Shadowess

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."

David unsubmissively stared back at Death when he spoke to him. Of course, he was a little intimidated by Death. Who wouldn't be? But what Death had yet to realise is that even when he used to serve Lucifer, David could never hold his tongue about things he didn't agree with. He would certainly voice his concerns again but for now he watched quietly as Death addressed Azrael. Azrael nodded but was still visibly distraught. What he wouldn't give to have a private word with Death right now. To confide in him and seek his comfort. But he needed to remain professional. They both did. "Thank you, your Grace. Now, if I may be excused? I would like to occupy my thoughts with the ceremony arrangements. There is much to plan and coordinate." he also just wanted to be alone in his study to gather his thoughts. --- As much as he tried to control his breathing and calm down, Tom still felt the hot rage filling him up. He let out a combination of a groan and a growl as his eyes kept moving away from Nate. Searching for the boxer who was hidden behind Nate's wings. His eyebrows furrowed in frustration as he consistently couldn't see him with those feathers in the way. It was an odd feeling for Tom. Almost surreal. He knew he was struggling to stay in control but his body was reacting of its own accord. Trying to seek out the one who'd threatened him to neutralise the threat. But the boxer had done that all on his own when he apologised. Tom heard his words and the Devil's Rage in him despaired for a moment. It had identified a threat and wanted to eliminate it before it could strike again. But Tom's mind and morality were still conscious enough to sway the Rage back to a reluctant dormancy. As the instinct subsided, Tom's eyes slowly returned to normal and he breathed heavier as if he had just stopped running. Adrenaline caused him to shiver violently and as soon as he felt that he was fully back in control he dove into Nate's arms, gripping his jacket tightly. "N-Nate, what happened to me? Why do I do that?! I-I wanted to- but I also didn't want to-..." he broke off into quiet sobs. "What's wrong with me?" --- Amelia was troubled by Ash's visions. Involving another boy from the world and murdering people to take their home? This isn't good. "I agree with Hades." She sighed. "We can't go to him without some sort of plan on how we're going to handle him. But at least now we have a way of tracking his movements which is more than we had before. Are you able to hear anything they're saying or is it all just visual for you?" she asked Ash. Aleady, Amelia had a couple of ideas on how they could go about approaching the boy but she wanted to cover all possibilities first.

Although confused by how Azrael would be marked if La Tramoggia was harmed, the Reaper who had been passing through to trade in his filled book for an emptier one stopped to bow obediently to Death. "Yes, sire." "Bene! I will get along with your Reapers so long as they're nice, no?" The Hopper said as she skipped over to the Reaper to hook her arm in his. "And you seem like you will be very nice!" she purred, beaming. The Reaper seemed a little flustered but remained professional as he walked away with her. Once gone, Azrael sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "That- that-!" he stammered angrily. "That rotten woman! We need to get her to break this curse! I can't spend my waking moments worrying about my duties and her safety!" "One crisis at a time," David said calmly then turned to Death. "I admit, I don't fully understand how things work here but keeping her here where you can keep an eye on her is a smart move. In the meantime, I must insist against any further adventures outside of your Kingdom." --- Tom hadn't been expecting the punch. Nor had he expected the emaciated man to have struck him as hard as he had. Tom had stumbled back and held the side of his face. While Nate had darted in front of him and started talking to the boxer, a strange yet familiar feeling washed over Tom. He felt a white-hot rage begin to boil within him. He hadn't felt like this since... since... Since the day an Angel and his cronies had tried to abduct him for ADIEU. He'd blacked out. When he'd come to, he found he'd massacred almost all of them. Nate had only seen the aftermath that day but it had taken some effort to calm Tom down once he'd realised what he'd done. And it was happening again. Only this time Tom could feel it coming instead of outright blacking out. "N-Nate..." he mumbled while holding his head in his hands. "H-help... I don't want... I don't want to..." His eyes shifted from brown to red while the whites of his eyes started to turn an inky black. He began to hyperventilate. Straining with every bit of strength he had to resist letting the Devil's Rage take over. --- "No!" Amelia snapped at him suddenly. "I don't care that his power has you practically shitting your pants, I will not allow harm to come to that boy! Is that understood? Now, you'll use this link that you seem to have with him and tell us where he is. What his surroundings look like. Is he alone? Tell us everything and anything that will help us put an end to this bloody witch hunt!"

"My, my! Tesoro! Had I known dying and cursing your amati would land me in such lavish living, I might have done it centuries ago!" La Tramoggia gasped and twirled in the spot as she stared up at the height of the throne room as well as its dark yet alluring design. "You don't quite know when to stop pushing your luck, do you?" David commented offhand as he straightened the cuffs of his jacket. "If I never pushed my luck I would have never left the brothels of Venice." The Hopper responded with a shrug. "Oh, Bello! Will you stop looking at me in that way?" She purred to Azrael who was still glaring at her furiously. "We are working together now! Can you not find it in your heart to forgive me?" "Maybe," Azrael replied coldly. "Remove the curse and I'll think about it." "He's a joker, this one!" La Tramoggia laughed sweetly. "Now, is anyone here gentleman enough to give me a tour of my new home?" --- "I know this is difficult," Tom said to him with a sympathetic look. "But that paper is real. The date is real. Sir, I'm so sorry, but you have been dead for decades. But this is not the end. There is a Heaven, monsieur. It is real and it is within your reach. You just need to let go. Your family are likely waiting for you there." --- Amelia's eyes snapped to Ash as she listened to them speak. "You've seen him, haven't you?" she asked. She had just witnessed this ancient devil reconstruct a powerful ancient structure with little more than a raised hand. Yet this boy, whoever he was, struck fear into this powerful creature. Just who was this child? Amelia stepped towards Ash suddenly. Ignited by urgency and a determination to protect everyone she loved. "Tell me everything. Now."

La Tramoggia gasped and coughed when Death let her go. As did Azrael, who had woozily stumbled back to steady himself against the wall to Death's right. Azrael glared at The Hopper and continued to do so even as Death offered her a place in his kingdom. David was confused by Death's offer but after his words to him at the castle, he remained quiet on the matter. La Tramoggia was equally confused as she looked at Death's hand warily before lifting her eyes to look him over sceptically. "Just to understand," she began shortly after catching her breath. "I cheated you and stole more life for myself than I should have had. I cursed your..." her eyes glanced at Azreal before smirking playfully at Death "'Right-hand man' and to all of this, you offer me such a high position within your kingdom. This is either very generous of you or a very cunning trick." "It's either that or I'm sure we can find a cell in Hell to lock you away in for eternity," Azrael growled at her angrily. "We may not be able to harm you, but you can be locked up. And eternity is an awfully long time to spend on your own with nothing but your own thoughts for company!" For a second, La Tramoggia's eyes widened at him. She wasn't sure if he was bluffing but it had caused her to falter. There was much about the afterlife that she didn't know yet and his threat had sounded real enough to spark fear in her. Quickly masking how Azrael's words had disturbed her, she turned her head back to look at Death with a wide smile as she took his hand. "When do I start, Your Highness?" she said quickly. --- "Monsieur!" Tom interjected quickly while holding up his hands to try to calm the man down. He kept his tone gentle as he spoke to him in French. "Try to calm yourself and think for a moment. What year do you think it is?" He'd spotted a recent newspaper on a bench not too far away and knew it would be the perfect evidence to help bring this man to his senses. --- Amelia had watched the cells being created and felt a chill run through her. If he was powerful enough to rebuild those cells, what else was he capable of? She moved her eyes to look over him warily. She wanted to be able to trust him but she couldn't risk letting her guard down around him. There was simply too much for them to lose. Although she wouldn't realise it yet, this was just the beginning of the paranoia that would come with being a leader of Hell. She turned to look at Charles, wanting to take her racing mind off of Ash. "What did you have in mind next? We'll need to help with searching for the boy soon."

"I guess," Damien said before taking a sip of his drink. When James would finish setting up his ships, Damien sat back in his chair. "I'll go first, so you get the idea. Does C7 hit?" [We could probably leave these two to play games and drink for a bit lol] --- The Hopper gasped but continued to smile at Death. Her smile only widened more as he revealed his emotions for the Angel that she had cursed. Her way of ensuring that if she couldn't escape then she could at least try to avoid the consequences of her stolen lives. David had just missed Death's outburst as he got to his feet from the corner of the room while rubbing the back of his head. He squinted at the trio and stepped towards them while keeping a far more cautious eye on La Tramoggia. Given the headache he'd already endured shortly before becoming Death's bodyguard, suffering such an attack had left him feeling sore and groggy. He took the bottle of Aspirin out of his pocket and dry swallowed a couple more of them. Chuckling with a cunning grin, La Tramoggia nodded towards Azrael while wheezing "Look for yourself, grim one. What you do to me, you do to him." When Death would look at Azrael, he would see him turning a little red in the face while struggling to breathe, as if being strangled like The Hopper was being. He hadn't believed The Hopper at first and had assumed that her words were an attempt to trick them but now that he was feeling breathless, Azrael was looking at Death fearfully. Not frightened of him but frightened of what could happen if anything terrible were to happen to La Tramoggia. "Sire?" he wheezed. --- "Well, we can't just leave these poor people to suffer," Tom said after hearing the sobbing. With a determined look, he marched over to the gym. Cautiously and slowly he entered the building. Upon seeing the man, he didn't quite hear what he was saying but he picked up some of the French tones. He stepped a little closer and gave a brief look to Nate as if seeing him gave him courage, before turning back to the boxer. "Excusez-moi, monsieur?" --- While the other two seemed to be more willing to believe Ash, Amelia wasn't so trusting. Something about this whole thing didn't feel right and she was also a little concerned about Charles although right now she couldn't exactly explain why either. She sighed, figuring there was nothing to do for now but let things run their course and keep a very close eye on everything. Or at least, as best she could. At Hades's question, she turned to look at Charles. Using this Devil's power had been his idea. "Charles?"

La Tramoggia 😉

Damien couldn't help smirking as James explained what he had meant. Though why he assumed he'd looked at him in the same way, he wasn't sure. "Uh, well from the sounds of it, she likes you. Really likes you," he told him before turning his attention back to the game. "It's pretty simple. You put your ships down where you want and we take it in turns to guess where they are. If one we guess right, the other person puts one of these onto their ship." he held up a small peg. "Once a ship is full of these it's 'sunk'. If all of your ships sink, you lose." he explained briefly while picking out the pieces from the box. He gave James his share of ships and pegs. He then went about placing his own ships down. --- Both Azrael and David appeared in the room. David watched as Death easily grabbed the pudgy, middle-aged woman. He glanced around warily, recognising the hospital setting and knowing there was a large risk of humans either being alerted or caught in the crossfire. Hurriedly, he'd moved over to the door of this woman's private room to close and lock it. He then turned and watched as Death pulled The Hopper's soul out of the body, leaving behind an empty husk of a corpse. In comparison to the corpse's appearance, The Hopper's soul was that of an olive-skinned young woman. Her thick, long black curls sprawled across the ground underneath her. Her clothing consisted of a tight cobalt blue corset over a loosely fitted white lace blouse. Although it would have been uncommon and even frowned upon for her era, she wore white silk breeches as well as shin-high socks and a pair of gilded chopines. Large gold rings hung from her ears. An ornate, expensive-looking golden necklace with a sapphire gem in its centre hung around her neck. Her wrists were also decorated with several golden bangles. Her brown eyes glared angrily at Death. "Release me! You cannot take me yet!" she growled in Italian. Clearly, she had been taken by surprise. Azrael wasted no time. At Death's order, he'd reached into his pocket to pull out a seemingly ordinary if not old-fashioned set of shackles. As soon as he stepped towards them, The Hopper started chanting in her native tongue while making quick gestures with her hands. Immediately, David and Azrael fell to their knees while gripping their heads as a sharp pain shot through them. She had also aimed to inflict the same pain upon Death in order to force him to release his grip. If that weren't enough, she would also headbutt him before scrambling towards the door. David blocked her path by quickly throwing his body against it while looking at her with a pained expression. "Don't run! You'll only make things worse for yourself!" he tried while holding his hands up to stop her. "A phrase I've heard all my lives, but running has gotten me this far!" She snapped back and then moved one of her hands rapidly from right to left, causing David to fly across the room. She darted out and ran down the corridors, unseen by the passing medical staff and patients. She just needed to find a fresh new body and it just so happened she was in the perfect place to find one! Following the various signs, she began running towards the maternity ward with the intention of jumping into a new body and forcing its previous occupant into the now empty body back in the other room. It would be a pain to have to go through childhood again but if it meant she could avoid Death for another lifetime then it was something she was willing to do. Azrael suddenly appeared in front of her, surprising her and causing her to skid into his open arms. They struggled as he strained to place the shackles around her wrists while she fought to get free from his grip. "No! I'm not ready!" she cried out in a mixture of frustration and fear. "I can't die!" "You already have! Several times over! And robbed others of their lives in an effort to save your own! It is over La Tramoggia!" Azrael said as he managed to get one of the shackles to lock around her left wrist. "If you take from me, I will take from you!" The Hopper threatened angrily through bitter tears. "There is nothing you can do. Just stop fighting," he said to her gently. "All things must end. This is the natural law." La Tramoggia stopped fighting and turned her head to glare at Azrael. "I curse you," she growled. She then chanted a series of ancient words before spitting in his face. "I curse you. Your fate is now tied to my own," she said again and this time she smiled triumphantly. A cold chill ran down Azrael's spine before he shook his head and started pushing her towards Death and David's location. "Enough. I will not be tricked by your mind games." "Keep telling yourself that, Bello. But your denial will not remove the curse." The Hopper said with a smirk. --- "Huh, well I guess if life doesn't work out at least I know I'll make a decent Angel." Tom laughed half-joking. He then looked at Nate seriously. "Maybe I should wait for you back at the hotel, then? I'm happy to help but I think I might be out of my depth without you around if I happen to bump into any more." --- Amelia was a little shocked by Charles's sudden burst of anger and his display of brutality. But then, given what the Devil had just said, she supposed this might have been the only way to get him to follow their lead. She watched warily as Hades teased Ash then folded her arms and tilted her head at him. "Just know that if you do anything to harm her, I will make you take after your namesake," she told him cooly. Meaning she would turn him to literal ash. "Don't get me wrong, I am curious to learn more about our people from you. But I'll still tear you apart and burn you up if you so much as think about crossing us. Understood?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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