Shadowess

"What look?" Damien asked obliviously. By the time James came out of the bedroom, he'd poured them each a glass of whiskey and had set up the board game battleships to keep them occupied for the rest of the night. "You ever played?" he asked while gesturing to the board. "I haven't since I was a kid. I found the box at the back of one of the cupboards when I moved in. I guess the previous tenants must've left it behind." --- "Yes, Sire." Azrael bowed to Death briefly in acknowledgement of the order. "Do you think that's wise?" David rose a brow at Death. "Forgive me, I know I'm an outsider here but I must express my concerns. With everything happening already taking on this mission yourself, as well as sending out so many reapers that your forces are thin will leave your kingdom in a vulnerable state." "This Kingdom and its King have withstood many challenges over the aeons. Including the war between Heaven and Hell." Azrael told him in a firm tone. "Yes, but-" "I have every faith in my King and his rule, Mr Sedley. You may be his guard but as you say, you are an outsider here. You would do well to broaden your expectations and heed my King. He would not risk his Kingdom so brazenly." David didn't seem convinced but he gave a frustrated sigh while throwing up his arms dramatically. "Fine! Fine. But I'll be tagging along. My priority first and foremost is Death's safety." "Enjoy the show, then." Azrael chuckled. --- Tom hesitated but gave the man a hopeful smile as he reached out to take his hand. Not entirely sure what to expect. "You're welcome." --- This being the first time she would encounter this Devil, Amelia was not aware of exactly what his power was. So, at his outburst about taking power, she had assumed he'd meant their rule over Hell as royalty. "There is more to life than power!" Amelia snapped back. She had jumped a little when he'd slammed his fists into the bars but now she was standing firm, glaring directly into his eyes. "You say you don't care about kin. Then what do you care about?"

Damien's eyes lit up at the sight of James's muscles being barely contained in his shirt and he struggled to keep a straight face. "Well, you've got taste, I'll give you that." he half chuckled. "I guess I should have taken our size differences into consideration." he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "But don't worry about it. Maybe get changed back into your normal clothes for now. Hopefully, some stores will be open again tomorrow so we can get you some clothes that fit." --- Azrael nodded in understanding and glanced at David briefly. Hearing that both Life and Death needed additional bodyguards was worrying and without saying as much, Azrael was determined to protect Death with everything he had. "Sire, while you were gone a few issues arose which I need to make you aware of," he said while taking a couple of steps towards the throne with his book in hand. "Firstly, since the quake, it would seem lost souls all around Earth have finally made themselves known. The good news is now that we are able to locate these souls we are able to send out Reapers to guide them on. The bad news is that the level of Reapers needed to do this, as well as guide the souls from our books, will stretch our forces within the Kingdom thin." he paused before adding. "Secondly, La Tramoggia has been found and is up to her old tricks again." La Tramoggia or 'The Hopper' was famous within the Kingdom of Death. They are a Trickster with a strong desire for immortality and an annoying knack for swapping bodies with some unknown young victim while her elderly body lay on her deathbed, just moments from death. She has been effectively cheating death as well as dooming dozens of poor souls to an early demise for well over four centuries. She always managed to disappear before Death or his reapers could locate her new body. "Her new vessel has been diagnosed with lung cancer and her doctors have estimated that she only has a matter of weeks left." Azrael then smirked as he held up his book. "But we have something more accurate than a mortal doctor and this diagnosis may have granted us the element of surprise that we need to stop her once and for all. I assumed you would prefer the honour of apprehending her yourself, you Grace." "Death can't leave this Kingdom until the other threat has passed," David told Azrael sternly, earning him an annoyed look from the Angel. "I forgive you of your ignorance but this-" He lifted his book slightly "is exactly the opportunity we've been waiting over four hundred years for! My King has jurisdiction." --- "And what's that going to solve?" Tom asked him critically while keeping a safe distance from his bat. "What you went through is awful and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. But all you're doing by lashing out is hurting people like you were hurt. What if those people you hurt are like you were before your brakes were tampered with? You're just tampering with their brakes and the cycle continues!" Tom took a breath before daring to step closer. "Break the cycle, man," he said gently. "No one else needs to get hurt." --- Amelia followed them into the Cells and when the Ancient Devil asked why he would want to obey them, she stepped forward to face him. "Because we're kin," she told him simply, in a commanding tone. "You're like me, aren't you?" she then asked in a more curious and gentle tone. "I can sense it. You're like the type of Devil that gave me my powers. Ancient. Original."

Ahh fair do's. I'm thinking of adding in a little story for Azrael/Death that's inspired by it 😄

Have you ever read Tale of the Body Theif by Anne Rice?

"Well, don't keep me in suspense, buddy," Damien called back as he walked back into the living room. He purposefully avoided looking at the armchair again as he turned to face his bedroom door while taking another sip of the water. "Show me how you look." --- Having been shown to her own bedroom by now, Lilly would not be in the Throne room when the others arrived, as she was spending some time settling in and getting accustomed to having her own space. Azrael had been in the Throne room, flicking through his own book busily when everyone arrived. Seeing Death, he immediately bowed to greet him. "Sire, welcome home." He said and as he straightened up again he noticed Gabriel was with them. He faltered for a moment, knowing his work life and social life were about to collide. He gave Gabriel a subtle, questioning look before watching Life being escorted away. David watched patiently, standing at ease with his hands behind his back as Death gave his orders. "You have a daughter?" He asked curiously when Death had addressed him. "Well, I'll be here until the crises is averted, so I don't see why not." he smiled. "I know it goes without saying though, that I am here as your guard first and foremost." "Guard?" Azrael repeated, looking confused. Clearly, he had missed something critical in Death's absence. --- "Why?" Tom suddenly questioned the man. Although he was cautious, he seemed to lack fear. "What are we in the way of? Are you heading somewhere? We could help if you'd just take a moment to talk to us." --- Amelia appeared near Hell's Cells with Charles and Hades. She frowned at the sight of the half-crumpled building. "Oh, wow... That really was some earthquake... I didn't think anything could break those cells."

"Don't be daft." Damien chuckled as he pulled out a small bowl full of various cleaning supplies. "You focus on what you're going to wear. This won't take me long to sort out." he pulled on a pair of yellow gloves before he headed into the living room and went straight into cleaning. The blood splatter on the walls was a bit of a pain and he knew he'd need to repaint this room at some point to cover most of the damage. Carefully, he knelt by the coffee table and began picking up glass shards. As he placed shard after shard into the waste bag, his movements slowed slightly. His mind wandered. "I thought I knew how love felt but could I have been wrong? Are you my match, Liebling? The one I've been searching for?" He heard the vampire's words in his ear and shook his head as if shaking off the memory itself. He picked up a few more shards and threw them into the bag. "You will see. We are meant for each other." Vomit rose up, and burned his throat. Damien quickly covered his mouth to stop it from escaping. Swallowing hard, he took a few breaths and became aware of how fast his heart had been beating. "Oh, come on now." came a familiar voice to his right and Damien looked over in shock. There, looking no different from when he'd last seen him, Lucifer sat in an armchair. Wearing his usual black suit. Blond hair gleaming in the sunlight. He seemed relaxed as his cold, steely blue eyes stared at him. "I thought I trained you better than this." Gasping, Damien closed his eyes and shook his head before looking back at the armchair. Empty. No one had been there. Not really. "I'm losing my damn mind," Damien muttered to himself as he finished picking up the glass. Pale faced and shivering slightly, Damien headed into the kitchen where he threw the bag into the trash before grabbing himself a glass of water. Needing a distraction from his thoughts, he called through to the bedroom; "Hey, you found anything good to wear?" --- David smiled and nodded to them. "Alright. Best of luck to all of you. If you need me for advice, you know where I'll be." he said as he walked past them to head towards Raguel's office. He would end up bumping into Gabriel, Death and Life along the way. "Ah, apologies for keeping you waiting." he greeted them. He gave a thankful smile to Gabriel and then looked at Life and Death seriously. "Arch Demon David Sedley, reporting for duty. It will be an honour to work with you both." --- Feet firmly on the ground, Tom watched the spirit from where they both stood. He frowned at the sight of the man swinging his bat at passing mortals. "Oh, boy..." he sighed before glancing at Nate uncertainly. "I'll follow your lead on this one."

"I guess you'll find out when you start dating her," Damien shrugged. They soon reached his apartment, and he unlocked the gate door before heading up the stairs. Halfway up, he paused. His door was ajar. "Oh yeah..." he mumbled as he dragged his feet up the rest of the way. He looked around his living room. Blood was splattered all over the place. His coffee table, among other things, was smashed. "I should probably clean this mess up now that I'm not going anywhere." he sighed and waved James into the apartment. "Don't mind the mess. This is just where that vampire attacked me when I was powerless. My bedroom is that way. Feel free to take a look at some of my clothes for your date. Grabbing a coffee is more of a casual thing, so maybe not a suit but you still want to look smart." he told him while heading to the kitchen to take out his cleaning supplies. --- Amelia stifled a chortle at Charles's remark. David looked at Hades and gave a relenting sigh. "Fine. You can either come with me to Death's Kingdom or stay with Charles and Amelia. Your choice." --- "Don't be so flippant." Raguel scolded Gabriel. "I put your name forward because you're the best soldier that I have. Because I trust you." he glanced at Death and Life as they continued to bicker in the background. "And between you and me," he leant in to say to him quietly. "I think you may have your work cut out for you. You may have to protect them from each other, as well as this boy." he stood and offered a hand to Death and then to Life to shake. "Gentlemen. Thank you for attending the meeting. I'm not sure what is holding David up but I'm sure he will join you all in Death's Kingdom momentarily. For now, Gabriel here will be your guard until the matter has been resolved. Please do not mistake him for an errand boy, he is here for your protection, not as a servant." --- Tom studied Nate's features with a small frown before gently cupping his chin to make him look at him. "And leave you to get in trouble alone? I don't think so." he chuckled. "I want to help. Take me with you."

"Oh, well that's actually easier! Maybe save the meal for a second or third date." Damien shrugged. "Honestly man, you'll be fine. Maybe having a girl on your arm will help you to finally relax." he chuckled. "Try not to over think it. Oh, and you said you're a werewolf, right? Maybe don't have the first date close to a full moon. A demon once told me about wolves and what the few days on either side of a full moon do to you guys. You don't wana end up getting her hopped up on your pheromones just yet. Maybe save that for your third date." he winked at him and then laughed. --- "Hey, I'm sorry that I frightened you," David said to Hades as she hugged him. "Ah, thank you." He groaned as he accepted the bottle of aspirin and glass of water. After taking them, he nodded at Charles's question. "I sure do. My son-in-law and King of Hell." he smiled at him and then looked between Amelia and Hades. "And these two are my beautiful daughters. I remember everything. It was no picnic getting my memories back but at least it's done." "Dad, I think congratulations are in order." Amelia beamed. "Oh, I wouldn't say I'd go that far." David chuckled, assuming she was still talking about his memories. "No, Dad. We've just had a meeting with the Spirit Council about the portal. They gave you your memories back then I guess promoted you to Arch Demon." "What-? Why? You actually spoke to the council!?" Amelia proceeded to very quickly fill him in on the meeting that he'd missed. By the end of it, he was staring at the end of the bed with a serious expression. "Right, then I suppose there's no time to lose," he said, getting to his feet. "Take me to the meeting room. Then you two need to try and talk to that Ancient Devil to see if he'll help. Please, don't take any unnecessary risks though." He then turned to Hades. "And you, missy," he said playfully, booping her nose with his finger. "We'll figure out how we can help you when all this is over. But for now, please go and make sure your friends are all safe, hmm? I think it would do you some good to be surrounded by friends who will support you right now." --- Raguel had been about to take another sip but Gabriel's words had caused him to pause and look at what he was doing. What was he doing? This isn't him. This has never been him. Yet he had been drinking away at this liquid as naturally as if he had been doing so every day for years. He put the glass down abruptly, spilling a little onto the table. Disturbed and even a little disgusted at himself. A snore from the other end of the room interrupted his thoughts and he glanced at Clarity, or rather the blanket covering Clarity, before looking back at Gabriel in his usual stoic manner. "We've just had a meeting with the Spirit Council." he began so that Gabriel would know just how serious this was. "With the portal being opened and the boy yet to be found, they have decreed that The Balance must be prioritised above all. Therefore, Life and Death are to remain in Death's Kingdom until the threat has passed. You and David will be representing Heaven and Hell's best by accompanying them to guard their lives. If the boy turns up, both Life and Death have been given strict orders to not engage him, to call upon Heaven and Hell's forces and to retreat, if safe to do so. The council have also decreed that no harm should come to this boy if it can be helped. We still don't know whether his life will affect the portal in any way. For all we know, killing him might make it bigger, or worse. So, for now, we are working on locating him to bring him in alive." --- Seeing his expression, Tom looked at Nate worried once the kiss broke. "What's wrong?" --- With hot cheeks and shivering gasps, Daisy tilted her head back. She closed her eyes and ran a hand through his soft hair. His hand brushing over her skin sent another excited shiver through her. Feeling his teeth lightly grazing her neck caused a soft moan to escape her. While Adam and Daisy were getting intimate, John teleported into the kitchen of the brothel with the rest of the group. "Here we are. Your new home where you will help Adam create a new Eden by serving his and his wives' every need," he said while showing them around. "Make yourselves at home. Pick out your rooms and get settled in. You all start work tomorrow." "John?" Eve's voice came from the doorway. She looked around at all the new faces shyly. "Ah! Just the lady I wanted to introduce you all to! Everyone, this is Eve. Yes, THE Eve." The group bustled excitedly, causing Even to jump a little. Seeing her nerves, John quickly stepped between them. "I know you're all excited but please give Eve some space for now. Go and settle in. There will be plenty of time for you to meet her when everyone is more comfortable." Trying to hide their disappointment but still staring at her curiously as they walked past, the group went about looking for their own rooms to settle into. "Where's Adam?" Eve asked John quietly. "With any luck, consummating his second marriage," John answered cheerily. "She seems sweet too. You might like her," he added as he turned to look at her. He then realised how cold that had sounded and hesitated before asking. "It doesn't bother you, does it?" "What? No. I spent a lifetime being his only wife but I meant what I said. I'm done with birthing children. So, if creating a harem is what is needed for him to save Eden, then I am happy." she walked further into the kitchen and sat at the island counter. John nodded in understanding, but then what Eve said next shocked him and caused him to do a double take. "I just hope he doesn't mind sharing a few of his female wives with me now and again." "I- I never would have thought-!" John half laughed. "Oh, don't be so prude." She smirked. "You know where I came from. I'm every bit Adam's equal. His likes. His dislikes. Even his sexual preferences. The only thing that has ever separated us was our experiences after we'd parted ways so long ago. That and childbirth. Lucky bastard." John laughed, amazed. He'd assumed Eve to be this timid thing but it would seem that once she becomes comfortable enough, she practically turns into a female Adam. "Can I get you anything? Food? Drink?" He offered, watching her in awe. "A drink would be nice." She said then tilted her head slightly. "And something to do. It is frightfully boring around here."

"One step at a time, big guy," Damien said while putting May's number into his phone. "There." he put his phone away and then gave the paper back to James. "And don't you worry. We'll get you ready. Come on, let's head back to my place. I'm sure I still have a few suits you could borrow." As they walked, Damien continued to talk. "So, maybe you could take her out to eat for your first date? Somewhere nice. Like maybe an Italian restaurant or something like that. When you meet up with her, be sure to tell her she looks pretty in whatever she's wearing. Then ask her about herself. You know she's a nurse so maybe ask her how long she's been a nurse, what med school was like. All that kind of stuff. Mostly, you want to make it all about her and while she's talking, try to find some common interests." --- "You don't know unless you try," Amelia said to Hades gently. "If they're your true friends then they'll accept you no matter what." Hearing Charles, Amelia looked over at him. Torn between him and her father. "Charles..." Amelia stepped to one side to take his hand. "I know we do. Just hold on a second, please? I need to talk to my dad when he wakes up." She looked at David's sleeping features with a worried expression. "I'll come with you. I want to see this Ancient Devil for myself." "What Ancient Devil?" David groaned, rubbing his forehead and wincing at the light. "And does anyone have any aspirin? My head is pounding." --- Raguel looked up from his drink when Gabriel would arrive. "Take a seat. I have an important mission for you." He lifted the glass to his lips again. Not taking any notice to how this would be the first time Gabriel would see him drinking anything stronger than water. --- It was a breathtaking view. And not just because they were so high that the air was thinner. The sun rose over the horizon, painting the sky and clouds in an array of pastel colours ranging from purple to pink, then amber to blue. The peaceful moment was almost enough to bring a tear to Tom's eye. "And to think, if Sebastian didn't have Amelia's blood in his veins when he turned me, I'd have missed sights like these!" he commented. Grateful to still be able to enjoy the sun. He looked at Nate lovingly before gently pressing his lips against his. Holding on to the kiss for as long as he could. --- It was a little awkward at first. Daisy had been sheltered for most of her life by her very religious parents. She had been on dates, sure. But having come from a strict catholic family, she'd had it drilled into her that she should get married before so much as kissing anyone. This ended up being a huge turn-off for many of her love interests who would ghost her before getting to the second date. So, this would not only be her first time, it was also her first kiss. As Adam kissed her though, she quickly picked up his rhythm and kissed him back. Despite her upbringing something about Adam was pulling her in. It all just felt so... natural. His hands touched her hips and she shivered excitedly. Without a thought or a care in the world, she brought her arms up to wrap around his shoulders as he moved her around the room. She lifted a hand to pull the scrunchie from her hair, letting her orange locks tumble down around her shoulders. Then she felt the bedframe behind her legs and stopped kissing him to look into his eyes again while biting her lip. "You're my first," she whispered to him while blushing deeply.

I swear AI images have improved so much since I last messed with them lol So based on that, Eve would look more like;

Thank you 😄 Hmm, Like these?

Daisy

I'm messing around with AI images again lol What does Adam look like?

May watched him leave and wondered if she might be making a mistake. Not because of James, though. She genuinely liked him. But because she knew any kind of love life would be difficult to maintain with such a demanding job. She supposed she would have to just try and maybe they could figure it out along the way. Outside, Damien stopped for a quick smoke and waited for James to meet him. He was eager to hear how it had gone. When James ran in front of him, he broke into a wide grin. "Wait, you got her number? Dude! That's a good thing. Take a moment to celebrate a little before you worry about what comes next." he laughed and patted James's shoulder. "Way to go for taking the first step. So, next, we need to get you a phone. Maybe not right now with the riots and everything. In the meantime, I guess keep that note somewhere safe. Actually..." Damien took out his own phone and pulled up his contacts. "Why don't I save it to mine, just in case? Then I can text it to you when you get your own." --- "Gabriel, you might want to head to Raguel. I can take care of my dad from here. There's been a meeting and he has a new assignment for you. It's a pretty big one." Amelia told him, then smirked at Hades's last comment before she looked at her seriously. "I swear I won't do anything to take advantage of your condition. Your free will should still be your own... How are you holding up?" --- Raguel watched Charles leave then turned his attention back to the bottle. "Enough bickering," he said firmly as he picked up the bottle and poured himself a glass. He poured one for Death as well then slid the glass over to him. Although Raguel had enjoyed a single glass to himself in private on rare occasions, it was a little out of character of him to be drinking freely in front of others. Even less so for him to encourage others to join him. Yet he lifted his glass to his lips and took a sip, savouring the flavour. "You need to loosen up, Death," he commented before looking at Life. He frowned at the question and averted his gaze from them both. "I would not take pleasure in it, but if the boy needs to be stopped then I will do my duty." he then looked back at them both gravely. "But it would be as a last resort. Besides, we have our orders. No harm is to come to the boy." he lifted his glass, turning it slightly to stare at the liquid in contemplation. "Regardless of how we feel about it." --- Tom held on tightly to Nate and shivered a little as they flew higher. "Oh, it's cold up here." he chuckled and pressed his head against the side of Nate's. "But at least you're warm." he sighed while turning his eyes to watch the sunrise. --- The teleportation had shocked Daisy. She looked around wildly, wondering how they'd appeared in this strange place. Then she felt Adam's arms around her and her eyes met his again. Once more she was lost in his light. Her deepest desires rose to the surface as she melted into his embrace. She knew she should be questioning everything, but his eyes, his light and his aura consumed her senses. Causing her to forget her concerns completely. All she wanted in the world right now, was him. "Me?" she sighed dreamily. "You'd choose me? Oh, Adam..." The name tumbled off her tongue so naturally. Her heart was fluttering. Everything about this felt right. "Make me yours."

Don't forget Adam 😅

"Oh!" May was taken aback and blushed deeply. She looked uncertain for a moment while glancing through the window in the door at the rest of the hospital as it bustled busily in the background. She had always put her career above her love life and especially with everything going on right now, it seemed to be a particularly bad time. She looked back at James and at how nervous he obviously was. She thought back to how he'd looked out for her earlier with Mr Mitchell and she blushed again. She bit her lip while contemplating the idea of meeting him for a coffee. She knew she'd be torn between him and her job but for reasons that she didn't fully understand herself yet, she nodded at him with a shy smile. "Um, sure. I think that would be nice." she took out the little notepad and pen from her pocket and wrote her number down before tearing the page out and handing it to him with reddened cheeks. "Call me when things have calmed down." --- David groaned. The grip on his head tightened. Searing pain shot through his head, exacerbated by light and every little sound around him. He gasped again and again before finally losing consciousness. As he did, Amelia ran up the corridor towards them. "Dad?!" he shouted before slowing to a stop and staring at Hades for a moment. Returning her attention to her father, she frowned while trying to catch her breath from having run all the way here. "Did he say anything?" she asked Gabriel then looked around quickly. "We need to get him into a bed. The Spirit Council did something. I think they helped him with his memories so that he could help us with the portal." --- "I believe your wife has already taken off to check on her father." Raguel pointed out to Charles awkwardly. He looked at Life and Death. The tension was thick in this room. He knew Amelia would find her father and that Gabriel wouldn't be too far away when she did. So it would make sense that she would deliver the same news to them both at once. In the meantime, Raguel would need to try and keep the peace between Life and Death before their departure. "I don't know about you two, but after that meeting, I could use a drink." he waved his hand, summoning three glasses and a bottle of scotch onto the table. He then glanced at Clarity who was snoring lightly and waved his hand once more, making a blanket appear over her... including her head. --- At his touch and the kiss on her hand, Daisy shivered excitedly. Unable to take her eyes off him. "Y-you think I'm perfect?" she found herself asking in the same dreamy way. John had to stop himself from looking directly at Adam. Knowing that if he did while he was glowing he'd find it hard to resist him as well. Especially after their earlier romp. He looked around at the rest of the people who were still on their knees and held back his grimace while leaning in towards Adam's ear. Quietly he said to him; "I think the others may have already passed their prime. But it's not a total loss. Your kingdom will need more than wives. It will need maids, gardeners, chefs. And these people are already bowing to you, so I think asking them to serve you in your new Eden will be easy enough." he smiled at the enchanted way Daisy was gazing at Adam. "Maybe I can finish up here for you. I'll orient them to their new lives as 'Adam's chosen citizens' while you take this lovely one home to become better acquainted?" --- As Nate spun him, Tom giggled gleefully. He kissed his cheek and his neck. "Oh, Nate! What we have... I hope we stay like this forever! You're the best thing that's ever happened to me!" he then gave him a cheeky smile. "Take me flying? I want to be in your arms and admire the sunrise on the horizon from a great height!"

"Ok, stay safe though," Parker said to Will, taking his hand and squeezing it a little. He then looked at Carter and Damien. "I'll see you later then. I should probably try to get some sleep anyway." May looked at James curiously then nodded and looked around. "Sure. All the rooms are full but the staircase is usually pretty empty," she said before leading him there. Once in the door was closed, she looked over him briefly with just her eyes. "Is everything alright? Is there a medical issue you need me to look at for you?" --- While following Gabriel, David smiled at Hades and placed his hand over hers to show he appreciated her support. He suddenly stopped and covered his eyes with one hand while his lower lip quivered. "I'm fine. I'm fine," he said, taking some breaths as he stood straight again and removed his hand to reveal fresh tears. With his memories gone, it felt like only yesterday that he'd lost Sara. But now he had two adopted daughters and even though he'd only known about them for a few hours, the way they talked to him, conducted themselves and loved him filled him with so much pride and appreciation for them. It was comforting to know that despite his failures with his real daughter, he had at least done right by these girls even if he couldn't remember doing so. "Alright, let's get my memories back!" He said with renewed determination, ready to follow Gabriel to a doctor that might be able to help him. --- "Life will do nothing to place The Balance in danger. After all, I'm sure that Life will agree that an alliance with yourself will be preferable to a chained confinement in Purgatory." Clarity threatened in the refined voice without so much as glancing in Life's direction. Clarity then looked at Charles. "Time is of the essence. We trust that you will make the correct decision but we must advise you to have a replacement on hand if this Ancient Devil will not comply." When Charles had admitted he wasn't sure what would be classed as an Arch Demon, Amelia thought for a moment and when Clarity stopped speaking, she looked at Charles sadly. "David would have been perfect... if only he could remember..." "David Sedley?" Clarity's eyes snapped to Amelia who look back at her in surprise before nodding. "Yes. My father. He lost his memory in a fight. But before that, he was the wisest and strongest Demon I knew. He was my right hand for most of my reign but his memory loss forced him into retirement." Raguel nodded to Amelia's words and chimed in. "He's an honourable Demon, Counsilwoman. Worthy of the title, if not for his current condition. He helped Amelia and Charles to organise and host the peace talks with myself and Gabriel." "And his amnesia is the only obstacle preventing him from helping you now?" Clarity asked, this time in the gentleman's voice. "Yes, s-sir? Ma'am?... Y-your honour?" Amelia replied, uncertain of how to address the entities clearly possessing Clarity's mind. "Councilman or woman," Raguel whispered across the table to them. "C-counsilman." Amelia corrected herself awkwardly with a thankful nod to Raguel. "Very well." She lifted her fingers and snapped them. "It is done. Arch Demon David will accompany Gabriel to Death's Kingdom to safeguard Life and Death." "Wait, wha-?" Amelia started but was interrupted as Clarity announced; 'Meeting Adjourned!' before her eyes rolled back and the spirit slumped in her chair before snoring a little. "Did- did she-? Did they-?..." Amelia gingerly got to her feet as she looked at each of them before gasping. "Dad!" she ran out of the room. "They took over everything, as usual..." Raguel huffed to himself irritably. "Bloody council..." He remained in the room, watching Life and Death carefully after their earlier bickering. They would need to wait for David and Gabriel to escort them back to Death's Kingdom. --- Back in Heaven's Hospital, David suddenly cried out and dropped to his knees while gripping his head which felt like it would explode. Memory after memory flicked through his mind, playing like a two-decade-long movie stuck on fast-forward. He could do little more than whimper and gasp as his mind tried to catch up on all of those meories all at once. --- After seeing an Angel up close, the moment Adam's body began to glow the few people in the room dropped to their knees. some of them cried tears of joy. In total, there were five people in this room, including the orange-haired girl and the large man. The rest consisted of a balding older gentleman in a woollen sweater and two middle-aged women One wearing a pantsuit and the other wearing a modest, formal beige dress. Compared to the rest of the people in the room who appeared to range between the ages of 45 to 60, the orange-haired girl looked to be in her early twenties. The girl gasped when Adam glowed and she clasped her hands over her mouth while watching him. She didn't know whether to get on her knees like everyone else, bow or curtsy. "You're really Adam!" she breathed excitedly. Staring at him, she seemed almost entranced by his glow. She suddenly felt she'd do anything he'd ask without question. "I'm... I'm Daisy." she sighed dreamily. --- Tom grinned at Nate. His eyes were full of love as he jumped up, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and resting his head against his. "I'm sure he'll be fine. I'm sure he'll find it beautiful. But my Heaven is right here."

Parker wiped away his tears but kept staring at Damien who had now averted his gaze and seemed to be trying hard to not let himself look vulnerable. "I don't hate you," Parker said, and this prompted Damien to look at him again. There was a light behind his eyes that Parker hadn't seen until now. He looked surprised but mostly hopeful. "I was pissed at you but I don't hate you. I'm- I'm glad you're here." Parker finished. Damien had already been fighting hard to stop his own tears from falling but those words brought him to the brink. It wasn't an 'I love you, Dad' but it was as close as he could get for now. He wanted to hug him but knew it was too soon for Parker to be comfortable with that. So, instead, he smiled and nodded to him. "For as long as I can help it, I will always be here for you." he stood and walked back to the table to grab a bottle of water to give to Parker. Sometime later, after coming to terms with what had happened and feeling more secure with Will, Carter & Damien's support, Nurse May came back to the room. She smiled at James before knocking politely on the door and entering the room. By now the hospital was still busy but not nearly as chaotic as it had been. Some patients needed to be reallocated to other hospitals and what was left was gradually being seen to. The nurse looked between the men with a sympathetic expression, completely missing the subtle smile Damien gave James. "I understand it's been a very long day for all of you and you'll be reluctant to leave but I'm afraid visiting time is up. You'll need to leave so that Parker can rest. He's in good hands so you don't need to worry and you're welcome to come back tomorrow to see him again." she had already given a similar speech to several other families today. Damien nodded to her and then looked at Parker. "I need to find someone to make you that prosthetic anyway. I'll be back tomorrow though, I promise." "I'll give you all five minutes to say your goodbyes," May told them before turning to leave the room. --- "In that dusty old place?" David asked perplexed, looking at Gabriel in surprise. "Wait, you know me too, don't you?" he then looked sadly at Hades, knowing how these questions might sound. "Man, it's like I've stepped into a crazy dream... but I can't leave just yet." He looked back at Gabriel. "I need to talk to a doctor here. I need to get my memories back." --- While Death's outburst had been a surprise but Life's immediate reaction of violence was shocking. Amelia had once more jumped to her feet, ready to attempt to break the pair apart. Charles had been faster, however. He'd appeared between them and at Life's words, Amelia bristled. Tiny embers escaped her lips as she spoke. "Try it and I'll knock you into next year!" she warned Life. Having seen enough, Clarity stood and snapped her fingers. In the blink of an eye, everyone was sitting back in their seats as if nothing had happened. Any bruises Death had were gone. Any damage to the room was reversed. Amelia had gasped, looking around the room in confusion. All eyes now on Clarity who was glaring back at them. Just how powerful was this council? Amelia had heard they weren't something to be messed with but that was an insane show of strength! Calmly, silently, Clarity sat back down. Then looked at Raguel who had been staring back at her warily with a slightly paler complexion. "Where are your forces, currently?" she asked in a pleasant sounding, male voice. "Split, councelman. I have sent Angels to aid the mortals on Earth. My Arch Angels are hunt-... in the process of locating the boy. Also on Earth." "Earth's chaotic state is resolving. Call your Angels and Arch Angels back. You will split them between all plains to search for this boy. Whether or not killing this boy will affect the closure of the portal is uncertain. So, until we can rule it out you will relay the order that this child is to be captured, unharmed." Clarity then looked at Charles and Amelia. "We are aware of the ongoing conflicts in Hell. Therefore we must ask that you summon your most trustworthy demons to aid us. They too will be split among the plains to assist the Arch Angels in this search." She then looked to Life and Death. "Such petty squabbles are of no benefit and beneath you both. All life and unlife depend on both of your survivals. Death, you will house Life in your Kingdom until such time as this threat is dealt with. Until then, Heaven and Hell will provide one each of their best soldiers to act as your guards." "Azrael is already-" Raguel began but Clarity cut him off. "Insufficient. Azrael is a resident of Death's kingdom, not your Arch Angel to command." Raguel glared but didn't dare argue with the council. "Then Gabriel is my best Arch Angel. I am confident he will protect them to the best of his abilities." Clarity turned to Amelia and Charles once more. "Which of your Arch Demons will you send to join Gabriel in this assignment?" --- "An Angel named John! What next?" laughed a slightly rotund man in a Hawaiian shirt. "You going to take us to a burning bush too?" "Stop it. He clearly needs help and you're just being nasty." The girl in the floral shirt scolded him while crossing her arms. Her blue eyes glaring at him from behind rounded glasses. John stepped forward when called and smiled at them all. "I'm certainly not Saint John, but I've been known to work a miracle or two." He said cockily before popping his wings out, making all of them gasp and jump. The orange-haired girl had jumped to her feet, staring wide-eyed. All laughing had stopped. "Th-Those are fake!" The large man half-laughed uncertainly. "A costume!" "By all means, have a feel." John looked at him with a knowing smirk. He watched calmly as the man pretended to confidently stride over, ready to prove them wrong. As he got closer though, and he could see each individual feather, he looked more and more doubtful. John remained still as the man walked around him to look at where the wings had ripped through his shirt. He felt the man's fingers glide over a few feathers for a second before he pulled his hand back with a sharp gasp. The man's mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he tried to say something. Unable to take his wide eyes off John's wings as he lifted a hand to cover his mouth before exclaiming "They're real!" "Of course they are!" John laughed and then looked at the rest of the people in the room. "Don't be shy! If you want to see for yourself, come and have a feel. My feathers are very soft." One at a time, the others in the room shuffled forward in excited awe to get a closer look. After seeing and stroking them for herself, the girl turned to Adam. "He's really an Angel. Does that mean- are you really-?" --- "Nate told you, he's an Angel. He knows what Heaven is like." Tom said to Oliver then looked at Nate. "I can't believe I've never actually asked before but what is Heaven like?" he asked him. Having never died, Nate was the closest he'd ever come to Heaven so he had no idea what was on 'the other side' other than the odd story he'd get told.

Parker burst into tears. Overwhelmed by their support and his grief. Simply unable to hold it back any longer. "It's not fair!" he sobbed as he lifted his hands to cover his eyes. "Life was just starting to get back to normal! What else could go wrong?!" "There isn't much to teach. It's kind of one of those things you need to figure out on your own." Damien admitted. "But if I could offer some advice? Don't pretend. Don't act like something you're not just because you think she'll like you better for it. Just be yourself. Talk to her like a person. A friend, even. Then make your move when the time feels right. It'll come naturally, trust me." he paused outside of Parker's door and took a breath, steeling himself before going back in. "Who wants snacks?" he sang, putting on a cheery smile to try to lift Parker's spirits. Then he saw his tears and frowned. "Hey, it'll be ok," he said gently as he laid the food and drink cans on the table nearby. "Fuck you! Don't patronise me!" Parker snapped. Damien walked over and sat on the end of the bed, looking calmly at him. "Parker, look at me," he said gently. When Parker didn't, he spoke again but his tone was a little firmer. "Draven." Moodily, Parker dropped his hands to glare at his father. "You're angry and upset-" "No shit-!" "Let me finish!" Damien barely stopped himself from snapping. He then sighed to calm himself. "You've every right to be. This is a shock and it's life-changing. You're scared and you're lashing out. But listen to me. You are strong. You're stronger than I was at your age. You didn't just lose a limb today. You took control of your life. You could have come with me and become a Devil. It would have been so easy. Too easy. But I know what that would have meant to you. This is your one chance to have a normal, mortal life. So, you've faced some mortal challenges, that's the beauty of being human. And what is this if not another challenge for you to overcome in your human life?" he smiled, looking at Parker lovingly. "My boy. I didn't get to watch you grow up and you may still hate me for that but I'm proud of you all the same. You've grown into a better man than I could ever be. You should be proud of that." Damien stopped and blinked. He'd felt his own eyes welling up as he'd been speaking and he suddenly felt self-conscious about it. Meanwhile, Parker had calmed down while listening to him. Though tears had continued to stream down his cheeks. His scowl had softened as he stared at his father wordlessly. --- David's stomach turned as Gabriel told him how much the news of his amnesia might upset Hades. He watched the exchange tensely and couldn't help smiling at Hades awkwardly as she reacted happily to seeing him there. Then she discovered what had happened to her and he watched her sob with a frown. It was instinctive, his reaction to this. He walked over with no fear of what she was or what she could do to him in this form and he wrapped his arms around her. "We'll figure this out. I promise." --- Clarity stood from her chair. Her voice boomed in an older, more refined tone. "Life and Death. You and your kin are forbidden from interacting with this entity. The Balance must take the highest priority. If you or yours should encounter them then we would advise you to call upon Heaven or Hell's forces and retreat. Death, you will remain with ourselves once this meeting concludes to submit a report and discuss this new daughter of yours." 'Ourselves' meaning Clarity. "What? We need as many of us searching for this boy as possible-!" Amelia piped up but Clarity cut her off. "We can forgive your naivity as you have not been a ruler for long, but The Balance has existed since the dawn of time and must not be jeapordised." "But-!" "Queen Amelia, with respect, they're right," Raguel said begrudgingly. He then turned to look at Clarity. "But I do also understand Amelia's concern. Council, it has come to our attention that this 'problem' may not be confined to Earth as we had first thought." Clarity's stern yet glazed-over gaze snapped to Raguel. "Explain." "The boy can teleport. Which means his universe might function similarly to our own and if that's the case then the boy could literally be hiding anywhere. He could be on Earth, in Heaven, in Hell or even in Death's kingdom." Raguel looked between them all grimly. "Nowhere is safe as long as this boy is on the loose." "But he is still just a boy, as Charles said!" Amelia now stood, leaning against the table. "I have not spent the better part of my reign in Hell preaching redemption and forgiveness just to end up hunting a child like some kind of beast!" "Take a seat, Amelia." Clarity's voice switched to a man's as her head snapped to glare at her. Amelia glared back for a moment before reluctantly sitting back down. "Your emotions get the better of you. We must act logically. If the boy can be apprehended peacefully then do so, but if his presence or actions cause the portal to open more. Or if The Balance is put in danger, then you must be prepared to use any means necessary. There can be no room for error when the risks are so great." --- The small group began laughing at Adam as he entered the hall and spouted what they assumed to be absolute madness. All except one young woman who sat in a floral dress and watched Adam with a sympathetic look. She also thought he was mad but she didn't want to be cruel by laughing with the others. Her orange hair was tied in a loose ponytail. The rest of the members here seemed to range from middle aged to elderly. Seeing their reactions and biting his lip a little, John had a feeling the humans of this time would be harder to convince. Even the more religious ones. He stood close by and waited for Adam's word but otherwise did not intervene. --- Tom looked between the two, only able to piece together the rest of the story from their conversation. But even then, it left him with more questions than answers. "What man? What did they look like?" he asked. He stumbled a little as the ground shook but did his best to keep his balance while focusing on helping the boy.

"Was I selfish?" Parker asked them in a broken voice. "Damien gave me an out but I didn't want to lose my humanity yet. But now I'm going to be such a burden on everyone!" "Hmm, maybe roses are usually good. I think red is traditional." Damien said as they walked back towards the room. "But like I said, you might wana wait until things calm down first. Maybe you could use that time to think over what you're going to say when you ask her out?" --- "Gabriel?" David gawped excitedly as he followed him. Not taking his eyes off him as if he could hardly believe it. "Like, THE Arch Angel Gabriel?" When they arrived at the hospital he stared at the creature that was supposedly his daughter. He listened to Gabriel then shook his head sadly. "She should be her own person..." he sighed heavily. "She must've meant a great deal to me if I adopted her." he turned his head to look at the Arch Angel. "Is there nothing that can be done to help her?" --- "We'll see about that." Raguel positioned himself at the other end of the table from Life. He'd only met this spirit once but he got the impression that he could be reckless. Amelia sat at the table, near Charles. Clarity sat in the first available seat, nearest the door. "Now then, thank you for attending this impromptu meeting." Raguel addressed them all. He'd briefly given Amelia an annoyed look when saying the word 'impromptu' "Apologies for the lack of warning, but given the chaos our worlds are facing, I think we can all agree that our collective attention is required," Amelia spoke up, subtly sniping back at Raguel who could only conceal his reactive smirk. "Indeed." He replied then turned his attention to the others. "Death and I witnessed the cause of this portal and his subsequent escape." he narrowed his eyes slightly, turning to look at Death. "I recall there being a girl there. The girl from the first portal. She attacked us, allowing this boy." he said while maintaining eye contact with Death. He was insinuating that Lilly may have been involved in the second portal being opened. At this, Clarity had also turned her gaze to Death. Watching in silent judgement. "You struck her down so am I correct in assuming that this girl is within your custody and available for questioning?" --- John winced at the suggestion. "Not churches, no. Too many of His eyes and ears there. But you might be on to something." he said as he teleported them to a corridor of a community centre in a small town that had barely been touched by the same chaos ravaging the rest of the world. Eve had been left to wait in the safety of their new home. Walking down the corridor slightly he looked through the glass of a pair of double doors and smiled. "Perfect." he turned to look at Adam. "A bible study group. All human from the looks of them. I'll follow your lead. If they need a little proof of who we are, just give me the word and I'll pop my wings out." --- Tom stood from the seat he'd been pushed into and gingerly approached the stage again while giving Nate a quick wary look before turning his gaze back to the boy. "Talk to us," he said gently. "We want to help you but we need to understand what happened first. Tell us your story. What's your name? What happened to you?"

"Oh, good." Parker nodded in relief then stared off towards the end of the bed. "Good..." he said again absently. Damien smiled as he slapped another coin into the machine and pressed a couple of buttons to replace the can that James had just crushed. "Relax, man. She might like you back or she might not. You're not going to know until you ask her though. So, I guess the choice you really have here is to either drop it and spend your life wondering what could have been..." he picked up the new can and handed it to James. "Or you can buy her some flowers and ask her if she wants to meet you for a coffee sometime." --- With everyone else now on their feet, David felt he should also stand up. He looked between the newer faces curiously and waved at them awkwardly as he had done with Raguel. "The Council will not wait." Clarity spoke but her voice was distorted and sounded much deeper than it had a moment ago. "We know who you are King of Hell. We have been watching you and your wife's progress with much interest." "Charles, we need to prioritise this," Amelia said to him while taking his hand. "Hades is in good hands here but we can't afford to waste time and allow anything like that to happen to anyone else. This is our responsibility." "As much as I need to remind you that you are our guests here and for the pair of you to try not to take over my office, I must admit that your wife is correct." Raguel conceded as he walked around his desk. "I could go and check in on this Hades." David offered. "I mean, I gotta see some doctor Angels anyway so might as well kill two birds with one stone." Amelia paused and stared at David wide eyed for a moment. How could she forget to tell him?! Noticing this, David squinted slightly. "What? What's that look? What have I forgotten now?" "Dad... it's Hades..." "Oh no... who is he to me? Enemy? Friend?" "You uh-... you know how you adopted me?" Amelia started and David's eyes widened as he began to realise what she was saying. Then Amelia confirmed it by saying "You adopted her too." "Her?" David blinked. He'd been assuming Hades was male based on what little he knew of Greek myths. "I have another daughter?" he smiled for a second before it slipped and he gave Amelia a hurt look. "Why didn't you tell me?" "It- it never came up and with everything else going on-... I'm sorry. David opened his mouth to say something then shook his head and looked at Raguel. "Could someone show me to the hospital?" "Gabriel!" Raguel called. "Please escort Mr Sedley to our hospital." he then turned to the others. "We have a larger office just down the hall. And yes, Death, this does require your presence as well." Raguel told them. "Speaking of Death, isn't there also a representative of the Midwives? The Spirit of Life?" Amelia asked after regathering herself and having looked around the room, noting that they had yet to arrive. "I imagine they're currently indisposed. We should head to the meeting room now. They can catch up when they arrive." Raguel said as he headed out of the room to escort the group to the meeting room. --- John looked up at him quickly. "We still need to be careful," he told him. "If we spread the word too far then eventually that word will reach the ears of Hell's rulers. Heaven. Raguel. We need to avoid their attention. At least until your new children are born. Until then, on my own I won't be powerful enough to protect you if they discover us. These spells prevent outsiders from finding us but we cannot run the risk of discovery before we're ready." he stood. "I am happy to escort you to Earth to find your partners. We must start small and convince just a handful to join us here. If we cannot convince them then perhaps I can erase their memory of ever meeting us. To be safe." He took another step towards them, careful not to spook Eve who was hugging Adam's back shyly. "I swear, as soon as we're ready we will spread the word to Earth of our new Eden and bring many new followers to your kingdom. But first, we must build that kingdom, together." he offered his hand to Adam. --- Shezmu stared at Dariel for a moment before gently taking the list from his hand. "Should I add sophistication and elegance to your curriculum?" he asked half-jokingly as he waved his free hand over the paper. The page would seem to shimmer before Dariel's eyes before the words would re-arrange themselves to become more readable. Another illusion. He handed the paper back to him. --- Tom watched what happened and kept his voice low as he watched the boy on the stage. "What should we do?" he asked Nate. Ghosts were nothing new to Tom, after his stay at Carter's office back when he'd first turned. He felt bad for the boy. How horrible it must be to be left to wander Earth with no guidance to the afterlife.

Sounds good to me. With the chaos going on currently, it would make sense that something like this might happen 🙂

Parker grit his teeth and grunted as Will lifted him into a sitting position. "I don't think so. It just hurts," he answered as he looked down sadly at the curves in the bedsheets. His stomach turned with dread as he considered that he would need to see how it looked eventually. Wanting desperately to take his mind off it, he looked at Carter and Will. "Is everyone ok? No one else got hurt in that quake, did they?" Damien made a whistling noise to signal that he was impressed by James's story. "Dude, it sounds like you have a decent chance with her. You're like her knight in shining armour!" he chuckled as he popped a couple of coins into the vending machine and pressed some buttons. As the coil started to turn he looked back at James with an understanding smile. "And I was trained to be Lucifer's soldier and heir. That didn't stop me from falling head over heels for Parker's mother. Training can toughen you up. In that, there's no doubt. But it can only go so far when it comes to controlling your emotions. From my experience, love is especially difficult to control. It can hit you out of nowhere when you least expect it and when it does, it hits you hard enough to knock you on your ass." He bent down to pick up the various drinks and snacks then offered one of the soda cans to James. "But that's not a bad thing. Love can make you stronger than any amount of training ever could." --- Rickster let out a quiet moan as Ricky kissed and straddled him. While catching his breath as Ricky rolled to the side, he couldn't help smirking. "Oh?" he replied playfully. "You haven't forgotten all the things I can do, have you?" he rolled onto his hands and knees to playfully prowl towards him. "All the things I can make you feel?" he whispered as he brought his lips closer to his. "All the ways I can make your body burn with pure, primal pleasure." he captured his lips then moved his hands across his back. As they move over his spine, little jolts of electricity would spark from his fingertips. Not enough to be painful but enough to temporarily heighten Ricky's sense of touch. Making him feel each sensation far more keenly than normal. --- "Is that so?" Raguel turned his attention to David momentarily with an intrigued expression. "I will request that one of our medical personnel take a look at him. Perhaps we might be able to help?" he suggested as he looked back at Charles. "In the meantime, Lilith-" "Can wait." Amelia cut in. Earning her a surprised look from Raguel. "We know she's powerless and she's on the loose. Charles can fill me in on the rest of her story later and maybe we can spare a demon or two to search for her. But right now, we should be focussing our efforts on that portal before anyone else wanders through, or worse yet, it gets bigger. Tell me, Raguel, What do you know about the boy that stepped through? Aside from the fact he has green eyes. How big is this portal? Has it done anything besides opening? and how badly did the quakes affect everything?" Raguel smirked for half a second. With her being mostly out of action from caring for Oliver, and him needing to deal with Charles directly as a result, Raguel had almost forgotten how 'to the point' Amelia could be. "Very well." he gestured for them to take a seat. Obviously, this wasn't a flying visit. David sat in one of the large, Irish-green cushioned chairs across but to the side from Raguel's desk. Amelia sat in a similar-looking chair directly across from Raguel. There was one more identical chair for Charles right next to her. "The quakes have affected all planes of reality. Earth, Heaven, Hell, Death's Kingdom and even the Spirit Realm. Earth seems to have suffered the worst, but that makes sense considering the Portal's location. All of Earth now is in a state of chaos. Buildings collapsed. Hospitals overrun. Riots sweeping through cities and keeping their law enforcements busy. I have already sent Angels undercover to return the world to order as best they can. Including some rookie Angels-to-be with the promise that this will earn them their wings. My remaining Arch Angels are scouring the Earth for the boy. We don't believe he has left that world. In fact, I doubt he's even aware of the other realms' existence considering he is mortal." Raguel sat back in his chair and folded one leg over another. "We don't know much else about him except that he was not only powerful enough to open the portal, but also teleport at will." "How do you know he's mortal, then?" Amelia asked critically. "Hmm?" "The boy. You said you believe he's mortal and still on earth. I don't know many living mortals who can teleport. Granted, I don't know a damn thing about the world or the universe that he came from but assuming it follows the same logic as ours... for all we know, he might be a Devil of his world, or an Angel, or something at least similar." "Which would mean he'd know our universe has afterlife worlds," David said slowly, coming to the same conclusion that Amelia had. "He could be bloody anywhere!" "Raguel, we need to expand this search with urgency," Amelia said with a determined look. Raguel, who had been disturbed by this revelation only nodded in response. "Is there anything else we should know? Have you or your Angels found any other way to close that portal?" Amelia asked. "Hades, I believe is one of your friends? She attempted to attack the portal shortly after the boy had taken off. It-... changed her." "Changed how?" "It would be best if you saw for yourself. I can escort you to the infirmary where she is being treated shortly." "Alright, anything else? Charles said the boy's friend had been killed. Do you have the body?" "We believe they may have been lovers and no, the boy took his body with him when he teleported. Forgive me, Queen Amelia, you are demanding an awful lot of information but I have yet to see Hell assisting in these matters." Raguel said icily. His sudden shift from pleasant to irritated was jarring. David was visibly thrown off but Amelia had retorted calmly. "Why do you think I'm asking these questions, Raguel?" She stood, stepped towards the desk and placed her hands flat against it. She leant over slightly to glare at him. "From what I understand it has been several hours since this portal opened and not only have our forces been under-informed, but it would also seem that in terms of searching for this boy you had placed all of your eggs into one bloody basket and hoped for the best! I think the better question here is, why haven't the other realms been more involved in this matter? Have they been as ill-informed as we have? Did you really assume that Heaven's forces could be the only ones to resolve this? We need to work together, Raguel. All of us!" she stood straight and turned to face Charles, David and the rest of the room. "I call upon the leaders of the Realms to attend! Death, Life, The Spirit Council and the Nephilim President that currently resides in the White House!" A greying, old woman with curled hair and wearing a grey robe appeared in the room. "Greetings to the leaders of Heaven and Hell. I am Clarity. The Spirit Council regrets that it cannot attend in person, but will speak through me. I will be it's eyes, ears and tongue for this meeting." "So... you're a telephone?" David asked then caught Amelia's embarressed look. "What?" "Now look what you've done..." Raguel hissed behind Amelia. He couldn't stand the Spirit Council at the best of times and had hoped to not get them involved. --- John faltered, taken aback by Adam's reaction. Given Adam's willingness so far, he hadn't anticipated that he'd react in this way. Eve was glaring at John from over Adam's shoulder but he paid little attention to her. His eyes were fixed on Adam's as he slowly raised his hands. "Forgive me," he said quietly. "I- I suppose I was just concerned that if anything went wrong then we would lose this chance to bring Eden back. I have been dreaming of this for so long..." he told them then looked down at his hands. "The things I was prepared to do... to make it happen, but of course, you're right. You're both right." he took a step towards them and paused as Eve jumped a little. "We don't need to force anyone. We'll find a way to make it work where everyone is happy! Please... please forgive me." He knelt down, bowing to them both. --- Smiling, Shezmu quickly rolled up the contract and pressed it into his chest, seeming to absorb it completely. This was just an illusion, but it ensured that anyone trying to take the contract away from him would assume they'd have to fight him for it. The real contract was quite safe, having been teleported to a securely hidden safe miles away. "Good. We can begin immediately. I will train you in martial combat, and swordsmanship, as well as to hone those hidden powers of yours. I expect you to meet me every morning as soon as the sun rises and not a minute later. We will spar for three hours in the morning. You may spend one hour resting and eating, then we will spend the last three hours studying spells and alchemy before you can rest for the evening." He stood and walked over to a desk where he wrote a list in elegant handwriting. Once done he handed it to Dariel. The list asked for simple things such as parchment, quills, ink, and a few book titles regarding alchemy and foraging. But then there were also other items which may be harder for Dariel to get hold of such as a sword, steel armor and chainmail. "Procure these items before our first session tomorrow morning and get plenty of rest. Ask the vampires here, I'm sure they will be accommodating. I look forward to watching you become a formidable ally." --- "Oh..." Lilly sighed sadly as she looked away from him, trying to hide her emotions. "I understand." Azrael felt bad for her but as he thought about it, an idea crossed his mind. "Your Grace, I realise that our Princess here is still new and has yet to learn to control her powers. But perhaps we could make an exception for one evening that she be able to return to Earth to celebrate with her friends once our ball here is done?" he suggested. "I would be happy to chaperone her for you to ensure she does not get into any trouble."

Ohh no worries lol Yeah, I reckon Rickster would have a few tricks up his sleeves hahaha

Is Ricky referring to something specific? Might need to remind me lol