaholic, so taking a day off was alien to her. --- "Is that right? Old Aunty really does have a few tricks up her sleeves." Kris chuckled, impressed by the power of the bracelet in his hand. He watched as Blake offered Salem a drink and then escorted her to the kitchen. Smirking, he walked to the door of his bedroom to watch them walk down the hall while ticking the bracelet away into his back pocket. "Blake, when Salem is ready to go home make sure she gets there safely, like a gentleman." He called after them before closing his bedroom door again. "Kids." he chuckled as he walked back to his bar to pick up his bottle of rum again. "Finally. Some peace and quiet." he sighed, lifting his sunglasses slightly with his fingers to rub his eyes before taking a swig of his rum. --- Henderson nodded without another word then headed to the gear to get ready. Once they were all suited up and appropriately armed, Henderson followed the officers towards the swat cars. --- "We only need a few things so I don't expect we'll be venturing far... wait a moment," Lilly said and paused before they could walk past the first row of trees. She looked around until she found a rock on the ground with a sharp enough point. Walking over to the first tree, she scratched an X into its trunk. "So that we don't lose our way," she explained before nodding to the path that headed into the woods. "Let's take it slow. Look for flowers and berries that might be useful." They began to walk into the woods and with every turn Lilly would mark a tree with an X. There was something deeply unsettling about these woods that Lilly couldn't quite put her finger on but the more they walked the more it dawned on her. It was utterly lifeless. There was no wildlife. No birds singing. No insects buzzing. Not so much as a gentle breeze through the leaves. Everything was completely still. Silent. Lilly stopped and strained to hear anything at all. They couldn't even hear the bustle of the town anymore. There was simply nothing. Only the trees for company. "It's unnerving." She commented and was mildly alarmed at how loud her own voice was in comparison to the deafening silence. "We should hurry and find what we need. I don't think I like it here." --- Andi stayed close to Death but remained a couple of paces back to give him room to work. Uriel guided them to Conrad's home and smiled at the little grey house as he approached its door. He knocked on it before calling through. "Conrad? You have a couple of visitors wishing to speak to you." --- Raguel stared at Gabriel wordlessly for a moment. It was only a moment but Raguel's tense silence following Gabriel's questioning left a heavy feeling in the air. "Gabriel..." he whispered. There was a quiver in his voice. Real fear. Shame. This was no longer a case of his freedom being at stake. His very existence was in danger. Had this confrontation come sooner, Raguel might have fought longer. He'd have denied it until he was red in the face and continued to use misdirection to take the focus away from his oldest sin. But now he was much older, exhausted, beaten down, dishonoured and had held the burden of the truth for far too long. Perhaps, he considered, he had wanted this to happen. And at least, of all people, it should be Gabriel to learn the truth. Slowly, he approached the bars to speak to him in a hushed voice. "I was young. New. I-... I fell in love, Gabriel. I loved her more than I ever knew was possible at the time. Gabriel... I'll be destroyed if this truth comes out." he took a breath, appearing now to be on the verge of tears. "But maybe I deserve it. I was so scared to be found out that I abandoned her when she was cast out of the garden. She went through millennia of pain, torment and loneliness because I interfered instead of observing them as I should have. Because I was a coward. But someone needed to watch over our son when he was brought to Heaven... To make sure he was treated no differently than the other Angels and that his life was fulfilled. I owed her that much." --- May moaned a little into the kiss as she felt his hand on her hip and she pressed her body against his. His scent hit her again and she shivered excitedly while running a hand through his hair. Her other hand glided over the muscles of his arm and shoulder. Pulling back from the kiss to take a breath, she smiled up at him. "I love you."

Sebastian stifled a moan as he shivered excitedly at the feel of Carter's kisses and his fangs. "You're making it really hard to stay quiet," He chuckled softly. Admittedly he was thoroughly enjoying himself and didn't want Carter to stop. He found a thrill in the challenge. --- Amelia whirled around to face Life then realised she was standing in his kingdom. Who else was going to greet her? She scratched the back of her head awkwardly as she recalled the meeting between the realms to plan the search for Raven and how he'd essentially pushed to murder the boy, causing a squabble between the realm's leaders. "Hey man, forgiveness is my whole thing. Anyway, we were all stressed, facing an unknown danger and trying to do what we thought was best for our kingdoms." She shrugged. "Maybe we can start over? I was actually hoping to speak to one of your Midwives. My pregnancy was her first assignment. Ellesse O'Quinn? I have a friend who wanted to see if she wouldn't be too busy to attend a picnic with us." --- The other boys in the bunks were a rowdy lot. In total, not including Blake, there were six boys. The amount of beds to a boy would make it clear that there had been many more at one point but by now the children that had once used those beds had already moved on from Kris's hideout to make their own way in the world. Some still worked for Kris but had simply moved out to get their own place. After a long day of pickpocketing, swindling, spying and busking the boys had deposited the money they earned into a wooden box by the door to the bunks before unwinding for the evening. Of course, they had all immediately been welcoming of Blake. They excitedly bombarded him with questions, not minding his stern demeanour. After all, they were used to Kris acting similarly. Before any of them could get an answer though, Blake had run out towards Kris's room. Kris had stiffened when the girl had appeared in his room. He glanced around at her then relaxed a little when she mentioned Granny Audrey. He then watched patiently as Blake barged in, ready to defend him only to reduce the girl to tears. "Relax Blake." He said calmly as he picked up the bracelet to look it over. "That's no way to speak to a lady, let alone an ally," he said with a smirk as he noted Blake blushing and fumbling. "Why don't you start by offering to bring our guest here a drink? Help her feel welcome." He turned back to the girl. "Sorry about that. We're all on edge right now. Tell Granny Audrey that I really appreciate the help. Did she happen to mention what this bracelet does?" --- "We'll figure it out." Lang smiled. "C'mon, buddy. Let's get our gear and get ready." "It's not you," Henderson confessed as he watched Dick's guilt-stricken declaration. "Don't ask me how I know. I can't explain it. I've felt like this for a while but never noticed until now. It's me. Something dark in me... I just know it." --- "Raven," Lilly said in a disapproving tone. "I'm not going to pretend that I'm a stranger to theft. But when I did it, it was to survive. We're not 'surviving' anymore. We have no need to take things that don't belong to us." She said gently and took his hand to stop them walking for a moment so he could look at her. "We have this new life now. We should strive to be better than who we once were..." She glanced around thoughtfully. "Some of these stalls are asking for herbs, flora and potion ingredients." she pointed out then looked back towards the sign they'd come from. "I'll bet we could forage a few of those things in the nearby woods." --- "I understand." Uriel nodded. "If I might be so bold, your Grace? Might I suggest the news come from someone who knows Raven a bit more personally than myself? Yourself, for example." "You dare ask my King to carry out an order which he gave to you? Is God's messenger incapable of delivering this news, Archangel Uriel?" Andi challenged him. "I meant no offence, of course." Uriel quickly bowed a little again. "I merely ask that your Grace consider that Conrad may be more willing to consider forgiveness if the news came from a mutual acquaintance, rather than someone who doesn't know his beloved at all. I'd be happy to escort you there but if your Grace must return to other responsibilities then I will, of course, be more than happy to deliver the news myself as you have requested." --- Raguel growled at Gabriel when he mentioned that Uriel was helping Death and was about to say something when Gabriel's next words caught him off guard and he gawped at him with a wounded look. He then shook his head as Gabriel suggested the Angel responsible had been Lucifer. "No, it wasn't him!" he growled in frustration then paused, realising his poor choice of words. His un-swollen eye darted to Gabriel for a second then away again to check if his protege had caught the slip-up. He quickly tried to change the subject. "Uriel is using me as a distraction to keep you busy. Think about it. What better way to improve his chances of being nominated than by building a rapport with the very sovereign I had committed a crime against?" --- "More than alright." May purred as she sauntered over to him and ran her fingers over his muscles. Another breath of his scent hit her and she couldn't help herself. She leaned into him, kissing his chest and running her tongue over his skin. She tasted a little of his sweat and it was like his pheromones hit her tenfold. She was overcome with the overwhelming urge to let him take control. She stepped back and took a breath while still looking at him alluringly. She unbuttoned her pants and let them fall then motioned for him to do the same.

Letting out softened sighs, Sebastian resisted the urge to moan at the feeling of Carter giving him hickies. He'd smiled at his comments and with his head tilted back to lean into his kisses, he ran his hand through his hair. "I'm all yours." He grinned then kissed him deeply. --- "It'll be a great day out! I can't wait to see everyone there!" Amelia beamed. "I'll let you guys get back to your lunch for now then. I got one more stop before I head back to Charles so I'll let you know when and where as soon as I can." She said before vanishing once more. This time, she made her way to Life's Kingdom, to see if Ellesse O'Quinn would be available to attend. --- Kris took the bottle from Blake and eyed it curiously. He then watched the pair squabble for a moment before slamming his fist onto the table in front of him. "Enough," he growled sharply. He then pinched the brim of his nose and took a breath. "Thank you for your help with this, Blake. I appreciate it. Head back to the bunks. The other kids should be getting back from their work soon. Relax and get to know them. They're your new family now." he said then his gaze became more stern as it shifted to Ortiz. "When you're done stooping to a child's level, I need you to patrol the hideout. Check for breaches in the runes in every room. The Succubus shouldn't have been able to teleport in like that. There must be a faulty rune somewhere. Find it, fix it and report back to me. I want to know if it's a result of deterioration or if it had been tampered with." He then sighed and lifted the red bottle to look at it again. I'm going to retire to my room for the evening and I'm taking this with me in case she appears again." he flicked his fingers across the surface of the glass which shimmered at his touch before taking the shape of a very expensive bottle of wine. An illusion spell to disguise the potion. "Keep your eyes and ears peeled. If she makes an appearance, raise the alarm." He walked away from the pair and headed to his room. Locking himself in he took a deep breath and let out a sigh. His four-poster bed was made of dark gnarled wood that coiled and curled over itself. The forest green curtains that hung around it were slightly transparent and mostly closed. The pillows and bedspread were made of crushed velvet and were a similar shade of green as the curtains. He walked over to the minibar that was in the corner and set the bottle on it before snatching up a bottle of rum. Flicking the cap off, he took a couple of long swigs of the sweet and punchy liquid. --- "Oh!" Lang blinked then glanced away thoughtfully. "Yeah, that's a tough one. It's always hard when it's someone that has no clue. But with that, you just gotta start off small. If you go in full confession mode 'Oh by the way I'm an Angel', you're gonna risk him going into denial or thinking you're crazy." Lang gave Luis an understanding smile. He walked over and patted him on the back. "Honestly, you're overthinking it. Look, let's just get this job out of the way first then you and I can go grab a drink and see if we can't work out how you're gonna ask this guy out, hmm?" Henderson faltered then glanced around warily to see if anyone else was close enough to hear them. Then he turned to Dick with a shameful look. "There's something wrong with me. I've never felt or thought like this before but it's like I'm being pulled into dangerous situations. Like the idea that I could be killed is... irresistible." he said awkwardly then quickly added. "I'm not suicidal. I just- I don't know... I feel like something in me is being compelled to seek danger. I'm drawn to it like a magnet to metal and I don't know why." --- "Alright." Lilly followed him into the market. They walked from stall to stall. Nothing had monetary value, but a few stalls asked for specific items to trade. One stall had a sign stating they would only accept fabric, another requested payment via dried potion ingredients, and another listed their items for sale, with a specific number of a certain type of flower as payment, depending on the item. "What a strange way for a market to function," Lilly commented. "I suppose we may have to try bartering various goods until we get what we want." But of course, the question remained, how to start bartering when you begin with nothing to barter. --- Andi glanced at Death in surprise at his question. "I-" She hesitated. "The soldier and patriot in me thinks that you would have been well within your right to seek retribution, Your Grace." she began then looked forwards, watching Uriel at the desk ahead of them as she continued. "But I also think that, diplomatically, you did the right thing by staying your hand. I don't doubt that Azrael's plea to grant Raguel mercy was born out of lingering loyalty and sentimentality toward the Arch Angel. But there was certainly more logic to it when you consider the alliance between your Kingdom and the Kingdom of Heaven. Taking justice into your own hands, however righteous it may have been, could have sparked a new war. At least this way we know that Raguel will not escape punishment and we will not be losing a long standing alliance in the process." Uriel walked back towards them from the reception desk after a few minutes. He paused a short distance from them to briefly bow to Death respectfully before holding out an envelope for him to take. "Five 1-Day passes to Heaven for Raven, your Grace. Five similar passes will be delivered to Conrad shortly so that he can leave Heaven. These are just a temporary resolution for now. I have put a request in for permanent passes for the boys should they wish to continue their visits past the first five days. But this will take some time to be reviewed and authorised, you understand." --- Raguel bristled at the knowledge that Uriel had heard him. "It wasn't like that. Ask any Angel that had meant to watch over her and Adam in the beginning and they'll tell you they feel guilty for not catching the Angel responsible." he deflected. His cheeks were red and there was something behind his eyes, like a distant pain threatening to surface. Whether he really was involved with Lilith or not was difficult to determine but he was certainly hiding something. He quickly pointed a finger at Gabriel. "This is what I was talking about! Your colleagues are trying underhanded tactics to give themselves a better chance to take my place! Gabriel, Uriel is distracting you! Likely to give himself the opportunity to get his foot in the door first. Where is he right now? What was he doing when he sent you to me with this unfounded accusation?" --- A little taken aback at James's bluntness, May blinked but then smirked as she took his hand and without a word, she stood and led him to her bedroom. She closed the door behind them then walked over to her bedside table where she opened a drawer and pulled out a box of condoms which still had the cellophane wrapping around it. The thin layer of dust on it gave away that she'd had them for some time but hadn't needed them until now. She placed it on the side and then turned to look at him. She smiled at him, half nervous and half excited as she bit her lip before slowly unbuttoning her shirt. She pulled her shirt off and threw it to the floor and gave him a playful look. "Your turn."

Sebastian smiled into the kiss while running his hands up Carter's arms. Without looking, he absently reached for the TV remote to turn it up a little. Not loud enough to wake Stevie but just enough so as to mask any noises they might make. --- "Good question!" Amelia grinned awkwardly as she realised she hadn't given anyone a location or a time. "I'll need to check with Charles, then I'll text everyone to let them know when and where." --- "Ortiz Diego Hernández if you harm a hair on that boy's head I will ensure you're never able to grow your own again, do you hear?" Audrey snapped at him with a scowl. She then turned her gaze back to Blake and her eyes softened. "A Succubus, you say?" she tutted. "Tricky blighters, they are. And a real nuisance if they set their eyes on you. Let me see what I have, you wait right there, dear." She hopped off her stool and shuffled through a set of partially open curtains into the back room and rounded a corner. Although she was out of sight, she could be heard rummaging around and muttering to herself. "Where did I put that-? I was sure I had some in here... Or did I sell it? No, no, I must still have some- ah! There we are!" She came back to the front of the shop with a misted red bottle in hand and eyed the pair for a moment with a blank expression. "Oh, hello dears. Did Kris need something?" she asked as if seeing them both for the first time today. Then after a few seconds she cackled mischievously. "Ha! The looks on your faces! Old Auntie hasn't lost her marbles quite yet. Here you are..." she handed the bottle to Blake. "He'll only need a few drops of that. I haven't made a love potion this strong since an Incubus caused mayhem among local politicians back in the 50's. Funny ol' thing, the mayor at the time had commissioned it but never collected. I guess the Incubus was either already taken care of or prevailed. No matter, it's Kris's now. Oh, no charge for it dear. The crystals are payment enough. Now you two run along before that pesky Succubus makes a meal of him! Do drop by again! Oh, and here- " she grabbed a handful of wrapped candies from a bowl on her counter and pushed them into Blake's free hand. "For being such a polite young man," she smiled widely at him. --- "Who're you talking to, buddy?" Lang asked Luis with a small smile. "I mean, think about all the shit our officers have been through in just the past few years alone. Parker vanished and came back with amnesia for a while and none of us looked at him any differently. Sure he's not part of the force anymore but that's not the point. Then there's Will and all he went through, but he's still part of the team. We've all got our stories here but at the end of the day we still look out for each other. That's just what we do." Henderson groaned in frustration as Dick sat him down. "Are you kidding? You've been trying to bang me since you met me and now that I'm giving you the chance, you just want to talk?" he deflected. --- Lilly stayed close to Raven as they left the castle confidently. After all, they were as safe as they could ever be in Death's world. They approached the fountain at the heart of the town square and Lilly took a moment to look around at the bustling streets full of spirits who paid them little attention as they went about their un-lives. Looking up, she saw a signpost with arrows pointed in several directions. One pointed the way to the lake, another was towards a forested area, another towards the market and lastly, the castle that they had just come from. --- Satisfied that Gabriel had left them to it, Uriel began to guide Death and his new body guard towards the registry office. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about Raguel anymore, your Grace. His crime against Azrael and yourself was quite a serious one. He'll be lucky to leave Heaven cells at all after his trial. But, of course, I cannot guarantee the outcome of his trial just yet, you understand." Once they reached the registry, Uriel quietly requested that Death and Andi wait in the seated area while he spoke with the reception before leaving them for a moment. --- Raguel jumped at Gabriel's voice, having not expected him to return so soon. He then stared at Gabriel with a mixture of shock and guilt as his face turned red at the accusation. "You-? Gabriel..." he stammered. Then picked up on something that Gabriel had said, which bothered him greatly. "We? who's 'we'? and what exactly did you hear me say?" he asked, probingly. Trying to turn the questioning around on Gabriel while also trying to establish how he should handle the accusation being thrown at him. --- May smiled at James patiently. "What would you like to do?" she purred. "If I'm going too fast or if you're uncomfortable, we can take things slower." She ran her hand along his upper arm, feeling his muscle as she did. "As long as you're with me, I'm happy."

Ngl I had too much fun writing that one xD

Auntie Audrey lol

"Same." Sebastian smiled, relieved that Carter was on the same wavelength as him. He grinned and lowered his arms before taking Carter's hand. "Now, come on you. Let's make the most of our alone time while we still can," he said while leading Carter back to the couch. In the bedroom, Stevie's eyes were open. He'd stirred shortly after the door had closed and heard everything. He'd initially been curious about Carter's kids but then he'd heard them talking about taking him in and he wasn't sure how to feel about it yet. He lay there in silence as he took the opportunity to be alone with his thoughts and figure out what it was he wanted. --- "Yay!" Neva cheered. "Sweet!" Amelia whooped. She'd been getting more and more excited by the idea as more of her friends said they'd join in. "Alright, I can teleport and pick you guys up when we're all ready if you want?" --- Kris watched Blake vanish and felt a bit of pride in watching him grasp his powers. He sighed and shifted his thoughts to try and come up with a plan while he was alone. Meanwhile, in the potion shop, the old shop owner had been giving Ortiz an earful when Blake appeared and made his introduction. Immediately she'd forgotten why she had been so angry and cooed over the boy. "Oh! Aren't you a lovely young man!" she squealed while pinching his cheek before accepting the pouch. "Are you one of Kris's boys? I don't think I've seen your face before! Such a nice man, taking lost youth into his home! I hope he's feeding you well! Come! Come!" she gestured while turning to slowly walk back towards her register. "Come and tell Auntie Audrey what Kris needs this time!" she groaned a little as she pulled herself back onto her little stool behind the counter. She then opened the pouch and squealed again with joy, practically kicking her feet which no longer touched the ground now that she was sat on the stool. "That man always did know how to spoil a lady!" she cackled and poured a couple of crystals onto the table. Without warning she spryly went about smashing and crushing the crystals with a nearby glass ornament. She then gathered the resulting powder into a line and quickly snorted it off the counter in one fluid movement before tilting her head back. Her eyes rolled a little as her body shuddered then she relaxed and grinned at the pair. "That's the stuff!" --- "Yeah, I get it. It sucks and you have every right to be angry but don't lose sight of the bigger picture." Lang said matter of factly. "Think about other people out there. Normal people. Families. All those people that this hitman's boss and his whole organisation could hurt or kill. No one expects you to be friends with Dick. But if you could just tolerate him for a while, at least until we can bring down his boss, you'd be saving a lot of lives. You'd be a hero, man." Lang turned his head to look at Luis. "And we do care. It's not fair to say that we don't, man. It's a hard job. We gotta make tough calls no matter how we feel. Because our first duty, your first duty, is to the people out there." He gestured to the wall but clearly meant the ordinary people in general. "C'mon, man. You know how it is to lose an officer... you grieve but you pick yourself up and keep doing your job. Because who else is going to catch criminals if we can't? That's what we signed up to do." By the time Dick caught up, Henderson's eyes were back to normal and he looked at him quickly before glancing around. Smirking, he took Dick's hand and pulled him towards the back of the armoury where they would be concealed by the shelves. Surrounded by weapons and more or less alone with a skilled hitman sent Henderson's dark desires overboard as he spun Dick around to pin him against the shelves. "Your accent drives me wild," he said quietly and pushed his lips against his. --- "A medallion like that would be good. Hmm..." Lilly glanced around thoughtfully. "We could take a walk across the castle grounds? Or into town?" she suggested. --- Surprised and annoyed by Gabriel's appearance, Uriel tried to maintain his composure in front of Death. Andi concealed an amused smirk at Death's comment, particularly as she watched the two Angels. "Language." Uriel merely commented at Gabriel. "And I thought you were busy with your questioning? I hope you didn't forget about the information you were supposed to get." he then turned his attention back to Death. "Of course, your Grace. I would be happy to help you with your request. If you would follow me to our registry office, we can potentially even arrange day passes between the two realms for Raven and Conrad." he said while moving towards the door. --- "No, not at all," May answered with a smile. "It's... hard to describe. But it's pleasant. It's a natural thing. I can lend you my encyclopedia later if you want?" she leaned in close to him and took a small breath near his neck before leaving a trail of kisses. "I like it," she whispered.

In such a deep sleep, Stevie barely stirred as Carter moved him. Sebastian watched from the doorway as Carter tucked the boy in. His heart swelled seeing the fatherly kiss before Carter left the room. Once they were outside, Sebastian wrapped his arms around Carter's shoulders. "You've definitely got a knack for parenting," he said softly. "I don't know what the future holds for him but I'd say we've made a pretty decent start when it comes to helping him," he said thoughtfully. "He kind of reminds me of me when I grew up on the streets... That kind of life is hard. It does things to you." he said then smiled at Carter. "But a couple of years with you and I'm practically domesticated. So, you're doing something right." he chuckled. He looked contemplative for a second as he glanced at the bedroom door and then back to Carter. "I- I know we already agreed to adopt Patience's baby when it's born. But maybe, we could also..." he trailed off, feeling his cheeks grow warm as his eyes darted once more to the bedroom door before dropping shyly to the ground. "I don't know. I just thought... Maybe it's too early to think like that..." he babbled bashfully, quickly backtracking in case it was too much for Carter. --- "Hey, guys. Charles and I were wondering if you all wanted to come to a picnic we're having with other families. Let the kids play and get to know each other kind of thing. What do you think?" Amelia asked. "Will Oliver be there?" Neva asked "Yep. And some other kids too." "Can we go daddies?!" Neva sat up to look at Vincent and Elliot excitedly. --- "Good lad!" Kris praised him and then glanced around the otherwise empty room. "It doesn't normally take so long to buy a potion... Wonder if Ortiz is having some trouble. I know the old witch at that shop is particular about manners..." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh, I hope Ortiz didn't forget to wipe his damn feet again. The last time he didn't she ranted at him for two hours... you can never get a word in edgeways with that woman once she gets going but she's also like, a hundred, so we gotta be gentle with her." he explained to Blake with an amused smirk. "Do me a favour. Go after him and make sure he's ok. She loves it when we take in new kids. She'll be so happy to see you she'll forget why she was mad in the first place. And here..." he pulled out a small pouch from a nearby drawer. "Crystalised Nightshade. Bring her some of this stuff as a gift and she'll love you forever." he passed the pouch to the boy. --- Having only recently returned from his annual trip to Heaven, Lang nodded to Will, eager to get back into the swing of police life. "Yes, sir!" he said as he headed into the restroom. He leaned against the countertops with sinks in them as he waited for Luis to emerge from the cubicle. "Luis? Buddy? It's Lang. As a fellow downed officer turned Angel, do you want to talk about it?" "Fuck, yes!" Henderson growled uncharacteristically as he headed towards the armoury to get the SWAT gear he'd need. He walked past Dick with barely a second glance and as he did Dick would have a split-second opportunity to notice something off about Henderson's eyes. --- Gabriel's words stirred something in Raguel. A sense of a memory that he couldn't quite recall. He knew there was something vital he had forgotten but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. He reached through the bars to grab one of Gabriel's hands, squeezing it a little in urgency. What little of his face could be distinguished had flushed red and the eye that wasn't completely swollen stared at him with an emotion Gabriel likely wouldn't have seen before now. Sharp as ever but softened with parental love and pride. By now Gabriel would likely notice the tremble in Raguel's grip. "You have always been so much more than a soldier, Gabriel. I knew it from the first moment I'd met you when you dared sass me in front of your peers. Why do you think I always kept you so close? Why out of all the other Arch Angels that would kiss my ass daily, I chose the rebellious Gabriel with my most trusted missions? You are loyal but you are also intelligent and fierce in your pursuit of justice. Even if that means making the difficult calls... or standing against the grain. It's also why I was always the toughest on you with my expectations. To harden you to the responsibilities I knew you might face one day. Gabriel..." Raguel paused to gather himself for a second. "No matter what I have done. No matter how my trial will play out and what my sentence will be. And-and even if I am overtaken by this apparent madness... Know that I am and always will be proud of you." --- Lilly watched them leave with a small smile then turned to Raven. Her smile had slipped slightly as she thought about how awful Azrael must be feeling. "What did you have in mind to make for Azrael?" --- Uriel had been picking up the papers from the middle of the destroyed desk, looking over them quickly as if searching for something before adding them to a pile. When Death arrived, he stared at him hesitantly before giving him a pleasant smile. "Death, uh- I mean, your Grace. Of course. How can I help?" he stammered a bit, clearly caught a little off guard. Of course, Uriel, like many of his colleagues, was now very interested in the new position that had just opened up. And what better way to get a foot in the door than by building a positive rapport with Death after what Raguel had done to damage the relationship between his realm and Heaven? "And I would just like to offer my sincere apologies for what happened with Raguel. I assure you his actions were not representative of Heaven." Andi squinted at Uriel in silent judgement but she said nothing as she stood at Death's side with her hands clasped behind her. --- Feeling his fingers in her hair, May almost completely lost herself in the moment. "Me too." She whispered back a little breathlessly and as she caught her breath she caught his scent and chuckled while her cheeks turned pink as she noted the way his scent alone was making her body react. "Oh wow... the Lycanthrope encyclopedia wasn't kidding about those pheromones..." she bit her lip and caressed his cheek. She wanted nothing more than to just lose herself to him and the moment. As powerful as they were, only a part of that was due to the pheromones she mentioned. She genuinely wanted to be with him regardless. But catching his scent reminded her that she still needed to be careful and not get carried away. Good thing she was responsible and already had some protection in the bedroom that they could use if things got any more heated. It wasn't every day she got to experience this new sensation so she took a moment to savour how his scent affected her while kissing him again.