Shadowess

Kodi smiled as he stepped in and sat on the corner of her bed. "I didn't mind it," he said to her warmly. "Is... is that really how you see me?" --- Kris watched her. He caught himself biting his lip and tore his eyes away from her chest. "Um-" he mumbled awkwardly while lifting one of his knees to hide a certain, swelling area. She'd caught him completely off guard by coming on to him so strongly that he had to take a moment to regather himself. Even as he spoke, he was battling a strong urge to pull her from the bed and pin her to the floor. "I won't lie to you. I find you attractive. All forms of you. But is this something that you want? Or are you coming on to me because you think it's what I want?" He looked back at her, and even with his glasses covering his eyes, he could barely mask his desires. "You're more to me than just your body, Violet. I want you to know that." --- Oscar tightened his grip whenever the man struggled. "That was too close." He said seriously to Leo. "He's more slippery than we thought." Viktor let out a sigh of relief once the man was in Oscar's grip. He didn't like the way the man had been talking and feared he might have been about to try to force one of them to turn him. "Who is this man?" he asked Oscar and Leo while staring at the stranger with a baffled yet wary expression. --- Azrael chuckled and rubbed the backs of Death's hands with his thumbs. "I guess we do as the humans do. Make some vows to each other and have someone official declare us to be married." He said, then looked around the room. "Unity, would you do the honours of officiating our wedding?" he asked. Somewhere near the back of the room, Raziel shuffled on his feet nervously as he watched. What he had seen earlier was beginning to unfold. Briefly, his eyes darted to Uriel, then back to the couple. "It would be an honour." Unity answered in a man's voice as the well-dressed vessel climbed the steps and then stood on the other side of the pair. "When you are ready, you may proceed with your vows." Azrael nodded to Unity thankfully, then turned back to look into Death's eyes. During this moment, to him, it felt like they were the only two in the room. "I swear to you that I will always love you. That I'll do everything I can to keep you and our children safe. That I will always be there to share your burdens so that you don't carry them alone. That I will forever be your confidant and advisor out of love rather than duty. My heart will always be yours and yours alone. From this day until my last day." --- "What? Oh, no. My Father is the king of the Lake where I was born. He is strict." Greta explained and then stopped abruptly while looking away from him. She didn't want to talk about her father anymore. "You keep mentioning her. What happened to her exactly?" Layla asked curiously. Greta looked at Clover uncomfortably. Gaia had been slumbering for so long now that no one could really remember the true reason she fell into her enchanted sleep. Some believe that Gaia was tricked into consuming something that made her sleep because she was notorious for having a temper, and that she was so enraged at humans destroying the world with their toxic gases that she was threatening to flood the earth again. Others believe Gaia chose to sleep, of her own accord, for reasons only she would know. This, of course, was enough to cause further speculation and differing opinions regarding why she would choose to do this to herself. A popular theory was that she had fallen in love but had her heart broken, and she had sought sleep to avoid the pain. --- As soon as the baby felt the bottle against her lips, she opened her mouth and latched on to it. Hungrily, she began drinking the milk quickly while occasionally stopping to breathe through her nose. The little gasping noise she made for each breath made Sebastian smile widely. "She's adorable," he commented. "Oh! The nursery! We didn't get a chance-!" he gasped as he glanced around the building. They had only just managed to get the repairs done from when the earthquake had knocked part of the building down. Between that and suddenly taking Stevie in, they hadn't had the time to finish putting a nursery together for Rose. "Ok, ok, Stevie can come with me to the store to pick up a crib for her. Will you be alright with her while we put it together?"

Kodi scratched his head. He hadn't the faintest idea of where to start with acting like a parent. But quickly, he realised he had been doing it without much thought for a while now already. He hesitated, wondering how to approach this, but then walked to Autumn's bedroom door and knocked gently. "Autumn? Can we talk? I'm not mad at you, I just- I just worry for you. Because I care about you." --- "Ah, that's right- Oh, hello Salem." Kris looked between the pair for a moment and considered that Salem would need to know about everything that had happened with Violet, and this would be best coming from Blake. "I'll give you two some privacy," he said as he turned to walk towards the door. "I expect you to practice what I told you while I'm gone," he called back before adding as he left the room. "And no funny business!" He was practically a parent to these boys, but the last thing he needed to deal with was a teen pregnancy scare under his roof. Especially with Auntie's granddaughter. He feared that, despite her age, the old woman would still be able to tear him a new one for letting something like that happen. He returned to his room to meditate. He used the time to think over everything that had happened recently. Where his former friend Ortiz might've gone. Part of him feared the Trickster might try to form an alliance with their current territorial rivals, the vampires. He thought about Violet, his revelation that an afterlife existed and what this might mean for his little tribe now. His newest addition, Blake, seemed to be fitting in but also seemed to have some deep-rooted anger issues that would take time to help him with. And then, of course, there was the unknown man who had reached out to him. The mystery of who he was gnawed at him relentlessly. --- Viktor was surprised by the stranger, having not seen him until now. Instinctively, at the sign of a threat, he'd bared his fangs at the intruder but didn't dare move in case Leo got hurt. "Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded, trying to mask the slight quiver to his voice. Behind him, he saw movement but gave away no sign as he watched Oscar trying to carefully sneak into the room behind the strange man. --- "All beings are capable of love," Hannes said to her as he & Jean moved to stand closer to Shezmu and his little group. Beforehand, Hannes had quietly pointed out to Jean that Shezmu was an old being who might still be used to old customs, such as corporal punishment of his subjects when they misbehave, and he'd worried something like that might happen to Lucretia under the old Blood God's care when they'd get home. They couldn't bring this up with Shezmu here, of course. So, they opted to keep an eye on them during the party and planned to discuss this with him when they'd all go home. "Duty isn't all there is to living, Lucretia." "Oh, I knew it! Such a pair!" Leandra gushed at the news as she hugged Life's side. Lilly beamed at Death and Azrael. "No way!" Robb grinned. "Did you guys know?" he asked Gabriel and Nate. "How romantic!" Atma sighed as she watched. Azrael was blushing deeply, but he was also grinning from ear to ear. Finally having the secret out felt so freeing, and being able to openly commit himself to the man he loved made this the happiest day of his life. He snapped his fingers, changing both his and Death's robes into wedding attire as he climbed the steps to stand by Death's side. --- "Ja, exactly that." Greta nodded to Nil. "But only during the day. Father demands that his daughters return to the lake before sunset." "It's not your fault. There's always one bad egg at any family reunion." Layla shrugged. --- Rose continued to fuss until her fussing turned to crying. Despite her genes, she was seemingly just an ordinary baby with ordinary baby needs. Sebastian had pulled the bag onto the couch and opened it to see what supplies had been given to them. It was then that he found the book about caring for vampiric children. "Hey, look at this." He said as he opened it. It was all written in German, but each page had a scrap of paper between where one of the vampires from the castle had kindly translated the pages into English. "It says for newborn babies of vampiric parents, blood is not required until they reach six months. So, I guess we just treat her like a human baby until then." He pulled out one of the bottles from the bag containing Patience's milk and handed it to Carter. "Maybe she's hungry?"

Kodi was too stunned to react immediately. By the time he did, he wasn't sure how to feel. Whether he should be angry at her for giving him an attitude or happy that she had called him 'dad'. "Did I just become a parent?" He asked, clearly still in shock as he looked towards Harris. --- Kris smiled a little but nodded without looking at Blake. His eyes had softened, knowing all too well how difficult it was at Blake's age to control his emotions, but he also knew that his boys needed to be tough to survive, which meant that they needed to learn quickly how to suppress any sign that an enemy could potentially take to be a weakness. "I didn't see anything." He said reassuringly. "Now, where were we with your training?" --- Elation filled Viktor at the news. He flustered for a moment, patting his pockets for his phone while also nodding eagerly. "Y-yes, I would like to see her. Just give me one moment." He said as he took out his phone to send a quick text to Bryce, letting him know he would take a little longer than expected to meet with him. --- Lilly smiled as she rose and moved to sit beside Death. She watched Raven with an encouraging look as he recited his oath, too, before joining them. This all felt like a dream to her now. As the ceremony wrapped up, the audience would turn to find the spaces behind them had already been filled with tables, chairs, plates, glasses, cutlery and centrepieces for each table. Reapers stood by each table, ready to wait on their guests. Azrael gave a supportive smile to the new Princess and Prince before exchanging a knowing smile with Death. This was the part where they would give their guests a surprise by revealing that this Coronation ceremony doubled as a wedding. --- Layla's heart lifted as Nil wrapped his arm around her and all but told Leanan that he was taken. She gave the other woman a victorious smirk. Leanan had rolled her eyes at Clover. For a moment, she held a disgusted, almost offended look as Nil chose to shake her hand instead of kissing it. With the same expression, she looked Layla up and down before turning her head away in a dismissive manner. "If you say so. But should you realise your worth, don't hesitate to seek me out. Afterall, it's not like this mutt can help you to unlock your true potential." "Alright, listen bitch, you can leave now, or I'll smack the hell out of you!" Layla growled at her. "Classy," Leanan commented coldly. "Fine, have it your way." She gave Nil one last smirk before vanishing. "Who the hell was that?" Layla asked, turning back to Clover and Greta. "She's a Fae, but not the same kind as Nil," Greta answered. "There are other types of fairies?" Layla asked in surprise. "Of course," Greta answered. "It depends on lineage. All Fae are children of Gaia. The fathers determine the type of Fae the child becomes. For example, Nil's type was once the most common because they had come into being when Gaia had taken human males as lovers. In time, like with Adam and Eve's children, those Fae began to breed to become their own race, hence..." She gestured to Nil, indicating that he is a very distant descendant of Gaia and humans. "But all Fae, even the ones who had once been most common, are now on the brink of extinction." "So what type is she?" "Devil lineage. The ones who make the deals to grow their powers. There are only a couple of those kinds left. Lea is one. They strike deals with mortals to make them rich, powerful, talented... but at the very peak of the mortal's success, the Leannán Sídhe consumes the mortal's soul to sustain herself... or himself. Lea was the firstborn, so she ended up being the one to earn the name of Leannán Sídhe from the mortals who encountered her first in Ireland. She has brothers and sisters, but they go by their own names; Leannán Sídhe is the name of their race." "What about you?" "Huh?" "What kind of Fae are you?" "Oh! I-I'm not a Fae. I'm a sort of mermaid. But specifically from Lake Mummel in Germany. I'm a Mümmlein." --- "And I'm glad that it was you who found me in that alley. This... all of this, it's more than I could have ever dreamed for." Sebastian said lovingly. "I can't imagine not having you in my life. This all just feels so right," Rose began to fuss in Stevie's arms, and the boy gave an uncertain look to Carter & Sebastian. "She might be hungry." Sebastian pointed out. "Or... tired? How do you tell when they're so small?"

I haven't played it for a while but my first playthrough was as a Slytherin too 😄 Just had to be Sebastian's bestie and may have had a little too much fun using the unforgivable curses on the goblins hahaha

I think I managed to make my most David-est character lol Albiet a younger version. He even ended up in Ravenclaw which is absolutely fitting hahaha

Hey, hope you had a great xmas & new year 🙂

STORY CONTINUED HERE;

"You might not be lost, but you are a kid," Kodi responded to Autumn in a firm tone. "In fact, I don't want you going to and from school alone anymore! If your friends can't walk with you, then one of us will drop off or pick you up. And no sneaking out of class to go to the mall, understood?" he looked back at Harris. "As soon as I find out anything, I'll let you know." --- John watched Adam leave, feeling helpless. He then looked back towards Clementine, just in time to catch her gaze before she quickly turned her head to look out over the fields once more. Bristling, John walked over to the doors and silently slipped out to join her. He carefully ensured the door was closed so that their conversation would be private before he moved to stand beside her. When he spoke, his voice was low so that only she would hear him. "I suppose you think you're quite clever." "Whatever do you mean, Angel?" "Save it. I don't know what kind of twisted mind game you're trying to play, but I will not tolerate it. Understand?" "Well, if it isn't the pot calling the kettle black." Clementine sniped back. "What are you-?" "As if you're not using Adam for your own gain? Don't think me a fool, John. Or do you really expect me to believe that you're doing all of this just so you would be second in command of a new utopia?" "How dare you!" "You snatched me and dragged me into this! Adam, I can forgive because he's just been following your lead, but you, I have nothing but contempt for you! Just stay away from me!" Clementine moved to storm away, but John caught her arm, and his grip was tight enough to hurt. He leaned closer to her and whispered something that caused her face to turn momentarily paler. When he let her go, his fingers brushed the fresh bruising, causing it to vanish. He then stormed away from her, leaving her staring hard at the ground as her heart pounded in her chest. After a minute or so, she turned back to the fence to lean on it again. Her mind was racing as she gradually calmed down. After several more minutes, she silently returned to her little work station, more focused than she had been previously on creating the potion. --- Kris's eyebrows raised slightly when he saw the damage done to the punching bag. "Not bad, if you were intending to kill your target. If you want to hit hard enough to stun, knock back or knock out your opponent, you only need to use a fraction of your power." He said as he stepped towards him and got a closer look at the punching bag. He listened to Blake and took a moment to think through his answer before he turned to face him. "There isn't an easy answer to that question," he said thoughtfully. "Everyone you ever meet is going to tell you that life is black and white. Good versus bad. But the truth is, that's a lie. Life is one big grey area. You're not wrong to feel angry, Blake. You have every right to be. But you also know that Violet was being genuine in her apology. It's not about the mistakes we made in our pasts; it's about what we do to change and whether those efforts make us worth saving. I've made mistakes before. I've hurt people. Killed people. The majority of what we do here involves robbing folks blind. To any average Joe out there, that would make me a 'bad guy'. But then that would be glossing over the rest of what I've done with my life. For instance, taking in wayward trickster kids to give them a home. A sense of family. Protection. Do you get what I'm trying to say, Blake?" --- "Helena?" For a moment, Viktor forgot about his packing and threw the clothes that were in his hands onto the bed while he turned to face Leo fully. "Wha-what message? Has something happened?" His expression reflected his mixture of worry and shame. He never really stopped worrying about his sister, but he still felt guilty for the way he'd been brought up and what he had intended to do at the time. --- "Control yourself." Shezmu hissed irritably into Lucretia's ear. "Do not embarrass me further," he warned her. "We will discuss this when we return to my home." Atma smiled at Abaddon, but Death had spoken before she could reply. She decided they could always finish their conversation after the ceremony. A hush fell over the room when Death spoke, and all eyes fell on him. Lilly took a deep breath, and when called forth, she stepped into the centre of the room to approach Death's throne. Recalling the instructions Azrael had sent to her, she knelt before him and lowered her head in respect. "I, Lillian De Morte, do hereby accept the title of Princess and heir to the Kingdom of Death." She began, and although her voice trembled, she tried her best to say the words clearly enough for everyone to hear her. "With this, I accept the duty and responsibility to the Kingdom, its citizens and the Reapers. I swear to serve and protect the Citizens of the Kingdom of Death. I swear to guide the Reapers to Reap souls with compassion, peace, patience and understanding. Above all else, I swear to uphold The Balance by any means. May all present here today bear witness and keep me to my oath from this day until my last day." All the way through her oath, she had a look of pure concentration from trying to remember the words and not stumble on them. As soon as she was finished speaking, she let out a silent sigh of relief and glanced up briefly at Death with a small smile. This was the part where she had to remain bowed to him until he'd tell her to rise as his equal to sit beside him as his heir. It would be the same process for Raven. --- "There's a vampire here?" Layla asked, confused as she quickly looked around them. "Of a kind, but something tells me old Clover here didn't mean me." Came a velvety voice close to them. Layla turned her head and was surprised by the human-looking woman watching them as she leaned against a tree close by. She was breath-takingly beautiful. Vibrant, red locks cascaded over her shoulders. Her long green dress was complemented by the natural colours of their surroundings. Her eyes stood out by being vastly different colours. One eye green, the other brown, making her all the more memorable. "I am rarely invited to such gatherings. Can't think why." The woman said playfully as she stepped closer to the pair, but she only seemed to have eyes for Nil as she lifted her hand towards him with the expectation that he'd kiss the back of it. "You may call me Leanan," she purred. "Leanan Sidhe. And I can make all of your dreams come true." Layla felt blood rush to her face, and she rounded on Leanan, ready to say something out of jealousy, but someone else spoke before she could. Another human-looking woman. But this one smelled of algae and still had lake vegetation stuck in her messy, brown hair. Although she sported human legs, they were covered in moss-green coloured scales. A set of gills was on her neck. "You weren't invited, Lea. Leave them be." The amphibious woman said sternly. Layla noticed immediately that she had the faintest hint of a German accent. "Oh, Greta. Daddy let you out to play, I see." Leanan retorted and then sneered at the girl. "Don't stay up too late, now. You know how he doesn't like that." Greta bristled. She looked ready to throw hands. --- Sebastian blinked away tears as he watched them, and then he reached over to gently pat Stevie's back. "Now come and say hello to your little sister," he whispered to him with a smile. Stevie blinked at Sebastian before letting Carter go and wiping his tears away hurriedly. He stepped closer to Sebastian to get a better look at the baby, but as he did, Sebastian surprised him by pushing the little bundle into his arms. "But-!" he gasped, but Sebastian smiled and shushed him. "There you go, like that. Support her head, that's it. You've got her, big brother." Sebastian said as he carefully guided him on holding Rose properly. "I'm holding her, right?" Stevie asked uncertainly, but couldn't take his eyes off her. "Yep, she looks comfortable. Good job!" Sebastian said before standing and stepping closer to Carter. He brought his hands up to gently brush his tears away, all while smiling at him lovingly. This was a new start for all of them. Stevie grinned, and as he looked at the baby, he considered what this meant. He had been afraid that he might hurt her, but now his fears had been replaced by a determination to keep her safe. "Sister..." he whispered as the reality set in. Rose stared back at Stevie with the same intensity that she had stared at Carter & Sebastian with. Learning every curve and detail of his face. Stevie couldn't help but chuckle at her staring. "Hey, Rose. I'm your- I-I'm your... I'm your brother." As he brought himself to say it out loud, he felt in his heart that it was right, and with this realisation, his smile grew a little more. "And I'm gonna keep you safe. I promise. I'm always going to be there for you, no matter what," he told her confidently and then hesitated before planting a soft kiss on her forehead. Sebastian chuckled as he watched Rose's eyebrows knit together momentarily at the kiss before continuing to stare interestedly at Stevie.

The world was already chaotic with a secret society of supernatural creatures hiding their existence from humans to simply survive. Throw in the afterlife and alternate universes and you've got some realms in desperate need of balance.

Merry Christmas 😃🎄

"And who's going to watch Autumn?" Kodi snapped back. "We don't know what kind of psycho took Clem, so we need to be careful. Look, I only barely managed to convince the CIA to let me get involved with the search, and I'm a cop. No way they'd let a civilian get involved! You're just going to have to trust me on this." --- "I am-! I am taking you seriously." John scoffed, and he took a step towards Adam. He lifted his hands to gently grip his shoulders. "You are strong!" he said gently, and then his eyes darted back to the back of Clementine's head. "Did she say something to you to make you think you're not?" he asked protectively. --- Smirking, Kris stood back to watch Blake for a minute or two without alerting him to his presence. He silently observed his techniques before stepping forward. "Tuck your thumb over your fingers when you punch, not under." He said as he approached. "And if you focus a minute amount of your energy, you can land your hits harder. Also, aim to strike with your index and middle knuckles." He stopped, now standing off to Blake's side, and he nodded to him. "Try it." --- "I would like that very much," Helena said shakily as she turned her head towards Allie's voice and reached out for her hand. Tears hung in her eyes, but she held them back, knowing she'd be able to tell Allie all about her brother and her worries for him while they relaxed. "I guess I'll be going too. You can still always call me or Leo, if you need to talk." Oscar said to them before vanishing after his beloved. --- At the sound of Leo's voice, Viktor had paused. He'd been in the process of packing a bag in his bedroom. As much as he'd hoped Leo would be his tutor when he'd been turned, Leo's job had meant Viktor had more often than not been left to figure things out on his own. Thankfully, in the early days after his change, he'd bumped into Bryce, who had proven to be far more reliable for teaching him about himself. Becoming close to Bryce in the process had been a surprise to him, but not an unwelcome one. Of course, he didn't hold Leo's frequent absences against him. He had saved his life, after all. He'd even given him a place to stay. But now he felt it was time that he moved on and lived his own life... with Bryce. With a sigh, he finished shoving more of his clothes into the bag that was on his bed before calling back. "Yeah... I'm here." --- "I'm anxious and shy, too," Atma admitted. "I know I don't look it. I'm terrified of being here where so many people know me, but I don't know any of them..." She offered him her hand. "But with you, I don't feel so nervous." Carol continued to glare at Lucretia as she muttered into her wine glass. "Well, I don't bloody well forgive the bitch." Amelia was tense, but she, too, was glaring at the Angel the entire time. "Smert?" Bob chortled, earning him a swift elbow to the ribs from Lilly. "What? What I do?" "Which is why, more than ever, it is imperative that a suitable successor to Raguel's role be chosen, your Grace," Cass spoke up with a short bow to Death. "To tighten our ranks and avoid any future diplomatic errors," he glanced around the room briefly. "But our Archangels will have their chance soon enough to vie for votes. Today is yours and your heirs," he gave one more bow out of respect and to signal that he'd finished speaking. David glanced from Cass to Uriel. Cassiel was known for being quite charismatic and a bit of a smooth talker, but he'd half expected Uriel to have taken this opportunity to say something along similar lines. When he looked over, he was surprised to see that rather than being annoyed to have been beaten to the punch, Uriel looked as if he couldn't care less. In fact, he seemed very relaxed as he was leaning against the wall near Carol, watching everything unfold casually while sipping his drink. Was he really so confident and arrogant to think that the job was already his? Lilly looked from Cass to Azrael and then to Death, knowing the ceremony would begin as soon as Death gave word. She had butterflies in her stomach as she tried to mentally recite her oaths before she'd be called forward. "I can do this..." she whispered to herself nervously. "Good." Shezmu praised Lucretia with a small nod as she returned to him. "It's a start." --- Layla was fascinated by their surroundings and these creatures that welcomed them. She stared at the little picnic, feeling like she'd stepped into a storybook fairy tale. She smiled at Nil before looking at the food. When she'd been human, she would have loved all the vegetable dishes, but since she became a werewolf, her appetite had shifted to a more carnivorous diet. Which, unfortunately, made the vegetable dishes far less appealing to her. She decided to turn her attention away from the food but found herself staring at the creatures again in pure fascination. --- Sebastian took Rose into his arms and couldn't help grinning as his eyes landed on her tiny face. "Hello, little one!" He whispered as he cradled her to him. He then turned his head to watch Carter talk to Stevie. Stevie smiled a little as Carter ruffled his hair, and he playfully batted his hand away to try and fix his hair again. He thought about what they said and what they were offering him. Overwhelmed with emotion, he flung his arms around Carter and sobbed quietly. "Thank you."

Hey, hope you're ok. Sorry I've been gone a while. I'm itching to write so hoping to do my next post soon. Got a lot of ideas flying around in my brain lol. I'm thinking with the alternate universe threat, this storyline is guna be pretty major so I've carefully selected a few of my chars for deaths, close calls and kidnappings. Mwa ha ha! 🙂

"Not yet," Kodi said quickly. "I need to get back and help soon, but I wanted to keep you both updated. Turns out there's a CIA guy at the precinct who might be able to help us find her. He said I can't give out too many details about the case, but he's going to let me help with it." --- "What?" John asked, letting out a surprised half-laugh. "What's brought this on?" He glanced behind him and saw the back of Clementine out the window. He masked his irritation as he looked back at Adam seriously. "I do what I do to serve you. To be your protector and friend. But make no mistake, Adam, you're the boss here. Not me." He then smirked playfully. "But, if you'd like, we can go to your room and you can practice being assertive with me?" --- Everything she told him about Hell never ceased to blow Kris's mind. He was fascinated and had so many more questions. When she hugged him from behind and he felt her warmth pressed against him, he quickly looked forward while his face grew hot. He cleared his throat and gently pulled away from her. "I-er- I should- gotta train Blake-" he flustered and then paused before turning his head to nod at her while trying to ignore his fast heartbeat. "Thank you, Violet." --- Helena held a hand over her mouth and listened tearfully as Leo explained what had happened. When he finished speaking, she thought for a moment before taking his hand tightly in both of hers. Her walking stick hung loosely from a strap around her wrist. "Please, can you get a message to him for me? Tell him that... I forgive him. He will always be my brother, and if he's ready, I would like for him to visit me." "Thanks," Oscar said to Allie with a smile. "I guess I'll take your word for it, for now." he then turned to look at Helena and Leo. His smile slipped a bit to see the look on Helena's face. --- "Very well." Shezmu nodded before turning and walking back towards the throne room, expecting Lucretia to follow him. When they re-entered the room, Warren walked up to greet them. The demon gave Lucretia a look that was somewhere between wariness and jealousy before he smiled sweetly at Shezmu while handing him back his glass of wine. "Ah, thank you, Warren." Shezmu smiled and lightly pecked his cheek, which was enough to make Warren swoon a little as he dreamily took his arm once more. Cass tried to hide his amusement as he held his hands up and took a step back from Hades. "I wouldn't dream of considering you to be anything but a lady," he told her and then gave David a knowing smile. "After all, you're David's daughter. Which means you can likely kick my ass and still look good while doing it. Seems to be a running theme with his kids." David rolled his eyes but smiled out of pride. Amelia had given Cass grief as well when they'd first met. Before that, Cass had already been aware of how his biological daughter had given Lucifer grief despite only being human and vastly overpowered at the time. Cass was right; he certainly knew how to raise his daughters to be strong-willed and confident. Surprised by his reaction, Atma quickly glanced around to see if anyone had noticed what had happened. She then carefully approached where Abaddon had run to. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked worriedly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you!" Robb chortled quietly and took a sip of his drink to try to hide it, even as he blushed. "You're so bad," he whispered to Gabriel playfully. Seeing Death's glare and gesture, Shezmu looked at Lucretia expectantly. When she didn't move, his lips thinned and he stepped away from Warren to lean close to her ear. "I believe now would be the perfect opportunity for you to apologise. Don't keep him waiting," he whispered to her sternly. --- To Clover's first question, it was Layla's turn to falter. She had no idea what to expect from Clover and his kind. Past experiences had left her wary. But she was surprised when he explained what the consequences would have been if Nil hadn't been doing it for the right reasons. She relaxed a little and watched interestedly as he disappeared after inviting Nil to go to his home... wherever that was. She looked at Nil and shrugged. "Whatever you want to do, I'm with you." --- Stevie looked at Carter in surprise before frowning. "B-but, I'm not your son. I-..." his voice broke a little as he continued. "I killed my parents. I don't deserve another family. I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt her," he said while straining to keep his voice hushed as he looked at the innocent baby's face as she continued to stare up at Carter in fascination. "Stevie, that wasn't you," Sebastian said gently. "You weren't yourself. You were under the control of something very evil. None of what happened is your fault." "But-!" "You don't want to hurt us, right?" "Of course not!-" "That's good. That means you have a conscience. That means you're not evil." Sebastian sat on the edge of the arm of the couch to be at Stevie's eye level. He kept his hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes as he continued. "No one is making you do anything. The choice is yours. But, if you want, we would be happy to have you as part of our family. We want you to have a second chance at being happy and to have a good childhood. We might not always be perfect, but we will protect and love you like you are our own." Stevie was taken aback and stared at Sebastian in shock. He looked from Sebastian to Carter, as if looking for confirmation that this was really true.

Kodi nodded as he put his phone back into his pocket. "I'll be back soon, then." And with that, he vanished. He appeared in the living room at his home. Kodi looked around for Harris and Autumn. --- Clementine remained outside and stared out at the surrounding area just beyond John's protective barrier that kept them hidden. She wondered how things might change when Hell transformed back into Eden. She could barely remember how it had looked before. She felt a little guilty for saying what she had and wondered if she'd overstepped, but the suspicion she had for John had been gnawing at her since she'd arrived, and she hadn't been able to help it slipping out when she'd been talking to Adam. She wondered if this was gut instinct or just paranoia left over from a life filled with treachery around every corner. She was frustrated, too, at the way she had blurted it out like that. Hormones were new to her, and she hadn't anticipated how they might affect her mood or behaviour. Back inside, out of Clementine's earshot, John appeared when Adam called for him. "Is everything alright?" he asked, sensing tension. --- Lillith had many questions, but felt she would be more comfortable to learn when her son returned. She took a good look at the money before tucking it away, figuring she'd ask Nate about it later. "Thank you for your kindness." She said to Napoleon. "I think I'd like to be alone until my son returns. I have a lot to think about. This new life... It's going to take some getting used to, I think." --- At Violet's words, Kris paused with his hand on the door handle. He turned his head to look back at her. "I'm not by any means a good man. That much I can admit. Is that kind of world what I have to look forward to when I die? To spend eternity fighting or fleeing?" The thought disturbed him. He'd never given death much thought before, but now that there was confirmation of Hell, he found himself concerned. --- "He-?" Helena gasped and then was speechless as the news sank in. Her brother had almost died and was no longer human. She lowered her head a little and turned it to one side as she thought on this. "How did he-? What happened? Please tell me." She asked nervously, wanting to know what Viktor had been doing to almost get himself killed, but at the same time, frightened of what she might hear. - "Yes, sir. I mean, Mr President... sir." Oscar nodded to him anxiously, worried that he either wasn't referring to him correctly, embarrassing himself, or both. He placed a hand on Allie's shoulder and quickly teleported them both back to Leo & Helena. He then let out a big sigh of relief before looking at Allie. "How'd I do? I'm not used to Earth politics." --- Having regained his composure, Shezmu turned to Lucretia when she spoke. He glanced at his handkerchief briefly and considered telling her to keep it, but quickly realised that she had no way of stowing it away on her person. No pockets in her dress, nor a bag that he could see. He quietly stepped into the little room and opened his hand for her to give it back to him. He rinsed it off in the sink and rang it out until it was damp before folding it neatly and placing it into one of the pockets on the inside of his jacket. He turned to look at her. His movements were slow and gentle. Although his expression was cold, there was a softness to how he approached her. Lifting his hands, he went about fixing her hair that had gotten a bit messed up from her scuffle in the throne room minutes ago. "You will need to attend the rest of the ceremony and ball with me. I will not tolerate any further interruptions or acting out from you. Do you understand?" he told her firmly as he did this. "You have insulted many of the guests here, so don't be surprised if they are less than welcoming of your company. I would suggest that from here on out, you practice humility by keeping your gaze downward. Do not speak unless spoken to, and be respectful of the other guests. Most importantly, when the opportunity arises, I would advise you to apologise to our gracious host." He finished fixing her hair and lightly cupped her chin with his fingers to make her look up at him. As he spoke his next words, his tone became a little more gentle. "Know this, that no matter your transgressions, you will only know safety and respect while you are in my care. So do not fear the scrutiny of the other guests. I will not allow retaliation of any kind, whether by word or by force. Unless, of course, you disobey me and warrant such reactions." He took a step back to look at her properly. "Do you need another minute, or are you ready to return to the hall with me?" he asked. "He won't," David commented after overhearing Cass and Storm. He gave Cass a stern stare. "He knows what'll happen if he does." "Promises, promises," Cass replied sassily while giving David a playful grin. Atma's cheeks grew warm at his compliment, and she couldn't help grinning while glancing away shyly. "Thank you." She said softly. "You're quite handsome yourself," she then added, trying to flirt and unsure of whether she was doing it right. Robb couldn't help grinning as he blushed. "Maybe during the party after the ceremony? When we're less likely to be missed," he whispered back. "Sure, I'll try, Mary! But why does she have to be bloody?" Bob asked as he followed the band over to the bar. Lilly watched them go and smiled to herself. All of her friends were together again, and today her new family would be official. For the first time since she could remember, she felt truly happy. With everything in order until the next part of the ceremony, Azrael stood to the side of Death's throne and smiled up at him. All they needed now was for Shezmu and his newest guest to rejoin the room, and then it would be up to Death to begin the ceremony. --- Layla was still very much defensive of Nil, and for good reason. Nil was all she had, and she owed so much to him. He was the only one that she truly trusted. So, when Clover asked his next question and Nil seemed to falter, she was ready to jump to his defence once more. "Because it was the right thing to do," she said confidently. "Because people needed help, and he had the power to do that. Nil saved countless lives that day. He's a hero, not a criminal!" --- Stevie thought for a moment before shaking his head sadly. "Anyone I ever knew before you two hurt me. Even my parents. So it's not like I'd want to name her after them..." he said quietly. Sebastian placed a hand on Stevie's shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze to comfort him. He then looked back at their daughter and thought for a moment. "What about Rose?" He suggested and looked at Carter.

"Yeah, that's going to sit well with him..." Kodi mumbled sarcastically. Then he gave Reed a small smile. "I'll handle it, though. Thank you. Oh- I should probably give you my number..." He said as he pulled out his phone. --- Clementine paused in the doorway and turned her head to stare at Adam for a moment. "Adam, there is a difference between being assertive and being a dick," she said coolly. "I don't want you to be abusive. Right now you're a king of... what? Three women and an Angel? Before long, though, you're going to be a king of many, and unless you want to be overthrown and have your kingdom snatched from you one day, you're going to need to work on taking command. To rule." She nodded behind Adam, although they were the only two in the room. "Like that Angel, for instance. He says he serves you, but he seems to be the one doing all the planning. Is he your advisor or your puppet master?" She tapped the door frame twice while tilting her head at Adam. "Food for thought." She then turned and headed onto the patio and towards the fence, where she leaned against it by resting on her forearms. She sighed, closing her eyes briefly. --- Lillith followed him to the bar. She watched and listened carefully. "So, I am to counsel strangers while feeding them poison and taking their..." She picked up the bill between her fingers and thumb, looking at it oddly. "...What is this? What is its value to me that I would demand it?" --- Kris chuckled at Violet's last suggestion. "Oh, I do. You should see what my other boys are capable of cooking up. Blake has only been here two days, but he'll learn the same as the other boys." He grinned at her playfully. "I'm not a complete brute," he then started walking towards the door with a thoughtful look. "You're right, though. I'm sure I can enchant a pendant or something to shield my mind... There should be something in one of the books we have... Still, I can't help but wonder who that man was." --- Helena stopped when she felt Leo's hand on her shoulder. She stared ahead of her, just past Leo, as she thought about whether she really wanted to know. But then she couldn't help herself. He was still her brother, and she still loved him. She'd be lying if she said she never thought of him since she arrived here. Slowly, she lifted her hand to rest it on top of Leo's, and she turned her head to where she assumed his face was. "Is he safe?" she asked in a half whisper. "How is he?" - Oscar caught Allie when she fell and gently helped her back to her feet. He could practically taste the static power in the room. It had made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He could now sense both Allie and her father as what they were. Nephilim. He didn't show it, but being in their presence made him nervous. He trusted Allie but didn't really know her father other than what he'd heard about him from Allie and Leo... which wasn't a lot. Particularly as Leo hadn't been able to say much about the man due to his job. "Um, how're you feeling?" He asked Allie. --- Raziel fidgeted with his hands nervously. "It seems to be the day for surprises, doesn't it?" He said with a nod. "I'm fine. I appreciate you asking..." He glanced around the room. His eyes landed on a few people and held for a moment before he dropped his gaze. "Please, your Grace, this day is for you and your children. Don't spend all of it in the corner with me," he offered him a smile. Shezmu stood up after Lucretia's outburst and straightened up his suit while glancing around the room. With a sigh, he strode after her. He heard her cry as he approached the small washroom, and he leaned against the door to look in on her. His expression was emotionless. "Perhaps it is not God that forsook you. Did you ever stop to consider that you, yourself, might be forsaking God?" he asked her simply. Coldly. "After all, are we not all of us his children? But you would take it upon yourself to assume that, as one of his first creations that you are in any way superior to those he created after your kind. What gives you the right to demand more of His love over his other children?" He paused. The smell of her blood had wafted to him, and he glanced away while clenching his jaw. He kept his mouth closed so as not to alarm her with his fangs that had grown in reaction to the smell. Taking out his handkerchief again, he lightly tossed it in her direction before turning to face away from her. "Clean yourself up. Don't embarrass yourself further." Cass looked Storm up and down. His eyes flicked over him while he smiled in amusement. "I see." He held out a hand for him to shake. "No offence meant." "Oh!" Atma looked at him sadly. "But that's awful. You've never known a kind touch? Not even a hug?" she thought for a moment before nodding at him with a resolute smile. "Well, I guess today is as good as any to change that," she said before slipping her hand back into his. "This is ok, isn't it?" she checked with him and nodded to their hands. "I guess you're right." Robb nodded. "Party time, people! Who's ready to get their dance on!" Bob announced as he joined the rest of the hall. Lilly followed shortly after with a slightly embarrassed look, but was unable to hide the amused smile. She'd missed her friend. "Dancing is later, Bob," Azrael called over. "So what's now, then?" Bob called back. "Socialising with refreshments." "Booze and schmooze, gotcha! Let's get wasted!!" "Please be responsible, Bob..." "No promises, Azzy!" "Azrael!" "As real as what?" "Bob, stop shouting across the room!" Lilly said quickly. "Come here-!" She grabbed his arm and yanked him over to the band. "Please try to keep him under control." She asked them. "You know these guys showed me how to drink, right?" Bob asked her in amusement. --- "How was he supposed to know that?" Layla asked defensively while placing her hands on her hips. "It's not like anyone from his culture has been there for him his whole life. Now you're just going to barge into it and tell him he broke some rules that he didn't even know about? How exactly is that fair?" --- Stevie looked from Sebastian to Carter before gingerly getting to his feet and quietly stepping closer to peer at the baby. "She's so tiny!" He whispered, frightened of waking her up. "She is." Sebastian agreed as he stood close to Carter and carefully moved some of the blanket back to make her more visible. "What're you going to name her?" Stevie asked. As he did, the baby stirred again. Her little face scrunched up for a second before she blinked her eyes open. Deep brown eyes stared up at Carter. Her little eyebrows knitted together as her stare got a little more intense. She was taking in every detail of his face. Memorising it.

"Alright..." Kodi nodded. He didn't have much experience with contacting Heaven or their authorities, but by the sounds of things, this wasn't something new to the CIA. "Just tell me if you find anything or if you need any help with finding her." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess I should head home and update my roommate... he's probably freaking out by now." --- "Oh..." Clementine faltered with a mild look of disappointment. "Never mind, I guess," she mumbled while avoiding his eyes out of embarrassment. "I think I'll go and get some air..." She turned and walked away quickly towards the doors to the patio, feeling her cheeks growing warmer. --- Lillith watched Napoleon through the gap carefully. She became uncomfortable when he complimented her. Her past experience of receiving such compliments from Angels had never ended well for her. "I have no test for you," Lilith said boldly as she made her decision and opened the door. "You may stay and discuss this business with me. But know this, that if this is some kind of ruse to harm me, it is my son that you will have to answer to." Her eyes then lit up as she smirked and added cooly, "After you answer to me, of course." --- Kris's eyes dropped to Violet's bracelet. He hesitated. Part of him wanted to trust her and remove the bracelet. But one good day wasn't enough for him to start trusting her yet. "I can't." He sighed. "I know you're trying to help and you're trying to make up for what you've done, but I'm just not there yet." He scratched the back of his head as he thought for a moment. "Thank you, though. You've given me a lot to think about..." --- "Oh, no. I'm fine, thank you." Helena answered quietly. She turned, having been about to walk away, but paused before she could take a step. "Have you heard from-" She started, having been about to ask about Viktor. Her brother. She hadn't heard from him since they were separated after the CIA had arrested him. She didn't learn about him being turned or what had happened to him after that, but then, after learning about their family history, she assumed he'd committed the same crimes that their parents had. So, she hadn't wanted to know or to speak to him. But she couldn't help worrying about him. He was still her brother, after all. She bit her lip and then shook her head. "Never mind..." she began walking away from him with her stick tapping the floor in front of her. Oscar shook the President's hand and stiffened as he felt the strength in the man's grip. "It's an honour to meet you, sir," he said, then tried to hide his nerves as he avoided the President's glaring eyes. "Uh, he thought it best that your daughter would be the one to deliver the news, Mr President... sir," he said awkwardly, and feeling very out of place. --- Unity nodded to Metatron and watched them leave. They then returned to passively watching the event. Still standing off to one side of the room, Raziel was watching Unity anxiously. Azrael dismissed his scythe then hurried over to Lucretia and Shezmu. Shezmu had bent down to help the Angel to her feet. His expression was blank to mask his growing hunger. "There is a room down that hall to the right where she can clean herself up," Azrael said to Shezmu hurriedly, wanting to get the event back on track but sensing all eyes were still on them. Shezmu glanced at him and nodded. "Come, Lucretia. I believe some time away from the crowd to calm down would be good," he said as he pulled out a clean handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her while trying to avoid looking at her blood. Azrael looked around, briefly nodding to a couple of Reapers who were working with him to keep the event running smoothly. They nodded back and quickly went about cleaning up the mess that had been made. "Allow me," Cassiel said politely as he approached Amelia and Charles. He snapped his finger, and the tear in Amelia's dress styled itself as a neat triangular split that showed off her midriff. As this occurred, Azrael had turned back to the crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please excuse the interruption. We will proceed as normal. Please help yourselves to refreshments. The ceremony will take place soon." He then turned to Lilly and smiled at her. "I brought one last surprise guest," he said. "You brought Bob?" Lilly asked with a grin. She never thought she'd be so happy to see the bag of bones again. "I didn't think you'd want him missing from such a big day." Azrael grinned back. "Well, where is he?" "He's still alive, and unlike most other guests here, he is human. So, we had to be careful when bringing him over. He's in the party room. He insisted on helping us blow up balloons while he waited. He also insisted that we surprise you by letting him jump out of a cake, but you'll be relieved to know I shot that idea down and had him stick to balloon duty." "Thank you." Lilly chuckled. She then ran off towards the party room to fetch her friend. Atma realised she was still holding Abaddon's hand and quickly removed it with a nervous chuckle. "Oh, um, sorry. I guess I got a little startled." She took a sip of her drink and tried to hide her pink cheeks. Carol glared at Lucretia but reluctantly put her shoe back on. The look in her eye gave away that Lucretia was going to need to watch her back for the rest of the event. She turned and walked back to Uriel, taking her drink back, but seemed less interested in flirting than she previously had been. Robb watched Lucretia and Shezmu quietly. The way she was disarmed and ordered to serve the Blood God reminded him of how he'd been arrested for his crimes and ordered to serve Gabriel, before they'd gotten close. He tilted his head towards Gabriel and said to him quietly. "It kind of brings back memories. Do you think they'll end up like us?" --- Layla took Nil's hand. Although she wasn't sure what he meant, she trusted him. When they saw that the Spirit had fallen asleep in just the few minutes that they'd been getting ready, she was a little amused as she crossed her arms. "Wow, I wonder if sleepy head is working overtime or something." --- Ellesse carefully handed the child to Carter. She watched as he walked back into the house and closed the door. She understood the shock and the gravity of the moment, so she didn't want to intrude further. She waved a hand, and the bag she'd brought with her would appear in the house where it would be visible to them when they'd need it. Inside, there were a few bottles of Patience's milk. Formula for when that would run out. Other essential items to help them care for the baby, as well as an informative book about how to raise vampiric children, which had been donated by one of the vampires from the German castle. Confident that the baby was in safe hands, Ellesse departed. Sebastian rose to his feet. His eyes moved from the bundle in Carter's arms to his face and back again. Like Carter, he knew what this meant and how much they would need to protect this child from the painful truth of how they came to be. "No," he said softly. "Our daughter," he corrected him and gave Carter a teary smile. Stevie watched them quietly, unsure of what was happening or who Patience was. When Sebastian said she would be their daughter, he assumed that Patience had been some kind of surrogate. At the sound of strange voices, the baby stirred ever so quietly. Her little hand opened and grasped the air, but her sleep was otherwise undisturbed. The barest amount of black hair covered the top of her head. Only a few hours old, she still had the new baby smell.

Kodi nodded. "I've searched the place over. Like I mentioned before, the only thing I could pick up was a pair of scents... and that'll have faded by now. I couldn't identify one of them, but the other, I'm certain, was an Angel. No idea who, though." --- Clementine jumped and whirled her head around to look at him with wide eyes. She wasn't as shocked by his shouting as she was by how it had made her feel. An old part of her had always respected those who could display strength. Who could take charge. But in her new body, that respect was now mingled with a sort of thrill. "Don't be sorry." She said to him. "Do it again. Command me. I want you to." --- Lilith thought for a moment. She bit her lip anxiously as she tried to recall what had happened when she'd been captured, but there were parts of her memory missing. This wouldn't be the first time this happened, and she knew why. Raguel had a habit of trying to erase some of her traumatic memories. She suspected he may have messed with some of them while she'd been in Heaven's prison. Though why she still recalled most of her other traumatic memories was curious to her. Perhaps she'd fought him off and interrupted the process? She could only speculate. But for now, she had to think about whether or not she could trust this Angel that she had been left alone with. Slowly, she moved back from the door and turned the handle. She opened the door just enough to peer at him through the crack. "My Nate sent you? He trusts you?" --- Kris guided Violet into the heart of his base. It was where all of his plans and meetings took place. He turned to look at her and faltered for a moment when she questioned him. "I-" He faked a cough into his fist as he regathered himself. "Before I came to your room, something happened to me. A strange man telepathically contacted me. I caught visions of him as he was calling out to me for help. His face was bleeding. He seemed frozen in place. But even weirder than that was the heat around him. I could feel it. He said something about a desert, but I've teleported to the hottest deserts on Earth and still never felt a heat like it. I could barely breathe; it was so oppressive." Kris paced for a second as he recalled the memory and then stopped to look at Violet. "I was wondering. What is it like in Hell? Is it as hot as most stories say it is? Could I have been glimpsing a lost soul?" --- "Alright." Helena nodded to Allie as she hugged herself. "I trust you." "Uh, no problem." Oscar said, and he gave a quick smile to Leo before teleporting with Allie to her father." --- "Not our fight?! She hurt Amelia! I'm going to brain the bitch when I get my hands on her!" Carol seethed, glaring at the Angel over Hades's shoulder. Lilly had run with Raven, but ground to a halt as she saw Shezmu grabbing the Angel. Shezmu had been about to bite the Angel when he was thrown back by Metatron's power. He skidded back on his feet before stumbling to a halt, somehow managing to maintain his composure. All eyes were on Metatron and the Angel, who was now identified as Lucretia. Even Carol had lost all of her will to fight and simply stood by, staring in awe with her shoe still dangling from her fingers by one of its straps. Amelia had gasped when her wound had healed so suddenly, and she gingerly stood while leaning against Charles, holding him for comfort while she struggled to take her eyes off the being. At the flash of light and booming voice, Atma had jumped and instinctively clutched Abbaddon's hand. She barely noticed what she'd done as she stared at the events unfolding with a mixture of anxiety and fascination. Shezmu was taken aback by the request. He thought for a moment as to how he should react, and as he did, his eyes wandered across the various faces in the hall. For a long moment, his eyes landed on his pupil. Then he looked up at God's messenger. "I am honoured to be considered. My priority is the safety of my student. As you may be aware, my home is shared among many people. I wouldn't wish to bring danger to them, and this woman had proven herself to be quite a danger." He said confidently. "That being said, if this is the will of God, then I will accept this responsibility. I only ask that she be made less of a threat before I, as you put it, take her under my wing. I believe Heaven has such a trinket to make this possible," he referred to the bracelets that had recently become a favourite tactic among Angels to peacefully bring criminals under control. "Councilwoman Metatron." Unity spoke in a man's voice as they entered the room calmly and looked up at the Messenger. It was hardly a surprise to those watching this unfold that an Angel as famous and important as Metatron would be part of the Spirit Council. "We weren't expecting you to attend the event in person." --- "How do you know that?" Layla asked worriedly and in a hushed voice as she jumped out of the bed. She began pulling on clothes as quickly as she could. "We just met him. How do we know he is who he says he is?" Unlike Nil, Layla wasn't linked to the Fae World. Understandably, she was dubious about the stranger's intentions, especially after everything they've been through so far. --- Inside, Sebastian was quietly playing a card game with Stevie as a way of trying to help the boy settle in. Ellesse looked at Carter as he answered the door. The look in her eyes was a mixture of sadness, importance and hopefulness. "Travis Carter and Sebastian Walker? My name is Ellesse O'Quinn... I'm a Spirit of Life. Some like to call us Midwives." She paused awkwardly for a moment and glanced at the sleeping bundle before looking back at Carter. "Patience sent me... She said you had agreed to adopt her- this child, when it's born." She paused awkwardly again, and once more she had glanced briefly at the baby. "I guess congratulations are in order. You have a daughter." She offered a small smile.

I'll be online later. Working on some of my reply while I'm on a lunch break and then I'll finish it off later 🙂

"All I did was hand it to you. I didn't draw it." Kodi shrugged but still smiled. "Look, I appreciate you wanting to help me in finding Clementine. Is there any way that I can stay involved, though? It wouldn't feel right for me to sit it out... I promised I'd bring her back." --- Clementine glanced at his hand and then looked back at the ingredients as her eyebrows furrowed. "What will sitting around achieve?" she asked. "No, I-I need to think... I just need to focus... I know how to do this, I do..." She lifted a hand to rub her temple. --- Still pressing the door shut with her weight, she listened to him. She was mildly confused when he mentioned having hurt her. She wasn't familiar with him. But then, her brief time with Donnie and his gang was somewhat of a blur to her. When the Angels had started getting involved, she had mostly dissociated out of both panic and an instinct to help her survive. So, she barely remembered how she'd been captured... She only came back to herself when she'd managed to escape back to Hell, and even the details of how she'd even achieved that were fuzzy. "You... it was you who took me to Heaven's prison?" She asked, trying now to piece the memory back together. "I don't remember." --- Kris watched them tensely as they exchanged words. He'd jumped from his chair when Blake had raised a fist, ready to jump between them. Then he watched in awe as Violet diffused the situation in the simplest way. A small, affectionate smile found its way to Kris's usually hardened expression. He caught himself and quickly wiped it from his face as he stepped towards them purposefully. "Now that we're all friends, Violet, I need to speak with you privately for a moment. Blake, finish your breakfast and then go wash up. Your training officially starts today. See me in the training room in an hour." --- "If this is what you want," Helena said seriously. "But you know, you don't have to change what you are to be capable of anything. You're stronger than you think you are," she said softly. --- Amelia cried out with a mixture of pain and surprise as she jumped back. She gripped the fresh cut with one hand and felt Charles's arms catch her before she could hit the ground. She sucked air through her teeth as she looked down at her ripped dress and the blood covering it. Her wound burned, and as it did, her eyes darted to the Angel's pike. "Angellic steel! The bitch brought Angellic steel!" "Amelia!" David and Carol had shouted in unison. "Oh, this bitch is getting it now! Hold my fucking wine!" Carol growled as she passed Uriel her glass. She then hopped on one foot as she took one of her heels off, apparently intending to use it as an improvised weapon as she began marching over to the Angel. David had run over to Amelia to look at her wound. He looked around hurriedly. "Nate! We could use your help!" he then caught sight of Carol being an angry, drunken idiot. "Hades, hold Carol back!" "Don't you dare!" Carol snapped back. "Sire!" Azrael gasped as he watched his King cut off the Angel's path. Immediately, he summoned his scythe and flew over to stand by his King's side. Seeing the Angel facing the people she loved, Lilly turned to look at Raven. She gave him a determined and searching look. As if to say she was ready to do whatever was needed to defend their new family, and looking to see whether he would be prepared to join her. Before anyone else could move, Shezmu had moved faster than any of their eyes could track. In the blink of an eye, he'd be standing right behind the Angel. His movements calculated, right down to how much of his strength he'd have to use so as not to break any of her bones. He'd aim to grab the wrist of the hand she was using to hold her pike. Essentially disarming her while his other hand would reach around to grip her chin and force her head to tilt back. He intended to bite into her throat. To inject her with his venom while taking just enough of her blood to subdue her and stop her from being a threat. --- "Whoa, wait a minute. Slow down. A Spirit of Nature? And what rules? We don't know about any rules." Layla said as she stared at the stranger. She looked from Nil to the Spirit in confusion. --- Ellesse knocked on Carter and Sebastian's door. A sleeping little bundle in her arms.

Sorry, not been around for a bit. I honestly don't mind either way. If you want to add more, I'll wait until you're done or I can start writing up my response now. Up to you 🙂

For some reason, I'm imagining your Angel looking like Carmilla from Castlevania xD

Kodi paused and lifted the drawing. As he showed it to Reed, he got a better look at it and realised how it might look. His face turned a deep shade of red as his eyes shot back up to Reed's. He started to stammer his words quickly and awkwardly. "Oh! uh- you see- I- Um-... was worried that I scared you when you ran off and wasn't sure what to do but then- you know-...It's-" he laughed nervously. "I guess it's been a hell of a day..." --- "No, I have everything I need for now... I just need to remember..." Clementine sighed. She was wound up and stressed, but what she didn't realise is that by trying to force herself to remember, she was making things harder for herself. She needed to relax. --- Lilith jumped when Napoleon arrived. She darted away from him and locked herself in one of the rooms. She pressed herself against the door to stop him from following her. She heard him, but she didn't trust him. For all she knew, he could just be telling her that Nate sent him. --- Kris stayed where he was and watched Blake calmly. When the boy faltered, he sighed. "I'm not defending Violet's actions. You know that, don't you? She knows that what she did was wrong, and she wants to make up for it. Don't think that because I don't fly off the rails, it means I don't care. I do care, but as you'll learn soon enough, we can't afford to let our emotions rule our actions." --- Helena was already confused when Allie started guiding her back to the room. She was even more confused when Allie told her she'd become something different. "What do you mean?" Meanwhile, Oscar had stood back to watch everything unfold. Satisfied that they'd found a way that works for them. He stood closer to Leo and smiled at him to show he was in support of their decision. --- "Oh, stop." Samael waved a hand dismissively. "The Angels act all high and mighty, but I know more than a few of them did really shady things during the war. They make out like Demons and Devils during that time were the worst when in reality, they were no better. Look, I don't condone most of what happened during the war, but this is a new era. So, maybe for the best, some things need to be left in the past." "A shame," Shezmu commented as he glanced around the room. "But it is at least a comfort to know that we are in the same boat, in a sense. Perhaps it would be best for us to converse with the other archangels then, to get their measure?" "You're doing the old-timey speak again," Warren said softly to him with a blush. Shezmu chuckled. "A habit that will be difficult to break, I'm sure. But at least I have time and company with which to practice." "Sometimes, I don't," Raziel admitted with a small smile. "But... thank you for understanding. Most people I've spent time with usually end up blaming me or get frustrated when I can't tell them what I've seen... I suppose it's mostly why I don't socialise much anymore." Social gatherings of any kind made him nervous due to past experiences not being so pleasant. "The music will resume after the ceremony and the feast," Azrael called back to Life. He then hurriedly turned to the band as they huddled around him. "Apologies. I believe there has been a miscommunication somewhere. Here-" he flipped over some pages on his clipboard to show the schedule to the band members. "So, right now we're just welcoming guests as they arrive. In a few minutes, Death will begin the ceremony. When that's done, there will be a feast. Then here, in this room-" he pointed to a room on the map. "Is the dance hall. There is a more suitable stage area in there where you can set up and begin your performance. Any questions?" "This is really something!" Tom said as he looked around the throne room in awe. Still technically alive, he never imagined he'd ever set foot in Death's Castle. "I only read about this place in books during my training in the Angel academy." Robb nodded in agreement. "What's all this for anyway?" Tom asked curiously, looking from Nate to Gabriel and back again. "It is a formal event." Cassiel smiled warmly. "Cass helped to get me in contact with Raguel back when we were trying to start the negotiations for peace," David explained. "I thought him a madman, but I was interested to see what would happen," Cassiel smirked. "Now, I'm glad I helped. I hear you're one of his daughters. Forgive me if this is too forward, but you look lovely," he gestured to her outfit. "Careful, Cass," David warned him with a thin smile. "It was only a compliment." Cassiel feigned defence with a playful smile. "Mhmm. Watch out for this one, Hades. He thinks he's smooth." At the appearance of the new Angel, Amelia placed a hand on her hip. She raised an eyebrow and scoffed at her declaration. "Stand for it? Bitch, he signed off on it!" She retorted loudly. "Or did you forget he represented Heaven during the negotiations with Hell for peace?" She should really have stopped there, but the audacity of this Angel had really gotten under her skin. Her heels clicked on the stone floor as she took a couple of steps towards her. "What is this really about? Why make Raguel your martyr? What, did you have the hots for him or something?" "Amelia-!" David called out to try to stop her, but she either ignored him or, in her moment of rage, she didn't hear him as she continued. "And now you're all pissy cos you can't kiss his ass anymore? Who the fuck do you think you are?! Racist, daddy issue having bitch!" "You tell her, girly!" Carol, apparently already tipsy, cheered Amelia on. She then turned to Uriel and proudly told him, "That's my daughter!" Uriel seemed to be mildly entertained as he could barely contain his smirk. His eyes were fixed on the Angel. "Oh, God, please let there be a cat fight..." Samael mumbled to himself as he watched the scene unfold, utterly entertained. Shezmu said nothing, and although he seemingly hadn't moved, he had tensed. Ready to pounce on the Angel if she needed to be subdued. A small part of him hoped for an escalation, as it had been far too long since he'd tasted Angel blood. Raziel glanced at Death, and by the mild confusion on his face, it would be clear that although this wasn't a good thing to be happening, it wasn't what he had predicted. "Excuse me, this is a private event. Who invited you?" Azrael demanded. His usual calm and gentle tone suddenly became hard and commanding. "I suggest you leave. Now." --- Layla jumped at the sound of a stranger in the room. She quickly pulled the covers up to hide her body as she sat up and growled at the little man in surprise. "Nil!" She gasped, shaking him with one hand.

Rickster grinned as he sucked air through his teeth at the sensation of Ricky digging his nails into his back. He could barely contain himself as the vibrations he made pulsed through their bodies. He practically tore their clothes off, ready to give Ricky a night he won't ever forget. *Private time* --- Kodi tried not to take offence at Reed's last comment. By now, he was used to Humans thinking lowly of Demons, but he knew that Reed hadn't meant it in that way. "It wouldn't have been right." He said simply. "No one deserves that," he thought for a moment while idly tapping his fingers against the back of the sketch in his hand. "Maybe I could show you some moves? I was originally trained how to fight in hell, and when I came to Earth for a new life, I also went through training to become a cop... so I know a mix of techniques that might come in handy for a self-defence situation." He took a step towards him. "I wouldn't mind training you, but Reed, I'm really worried about my friend. I need your help." --- Clementine thought about his question. She turned back to her little cluster of ingredients and studied them. "I'm not sure. I don't even know where to start... All of my research, my books... they all went up in flames after my destruction. All that I have left are my memories of them." She sighed heavily. It would be clear by her tense posture that she was a little overwhelmed and maybe a little stressed. She rubbed her forehead, trying to think of what would work for what they needed to do. --- Lilith watched him leave. She was relieved that he wouldn't be taking her with him. She took a moment to look at the shattered glass on the bar and the liquid now spilling off the side of it. Getting to her feet, she wandered around the bar and found a useful tool to safely gather the broken shards with. With the glass moved out of the way, she found an old rag and wiped the bar down. If this was going to be her new home, she wouldn't have it be a messy one. With that done, she headed back up the stairs and into the room that Nate had been sleeping in. Her heart dropped at seeing he wasn't there, and for a horrid moment, she thought he'd been taken from her again. She paused and steadied her breathing. No. He wasn't taken. Perhaps he'd gone with Gabriel? He had mentioned that other Angels would be going to that ceremony, so why not Nate, too? Besides, he couldn't be taken from her anymore. He was an adult and capable of looking after himself. It pained her to realise this, but it was also a comfort. Her son had already come back to her once and given her a home. So, he could always come back to her again. --- Kris paused in the doorway to the kitchen at seeing Blake, then he moved towards the coffee pot. "Good morning," he said back. He took a cup out of the cupboard and began pouring himself a drink. "You're up early," he noted as he turned to face him. "Listen, Blake. I know I was hard on you last night. I had to be. I won't have in-fighting here, and what you were saying to me... got me concerned." He moved over to the table and sat across from the boy. "Talk to me," he said gently. "Are you still worried? Angry?" --- "For another year..." Oscar pointed out when Leo said Allia was the president's daughter. As important as she was right now, they both knew that the presidency in the US only lasted a couple of years until potentially a new one was elected. And lately, the people seemed to be favouring the nonsense being spouted by a bafoon all over the media. The next election was looking to be split in opinions, at best. He sighed, "But I get it. I think. Leo, you don't care about her because of her status. You care about her as if she were family. You look out for her like some kind of big brother or uncle. And I think she looks up to you as such, too. You can still look out for her like that, but you can still have a life of your own, too. The choice is yours. No one, not even Allie, can make your decisions for you." Helena stopped when she heard Allie's voice and felt her hands on her shoulders. "You were upset. I had to come and see if you were alright," she responded. Her English had gotten a lot better since living with Allie. Her milky white eyes looked in the direction of Allie's mouth as she heard her speak. "How can I have fun when you're hurting?" she asked, and she lifted her hand to find Allie's face. She felt the tears under her fingers and, gently, carefully, she tried her best to wipe them away. --- "Yeah, I've heard of you. But I also know there was a war on during that time, and the Angels love some propaganda, so I know never to believe everything you hear about Devils." Samael said casually. "Besides, ours is a new age! No war! and even better, no Lucifer! Never thought I'd see it. I honestly thought I'd be in hiding for eternity or worse." "Did you know Lucifer?" Atma asked naively. "Wow, you really have forgotten everything, haven't you?" Samael said in surprise. "I er-... You could say he's my identical twin. So, after he fell, my life became... awkward, let's say." Shezmu smiled and took a sip of his wine. "Of course," he said with a nod. "All who agree to be my consort do so willingly. I wouldn't have it any other way." Although Shezmu had hinted that he usually has more than one lover, Warren didn't seem the least bit phased as he hung onto the Blood God's arm lovingly. Further backing up Shezmu's words. "Now, while I have the opportunity, I must commend you on your achievement of peace. I can only imagine it must've been difficult." Shezmu went on. "It was." Amelia nodded. "We had to attend a lot of negotiations. I'm pretty sure Raguel thought we were trying to pull some kind of trick when we first approached him." "A shame about him." Shezmu nodded. "He seemed the honourable sort. I was very surprised to learn of his crime. So, tell me, what do you make of these other Archangels? I have slumbered for so long that I know very little about them. Do you think any of them are worth Raguel's title?" "Ah, so you are more Raven's age?" Lilly asked as she glanced at Raven. It just now occurred to her that she didn't know how old he was, either. She jumped when the band arrived and then beamed at the sight of Pain on the stage. "Please, excuse me," she said excitedly as she made her way towards the stage to smile up at the band as they played. Raziel smiled at the offer and at Death's last comment. "I might take you up on that, your Grace," he said and then faltered as his mouth twisted sharply into a frown. His eyes darted back and forth. With his abilities, God made sure that his mind would be shut off from anyone with telepathic abilities so that they couldn't risk The Balance by trying to stop what Fate had in store. This meant that if Raziel did have a vision, the only way anyone else would know what it was, is if he chose to tell them. Coming back to himself, Raziel shivered and gulped hard. He sadly but briefly brought his eyes up to Death's and then glanced around the room. "Your Grace, as you know, I cannot divulge the details of my visions. But something is going to happen later. You must keep calm and remember your children will be looking to you for guidance on how to react... That's all I can say. I'm sorry." "This is more like a party! Come, my life! Let us dance!" Leandra cheered as the band arrived, and she pulled him with her to dance. Azrael smiled at Jean as he hugged him and watched in amusement as he then dragged Hannes excitedly towards the bar. He turned towards the band when they arrived and frowned. "Ah, wrong time for that!" he mumbled, flustered. He then quickly ran over to the side of the stage and motioned for the band to stop and to come over to him. "Wow, rock music? Wasn't expecting that at a formal gig..." Robb chuckled as he arrived with Gabriel. He waved at Nate and Tom. David wheezed a bit at his daughter's strength. "Too tight," he breathed and then chuckled between coughs as he was let go. "Hades, this is Cassiel. Cassiel, this is my daughter, Hades." "A pleasure." Cassiel gave Hades a short bow.

Could be possible. It is an alternative universe after all 🙂

So, I've been mulling over the idea of the alternate universe where Amelia was raised by Lucifer instead and it's amazing how much of the story changes when you change one small detail lol I've quickly written up this list of what would change. Let me know if you think of anything else to add. I also thought that to make things easier when writing about our own characters from the alt universe to put an asterisk * next to their name so we know which is which lol Amelia* found by Lucifer* instead of David*. Raised, trained and turned into Devil by Lucifer*. Amelia* then destroyed David*, Carol*, Damien* and Lucifer* to take the throne. Changes;- * Following Lucifers* destruction, Clementine* became loyal to Amelia*. * No peace between Heaven and Hell. * Sebastian* was never saved from ADIEU and went mad. * Carter* went to face Theo* and Vincent* alone. * Additionally, if Carter* survived the encounter then there wouldn't have been anyone around to get in Bryce's* way. * Elliot* became a vampire snack at the club * Having looked up to Carter*, Parker* would have gone looking for him when he'd go missing and either would have been killed or turned, (if turned, he'd have gone mad and joined Amelia's army.) * Charles* and Vincent* would never have body swapped. High chance Charles* never awoke/ came out of hiding or Amelia* destroyed him to eliminate competition like Lucifer* used to do. * Nate* was never saved from ADIEU * Tom* worked for ADIEU until he eventually figured out what they were doing in the labs. He was assassinated before he could expose them by Leo* who was still brainwashed. * James* is also still brainwashed by ADIEU * Desi* never left their brothel and subsequently never split into two beings * Salvo* remained biggoted, murdered Mon* & Bern* and never changed his ways * Rickster* never met Ricky*, remained the leader of his gang of thieves, continued to neglect Neva* and would eventually wage a gang war against Kris* and his gang * Ricky* also never changed his ways and continued trying to persue demons to get out of his contract. * With no Alex* or Elliot* around, Gary* died in a fire * Oscar* never left hell and remained a punishment demon * The war between vampires and Steinheil hunters continues * The CIA never got involved with the vampire castle, but the rest at the castle played out mostly the same minus Patience*, Jessica* & Ben* moving in. * After Parker* went after Carter*, Jessica* never found her long lost brother and ended up stranded & homeless in the US after spending all the money she had trying to find him. Ben* still finds her... but only after she overdoses in an alley.