Shadowess

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

Tried to make Damien with red eyes and green eyes depending on his temper lol These were the closest I could get to how I imagine him 🙂

Amelia felt awful as she watched the pair. Sara was brand new to life herself and already she was a single mother. "Sara, stop." She said gently. "You can't think like that. It doesn't matter how you both got here. You're here now and we're going to help you, ok? You're not alone." "You've already got a maternal instinct, which is a good thing," Ellesse said as she nodded to the feeding child. "I'm sure once you're all set up, you two will do just fine." she gave her a kind smile as she stood and took a step back. She lifted her hands towards the pair and nodded for Amelia to move away. Once she was clear she chanted a small spell to give them both a human appearance. "There, now any human that sees you two will just see humans. Let's get you to Earth." She bent down to help Sara to her feet. "C'mon, Tom. That's our cue." Amelia called over and Tom quickly joined them while wiping his mouth with his sleeve. --- "I've heard of sparks flying but not literally." Leanna laughed. "I like it." --- "You were grieving and lost in an unknown world." Lilly reaffirmed. "I was terrified when I first crossed the portal. I didn't know what the people on the other side were like or what kind of danger I was in. I can't imagine how much more afraid you must have been when you stepped through and... that happened. I was lucky. I was more or less alone already and had been fleeing a more monstrous world..." She looked at him. "I believe Father would look for him regardless. His soul might be lost somewhere in this world, unable to anchor himself like we have until he's found. I don't believe our Father would leave him to that fate." --- Azrael bit his lip. He didn't like it, but he knew Death was right. "I understand." he sighed. "I don't blame you for it, you know. For what she did to me." he then said. "So, we can't tell anyone? Then at least we can make the most of these private moments together." --- Juliette laughed as she watched Adam flail for a moment before she swam through the air to him and grabbed his shoulders. Twirling them both around, she moved to pin him against the ceiling. Stradeling him with a playful grin. "Then let me do it all, mon cher." she purred before kissing him deeply. --- "Yeah, they're not bad. Still embarressing though." Carol laughed as she wiped at her eyes. "Ok, enough with the emotion talk! We were supposed to be doing something before we were interrupted by his hungry-ness..." --- "I hope that's a joke." Damien looked over Samson uncertainly while shifting in his seat uncomfortably. He'd assumed the man was a typical vampire. Not a full-blown murderer. "I'm known for my temper and rebellious streak but I'm not going to kill someone just because I feel like it. I was thinking we'd go to a club or something." --- Unphased by Ben's defensive attitude, Shezmu smiled at him pleasantly. "I am Shezmu. Lord of Blood. Great Slaughterer of the Gods. He Who Dismembers Bodies... and believe me when I say, I had no say in these titles I was given." he tried a half smile for a second to show he'd intended the last comment with some humour but he felt his smile was strained so quickly dropped it. "I have recently risen from centuries of slumber and returned home to this castle. I thought it appropriate to introduce myself to my kin. So few of our kind are left in this world, after all. I hear many of us were slaughtered in a sort of genocide while I was absent."

"Of course." Amelia nodded to her. She looked at the jacket around the baby and knew it was likely ruined by bodily fluids. "Eh, you can keep the jacket too..." "May I? I need to ensure you're both healthy." Ellesse asked as she reached out for the child. While looking over the baby to make sure everything was as it should be, no airways blocked, etc, she spoke to Sara. "We'll need to move you both to Earth. Hell is too dangerous for you to stay here. I'll take you to a human hospital but you'll need to be careful what you tell the humans. I'll cast a shimmer on you both before we go. It's a kind of illusion that makes you both appear human to human eyes." "I'll come with you. I need to get Tom back to Earth anyway." Amelia said then turned to look at the vampire who still looked a bit green in the face. "How you holding up, buddy?" "G-Goo-... Good." he gagged. "N-never seen-... never seen a birth before." "Deep breaths, bud." Amelia chuckled. --- Holding on to the kiss, Leanne felt light as a feather at his touch. This was a new beginning for her and it already felt so unbelievably perfect. When the kiss broke she lovingly stared up into his eyes and for the moment it felt like they were the only two in the world. Running a hand through his hair, she smiled up at him. Then, she brought her lips to his once more to lose herself in this new and exciting feeling. She had known lust in her lifetimes, but this was the first time she felt love. --- Lilly looked back at the book on her lap sadly. "I'm not sure. When Father first brought me here, Azreal told me that my soul managed to cross into this world because I accepted that to be my fate. He wasn't sure what would have happened to me if I hadn't. I'm guessing it was the same for you, seeing as you're here." She turned her gaze upward and stared at the looming foliage. "I wonder if that means your beloved is still out there somewhere? Wondering, lost..." She then realised what she'd said and looked at Raven quickly. "I'll bet Father is aware of that and is doing what he can to locate him already," she said quickly, hoping this would comfort him. --- "How I've longed to hold you!" Azrael said happily as he wrapped his arms around Death. Tearfully, he kissed him again and again. His lips, his cheek, his neck. Simply happy to be able to be so close to him. "I was scared when that woman cursed me. I wanted nothing more than to run into your arms for comfort! Why do we hide, my love?" he asked, although he knew the answer. It just didn't feel fair that they would finally find real love in each other but be confined to secrecy. "If I could, I would declare my love for you every second of every hour. I would hold you close to me and feel your lips on mine every day until the end of time itself. I love you with all my being." --- Juliette's breath quickened as he kissed her neck and her gaze became lustful as she realised they were now standing in a bedroom. "Oh, I want you." She sighed in French, her desires pulled to the surface once more but she gave in to it this time and kissed him passionately. As she kissed him, she thought up a spell and within seconds they were both floating a little off the ground. Gravity left them and she grinned at him mischievously while unbuckling his belt. --- Carol smiled at her words then laughed at the donkey form she'd taken. "Alright, alright. I'm good, I promise." She chuckled as she wiped away her tears. "Ugh, don't let me cry again. That shit is embarrassing." she smiled. --- Damien sighed and rolled his eyes. "Right, yeah... So, what do you want to do to celebrate then? What does a vampire do for fun when he can't drink?" --- Shezmu nodded in response then turned to leave the training room. His growing attachment to this boy was concerning him a little and he was wary that he would become Shezmu's weakness in time. For now, he turned his thoughts to the familiar scents within the castle that he had not had time to follow up on until now. He made his way to the home of the two other Blood Gods, wanting to introduce himself as kindred and see what the latest generation of his kind was like.

Yeah, that's no worries 🙂

Tom had jumped back away from the bars. Both Amelia and Tom watched with a mixture of confusion and panic as Sara seemed to go into labour. "What's happening?!" Tom gasped. "I don't know! Move!" Amelia gently pushed him out of the way and unlocked the cell door. Amelia reached Sara in time to witness the birth up close and stared in shock at the infant. "Wha-? How?" She stammered and then hurriedly took her jacket off to wrap around the child to help keep her warm. She heard the wet sound of liquid hitting the floor and turned her head to see Tom had darted off to a corner to vomit. A second later, Ellesse appeared and rushed into the cell. "We had an anomolic birth alert!" she said quickly then paused at the sight of the mother and child. "Well, that'd be the anomaly!" she commented then looked at Amelia. "How could you lock her in a cell? You should know better that new life cannot happen in Hell! It was risky enough that Oliver was born here!" "I didn't lock her up like this! It just happened so quickly! One minute she wasn't pregnant and the next she was giving birth!" Amelia snapped back. "Besides, reality still seems pretty strong to me so I guess we're ok." "Miss, we'll need to move you to another location for you and your child's safety. My name is Ellesse O'Quinn. I'm a Spirit of Life, or Midwife if you prefer. What's your name?" Ellesse said to Sara while putting on a pair of medical gloves. --- "I-I don't know," Leanne said uncertainly. "Maybe the party would be enough? I mean, a wedding is pretty much a party anyway, right?" --- Lilly looked at the boy for a moment before shrugging and moving over on the bench to give him room to sit next to her. "You were grieving." she said quietly. "And I was arrogant to think I had the power to undo what had been done..." she then smirked and shook her head. "Listen to me, I haven't been here long and I'm starting to talk like them!" she nodded to Azrael. "Properly, you mean?" Azrael smirked then nodded to them both. "I will leave you both to it." he said before turning to leave. Feeling a little awkward now they were alone, Lilly glanced at Raven before closing the book she'd been reading and she stared at the title for a moment. 'Beyond the Veil - A History by Osiris' "I'm sorry too." Lilly said finally. "That I couldn't help... that I made things worse. I'm learning how to use my powers but it's honestly like trying to break in a wild horse." she lifted her gaze to look at him. "My name is Lilly... Azrael said you're my brother. Does that mean you're like me? Like Dea- Like our Father?" --- After disposing of Raven's corpse, Azrael appeared in his study and let out a heavy sigh of relief. Glad that everything had worked out and that his curse had been lifted. --- "Close to you?" Juliette sighed, enchanted by him. "Oui- yes, I want to know you." She stepped closer to him. --- Carol barely heard Ash before he left and didn't notice he'd gone until Eris wrapped her arm around her, pulling her out of her thoughts. "I-yes, I think- I don't know..." she mumbled to her and looked away again. Her eyebrows furrowed as she lost herself in her thoughts again. "I used to think I knew what I was fighting for... back when-... back then..." she said quietly. "But now I'm not so sure... Was I fighting for the hell of it? to just be his good little soldier? Following orders without question for-... for what?" she looked at Eris tearfully. "I don't know who I am anymore." --- Watching Samson prick his finger on his fangs sent excited shivers through Damien that he pushed down deep. He knew it was mostly his craving for venom that had caused it. Still, he allowed himself to feel some relief at seeing the contract signed. Finally, he could safely get his fix without taking an unnecessary risk. At Samson's question, he grinned a little. "I helped run a little cafe back when I was mortal. Then I died. It's a whole story. Earn back my trust and maybe I'll tell it to you one day." He glanced around the room. "Now, at the risk of making my hangover worse, I don't suppose you have anything other than blood to drink in this place? Preferably something strong. We should celebrate our new agreement." --- "Most are." Shezmu agreed. "Vampires can turn humans and they can also give birth to new vampires. Blood Gods are limited to turning in order to procreate." Shezmu told him with a small, sad smile. "So we must be very selective of who we give our gift to. Most mortals are unworthy but once in a while, there will be one mortal that proves themselves to have the potential to become something great." he smiled at Dariel briefly before looking away. "Consent, training and education are key but such opportunities should never be wasted. Take Sun Tzu for instance. A mortal when the book was written, yes. But can you be certain that he remained mortal?"

"Power isn't everything," Tom told her gently as he got to his feet too. "There's more to life than power and now that you have a life of your own, you'll be able to discover that for yourself. So, maybe don't think of this as Charles casting you away? Instead, he gave you a gift. Now you can be independent and live life the way you want to live... you know, within reason." gingerly, he stepped a little closer to the bars. "We can help you with that if you'll let us. We can teach you how to live. How to be a good person. What do you think?" --- "There's a not-human way to do it?" Leanna asked, intrigued. "In all the lives I had, I never imagined I'd settle down. I wouldn't know where to even start with wedding planning." she chuckled as her cheeks turned pink. --- "Yes, sire." Azrael bowed to him briefly before gesturing for Raven to follow him. He could sense Lilly in the castle and followed the feeling until they reached the greenhouse towards the back of the castle, overlooking the courtyard. Lilly had been sitting on one of the stone benches with her legs crossed and a book open in her lap. She was reading a book that she had borrowed from Death's library to better learn more about her powers and where Death had come from. Around her were various carnivorous and toxic plants, grown for their various uses in potions and spells. "Lillian, your father wishes for you to spend time with your brother," Azrael said as they approached. He then raised a brow at the book in her lap. "Is that from-?" "I asked Father's permission first," she said quickly while tearing her eyes from the page. She looked at Raven and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Brother? You're the boy from the portal." --- Juliette looked at Adam again. Once more his light had her hooked. "S-safe? Eden?" she breathed and something clicked in her mind. "You're really him!" she gasped. "I thought it was a magic trick! It's real! You're real!" John smiled, trying his best not to look at Adam while he was glowing. "I'll leave you two to... talk." he walked away from them. Nearby, Eve and Daisy were watching curiously. Eve instinctively averted her gaze from Adam while he was glowing but Daisy didn't know to do this yet. "Adam..." she sighed dreamily and moved to get up from her cushion but Eve gently grabbed her arm and pulled her back into her seat. "It's not your turn, pet," she said softly and cupped her chin to make her look away. Blinking in confusion, Daisy stared at Eve questioningly. "It's his power. I'm not sure how it works exactly but every time he's used it on me I've wanted him... badly." Eve explained quietly. "He's hypnotising us?" Daisy gasped "Not exactly. Put it this way, you wouldn't be here if, deep down, you didn't want to be." Eve answered. --- "Hey! Hell to moron!" Carol snapped at Ash suddenly. "Emotions can make you strong as fuck! Denying yourself is what makes you weak! I swear, as much as I miss the guy, I'm willing to bet you and Lucifer would have been best buds if you'd ever met!... minus the him killing Devils part but you know what I mean! He denied his emotions too! He trained me and all his soldiers to deny them and it wasn't until he vanished and Amelia took over that I realised just how bullshit that was! Because with emotion at least you can channel it into what you do! It can grant you strength when everything else seems hopeless. Without that what even is the point!?" Carol stopped, a little breathless. She glanced away from him for a moment, staring into the distance as she realised she'd said something she'd been pondering for a while but hadn't yet had the strength to say out loud. "What was the point...?" she said and this time she sounded a little fragile. --- "Who said anything about survival?" Damien smirked. "This is for fun. Unless you don't want my powers? The ability to teleport from place to place, walk around in daylight... I could always find another vampire who'd be willing to jump in your place." Damien paused as he watched Samson carefully. "Your call. Sign the contract in your blood and my blood and powers are yours whenever you want them. Hand it back to me and you'll never see me again." --- "Do you know what the most common downfall of any great warrior is?" Shezmu asked before turning to face Dariel. "Tactical failure," he answered his own question. "You can be stronger than the most powerful Devil and become unmatched in wielding many weapons. But if you fail to prepare, fail to identify your opponent's next moves and fail to act accordingly, then you will eventually fall." He held his hands behind his back as he stepped towards Dariel calmly. "This is why I must press you to study harder. A strong body is worthless without a sharp mind." He took a moment to look him over. He couldn't help feeling a sort of attachment to his new pupil, not including the contract that bound them. He was half tempted to offer to turn him but quickly disregarded the thought. Doing so would grant Dariel a fraction of his ancient power but it would still make the boy far more powerful than any other Blood God alive today. While he was confident the contract would prevent the boy from becoming his competition, he was apprehensive. His current age was also a bit of a problem. Unlike those born with vampirism, he would be stuck in his current age, hormones included. "For your next assignment, I want you to read up on The Art of War by Sun Tzu. I want to hear your take on the book, what you have learned from it and how you would use this knowledge in battle," he said dismissively. "I will give you five days to get your notes to me."

"Nate!" Tom had gasped at how callous Nate had been behaving towards Sara. Sure, she was acting entitled and snobbish but she hadn't deserved such cruel comments. But then Nate was already gone and he'd been left with Amelia and Sara. Feeling awful for her, he'd stepped towards the bars only for Amelia to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Careful," she warned him quietly. "I've got you here, right?" he asked her and Amelia hesitated before smiling and letting him go to watch them very carefully. Inching towards the bars nervously, Tom knelt down to be at her level as he watched her sadly. "That was uncalled for, I'm sorry," he said to her gently. "For what it's worth, your feathers are pretty." he tried to cheer her up and offered her a kind smile. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you think you're royalty? And why did you attack my friends?" --- "Sire," Ellesse said in acknowledgement before leaving to interview any potential Au Pairs for the job. Leanna stared at the throne and then looked back at Life. For a moment she was speechless as she gestured around them, trying to express what she felt and failing to find the words. Finally, she spoke as she looked back at him. "This is all-! It's so-! It is very much a surprise!" she laughed then wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Did we just get engaged?" she asked, beaming at him with happy tears in her eyes. --- "Our King is merciful," Azrael said to Raven with a warm smile. He looked at Death. "I will dispose of the body and add Raven to the ceremony preperations." he told him before giving him a subtle smile. "Perhaps your Grace can look over some of the preparations with me in my study later?" he asked, hinting that he wanted some time alone with him when possible. --- John suddenly sprinted past the shop owner which had caught the man off guard. As he realised John was running into the back of the shop, the owner ran after him while angrily shouting various insults and threats in french. By the time he'd reach the back though, all three of them were already gone. "You didn't have to deal with him!" John chuckled at Adam's comment once they were back in their new home. "Such an arrogant, racist man..." "What?!" Juliette gasped as she looked around them in shock. "How?... where?..." "Oh boy..." John looked at her worriedly. He knew that look on her face. She hadn't really believed in the afterlife before now and was about to freak out. --- Carol had jumped to her feet and prepared herself to fight when Ash became enraged. She watched as his form changed then Eris explained what had happened and comforted him. Although Eris smiled at Carol, she didn't feel like she deserved it. She didn't feel like she'd helped at all. If anything, she thought she'd made things worse when she'd pissed him off and wasn't exactly sure how his coming to terms with his loss had anything to do with what Carol had done. So she stood where she was and smiled back at Eris uncertainly then watched guiltily as Ash sobbed. --- "You know I heard you vamps can get the odd snippet of memory from drinking blood," Damien commented as he relaxed in the centre of one of the couches. His arms spread out over the back. He'd figured that was how Samson had discovered what Damien was. He gestured for Samson to sit on the couch across from him. "Oh yeah, I can give you power. Or, more accurately, my blood can give you power. The whole immunity to sunlight is just the tip of that iceberg too. But we can talk more about those powers later." he'd wait for him to sit down before continuing. "Here's the thing. I've gotten into a few scrapes with vampires recently and needless to say I've been bitten a few times in the process. This has left me with some cravings that I'm sure you'll be familiar with. The only problem is, any vampire who drinks from me temporarily gets some of my power and I can't just be handing out my blood to any vampire or things could quickly spiral out of control and become dangerous... for me. On the flip side of that, now that you've had a taste of my blood, normal blood just won't taste the same to you anymore. Plus those powers will only last about a day or two. So here is what I propose..." Damien took one of the Devil contracts from his jacket pocket and handed it over to Samson to read. It had been modified from the traditional Devil tongue to be written entirely in English. "This is a Devil's Contract. It binds us to our word. Ordinarily, if one of us were to break our word the contract would destroy one or both of our souls. I've modified this one so that won't be a danger. It states that you may feed on me but only enough to satisfy your hunger. If you try to drain me dry the contract will fling you away from me and paralyse you to allow me enough time to either recover or get away from you. Whichever is more feasible in the moment. You get your fix of my blood with the added bonus of Devil powers and I get my fix of venom from you with no danger of being fucked over. What do you think?" --- With a calm smile, Shezmu watched Dariel's movements carefully. There was a hint of pride in his gaze. He lifted his hand to gently cup young man's chin. "My ward, although you are only human you have come far in a short amount of time. You will be a fine warrior." he let go of his chin and stepped around him to walk towards one of the training dummies, looking over the various knicks and chips on its wooden surface. "I trust you have kept up with your studies with as much enthusiasm as you have given your combat training?" he asked.

"Yeah, madame no-manners is currently enjoying a nice stay in Hell's Cells for attempting to attack me the moment she was 'born'." Amelia rolled her eyes with a smirk. "If you're really curious, we can go and see her now and give Charles some peace and quiet for a bit. Just be careful not to get too close to the bars. You know how dangerous it is already for Angels travelling to Hell." She hopped up from her seat, ready to take them to the Cells. "Who knows? Maybe she'll be more willing to listen to you two." --- In contrast to Death's grey and gothic Kingdom, Life's castle was vibrant and filled with an array of pastel colours. Bright and beautiful bouquets of flowers decorated the large stained-glass windows. Rather than Reapers marching in and out to archive their filled books, Mid-wives bustled around them with medical clipboards while frequently checking the time on their pocket watches. Ellesse O'Quinn, the midwife who had started her career by helping Amelia and Charles with their pregnancy, stepped forward upon their arrival. While Leanna was too occupied looking around them in wonder, she bowed to Life before addressing him. "Sir, it's good to see you're home and well. Earth has hit a record-breaking amount of new life despite recent events and the girl you wanted us to monitor, Neva Hayes, is still looking to be a promising candidate for Atma's replacement. However, there is some concern over her mental age which may need to be addressed sooner rather than later. I have consulted the Spirit Training Department who have recommended that we send one of our own to step in as her live-in Au Pair to ensure her education and mental wellbeing are monitored more closely. Of course, the call is yours to make." --- Azrael teleported both himself and Raven back to Death's castle. "Sire, our mission was a success and I am pleased to report that my curse has been lifted. I am ready to resume my normal duties again," he said with a quick bow. He then glanced at Raven uneasily before looking at Death seriously. "Sire, it occurred to me during the mission... Raven is... still alive," he said carefully, knowing Death would need to be the one to decide on how they would proceed as well as discuss this with Raven. --- "Monsieur, I have known you for less than five minutes and you want to have children with me?" Juliette chuckled. "Isn't this a little... quick?" she then smirked before adding cheekily. "It is hardly naughty if I have permission to be so." She then jumped, her eyes widening as they darted from Adam towards the door to the main shop. The second she was distracted and her eyes left Adam's light, his effect on her stopped. Her father had started to raise his voice at John, having lost his patience. 'Are you messing with me or are you really this much of a moron?!' she heard him saying in French. "Mon Dieu! If he catches you back here talking to me he'll never let me have a life outside of this damned shop!" She said stiffening up. She'd turned her head to look back at Adam, prepared to tell him to sneak out of the back before her father could catch him there. But as soon as her eyes locked onto his again and she felt the familiar sensation of his light gripping her mind once more, what came out instead was her innermost desire. "Take me away from this wretched life!" she then gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, embarrassed by her Freudian slip. But she knew in her heart that she had meant what she'd said. --- Carol listened to Ash. Partially intrigued by his story. While the war Lucifer had sparked had by far been the longest and bloodiest, that didn't mean it had been the only war between Heaven and Hell. There had been earlier wars, particularly during the reign of Ancient Devils and Leviathans. The details of these wars had mostly been lost to time, though a few accounts still survived in the oldest books within Hell's Library... written in a long-dead language. Carol knew Ash couldn't have been referring to Lucifer's war due to Lucifer's habit of destroying any Devil he came across. Which could only mean... "Geez, exactly how old are you?!" Carol blurted out then realised how insensitive and rude that had been. "Uh, sorry. Just... the war you were part of must've been, like, a literal millennia or two ago... I can't help but wonder if I should buy you some knitting needles or a crossword puzzle. Sorry! Again. I don't deal with emotional situations all that well and tend to resort to humour a lot, or violence... or sex." she awkwardly drummed her fingers against the rock she was sitting on before looking up at Eris. "Should I stop talking? I feel like I should stop talking," she whispered. --- Having had time to recover enough to be able to fight back if necessary, Damien got up grumpily and went into his kitchen to take some pain relief for his hangover. He took a deep breath, steeling himself to enact the plan he'd come up with. First, though, he looked over at James. "Thank you, I'm good now. I promise," he told him seriously. "A little hungover but my strength is back to normal. Listen... I'm going to do something so that I can deal with my new cravings and it's going to seem crazy. But trust me on this, I know what I'm doing and I'm done taking stupid risks. I'll be back in a while and if I need you, I'll call." Without another word, he vanished. Appearing in Samson's house, Damien looked around quietly until he found where he was sleeping. He could sense his own power coursing through Samson's veins still, which meant he was protected from sunlight. Not that he would have figured this out yet, considering the black-out curtains covering the windows. Smirking cruelly, Damien gripped the curtains and ripped them off the rings while shouting "WAKEY WAKEY!" hoping to scare the crap out of Samson as a sort of payback for him trying to kill him. "Oh, would you look at that! Clear blue skies! Bet you haven't seen that for a while!" he chuckled as he walked around the bed to kneel next to him. "Don't try anything stupid. I don't need the sun to barbeque the shit out of you," he growled, his eyes turning red. "You feel that? That fire in your veins? Screaming at you to bite me again? To taste me. My blood. I feel it too. I want your venom like it's oxygen and I'm willing to bet you'd benefit from the ability to walk around in broad daylight. Not to mention the extra strength and speed you'll get from my blood, so I have a proposition that should benefit us both." he stood and turned. "Get dressed and meet me in your living room. We have a lot to go over." --- Speaking of a blood transaction, Shezmu was sitting in Warren's living room. His arms wrapped around Warren, embracing him like a lover as he took his fill. For the moment, they were alone. Little moans escaped Warren as he leaned into him with his eyes closed. Shezmu pulled away and Warren's grip tightened. "No please, don't stop!" he groaned and caused Shezmu to smirk at him. "If I did not stop, Hellion, you would cease to be." He said gently while prying Warren's hands from his clothes with ease. "And that would be such a waste." he caressed his cheek. He then lifted his finger, pricking it on his fang before bringing it to Warren's lips. The demon licked at the blood eagerly but only had the smallest taste before Shezmu pulled his finger away and stood. "When wi-" Warren started as he tried to stand but collapsed back onto the couch, suddenly feeling dizzy. "Rest now, darling one. I will return when you've recovered." Shezmu said before taking his hand kissing the back of it. He let him go and Warren watched longingly as Shezmu left the room. Dabbing his lips with a handkercheif, Shezmu headed towards the training halls to meet with his newest pupil. "I hope you have been practicing what I showed you." he said as he entered the room and appraoched Dariel.

Hey, that sounds good. I'm working on my next post now. I'm probs going to put some headphones in and get lost in typing lol. Hope you had a good new year. Sorry for the vanishing act. This time of year gets pretty hard for me 🙂 Speaking of ideas and plots. I figure John and Adam's scheme could end up being successful in the end and the resulting transformation of Hell could lead to an interesting plot point later down the line. Maybe we could cap it at 3 wives for now? Not including Eve.

Tom chuckled tearfully and stood to hug Nate tightly. Now that he understood what was happening with him it brought him some comfort. He felt even more supported by Nate's protectiveness and Amelia's knowledge. Not to mention the crystal which he now had no intention of removing for at least a hundred years. "Thank you, Amelia" He said, turning to look at her. He then recalled breifly seeing Charles on the bed in the other room. "I think we interrupted something. Is everything ok with you two?" Amelia waved her hand dismissively. "Just another chaotic day in the life of Devil royalty, I guess. Charles spawned another creature from himself that had been messing with his mind and now he needs to recover." --- Leanna smiled in relief when Death approved of their request. She couldn't help smiling when he realised she'd fallen in love with his brother. She hadn't known whether Life had been aware of Death's love for Azrael. True to her word she hadn't told a soul since Death had let it slip in the hospital. "I thought that by staying alive I was making myself happy but I suppose I was really robbing myself of true happiness by keeping myself from meeting Life." She commented while smiling up at her beloved. I can still work for you, if you want." She then added, turning to Death. "I know I caused you a lot of trouble and if I want a fresh start then I will need to make up for that. The curse on Azrael has been removed." --- "YOU'RE ALL OK!!!" Bob shouted ecstatically and ran around the room tightly hugging one friend after another. "Oh, you guys! Am I glad to see you! I thought I was guna be on my own and I've never been on my own before and I tell you that feeling sucked big time! But you're all here and you're all OK and I don't gotta be alone and yes I would LOVE a cheese sandwich right now!" He rambled excitedly while crying. Azrael smiled at the scene then looked at Raven. "Ready?" --- Juliette's eyes lit up. "Like a Queen?" She asked interestedly. She then continued to play coy. "So, you want to whisk me away to your new paradise? But what is the catch, I wonder?" She brought the cigarette up and slowly wrapped her lips around it while staring at him intently. She took a small drag on it then blew the smoke away from them, towards the back door that she'd cracked open slightly. "I hope you don't expect me to behave all prim and proper." She smirked and gestured to her clothing style. --- Carol slowed to a stop as she'd been prepared to continue fighting but at Ash's words her shoulders slumped from mild disappointment. "You mean to tell me you're noshing on souls to eat away your feelings because you miss your wife?!" She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She wasn't exactly the best person to talk to about love but if it stopped Ash from terrorising souls then she was going to have to suck it up and try. "Do you...?" She began, feeling incredibly uncomfortable about what she was going to ask. "Do you want to talk about it?" She finished, practically spitting the question out like it had left a bad taste in her mouth. She then scratched her head awkwardly and found a rock to sit on. "I hear that can help... tell us about her. Who was she?"

Tom smiled weakly up at Nate as he let him place the necklace on him. He looked down at the crystal numbly while lifting it with his fingers. "Nate..." He whispered. "I could've hurt you... I'm sorry." "I know you'll want some time alone to come to terms with this but I should warn you both before you leave... don't tell anyone else about this or what that crystal is for. Not unless you absolutely trust them... or they might try to use your Rage for their own gain..." Amelia said seriously. She knew how much it hurt to suddenly come back to her senses to see the carnage she'd wrought only to realise it was the result of her crystal being slipped off her person without her knowing by someone that she was supposed to have been able to trust. --- "Oh, I'll be ok! I'm sure it's not that far... it's this way, right?" Bob said the pointed out towards the street. Azrael considered him for a moment and knew Bob had absolutely no idea where they currently were nor how to find his way home from here. He smiled at Raven. "I believe you may be right. Let's take him home first." He then turned to Life and Leanna. "La Trammogia, Life. Death will want to know of our success. Please assure him that Raven and I will be home soon." "I guess we can pass along your message for you." Leanna said, as if Azrael had asked a favour rather than given an order. As Azrael, Raven and Bob vanished she then turned to Life. "You know, I've spent all of my lives saving myself. I've never been a hero before... it feels different... Nice." --- Juliette had gone to the back of the store as she'd been told to do but in a fit of protest was leaning against the shelves and had lit up a cigarette by the time Adam had walked in on her. At the sound of his voice, she'd jumped and been prepared to flick her cigarette away but paused when she realised it was a stranger, not her father. She stared at the man with a mixture of curiosity and surprise as he introduced himself. Then he began to glow. Just like John & Daisy had, she found herself entranced by his aura and unwilling to take her eyes off him. Her pupils had dilated, giving away that she was attracted to him but she tried to play it cool. "So, you've come to be my Romeo? From what I remember that story does not end well." She said coyly. Her French accent was thick but her English was perfect. Meanwhile, her father was still in the main part of the shop trying his best to help serve John and growing increasingly impatient with him. --- "He did. But maybe it's time that I gave it a little yank!" Carol growled, already agitated by the fights she'd recently come from. She charged forward and snatched up a rock along the way to throw at Ash's head to get his attention. "HEY!" She screamed at him while running. As she got close enough and gained enough momentum, she leapt up to attempt a flying or roundhouse kick to knock him off balance.

Juliette

Worried about how Amelia had told him to take a seat and interested in what she had to say to him, Tom sat down in the living room where Amelia joined him. She sat in an armchair while he sat on the couch. Taking a breath, Amelia prepared herself to give him this tough news. "What you described... It sometimes happens to me." She took her own crystal out of her pocket to show him. "I always keep this on me, just in case anything happens that could trigger it." She replaced it in her pocket and went on. "It's called Devil's Rage. It's a rare affliction that some new Devils can get within their first hundred years. Basically, it's kind of a natural defence against anything that could threaten your life. Once it starts and a life-threatening danger has been perceived, the Devil's Rage is usually unstoppable and won't end until the danger has been um... 'eliminated'... Unfortunately, the Rage also doesn't distinguish between friend or foe so if anyone tried to stop you from killing your, let's say 'target', then the Rage would just think it's another enemy in the way and destroy them too." She paused, giving Tom a moment to let this information sink in. He sat there, staring at the floor in shock. "And... even though I'm not actually a Devil, I have this too?" "It looks like it. You'll need to take precautions going forward. I don't know how strong your Rage would be. It might be managable considering there wasn't much of my blood in Sebastian's system when he turned you... but then again..." "It might be devastating... like when I killed those Angels that broke into my hotel room..." Tom finished. "Yes... I'm sorry, Tom. I suppose the ability to walk in the sun needed some kind of cost. But as I said, it's manageable. And if you can make it to 100 years of being what you are then you'll be in the clear. Like me." "Oh God..." Tom gasped as he realised. "I could've hurt Nate! Or worse!" he looked up at her and explained "When the spirit punched me, he placed himself between us to try to calm me down. We didn't know what was happening." "Shit... well, you didn't. That's the main thing. But how did you manage to get out of it once it started?" "I don't know... it was strange. The first time I blacked out in seconds but this time I could feel it coming. Like another part of me wanted to take control to get revenge but I didn't want to because I knew the spirit hadn't meant to harm me. Then the spirit apologised when he saw me struggling to keep control and it kind of... faded." "That's interesting..." Amelia commented. "The way it felt... like it was another being in me. Is it like when Parker's soul had split?" "No... it's you but the more primal you, if that makes sense? David explained it to me once after doing hours of research. Everyone has several parts of themselves that makeup one soul. This is more like a 'shadow' or 'primal sense of self' but when the Rage is triggered, that sense of self is magnified while your 'conscious self' essentially goes to sleep." --- Azrael watched him leave with a small frown. Wishing he could reassure him but he couldn't risk slipping up and knew Death would know the right words to say when they'd get home. "Well, I'm pretty beat. I'm going to take a nap until we get there." Bob said as he walked away as well. Before long they were pulling into the docks. The people who had been held captive went about helping them to guide the boat in safely and tie it up. Once they were able to disembark, the captives broke into cheers. They gave each of their rescuers a hug or a handshake in thanks before leaving to go back to their homes. Only Bob lingered with them for a moment on the docks. "So, I guess I'll see you folks when I see you. Hey, don't be strangers! Come and visit me! I've... I've never been alone before." he said to them. Azrael smiled at him warmly. "Lilly will be relieved to know that you're safe. I'm sure you'll see her again soon but for now, take care of yourself." he turned to Raven. "Ready to go home?" "My love, I want to live with you in your kingdom," Leanna told Life while holding his hand. "We should tell your brother. I'm not sure if he expects me to work in his." --- Unable to help but grin at his comment, John helped Adam to take his desired outfits to the register and then carried his shopping bags for him as they walked towards the Wiccan market. There were market stalls and a few shops scattered in the area and the place had various scents of incense. Some were clearly tourist traps to sell bogus spells and potions to unwitting tourists. But John was familiar enough with Tricksters and their practices to recognise genuine from fake. "Ah, here." He tapped on Adam's shoulder and pointed to an easily missed little shop. It had various boxes, candles and even chicken feet in its windows. The name of the shop was worn with age but read 'Sorcerer Study'. Through the window, they'd be able to see one lone woman sitting at a little round table which was littered with heavy and old-looking books. She was scratching her messy brown mop of hair with a look of deep concentration as she read one of them. She had pretty features and couldn't have been more than twenty-five years old. Much like Adam now, she was wearing a leather jacket and a deep red tank top. Her fingers were adorned with various silver rings. All, John noted, except her ring finger. He'd walk in with Adam, attempting to blend in by pretending to look at the trinkets on the shelves nearby. Shortly after they'd walk in, an older man would walk into the room from the back of the shop while calling out "Juliette!" The girl at the table rolled her eyes and continued to try to read the book she had in front of her. The man walked over to her, speaking entirely in French. "Juliette, I didn't say you could take a break! The stock still needs sorting in the back and the floor needs sweeping." Juliette groaned in annoyance. "Is your back broken? Why can't you do it?" "Excuse me? Because I'm your father and I told you to do it! And you should be thankful to have a job in our community after the trouble you caused in the last coven meeting!" "It wasn't even that bad!-" "You turned four councilmen into mice!" "They were annoying me. Besides, I turned them back, didn't I?! At least now they have a new appreciation for cheese." She chuckled. "This is no laughing matter, young lady! You are too old to be behaving this way! Until you can prove you're capable of being responsible, no more magic for you!" he slammed the book shut that she'd been reading and yanked it from the table. "Papa!-" "The stock. Now!" With another annoyed groan, Juliette stood and stomped off to the back of the shop moodily. John glanced over at Adam and smirked as he got an idea. He could distract the shop owner by pretneding to be a human tourist asking questions about magic while Adam could go and talk to the girl in private. "Um, excuse moi?" he said to the owner. He then pretended to try to ask him questions in terrible French as if practising the language for the first time. This would give Adam as much time as he needed as each question would take several minutes to say and then several minutes more for the shop owner to try to answer in a way that John would 'understand'. --- Carol and Eris had begun their trek back towards the library by the time Ash was leaving. They were bruised and had a few scratches by now. Some escaped Demons hadn't been so willing to follow Charles's rule and they'd had to fight them before locking them back into the now repaired cells. A few Demons had been defensive to begin with but once things were explained they relaxed and became more compliant. They had yet to find the rest but considering all they'd managed to achieve today, Carol figured they'd earned a rest.

That sounds good 🙂

I'm nearly done with my post. Just trying to decide who Ash can terrorize xD