Shadowess

lol No worries.

Is Oliver still with Elliott & Vincent?

Amelia thought for a moment. "Will you be ok if I leave for a sec? I think I know a couple we can trust but I'd like to check in on them first and make sure they're in a good position to help." --- Tears welled in Azrael's eyes. He was worried that their enemies would exploit their love but at the same time, he also felt Death's pain. "My love..." he whispered, cupping his cheeks in his hands as he pressed his head against his. "Then let us break free of this cage and stand in the open together." --- Rolling his eyes at Jean's theatrics, Shezmu teleported into his own room. He sat in the middle of the room with his legs crossed and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he relaxed his shoulders and reached out with his mind. Searching from country to country for more of his kind. Sending out his greetings, reassuring them he meant no harm but that he had enough power to defend himself if necessary. He reached out with invitations to meet them and to know what has become of their kind. --- "The fuck- Who do you think you are?" The vampire complained. He debated killing them both but for the sake of what would basically be a snack, the trouble didn't seem worth it. "Fuck it! Fine! Have him!" he threw his hands up in the air. Then he had a thought and pointed to Blake while grinning in a sinister way. "These Tricksters aren't to be trusted. Take my word for it. Come and find me when you've had enough of being treated like dirt. I'll give you something those fantasia fuckers only wish they had!- Immortality!" laughing, the vampire took off, content that his parting comment might stir enough temptation in the kid to make them want to wander from the flock.

Hmm, maybe. Or if it'd be easier your Trickster could be working for another Trickster (My own). What do you think?

"There's been a few, actually..." Amelia said, puzzled as she thought back to meeting Ash, Abaddon, Adam and others. "They all seem to be coming out of the woodwork now that Lucifer is gone... and Hell's Cells collapsing didn't help much." She sat back on the couch with her arms folded as she thought for a moment. "I could take you to them one by one? See if you sense anything in their presence?" she looked at the sleepy child. "Would you want to leave her with a babysitter or bring her with you?" --- "You needn't apologise," Azrael said softly. "We're alone now. You can confide in me. I won't think little of you for it. I know you've been through so much." --- "Must you?" Shezmu complained awkwardly as he stood there. The hug made him increasingly uncomfortable. "I am not afraid." He said firmly, agitated that Jean would try to make him appear weak in any way. Or maybe he was agitated because Jean could see right through him. Hard to say with how little emotion he actually allows himself to display. "I request that you unhand me now." --- The vampire ground to a halt some distance away as he realised his dessert had just run into another supernatural being. "Hey, I saw him first! He's mine!" he called over possessively. He then smirked at the kid. "C'mon, don't make this harder for yourself. It's not all bad. Just a little pinch, that's all."

Did you just want me to play the vampire?

I like it 😁

"Well, that's easy to work with. Some gothy curtains, some spider web-themed wallpaper and a Lucas plushy should make her feel right at home." Amelia smiled as she put her phone away. She thought about what Sara said and recalled seeing something rush through the bars shortly before Sara had gone into labour. "What do you remember about that, by the way? Maybe I could try and track down its source." --- Seeing his tears, Azrael frowned. He wasn't sure if he could reach him in this state but he would do anything to help him. He emitted his calming aura while he kept watch over him and slowly caressed the back of his hand with his thumb. He couldn't help admiring his beauty as he slept. Leaning forward, he planted a loving kiss on his forehead. --- "We should really finish what we came here to do first," she told him while looking around the room. "He might be in a better mood if we can tell him it's done." she stood and helped Raven to his feet. "No more dwelling on the past. We have a whole future together as a family to look forward to," she said, trying to cheer him up as she picked up the mop. --- "Correct." Shezmu nodded, completely ignoring Jean's earlier statement about finding someone. "I require a quiet space to concentrate and will call out for other Blood Gods with my mind. It is then up to those who hear me to respond so that I can find them. I need to know that there are more of us out there... that we are not dying out as some of the vampires of this castle have suggested." There was a hint of desperation to his tone but his stoney expression gave no emotions away. --- He'd barely had time to wipe the blood from his mouth when he heard the unmistakable sound of someone running away. The vampire had turned their head in time to see blond hair round the corner in a hurry. "Huh..." he paused as he stared after them for a moment. He then looked down thoughtfully at the corpse he'd just made before smirking. "I guess I have room for dessert," he commented to himself and took off after the boy, catching up quickly.

Fair lol Just typing it up now then 🙂

Just thinking up a vampire for that scenario lol Did you have an idea of where you're going with it or just improvise, as usual? xD

"Well, there goes my search history..." Amelia mumbled as she watched the various grotesque images flicker and glitch on the screen. She looked at Ophelia and sighed. "Surely she can't know what these things are yet?" she wondered out loud. "I wonder if it's random..." She turned the laptop off and then pulled out her phone, bringing up another search page. Thinking back on one of the images she saw, she searched for something similar but much more light-hearted. "Ophelia, wouldn't you like something like this?" She asked as she showed some pictures of Lucas the Spider with his adorably large eyes. --- "Sire!" Surprised by his collapse, Azrael ran to his side. Hearing a dozen footsteps running towards them, Azrael lifted Death into his arms and turned to address the Reapers that had come to help. "Go back to your duties. The King needs rest. See to it that he is not disturbed for the rest of today." he ordered them before teleporting into Death's room to gently lay him on his bed. He sat beside him and brushed some of his hair back with his hand. He clasped his hand in his and anxiously watched him sleep. --- Lilly stroked his hair and rocked slightly with him in her arms. "I've got you." she said after a quiet moment. "You're my brother now and we'll get through this together. Let's make a promise to each other, hmm? That no matter what we protect and look out for each other. We comfort each other." --- Damien looked at Samson's belt and bit his lip. He was a little nervous considering this was the first man he'd ever gone to bed with and he wasn't exactly sure what he was doing. But he figured he'd go with whatever felt right and Samson could always communicate to him what he liked. He took his own belt off and then strapped each of Samson's wrists to the bed. Making sure they weren't too tight but also tight enough to pinch and leave marks. He kissed him again, deeply. Then he bit down a little on his lip, drawing a little blood which sent a sudden shock of pleasure down his spine, making him gasp and pull back to look at him. He looked at the blood on his lip and touched the droplets that had clung to his own. It was only a small nip and Damien could already see it healing. "Too hard?" he asked. He wanted to be rough with him but didn't want to go too far. --- Shezmu raised an eyebrow at Jean's reaction once they were outside. "Why do you hold yourself responsible for the sorrow of others? This is a waste of your energy. Some things cannot be mended merely by words." he said simply, unable to understand how Jean could take someone else's problem so personally. He felt uncomfortable. A leader crying openly had always been considered a weakness in his time. "Thank you for assisting me. I'm going to my home. I wish to meditate to search for more of my kind. I know they're out there. We cannot be the only three in the world."

Shezmu isn't big on comfort or feelings lol xD

"Of course," Amelia said with a nod. "My laptop is at home so I'll be back in a sec!" she then vanished. A few minutes later she reappeared with her laptop bag and went about setting it up on the coffee table. "Alright, let's see what the world wide web can give us!" --- "Only temporarily." Azrael pointed out. "Once Raven passes his training, would he not then be able to visit his lover whenever he chooses?" he then looked at Death with some concern when he mentioned feeling weak. "Sire?" --- Hearing the clatter of the mop and Raven's sobs, Lilly turned to look at him briefly. Quickly moving her hands and feet to the sides of the ladder, she slid down it rapidly before running over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and brought him into a hug so that he could cry on her shoulder. "I'm not innocent either... but we're here now. We've been given a chance to be something different. Something better. Let's not waste this opportunity. I don't believe Father would have brought us to be his children if he hadn't seen something worth saving in both of us." --- Pinned down, Damien tilted his head back, sighing in pleasure as he felt Samson kissing his chest. He then jumped a little, gasping and moaning from the bite. He could feel a small amount of venom there, increasing the sensations he felt as Samson licked up his blood. "Oh fuck!" he moaned as each lap of his tongue on the wound sent a shockwave of shivers through him. "I wonder how you taste." He smirked playfully. He wrapped his legs around Samson's waist and then rolled on the bed so that he'd be straddling him. It was Damien's turn to rip Samson's shirt open and kiss his bare skin. He kissed him deeply then moved his kisses down his neck, to his collar bone then to his chest. He focussed on one of his nipples for a moment, running his tongue over and around it and then he ran his tongue up the centre of his chest, back up his neck and into his mouth. --- Jessica gave them all a sad smile and then shrugged. "Maybe later... I just want to be alone right now," she said tearfully, not wanting to be looked at or pitied anymore. She got up and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Shezmu frowned as he watched her leave. "Perhaps she simply needs time? I have other matters to attend to for now... I can come back another time to share my knowledge."

"Maybe." Amelia shrugged. "There seems to be a theme for everything nowadays. Maybe we could look online and find out?" --- Azrael wanted nothing more than to approach Death's throne and comfort him when he saw his tears. But there were too many eyes around, going about their routine as normal. "Sire, if I may, I don't believe that to be true," he said gently. "I saw how you handled your children just now and they both accepted your offer of becoming their parent when you found them, despite all they had gone through prior. We may not be familiar with how parental responsibilities work but I think that has to count for something. They've both been through horrors and it will naturally take time to earn their trust but I think you're already off to a great start." He offered him a kind smile and then thought for a moment. "If Conrad is in Heaven then I could go and request a visitation? I'll need authorisation from Raguel and, of course, yourself, but I could bring Conrad here to see Raven." --- Lilly paused and turned on her ladder to look at Raven in surprise. "My friend sacrificed himself for the portal from my world too..." she told him. "There were these creatures. Wraiths. Horrific things. They roamed our world bringing death and disease with them. A single scratch from one was fatal. They had been created by dark magic long before I was born and it caused people of my world to fear all kinds of magic... if anyone had magical abilities and was caught, they'd be burned alive for fear they'd bring another horror to our world..." Lilly's expression became sad as she turned to continue dusting the books. "I lived most of my life on the run. Frightened of being caught and burned. Frightened of being attacked by a wraith. Frightened of starving or freezing from constantly being on the road. I always felt alone and hopeless." --- When they suddenly teleported, Damien went from leaning against a pool table to stumbling back to his feet as the table vanished from behind him. He chuckled, seeing Samson was just as surprised as he was. He had forgotten to tell him how teleportation worked but he guessed he'd figured it out by now. His lustful eyes moved to his as Samson moved his fingers down to his belt then gasped a little out of excitement as his shirt was ripped open and buttons flew to the side of the room. The bullet wound in his shoulder was slowly healing itself and was now no longer obscured by his blood-stained shirt. "I'm always ready," he smirked. Impatient to know what it would be like to kiss him, Damien moved his hand up to grip Samson's hair roughly as he passionately pressed his lips against his. --- Shezmu took Ben's hand with a small smile. "I will share with you all I know," he told him then looked over at Jean. "Thank you, I believe our conflict has been resolved." Jessica, while glad to know there was someone who could teach them things about themselves, still felt numb as she watched all of this. Jean's suggestion of adoption caused her heart to ache more. She knew he had meant to be kind with his words but the mention of adoption was a reminder of the thing that she hadn't yet come to terms with. She still needed time to process the news.

"Of course." Amelia nodded. "With Charles currently out of commission, until he recovers, I'm pretty much the only person in charge of Hell at the moment though. So, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to hang around. But I would love another mummy to hang out with! What kind of theme were you thinking for the room?" --- Azrael thought for a moment. "They are barely children anymore, your Grace." he pointed out. "But perhaps there is still time for them to have a chance at a proper childhood under your care. I'm afraid I'm not knowledgable on these matters but perhaps we can ask someone who has children, or rather teenagers, of their own?" --- Centuries worth of dust flew up around Lilly as she wiped the books with the feather duster. She coughed for a bit and waved a hand in front of her face to waft the dust cloud away. "I know it's not easy." she breathed. "I was kind of like that when I arrived. Even though I was saved when I stepped out of my world, it was hard to trust the people looking out for me after..." She trailed off for a moment as she remembered her and Bob being constantly on the move in her own world. Terrified of being found out and burned alive every second of every day. "Where I came from... it left scars." she finished. --- "Just as well I'm not looking for love then." Damien chuckled. An excited shiver ran through him at his words and as he touched his cheek. "You'd be the first man to ever seduce me," he admitted and gave him a playful look. "I hope you have no intentions of being gentle. Because I won't show you any mercy either." --- Shezmu had been ready to argue that he'd already apologised earlier but the look he got from Jean made him pause. With a sigh, he stepped forward to look Ben in the eye. "I apologise for the pain that was caused. I only meant to offer my knowledge. I had hoped, being the few remaining of our kind, that we could form a sort of kinship between us." By now, Jessica was feeling numb as she sniffled from her seat on the couch as she watched them. "You wanted to be our friend, you mean?" she asked. Shezmu looked over at her with softened eyes before nodding. "I had no idea of how much or how little you knew. Had I known, I might've been more delicate on the subject." he looked back at Ben. "What can I do? How can I make amends?"

Smiling at Ophelia, Amelia tickled her little tummy. "You're going to be a handful, I just know it." She chuckled. She then looked at Sara. "You were literally born today and just had what I can only guess is some kind of miracle birth. One thing at a time. Just focus on getting used to being a mother and figuring out who you are first. Romance can wait. Trust me, it's not the kind of thing you want to rush into." --- His last comment brought Lilly little comfort as she nodded guiltily. Knowing she'd disappointed the one being who had taken her in as family was too much for her. "Yes, father. I'm sorry." She said before turning and walking back to the archives. Azrael watched her leave and turned to Death. "I don't know much about child rearing but I think you handled that perfectly. From what I know, it's only natural for children to occasionally test their boundaries." He said, hoping this would bring him some comfort. --- "We both do..." Lilly replied as she accepted a feather duster and headed towards the older section of books as pointed to by a Reaper. "I'm sorry." She said to him. "I shouldn't have dragged you along." --- At the suggestion, Damien held his breath a little while staring up at Samson. It had been obvious, at least to Damien, that he had had an attraction to him from the moment they'd met in the club. But after Samson's attack, he hadn't been so sure that the attraction had been mutual. So since then, up until this point, Damien had assumed he'd simply been played. Now he wasn't so sure. Feeling a little flustered but hiding it under a mask of confidence, Damien smirked then asked coyly; "Like what?" --- Shezmu, in his awkwardly serious way, did his best to explain the events to Jean. "I realised these Blood God's were new and with no Blood God elder to guide them I wondered how much of our kind they knew. I thought it only appropriate that I step in as an elder to educate them but had not realised they not only were unaware that our kind do not procreate conventionally, but that they may have had their hearts set on doing so until I'd told them it was impossible. I apologised and offered more of my knowledge but they were too distraught to hear me. I'm not certain how I can rectify this and make them aware that my intentions were not malicious."

"A baby shower is a great idea." Amelia smiled. "If you want to make some new friends, I know a few people we could invite. And don't worry about Ellesse. Mid-wives are usually too busy to stick around for too long but I can get an invitation to her if you want her to come." --- Lilly jumped, having not noticed Death and Azrael catching up to her in the hallways. She looked at them with an obviously guilty expression and she panicked. "N-no, father," she answered him nervously. Azrael raised and eyebrow at her. "Lillian." he said simply but his tone was sharp and stern enough to get her attention. "Please don't lie to us." Lilly hugged herself and avoided looking either of them in the eyes as she shivered, knowing there was no point in hiding. She was fearful of their reactions when they found out but also felt guilty enough that she wanted to tell the truth anyway. "I-I'm sorry, Father. I'm sorry, Azrael. This was all my fault. It was my idea that we look for Raven's boyfriend in the archives. We both snuck in and looked through the books together. We were going to come and tell you but then Raven knocked some books over and we panicked and ran. Raven went ahead to tell you it was just him before I could stop him... by the time I got there to tell you..." she trailed off. The rest was obvious. --- Damien found himself speechless for a moment. Samson had hit the nail right on the head. He did miss it. He just didn't realise how much until they were practically ankle-deep in gore. An annoying niggling feeling of guilt crept in but Damien was so keen to savour feeling like himself again that he instinctively and unconsciously pushed it deep down. "You weren't so bad yourself out there." He smirked. "I saw you zipping around, running circles around them. You looked like you were having fun." he grinned as he recalled the memory and then looked down at himself. He sighed. "What a mess... I can't go home like this. My roommate will throw a fit." he looked back up at Samson thoughtfully. "I don't suppose I could borrow some clothes?... and your shower?" he chuckled. --- Shezmu left them to their sorrow and paused outside of their home for a moment before teleporting to wherever Jean might be. "Excuse me, I may require your gentle manner," he said immediately. "I wanted to get to know the other Blood Gods here and I seem to have um, what is the expression? Placed my foot into my mouth. They are upset with me and I'm not sure how to correct this." Jessica held on tightly to Ben as she sobbed into his chest. She had just started to get her hopes up that they could settle down and have a family. That maybe they could finally have some semblance of normalcy. But if what that other Blood God told them was true, then having a child of her own would be impossible now. Not only that, but she felt guilty for having doomed Ben to the same fate.

"The sooner the better," Ellesse said as she nervously looked towards the windows to check if any humans had happened to notice them using their powers. "Alright, let's go then." Amelia helped Sara to her feet and a second later they all stood in Charles's old penthouse. "Thank you for the gift, Ophelia." Amelia then said while smiling at the baby. "My job is done here too. Sara, if you have any questions or need any medical help for your baby, please don't hesitate to call on me. Oh, and congratulations." she smiled, then vanished. --- "Wha-? Raven, wait!" Lilly called after him. She felt responsible for what had happened. After all, it had been her idea and she had literally dragged Raven along. However, she was still so new to her powers and even her afterlife powers that she didn't know how to teleport yet. So, assuming he was heading back to the archives, Lilly took off at a run after him. Azrael had quickly made sure he was also presentable before following Death to the archives. By the time Lilly had reached the door to the archives, which was ajar with Reapers looking in, she overheard Death talking to Raven and knew she was too late to step in. It sounded like they had already resolved the matter and while she was relieved that Death wasn't too angry with Raven, she still felt guilty that Raven had taken the blame. She didn't know what to do now, so she turned and started to walk back to the throne room while nervously biting her nails. --- Damien gritted his teeth and gripped Samson's arm when he dug his fingers into the bullet hole. Being so close to him now, it would be clear that Damien did indeed feel pain. He just resisted showing it. Once it was out, Damien gasped in relief and stared at the blood-covered bullet between Samson's fingers. He thought about his words for a moment. Tempted to tell him what he used to be but bit his lip, unsure of how much he could trust him even with the contract signed. He ended up settling for; "I was trained by the best..." he glanced around at the carnage again. "I used to do things like this all the time, you know." he looked up at Samson, feeling his cheeks getting warmer but was sure it was hidden under all the dried blood sticking to his face. "I used to enjoy it," he admitted. Realising he was still holding on to his arm, Damien let go. "For a while there... I felt like how I used to. I thought I'd never feel that again." --- "What would you have me do?" Shezmu asked softly. He looked over at Jessica who was still sobbing. "What would you have me say that I haven't already?" he looked at Ben apologetically and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I only brought you the knowledge. I am not responsible for our circumstances..." he said, pointing out that not only was Ben effectively shooting the messenger, but also that Shezmu himself was unable to have any children. "Apologies. It was not my intention to bring you both pain," he said somberly.

Amelia smiled back at Sara, touched by her words. She looked at the little bundle and carefully lifted her into her arms. "Hello there, Ophelia," she said in a soft, quiet tone. "Welcome to the world." she thought for a moment. Then, while cradling Ophelia in one arm she held out her hand and concentrated. Crystals formed rapidly and at first, it was just a shapeless mass but as she focussed, the crystals shifted and moulded itself into the shape of a pacifier. Concentrating a little more, she visualised ballbearings forming on the inside of the teet before dropping off inside so that they could rattle around. Her forehead was a little sweaty from the effort but when she was done, she gently shook the pink crystal toy to make the rattling noise while smiling at Ophelia. "There you go. A birthday gift for you," she said, slightly out of breath. "It'll never break." She added, looking at Sara. --- When they reached the bench in the greenhouse that they'd been sitting on earlier, Lilly doubled over while leaning against a large plant pot to catch her breath. She watched Raven make the cloaks vanish and looked at him in surprise. "How-how-?" she tried to speak between breaths but needed to catch her breath a bit more before she could speak properly. "How did you do that? The fog and the cloaks. That was brilliant!" She then tensed as bells rang out across the castle as an alarm and she looked towards the doors guiltily. "Oh no... We're in trouble now... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have dragged you along." --- Just as Azrael was beginning to let himself get lost in Death, the alarm bells rang across the castle and he froze. Those old bells hadn't been run in centuries and they were only used for one thing. Someone had broken into the archives. He pulled back, looking at Death as he gently placed him back on his feet. --- Damien laughed at Samson's enthusiasm before vaulting over the railing. Before he could even begin to fall he teleported just above one of the fleeing men. Using the momentum from both his fall and the teleportation, he aimed a punch at the man's head. His fist broke through the skull and continued down through his neck and chest cavity, crushing the man against the concrete floor in a large, bloody mess until his fist struck the ground and grazed his knuckles. Time seemed to stand still as he marvelled at the carnage he'd caused. He felt himself strongly reminded of the days he'd be fighting rogue Demons and Angels during the war. Of the times he'd be sent to hunt traitors and conspirators. Of when he was instructed to torture and kill as part of his training under Lucifer. It felt familiar. It felt... good. His breathing became heavy as his heart hammered in his chest. He absently ran his bloodied hand through his hair, leaving a large streak of fresh blood across half of his forehead and through his hair. His eyes lifted and he seemed to see the men in the warehouse scattering in slow motion. Sparks flew as they tried to aim spells and guns at Samson but kept missing due to his enhanced speed. Grinning with malicious intent, Damien teleported behind another of the fleeing men. He jabbed his hand into his back as easily as if the gang member's skin was nothing but playdough. Closing his fist around his spine, he yanked it out. Killing him instantly. He then laughed a little as he whipped the spine around to smack another of the gang members with it with so much force behind it that it sliced into the male's abdomen, getting stuck there so that Damien had to yank it back out. Leaving the man to bleed out, moaning in agony on the floor, he turned his attention to the falling head. It was close to landing. He appeared where it would land. Catching it by the hair before it could hit the floor he swung it around before flinging it back up towards the ceiling. "Round two, Samson!" he laughed then was knocked back a step by a bullet hitting his shoulder. Hissing from the sting, his fiery gaze landed on his shooter who was practically wetting himself in fear as he feverishly tried to reload. "You!" Damien growled, apparently recognising the man. He grinned evilly and began marching calmly towards him. Bang. Another bullet. This time in his arm. "Your aim is shit!" Damien laughed as he kept on marching. "A little higher and to the left!" Bang. Damien paused and looked down at himself. The bullet struck his abdomen. Glaring at the man, Damien dug his fingers into the bullet hole. He grimaced but the only sound he made was a few irritated grunts as he worked through the pain to fish the bullet out. Once he had it between his fingers he pulled it up to look at it then smirked at the male who had watched him in disbelief. "Ow," Damien said mockingly then ran at the man who only had time to let out a short scream before he was tackled to the ground. Damien swung punch after punch at his head. The man had died on the first punch but Damien simply kept going. Pounding his skull over and over until it was nothing but pulp and the only thing that stopped him was the wet thud of the head hitting the concrete floor. Catching his breath, Damien stopped and looked around. Not a single gang member was left. The warehouse was littered with mangled corpses and blood dripped from most surfaces. Looking down at himself, he was no better. His once white button-down shirt had been dyed red from the amount of blood that they'd spilt. Wincing, he slowly got up from his knees and wandered over to the poker table to lean against it. As he moved his eyes returned to green and the embers in his hair went out. He dug his fingers into his arm and just as soundlessly as he had before, he fished the bullet out before letting it drop to the floor. He looked at his shoulder and attempted the same for the last bullet but it was deeply embedded and at an odd angle. "Fuck..." he grunted with a sharp breath. "Samson..." he breathed while looking over at him. He gestured to his shoulder. "Would you mind trying? Don't be shy either, really dig in there if you have to." --- "Unhand me!" Shezmu snapped. "This would not end well for you, fledgling. Release me, now," he warned him. His own eyes turned red. Just like he had done to Jean earlier, he allowed Ben to sense the extent of his power for just a second. He hoped it would be enough to make him realise fighting him would be pointless. On comparison to Shezmu's age and all the power that he'd consumed, Ben was no more than a gnat.

After saying goodbye to Charles, Amelia put her phone away and glanced towards Sara's room. "Oh, uh, yeah. It's a long story... Charles says 'hi' by the way." "Huh, cute. Why aren't the humans freaking out?" Carol asked while sneaking a peek at the pair in the room. "The midwife in there cast some kind of shimmer spell. We can see how they normally look but they look human to humans." Amelia quickly explained. "Look, I have a lot on my plate right now and I need to get back in there to make sure they're alright. Thank you both for helping today. You may as well get some rest. I'll call on you both again if you're needed." "Oh, goody! Some time off!" Carol cheered and looked at Eris. "I'm sure we can find some way to pass the time." she winked. Amelia stepped back into the room and just caught the last of Sara's comments. "Hey, don't worry about that. I have a toddler who is constantly growing out of the clothes we buy him. I'll be happy to donate a few things to you. I just spoke to Charles too. He's willing to let you stay at his old penthouse so you can find your feet." she walked around the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know we got off to a rough start but you're here and with how you came into being, that sort of makes us responsible for you. So, I'll help you with whatever you need, ok? Deep breath mama bird, you're going to be fine." she gave her a kind smile. --- Lilly had been skimming through the pages of the books on her side when she heard the loud noise behind her. She quickly jumped down from her ladder and turned in time to see Raven running to her. She looked at the book with a puzzled expression and shook her head. "The friends I made on Earth would always talk about a place called Hell but I've never heard of a Heaven..." she said. "Maybe we should ask Father?" she then looked up and was about to suggest that they tidy up the books that had fallen when several Reapers had rounded corners around them to investigate the source of the noise. "Who would do this?" "Who would make such a mess and leave this like this?" "A Reaper wouldn't do this, there must be an intruder in the castle!" "An infiltrator?" "I'll bet it was Raguel and his Angels! He's always asking about our archive!" "There's a book missing! It's been stolen!" While the Reapers were distracted with their speculation, Lilly held her breath in fear and looked at Raven with wide eyes, unsure of what to do. It seemed none of them had noticed the pair yet. --- Azrael moaned when he felt the sting of Death's nails in his skin and he smirked while gently biting his lip as they continued to kiss. He held him up and pinned him to one of the bed posts. His wings vibrated while he dug a hand into his shirt to feel his bare chest. --- "Let me worry about that." Damien shrugged. "Alright, then. Let's go," he said eagerly and led the way to the warehouse at the end of the street. As they approached, the bouncer at the door recognised Damien and immediately ran inside to warn the others to get out. "There's a fire exit on the left side of the building. Flank them. No one gets out alive." Damien said as he marched towards the main door and kicked it in. He took a second to look around at the open space. A poker table in the corner of the room had been hastily abandoned. Cards and chips scattered across it. Some had spilled to the floor. Barrels of unknown and potentially volatile liquids were piled up on one side of the warehouse. Some were being used by the gang as cover while they prepared themselves for a fight. He could see the fire exit from where he stood and would soon see Samson cutting off the path of the few cowardly gang members who had been trying to slip out. On the other side were some sort of meat processing machines. On which there were some suspiciously shaped cuts of meat on the conveyor. Damien had never been interested in the kind of operations this gang was involved in back when he'd been King of Hell. As long as they could spy for him and give him the information he needed to stay ahead, nothing else mattered to him at the time. But then they went and stabbed him in the back by using the information they'd gathered on him over time to sell to the highest bidder. Costing him his throne, his life and his very existence. Simply recalling what they did was enough to enrage him. His red eyes began to glow as if a fire burned behind them. Even his hair ignited, glowing like embers. "You all know why I'm here." his voice boomed across the warehouse. "You served Lucifer before me. Swore your loyalty to us! Even with your loyalty secured I still paid you all handsomely for your services. I swore to you that you would all have a place in Hell when your time finally came and how do you repay me? How is it that you decided to show your loyalty to Lucifer? To ME?!" He stepped inside, broken glass crunching under his heels as he glared at them all. "By selling me out," he growled dangerously. "BY STABBING ME IN THE BACK!" he yelled, causing some of the gang members to jump. A couple gulped. Damien then laughed cruelly. "Oh, I have a place for you in Hell alright and today, you're getting your express, one-fucking-way ticket there!" A man in the rafters had started calling out a spell but before he could finish it, Damien had teleported to him and twisted his head so hard and so fast that it ripped from his neck, into Damien's arms. The body stood for a moment before slumping next to him. Damien looked at the shocked expression on the head as he chuckled, then held it over the railing by its hair. "Samson, let's play a game, shall we? I wonder if we can kill them all before this head hits the floor?" --- "I would not joke of such things," Shezmu answered, mortified. He wasn't frightened of Ben's anger and transformation. Rather, he was embarrassed that he'd been the one to break this news so late after their change. "It would seem some important details of our kind have been lost when we all but died out. My condolences that you had to learn this way, truly. I understand you will both need some time to process this information so I will take my leave for now. You are welcome to come and find me if you want to learn more about what we are." he turned to leave. In the background, Jessica had dissolved into heartbroken sobs while cradling her head in her hands.

Oh damn lol I think I hit the jackpot with this one

"Already on it..." Ellesse said and waved a hand at the nurse quickly who had been about to run out of the room but then paused with a confused look on their face. "Huh, I forgot what I was doing..." the nurse said slowly then chuckled at them. "Don't you hate when that happens?" "Like when you enter a room and forget why you went in there, right?" Ellesse asked and gave Sara a subtle wink. "Sure is annoying when that happens. Anyway, is Sara here all good to go?" "Um..." The nurse hesitated and quickly looked at the notes they'd made. "Sure, all vital signs on mommy and baby seem to be normal. Breastfeeding seemed to go fine. I think you're all good to go! Congratulations! Oh, just don't forget to fill in the birth certificate on your way out." --- "Alright, I'll make sure she's set up and knows how to get by," Amelia said about the penthouse. "Powers? I haven't seen any yet but I mean, the kid was born literally five minutes ago..." she answered, completely oblivious to what was currently happening in Sara's room. "But sure, I'll keep an eye out and let you know if anything comes up- Oh hey, Carol and Eris are here," she said as the pair appeared in front of her. "Hey mum, what's up?" "Hi, sweet thing. Is that Charles? Tell him I said 'hi!'" Carol greeted her. "Oh, and we managed to find most of the prisoners that escaped into Hell. Some wanted to put up a fight so me and Eris kicked the crap out of them and threw them back into the cells. The rest were pretty decent after we managed to explain that Hell is under new management and currently under reform." she looked around, just now realising they were in a hospital. "I swear if I never see another hospital again, I'll die happy... What are you doing here anyway?" --- His bites, his touch and his kisses were so much that Leanna could barely control herself. She tilted her head back as moans escaped her. "Yes! My love!" she gasped excitedly. She unfastened his pants and then wrapped her legs around his waist. (Private Time) --- Cloaks on and hoods up, hiding their faces in shadow, they managed to slip into the archive. "Unless it's arranged by time of death..." Lilly thought out loud. She nodded toward the left of the room. "You check alphabetically," she said then gestured to the right of the room. "I'll start searching backwards from dates and times. Remember, stay out of sight. The Reapers know who we are so don't let them see your face or we're in trouble." Of course, now the biggest obstacle they had to deal with was the fact that millions of people on Earth die every minute of every day... and it had been at least a few days since Conrad's death. --- "Yes, lets..." Azrael's breath caressed Death's neck as he spoke and he kissed up his neck to his ear before whispering; "You should teleport us in. I've never seen the inside of your room." he moved his kisses back to his lips and just as his passion grew, his black feathered wings burst from his back in excitement. --- Damien chuckled as Samson asked if they could take a moment. "They cheated at blackjack and thought I wouldn't find out." he joked and gave Samson a look, making it clear that although he was along for the ride today, he hadn't yet earned enough of Damien's trust to be told the story of how this group of criminals sold information about him to his aunt, ultimately resulting in Damien's destruction shortly after. Damien was wary about getting too close to Samson, particularly after he'd tried to hurt him the night before. Still, he was at least glad to have someone around with strength and wit enough to match his own. "Just trust me when I say, no matter what we do to these scumbags, they deserve every ounce of pain coming their way." his eyes turned red as he spoke. He clearly held a great deal of hatred for these people. "So, show no mercy. Oh, and when we leave here today you will tell no one about this. Especially my werewolf pal that you saw last night. What happens in this dingy black market in Russia, stays in this dingy black market in Russia." --- Shezmu looked at the spot on his arm where Ben had tapped him then regarded Ben for a moment before answering, wanting to know for himself just how much the Blood Gods of today really knew of their abilities. "You know what happens when a Blood God drains a being dry?" "They get destroyed," Jessica answered impatiently with a sassy eye-roll. "My maker told us that." "And how we procreate?" "Turning or, I guess the um... old fashioned way?" Jessica half laughed but then her smile slipped as Shezmu wagged a finger at her with a knowing, sad smile. Her heart dropped. She and Ben had been trying to conceive for a few weeks by now. "Turning only, I'm afraid. What of enthralling mortals? You know of this?" "What-? No, we don't- what was that about not being able to-?" Jessica stammered her mind still on the concept that they couldn't have children of their own anymore. Shezmu's eyes widened as he realised what was happening and he looked between them once more. "Apologies." He gasped. "I had not realised this would upset you." "That-! No-! Ben, tell him it's not true! It's not! Is it?" Jessica began breathing heavily, tears filling her eyes.

"Hello, sweet little one." Ellesse smiled at Ophelia while wiggling her finger a little in her grip, like shaking her hand. She jumped when the lightbulb shattered and quickly looked at the nurse who had looked up in surprise then at Sara and Ophelia in worry. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, I don't know why that happened. You're not hurt, are you? Did any glass get on you?" the nurse said worriedly while looking them both over for any cuts. "We'll get you another room." --- "Honestly, I didn't like his comments," Amelia said with a sigh. "She was a pain, sure but he was harsh. It was out of order. I think even Tom was shocked by it... anyway, she's scared and alone now. And with a baby to boot. Considering where she came from, I'm pretty sure that makes her our responsibility. We should make sure she has a good, stable start. What about that penthouse you had? Could she move in there?" --- Leanna watched him remove his shirt and blushed. She kissed him back, losing herself in the moment. "Oh, Life!" she sighed between kisses while one of her hands wandered over his chest and the other ran through his hair. --- She ran along the corridors with him and had hunched over a little to while moving more on her tiptoes to apply more stealth. "Shh, keep your voice down." She whispered to him as they stopped at a corner and she peered around it cautiously. "We're going into the archive room. That's where Reapers store those books they use and pick up new ones. If Conrad's soul is lost or stuck somewhere, then his name will be flashing in one of those books like mine was. We just have to find it... and don't get caught. I was told under no circumstance can we enter that room yet. Father said it's off limits until we've been here long enough and have been trained. But maybe he'll understand if we manage to find the book with his name. It's clear, let's go!" She pulled him around the corner and took off towards the archive room. Suddenly the door opened and a pair of Reapers engrossed in their own conversation came out. Thinking fast, she quickly and quietly pulled Raven into a nearby cloakroom and closed the door behind them. As she looked around them at the fresh new black cloaks, she smiled at Raven. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" she whispered. --- Moaning softly, Azrael matched Death's passion and caressed his cheek while kissing him. His other hand moved down to Death's chest and started to undo his cloak, and then the buttons on his shirt. He moved his kisses down to Death's neck and gently nibbled on his collarbone. --- "Right..." Carol thought for a moment. "We could teleport to her? Or Charles, or David." --- Smirking, Damien took Samson's arm and without warning teleported them both to what appeared to be a very run-down street. Strange letters on the roadsigns told them they weren't in the United States anymore. "Welcome to Russia." Damien chuckled. "Fucking freezing, huh? This way..." he started to walk, expecting Samson to follow him. "It's been a few years but if I remember rightly, there should be a hidden black magic market right about... here." he gestured to a brick wall. He placed a hand on Samson's back while smiling at the wall, knowing full well that he probably looked insane right about now. But that was half the fun. "Ever see Harry Potter?" he asked then shoved Samson into the wall which would shimmer and worble as the vampire passed through it. Damien calmly stepped in after him and looked around at the dark street lined with market stalls, tents and sketchy-looking shops with blinking neon lights in their windows. "One thing I learned as a new Devil;" he started while placing a hand on Samson's shoulder. "The best places to pump for information are usually the darkest. Now, you wanted someone to kill and it just so happens there's a dodgy little warehouse gang just down this way that fucked me over a while back that I've been meaning to pay a little visit to... I think between us we could have a 'bloody' good time. What do you say? Up for some violence and mayhem?" --- "Uh-? No, I prefer chess." Shezmu answered, a little baffled. He looked between the pair carefully for a moment. "You are both fledglings, aren't you? New to your sanguine life?" Jessica shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I was turned sometime last year. I turned Ben not long after." She answered. "Ah... and your maker?" "He's a vampire that lives here." "So you were a half Devil, originally?" "Why do you ask?" Jessica asked a little defensively. "Forgive me. You see, I had sensed you both in the castle but had not expected you to be so... inexperienced." Shezmu answered as he looked from Jessica to Ben. "But I suppose that is to be expected when the rest of our kind were murdered. No matter. I would like you both to know that you can come to me with any questions about our kind. I would be happy to share this knowledge with you."

"We'll figure that out once you and the baby have been given the all-clear." Amelia told her with a nod. Within a few minutes they had all teleported into the hospital where Ellesse managed to flag down a nurse and not long after Sara and Ophelia had their own room in the hospital for routine observation. Tom decided to distance himself by sitting in the waiting room for a while. Ellesse stayed with Sara to make sure she was comfortable with everything. Gently talking through what the nurse was doing to keep her reassured. Meanwhile, Amelia had stepped out to call Charles and tell him what had happened. --- "Maybe we could make a show of our own?" Leanna said playfully and kissed him again while pressing her body against his. --- "You misunderstand me, Raven," Lilly said. She placed the book on the edge of the bench and turned her body to face him more. "Azrael told me what happened when I died. He said my name kept appearing and disappearing in his book. That's never happened before and he thinks it's because I came from another world. Like maybe my soul didn't know where to go because I'm not from here. But when Death offered me a place in his kingdom and I accepted, my name stuck in the book." she paused a moment, looking troubled. "No one knows what happens when a person from another world dies here because it's never happened. Conrad's soul might've gone back to your home world, or gotten trapped in between, or it might be lost and wondering on Earth or... it might've been destroyed. Your portal was still open when it happened so there's no way of knowing if it's still here- No wait..." Lilly stopped again and a look crossed her features. It was hopeful. Inspired, even. "I think I know how we can find out where he is! C'mon!" she took his hand, moving to run with him out of the greenhouse. --- "But you said it yourself. It would be at great risk. Anyone wanting to stand against you would know to target me." Azrael said, troubled. He sighed. "Let's not talk about this now. We're here together and everything is as it should be once more. I am just grateful to be able to hold you like this, now." --- "We did that already. We were taking a break and reporting in!" Carol smiled as she took Eris's hand. "To the Library?" --- "Devil." Damien corrected him with a growl. His eyes had been green from the moment he'd entered the living room but now they shone red once more. Samson had touched a nerve. "I didn't spend years training under Lucifer to be called a mere Demon." He caught himself and took a breath to calm down. His eyes rapidly switched back to green. He stood and paced in front of the window. "That's not me anymore. That's not me," he told himself then stopped with a sigh to look back at Samson. "You want people to kill? We'll do it my way. Come here, I know just where to teleport us." --- "Lies." Shezmu said simply as he stepped inside. "Propaganda spread by those who would be threatened by our power-" he explained then came to a sudden stop as his eyes landed on what he percieved to be a red haired beauty. "Who's this?" Jessica asked as she stepped in from the bedroom. She had decided to wear one of the evergreen dresses that the vampiresses in the castle had gifted to her. She looked like a medieval princess in it. "I am Shezmu, dear lady. Lord of Blood. Great-... you know what, the titles aren't as relevant as they once were." Shezmu cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'm Jessica. Ben's girlfriend." Jessica said simply as she walked over to one of the couches. "You're like us, aren't you? I can sort of... feel it?" "Your senses are sharp. Yes, we are kin."

Though I think the bottom one is more like Parker than Damien hahaha