Shadowess

Amelia stared at the shards all over the floor and looked back at Raven. "I don't know... the way he spoke to you..." she looked back at the door that Stevie had fled through. "Charles we might need the help of some kind of psychologist for this one. That kid was very... hot and cold. He obviously cares about what he's done and the people he gets close to but then..." she recalled how quickly and jarringly his eyes had dulled when talking to her. Like a light went out and she had suddenly been talking to someone else. Someone who didn't care. "It was like he flicked a switch and turned his emotions off." she looked back at the group with sad eyes. "He must've been terribly abused to be able to do that." --- It wasn't unusual by now for Will to vanish or have some kind of aura about him so Malone didn't even bat an eye to what had happened. He simply felt relieved to have told someone he trusted about what had happened. He stepped out of the office and decided to take Will up on his offer of taking the rest of the day off. He headed home. --- May gave him a warm smile. "You're capable of being gentle," she told him confidently. "Like when you protected me from that patient... and just now when you touched my hand," she reassured him. "I feel safe around you." she blushed then lifted her cup to her lips and finished the rest of her coffee. "I should head home. I have laundry to do, research for my paper, take a shower and with any luck I'll even have time for some sleep before my next shift eight hours from now..." Meaning that after doing her chores she'll only be able to get a few hours sleep before getting up for the next shift. She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "That's the hectic life of working in medicine for you!" she tapped her nails on the table thoughtfully and bit her lip a little before asking nervously. "Would you mind walking me home?" --- He looked at Blaire in surprise then smiled with a thankful nod. Not just appreciative of the free booze but also the understanding ear. He poured himself another glass. Then another. And another. Before long the bottle was empty and he couldn't even remember walking onto the dancefloor. Finding himself dancing among a huddle of sweating, moving, pale limbs with no clue nor care as to how long he'd been there. Faces around him were a blur as he allowed himself this one night to give in to his impulses and dance for as long as he wanted. His cravings continued to gnaw at him but in the dizzying alcoholic haze, he paid it little attention. --- Kat stared down at Sawyer, unsure of how to react so just nodded at his apology. He had tensed as well because the trip had made some noise and he took a few seconds to listen for any more approaching footsteps. Silence. "I don't know..." he whispered. "Long enough to leave the area completely, I know that... We might be here a while." though he hid it well, he wasn't just nervous about the people outside hearing them. He could feel Sawyer's warm breath on his cold skin and it caused something in him to stir.

Stevie was taken aback when Raven stood and seemed ready to strike him. He stared at him with a mixture of shock and hurt as more tears rolled down his cheeks. In his mind, he had just poured his heart out to him only to be threatened in return. Unfortunately, this only reinforced his paranoia that everyone was against him and he was ultimately alone in the world. "The roy-?" he started then stared at Amelia and Charles as the realisation dawned on him. If the other being really was Death and they all had the power to appear out of nowhere then it wasn't much of a leap to assume these two might actually be Devils. "No..." he groaned "No... You're going to take me to Hell aren't you?" Amelia looked back at Stevie with soft eyes. "Why would you think that?" she asked gently. "Why else? Because I killed people!" Stevie wept and gripped his hair. "Do you feel bad about that?" Amelia asked and for a moment Stevie didn't answer as he continued to sob. He then looked up at her with dull eyes. "No," he answered simply hollowly. Then he unleashed the power that he had spent this time building up. This caused all the glass, pottery and ceramicware in the room to spontaniously explode. While the others were distracting by this, he made a run for the door. Not wanting to stick around so that the Devils could drag him to Hell. --- "Yeah... I'll do that..." Malone answered distractedly. "Thanks, boss," he said sincerely. Then something occurred to him and he knew he wouldn't be able to rest if he didn't at least make Will aware of it. "Boss? The Demon in the lockup... he said something about a contract. The dancer he used as a hostage seemed terrified of leaving him too. Something's not right." --- May looked from James to his cup with a small smile. "Well, you've done well so far. Not so much as a chip in the cup." she smiled a little wider at him. "Practice makes perfect. If you're not used to doing something a certain way then you just need to take it one step at a time and one day at a time. I just know that in time you'll get the hang of it." --- "Ah, no..." Damien quickly shook his head. "I was in love once and I never want to feel that kind of pain again..." he stopped, realising how much he was telling her and awkwardly cleared his throat. "I'm just not ready for anything serious. I was thinking I'd just, you know, focus on finding myself for a while." he paid her for the second drink and knocked that one back too. --- Gravel crunched and clacked outside their hiding place. Growing louder the closer they came. One set of footsteps. Then two. Three. If there were more it was hard to tell over the overlapping sounds of tiny rocks tumbling and sea waves crashing outside the little shed. Kat gulped silently. His heart pounding hard as he tried to listen through the sounds of his and Sawyer's combined breathing. His grip on the shed door was tight and grew tighter the closer those footsteps came. His eyes widened a little as the footsteps stopped right outside the shed and they could hear men muttering to each other in barely audible Japanese. Someone tried to pull the shed door and Kat held it firmly in place. They tried again and Kat maintained his grip. "Locked..." they'd hear one of them say. Then the gradual sounds of the footsteps moving away. When they were far enough that Kat could no longer hear them, he let out a relieved breath and turned his head to look at Sawyer. By now his eyes had adjusted slightly to the dark and he could just about make out his face. "That was too close..." he whispered, not wanting to risk speaking any louder in case those men were still close enough to hear.

"How?" Stevie demanded, looking between them both. "How're you going to help me? They were right! I'm good for nothing! A weirdo! I'm always going to be alone! I can't trust anyone! Not my friends, not my parents and not you!" Sobbing, he tore his hand away from Raven's. "You'll all leave me in the end! I know it! You'll hurt me, just like they did! And then I'll have to kill you too!" --- "Well, today has been pretty hard..." Malone answered as he closed the door. He then hesitated while still standing near the door. Fidgeting with his hands nervously as he hesitated to say what was on his mind. His hands were visibly shaking, showing he still hadn't fully recovered from what had happened at the club. "Boss... I shot someone today," he said finally and although he felt a little relieved to say it out loud, he was also still worried that he'd get into trouble for it. "Not fatally, the perp is in lockup now with a medic seeing to them. I shot them in the leg. I-I panicked. I thought it was going to be a normal arrest but then it turned out the perp was a Demon and he tried to take a dancer hostage, then he came at me when I reached for my radio and it happened so quickly..." he rambled a little then stopped to look at Will. "I've never shot anyone before." --- May couldn't help giggling at James's reaction to the taste of coffee and she covered her mouth shyly as she did so. Her laughter was light and bubbly. "Here." she chuckled while passing him the milk and sugar. "Try it with these..." she thought about his words and shrugged while smiling at him. "I like you. You seem like a sweet man and I'd like to get to know you more," she explained. She picked up her cup and took a long sip of it. Enjoying it's strong and bitter taste. It was just what she needed after a long shift. --- "Um..." Damien faltered, caught off guard by Blaire's blunt yet accurate assumption. He half laughed and decided to dodge her question entirely. "I'm... questioning myself. I'm not sure how to put this. All my life I thought I was one way but now I'm thinking that maybe..." he glanced around again then sighed. "That I might have more 'options' than I originally thought." He handed her the cash for his drink and then knocked it back quickly as if washing away the nerves of admitting something so personal to a woman that he barely knew. He stifled a cough from the strong beverage hitting his throat but found that even this drink didn't come close to slaking his cravings for venom. "Another one please," he said quickly before continuing on. "I mean... does that even happen? Figuring something like that out late in life?" --- Kat was silently impressed as he watched Sawyer take care of the padlock. He dove into the shed once it was opened then pulled the door closed behind them, holding it closed in case someone came along to try and pull on it. The shed was tiny, with barely enough room for them both to fit, which meant they had to stand very close to each other. Kat glanced at Sawyer's silhouette in the darkness as he felt him wrap his coat around him. "Thank you..." he whispered absently as he turned his head back to look at the door, his attention on listening out for any approaching footsteps.

Stevie glanced over at Death almost fearfully. He was familiar with stories and for the whole time he'd been here Stevie hadn't dared to say a word. But he looked back at Raven now as bitter tears rolled down his cheeks. "I thought you were different. I thought you understood me. But you're going to leave me, just like the rest of them, aren't you?" he asked quietly, though his words were heavy with anger and pain. --- Wiping the spit off his cheek with the sleeve of his jacket, Malone was far from gentle when he yanked the owner out of the car and slammed the passenger door shut with his foot. "Just piling up those charges, aren't you?" he muttered as he dragged the owner into the precinct. Once inside, he passed the owner over to another officer to take him to a cell so that he, himself could calm down. "Careful with that one. He's a Demon," he called to the officer as they walked away. He ran a hand through his hair out of stress then walked over to Will's office to knock on the door. --- May blushed deeply and didn't want to move her hand. "I- thank you," she said shyly then shook her head slightly. "You know, I have to deal with all kinds of horrible situations day in and day out. I talk to all kinds of people... but you're the first person to actually, well... see me." she bit her lip a little then looked into his eyes. "So, you don't need to give me anything because you've already given me something that's worth so much more. You make me feel like a person and not just some nurse who helped your friend." She smiled, her cheeks still pink as she glanced at her coffee and then back to James. "I think I'd like to do this again... with you. If you want? I like your company." --- Or maybe he'd always felt this way and couldn't remember burying it deep down? After all, although he personally had no problem with other people's sexual preferences, he had grown up in a time when it wasn't as socially acceptable as it is now. Blaire's greeting pulled Damien out of his thoughts and he looked at her, masking his emotions with a charming smile as usual. "Hi, what's the strongest drink you have?" he asked and pulled out his wallet. He then thought for a moment before glancing around as if making sure no one else was close enough to listen in. He'd momentarily forgotten about vampire hearing. He looked back at Blaire and his smile had slipped a bit. "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" --- Kat led them to the back doors, just in time to hear a set of metal doors on the other side of the warehouse being kicked open and heavy boots running into the building. Hurriedly, Kate slipped out and made sure that Sawyer was close behind before quietly closing the door behind them. He hadn't had time to put his shirt back on or grab anything before they'd had to make a move, so he shivered a little in the cool wind as he quietly jogged along the docks to find somewhere for them to hide, all while looking around wildly to make sure they hadn't been spotted or followed. They came upon a shed, likely for storing boating equipment. He tried to open the door quickly but noticed a thick padlock keeping it shut. He glanced back over at the warehouse from which they had escaped and could hear the men inside shouting orders. He looked over at the streets but knew it'd be suicide to run out into the open like that. "Shit. When they figure out we're not there they'll make a sweep of these docks. We need to hide."

Amelia hugged Raven back. "He's like you?" She asked Death, astonished. She then smiled at Raven while straightening up. "I told you we wanted to help. Now, make sure you get something to eat." she gestured to the two pizzas. "There's pepperoni or vegetarian. I wasn't sure which you'd prefer... where's your friend?" she looked around and then spotted Stevie sitting in an unlit corner of the room. Silently glaring at them all with tears in his eyes. "Hey, are you hungry?" Amelia tried but Stevie continued to stare, unmoving. --- Malone couldn't help chuckling to himself. He couldn't stand country music either but to see the look on the owners face was priceless. He pulled up to the station and finally turned off the music before stepping out. He opened the passenger door and offered the owner a hand, prepared to help him walk into the precinct. "Alright, c'mon. Let's get that leg taken care of." --- "Unless she has super hearing, I don't believe she can hear us." May smiled at James gently. She then looked concerned by what he told her. "You were trained to be a soldier. No worse than a soldier by the sounds of things. But Lyncanthropy isn't something to be ashamed of. There are hundreds of people out there who live perfectly ordinary lives despite their monthly 'obligation'. Even have their own cultures by what I've heard of them... " she tilted her head at him with softened eyes. "You didn't know that, did you? How isolated you must've been... how... lonely..." She couldn't help but reach across the table and place her hand on his. She quickly remembered herself and pulled her hand back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so pushy. You don't have to talk about this if you don't want." --- While James was out on his date, Damien was taking the opportunity to discreetly take care of his fix. So, he went to the one place he knew he'd be able to get all the vampire venom he wanted. Blaire's vampire nightclub. It was early evening by this point so the club was just starting to fill up. He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to go about getting venom in his system but he figured it might involve convincing a vampire to take a little nibble. He shivered at the thought and was curious about the strange excitement he'd felt alongside the fear. As he walked in and looked around, it dawned on him that he might actually enjoy being bitten. That it could well be a kink of his that he'd been unaware of up until his attacks. Either that or it was a strange result of his trauma but right now he didn't care. All he knew now was he wanted some fangs in him. He glanced around the room and felt a new nervousness. It would be very strange of him to just ask someone to bite him. Maybe it was an intimate thing? Maybe he'd be better off waiting for a vampire to take an interest in him? As he thought this he recalled Tristan at his door and although the memory sickened him, he vaguely remembered feeling a kind of thrill from his touch. Again, it could be due to trauma or- "Holy shit, I might be bi..." he breathed to himself. Trying to make sense of these new and very confusing feelings, he wandered over to the bar to grab a drink. --- Kat placed his hand over Red Fox's mouth to wake him up quietly. He placed a finger over his own lips to indicate to him to be quiet. "Listen," he whispered. Listening carefully they'd both hear footsteps on gravel outside the warehouse. Kat nodded at some doors behind them and gestured for Sawyer to follow him.

"I should've guessed you'd see and hear everything, too." Amelia chuckled, reminded once again of Charles's strong telepathic abilities. "Still, I'm sure they'll appreciate a decent hot meal." The employee called their order number and Amelia paid for the food before picking up the boxes. She took a breath, feeling a little nervous after the tension of her last visit. "You ready?" she asked Charles. --- Feeling something tug one of his fingers, David lifted his hand and stared in surprise at the new signet ring. Speechless, he turned his head to look at Death in time to see the door close. He looked back at the ring, mildly confused. He guessed it was a form of an apology, though he wasn't certain. Of course, David understood why Death had reacted the way he had back in the throne room. This wasn't a normal situation and tensions were very high for everyone. Add to that the curse on Azrael as well as the drama from finding out Lilly's friends had suddenly died... Those frustrations were bound to be aimed somewhere eventually. He sighed, settling into his position by the door for however long Death would need to rest. --- Malone watched Ash leave then looked coldly at the owner in his rearview mirror. "What was that? You want music?" he asked with a smirk then turned his radio to country music before whacking the volume all the way up. During the car ride to the station, if the owner tried to talk to him again he'd respond with "SORRY! CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THIS MUSIC!" It wasn't mature but it was the only thing Malone could do to torment this asshole legally. --- Sasha nodded and smiled at him then rang them up for the two coffees. Once they had their cups, May carried them over to one of the tables in the dining area and set them down. She hung her coat and handbag over the back of her chair before sitting in it and looking at James with a playful smirk. "You were going to say human, weren't you?" she grinned knowingly. She spoke a little quieter. "It's ok by the way. With the types of injuries we see at the hospital every day, you'd be hard-pressed to find a doctor or nurse nowadays who can't identify a supernatural person." she shrugged as she opened her sugar sachets and poured them into her drink before stirring it. "I think it's all fascinating. I mean, just a few weeks ago I helped a woman who was pregnant with werewolf pups to deliver them. They were the cutest things!" she stopped stirring her coffee and placed her spoon back onto the little saucer. "That's what you are, right? A werewolf?"

Amelia flustered slightly at the way Ash addressed her, unsure of whether she liked it or not or even if maybe she liked it a little too much. But she kept her composure and nodded to Hades and the boys with a smile. "Stay safe you lot. I know you'll be brilliant Demons." she took Charles's hand and smiled at him. "Let's save those boys," she said before teleporting them to a pizza place she used to visit on Earth. "Hmm..." she glanced up at the menu board. "I probably should have asked them what kind of pizza they liked... I don't know if they're vegetarian or not... ah, fuck it..." She stepped up to the counter and ordered one large pepperoni and one large vegetarian. While waiting for the pizzas to cook, she turned to Charles. "That place they were in was a mess... not including the bodies and smell of decay. I didn't see any food there but then again I did only see two rooms." --- With a subtle sigh, David moved to follow Death. He didn't need to watch him sleep but he would need to be close enough to hear if he was in trouble. On his way past, he glanced between Gabriel and the chicken and couldn't help smirking. It seemed Gabriel's job turned out to be easier than his. Once they reached Death's room, David would position himself to stand by the door with his back to the wall, showing Death that he wouldn't be following him inside but that he wouldn't be far away in case he was needed. --- Malone bit his lip and looked away from Ash for a moment. Suddenly his previous actions made some sense. He took a notepad out of the glove compartment along with a pen and wrote down some details before ripping the page out and handing it to Ash. "What you went through is hard. I know... My dad was the same. I haven't seen or spoken to him in years. That hostel-" he pointed to his note. "is the nicest one you'll find. They pretty much saved my life and helped put me on the path of joining the force. They could help you too. You just have to ask them for it." Looking back, Malone at that time had never really been religious but would often muse that the people working in that particular hostel were Angels. Now that he knew about the supernatural world he couldn't help but wonder if they really had been. "Tell them... tell them 'Loner' sent you." his cheeks turned a little pink as he said his old nickname and he quickly looked away out of embarrassment. --- "Depends, are you a sweet or savoury kind of guy?" Sasha smiled. May looked at James thoughtfully with a small smile. "Coffee is new to you, isn't it?" she asked then glanced up at the menu. "Maybe a standard coffee then? It's black but comes with a little jug of milk that you can add if it's too bitter." "And if you want it sweeter, we have sugar sachets on that little counter just there," Sasha added while nodding to a small self-serve table just within the dining area.

"You want to tattoo my name on your body?" Amelia asked, perplexed. She then shrugged. "What the hell, if that's what you want it's your body." After finding a pen and carefully giving the band their signatures, she turned to Hades. "Charles and I need to go grab food and meet these boys. Would you mind filling your friends in on what's been going on? Come and meet us when you're done, if you'd like. But we'll understand if you need time to catch up." she then turned to Ash and merely pointed a finger at him. "Behave," she said sternly. --- David had enough experience with Lucifer to know when he was pushing his luck and as much as he wanted to snipe back that Death would have to answer to Charles & Amelia if he hurt him, he stayed quiet. Instead, he cleared his throat and repositioned himself to stand with his hands behind his back. --- Malone saw Ash in his peripheral and paused. He sighed and wound down his window. "Look, I know we've had our differences before but I meant what I said. You can do better than this." --- More colour rushed to May's cheeks and she smiled bashfully. "I'm a mess." she chuckled. "But thank you... here we are." She opened the door of the little coffee shop and stepped in after him. "Hello Sasha!" she greeted the barista cheerfully. "May! Thank God you're alright! The earthquake had us shook up! No pun intended! I'll bet you've been busy today." Sasha said "Like you wouldn't believe." May chuckled and then gestured to James. "This is James." "Hi, James. The usual for you today, May?" "You know me." "Black coffee with two sugars coming up. And what're you having?" Sasha asked James.

"Oh, before we begin, I guess I need to go over a few important details," Amelia said quickly. "I know you said you're into the occult but some texts on Earth aren't exactly accurate. If you want to study up on the real histories of Heaven and Hell, this library is your best bet... some of them are written in the Demon tongue which is ancient but most of it has been re-written in English. The main points I'm trying to get to are... Lucifer is gone, possibly for good. Satan is definitely gone for good. Heaven and Hell used to be at war but we're now at peace but only just so please don't do anything that will set back our progress. That being said, self-defence might be necessary in some cases because some Demons don't seem to like change. Alright! Who's first?" Once Charles and Amelia would have finished changing the boys into Demons, Amelia looked at Pain's arm in confusion. "I'm flattered but... You want it on your arm?" she asked, a little puzzled. --- David winced at Death's words but kept his calm composure. "Arch Demon." he corrected him. His steely eyes gazed back. "And I know my place well. It's within close proximity to you and ensuring your safety, regardless of how you may feel about it. I might be here as a guest, your grace, but make no mistake- I am not here for you to order around like one of your Reapers. If protecting you means disobeying you, then I will not hesitate." --- Malone helped the owner to walk to his vehicle where he carefully placed him into the back and made sure his seatbelt was on before closing the door. He took a moment to lean against the hood of the car and take a deep breath to steady his nerves. "Why can't these jobs be normal again?" he mumbled to himself as he moved over to the drivers side door to open it. He figured Ash was safe now and if he wanted to press charges he could call in or take himself to the precinct. For now, though, Malone needed to make sure the owner was booked in safely. He climbed into the front seat and lifted the radio from the dashboard, bringing it to his mouth. "Officer Malone, on my way back with the perp. Will need a medic on standby," he said shakily before placing it back onto its holder and turning the engine on. --- May listened to him and grew concerned when he mentioned the type of training that he'd received. It seemed to May that he had a lot of trauma to work out from his time in whatever military would treat its soldiers like that. "You're not a weapon, James." She told him gently. "You're a man. A very nervous man, obviously." she chuckled lightly. "But that's normal. Being nervous for a date is natural. I can only imagine how nervous you must be if you haven't had much chance to socialise before, either. But honestly, it's ok." she gave him a comforting smile. "So, is this your first first date, then?" she asked curiously.

"I really don't like that word..." Amelia winced but smiled at the group. She hadn't been at all surprised. "Well, you know. I figured I'd put the option out there anyway." she shrugged to Hades. "Alright, fellas! Line up. This is going to pinch a bit but you'll be Demons in no time. There is a catch, of course. You'll all be citizens of Hell which means basically you work-" she gestured to herself and Charles "for us. This is Charles and I am Amelia. We're the royalty here. Occasionally we might ask you to do things for us. An odd spell here, muscle there... I might even ask you to help with our Redemption Programme. But for the most part, you'll be free to live your demonic lives how you choose. Sound good? Any questions? Oh and no pressure or anything but we're kind of in a hurry." --- "I know as much as you do," David replied sternly. He was being honest. Although he had been in the presence of Charles, Amelia, Hades and the Angel whose name he hadn't caught, none of them had mentioned anything about the boy in the short time that he was with them. "And you know that I am here by order of the Spirit Council. I don't doubt your abilities but we cannot take any unnecessary risks. Now, I will try to stay out of your way and not involve myself in your business but when it comes to your safety I will do my job-" he took a step towards Death, looking him in the eye. "Whether you want me to or not." he tugged at his own jacket to straighten it up while clearing his throat before turning and waking off to the side, deciding that while he still needed to stand guard it would probably be best to do so with a little distance after that confrontation. --- It had happened too quickly and Malone had reacted instinctively yet as he watched the owner gripping his leg, he shook. He'd never shot anyone before. Hadn't needed to. Usually, he found that posturing and bluffing worked without the need to escalate further. No one wants to be shot so they don't usually take the chance... usually. But this wasn't usual. "Y-You made me do it!" he snapped at the owner irritably, with a hint of panic to his voice. "You could have just come quietly! But you had to keep pushing!" Assuming the owner wasn't a threat anymore, he tried to put his gun back into the holster but he was shaking so much that it took him two or three attempts to get it in. He then grabbed the owner's arm to drag him up to his feet. "There's a medic at the precinct, they'll patch you up. C'mon!" --- May was confused by his words. He was a soldier but wasn't familiar with the concept of money? "Um, that's right. My car is this way..." she said while trying not to look at him strangely. When they reached her car, she smiled at first at how eager he was to be a gentleman. Until he ripped the door off of her car. "Oh my god!" she gasped and covered her mouth. She looked at him in shock, wondering exactly what kind of soldier he'd been. "Uh, I don't- Just, just leave it next to the car. I'll need to call a mechanic to pick it up," she said while scratching her head. She was trying not to be annoyed but the repair alone would cost a fortune and on a nurse's salary, it meant she was going to be broke for a while. "I-It's fine... honestly. Town isn't that far, we could walk there?" Her own question confused her. He'd given her flowers that had been ripped from where she could only guess was the front of the hospital based on the fist-sized gap in the flowerbed that they walked past and now he'd torn the door off her car with barely any effort. Her common sense told her she should be running for the hills but a part of her was touched by how sweet and nervous he was. She hesitated and her cheeks turned pink again as she placed her hands on one of his arms. "There's a nice little cafe not too far from here. It's a favourite of mine. I usually stop by after work for a pick-me-up."

Hearing Death call to him, Azrael teleported from his study and appeared near him to receive his new order. He looked at them both, mildly confused but bowed regardless. "Yes, your Grace." he stepped over to Lilly and held his hand out for her to take. In seconds they were both standing in Pain's place. --- With Raven out of the room, Stevie glanced around before taking his hipflask out of his jacket pocket. He took a small swig of the vampire venom before looking at the flask sadly. He was running low and would need to contact his dealer again soon. He wasn't sure if he should tell Raven about his addiction yet but figured he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, he tightened up the lid and placed the flask back into his jacket. Now feeling high and a little more focused, he took aim at the objects that he'd set up. One by one, they smashed into fragments. With each one, Stevie's smirk grew a little more. --- Theodore nodded thankfully at Charles before quivering at Ash's smile. He vanished, returning to Heaven to report what he'd seen and heard to Raguel. David placed a hand on Grims shoulder. "Thank you. I'll check in on him, then. But rest assured you and your band will be in great hands with my daughters." he removed his hand before vanishing. "Speaking of which..." Amelia spoke as she looked between the band members. With them being Hades's friends she knew it would be safer for them if they didn't remain as souls in Hell. "You all have two choices ahead of you now. Ascend to Heaven or become Demons. What'll it be?" --- David surprised Azrael and Lilly with his arrival. Equally surprised by their presence, David lifted an eyebrow at the pair. "I take it you're looking for Bob, too?" Lilly nodded. "He wasn't in the book, which means he's alone somewhere." "You should be guarding Death." Azrael pointed out. "Your King gave his permission for me to check on Lilly's friends. But I see your point, if you're both searching for Bob then perhaps I should return to him." David nodded before looking at Lilly. "The rest of your friends are safe. They're currently with Hades and Amelia, my other daughter." he said to her before straightening up his jacket. "I'll return now. I expect I'll be seeing you both soon, then?" "We'll return as soon as we've confirmed Bob is safe," Azreal said. "Best of luck and stay safe." David vanished, returning to Death's throne room. "Bob?" Lilly called out and started walking through the place. She checked every room but it was completely empty. "He's not here..." She said worried as she stepped back into the living room to see Azrael inspecting the front door. "The handle is broken..." Azrael said gravely. "Something happened here..." he looked back at Lilly. "This might be dangerous. I can take you home and come back to search for Bob for you." "No! He's my friend I can't just-" "You're a Princess of Death and you can barely control your powers." Azrael cut her off. "And there's the matter of that portal. If the boy who came through it decided to target Death then you could be targeted to get to him... It's too dangerous." Lilly folded her arms. "I'm not leaving," she said stubbornly with tearful eyes. "He would do the same for me if our roles were reversed. He's my oldest friend and I will find him!" Azrael sighed and looked at her imploringly. "Please, listen to reason. You're letting your emotions get the better of you." "I am not a child! Don't treat me like I am this fragile thing! Just- help me look for him, will you?!" Lilly snapped and marched her way past him to look closer at the door. --- Keeping a tight hold on his gun, Malone faltered when the owner started using Ash as a human shield. As angry as he was at Ash for hurting his love, his morality was too strong for him to just kill him in cold blood. "Shit!" he said under his breath as he realised this Demon wasn't giving him any other choice. He was going to need to call for backup to try to prevent a hostage situation that could easily spiral out of control. He reached for the radio on his shoulder to call it in. --- Nurse May was finally almost finished with her shift and what a shift it had been! A medical career is never easy but throw an earthquake or two into the mix and it makes for some very stressful interactions. She wore her beige coat over her scrubs and a little red leather bag hung from her left shoulder. She leaned against the front counter to sign out her name in the log book when she heard James's voice. She turned her head to look at him and her eyes widened at the roses which had obviously been plucked out of a plant pot rather than bought in a store. But she was a little more alarmed by the little thorns that had torn into his hand. "oh my gosh! Um-!" She looked around quickly and grabbed a roll of blue tissue paper. She tore some off and carefully wrapped it around the stems of the roses to stop the thorns from stabbing her hands as she took them and carefully placed them onto the counter. "Thank you, but your hand- here..." she gently took his arm and pulled him to one side. She darted behind the desk and pulled out a little first aid kit. Popping it open, she took out an antiseptic wipe. "This will sting a bit," she said gently. She cleaned his hand up before neatly wrapping it with a small roll of bandages. "I- um- that was sweet of you. But usually, people buy roses from a store. The thorns are wrapped up so you don't hurt yourself, you see." she chuckled while she worked on his hand. "They're beautiful though, thank you. I um-... I just got off my shift if you want to get that coffee with me now?" her cheeks turned pink as she asked.

"He's on his own?" Lilly asked worriedly. She was relieved he was alive, of course. But when she thought he had died with the others there had been some comfort in the assumption that he was still with friends. "I-I don't know. We used to just stay with the band when I was alive. Maybe he's still at their place?" He would not be there. --- Stevie frowned but nodded. He glanced at the corpse enviously as he felt no matter what he'd do he would always be playing second fiddle to a literal cadaver. "Alright, I guess I'll keep practising." he sighed as he moved back over to the coffee table and arranged a few items to use as targets. --- "I was kidding!" Amelia chuckled at Charles. David was touched by Hades's reunion with her friends and boyfriend but he was concerned about Bob and had no time to waste. "I need to know if he's alright and report back to Lilly. What does he look like now?" "Not that all of this isn't an exciting and fascinating visit but..." Theodore began and anxiously glanced at Ash again before looking at Charles & Amelia. "Am I still needed?" --- Malone hit the wall and was surprised that the owner wasn't human. He knew about the supernatural world now but he'd really hoped this would be a normal arrest. He glared at the owner with his hand on his gun. "You think I'm intimidated? I know about Demons. One or two of my colleagues are from Hell. But you? You're just a pathetic little man with a complex for control, throwing his title around as it matters. You're no different from any human skumbag drug dealer and if I have to put you down for resisting and dangerous behaviour, I will." he growled angrily.

David vanished. Lilly stiffened slightly again, still not used to the affection but quickly melted into the hug once more. Lilly wasn't the only one not used to Death's affections yet and though the Reapers noticed what was happening, they didn't dare say a word. Instead, they went about their duties a little more briskly while averting their eyes. --- "Alright," Stevie said before glancing around the room, half expecting it to fill up at any moment. "How long do you think they'll be?" --- Amelia got to her feet and curiously watched the conversation unfold. "Satan was a bastard, plus he's long gone," she said to them with a shrug. "But on the bright side, you could always convert to Amelia-ists... or Charles-ists. Either way works, really." Now familiar with where he was again, Theodore gingerly got to his feet and looked between all the new faces. Once more, his eyes would occasionally dart to Ash as he recalled the way he'd looked at him before the astral projection. "Just as I thought." David's voice came from behind Theodore, making him jump with a yelp and his wings burst from his back involuntarily. "Oh, apologies... you startled me." He said sheepishly. "An Angel?" David raised an eyebrow and then looked between Charles and Amelia questioningly. "I'll ask later... I'm only here for a brief visit before I have to go back on duty. Lilly is worried about her friends." he looked over at the band. "Is Bob with you too? I hear he's not a skeleton anymore..." Though the lack of terrible puns should be evident enough, they would soon notice that Bob was not with the group. He was missing. --- "The law is the law," Malone said to the owner sternly. He then looked apologetically at Ash. "I'm sorry, my hands are tied on this. You can either come with me to press charges against your boss or leave and get your life together. You can do better than this Ash. I'm sure the store down the street has a few jobs going. Last I heard they still haven't replaced their night security."

Trying to remember if Amelia's ever actually met the band before lol I don't think she has but if she did then I could probs just put it down to her still being sleepy hahaha

At first, Lilly was numb with disbelief. She read the names over and over and Death's words took a few seconds to sink in. Then she shook her head as tears filled her eyes, along with a faint green glow. "B-But they were safe! A-Azreal saved them from the bad people that man sent!" She cried, referring to Kyle, the taxi driver that Death had consumed earlier that day. "If I might, Princess?" the Reaper said gently and gestured to his book. "Once a person's name appears in one of these books, it cannot be undone. It is fate. Azrael saved them from one death, but The Balance will always find a way to rectify a variance." He explained. "And if the names appeared in my book, then Azrael couldn't have known." "But... Bob... h-he just got skin... he had a chance at a normal life!" Lilly sobbed. "Bob? The skeleton? Or, I suppose not a skeleton anymore if he has skin now..." David said in surprise then glanced at Life in the cage before looking at Gabriel. "If I know Hades, the band won't be far from her. I know we have our orders but considering the er-..." he glanced at the caged chicken again. "current circumstances... I suppose you wouldn't have your hands too full if I 'stepped out' for just a moment?" he asked Gabriel before turning to Death. "Your Grace, with your permission I could go and see where they are and make sure their souls are safe." --- Stevie bristled but relented. "Fine. But after everything you told me... what they did..." he glanced at the corpse before looking Raven in the eyes. "I won't trust them," he whispered. "You were there for me when everyone else betrayed me. I've got your back." --- "Yeah, just... need a minute..." Amelia responded to Hades in a sleepy voice while squinted at her and Charles. "I didn't snore, did I?" "Cor I'm knackered... Cuppa anyone?" Theodore yawned while stretching. "We're still in Hell's Library, Teddy. If you can find a kettle in this building I'll be shocked." Amelia chuckled. Hearing the voices and the sudden commotion, Amelia looked up to see Hades's band entering the room. "Who are you lot?" --- "Not the first time I've heard that." Malone shrugged as he put his gun away before placing the cuffs on the owner. While holding onto the owner's arm, he looked over at Ash. "You ok? Did you want to press charges for the assault?"

The Reaper stopped and quickly flicked through his book. David and Lilly waited anxiously. "Oh..." is all they heard the Reaper say before watching him do a small jog towards the throne. With his head bowed, he held the book up for Death to take with the page open to the latest set of names. "I'm sorry, your Graces." He said quietly. --- Raven bit his lip, "You're right about that. And I could have destroyed this hologram too." He crossed his arms but nodded, "You have a deal. Just tell me where to meet you." Stevie whipped his head around to look at Raven in confusion. Relieved, Amelia nodded although she was a little alarmed that he could tell she wasn't really here. She seemed solid enough and she could interact with the room as if she were actually present so figuring out she was astral projecting would be no small feat. "I know how to find you now so we'll come to you." she glanced around the place quickly. "We'll bring you some food. You boys must be starving." she paused. Awkwardly she realised she had no idea how to get Theodore to end the projection. "Uh.. Teddy? That's our que buddy!" she called out. Thankfully, for the Astral Projection to work required a very strong telepathic connection which meant Theodore could hear and see everything she was doing. A second later, her projection vanished. Immediately, Stevie turned to Raven. "You're not seriously considering this, are you?" --- Back at the Library, both Amelia and Theodore would be waking up. Both of them were very groggy and slightly disorientated. "We need to meet them. They seem willing to listen to reason. I said we'd take food... we should stop by a pizza place or something first..." Amelia said while rubbing her eyes. She felt like she'd just come out of the deepest sleep of her life. --- Malone watched this all unfold with building anger. He really couldn't stand bullies. When the owner threatened Ash's life, Malone sighed. "I guess we're making a scene then." he took out his gun and aimed it at the owner's head. "Kill him and I shoot you. Checkmate. Now, get in the damn cuffs."

"I was at the first portal when it opened," David told Death. "He saved me and the world from the wraiths of my home world," Lilly added. "She also happens to be friends with one of my adopted daughters." David turned to Lilly. "Speaking of which, I should let you know. Hades tried to attack the new portal but it turned her into a kind of Hell Hound. She's otherwise fine and helping Amelia." "I don't know what a Hell Hound is but I'm glad she's alright. Have you heard anything about the rest of my friends?" "I'm afraid I haven't had time but you know what they say. No news is good news." "I've never heard that saying... But I suppose it's comforting. In an odd way." --- "If I had wanted to kill you I wouldn't have bothered coming to talk," Amelia said bluntly. She looked over at the corpse again. If only they could understand how the portals affected their universe and new souls crossing into it but right now it was a mystery. At best the boy's soul is lost somewhere on Earth or passed on in Raven's home world. At worst, he's either stuck in some kind of limbo... or was destroyed completely. "What happened was a tragedy. Truly, I'm sorry. If I could reverse it, I would. But I can't. All I can offer you is my apologies and the promise of safety." "They're all the same..." Stevie mumbled acidically while glaring at her. "False promises of protection and an empty apology. Just like my parents. Just like my so-called 'friends' in school. I'll bet they'll kill us the second we let our guard down. They don't care about us. We're just a nuisance to them!" Amelia's eyes darted to Stevie. Who exactly was this kid, anyway? How did these two end up working together? "It's not like that. Look, I know you've been through a lot," she said to Raven first then turned to Stevie. "And I can only guess you've had a rough upbringing, but please hear me out. I want to help you." The tension in the room had grown. She could feel it, or at least something in the air. Like a sort of static build-up. Back at the library, little beads of sweat from nerves had formed on Amelia's forehead. --- Ever the serious officer, Malone didn't even crack a smile at the owner's words. Instead, he took out a pair of cuffs and looked at him seriously. "We can do this discreetly or you can make a scene in front of all your patrons. Either way... you're under arrest for drug trafficking. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before we ask you any questions. You have the right to have a lawyer with you during questioning." he moved to grab the owner's wrist while speaking.

La Tramoggia remained where she stood as Death, David and Gabriel walked away. As they moved, she glared at Gabriel while muttering under her breath "Presto una maledizione cadrà su di te." she then folded her arms in a huff, pouting until they'd completely left. Tapping her foot and feeling agitated, she looked over at the Reaper who was still in the room and staring awkwardly at her. "Well, you may as well finish your little tour then." she sighed before walking over to the bar and pulling out a bottle of wine. "But I will be taking this with me." Lilly smiled at Death and walked with him. She glared at the chicken while also smiled, happy with the punishment that had been dealt to him. She then turned to David with a puzzled expression. "David? What are you doing here?" "I was wondering the same thing about you!" David smiled. "I'm here to protect Death." "Death is my father now... he's in danger?" she looked at Death worriedly with a questioning stare. "Ah! So this is who you meant!" David said to Death before looking back at Lilly with a reassuring smile. "And he's not while I'm around, don't you worry." They watched Death mount Life onto the poll and David couldn't help but chuckle. "Now who's the prankster?" he said jokingly to Death. "Father, what about Azrael?" Lilly asked worriedly. "Did La Tra- La Tro-? Did the woman lift her curse?" --- Stevie did as he was told and stood aside but he kept a wary eye on the trespasser. Amelia kept her hands where both boys could see them and inched her way a little further into the room. "It's just me here and like I said, I don't want to hurt you," she said gently. "But if you keep going down this path then there are those who will fight you. They may even try to kill you. You need to listen to me. I'm sorry about what happened to your beloved but the violence needs to stop. Let me help you." "I don't like this," Stevie muttered to Raven. "This feels like a trap." --- Upon realising who it was on stage, Malone was taken aback and couldn't help staring for a moment as he tried to fathom how Ash had ended up here of all places. Unfortunately, it appeared for a moment like he was watching the show. Tearing his eyes away, he decided it wasn't his business and he was here to do a job. He headed towards the back. Particularly to a red door with a plaque that read "management only". He knocked on it, hoping the owner would come quietly rather than make a scene in their own establishment.

When Death walked away, Lilly leaned against the wall to wait for him. It was only then that David looked up and saw her. But he had no time to process what this meant as he needed to focus on keeping up with Death, particularly as he looked to be marching off angrily which could only mean trouble within the castle was brewing. He darted after Death, giving an apologetic smile to Lilly on his way past. He got to the room in time to see Life giving Death attitude. The Reaper guide that had been showing La Tromoggia around immediately knelt with his head bowed when Death entered the room. La Tramoggia was still leaning against the pool table and smiling cockily at Death as Life spoke. Her smile quickly vanished when her new Paramore was transformed into literal poultry. "Mio Dio!" She gasped then her eyes snapped to Death's when he spoke to her. His words caused her to turn pale with fear as she realised he was right. Just as Azrael had pointed out earlier, they could easily lock her away. As long as she'd remain safe and healthy, so would Azrael. As for Death's powers, she wasn't sure what he could do to make her suffer without it affecting Azrael, but she wasn't prepared to find out. Not daring to provoke him further, she held her tongue and lowered her eyes from his submissively. Gabriel's words angered her and for a moment she considered throwing a curse his way too. But considering Death's attention and anger were currently directed at her, she stayed quiet while balling her hands into tight fists by her sides. David looked at the caged fowl with an expression that was somewhere between impressed and amused. He chuckled and looked over at Gabriel. "Well, I guess your job just got a little easier for a while." --- Stevie chuckled at Raven's comment about the mess to clean up. "Well by then we'll have servants, right? They can clean up the mess!" he then looked at Raven excitedly at the mention of video games. "Oh yeah! They're great, man. You're going to love them! When all this is over, we'll get a big TV with all the consoles and I'll show you every game there is-!" Stevie stopped short and stared over Raven's shoulder with wide eyes before darting behind him. He lifted his hand and aimed at the kitchen door which was now open. Having seen and heard enough, Amelia had stepped quietly into the room with her hands up. "Easy, I'm not here to hurt you," she said to them in a gentle tone. She glanced at the corpse on the couch and frowned before looking back at the boys. "I just want to talk." "Don't move! You stay right where you are!" Stevie yelled at her aggressively. He'd moved to stand between her and Raven, protective over his new friend.

Lilly Jumped a little when Death appeared in front of her but she was relieved he'd found her when he had. She looked up at him and followed his instruction, breathing deeply with him until she felt her powers along with her anger begin to subside. She was taken aback by his hug and it took her a moment to adjust to the idea but she quickly found it to be comforting and relaxed in his arms. To his question, she blinked away angry tears. "I just met who I suppose is to be my uncle and some woman... La Traguggia, I think? She said she cursed Azrael. They were laughing about it. After all, you and Azrael have done for me, the things they were saying... it just made me so..." she stopped and took a few breaths again, feeling her anger and powers rising at the thought. Worried that Death had gotten up and vanished without explanation, David had appeared not too far away. He saw what appeared to be a personal moment between a father and daughter so he decided to stay at a distance with his eyes averted so as to give them as much privacy as he could. Given he could only see the back of Death from where he stood, he had yet to realise the adopted daughter in question was none other than the girl he'd defended when the first portal had opened. "Just like that?" La Tramoggia teased playfully. "Oh, my muse. You need to woo me. Romance me." she purred while stepping backwards to lean against the pool table. She brought her drink to her lips and took a sip while looking him up and down. "Show me just how alive you can make me feel." --- "Alright, I'll try again..." Stevie nodded. As he positioned himself across from the mug and lifted his hand towards it again, Amelia carefully placed her hand on the kitchen door handle. As quietly and slowly as she could, she turned it slightly and opened the door by a crack so that she could peer through and get a look at what the boys were doing. Stevie focussed. He did his best to imagine the power but this world's magic didn't quite work in the same way as it did in Raven's world. It made this power more volatile, unpredictable and violent. This became evidence when he finally felt the surge and sent it to the mug, causing it to explode, and sending tiny shards across the living room. "I-... I did it! Raven! Did you see that? That was totally awesome!"

"I understand." David nodded. "Better than you'd think... I've adopted two daughters. One of them, Amelia, I found in Hell when she was a small child. She was too young to take out of Hell at the time so I brought her up as my own... I didn't find her in time to save her mother." he looked down remorsefully. Even after all this time and despite knowing there was nothing he could have done, he blamed himself for not finding them sooner. "It was tricky. Lucifer, as far as I was aware, was still around. So, Hell was even more dangerous than what it is now, especially for a child. So, I took her to the Library and hid her there until she was old enough to leave Hell." He smiled at the memory of watching her grow up. "She still loves that Library. I suppose I do, too. It became home." The Hopper took her drink and grinned at Life. "With an uncle like you, she could be a force to be reckoned with!" she purred as she slid her fingers up the centre of his chest. "But what of an auntie, I wonder? Is there a Mrs Life?" Lilly ran down the corridors of the castle until her building anger made her to dizzy to run anymore. She leant against the wall and gripped her wrist, staring worriedly at the green aura surrounding her hand. "N-no, no, no... S-stop, stop! How do I make it stop?!" she mumbled to herself as she tried to calm down and control her powers. --- Stevie looked over at Raven from the corner of the room. His eyes dropped briefly to the corpse but he looked away again quickly. He understood that Raven was grieving but by now the body was beginning to smell. He sighed with mild frustration. "I'm trying my best. I miss my flute..." he lifted his hand and aimed it at a mug on the coffee table. He tried to focus the way Raven had told him but the most he could make it do right now was crack a little. "Maybe you could show me again?"

"That sounds like he did something to embarrass you. I won't pry." David said. "I never knew you were a father though. Forgive me if it's rude to say but whenever I heard of Death as an entity, I never imagined him as being a family man. It's actually kind of comforting. I'm a father myself." La Tramoggia had laughed at Life's comment about Lilly, who now looked a little red faced. When Gabriel broke the stick and approached La Tramoggia in what could be perceived as a threatening way, she merely smirked at him. "Careful, Bello. Death's right-hand man has suffered a tragic curse recently. Anything done to me is done to him. I'm sure Death would be most displeased to find any damage to him if you lose your temper with me." she purred. "What?" Lilly gasped and stared at The Hopper in disbelief. "You cursed Azrael?!" "Well, he wasn't being at all gentlemanly, so I put him in his place." La Tramoggia chuckled. For a moment, Lilly's eyes flashed green and she had to take a few steps away. Then she turned away from them while she tried to calm down. Before any of them could talk to her again, she ran from the room. "Well, it would seem the little Princess isn't as completely boring as her old man. No?" The Hopper giggled. --- The way Ash looked at him had made Theodore quake in his shoes. Too terrified to move or make a sound, he froze up and stared back at him in terror. Then Charles threatened to Obliterate Ash which seemed to work, much to Theodore's relief. He realised he'd been holding onto the back of the leather couch with such a tight grip that his knuckles felt a little sore as he let go. When Hades spoke again, he smiled a little and nodded to her. "Oh, ha! Teddy! Yes, I-I rather like that!" he chuckled though his voice still shook from anxiety and his eyes kept darting back to Ash every so often. When he received the flashes of memory, Theodore looked back to Amelia. "You've found the boy!" he gasped. "Sort of. That's why we need you. I need to get a look at what it is we're dealing with." Amelia nodded. "Right, of course... p-please, make yourself comfortable then." he gestured to the other couch while he lay down on the one opposite. He looked up and caught Ash's gaze again but looked away quickly. Inwardly he prayed that Charles and Hades would keep him safe while he was unconscious. He didn't want to wake up as a Devil. Amelia lay on the other couch with her head parallel to his. "Alright, now just relax and close your eyes. I'll tap into your subconscious and pull you to the location. It will feel strange but that's normal." They both closed their eyes and the room fell silent as he concentrated. Then, they both lost consciousness. --- Amelia felt a sudden sinking feeling in her stomach. As if she'd missed a step on a set of stairs. It caused her to open her eyes and she found herself standing in an unfamiliar kitchen. Thankfully, this room was empty. But she could hear movement and voices in the next room. Silently, she walked over to the table and moved to grab a cup. She had half expected her hand to phase straight through it but she picked it up as if she were really in the room. Carefully, quietly, she put it back down and crept towards the door of the kitchen. Wanting to listen in on the boys before making herself known.

"Life had a ceremony?" David asked, curious. "So, does that mean you had one too, your Grace?" "More than a friend, I hope!" La Tramoggia laughed playfully. "I daresay, Mr Life, you have been my muse for centuries! So much so that I defied the laws of nature because I could not get enough of life! Such thrills I have lived!" Lilly recoiled at Life's touch and glared at him when pitied her. Then she and The Hopper both jumped at Gabriel's outburst. But while Lilly was somewhat grateful for his interruption, La Tramoggia laughed. "It seems someone else could use a thrill or two! Now, I count three gentlemen in this room and not one of you has offered us a drink yet!" Lilly pulled away from Life's arm. "I don't want a drink." she pouted. "Oh Princess, you need to live a little, eh?" --- "I just don't understand what happened..." Tom sniffled with a puzzled look. "M-maybe it has something to do with Amelia's blood? She's the reason that I can walk in the sun, so maybe it's related?" he shook his head. "Maybe when I'm not all shakey, we can go and ask her?" he looked at Nate. "Hold me until then?" --- Raguel was equally confused by Hades but figured it was some new way the latest Earthen generations were talking to each other. "Oh my, I've never been to Hell before. I've heard stories though. Should I be wearing so many layers?" Theodore looked down at his casual clothes and the baking apron. "It's like any other planet. It's only unbearably hot if you go into a volcanic region." Amelia told him as she took his hand ready to teleport with Charles & Hades. "Oh! Fascinating! And the region we're going to is...?" "Hells Library." "That's a building, not a reg-" They all vanished from Raguel's room. Leaving him to pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh heavily. "Our fate is in the hands of idiots..." - "Oh my, but it is quite warm!" Theodore exclaimed while hurriedly taking his apron off as they arrived in the newly rebuilt library. "It is? I guess after living here for a while, I just got used to it." Amelia mumbled as she looked around the room wistfully. The last time she was here she'd been heartbroken to see her childhood home in ruin, but now it looked like it always had. She broke into a relieved smile and had to blink away a couple of tears. "Ah, these will do nicely!" Theodore said as he walked over to the pair of leather couches facing each other in the centre of the room. A dusty rug between them. "You'll want to make yourself comfortable before we begin... the process will render us both unconscious. I suppose it's a good thing there are so many of you because the pair of us will be quite vulnerable until we're done. Now, where am I zapping you to?" "That's an excellent question." Amelia turned to face them again. "Ash? Join us in the Library please," she called out.

David hesitated before answering. "Just contemplative," he answered carefully. He recalled how other reapers had addressed Death and figured he should probably show the same respect while he was a guest in his domain. "Your Grace," He glanced around the room. It was quiet but Reapers bustled in and out of the side halls, going about their work as normal. "So this ceremony that Azrael is planning. It sounds like it's going to be quite big," he commented awkwardly, trying to make small talk. "Death is your brother?" La Tramoggia paused, looking at the man in surprise. She then realised what the guide had tried to tell her earlier and broke into a wide grin. "Ah but do not tell me that Life is also an entity? It seems so obvious now!" she spread her arms out and approached him excitedly as if greeting an old friend, despite having never met him before. "And that Life should know who I am? I am honoured!" Both Lilly and the guide had entered the room a bit more shyly than La Tramoggia had. Lilly was looking at Life curiously. "Please don't talk that way about my father," Lilly said flatly. "So, I suppose this means you're my uncle?" --- "Yes, please." Tom nodded and rested his head against his shoulder tiredly. "Nate, I'm sorry," he said quietly, still ashamed of almost losing control. --- "Yeah, you're right. Ok, we have our plan. Let's go. Ash, stay here and help rebuild the old structures. Like the Library. It collapsed as well during the quake. Call on us if you notice any changes with the boys." She would then teleport to Raguel's office, expecting Charles and Hades to be close behind her. "You found something?" Raguel had stopped in his tracks when she arrived. "Maybe," Amelia answered vaguely. She knew they both had the same orders from the council and that Raguel was a man of duty above all. But then again Raguel hadn't exactly jumped to the boy's defence when Life had made his preference clear regarding his fate either. "We need an Angel with the Astral Projection ability. We might have a lead." Raguel nodded and snapped his fingers. A male Angel appeared, wearing a baking apron and a pair of oven mitts. "Oh!" the Angel exclaimed then looked a little worried. "Oh, my muffins are going to burn, aren't they?" "Of course not. This is Heaven." Raguel replied, sounding slightly confused. "Oh, let me pretend!" The Angel shook his head as he took off his mitts. "This is Theodore Ginney." Raguel introduced them, trying not to sound a little exasperated. "Theodore, this is Amelia and Charles, King and Queen of Hell... And Hades." "A pleasure!" Theodore eagerly extended his hand to them to shake. "Wow. Royalty! How-how can I help?" "I need you to astral project me somewhere so I can look around safely," Amelia told him and Theodore nodded a little. "I should've guessed. It's usually the only reason I'm summoned for anything." he chuckled then caught sight of the subtle glare he was getting from Raguel and cleared his throat awkwardly. "So, just some things to know before I zap you anywhere. I'll need to know the location or at least what the location looks like. I can hold the projection for a maximum of two hours. Three at a push but then I'd need a full day to recover. If your projection is harmed in any way then I won't be able to get you back until after I recover. It somewhat stings when that happens." he winced a little at the thought, making it obvious that something similar had happened in the past. "Uh, right..." Amelia scratched the back of her head. She hadn't known exactly how the projection would work until now so hadn't known he'd need a visual on the location. "How's your telepathy?" "Can't astral project without it!" "Good, there's someone you need to meet then..." Amelia then turned to Raguel. "We'll need Theodore to accompany us to Hell if that's alright. We'll keep him safe. There's a friend there who can help us with this." Raguel hesitated. He wasn't fond of the idea of letting any of his Angels venture into Hell. Let alone this one who had already done so much spying for him in the past. He regretted not calling on a different Angel but it was too late for that now. Reluctantly, he nodded. "Fine. But make sure he comes back without so much as a scratch!"

Azrael hurried away to his study. The Reaper stopped their duties to bow to Death obediently. "Sire, the only news I know of right now is the volume of lost souls being found on Earth. But our forces have already headed there to usher them to their afterlives," he answered quickly. David stayed stood where he was with his hands behind his back as he observed this. He glanced up at Death, trying to read his expressions and body language. It was difficult. The man was as stoic as a certain leader he once knew. Probably more so. As difficult as he was to read, he did manage to pick up on Death's tension. But then, given his confinement to his own realm, having both Life and The Hopper under his roof as well as a cursed right-hand man, it would only make sense that Death would be tense. Not wanted to aggravate the King further, David lowered his gaze so as not to stare then sighed quietly. This was going to be a very tense assignment indeed. Elsewhere in the castle, Lilly felt she had rested enough and was eager to get to know her new home. Wandering around, she had found a dining hall, a kitchen with some very friendly chefs taking a smoke break, a locked set of doors that looked like they led to a courtyard and some sort of record room which a working reaper had quickly but politely ushered her out of when they noticed her. She then found a varnished wooden door that piqued her interest. Just as she laid her hand on the handle however, The Hopper and the reaper guiding her had rounded the corner. "This room is the King's personal library. Only those with his permission may enter- Oh, Princess!" The guide stopped talking and quickly bowed to Lilly. La Tramoggia raised a brow and looked at Lilly curiously. "A Princess, eh?" She said and looked over Lilly's clothes which were ones she'd bought from Hot Topic with Pain and the others back on Earth. "For some reason, I thought all Princesses wore elegant dresses." "Who are you?" Lilly asked and quickly took her hand off the handle of the door, realising what she'd overheard the reaper guide say about the room inside. "Mio Dio, has your father never talked about me? I feel insulted!" The Hopper replied in a dramatically playful way. "I- I'm only recently adopted," Lilly admitted shyly. "You're a friend of his?" "Oh, we've had our ups and downs." La Tramoggia chirped. "But I think now we are closer than ever." she strode forward and offered Lilly her hand. "I am La Tramoggia or The Hopper in your language." Lilly looked at La Tramoggia's hand with a raised brow but didn't take it as she tilted her head slightly to look at her. "Hopper?" "THE Hopper, bambola!" "Lilly." "Ah! Princess Lilly!" The Hopper suddenly grabbed Lilly's shoulders to turn her around so they were both facing the same way. She then wrapped and arm around her shoulders and began to walk down the hall with her. Lilly was clearly a little uncomfortable with this but she made no move to stop her. "I have a feeling we're going to be the best of friends, no?" The reaper guide quickly moved to keep up with them. "Come, come, come! This carino reaper was just showing me around your home! Perhaps we can find something fun to do along the way?" "You say a lot of words that I don't recognise. Is that another language?" Lilly asked curiously. "It's Italian, bambola!" "Lilly." "It is my mother tongue! Oh, but isn't this tour so boring? Doesn't your father have some kind of game room or does he not believe in fun?" "Watch your tongue." The reaper guide suddenly snapped which caused La Tramoggia to look at him with mild surprise. Suddenly losing his nerve slightly, the guide pointed down the corridors. "There actually is a social room further down here. There is a billiards table and a bar. I believe there are already visitors-" "Oh, Finalmente! Something fun! Take us there! I wish to let my hair down after such a day!" "But Life and-" "Mio Dio, did I stutter? My life ended less than an hour ago, I would very much like to bring some life to my unlife now please!" The Hopper cut him off loudly and completely misinterpreted what the guide had been trying to tell her. Knowing even after a short amount of time that arguing with her was useless, the guide led both women to the games room where they were likely to bump into Gabriel and Life. --- Tom clung to Nate and continued to shiver as he looked guiltily at the boxer. He had only wanted to help but now he felt he'd made things worse. "I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" he said shakily with tears running down his cheeks. "I just wanted to help. To do the right thing. I didn't mean to lose control. I don't know what's wrong with me." he lifted his shaking hand to wipe away some of his tears. "Please listen to me. Look at what happened to me. Look at Nate's wings. It's real. Like I told you. Heaven is real. What happened to you- the boxing- must have disoriented your soul when you died. You need to move on. You won't find your family by waiting here for them. You need to go to them. I'll bet they're the ones who've been waiting for you." Despite his fear and the shock of what he'd almost done, Tom was still trying to help this soul to move on. "Don't let anger rule you," he said, almost as if he was telling himself as well as this boxer. "Not when there are more beautiful things that you could be feeling." --- Amelia glanced back at Charles and Hades but all she saw was a friend that was looking for comfort and her uncomfortable-looking husband. "Hades..." she said, turning to face them. She gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "There was no way you could have known. It was a mistake any one of us could have made. We can't take it back but we can try to do better going forward, hmm?" Sighing, she removed her hand and turned back to Ash. "Ok, I have an idea. Ash, I'm going to need you to check in on the boys periodically and update us if they move or if anything else happens. Report this information only to me and Charles, understood?" she turned to Charles and Hades next. "I want to try to talk to this boy to see exactly what we're up against but I'm going to take precaution. I know some Angels get the gift of Astral Projection. They can project themselves or others to a location, kind of like a hologram from Star Wars. At least then if the boy attacks the only thing it'll do is end the projection early. We're going to need to ask Raguel if we can borrow one."