Shadowess

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Also, also

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

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

Bigger version in case the first one is unreadable lol

For ze visuals

Clementine looked at Adam, and for a moment she said nothing. She turned and walked over to a nearby table to put her glass down. She then gripped the back of a chair tightly as she tried to make sense of her emotions. Then her grip on the chair loosened. She let it go and turned to look at Adam seriously. "What you're attempting here... you know this is all a massive risk, right?" she asked him. She gestured to the door that Eve had left through. "Those women, your wives, they're all in danger here. If they don't die by complications in childbirth, then it might be at the hands of a rogue Demon wandering in! I used to be the type of Demon that would have shredded them to bits without a second thought, so I know there are still Demons like that out there!" she said while keeping her voice low so as not to frighten the other women in the building. "And if, by some absolute miracle, this works? You'll be fighting Devils for the right to rule! Had you even considered this? Or are you banking on them just handing over the throne as soon as Hell starts sprouting grass?" She ran a hand through her hair and looked away from him. "Your little light show was pure manipulation, and you know it. But... it made me realise something. Something I thought I'd forgotten... or something I had been trying to forget. I've tried to make a move for Hell's throne myself in the past. As you can probably guess..." she gestured to herself. "That didn't end well for me. So, when I was granted this second chance at life, I swore that I would try to be a better person. To be kinder. To be 'good'. But then you turned up, showed me your light and I realised that I STILL want the damn throne! ... And then, just now, as I was watching Eve... I realised I also still want to be a good person. I want both. Maybe this is what I was brought back for?" She looked thoughtful as she lifted her hands to look at them, and then she lifted her eyes to Adam's. "So, I've made my decision. I'll work on those elixers for you. I speed up pregnancy and eradicate childbirth pain. I'll look into ways to reduce complications in pregnancy. I'll even help you plan your eventual rise to the throne. In return..." She picked up her champagne flute and took a sip. "You'll make me a Queen!" --- "Yay!" Jack cheered as he hugged the tree a little more. "Alright, say goodnight now, Jack!" Tia called out to him. "It's almost time for bed!" "Awww!" Jack complained, but knowing better than to disobey his mother, he ran over to Nil and hugged his legs. "Will you come and play again sometime?" he asked. --- Surprised by the offer, Carol hesitated to answer. "I uh- I'm not usually the family type," she admitted and gestured to her mostly leather and punk style of clothing. --- "Maybe something light so that you don't get hammered." Lang chuckled as he got into his car. "Maybe a low percentage beer or something to start off with?" --- "That is enough from the mad one." Unity said in a younger man's voice. They waved their hand, and the human who was standing next to Abaddon froze in time. With another hand wave, they were transported to one of Hell's Cells. "The mad one will awaken when one of you retrieves them from their cell," they informed Amelia. "O-Oh, ok... so you can just freeze people... Just like that... that's cool... cool, cool, cool, cool, cool......" Amelia rambled nervously. "This concerns all," Unity answered Jean vaguely. Now turning to Death, Unity shook their head. "The offer is appreciated, but not necessary. They are ready now," they said in the same voice. At a click of their fingers, they were all transported to a council room in Heaven. A large circular table was in the centre, with enough chairs for all of them. Shezmu gestured for Dariel to sit in the chair next to him before taking a seat himself. Lilly glances around at all the strange faces. She briefly caught Dariel's eye and noted he didn't look much older than herself. She then took a seat between Death and Raven. Azrael looked around the room. All the Archangels had been summoned. Uriel sat across from him and was surrounded by Shubael, Raziel, Cassiel, Zadkiel, Camael, Haniel, Raphael and Jophiel. The Arch Angels who were notably missing were Machael, who had been slain a few years ago with Atma's help, and Raguel. Curiously, Azrael noted, Uriel now had a sizable scar down the left side of his neck that he was certain he'd never seen before. But then, he caught sight of Death and the children and was so distracted by their presence that he didn't look into it any further. Smiling, he walked around the table to sit next to Death. Amelia grinned at Charles, relieved to see he'd been called as well. She ran over and threw her arms around him before sitting next to him. David sat on the other side of her and nodded for Abaddon to join them. He glanced across the table and felt his heart seize at the sight of a familiar face. One he never thought he'd ever see again, and they were sitting next to Unity! "Lucifer?!" A hush fell in the room. All eyes were focused on the man that David had addressed. The tired-looking, blonde-haired man sitting next to Unity immediately looked at him with a pained expression. "I'm not-..." He began in an exhausted tone, but Unity cut him off. "Samael was created with the same genetics as Lucifer, but they are not the same person." "So, technically, you're Lucifer's brother?" Amelia asked curiously. The man's eyes moved to Amelia and lingered for a long, tense moment. "Please. Never say that again," he said in the same exhausted tone. "I might look like him, but I have no affiliation with him whatsoever." --- Niko stared at the strange creature that had flown to him and collapsed into his hands. He hadn't yet recognised that this was Insanity, but given his past trauma, that was probably for the best. He stared at it curiously and gently set it down on a nearby couch. "Um... are you alright? Little creature?"

I gotta come up with a seating arrangement now xD

Kris growled and balled his hand into a fist. As he did, the phantasmal had swooped down to strangle Ortiz. Kris's hand shook as he kept the pressure until he could see Ortiz begin to change colour. Emotion flickered across Kris's face, and before Ortiz could pass out, he released his grip. He waved his hand, dismissing the ghostly hand, which promptly vanished. Kris stood with a grunt and limped over to Ortiz while glowering at him. "Don't mistake my mercy for weakness. That was just a warning. I won't kill you, Ortiz. But I will banish you from my home. From our clan. I'll be adjusting the runes so that if you set foot in this sanctuary again, you will be stricken with such pain and sickness that you will wish I'd killed you. If you so much as go near any of my boys, I will flay you myself. Do you understand?" --- "To our new family!" Eve cheered and also took a sip. Clementine said nothing, but also drank her champagne very quickly. She flinched at the movement but stood still as Adam brought her into the group hug. "Now, Clementine, I recall you being very skilled when it came to alchemy." John began, and Clementine's eyes shot to him. 'Of course,' she thought, that's why they'd targeted her specifically. "You needed me for something." She said numbly. "We've chosen Adam's wives very carefully. You should feel honoured." John said lightly before taking another sip of his drink. "You know what we're doing isn't going to be easy, and without you, it could take years to pull off... I was hoping you might know a way to, you know, speed up pregnancy?" Clementine said nothing but merely stared at John for a moment. Meanwhile, Eve seemed thoroughly excited about the question. "Oh, that would be marvellous! Imagine! Little ones running around so much sooner!" "I was also hoping you might know a concoction to reduce or eliminate childbirth pain," John added and smiled when he saw Eve's eyes widen hopefully. He barely had to do much convincing. Eve's innocent excitement seemed to be doing it all for him as she quickly turned to Clementine, hugging her arm. "Oh, is this possible? Can you do that for us?" "I-..." Clementine looked from John to Adam and then to Eve. Once again feeling cornered and put on the spot. "I-I had made notes in my old home of some potential pain relief elixers. Pregnancy is a matter of germination and incubation. There might be a way to accelerate the cells' growth, but it's risky and would involve a steady hand and precise calculations." "But it's possible?" John pressed. "I-I suppose it could be-" "Wonderful! Let me know what you need. Write me up a list. I'll fetch you books, ingredients, whatever is required." John beamed and took another sip of his drink. "How lucky we are that we found you!" Eve said excitedly and kissed Clementine's cheek. She then hopped over to Adam and kissed his cheek, too. "I will tell the other wives, it will make them so happy!" She then practically skipped out of the room. "I suppose you two will want to spend some time together. Help you settle in." John said with a smile to Clementine and Adam. He picked up the bottle of champagne and topped up their glasses. "I'll see what I can find from your old home and will prepare a room for your work, for when you're ready to begin." He said before vanishing and leaving Clementine alone with Adam. "What am I doing?" Clementine whispered to herself as she took another sip of her drink. None of this felt real to her, and she was still trying to process what was happening. --- "I hope it didn't mind the lights we put on it for Christmas..." Tia commented. Jack smiled and ran up to the tree, wrapping his arms around it. "That's ok with me, Mr Tree!" he said happily and then looked at Nil curiously. "Does Mr Tree have a name, or can I call it Mr Tree?" --- Carol looked at Ash with a frown and took one of her hands out of her pocket to place it on his shoulder. "We all lost people, and I'm sure a lot of us have some regrets about things that were said and done... I know I do. I know it doesn't make it hurt any less. But now we have an opportunity that we didn't have before. We can maintain this peace. Protect it. Prevent another war and our future children from ever feeling the grief we've had to deal with. That has to count for something." --- "Or I like you for you, regardless of the book?" Lang suggested with a chuckle. He stood and stretched. "So, are we getting that drink?" --- Cautiously, David followed the human to Unity and watched the council person as they continued to stare upwards. Eventually, Unity's eyes and head slowly moved downwards as if watching something or someone descend from the sky. "We thank you for joining us. Apologies. We did not intend to intimidate." Unity said in an aged woman's voice this time. They then looked slightly to the left and in the same voice explained, "Our vessel is Unity. We are the Spirit Council. We govern the realms and safeguard The Balance." "We know who you are..." Amelia rolled her eyes. "Well, most of us do." David glanced at the human warily. "Indeed." Unity replied in a younger woman's voice. Their eyes now turned to look slightly more to the right, then their eyes stared just a little to David's right. "You have taught these children well in the short time that they have been in your care." David and Amelia looked at each other in confusion, and then David tutted as he realised, "They're talking to other people somewhere else at the same time!" "I totally knew that!" Amelia folded her arms and glanced away with pink cheeks. She totally hadn't known that at all. Unity's eyes then snapped to the left. "This matter is of the utmost importance, and we would appreciate more professionalism from an Arch Angel," they scolded someone in an older man's voice. "Why do I feel like Nate is behind that?" David mumbled. "Excuse me, Councilman? But this is getting awfully confusing. Would it be possible to hold this meeting all together?" Unity looked at David and nodded. "We are awaiting one more, then we shall relocate everyone to a council room in Heaven." They answered in the same man's voice. "Wait, Unity. Now really isn't a good time for us. We need to get this human to a safe-" Amelia started, and Unity cut her off as they looked in her direction. "We are aware of your current predicament. We see and hear all. Upon relocation, your human will be moved to a secure location until our meeting has concluded." Their eyes then flicked a little more to the left, and they continued, "My comment was to Queen Amelia, but we must insist that your mortal also remains on Earth." "Huh, someone else has a human with them, I guess. Wonder who it is..." Amelia commented. Unity was silent for several seconds as they continued to stare at the same spot. Finally, they said in an older woman's voice, "Very well, but your pupil's words and actions will be your responsibility." --- Lilly followed Death and Raven while eyeing the stranger with uncertainty. She stumbled when her feet found the ground and she had to readjust to gravity once more, but she quickly picked herself up and jogged after them until the three of them stood in front of the cloaked figure. "We thank you for joining us. Apologies. We did not intend to intimidate." Unity responded in an aged woman's voice this time. They then turned their eyes to Raven and in the same voice explained, "Our vessel is Unity. We are the Spirit Council. We govern the realms and safeguard The Balance." "The Balance? Azrael told me about that. The safety of everything in all the realms depends on it not being broken." Lilly commented. "Indeed." Unity replied in a younger woman's voice. Their eyes now turned to look at Lilly before bringing their eyes back to Death. "You have taught these children well in the short time that they have been in your care." Unity's eyes then snapped to the left. "This matter is of the utmost importance, and we would appreciate more professionalism from an Arch Angel," they scolded someone in an older man's voice. Lilly glanced at Raven, slightly amused and wondering why Unity was talking to someone who wasn't with them. Or what that person could have said to warrant a scolding. Unity looked between Death and Lilly, then nodded. "We are awaiting one more, then we shall relocate everyone to a council room in Heaven." They answered in the same man's voice. They then turned to look at the space between Death and Raven. "We are aware of your current predicament. We see and hear all. Upon relocation, your human will be moved to a secure location until our meeting has concluded." Their eyes then flicked a little more to the left, and they continued, "My comment was to Queen Amelia, but we must insist that your mortal also remain on Earth." Unity was silent for several seconds as they continued to stare at the same spot. Finally, they said in an older woman's voice, "Very well, but your pupil's words and actions will be your responsibility." --- Eventually, Unity's eyes and head slowly moved downwards as if watching something or someone descend from the ceiling. "We thank you for joining us. Apologies. We did not intend to intimidate." Unity said in an aged woman's voice this time. They then looked slightly to the left and in the same voice explained, "Our vessel is Unity. We are the Spirit Council. We govern the realms and safeguard The Balance." "Who doesn't know who Unity is?" Azrael tutted quietly as he folded his arms. "Indeed." Unity replied in a younger woman's voice. Their eyes now turned to look slightly more to the right, then their eyes stared just a little to Nate's right. "You have taught these children well in the short time that they have been in your care." "Oh..." Azrael's cheeks turned a little pink as he realised who else they were talking to. Unity's eyes then snapped to Nate. "This matter is of the utmost importance and we would appreciate more professionalism from an Arch Angel." they scolded him in an older man's voice. Unity looked at the space between Gabriel and Azrael. They nodded. "We are awaiting one more, then we shall relocate everyone to a council room in Heaven." They said in the same man's voice. They then turned to look closer to Azrael, but as if looking over his shoulder. "We are aware of your current predicament. We see and hear all. Upon relocation, your human will be moved to a secure location until our meeting has concluded." Their eyes then flicked a little more to the left, and they continued, "My comment was to Queen Amelia, but we must insist that your mortal also remain on Earth." "Amelia's involved?" Azrael glanced at Nate and Gabriel. Unity was silent for several seconds as they continued to stare at the same spot passed Azrael's shoulder. Finally, they said in an older woman's voice, "Very well, but your pupil's words and actions will be your responsibility." --- In the German castle, both Jean and Shezmu would happen to be in the dining hall when Unity made their appearance. Shezmu had recognised them immediately, and while Unity had been staring at the ceiling, after they had asked for patience, Shezmu had quickly explained to Jean who they were, that they were important but that they were not a threat. He had then turned to look at his mortal student and had gestured for him to stay close while they waited for Unity to deliver whatever message that they had. Eventually, Unity's eyes and head slowly moved downwards as if watching something or someone descend from the ceiling. "We thank you for joining us. Apologies. We did not intend to intimidate." Unity said in an aged woman's voice this time. They then looked slightly to the left and in the same voice explained, "Our vessel is Unity. We are the Spirit Council. We govern the realms and safeguard The Balance." "Ah, I can only assume that the council are also speaking to others elsewhere. This must be of dire importance," Shezmu commented. "Indeed." Unity replied in a younger woman's voice. Their eyes now turned to look slightly more to the right, then their eyes stared at the empty space between Jean and Shezmu. "You have taught these children well in the short time that they have been in your care." Unity's eyes then snapped to the left. "This matter is of the utmost importance, and we would appreciate more professionalism from an Arch Angel," they scolded someone in an older man's voice. Shezmu said nothing and merely waited for Unity to continue. Unity looked slightly to the left of Jean's shoulder and nodded. "We are awaiting one more, then we shall relocate everyone to a council room in Heaven." They answered in the same man's voice. Their eyes then turned to the space at Shezmu's right, but almost appeared as if they were looking at Shezmu. "We are aware of your current predicament. We see and hear all. Upon relocation, your human will be moved to a secure location until our meeting has concluded." Protectively, Shezmu placed a hand on Dariel's shoulder. "My student will accompany me. I will not debate this," he said sternly. Unity's eyes flicked just slightly more to the left, to meet Shezmu's. "My comment was to Queen Amelia, but we must insist that your mortal also remain on Earth." "As I have stated," Shezmu replied with the same sterness. "This matter is not up for debate. My student is to join me in all matters to learn." Unity was silent for several seconds as they continued to stare at Shezmu. Finally, they said in an older woman's voice, "Very well, but your pupil's words and actions will be your responsibility." "As I would have it, counsilwoman," Shezmu said with a nod. He then gave Dariel a quick look. "You are representing me and must behave well. Watch and listen carefully. As my protege, you might one day have to attend meetings with the council yourself."

I'm almost done with my post but in case it helps for visualising it, this is roughly what Unity is seeing, plus some Arch Angels in the background as well as Life somewhere among them lol

oh my god, I really hope this doesn't get too confusing but I gotta say, this is soooo much fun to try and write hahaha

Violet's touch caused Kris to look at her. Her openness with him surprised him. As did her story. Before she had entered their lives, he hadn't believed in Heaven or Hell. But now, to be sitting next to living proof and hear them talk about their life beyond the mortal realm was all so fascinating to him. "I think I'd like to hear your stories sometime..." he admitted and then turned his head when he heard Ortiz waking up. Just like that, his gentle demeanour was gone. "Don't tempt me," he growled at him angrily and flicked his wrist. Swift as the wind, a phantasmal, disembodied hand appeared next to Ortiz and slapped him across the face. The hand remained floating idly in the air nearby, awaiting Kris's next order. "You threaten my boys." Another wrist flick. Another slap. "You plot to murder one of our own." Wrist flick. Slap. "You lied to me." Wrist flick. Slap. "You betrayed me." Wrist flick. Slap. "You attacked me." Wrist flick. Slap. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you!" Wrist flick. The hand grabbed Ortiz's head and held it up to look at Kris. It's pale-blue nails digging into his scalp. "Tell me!!" --- Clementine blinked a few times as Adam's light vanished and his hold on her evaporated. Slowly, she realised what had happened. Able to recall clearly what had been said during the time she'd been under Adam's spell, she knew that she had spoken out of her purest, deepest desires. Yet, she also felt she'd been tricked. She looked from Adam to John and then at their surroundings and realised they'd brought her to the heart of their plans. She opened her mouth, ready to say something, when someone else spoke and cut her off. "Another one?" Eve stepped into the room, smiling warmly at Clementine, who was so surprised that John had managed to get both Adam and Eve to work with him towards his crazy plans that her words had failed her before she'd even had the chance to speak them. "Yes!" John announced quickly and patted Clementine's shoulder. "This is Clementine! She has agreed to join our efforts and our growing family." Eve squealed happily and rushed in to hug Clementine, who stood stock still as her mind raced. She was tempted to shout at them. To accuse John and Adam of manipulation and demand to be taken home. But John wasn't lying. She might have been influenced, but she had agreed and she had spoken honestly. Part of her felt like she'd already betrayed Amelia for a second time, which meant she was now stuck with this decision, whether she had wanted it or not. She was confused, put on the spot and didn't know how to react or what to do. "I-I..." She stammered, feeling lost. "Oh, I know! I know!" Eve said softly as she pulled back and brushed some of Clementine's hair from her face. "It's so much to take in! But I promise, you will be happy here. Adam is such a loving husband. He will keep you safe!" "Hu-husband?" "Oh, yes! Well, not until you consummate anyway. Did I hear something about a drink?" John vanished and rapidly reappeared with four champagne flutes held by the stems in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other. He held out his hand with the glasses for them to take one each, and then popped the cork in the bottle before pouring them each a glass. Clementine stared at her drink in shock as Eve took a sip before crinkling her nose with a smile. "I will never get used to drinks with bubbles!" she giggled and then locked her arm around Clementine's. "I want you to know how happy I am that you will be part of our family, and if you ever need to talk, you can always come to me." Clementine looked at her. She was still very confused about how she wanted to feel about all of this, but Eve's kindness seemed so sincere that it caught her off guard, and she couldn't help smiling at her. "To the future of Eden!" John cheered while lifting his glass in a toast. --- "I didn't know that was an apple tree!" Tia whispered to Xenos in surprise. Having finished his meal, Jack jumped off his chair and ran outside to see what Nil was up to. Layla followed shortly after and leaned against the doorway to watch them with a small smile. "What's it saying?" Jack asked curiously while looking at the tree. --- "He was definitely one of a kind..." Carol said while putting her hands in her jean pockets as they walked out of the hospital and into the street. "He might be gone, but while his son and my daughter are ruling Hell... I have a purpose again." She looked around them before glancing up at the darkening sky with a small smile. "I think he'd be proud if he knew what they accomplished. He'd be pissed, for sure," she chuckled. "But I think he'd still be proud. No one ever thought the war would end. They did the impossible. They really did it." --- May smiled at Carter. She took out her little notepad and wrote down a few details before ripping the page out and handing it to him. "Well, you're the first person in the US to come up with a Supernatural Detective Agency from what I know, so I guess you can pretty much come up with whatever rates you think are fair for the job. Here, when you figure it out, send me an invoice for today and I'll pay it." --- Tuzo tilted his head back and gasped at the feeling of Napoleon biting his neck. When he felt the vibrations, he grabbed a fistful of his own jacket that had fallen to the floor by now and stuffed some of it into his mouth to quiet his moans. When he saw Napoleon leaning in, he took the jacket out of his mouth and kissed him back with equal passion. He moved to sit up so that Napoleon would still be straddling him and held him close, rocking and grinding his hips against his while his own wings also started to vibrate. He toyed with the hem of Napoleon's trousers by running his fingers around the inside until both his hands were at the small of his back. All while he moved his kisses down to his chest. --- "Reed, it wasn't dumb." Lang tried. "And there's nothing wrong with being different. Different doesn't always mean bad. I'm sorry that you grew up around shitty people. That's not your fault. I'm not like that, though, so you never have to worry that I'd think any less of you for it." He offered him a patient smile. "I'm glad you told me, actually. Because now I can get to know the real you and not someone you conjured up from reading books to try to fit in." --- David and Amelia finished chanting and watched the human lunge at Abaddon. When he was subdued by Abaddon's tentacles, David chuckled at his angry shouts. "Yeah, that's kind of why we did this," he shouted over to the human. "Dad?" Amelia's voice made David look in her direction and then he followed his daughter's gaze to a hooded figure standing a short distance away from them. The figure looked like it was staring upwards. "Oh, for- Go and see what they want while I help Abaddon with 'a bad 'un.'" "Awful pun... just awful..." Amelia shook her head as she walked away from the now proudly smirking David. David walked over to Abaddon and placed his hand on the human's shoulder, then gave Abaddon a cautious nod to signal to release him while they'd both stay alert. "Now, let's all be calm about this and have a mature conversation." Meanwhile, Amelia approached Unity but held a confused look as Unity continued to stare upwards. "Um... Unity? Can we help you?..." he said, and when Unity continued to look upwards, she snapped her fingers in front of their face a few times. "Hello??? Can you hear me?" Unity's head snapped to look in Amelia's direction, which made her jump and step back in surprise. "We would prefer to wait until all are in attendance. Please be patient," they said in a man's voice before turning their head to stare at the sky once more. "Um-? O-Ok..." Amelia mumbled in confusion and looked up to try and see what the council was looking at, but could only see a clear, cloudless sky. --- They'd continue playing for a while longer. Occasionally, the ball would hit the ground, but they'd pick it up and start over again. Lilly had never felt happiness like it. But then, given she'd never had a real childhood, it meant that she'd never had the opportunity to simply play games before. She very quickly lost track of time, but also could have kept playing without a care in the world. Until she saw a strange hooded figure at the end of the courtyard, patiently waiting for them to finish their game. She caught the ball and then looked at Death with uncertainty. Although Lilly and Raven wouldn't know who the figure was, Death would recognise them immediately. The figure, was Unity. Very briefly, the figure stopped staring in their direction to look ahead and looked like they were saying something, but the trio were too high up to hear them. Then Unity stopped speaking and proceeded to stare at them again. --- "You can be in charge of advertisement, then," Azrael smirked. "Mind getting the door?" he then asked, considering his hands were currently full. Once inside, they'd get a good look at the interior. Meanwhile, Azrael would head into one of the bedrooms upstairs and set Lilith down on the bed to rest. He'd meet up with Nate and Gabriel back in the bar area. "We always said we'd run a bar together, given half the chance-" he chuckled as he walked into the room and then came to an abrupt stop when he saw Unity standing in the middle of the pub, staring up at the ceiling. Azrael would glance at Nate and Gabriel with a mixture of uncertainty and confusion. "Unity?" he addressed them, but they didn't respond. He looked at Nate and Gabriel again. "When did they appear? What're they doing?" he looked up at the ceiling, and an uneasy feeling washed over him. "You don't think they know about-?" Before he could finish asking his question, Unity cut him off by lowering their head to look straight ahead and saying in a man's voice, "We would prefer to wait until all are in attendance. Please be patient," and then Unity went right back to staring at the ceiling. For a wild moment of pure confusion, Azrael would look from Unity to Gabriel, to Nate and then back to Unity until it dawned on him. "Oh!... they're in more than one place at once... great, because that's not going to be confusing at all..." --- Unity would also appear wherever Charles, Hades, Life, Shezmu, the other Arch Angels and Jean are respectively. They would display the exact same behaviour and would likely cause equal confusion among them.

Seeing her bring a glass for herself and hearing her comment, Kris let out a chuckle. "What the hell, you've earned it," he said as he took the bottle without really looking at it. He poured them each a drink, then set the bottle back onto the table and picked up his glass. Turning his attention back to Ortiz, he sighed, although he couldn't help smirking at Violet's joke. "I just need to get through to him somehow. I don't know why his jealousy is so intense. I have always treated all of my boys equally. I trusted him. I made him my right hand for fuck sakes..." he glanced at Violet. "I don't know if I can trust him again or forgive him after this," he confided quietly. "The boys depend on me to keep them safe and he-..." He shook his head with a sigh and took a sip of his drink. --- Azrael smiled up at the building. He could already picture them running it together. The idea filled him with excitement. He glanced at the hanging wooden sign. It was so aged and weather-worn that the name and image had almost completely faded. Smirking, Azrael snapped his fingers, and a design appeared. It was the back of an Angel standing in a valley of fields, with a hood covering their face and their white wings tucked against their back. They were holding a four-leaf clover up to their hood, as if smelling a flower. The name that appeared underneath it in fancy font was 'The Lucky Angel Inn' "What do you think?" He asked Nate and Gabriel. --- Just about starting to get the hang of flying, Lilly looked up in time for the ball to fly passed her. "Shoot!" she gasped and willed herself to soar after it, trying to get behind it before it could reach the ground. She managed to get her foot around it just as it was a few short inches from the ground and kicked it upwards before shooting up after it and aiming to kick the ball back in Raven's direction. She couldn't help laughing and feeling a little proud of how quickly she'd gotten the hang of flying. It was something she'd never even considered that she could do, and yet here she was, floating and zooming around like it was the most natural thing. --- Within seconds, the three of them vanished from the bus stop. Leaving no sign of their presence, except the spilt bag of groceries that littered the empty, darkening street. Back at the brothel, Clementine continued to stare at Adam in a trance. Meanwhile, John was grinning from ear to ear as he stepped away from her. "And what a catch you've got!" he laughed. "I'm telling you, in her Demon days, she was a force to be reckoned with. No other being in all the realms could compete with her alchemical skills. She was famous for it. With a mind as sharp as hers, we'll never have to worry about illnesses. I'll bet she'd even be able to find a way to make childbirth painless if she really put her mind to it." He looked from Clementine to Adam before snapping his fingers. "I know. I'll get some champagne for you both. This is cause for celebration, after all." --- "Yay!" Jack cheered as he slid Nil's meat from his plate to his own and eagerly started carving into it. By now, Layla was used to Nil's quirks with the plant life. Tia, on the other hand, looked out the window curiously with Xenos. "I don't get it..." she said quietly to Xenos, referring to his comment. After all, she did spend most of her life in a cage before he'd saved her. --- "Forgotton? Mate, the only Devil I knew before you, before Amelia and before Damien was Lucifer. The only etiquette I had to worry about was following all his orders to a T. Everyone else could suck an egg." Carol shrugged. "I was his best fighter, you know?" she then proceeded to brag. "I'd have followed that man into Oblivion, if he ordered it," she then said half dreamily. --- "I mean..." May chuckled. "You are trying to run a business, and at the end of the day, that business isn't going to last very long if you keep doing all the work for free," she told him honestly. She then smiled at him. "I'll pay you for your work today. I'd be happy to. Just tell me how much and where to send the money." --- "He can try, but he won't get far," David chuckled confidently as he started to re-paint the seal on the ground for the spell. "Got a freshie for you," Amelia said as she appeared nearby. "There are some pretty deep cuts in his forearms, though." "They'll heal when the soul is transferred into it," David said dismissively as he finished up the last few bits. "Put him in the centre, please." Amelia placed the body into the centre of the seal and then stepped well away from the spell's boundary markings. David stepped out of it as well and gestured for Abaddon to step in. "Amelia and I will perform the spell," he explained to Abaddon. "You'll need to stand at the body's feet, facing him. I'm not going to lie, this will be painful. Excruciating, actually. But it won't take long. As long as no one else steps into that area with you while the spell is active, then everything should go as planned." --- Tuzo stifled a moan as Napoleon pinned him down. He knew he'd have to try hard to keep their noise to a minimum so as not to alert the staff and tourists outside the room to what they were doing. He grinned at the additional excitement that this knowledge brought to the moment. He stared up at Napoleon with lustful eyes as he felt his hands on his hips. "So dominating, Monsieur!" he gasped in delight with a cheeky smirk. --- Lang listened to Reed and fidgeted with his hands a bit while looking at him thoughtfully. "Reed, and please don't take this the wrong way, but have you talked to a doctor about all this and how you feel?" he asked him cautiously. "Or, maybe, um, have you looked into..." he scratched the back of his head awkwardly, not entirely sure on how to broach the subject. "Neurodiversity?"

"No," Kris said, almost a little too quickly. He didn't deny that he felt some sort of parental responsibility for all the boys he'd taken in. Blake included. If anything, he'd pretty much proven today just how far he was willing to go to keep them all safe. "It was Blake he had a problem with. I don't want him anywhere near him, unconscious or not... hmm... " He thought for a moment. "Cecil." He called out, and within a few seconds, Cecil had appeared close by, still in his pyjamas. "Yes, sir- Ortiz?" "Ortiz has lost his mind and become dangerous. I can't lift him, so I need you to be my strength. Can you do that for me?" "I-" Cecil stammered as he looked from Ortiz to Kris. "Yes, Boss. What do you need?" "Lift him and bring him back home. Then tie him up. Use the enchanted binds so he can't use magic. I want to talk to him when he wakes up." "Yes, sir." he walked over to Ortiz and moved his arm around his shoulders to hoist him up. All of them would then teleport home, where Cecil quickly went about tying Ortiz to a chair with the enchanted ropes while Kris tried to relax in a nearby chair with his injured leg elevated. "Violet, fetch me one of my drinks from the bar in my room. I think I'm going to need something strong for this." --- Azrael nodded to Gabriel's suggestion. "Northern Ireland would be perfect. From what I've learned during my work in that area, the mortals in Europe and the United Kingdom are aware of the supernatural kind and are in the process of adapting laws to keep both the supernatural and mortals safe from one another. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, so we, as well as Lilith, would all be protected and welcomed there." --- Lilly had managed to kick the ball back to Raven entirely by accident as she flipped from upside down to right side up. She was still trying to simply get the hang of flying. The spectacle had drawn a small crowd of Reapers in the castle that had paused at the windows to see what the Royal Family were doing. --- Gasping at the sudden appearance of Adam, her hands shot up to grip his wrists, intending to pull them away from her face, but she froze as she struggled to tear her eyes away from him and his light. Her pupils grew slightly as her eyes locked onto his. She wanted to tell him to stop, but struggled to form words and could feel his influence seizing her mind and diminishing any fight she'd had in her. She felt John's hands on her shoulders as he now stood behind her and realised too late what they had done. "Isn't he beautiful?" John whispered into her ear. "He is rebuilding his Kingdom, and you can be part of this great undertaking. All you have to say is 'yes'..." Clementine's mouth opened and closed as she tried to fight against the overwhelming longing and desires that threatened to overtake her better judgment. John had hit the nail on the head when he'd called her ambitious. It had been her greatest downfall in her previous life. Even now, she struggles to accept her new and very simple life as a human. "It can be yours. His love. A crown. The loyalty and adoration of your subjects. Your own legacy." John continued. "Not to mention the things you've never been able to have before. A lover. To know how it feels. The ability to have a family of your own." "Yes!" Clementine gasped. Tears rolled down her cheeks as her desires were pulled to the surface and overwhelmed her. "Yes! I want it! All of it!" --- "Veggies gone, mama!" Jack announced as he finished the last of the broccoli on his plate. He then quickly looked at Nil. "Can I have your meat now?" he asked excitedly and then added, "Please!" "You'd think I didn't feed the boy..." Tia chuckled while rolling her eyes. --- Carol held up her hands and backed up a little. "Easy, man. I was just playing around. Jeez..." --- "Ah, it's fine. I guess it comes with the job." May waved dismissively. She was surprised by him not wanting payment, though. "Thank you. Well, I guess I should get back to doing my rounds or my supervisor will give- ugh... I was going to say they'd give me hell..." she chuckled awkwardly. --- David nodded and stood straight as well. "All species are capable of inflicting harm. There's little we can do about that. But at least, in this instance, we have an opportunity to control the amount of harm that this particular being would be capable of. That has to count for something." "I'm so lost right now..." Amelia rolled her eyes, and David looked at her. "The other part of him is full of bloodlust and a craving for violence," he explained. "Great!" Amelia said sarcastically. "Just what we need..." "We're going to need a human body. A fresh one." "Ugh..." Amelia shuddered. "Can't I order someone else to do it? Morgues are grim..." "Amelia," David said sternly. "We don't have time for this." "Fine! I'll see you at the usual spot..." She vanished. David then turned to Abaddon. "Come with me... We'll need to prepare," he would teleport to the Gobi Desert. By now, the sand had completely covered up the markings from the last time they'd needed this spell. --- Tuzo kissed him back, matching his gradually building passion. As things became heated between them, his hands wandered to his jacket, pushing it off his shoulders and then to the buttons of his shirt. His wings fluttered a little from excitement, sending a few stray feathers onto the carpet. --- "Wait- what do you mean? What makes you think you're not a normal human?" Lang asked him, looking confused.

"I haven't changed; you merely misjudged me." He said while smirking at her. He then frowned as his eyes moved back to Ortiz, and he nodded. "There is," he answered simply, not ready yet to elaborate. "Good, I'm going to need you to keep an eye on him while I try to talk sense into the daft bastard," he said as he moved forward with the intention of lifting Ortiz, but stopped short with a groan, and his knees almost buckled as pain shot through his leg. "Great... Getting him back and tied up is going to be a pain." --- Azrael found himself at a loss. He briefly considered Life's domain, but that would put Death's brother in the same situation regarding diplomacy with Heaven. "If only Atma's bars were still open... we could have housed her in one of those..." He lamented as he recalled Atma running neutral establishments on Earth throughout time, where Angels and Demons alike could rest in safety, regardless of the wars. If only she hadn't lost her memories and become mortal... A radical idea crossed Azrael's mind, and he looked at Nate and Gabriel with an inspired expression. Why did a neutral Earth hub have to be run by Atma specifically? Why not them? What could possibly stop them? And he was certain he wasn't the only one in all the realms to miss them! "We could do it," he said slowly. "We could run a neutral pub... a neutral inn... Like Atma used to! All species welcome. No fighting or arrests permitted within its walls. Just drinks, rooms and conversations between all kinds. Sanctuary!" He looked at Lilith thoughtfully. "She'd be safe there. Protected. We could watch over her and get her the help she needs, and one day, when she's ready, use it to integrate her into a more normal life." --- Lilly watched them both floating, and she hesitated. Her thoughts lurched back to when she'd lost control of her powers, and for a moment, she dreaded attempting to use her powers. But she thought back on how she'd managed to get it under control. 'I can do this,' she thought to herself and then closed her eyes while she focused inward. Tapping into her power and ordering it to bend to her will again, she opened her eyes and found herself a few inches off the ground. She laughed but then wobbled and struggled to hold herself upright. She hadn't anticipated that floating would involve some level of balance, and suddenly found herself thankful that she'd decided to wear shorts under her dress as she ended up almost upside down. --- When the men appeared, Clementine's eyes had first landed on Adam. Upon recognising him immediately, she'd closed her eyes and turned away from him in time to miss his light. Quickly, she jumped to her feet and, while clutching the bag of groceries to her chest, she turned to run away from him. Only to be stopped by John before she'd even reached the end of the bus stop. When her eyes landed on him, she gasped and dropped the bag, which spilt its contents onto the street. "John Devine!" She stared at him with wide eyes. "No- but you- You were destroyed!" "So were you, Clementine... It looks like you've changed a lot since you came back." John answered her calmly. Clementine shivered as she realised with sickening clarity that Adam being here as well meant that this time John had managed to get much farther with his crazy plan than he had when Lucifer had been around. "What do you want with me?" "Well, first I want you to look at Adam." "Go to Hell!" "Eden." John corrected her calmly. "And don't worry, we will. All of us. Together." "You're mad! You're both mad!" "Don't you want to be part of something truly great? You always had ambition, Clementine. What's more ambitious than helping to create a new utopia and becoming royalty?" "Utopia?! More like cult! I will not be your brood sow!" "You've got it all wrong. It can work. We can build a paradise together. But we need you. You're a genuis! Don't waste your potential." John reasoned. He glanced behind her at Adam, knowing Clementine's attention was fully on John and that as long as she knew where Adam was, she would refuse to look at him. Which meant they needed to be smart as well as fast. He wondered if, while they were talking, he and Adam could teleport to switch places before she could react. --- "Yeah, yeah, nice try!" Jack rolled his eyes while still poking his broccoli with his fork. "Mom tried to tell me that before!" "It worked for the whole of ten seconds," Tia commented as she came back and sat down. "Jack, do you wana know a secret?" Layla pretended to whisper to him across the table. When he looked at her curiously, she picked up the gravy boat from the middle of the table and poured some onto her own broccoli before placing it back down. "There! Now my veggies will taste like the meat!" Jack's eyes widened as if Layla had just given him the greatest idea in the world. "Do you want me to put some on yours?" Tia asked him, but Jack jumped up to stand on his chair. "No, I can do it! I got it!" He said excitedly as he reached for the gravy boat. "Alright, but be careful and don't spill it," Tia replied and watched him carefully as he tried to aim the gravy over his broccoli. "Well done," she praised him when he managed to do it himself and put the gravy boat back before sitting down. Jack grinned proudly and eagerly dug his fork into a large bit of broccoli before taking a bite. His face went through a range of expressions. Mostly from disgusted to happy to disgusted and back to happy as he would occasionally still taste the vegetable through the gravy. But he at least seemed to find it manageable as he took another bite without any more complaints. --- "Positively epic, you mean?" Carol grinned playfully as they walked. "So, I guess this makes us colleagues now... How's it feel to be a Devil with a Demon superior?" She chuckled. "I'm just yanking your chain. We're pretty much equals in this job... although technically I kinda have seniority over you when it comes to this role specifically." --- "Thank you." May breathed, feeling a little lightheaded as she sat on the bed. "I think I just need to come to terms with it all... I knew there was an afterlife, but I guess I just never actually gave it much thought before. And now, suddenly, it's like I'm seeing evidence of it everywhere I look..." She glanced at Carter and shook her head a bit. "Uh, sorry. I-um... So, what do I owe you? For helping with this?" --- David jumped to his feet and stepped back as the visions flashed violently through his mind. "Dad?" Amelia looked at him worriedly, having not seen what Abaddon had shown him. It took a moment for David to process what he'd seen, and in that time, he held a hand up to Amelia to signal to give him a moment. He then looked at Abaddon with a grave expression. "We need to get that human out of you," he said with a hint of urgency in his tone. "I know you think we shouldn't, but consider for a moment that you are not the only one out of both of you right now who has access to your Devil abilities. All it would take is for you to lose your grip for just a moment, and we'll have a Doctor Jekyll & Mr Hyde problem on our hands! Only your 'Mr Hyde' will be capable of the levels of carnage a Devil as ancient as yourself can create." He took a step towards Abaddon again and knelt down once more. "Let me put that human into a human body. It won't have any powers, and it'll be much easier to handle. Please." "Dad?" Amelia said again. Her eyes were now fixed on Abaddon. David's words had concerned her deeply, but she didn't yet understand what had telepathically been communicated between the pair. --- "Oh, I can certainly do that." Tuzo purred into his ear. "Before we get started, I think it's best to let you know so that you don't think I'm doing it intentionally. Part of the type of Angel that I am means that my saliva can, well, act as a sort of aphrodisiac. The more we kiss, the more you'll want until both our needs are met." He smirked at him. "What do you say? Care to taste?" --- "Oh, boy..." Lang sighed as he stared at Reed on the ground. He walked over to him calmly and lifted him into his desk chair. He then sat on his desk and placed his hand on Reed's shoulder, using his powers to help him feel a bit better. "Are you alright?" he'd ask him when he'd come to. --- Lost in the whirlwind of lust and ecstacy, Damien kissed Samson over and over with increasing passion whilst undressing himself. He pushed Samson onto the bed and tossed his shirt to one side before leaning over him to kiss him again. He caressed his thigh and lifted it over his hip. His other hand caressed his cheek as they kissed before moving down his chest, gliding his fingertips over his stomach and into his pants. *Private time*

His stream of fire had narrowly missed both Ortiz and Violet, thanks to her quick reaction. Kris stumbled as quickly as he could over to where he heard the commotion. When he reached the illuminated area, he saw Violet beating Ortiz until he was out cold. He stared at her dumbfounded as she made her way over to him. He felt a range of emotions and wasn't entirely sure how to process them all at once. He felt an overwhelming sense of relief that Violet had intervened when she did and ultimately saved Ortiz's life. He admired her strength, despite her powers being all but diminished by the bracelet. But he also felt sadness, betrayal and anger towards Ortiz. Add to that the gut-wrenching guilt at how close he had come to killing him, and it would be safe to say Kris was having one hell of an emotional cocktail. "So, you're following me, now?" he asked Violet in a vain attempt to lighten his mood. It didn't work, and he found himself frowning at his unconscious ex-friend. "Thank you," he said to her seriously. "Really... thank you." --- Azrael hesitated and glanced away. He was surprised that Gabriel hadn't already spilt the beans about him and Death, but he supposed now wasn't exactly the time for that news. Still, especially given what Death already had on his plate with the new children, he wasn't so sure that bringing Lilith to his Kingdom would be wise. "I don't think that would work either." He told them. "It's peaceful, yes. But there is enough going on there for Death to worry about without... a potential diplomatic risk..." he finished uneasily. Of course, Lilith was still seen as a traitor and a criminal in the eyes of Heaven. So, Death's Kingdom harbouring Heaven's fugitive might not go down so well when it came to the already fragile relations between the two Kingdoms. He bit his lip as he thought quickly. He still wanted to help his friend. "What about Earth?" He suggested. "We can find her somewhere secluded and quiet to settle. Somewhere, she can easily seek counselling for supernatural beings. And where we can each keep an eye on her to make sure she stays safe." --- "Thank you!" Lilly called to the villagers politely. She turned to face her adoptive father and brother. "What about your courtyard?" she suggested. "It looked quite large, would that be big enough?" she asked and turned to Raven. --- John took Adam's hand and caressed it with his thumb. "Remember, it's not just Eden we're doing this for. It's for the safety and health of your new wives and children," he then teleported them to wherever Clementine would be... Which would currently be waiting alone at a bus stop after buying some groceries. She was still getting used to being human, and not being able to teleport anywhere was certainly one of the powers she missed. As a demon, she'd never been big enough to even have the ability to learn to drive, and now that she was an adult human, she found the lessons to be tedious and frustrating. She hadn't been human for long but had already managed to fail three tests out of her impatience to learn. So, now she sat with a brown paper bag full of fresh food because it's her turn to stock the kitchen, and she unfortunately had to rely on public transport to get home. Which, frustratingly yet very typically, was running late... again! Harris always offered to pay for a taxi for her, but she was far too proud to still be relying on him financially after living with him, Kodi and Autumn for so long. Within just two weeks of living with them, she'd managed to get herself a job as a secretary for a local law firm. When her first check came in, she insisted on Kodi accepting a portion of her wages going forward to go towards bills, food and rent. It was taking some getting used to, but she found she was quickly getting the knack for this 'being human' business. --- Tia got up and walked into the kitchen. She soon came back with the pan and a ladle and moved to Nil's side. "I always make more in case Jack acts up at the table. The threat of Broccoli for dessert seems to work better than the time-out chair..." She said to him with a chuckle as she loaded up his plate with the greens. "Can I have your meat?" Jack asked Nil while pointing to it. "Jack, eat your broccoli first. No extra meat until they're gone from your plate, Mr!" Tia said firmly as she walked back into the kitchen to return the pan to the stove. "Awww..." Jack complained as he poked the broccoli on his plate with his fork, and a very disgusted look. --- "Not everyone can heal their wounds, ding dong." Carol pointed out to Ash. "And also, what are you waiting for? The slip hazard to get bigger?" she then bantered as she pointed to the small puddle of blood on the ground that had formed under Ash's feet. May looked blankly at Carter and nodded a little as he helped her to her feet. "I thought I'd seen it all... I've met the odd Angel but not... I've never seen... That was a Devil?" She gasped. "So is this one!" Carol beamed and pointed at Ash. "I'm just a Demon. Hi, by the way. Also, are you single?" "What?" May's eyebrows furrowed, and then as she registered what Carol had asked, she shook her head. "N-no..." "...Poly?" "No." "Dammit." Carol snapped her fingers. "Too bad. Anyway, we should get going. Ash, say bye to the nice human nurse," she said playfully, mimicking a parent's voice before walking out the door and expecting Ash to follow. May looked from the door back at Carter. "Are all Demons strange or just that one? ... or was that a racist thing to ask?... I think I might need to lie down..." --- "That's not how this works, I'm afraid," David said firmly as he straightened up. "If you keep going the way you're going, you will drive yourself insane. Abaddon, I've seen this before. You're not alone in this. That human needs to be separated from you. It needs a life of its own. You won't feel yourself again until that happens." --- Tuzo blushed at Napoleon's compliment and then smirked at him playfully when he heard him behind him. He shivered as he felt him touch his wings and turned his head to glance back at him with the same playful smile. "Only 'satisfactory'?" he asked coyly. "I will have to do something to change that, I think." --- Lang was taken aback by the admission. He stared at Reed for a moment, unsure of how to respond. He wasn't exactly the type to rush into things, and he certainly never thought he'd be in this position. At least, not for a long time. He wasn't sure if he was ready, but he also couldn't see the harm in seeing where things would go. "I'm flattered," he said awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "Well, my shift is over, so... I dunno, maybe... do you want to go and get a drink with me? We'll talk and see where things go from there." --- It would seem Samson wasn't going to open up a vein for him to make it easier. He recalled that he'd enjoyed it when Damien had accidentally bitten his lip too hard the last time they'd been together and wondered if that was what he was waiting for. He smirked and leaned in to kiss his collarbone. Starting with a gentle kiss, which gradually escalated into a hickey until he nipped him just enough to draw a little blood. The second it touched his tongue, he felt the same sensation of pure electric pleasure jolt through him. It caused him to moan in ecstasy as his body tensed and instinctively hugged Samson close to him while his mouth locked around the cut. It wasn't big enough for him to get a lot, but it was enough that each time he drew a little more blood into his mouth, he shivered and moaned with the same ecstasy. Of course, the moment Samson would tell him to stop, he'd pull back breathlessly, albeit with some reluctance. For such a small amount, it produced in him a far more intense high than he would have gotten from his venom alone. "Holy fuck!" he breathed and then kissed Samson passionately. Even a little roughly. "I want you so bad right now," he told him while looking at him with lustful eyes.