Shadowess

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

"You just spawned another being into existence from your own body. You need to recover." Amelia told him firmly but gently. She still didn't understand how such a thing had even happened nor could she barely comprehend the amount of power Charles would have needed to pull it off on his own like that. But she simply didn't have time to ask or go looking for answers right now. She turned to Nate and Tom as they both appeared. "We've certainly been kept busy." She sighed in response to Nate's comment. "What's going on with you two?" "I'm hoping you can tell us," Tom replied, earning him a raised brow from Amelia. He went on; "A spirit punched me. Not great but something I can handle... except I almost blacked out right after. The feeling that came over me... it was weird. Like... a mixture of pure instinct and rage. I could feel myself starting to lose control. Like..." he hesitated, knowing how it was going to sound but he continued. "Like a dark part of me wanted to take control. I felt like I wanted to rip the soul to shreds until there was nothing left and nothing could possibly stand in my way. It was hard to resist it. The last time I felt like that I-... it was when some angels tried to drag me to ADIUE... I blacked out and when I came to they were... they were..." Tom had trailed off, still traumatised by the memory of it. He paused for a moment to regather himself before asking; "Do you know why that might happen? I mean, I'm guessing it's a Devil thing, right? Your blood is the only reason I can walk around in the sunlight, after all." As Tom had been talking, Amelia's features had been growing paler and paler. Everything Tom had described had sounded intimately familiar. She looked from Tom to Nate with a serious expression. "I don't suppose you'd be able to get one of those training crystals that new Angels wear when they learn to control their new powers? Tom is going to need one... Tom, you might want to sit down. I'll explain everything." --- Stevie looked up at Carter and nodded before sitting back and trying to watch the movie again. He glanced down at the hot chocolate for a second then leant forward to pick it up. He took a sip and savoured the warm feeling it gave him as he sat back, finally relaxed. Despite the cold sweat that was beginning to break out across his forehead. Sebastian smiled warmly at Carter, feeling that they'd finally had some form of win today. He looked worriedly at the beads of sweat on the boy's head. He listened carefully for his heartbeat. His heart rate had increased a little but he wasn't in any danger. He would be fine. They just needed to make sure he stayed relaxed and hydrated. --- "I-" Azrael was taken aback at how observational Raven seemed to be. He stammered, wondering how to answer without going over Death's head. "I'm afraid it wouldn't be my place to tell you," he said honestly. "But when we return home, you and Death will need to have an important conversation regarding your future as his son. That is all I would be able to say for now. I hope you understand." To be on the safe side, Azrael raised his telepathic guard. No minds could penetrate his thoughts without his consent. --- Smiling to himself, John nodded thankfully to Adam. He looked around awkwardly. "Shall we pay for these clothes and head to the Wiccan market, then?" he asked.

"You know, you really shouldn't shout and scream like that. It's not very ladylike." Amelia teased with a smirk before turning her attention back to Charles. She knelt down and ran her hand through his hair lovingly. "I'm sorry that I doubted you..." she whispered before teleporting them both home. Despite their size differences she managed to lift him into their bed where she made sure he'd be comfortable while he recovered. It was at that moment that she heard Tom's voice calling to her. "Really? It's one thing after another..." she groaned. "Tom, my telepathy is shit so I hope you or Nate hear this. Whatever it is, you'll need to come to us. I'm a little busy." --- "I'd want him to know..." Stevie nodded. He assumed he would never see nor hear from Raven again but he felt a need to somehow make him aware of how sorry he was. --- Bob smiled, comforted. Azrael smiled too but his was a little strained. He'd just realised that Raven is still completely alive. Both himself and Death had told Lilly that they couldn't risk living beings being in his kingdom for too long. If Raven wants to remain in Death's kingdom, he would have to lose his life. He wondered if Death had realised this yet or not. He also worried about how they could possibly broach this subject with Raven without frightening him. No matter what though, this was ultimately Death's call and it would be out of line for Azrael to bring this up in his absence. --- "You will always be a gift to me," John said then his eyes widened and he blushed deeply. "That was out loud, wasn't it?" he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um, I mean that outfit also suits you. Gives you an edgy 'bad boy' look. Some people love that."

Amelia glared up at the spoilt creature as she scolded her for not obeying her order. Seeing Charles's nod, she smirked and kept her eyes on Sarah. As the hand came down, Amelia caught her wrist and twisted it. Not enough to break it, but enough that it'd hurt. "No, we are the royalty here and you have some manners of your own to learn!" she growled while aiming to throw her into the cell that Charles had just come from. If successful, she would slam the door behind her. --- Stevie sniffled and sat up a bit while staring at his hands. He now understood every story he'd heard when it referred to a guilt-ridden killer seeing blood on their hands. He thought about his flute. How charming and convincing the voice inside it had been. "The voice I heard was the bad man you turned into a tree?" he asked, and although it sounded absolutely insane it also made sense. "He kept talking to me. Almost all the time. Telling me that he was the only one I could ever trust. That everyone else would kill me as soon as they had the chance. He'd tell me things I always wanted to hear... that I could be strong and powerful. That my parents didn't love me but he did. That he'd always be there to listen and encourage me. Then he'd tell me to do bad things... to kill my enemies. To make them suffer for hurting me. That one day soon, I'd be so strong that I could make him into a person like me and we would get our revenge together. I just had to keep playing the flute..." he trailed off and shivered. "He was trying to manipulate you into bringing him back but the flute is gone now," Sebastian said. "He can't come back and you're safe." "I did awful things..." "Stevie, it may be bad but what's done is done and we can't take it back. But we can try to help you move on and become a better person. That lady who brought you here, Amelia, her whole thing is helping people to redeem themselves." Stevie looked up at him and recalled Amelia talking to them. "She said she was a Devil." "She is... but you can't believe everything you see in the movies." Sebastian smiled at him warmly. "Even Charles is nice. I know he scared you earlier and I'm sorry he did that. I promise he isn't usually so angry. But normally he helps Amelia to help people." At the mention of Charles Stevie had tensed again and looked on the brink of tears once more. But he listened to Sebastian and nodded. "What about Raven?" He asked. "Who?" "There was another boy with me... He took me in when my flute snapped and taught me some magic." Stevie looked down with a guilty expression. "He was taken away by Death but he was nice to me and I-... I threw it back in his face... I wish I could tell him that I'm sorry. That I didn't mean it... I was just scared of being hurt and alone again." --- "So, I guess I'm gonna be alone for a while now..." Bob commented as he stared out across the sea. Now that all of his friends were dead, he felt more alone than he'd ever felt. Azrael frowned at him. He recalled Bob having suicidal thoughts when it had only been Lilly who had died. But now he was completely alone he worried for his mental health. "Stay strong, Bob. Your friends have moved to the afterlife but that doesn't mean you'll never see them again." --- "Hmm..." John smirked as he looked around the racks. He quickly picked out a tight fitting black leather jacket and a pale grey v-neck shirt. "I think these with those tight jeans you had on earlier would look good." he said as he showed them to Adam.

Amelia ran over to Charles and knelt beside him. "Are you ok?" she said then stared at the woman curiously "A lot of people are sprouting new beings lately..." she mumbled then replied to the woman in an annoyed tone "Get your own damn tea." Then looking to Charles "Can I lock her up?" --- "It's not ok! I killed my parents! I killed my bullies!" He continued to cry. "There's something wrong with me! I'm a murderer! I heard a voice from a flute and did what it told me! I might be schizo!... And my veins hurt so much!" he cradled his head in his hands as he rocked back and forth. Sebastian recalled how desperate he'd seemed when he'd asked him for his venom and wondered how long he'd been out of his supply for. He had hidden the flask away now and knew the boy was going to be in for a very uncomfortable time for a while. But there was at least one positive thing to take away from what Stevie had said. Whatever hold the flute had had over him was gone. It likely happened when Charles destroyed the flute completely. Stevie now seemed to realise that hearing voices from an object wasn't normal and that he needed help. "Stevie," Sebastian said while leaning forward and clasping his hands together. "What happened was bad, yes, but you know it now. It's going to feel bad for a while but this is a good thing, I promise. We can help you. We want to help you. And I don't believe that what happened was completely your fault... You see, that flute came from a tree that... well it's a long story but let's just say it had some very evil energy trapped inside it." --- Leandra giggled with him and cuddled into his side as she turned her body slightly to look out at the horizon. "My Life, my muse, my love," she said dreamily. "Whatever new adventures we have, I want it to be by your side, always." "Lilly may be a little older than you but she hasn't practised or honed her powers like you have. She came from a world that would have persecuted her if she showed the slightest signs of magic. She spent most of her life on the run and burying her abilities within herself." Azrael told him. "She may find it easier to bond with you as a sibling if you share your knowledge with her." --- John's mind immediately went to the day they'd made love in his apartment to the sound of Cry Little Sister. "Yes..." he said lustfully. He was tempted to push him into the dressing room to take him right there. But they came here for a reason, and also he was sure the store clerks would call the authorities on them immediately. He had to tear his eyes away again but he smirked. "We should save that outfit for later."

Amelia looked at the lock, tempted. She bit her lip and weighed her options. She knew, deep down, that logically she should get her father for advice. That she shouldn't take the risk in case whatever was causing him to act strangely took over. But she wanted to trust him and she convinced herself that Charles was strong enough to do what he said. After all, she'd witnessed him do a few things before that she had previously thought to be impossible. She looked back at him with a serious expression. "I'll let you out. But the second you start acting weird again I'm throwing you back in... even if it'll hurt me to do that to you." she moved to unlock the cell. --- Stevie didn't move when Carter wrapped his arm around him. He tensed but continued to watch the movie as he gradually relaxed again. After a while, he burst into tears again, even though the movie was at a humorous point. Sebastian looked over at them, unsure of what to do. Then Stevie finally spoke. "I'm sorry! I did a bad thing!" --- "La Tramoggia was a body hopper. Stealing lives to add to her own. I don't want that to be me anymore..." Leandra said thoughtfully. "I want to start again. A new life in the afterlife! New adventures and excitements!" she beamed, excitedly. She then smirked playfully. "After all, just because I'm dead does not mean I cannot be 'full of life'." she winked. "Give her a chance," Azrael told him gently. "Yeah, Lilly's a great friend! She used to love playing hide the bones with me!" Bob said with a gleefully reminiscent look. "See, it's this game she made up. Like hide and seek but it was half of my bones. She never thought I could find them but you should've seen the look on her face when caught up with her several days later in a whole different country to prove her wrong! Oh wait, I have a face now! I can show you how she looked! It was like-!" he pulled a very accurate representation of the frustration and annoyance Lilly used to have when she'd failed yet again to lose Bob on the road. "He used to be an animated skeleton that was bound to her..." Azrael quickly explained to Raven while trying to hide his amusement at Bob's story. --- Kat smiled and nestled down a bit in his seat while tilting his head back slightly. Before long he'd started to doze lightly. --- John stared speechlessly for a moment as he admired the new look. "You look great!" he said. "You look like you could charm anyone you wanted!"

Amelia hugged herself as she watched him and tears clung to her eyes. She wondered how awful it must feel for him to know she'd thought of him in that way. She placed herself in his shoes and couldn't stand the idea of him thinking such things about her. But after what she'd seen she needed to be careful. She needed to be sure. With tears dripping down her cheeks she walked over to the bars and gently placed her hands on his. "I know... I know you wouldn't. That's why it scared me that you're not acting yourself." she told him but she was still hesitant to let him out yet. "Charles, I love you. I'm not going to let whatever this is take you from me. Let me go and get David. We can search the library for answers then come back to you when we know a cure." --- Stevie didn't answer but after a moment he gave a small nod. Letting Carter take him to the couch and pick a movie. He was tense in his seat. Struggling to relax as his eyes darted around the room every so often in case Charles came back. He'd already scoped out all of the exits in case he needed to make a quick getaway. This is unfortunately a common trait for people who were used to living in violent homes. Sebastian came back into the room with the blanket. He approached Stevie slowly and held the blanket up for him to see that it was all he was holding. "Did you want me to put this on you or would you prefer if I passed it to you?" he asked him while keeping a small distance between them to help the boy feel a little more comfortable in their presence. Stevie thought for a moment as he looked up at him then reached out a hand to take it. With a kind smile, Sebastian slowly passed it to him. He then left the room to bring in Stevie's hot chocolate which he placed onto the coffee table across from him. "Help yourself to it if you want it but you don't have to," he told him before moving to sit in the armchair. Stevie looked from Carter to Sebastian then stared at the hot chocolate as he thought about all the ways these two men could have hurt him by now. But they hadn't. Tears were falling slowly from his eyes and he wiped them away while sitting back and wrapping the blanket around himself. He still didn't trust them yet but he was beginning to feel more at ease. --- When he kissed her and she heard the waves crashing behind them she couldn't help but be reminded of cheesy romance movies. She smiled as she kissed him back. Savouring the feel of his lips against hers. When they finally stopped to breath, her cheeks had flushed pink and she grinned at him. "Leandra... My real name. It's Leandra." she told him quietly. Azrael had been filling Bob in on what had been happening with Lilly when Raven joined them. He looked at the boy and smiled warmly. "Every mortal I've ever met always imagines Death to be this cold, emotionless being with a fascination for hourglasses..." he said with a small chuckle. "But he is a wise, just and benevolent ruler. He cares greatly for his people and for the souls that need guidance to their afterlives. Your past deeds matter little if you have the capacity for goodness in your soul. I have no doubt that is what he saw in you. You have the potential to do great things, you just need the right guidance." "And a sister." Bob said with a huge grin. "You came from a portal too, right?" Azrael faltered then smiled awkwardly at Raven. "I'm not sure if Death has informed you about Lilly yet." --- Grinning at Sawyer, he shook his head. "I barely got any sleep in that warehouse. I can catch up while we're in the air. Then I'll be awake enough to see our new home." 'Our new home'... it sounded strange to Kat to hear that out loud. All of this still felt surreal to him. --- John's eyes wandered back to him. "I look forward to it." he smirked. He then pointed over to the changing rooms. "Maybe you should try those on before we buy them?"

Amelia looked at Charles, feeling guilty for locking him up. But she shook her head a little at him. "Charles, he's been abused. He needs help, not more violence! You terrified him... and you frightened me." She bit her lip and looked away from him for a moment. She didn't want to throw him into a cell. She didn't want to think, even for a moment, that he could be a danger. In fact, she'd love nothing more than to open that cell, run into his arms and have him reassure her that everything would be ok. But when she'd watched him throw that boy against the wall like a rag doll... she couldn't help but imagine Oliver in Stevie's place and it had sparked a deep fear in her. --- Stevie continued to sob, though he had quietened down quite a bit. His whole body shook violently. Expecting to be hit at any moment. He jumped and stiffened when he felt Carter's hand on his head. Though he didn't speak or move, he heard what Carter said and stared off across the room as he thought about it. Sebastian hesitated to move as he didn't want to startle Stevie while he was in this state. He carefully crept over to the flask and picked it up. Undoing the top, he didn't even need to bring the neck of the bottle to his nose to be able to smell the venom. He quickly fastened it back up and gave Carter a frown now that their suspicions had been confirmed. The poor boy was hooked on it and although it would be necessary, making him go cold turkey wasn't going to be pleasant. He slipped the flask into his back jeans pocket to try to keep it out of Stevie's sight. "I'll get him a blanket... and a new hot chocolate." he whispered to Carter "What you're doing seems to be working. He's calming down," he added as he quietly crept past them, knowing Carter could also hear the boy's heart rate slowing down to a calmer level. --- "I didn't know about you." La Tramoggia replied. "I didn't even really know about Death... not until my third- or was it fourth?- body jump. All I knew was that I wasn't ready to give up on life yet." she blushed when he kissed her hand and referred to her as his love. She moved to stand closer to him and playfully ran her fingers up the middle of his chest like she had back in Death's castle. "My muse... I believe we were interrupted before," she said with a coy smile. --- "I've had worse." Kat chuckled. "If I am honest, I will probably just fall asleep until we get there." --- "Hmm..." John looked around. "A couple of options. Some dark, tight-fit jeans or black trousers?" he looked back at Adam and blushed as he imagined him in such an outfit. He quickly cleared his throat and tore his eyes away. He wanted them to complete what they'd come back to Earth to do. There was always time for fun later. "Did you see anything else you like?" he asked, trying to keep on the topic of clothes.

"No, dad, don't!" Stevie cried out and flinched at Charles's movements. His flask had clattered on the floor. Amelia had seen enough. She ran over and snatched Stevie from his grip before throwing him into Carter's arms. Then she grabbed Charles and teleported to Hell's Cells where she threw him into one and slammed the door shut behind him. There she stood, staring at him in shock. Both at how he'd acted and by what she'd done as well. But she took a step back from the door and continued to look at him questioningly. She'd noticed he'd been acting a bit more ruthless, particularly with Ash but at the time she'd assumed it was to make sure Ash wouldn't dare try anything funny. Admittedly she had even kind of liked the way he'd displayed dominance. But there was no excusing how he'd reacted to a traumatised mortal boy having a breakdown. Something was wrong. "What's happening to you?" she whispered, shaking her head a little. Meanwhile, back at Carter's, Stevie was sobbing uncontrollably in his arms. Now too frightened to run or fight back as he was mentally reliving his trauma. Sebastian hadn't moved from the doorway and watched the boy with saddened eyes before lifting them to look at Carter as if to ask him 'what the fuck just happened?!' --- "It would seem I was wrong about a lot of things." La Tramoggia admitted after a moment of quiet contemplation. "I did everything and anything I could to avoid dying. I just could not get enough of life. The thrills. The adventures. Watching the world change with such wonders!" she smiled a little. "I didn't know that I could still do all of that if I had just let my life end naturally... I always thought that it all would just... end." she looked at Life and placed a hand on his. "I'm glad it didn't." --- "I've flown before," Kat said as they took their seats. "Only on short flights but I'm fine with it." he looked over at Sawyer. "What about you? Not going to be sick, are you?" he smirked. --- "I think it would suit you." John smiled. "Perhaps not something to wear when flirting with women but a few men might find it appealing. But then again, you never know. Attraction is a funny thing." he pulled a white silk button up shirt from one of the racks. "Would you like something like this? I imagine you'd look very nice with the first few buttons undone in a casual way."

"He's just a child, Charles!" Amelia snapped at him. Shocked that he was being cold. "What's gotten into you?" While she was busy scolding Charles, Stevie managed to finally break loose from her grip and made a run for the door. Sebastian ran faster than Stevie's eyes could track, blocking his exit. Stevie ground to a halt and stumbled back with wide eyes as he stared at Sebastian. "Wait... are you a vampire?" he asked. Surprised by the question, Sebastian answered; "Yes, but you don't need to be afraid. I won't hurt you-" "Give me some of your venom!" "What?!" Stevie whipped out his hipflask which was now empty. "I need it! Please!" "C-Carter?" Sebastian called, unsure of what to do and staring at the boy with wide eyes. --- La Tramoggia looked away from him. "I didn't really do anything," she said with red cheeks. "He would have every right to destroy me..." She didn't understand Death's mercy either. She had stolen more life than she was entitled to then placed a curse on Death's lover in order to avoid the consequences. She fully believed that Death hated her and had only tolerated her to keep Azrael from harm. But now that the curse was broken, she wasn't sure whether Death would keep to his word or take his revenge. --- "No!" Kat reached out and touched Sawyer's arm then retracted it quickly. He wasn't used to open signs of affection. "You didn't ruin it, you saved it. Think about it. If you hadn't been sent on your mission then I would have died along with my clan when that quake happened. I only survived and got out because you were there..." he looked at the airport. "We should go in and find our gate." --- Happily, John took Adam's arm and teleported them both of them into the heart of a shopping district in France. Not too far from where they needed to go to find Adam's next wife. "Ah, why not? Let's have some fun with it!" John beamed as he gestured for Adam to lead the way.

Seeing the flute burn was the last straw for Stevie. He began screaming with a mixture of horror and grief. She thrashed in the chair, throwing his fists at Amelia's arms to try and get her to release her grip as he sobbed uncontrollably. "Not that I don't agree with getting rid of that wood, but perhaps burning the object he'd been cherishing like a friend in front of him wasn't the best idea?" Sebastian sighed while looking over at Charles. --- La Tramoggia leant against the railing and looked up at Life with a smile. "Are you feeling better, my muse?" --- "I..." Kat hesitated then blushed and laughed nervously. "I'm glad that you did. I thought you might hate me after what I put you through." --- "Then we'll hit some stores first and get you a wardrobe that's more you." John grinned. He took a wallet out of his jeans and handed it to Adam. "While you were um, busy, I took advantage of the riots on Earth. Don't worry, I took precautions by hiding my face and deleting any CCTV footage. I managed to empty a few safes and opened up a bank account to deposit the money. I also took those items from different stores. No point in worrying about theft if we're making a new Eden to be our home. Besides, it's not like the humans will really miss it and aruably, we'll need it more."