Shadowess Posted December 24, 2024 Author Posted December 24, 2024 Tom chuckled tearfully and stood to hug Nate tightly. Now that he understood what was happening with him it brought him some comfort. He felt even more supported by Nate's protectiveness and Amelia's knowledge. Not to mention the crystal which he now had no intention of removing for at least a hundred years. "Thank you, Amelia" He said, turning to look at her. He then recalled breifly seeing Charles on the bed in the other room. "I think we interrupted something. Is everything ok with you two?" Amelia waved her hand dismissively. "Just another chaotic day in the life of Devil royalty, I guess. Charles spawned another creature from himself that had been messing with his mind and now he needs to recover." --- Leanna smiled in relief when Death approved of their request. She couldn't help smiling when he realised she'd fallen in love with his brother. She hadn't known whether Life had been aware of Death's love for Azrael. True to her word she hadn't told a soul since Death had let it slip in the hospital. "I thought that by staying alive I was making myself happy but I suppose I was really robbing myself of true happiness by keeping myself from meeting Life." She commented while smiling up at her beloved. I can still work for you, if you want." She then added, turning to Death. "I know I caused you a lot of trouble and if I want a fresh start then I will need to make up for that. The curse on Azrael has been removed." --- "YOU'RE ALL OK!!!" Bob shouted ecstatically and ran around the room tightly hugging one friend after another. "Oh, you guys! Am I glad to see you! I thought I was guna be on my own and I've never been on my own before and I tell you that feeling sucked big time! But you're all here and you're all OK and I don't gotta be alone and yes I would LOVE a cheese sandwich right now!" He rambled excitedly while crying. Azrael smiled at the scene then looked at Raven. "Ready?" --- Juliette's eyes lit up. "Like a Queen?" She asked interestedly. She then continued to play coy. "So, you want to whisk me away to your new paradise? But what is the catch, I wonder?" She brought the cigarette up and slowly wrapped her lips around it while staring at him intently. She took a small drag on it then blew the smoke away from them, towards the back door that she'd cracked open slightly. "I hope you don't expect me to behave all prim and proper." She smirked and gestured to her clothing style. --- Carol slowed to a stop as she'd been prepared to continue fighting but at Ash's words her shoulders slumped from mild disappointment. "You mean to tell me you're noshing on souls to eat away your feelings because you miss your wife?!" She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She wasn't exactly the best person to talk to about love but if it stopped Ash from terrorising souls then she was going to have to suck it up and try. "Do you...?" She began, feeling incredibly uncomfortable about what she was going to ask. "Do you want to talk about it?" She finished, practically spitting the question out like it had left a bad taste in her mouth. She then scratched her head awkwardly and found a rock to sit on. "I hear that can help... tell us about her. Who was she?" Quote
Denix Vames Posted December 24, 2024 Posted December 24, 2024 Nate smirked, "Yep! Sounds like that's our fair share of chaos. I'm guessing you guys already locked this thing up? I kind of want to see it." --- Death smiled, "Thank you. So far, you have shown your loyalty. It is alright now." Life nodded, "See ya brother." Both Life and Leanna disappeared and would be at Life's throne where it was to complete opposite of darkness. --- Pain chuckled, "Don't worry. We might have died but we came back cooler." Grim replied, "Yeah! As in demons!" Hades had set up another slice of bread and put in the ingredients. Raven nodded at Azrael, "Why not?" --- Adam smirked, "I don't expect anything other than the hope you can make a kid or at least make paradise look less gloomy. You can be a naughty witch all you want." --- Ash suddenly dropped to his knees. "I trusted her to defend herself in a battlefield during the Hell vs Heaven war. I went to another battlefield. When I heard her cries from my mind, I teleported myself to her." Eris frowned when she saw Ash's eyes glow even redder. Ash shouted, "An Angel had killed her! I despised every one of them! Killing as many as I could and eating some away!" Quote
Shadowess Posted January 3 Author Posted January 3 "Yeah, madame no-manners is currently enjoying a nice stay in Hell's Cells for attempting to attack me the moment she was 'born'." Amelia rolled her eyes with a smirk. "If you're really curious, we can go and see her now and give Charles some peace and quiet for a bit. Just be careful not to get too close to the bars. You know how dangerous it is already for Angels travelling to Hell." She hopped up from her seat, ready to take them to the Cells. "Who knows? Maybe she'll be more willing to listen to you two." --- In contrast to Death's grey and gothic Kingdom, Life's castle was vibrant and filled with an array of pastel colours. Bright and beautiful bouquets of flowers decorated the large stained-glass windows. Rather than Reapers marching in and out to archive their filled books, Mid-wives bustled around them with medical clipboards while frequently checking the time on their pocket watches. Ellesse O'Quinn, the midwife who had started her career by helping Amelia and Charles with their pregnancy, stepped forward upon their arrival. While Leanna was too occupied looking around them in wonder, she bowed to Life before addressing him. "Sir, it's good to see you're home and well. Earth has hit a record-breaking amount of new life despite recent events and the girl you wanted us to monitor, Neva Hayes, is still looking to be a promising candidate for Atma's replacement. However, there is some concern over her mental age which may need to be addressed sooner rather than later. I have consulted the Spirit Training Department who have recommended that we send one of our own to step in as her live-in Au Pair to ensure her education and mental wellbeing are monitored more closely. Of course, the call is yours to make." --- Azrael teleported both himself and Raven back to Death's castle. "Sire, our mission was a success and I am pleased to report that my curse has been lifted. I am ready to resume my normal duties again," he said with a quick bow. He then glanced at Raven uneasily before looking at Death seriously. "Sire, it occurred to me during the mission... Raven is... still alive," he said carefully, knowing Death would need to be the one to decide on how they would proceed as well as discuss this with Raven. --- "Monsieur, I have known you for less than five minutes and you want to have children with me?" Juliette chuckled. "Isn't this a little... quick?" she then smirked before adding cheekily. "It is hardly naughty if I have permission to be so." She then jumped, her eyes widening as they darted from Adam towards the door to the main shop. The second she was distracted and her eyes left Adam's light, his effect on her stopped. Her father had started to raise his voice at John, having lost his patience. 'Are you messing with me or are you really this much of a moron?!' she heard him saying in French. "Mon Dieu! If he catches you back here talking to me he'll never let me have a life outside of this damned shop!" She said stiffening up. She'd turned her head to look back at Adam, prepared to tell him to sneak out of the back before her father could catch him there. But as soon as her eyes locked onto his again and she felt the familiar sensation of his light gripping her mind once more, what came out instead was her innermost desire. "Take me away from this wretched life!" she then gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, embarrassed by her Freudian slip. But she knew in her heart that she had meant what she'd said. --- Carol listened to Ash. Partially intrigued by his story. While the war Lucifer had sparked had by far been the longest and bloodiest, that didn't mean it had been the only war between Heaven and Hell. There had been earlier wars, particularly during the reign of Ancient Devils and Leviathans. The details of these wars had mostly been lost to time, though a few accounts still survived in the oldest books within Hell's Library... written in a long-dead language. Carol knew Ash couldn't have been referring to Lucifer's war due to Lucifer's habit of destroying any Devil he came across. Which could only mean... "Geez, exactly how old are you?!" Carol blurted out then realised how insensitive and rude that had been. "Uh, sorry. Just... the war you were part of must've been, like, a literal millennia or two ago... I can't help but wonder if I should buy you some knitting needles or a crossword puzzle. Sorry! Again. I don't deal with emotional situations all that well and tend to resort to humour a lot, or violence... or sex." she awkwardly drummed her fingers against the rock she was sitting on before looking up at Eris. "Should I stop talking? I feel like I should stop talking," she whispered. --- Having had time to recover enough to be able to fight back if necessary, Damien got up grumpily and went into his kitchen to take some pain relief for his hangover. He took a deep breath, steeling himself to enact the plan he'd come up with. First, though, he looked over at James. "Thank you, I'm good now. I promise," he told him seriously. "A little hungover but my strength is back to normal. Listen... I'm going to do something so that I can deal with my new cravings and it's going to seem crazy. But trust me on this, I know what I'm doing and I'm done taking stupid risks. I'll be back in a while and if I need you, I'll call." Without another word, he vanished. Appearing in Samson's house, Damien looked around quietly until he found where he was sleeping. He could sense his own power coursing through Samson's veins still, which meant he was protected from sunlight. Not that he would have figured this out yet, considering the black-out curtains covering the windows. Smirking cruelly, Damien gripped the curtains and ripped them off the rings while shouting "WAKEY WAKEY!" hoping to scare the crap out of Samson as a sort of payback for him trying to kill him. "Oh, would you look at that! Clear blue skies! Bet you haven't seen that for a while!" he chuckled as he walked around the bed to kneel next to him. "Don't try anything stupid. I don't need the sun to barbeque the shit out of you," he growled, his eyes turning red. "You feel that? That fire in your veins? Screaming at you to bite me again? To taste me. My blood. I feel it too. I want your venom like it's oxygen and I'm willing to bet you'd benefit from the ability to walk around in broad daylight. Not to mention the extra strength and speed you'll get from my blood, so I have a proposition that should benefit us both." he stood and turned. "Get dressed and meet me in your living room. We have a lot to go over." --- Speaking of a blood transaction, Shezmu was sitting in Warren's living room. His arms wrapped around Warren, embracing him like a lover as he took his fill. For the moment, they were alone. Little moans escaped Warren as he leaned into him with his eyes closed. Shezmu pulled away and Warren's grip tightened. "No please, don't stop!" he groaned and caused Shezmu to smirk at him. "If I did not stop, Hellion, you would cease to be." He said gently while prying Warren's hands from his clothes with ease. "And that would be such a waste." he caressed his cheek. He then lifted his finger, pricking it on his fang before bringing it to Warren's lips. The demon licked at the blood eagerly but only had the smallest taste before Shezmu pulled his finger away and stood. "When wi-" Warren started as he tried to stand but collapsed back onto the couch, suddenly feeling dizzy. "Rest now, darling one. I will return when you've recovered." Shezmu said before taking his hand kissing the back of it. He let him go and Warren watched longingly as Shezmu left the room. Dabbing his lips with a handkercheif, Shezmu headed towards the training halls to meet with his newest pupil. "I hope you have been practicing what I showed you." he said as he entered the room and appraoched Dariel. Quote
Denix Vames Posted January 3 Posted January 3 Nate laughed, "You're funny Amelia!" Once they appeared in Hell, Sara smirked. She said, "Are these the men that you are assigning as my guards? To keep me from escaping? They are pathetic mortals. An Angel and a...?" She pointed at Tom, "What are you?" Nate replied, "He's a vampire. Point is though, we're not your little pets. We actually came here to see the zoo. Looks like we found it." Sara clenched her fists and glared as her feathers slowly raised, "You ignorant pathetic creation of God! I will make you kneel!" Nate pulled one of her fears off. She cried out and touched her head, "How dare you!" He looked over the feather, "I think I'll have Heaven research into this. You don't seem like a normal Demon." Sara replied, "I said I was royalty! I am a Duchess!" Nate chuckled, "You wanna know what's so pathetic? The fact that you think you're important. No one even knew who you were until Amelia told me about you. Only a couple of people know your sorry excuse for a Hell being because you decided to have temper tantrum. No one would care if you were sent into Oblivion. You are a waste of Hell's cells." Sara wiped her eyes. Only realizing now that she was crying. She was at a lost for words. Overwhelmed with emotion, she dropped to her knees and sobbed. Nate rolled his eyes, "Excuse me everyone but I have something to bring to Heaven." He disappeared. --- Life nodded, "Give her a teacher. Just make sure her family knows that this is from someone who does care for her progress." He waved his hand at the throne. Two thrones suddenly appear. "There you are Leanna. Your own throne. We will have a party in your honor." He leaned in to a passing Midwife's ear. Letting her know of the new Queen and the party needed to acknowledge her status. He turned back to Leanna, "I have told her about the party. Pardon my whispers. I want to make this a welcoming surprise to you." --- Raven's eyes widened, "What do you mean still alive?" Death sighed, "Raven...For a being to live in the realm of the dead, they must be deceased. Your heart still beats." Raven took a deep breath, "Ok." Death raised a brow, "Excuse me?" Raven replied, "I want to stay here. I need to stay. You're the only one who truly understands my powers. The one who I can see as a....father. I'm willing to die for this." Death walked down from his throne. "I shall make it quick then." He touched his skin. Raven's body instantly collapsed. Just as soon as it did, Raven was suddenly there again. Standing right by his own body. Raven looked himself over and touched his chest, "Huh? I kind of thought I would have felt something." --- Adam grabbed her hand and whistled for John to come over. Once John was within his grasp, he grabbed his hand. Making sure all three of them had teleported back to their Eden. Adam let out a relieved sigh, "Man that guy was something!" --- Ash growled, "You filthy scum of Lucifer's leftovers! I should have never opened up to you!" Tentacles sprouted from his back. They reached for Carol but suddenly became liquid. Eris jumped in front of Carol and raised a shield. Ash shouted, "No! What's happening to me?! My powers! You parasites! Making me feel an ounce of sympathy!" His blood overwhelmed him as it dripped from his eyes, nose, and mouth. He let out a pained cry as the blood covered his body. It soon hardened like a cocoon. For a moment, there was silence. Until the cocoon cracked. Revealing a dark brown haired young pale man in his twenties. He was wearing a casual victorian suit. Eris's eyes widened. Ash looked at his own hands. He could still feel his powers but something was different. He stood up, "What's happened? My form...." Eris spoke, "You finally let yourself accept the grief." Ash suddenly cried. Eris took down the shield. She pulled him in for a hug and smiled at Carol. Proud of her for what she did. --- James growled at the idea but knew he had to listen to Damien's orders. He figured Damien had been around long enough to know more. Samson screamed at the sight of the Sun. He threw himself out of bed. Hitting the wall. He listened silently before watching him leave. He got into a black velvet sleeping robe. Making sure it tied securely despite the fact that his sleeping gown was hardly revealing. He stepped into the living room, "Powers huh? I didn't know you could give me that. I have never communicated with a being of Hell before until I found you at the club. I hardly leave the house. No reason to unless my blood supply is low." --- Dariel swooped in and held his knife against Shezmu's neck. Not as an attempt on his life but rather to show his skills. "You have taught me well." He lowered the knife and stood in front of Shezmu, "My body is yours to use. As any tool you need by any means. By giving me this opportunity, I will return the favor in sacrificing my life should you ever need it." Quote
Shadowess Posted January 3 Author Posted January 3 "Nate!" Tom had gasped at how callous Nate had been behaving towards Sara. Sure, she was acting entitled and snobbish but she hadn't deserved such cruel comments. But then Nate was already gone and he'd been left with Amelia and Sara. Feeling awful for her, he'd stepped towards the bars only for Amelia to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Careful," she warned him quietly. "I've got you here, right?" he asked her and Amelia hesitated before smiling and letting him go to watch them very carefully. Inching towards the bars nervously, Tom knelt down to be at her level as he watched her sadly. "That was uncalled for, I'm sorry," he said to her gently. "For what it's worth, your feathers are pretty." he tried to cheer her up and offered her a kind smile. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you think you're royalty? And why did you attack my friends?" --- "Sire," Ellesse said in acknowledgement before leaving to interview any potential Au Pairs for the job. Leanna stared at the throne and then looked back at Life. For a moment she was speechless as she gestured around them, trying to express what she felt and failing to find the words. Finally, she spoke as she looked back at him. "This is all-! It's so-! It is very much a surprise!" she laughed then wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Did we just get engaged?" she asked, beaming at him with happy tears in her eyes. --- "Our King is merciful," Azrael said to Raven with a warm smile. He looked at Death. "I will dispose of the body and add Raven to the ceremony preperations." he told him before giving him a subtle smile. "Perhaps your Grace can look over some of the preparations with me in my study later?" he asked, hinting that he wanted some time alone with him when possible. --- John suddenly sprinted past the shop owner which had caught the man off guard. As he realised John was running into the back of the shop, the owner ran after him while angrily shouting various insults and threats in french. By the time he'd reach the back though, all three of them were already gone. "You didn't have to deal with him!" John chuckled at Adam's comment once they were back in their new home. "Such an arrogant, racist man..." "What?!" Juliette gasped as she looked around them in shock. "How?... where?..." "Oh boy..." John looked at her worriedly. He knew that look on her face. She hadn't really believed in the afterlife before now and was about to freak out. --- Carol had jumped to her feet and prepared herself to fight when Ash became enraged. She watched as his form changed then Eris explained what had happened and comforted him. Although Eris smiled at Carol, she didn't feel like she deserved it. She didn't feel like she'd helped at all. If anything, she thought she'd made things worse when she'd pissed him off and wasn't exactly sure how his coming to terms with his loss had anything to do with what Carol had done. So she stood where she was and smiled back at Eris uncertainly then watched guiltily as Ash sobbed. --- "You know I heard you vamps can get the odd snippet of memory from drinking blood," Damien commented as he relaxed in the centre of one of the couches. His arms spread out over the back. He'd figured that was how Samson had discovered what Damien was. He gestured for Samson to sit on the couch across from him. "Oh yeah, I can give you power. Or, more accurately, my blood can give you power. The whole immunity to sunlight is just the tip of that iceberg too. But we can talk more about those powers later." he'd wait for him to sit down before continuing. "Here's the thing. I've gotten into a few scrapes with vampires recently and needless to say I've been bitten a few times in the process. This has left me with some cravings that I'm sure you'll be familiar with. The only problem is, any vampire who drinks from me temporarily gets some of my power and I can't just be handing out my blood to any vampire or things could quickly spiral out of control and become dangerous... for me. On the flip side of that, now that you've had a taste of my blood, normal blood just won't taste the same to you anymore. Plus those powers will only last about a day or two. So here is what I propose..." Damien took one of the Devil contracts from his jacket pocket and handed it over to Samson to read. It had been modified from the traditional Devil tongue to be written entirely in English. "This is a Devil's Contract. It binds us to our word. Ordinarily, if one of us were to break our word the contract would destroy one or both of our souls. I've modified this one so that won't be a danger. It states that you may feed on me but only enough to satisfy your hunger. If you try to drain me dry the contract will fling you away from me and paralyse you to allow me enough time to either recover or get away from you. Whichever is more feasible in the moment. You get your fix of my blood with the added bonus of Devil powers and I get my fix of venom from you with no danger of being fucked over. What do you think?" --- With a calm smile, Shezmu watched Dariel's movements carefully. There was a hint of pride in his gaze. He lifted his hand to gently cup young man's chin. "My ward, although you are only human you have come far in a short amount of time. You will be a fine warrior." he let go of his chin and stepped around him to walk towards one of the training dummies, looking over the various knicks and chips on its wooden surface. "I trust you have kept up with your studies with as much enthusiasm as you have given your combat training?" he asked. Quote
Denix Vames Posted January 3 Posted January 3 Sara rubbed her eyes. She stood, "I was part of Charles. I was his confidence. His righteous anger. And yet, he tossed me like a parasite. I was only doing what was right." She tapped her claws at the bars, "I wanted power but now, I have nothing." She glared, "Nothing!" --- Life smiled, "You could say that. Although, if you want to do it the human way, we could always have a wedding." --- Death smiled, "I would like to." He nodded at Raven, "Azrael please take him to Lily. I wish for them to get to know each other as siblings." --- Adam raised his hands like he was putting on a show, "Welcome to our new Eden! It may not look like much cause we're in Hell but that'll change soon with your help! You see, we offer protection and peace for eternity while you and everyone else in Eden provides support in any way. Now, I know it seems scary to see all this but we're safe here. John here put up plenty of protection around this place. No one can find us unless we take them here." --- Ash suddenly pushed Eris back, "No! I'm supposed to be feared! I should be a force that demands respect!" He raised a hand as the hardened blood on the ground had liquefied. It moved back to him but he collapsed when he tried to take the blood in. The blood suddenly seeped into the ground. Slinking it's way towards Sara. Ash punched the ground, "You idiots! You made me weak! To be prone to emotion is to become a fool!" --- Samson suddenly laughed, "You really are that desperate! You do realize I have been around for centuries. I have been surviving just fine on my own." --- Dariel sighed, "I have been doing my best. Frankly, it's easier to fight to the death instead of dealing with homework." Quote
Shadowess Posted January 3 Author Posted January 3 "Power isn't everything," Tom told her gently as he got to his feet too. "There's more to life than power and now that you have a life of your own, you'll be able to discover that for yourself. So, maybe don't think of this as Charles casting you away? Instead, he gave you a gift. Now you can be independent and live life the way you want to live... you know, within reason." gingerly, he stepped a little closer to the bars. "We can help you with that if you'll let us. We can teach you how to live. How to be a good person. What do you think?" --- "There's a not-human way to do it?" Leanna asked, intrigued. "In all the lives I had, I never imagined I'd settle down. I wouldn't know where to even start with wedding planning." she chuckled as her cheeks turned pink. --- "Yes, sire." Azrael bowed to him briefly before gesturing for Raven to follow him. He could sense Lilly in the castle and followed the feeling until they reached the greenhouse towards the back of the castle, overlooking the courtyard. Lilly had been sitting on one of the stone benches with her legs crossed and a book open in her lap. She was reading a book that she had borrowed from Death's library to better learn more about her powers and where Death had come from. Around her were various carnivorous and toxic plants, grown for their various uses in potions and spells. "Lillian, your father wishes for you to spend time with your brother," Azrael said as they approached. He then raised a brow at the book in her lap. "Is that from-?" "I asked Father's permission first," she said quickly while tearing her eyes from the page. She looked at Raven and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Brother? You're the boy from the portal." --- Juliette looked at Adam again. Once more his light had her hooked. "S-safe? Eden?" she breathed and something clicked in her mind. "You're really him!" she gasped. "I thought it was a magic trick! It's real! You're real!" John smiled, trying his best not to look at Adam while he was glowing. "I'll leave you two to... talk." he walked away from them. Nearby, Eve and Daisy were watching curiously. Eve instinctively averted her gaze from Adam while he was glowing but Daisy didn't know to do this yet. "Adam..." she sighed dreamily and moved to get up from her cushion but Eve gently grabbed her arm and pulled her back into her seat. "It's not your turn, pet," she said softly and cupped her chin to make her look away. Blinking in confusion, Daisy stared at Eve questioningly. "It's his power. I'm not sure how it works exactly but every time he's used it on me I've wanted him... badly." Eve explained quietly. "He's hypnotising us?" Daisy gasped "Not exactly. Put it this way, you wouldn't be here if, deep down, you didn't want to be." Eve answered. --- "Hey! Hell to moron!" Carol snapped at Ash suddenly. "Emotions can make you strong as fuck! Denying yourself is what makes you weak! I swear, as much as I miss the guy, I'm willing to bet you and Lucifer would have been best buds if you'd ever met!... minus the him killing Devils part but you know what I mean! He denied his emotions too! He trained me and all his soldiers to deny them and it wasn't until he vanished and Amelia took over that I realised just how bullshit that was! Because with emotion at least you can channel it into what you do! It can grant you strength when everything else seems hopeless. Without that what even is the point!?" Carol stopped, a little breathless. She glanced away from him for a moment, staring into the distance as she realised she'd said something she'd been pondering for a while but hadn't yet had the strength to say out loud. "What was the point...?" she said and this time she sounded a little fragile. --- "Who said anything about survival?" Damien smirked. "This is for fun. Unless you don't want my powers? The ability to teleport from place to place, walk around in daylight... I could always find another vampire who'd be willing to jump in your place." Damien paused as he watched Samson carefully. "Your call. Sign the contract in your blood and my blood and powers are yours whenever you want them. Hand it back to me and you'll never see me again." --- "Do you know what the most common downfall of any great warrior is?" Shezmu asked before turning to face Dariel. "Tactical failure," he answered his own question. "You can be stronger than the most powerful Devil and become unmatched in wielding many weapons. But if you fail to prepare, fail to identify your opponent's next moves and fail to act accordingly, then you will eventually fall." He held his hands behind his back as he stepped towards Dariel calmly. "This is why I must press you to study harder. A strong body is worthless without a sharp mind." He took a moment to look him over. He couldn't help feeling a sort of attachment to his new pupil, not including the contract that bound them. He was half tempted to offer to turn him but quickly disregarded the thought. Doing so would grant Dariel a fraction of his ancient power but it would still make the boy far more powerful than any other Blood God alive today. While he was confident the contract would prevent the boy from becoming his competition, he was apprehensive. His current age was also a bit of a problem. Unlike those born with vampirism, he would be stuck in his current age, hormones included. "For your next assignment, I want you to read up on The Art of War by Sun Tzu. I want to hear your take on the book, what you have learned from it and how you would use this knowledge in battle," he said dismissively. "I will give you five days to get your notes to me." Quote
Denix Vames Posted January 3 Posted January 3 Sara spoke, "I...I don't know." The blood from Ash had suddenly jumped into her face. She collapsed as the process of having a baby began in mere seconds. Out came a baby bird which cried out for comfort. It was a girl. Sara picked it up, "I don't care anymore about myself. I don't care. Now, I have this child. Despite the incident, I can sense potential in her. She is a lovely child." The baby continued to cry until she held her close. "I shall call you Ophelia." Ophelia cooed as she reached out to her. --- "Actually, we don't do weddings. Hence why I called it a human thing. It's only an idea though. What do you think? We could always forget about it." ,said Life. --- Raven looked away with shame, "I'm sorry. I couldn't see at the time that you were trying to help me. I'm sorry for everything I did." --- Adam held her hand, "I am real as you are. Care to get close and personal?" He kissed her hand. --- Ash turned around, "Whatever. I'm going to the Library where I can think. Leave me alone." Eris wrapped an arm around Carol after Ash left. "Hey beautiful, you ok?" --- Samson smirked. He pierced his finger with his one of his fangs. Allowing for blood to leave him. He wrote his name down on the contract, "You're pretty good at business. Ever thought about opening up a place?" --- Dariel nodded, "Yes sir. I understand. Though I am surprised that you find human writing to be valuable. I had the idea that maybe you saw humans as lesser?" Quote
Shadowess Posted January 4 Author Posted January 4 Tom had jumped back away from the bars. Both Amelia and Tom watched with a mixture of confusion and panic as Sara seemed to go into labour. "What's happening?!" Tom gasped. "I don't know! Move!" Amelia gently pushed him out of the way and unlocked the cell door. Amelia reached Sara in time to witness the birth up close and stared in shock at the infant. "Wha-? How?" She stammered and then hurriedly took her jacket off to wrap around the child to help keep her warm. She heard the wet sound of liquid hitting the floor and turned her head to see Tom had darted off to a corner to vomit. A second later, Ellesse appeared and rushed into the cell. "We had an anomolic birth alert!" she said quickly then paused at the sight of the mother and child. "Well, that'd be the anomaly!" she commented then looked at Amelia. "How could you lock her in a cell? You should know better that new life cannot happen in Hell! It was risky enough that Oliver was born here!" "I didn't lock her up like this! It just happened so quickly! One minute she wasn't pregnant and the next she was giving birth!" Amelia snapped back. "Besides, reality still seems pretty strong to me so I guess we're ok." "Miss, we'll need to move you to another location for you and your child's safety. My name is Ellesse O'Quinn. I'm a Spirit of Life, or Midwife if you prefer. What's your name?" Ellesse said to Sara while putting on a pair of medical gloves. --- "I-I don't know," Leanne said uncertainly. "Maybe the party would be enough? I mean, a wedding is pretty much a party anyway, right?" --- Lilly looked at the boy for a moment before shrugging and moving over on the bench to give him room to sit next to her. "You were grieving." she said quietly. "And I was arrogant to think I had the power to undo what had been done..." she then smirked and shook her head. "Listen to me, I haven't been here long and I'm starting to talk like them!" she nodded to Azrael. "Properly, you mean?" Azrael smirked then nodded to them both. "I will leave you both to it." he said before turning to leave. Feeling a little awkward now they were alone, Lilly glanced at Raven before closing the book she'd been reading and she stared at the title for a moment. 'Beyond the Veil - A History by Osiris' "I'm sorry too." Lilly said finally. "That I couldn't help... that I made things worse. I'm learning how to use my powers but it's honestly like trying to break in a wild horse." she lifted her gaze to look at him. "My name is Lilly... Azrael said you're my brother. Does that mean you're like me? Like Dea- Like our Father?" --- After disposing of Raven's corpse, Azrael appeared in his study and let out a heavy sigh of relief. Glad that everything had worked out and that his curse had been lifted. --- "Close to you?" Juliette sighed, enchanted by him. "Oui- yes, I want to know you." She stepped closer to him. --- Carol barely heard Ash before he left and didn't notice he'd gone until Eris wrapped her arm around her, pulling her out of her thoughts. "I-yes, I think- I don't know..." she mumbled to her and looked away again. Her eyebrows furrowed as she lost herself in her thoughts again. "I used to think I knew what I was fighting for... back when-... back then..." she said quietly. "But now I'm not so sure... Was I fighting for the hell of it? to just be his good little soldier? Following orders without question for-... for what?" she looked at Eris tearfully. "I don't know who I am anymore." --- Watching Samson prick his finger on his fangs sent excited shivers through Damien that he pushed down deep. He knew it was mostly his craving for venom that had caused it. Still, he allowed himself to feel some relief at seeing the contract signed. Finally, he could safely get his fix without taking an unnecessary risk. At Samson's question, he grinned a little. "I helped run a little cafe back when I was mortal. Then I died. It's a whole story. Earn back my trust and maybe I'll tell it to you one day." He glanced around the room. "Now, at the risk of making my hangover worse, I don't suppose you have anything other than blood to drink in this place? Preferably something strong. We should celebrate our new agreement." --- "Most are." Shezmu agreed. "Vampires can turn humans and they can also give birth to new vampires. Blood Gods are limited to turning in order to procreate." Shezmu told him with a small, sad smile. "So we must be very selective of who we give our gift to. Most mortals are unworthy but once in a while, there will be one mortal that proves themselves to have the potential to become something great." he smiled at Dariel briefly before looking away. "Consent, training and education are key but such opportunities should never be wasted. Take Sun Tzu for instance. A mortal when the book was written, yes. But can you be certain that he remained mortal?" Quote
Denix Vames Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Sara said, "Don't blame them for this. It did happen so fast. Something came to me. It went into my body and created this child. My name is Sara by the way. My little girl is called Ophelia." She held a small smile at Amelia, "I think I get it now. I'm sorry for before. Tell Charles that I'm sorry. I want to see you again as a friend this time. Would that be ok?" --- "True enough but I'll give you a night that you'll never forget." ,said LIfe. He caressed her cheek before kissing her. --- Raven nodded, "I have similar powers. I can manipulate time but only to make anything decay. I can use the dead to gain more power." Tears fell from his eyes. "But I don't want to do that. Not anymore. I can't....I miss him. My boyfriend. I just want to see him. If I'm here then shouldn't he be somewhere too?" --- Death appeared in Azrael's study room. With no one else around, he found himself smiling as he was crying. He pulled him in to a tight embrace, "Oh my love! It is good to finally have a moment with you." --- Adam nibbled at her neck. They soon appeared in the bedroom. He ran his hand down her side as he kissed her. "I don't mind if you take charge. Do whatever you feel is right. I want you to feel safe." --- Eris replied, "I know you're a strong woman with a damn good right hook. You've got some great charisma. Carol, I wouldn't be hanging out with you if I didn't think you were worth being a friend." She transformed into a donkey. "Look at what I am! Can you guess?" This would be an attempt at a joke as she had called herself an ass. --- Samson raised a brow, "You do realize I am still a vampire? Why on earth would I have alcohol?" --- Dariel's eyes widened at the idea of Sun Tzu having gained power like that. He thought over what Shezmu said and couldn't help but smile like a son who wished to make his father proud. He nodded, "Thank you sir. I'll get to my studies right away." Quote
Shadowess Posted January 4 Author Posted January 4 "Of course." Amelia nodded to her. She looked at the jacket around the baby and knew it was likely ruined by bodily fluids. "Eh, you can keep the jacket too..." "May I? I need to ensure you're both healthy." Ellesse asked as she reached out for the child. While looking over the baby to make sure everything was as it should be, no airways blocked, etc, she spoke to Sara. "We'll need to move you both to Earth. Hell is too dangerous for you to stay here. I'll take you to a human hospital but you'll need to be careful what you tell the humans. I'll cast a shimmer on you both before we go. It's a kind of illusion that makes you both appear human to human eyes." "I'll come with you. I need to get Tom back to Earth anyway." Amelia said then turned to look at the vampire who still looked a bit green in the face. "How you holding up, buddy?" "G-Goo-... Good." he gagged. "N-never seen-... never seen a birth before." "Deep breaths, bud." Amelia chuckled. --- Holding on to the kiss, Leanne felt light as a feather at his touch. This was a new beginning for her and it already felt so unbelievably perfect. When the kiss broke she lovingly stared up into his eyes and for the moment it felt like they were the only two in the world. Running a hand through his hair, she smiled up at him. Then, she brought her lips to his once more to lose herself in this new and exciting feeling. She had known lust in her lifetimes, but this was the first time she felt love. --- Lilly looked back at the book on her lap sadly. "I'm not sure. When Father first brought me here, Azreal told me that my soul managed to cross into this world because I accepted that to be my fate. He wasn't sure what would have happened to me if I hadn't. I'm guessing it was the same for you, seeing as you're here." She turned her gaze upward and stared at the looming foliage. "I wonder if that means your beloved is still out there somewhere? Wondering, lost..." She then realised what she'd said and looked at Raven quickly. "I'll bet Father is aware of that and is doing what he can to locate him already," she said quickly, hoping this would comfort him. --- "How I've longed to hold you!" Azrael said happily as he wrapped his arms around Death. Tearfully, he kissed him again and again. His lips, his cheek, his neck. Simply happy to be able to be so close to him. "I was scared when that woman cursed me. I wanted nothing more than to run into your arms for comfort! Why do we hide, my love?" he asked, although he knew the answer. It just didn't feel fair that they would finally find real love in each other but be confined to secrecy. "If I could, I would declare my love for you every second of every hour. I would hold you close to me and feel your lips on mine every day until the end of time itself. I love you with all my being." --- Juliette's breath quickened as he kissed her neck and her gaze became lustful as she realised they were now standing in a bedroom. "Oh, I want you." She sighed in French, her desires pulled to the surface once more but she gave in to it this time and kissed him passionately. As she kissed him, she thought up a spell and within seconds they were both floating a little off the ground. Gravity left them and she grinned at him mischievously while unbuckling his belt. --- Carol smiled at her words then laughed at the donkey form she'd taken. "Alright, alright. I'm good, I promise." She chuckled as she wiped away her tears. "Ugh, don't let me cry again. That shit is embarrassing." she smiled. --- Damien sighed and rolled his eyes. "Right, yeah... So, what do you want to do to celebrate then? What does a vampire do for fun when he can't drink?" --- Shezmu nodded in response then turned to leave the training room. His growing attachment to this boy was concerning him a little and he was wary that he would become Shezmu's weakness in time. For now, he turned his thoughts to the familiar scents within the castle that he had not had time to follow up on until now. He made his way to the home of the two other Blood Gods, wanting to introduce himself as kindred and see what the latest generation of his kind was like. Quote
Denix Vames Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Sara frowned when she looked at Ophelia, "Nate was right about me. All I ever wanted was power. Before her, I had a plan to escape. I only thought of killing anyone who got in my way." She began to tear up, "I don't deserve her. She should have a better mother." Ophelia began to cry as she reached for her mother's breasts. Sara instinctively lowered her dress a bit and brought her baby close. Allowing Ophelia to drink milk. "And I have nowhere to take this child to. No home at all." --- Fireworks suddenly exploded behind Life. He parted himself from the kiss and blushed. "I can be more expressive than my brother. It's not always a benefit." --- Raven shook his head. He stood and walked a bit, "I didn't tell him to. I never asked. After all that I've done, I don't think Conrad should ever see me again. He wouldn't be proud of the things I did. I know he'd be ashamed of me." --- Death sadly smiled, "We must make sure that the leader is seen as an uneffected great being. Which is why I should have never shown my emotions in that moment at that hospital. I let my guard down and let a previous enemy know the truth. It could have ended worse for all of us. Yet, I was lucky that she was different." --- Adam began to flop around like a cat standing on a puddle of water, "Whoa! Not sure I can do much here. This is fun though!" --- Eris transformed back into her regular form, "C'mon now. It's like you told old and angsty earlier. Emotions aren't a bad thing." --- Samson casually said, "I usually murder someone. Anyone really. Doesn't matter what they've done. Want to pick the victim for this special occasion?" --- Ben had heard knocking at the door. He opened it and found himself bewildered by Shezmu's presence. Even so, he still saw him as a stranger and a potential threat. Focusing on keeping Jessica safe. His horns grew as his eyes became red, "What do you want?!" Quote
Shadowess Posted January 4 Author Posted January 4 Amelia felt awful as she watched the pair. Sara was brand new to life herself and already she was a single mother. "Sara, stop." She said gently. "You can't think like that. It doesn't matter how you both got here. You're here now and we're going to help you, ok? You're not alone." "You've already got a maternal instinct, which is a good thing," Ellesse said as she nodded to the feeding child. "I'm sure once you're all set up, you two will do just fine." she gave her a kind smile as she stood and took a step back. She lifted her hands towards the pair and nodded for Amelia to move away. Once she was clear she chanted a small spell to give them both a human appearance. "There, now any human that sees you two will just see humans. Let's get you to Earth." She bent down to help Sara to her feet. "C'mon, Tom. That's our cue." Amelia called over and Tom quickly joined them while wiping his mouth with his sleeve. --- "I've heard of sparks flying but not literally." Leanna laughed. "I like it." --- "You were grieving and lost in an unknown world." Lilly reaffirmed. "I was terrified when I first crossed the portal. I didn't know what the people on the other side were like or what kind of danger I was in. I can't imagine how much more afraid you must have been when you stepped through and... that happened. I was lucky. I was more or less alone already and had been fleeing a more monstrous world..." She looked at him. "I believe Father would look for him regardless. His soul might be lost somewhere in this world, unable to anchor himself like we have until he's found. I don't believe our Father would leave him to that fate." --- Azrael bit his lip. He didn't like it, but he knew Death was right. "I understand." he sighed. "I don't blame you for it, you know. For what she did to me." he then said. "So, we can't tell anyone? Then at least we can make the most of these private moments together." --- Juliette laughed as she watched Adam flail for a moment before she swam through the air to him and grabbed his shoulders. Twirling them both around, she moved to pin him against the ceiling. Stradeling him with a playful grin. "Then let me do it all, mon cher." she purred before kissing him deeply. --- "Yeah, they're not bad. Still embarressing though." Carol laughed as she wiped at her eyes. "Ok, enough with the emotion talk! We were supposed to be doing something before we were interrupted by his hungry-ness..." --- "I hope that's a joke." Damien looked over Samson uncertainly while shifting in his seat uncomfortably. He'd assumed the man was a typical vampire. Not a full-blown murderer. "I'm known for my temper and rebellious streak but I'm not going to kill someone just because I feel like it. I was thinking we'd go to a club or something." --- Unphased by Ben's defensive attitude, Shezmu smiled at him pleasantly. "I am Shezmu. Lord of Blood. Great Slaughterer of the Gods. He Who Dismembers Bodies... and believe me when I say, I had no say in these titles I was given." he tried a half smile for a second to show he'd intended the last comment with some humour but he felt his smile was strained so quickly dropped it. "I have recently risen from centuries of slumber and returned home to this castle. I thought it appropriate to introduce myself to my kin. So few of our kind are left in this world, after all. I hear many of us were slaughtered in a sort of genocide while I was absent." Quote
Denix Vames Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Sara held a small smile, "Thank you both. Yet, where will we go? I don't suppose any of you own property that we could stay in?" --- Life looked away and awkwardly scratched his neck, "Glad you like it. I could always do a firework show if you ever want one." --- Raven shook his head, "What if we didn't have a choice? If we didn't agree to be here, would they have imprisoned us? Maybe we truly never had a choice." --- Death replied, "I'm not sure if it is allowed. I am the leader of this realm. Therefore, my word is law. Perhaps they will not question our relationship." --- Adam smirked, "Take it away baby." (private time) --- Eris tapped her head, "Uh I'm not sure. Weren't we supposed to encourage people or something?" --- Samson rolled his eyes, "You're no fun. Aren't you demons supposed to have character?" --- Ben's horns sank back into his head as his eye color went back to green. He realized now that Shezmu only wanted to talk, "You can't blame them for doing it. Blood Gods are always insane. We got lucky that we didn't become that." He stepped back so Shezmu could enter. "Hey Jessica! We've got a guest!" Quote
Shadowess Posted January 4 Author Posted January 4 "We'll figure that out once you and the baby have been given the all-clear." Amelia told her with a nod. Within a few minutes they had all teleported into the hospital where Ellesse managed to flag down a nurse and not long after Sara and Ophelia had their own room in the hospital for routine observation. Tom decided to distance himself by sitting in the waiting room for a while. Ellesse stayed with Sara to make sure she was comfortable with everything. Gently talking through what the nurse was doing to keep her reassured. Meanwhile, Amelia had stepped out to call Charles and tell him what had happened. --- "Maybe we could make a show of our own?" Leanna said playfully and kissed him again while pressing her body against his. --- "You misunderstand me, Raven," Lilly said. She placed the book on the edge of the bench and turned her body to face him more. "Azrael told me what happened when I died. He said my name kept appearing and disappearing in his book. That's never happened before and he thinks it's because I came from another world. Like maybe my soul didn't know where to go because I'm not from here. But when Death offered me a place in his kingdom and I accepted, my name stuck in the book." she paused a moment, looking troubled. "No one knows what happens when a person from another world dies here because it's never happened. Conrad's soul might've gone back to your home world, or gotten trapped in between, or it might be lost and wondering on Earth or... it might've been destroyed. Your portal was still open when it happened so there's no way of knowing if it's still here- No wait..." Lilly stopped again and a look crossed her features. It was hopeful. Inspired, even. "I think I know how we can find out where he is! C'mon!" she took his hand, moving to run with him out of the greenhouse. --- "But you said it yourself. It would be at great risk. Anyone wanting to stand against you would know to target me." Azrael said, troubled. He sighed. "Let's not talk about this now. We're here together and everything is as it should be once more. I am just grateful to be able to hold you like this, now." --- "We did that already. We were taking a break and reporting in!" Carol smiled as she took Eris's hand. "To the Library?" --- "Devil." Damien corrected him with a growl. His eyes had been green from the moment he'd entered the living room but now they shone red once more. Samson had touched a nerve. "I didn't spend years training under Lucifer to be called a mere Demon." He caught himself and took a breath to calm down. His eyes rapidly switched back to green. He stood and paced in front of the window. "That's not me anymore. That's not me," he told himself then stopped with a sigh to look back at Samson. "You want people to kill? We'll do it my way. Come here, I know just where to teleport us." --- "Lies." Shezmu said simply as he stepped inside. "Propaganda spread by those who would be threatened by our power-" he explained then came to a sudden stop as his eyes landed on what he percieved to be a red haired beauty. "Who's this?" Jessica asked as she stepped in from the bedroom. She had decided to wear one of the evergreen dresses that the vampiresses in the castle had gifted to her. She looked like a medieval princess in it. "I am Shezmu, dear lady. Lord of Blood. Great-... you know what, the titles aren't as relevant as they once were." Shezmu cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'm Jessica. Ben's girlfriend." Jessica said simply as she walked over to one of the couches. "You're like us, aren't you? I can sort of... feel it?" "Your senses are sharp. Yes, we are kin." Quote
Denix Vames Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Sara had lifted her dress back up. Having fed Ophelia enough. Ophelia's eyes sparkled as she looked at everyone in front of her. She reached out to Ellesse. Grabbing her finger as she cooed. Sara wiped her own tears as she continued to look at her while listening to the nurse. Ophelia laughed as the light bulb suddenly shattered. Sara's eyes widened, "Oh dear. That is um....interesting." --- Charles picked up the phone and answered, "Hey Amelia, how are things?" He listened to her side of things. "You're kidding me? If I had known Nate's insults would have gotten us this far, I would have brought him to Hell sooner." --- Life said, "Hold on." They appeared in his bedroom. "Now, we're ready." He took his shirt off and cupped her face as he kissed her. --- Raven found himself suddenly running with her, "Uh What are we doing exactly?" --- Death said, "I as well." He gripped his waist. Passionately kissing him without a second thought. --- Eris held up a finger, "Maybe let's not. Ash did say he would head there to mope. I doubt Amelia is still there anyways. Probably has some other official Hell business to do." --- Samson replied, "Give me a minute." He returned from his bedroom wearing a black suit. "Alright. Lead the way devil man." --- Ben said, "Old Shezmu said he's been around the world for a while. At least from his way of talking and fashion sense. No offense dude." He walked over, "Aside from us being Blood Gods, is there anything else we have in common? I don't really think there's much to talk about. We could play a fun game. Maybe golf?" Quote
Shadowess Posted January 4 Author Posted January 4 "Hello, sweet little one." Ellesse smiled at Ophelia while wiggling her finger a little in her grip, like shaking her hand. She jumped when the lightbulb shattered and quickly looked at the nurse who had looked up in surprise then at Sara and Ophelia in worry. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, I don't know why that happened. You're not hurt, are you? Did any glass get on you?" the nurse said worriedly while looking them both over for any cuts. "We'll get you another room." --- "Honestly, I didn't like his comments," Amelia said with a sigh. "She was a pain, sure but he was harsh. It was out of order. I think even Tom was shocked by it... anyway, she's scared and alone now. And with a baby to boot. Considering where she came from, I'm pretty sure that makes her our responsibility. We should make sure she has a good, stable start. What about that penthouse you had? Could she move in there?" --- Leanna watched him remove his shirt and blushed. She kissed him back, losing herself in the moment. "Oh, Life!" she sighed between kisses while one of her hands wandered over his chest and the other ran through his hair. --- She ran along the corridors with him and had hunched over a little to while moving more on her tiptoes to apply more stealth. "Shh, keep your voice down." She whispered to him as they stopped at a corner and she peered around it cautiously. "We're going into the archive room. That's where Reapers store those books they use and pick up new ones. If Conrad's soul is lost or stuck somewhere, then his name will be flashing in one of those books like mine was. We just have to find it... and don't get caught. I was told under no circumstance can we enter that room yet. Father said it's off limits until we've been here long enough and have been trained. But maybe he'll understand if we manage to find the book with his name. It's clear, let's go!" She pulled him around the corner and took off towards the archive room. Suddenly the door opened and a pair of Reapers engrossed in their own conversation came out. Thinking fast, she quickly and quietly pulled Raven into a nearby cloakroom and closed the door behind them. As she looked around them at the fresh new black cloaks, she smiled at Raven. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" she whispered. --- Moaning softly, Azrael matched Death's passion and caressed his cheek while kissing him. His other hand moved down to Death's chest and started to undo his cloak, and then the buttons on his shirt. He moved his kisses down to Death's neck and gently nibbled on his collarbone. --- "Right..." Carol thought for a moment. "We could teleport to her? Or Charles, or David." --- Smirking, Damien took Samson's arm and without warning teleported them both to what appeared to be a very run-down street. Strange letters on the roadsigns told them they weren't in the United States anymore. "Welcome to Russia." Damien chuckled. "Fucking freezing, huh? This way..." he started to walk, expecting Samson to follow him. "It's been a few years but if I remember rightly, there should be a hidden black magic market right about... here." he gestured to a brick wall. He placed a hand on Samson's back while smiling at the wall, knowing full well that he probably looked insane right about now. But that was half the fun. "Ever see Harry Potter?" he asked then shoved Samson into the wall which would shimmer and worble as the vampire passed through it. Damien calmly stepped in after him and looked around at the dark street lined with market stalls, tents and sketchy-looking shops with blinking neon lights in their windows. "One thing I learned as a new Devil;" he started while placing a hand on Samson's shoulder. "The best places to pump for information are usually the darkest. Now, you wanted someone to kill and it just so happens there's a dodgy little warehouse gang just down this way that fucked me over a while back that I've been meaning to pay a little visit to... I think between us we could have a 'bloody' good time. What do you say? Up for some violence and mayhem?" --- "Uh-? No, I prefer chess." Shezmu answered, a little baffled. He looked between the pair carefully for a moment. "You are both fledglings, aren't you? New to your sanguine life?" Jessica shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I was turned sometime last year. I turned Ben not long after." She answered. "Ah... and your maker?" "He's a vampire that lives here." "So you were a half Devil, originally?" "Why do you ask?" Jessica asked a little defensively. "Forgive me. You see, I had sensed you both in the castle but had not expected you to be so... inexperienced." Shezmu answered as he looked from Jessica to Ben. "But I suppose that is to be expected when the rest of our kind were murdered. No matter. I would like you both to know that you can come to me with any questions about our kind. I would be happy to share this knowledge with you." Quote
Denix Vames Posted January 4 Posted January 4 Sara replied, "We're fine. It's really no problem if we keep this room. I don't want to cause any more of a hassle." She frowned. Seeming concerned that Ophelia's powers were a bit out of control due to her excitement. Ophelia giggled as she clapped her hands. She suddenly glowed then sneezed out a small firework. Sara looked at Ellesse, "Maybe we should make sure no one remembers seeing this." --- "That place? Sure, I don't see why not. Speaking of which, did you learn anything about her child's powers? We should probably keep track of them." ,said Charles. --- Life ran his hand under her dress. Caressing her thigh as he brought her to the bed. He left bite marks on her neck as he kissed her there. --- Raven nodded. He threw a cloak on. Once they were both in disguise, they entered the archives. "If this is organized then his name shouldn't be too far from us." --- Death moaned at his touch. He whispered, "Perhaps we should take this to my chambers?" --- Eris shrugged, "Reporting to Amelia sounds fine by me." The two would teleport and find themselves standing in front of Amelia. Eris awkwardly waved, "I'll just be over here." She leaned against a wall. --- Samson yelped when he was pushed to the wall. He landed on his knees and hands. Once he caught sight of the market, he stood up and dusted himself off. "You're full of surprises, ya know that? How about giving me a minute to breath?" He nodded at the end of the market when Damien explained the scenario to him, "How'd they screw you over? If it's alright to ask." --- Ben said, "We've been in enough fights to know how to handle ourselves. And what would we even want to know? I'm pretty sure we got our info from a vampire. He seemed reliable." He playfully punched his arm, "C'mon man! You've got to live a little! Go out and do some modern things." Quote
Shadowess Posted January 4 Author Posted January 4 "Already on it..." Ellesse said and waved a hand at the nurse quickly who had been about to run out of the room but then paused with a confused look on their face. "Huh, I forgot what I was doing..." the nurse said slowly then chuckled at them. "Don't you hate when that happens?" "Like when you enter a room and forget why you went in there, right?" Ellesse asked and gave Sara a subtle wink. "Sure is annoying when that happens. Anyway, is Sara here all good to go?" "Um..." The nurse hesitated and quickly looked at the notes they'd made. "Sure, all vital signs on mommy and baby seem to be normal. Breastfeeding seemed to go fine. I think you're all good to go! Congratulations! Oh, just don't forget to fill in the birth certificate on your way out." --- "Alright, I'll make sure she's set up and knows how to get by," Amelia said about the penthouse. "Powers? I haven't seen any yet but I mean, the kid was born literally five minutes ago..." she answered, completely oblivious to what was currently happening in Sara's room. "But sure, I'll keep an eye out and let you know if anything comes up- Oh hey, Carol and Eris are here," she said as the pair appeared in front of her. "Hey mum, what's up?" "Hi, sweet thing. Is that Charles? Tell him I said 'hi!'" Carol greeted her. "Oh, and we managed to find most of the prisoners that escaped into Hell. Some wanted to put up a fight so me and Eris kicked the crap out of them and threw them back into the cells. The rest were pretty decent after we managed to explain that Hell is under new management and currently under reform." she looked around, just now realising they were in a hospital. "I swear if I never see another hospital again, I'll die happy... What are you doing here anyway?" --- His bites, his touch and his kisses were so much that Leanna could barely control herself. She tilted her head back as moans escaped her. "Yes! My love!" she gasped excitedly. She unfastened his pants and then wrapped her legs around his waist. (Private Time) --- Cloaks on and hoods up, hiding their faces in shadow, they managed to slip into the archive. "Unless it's arranged by time of death..." Lilly thought out loud. She nodded toward the left of the room. "You check alphabetically," she said then gestured to the right of the room. "I'll start searching backwards from dates and times. Remember, stay out of sight. The Reapers know who we are so don't let them see your face or we're in trouble." Of course, now the biggest obstacle they had to deal with was the fact that millions of people on Earth die every minute of every day... and it had been at least a few days since Conrad's death. --- "Yes, lets..." Azrael's breath caressed Death's neck as he spoke and he kissed up his neck to his ear before whispering; "You should teleport us in. I've never seen the inside of your room." he moved his kisses back to his lips and just as his passion grew, his black feathered wings burst from his back in excitement. --- Damien chuckled as Samson asked if they could take a moment. "They cheated at blackjack and thought I wouldn't find out." he joked and gave Samson a look, making it clear that although he was along for the ride today, he hadn't yet earned enough of Damien's trust to be told the story of how this group of criminals sold information about him to his aunt, ultimately resulting in Damien's destruction shortly after. Damien was wary about getting too close to Samson, particularly after he'd tried to hurt him the night before. Still, he was at least glad to have someone around with strength and wit enough to match his own. "Just trust me when I say, no matter what we do to these scumbags, they deserve every ounce of pain coming their way." his eyes turned red as he spoke. He clearly held a great deal of hatred for these people. "So, show no mercy. Oh, and when we leave here today you will tell no one about this. Especially my werewolf pal that you saw last night. What happens in this dingy black market in Russia, stays in this dingy black market in Russia." --- Shezmu looked at the spot on his arm where Ben had tapped him then regarded Ben for a moment before answering, wanting to know for himself just how much the Blood Gods of today really knew of their abilities. "You know what happens when a Blood God drains a being dry?" "They get destroyed," Jessica answered impatiently with a sassy eye-roll. "My maker told us that." "And how we procreate?" "Turning or, I guess the um... old fashioned way?" Jessica half laughed but then her smile slipped as Shezmu wagged a finger at her with a knowing, sad smile. Her heart dropped. She and Ben had been trying to conceive for a few weeks by now. "Turning only, I'm afraid. What of enthralling mortals? You know of this?" "What-? No, we don't- what was that about not being able to-?" Jessica stammered her mind still on the concept that they couldn't have children of their own anymore. Shezmu's eyes widened as he realised what was happening and he looked between them once more. "Apologies." He gasped. "I had not realised this would upset you." "That-! No-! Ben, tell him it's not true! It's not! Is it?" Jessica began breathing heavily, tears filling her eyes. Quote
Denix Vames Posted January 5 Posted January 5 Sara looked over the paper, "Birth certificate huh?" She took a minute to think before writing down Ophelia's along with her last name, Highwing. "I can't believe I have this. I must have it framed." Ophelia yawned. She began sucking on her clawed hand. "I need to get her a pacifier. In fact, I need to get her so many things. Oh dear. I haven't even decided on her clothes or anything." --- Charles said, "I think I'll let you get back to business. Just let me know if Sara needs anything else. And tell Carol I said hi." He hung up. Eris peered into the room where Sara was. She ran back to Carol with beaming eyes, "Looks like Amelia is being a mother hen too. I'm willing to bet she brought that lady in here with that baby of hers." She looked at her, "Am I right?" --- Raven nodded, "Good luck on your side." It had been some time and Raven was doing his best to stay awake. Despite the goal, looking through any library was boring. He soon reached for another book on the higher shelf. As he reached out, he fell from the ladder. A pile of books landed on him but he still held on to the one book he was looking for. He stood up and opened it. Flipping through the pages until he found Conrad's name. He ran over to Lily, "Looks like he's somewhere in a place called Heaven? How do we even get there?" --- Death teleported himself and Azrael into his room. He couldn't help but be excited over the sight of his wings. He jumped on him. Allowing Azrael to hold him up as he kissed him some more. Digging his nails into his skin. --- Samson shrugged, "Fine by me. Just letting you know though, your pet won't be happy once he does find out. It won't be from me but secrets always come out eventually." He cracked his knuckles. "Now, it's fun time." --- Ben ran to her side. He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Jessica! It's going to be ok. I-I promise!" He stormed over to Shezmu. Angry and nearly in tears, his horns and red eyes appeared. "Shezmu! Please tell me you're joking! Tell me this is some kind of trick!" Quote
Shadowess Posted January 5 Author Posted January 5 After saying goodbye to Charles, Amelia put her phone away and glanced towards Sara's room. "Oh, uh, yeah. It's a long story... Charles says 'hi' by the way." "Huh, cute. Why aren't the humans freaking out?" Carol asked while sneaking a peek at the pair in the room. "The midwife in there cast some kind of shimmer spell. We can see how they normally look but they look human to humans." Amelia quickly explained. "Look, I have a lot on my plate right now and I need to get back in there to make sure they're alright. Thank you both for helping today. You may as well get some rest. I'll call on you both again if you're needed." "Oh, goody! Some time off!" Carol cheered and looked at Eris. "I'm sure we can find some way to pass the time." she winked. Amelia stepped back into the room and just caught the last of Sara's comments. "Hey, don't worry about that. I have a toddler who is constantly growing out of the clothes we buy him. I'll be happy to donate a few things to you. I just spoke to Charles too. He's willing to let you stay at his old penthouse so you can find your feet." she walked around the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know we got off to a rough start but you're here and with how you came into being, that sort of makes us responsible for you. So, I'll help you with whatever you need, ok? Deep breath mama bird, you're going to be fine." she gave her a kind smile. --- Lilly had been skimming through the pages of the books on her side when she heard the loud noise behind her. She quickly jumped down from her ladder and turned in time to see Raven running to her. She looked at the book with a puzzled expression and shook her head. "The friends I made on Earth would always talk about a place called Hell but I've never heard of a Heaven..." she said. "Maybe we should ask Father?" she then looked up and was about to suggest that they tidy up the books that had fallen when several Reapers had rounded corners around them to investigate the source of the noise. "Who would do this?" "Who would make such a mess and leave this like this?" "A Reaper wouldn't do this, there must be an intruder in the castle!" "An infiltrator?" "I'll bet it was Raguel and his Angels! He's always asking about our archive!" "There's a book missing! It's been stolen!" While the Reapers were distracted with their speculation, Lilly held her breath in fear and looked at Raven with wide eyes, unsure of what to do. It seemed none of them had noticed the pair yet. --- Azrael moaned when he felt the sting of Death's nails in his skin and he smirked while gently biting his lip as they continued to kiss. He held him up and pinned him to one of the bed posts. His wings vibrated while he dug a hand into his shirt to feel his bare chest. --- "Let me worry about that." Damien shrugged. "Alright, then. Let's go," he said eagerly and led the way to the warehouse at the end of the street. As they approached, the bouncer at the door recognised Damien and immediately ran inside to warn the others to get out. "There's a fire exit on the left side of the building. Flank them. No one gets out alive." Damien said as he marched towards the main door and kicked it in. He took a second to look around at the open space. A poker table in the corner of the room had been hastily abandoned. Cards and chips scattered across it. Some had spilled to the floor. Barrels of unknown and potentially volatile liquids were piled up on one side of the warehouse. Some were being used by the gang as cover while they prepared themselves for a fight. He could see the fire exit from where he stood and would soon see Samson cutting off the path of the few cowardly gang members who had been trying to slip out. On the other side were some sort of meat processing machines. On which there were some suspiciously shaped cuts of meat on the conveyor. Damien had never been interested in the kind of operations this gang was involved in back when he'd been King of Hell. As long as they could spy for him and give him the information he needed to stay ahead, nothing else mattered to him at the time. But then they went and stabbed him in the back by using the information they'd gathered on him over time to sell to the highest bidder. Costing him his throne, his life and his very existence. Simply recalling what they did was enough to enrage him. His red eyes began to glow as if a fire burned behind them. Even his hair ignited, glowing like embers. "You all know why I'm here." his voice boomed across the warehouse. "You served Lucifer before me. Swore your loyalty to us! Even with your loyalty secured I still paid you all handsomely for your services. I swore to you that you would all have a place in Hell when your time finally came and how do you repay me? How is it that you decided to show your loyalty to Lucifer? To ME?!" He stepped inside, broken glass crunching under his heels as he glared at them all. "By selling me out," he growled dangerously. "BY STABBING ME IN THE BACK!" he yelled, causing some of the gang members to jump. A couple gulped. Damien then laughed cruelly. "Oh, I have a place for you in Hell alright and today, you're getting your express, one-fucking-way ticket there!" A man in the rafters had started calling out a spell but before he could finish it, Damien had teleported to him and twisted his head so hard and so fast that it ripped from his neck, into Damien's arms. The body stood for a moment before slumping next to him. Damien looked at the shocked expression on the head as he chuckled, then held it over the railing by its hair. "Samson, let's play a game, shall we? I wonder if we can kill them all before this head hits the floor?" --- "I would not joke of such things," Shezmu answered, mortified. He wasn't frightened of Ben's anger and transformation. Rather, he was embarrassed that he'd been the one to break this news so late after their change. "It would seem some important details of our kind have been lost when we all but died out. My condolences that you had to learn this way, truly. I understand you will both need some time to process this information so I will take my leave for now. You are welcome to come and find me if you want to learn more about what we are." he turned to leave. In the background, Jessica had dissolved into heartbroken sobs while cradling her head in her hands. Quote
Denix Vames Posted January 5 Posted January 5 Eris smirked, "Let's get naughty and party!" Sara smiled at Amelia, "I'm glad you didn't send me into Oblivion. Your leadership is far more understanding than Lucifer ever could have been." She held out her baby, "Would you like to hold her?" Ophelia opened her eyes from her short nap as she felt herself being moved. Once she saw Amelia, she reached out and emitted a happy bird call. Despite not knowing who Amelia was, there was something there that made her understand that Amelia was a friend. --- Raven sent out a fog throughout the archives. He grabbed Lily's hand and ran through the doorway. Making his way back to the garden. He threw the cloaks on the ground and made them all disappear like dust in the wind. --- Death moaned, "Oh Azrael. To have never felt such love from anyone until now. For it to be you, I am honored. That's why you may take every part of me. Show me true love." --- Samson chuckled, "Sounds like a great game! I'll win it for sure!" He began zooming past the men and ripped parts of their bodies off. Making sure it was a vital part that would kill them slowly or instantly. He looked at the blood in his hands and laughed. "Oh boy! It feels good to do this! And I've got a pal to help out? Things couldn't get any better!" --- Ben growled, "No! You can't just leave like that! After what you said?" With his anger overtaking him, he pinned Shezmu against the wall. "You don't get to walk away!" Quote
Shadowess Posted January 5 Author Posted January 5 Amelia smiled back at Sara, touched by her words. She looked at the little bundle and carefully lifted her into her arms. "Hello there, Ophelia," she said in a soft, quiet tone. "Welcome to the world." she thought for a moment. Then, while cradling Ophelia in one arm she held out her hand and concentrated. Crystals formed rapidly and at first, it was just a shapeless mass but as she focussed, the crystals shifted and moulded itself into the shape of a pacifier. Concentrating a little more, she visualised ballbearings forming on the inside of the teet before dropping off inside so that they could rattle around. Her forehead was a little sweaty from the effort but when she was done, she gently shook the pink crystal toy to make the rattling noise while smiling at Ophelia. "There you go. A birthday gift for you," she said, slightly out of breath. "It'll never break." She added, looking at Sara. --- When they reached the bench in the greenhouse that they'd been sitting on earlier, Lilly doubled over while leaning against a large plant pot to catch her breath. She watched Raven make the cloaks vanish and looked at him in surprise. "How-how-?" she tried to speak between breaths but needed to catch her breath a bit more before she could speak properly. "How did you do that? The fog and the cloaks. That was brilliant!" She then tensed as bells rang out across the castle as an alarm and she looked towards the doors guiltily. "Oh no... We're in trouble now... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have dragged you along." --- Just as Azrael was beginning to let himself get lost in Death, the alarm bells rang across the castle and he froze. Those old bells hadn't been run in centuries and they were only used for one thing. Someone had broken into the archives. He pulled back, looking at Death as he gently placed him back on his feet. --- Damien laughed at Samson's enthusiasm before vaulting over the railing. Before he could even begin to fall he teleported just above one of the fleeing men. Using the momentum from both his fall and the teleportation, he aimed a punch at the man's head. His fist broke through the skull and continued down through his neck and chest cavity, crushing the man against the concrete floor in a large, bloody mess until his fist struck the ground and grazed his knuckles. Time seemed to stand still as he marvelled at the carnage he'd caused. He felt himself strongly reminded of the days he'd be fighting rogue Demons and Angels during the war. Of the times he'd be sent to hunt traitors and conspirators. Of when he was instructed to torture and kill as part of his training under Lucifer. It felt familiar. It felt... good. His breathing became heavy as his heart hammered in his chest. He absently ran his bloodied hand through his hair, leaving a large streak of fresh blood across half of his forehead and through his hair. His eyes lifted and he seemed to see the men in the warehouse scattering in slow motion. Sparks flew as they tried to aim spells and guns at Samson but kept missing due to his enhanced speed. Grinning with malicious intent, Damien teleported behind another of the fleeing men. He jabbed his hand into his back as easily as if the gang member's skin was nothing but playdough. Closing his fist around his spine, he yanked it out. Killing him instantly. He then laughed a little as he whipped the spine around to smack another of the gang members with it with so much force behind it that it sliced into the male's abdomen, getting stuck there so that Damien had to yank it back out. Leaving the man to bleed out, moaning in agony on the floor, he turned his attention to the falling head. It was close to landing. He appeared where it would land. Catching it by the hair before it could hit the floor he swung it around before flinging it back up towards the ceiling. "Round two, Samson!" he laughed then was knocked back a step by a bullet hitting his shoulder. Hissing from the sting, his fiery gaze landed on his shooter who was practically wetting himself in fear as he feverishly tried to reload. "You!" Damien growled, apparently recognising the man. He grinned evilly and began marching calmly towards him. Bang. Another bullet. This time in his arm. "Your aim is shit!" Damien laughed as he kept on marching. "A little higher and to the left!" Bang. Damien paused and looked down at himself. The bullet struck his abdomen. Glaring at the man, Damien dug his fingers into the bullet hole. He grimaced but the only sound he made was a few irritated grunts as he worked through the pain to fish the bullet out. Once he had it between his fingers he pulled it up to look at it then smirked at the male who had watched him in disbelief. "Ow," Damien said mockingly then ran at the man who only had time to let out a short scream before he was tackled to the ground. Damien swung punch after punch at his head. The man had died on the first punch but Damien simply kept going. Pounding his skull over and over until it was nothing but pulp and the only thing that stopped him was the wet thud of the head hitting the concrete floor. Catching his breath, Damien stopped and looked around. Not a single gang member was left. The warehouse was littered with mangled corpses and blood dripped from most surfaces. Looking down at himself, he was no better. His once white button-down shirt had been dyed red from the amount of blood that they'd spilt. Wincing, he slowly got up from his knees and wandered over to the poker table to lean against it. As he moved his eyes returned to green and the embers in his hair went out. He dug his fingers into his arm and just as soundlessly as he had before, he fished the bullet out before letting it drop to the floor. He looked at his shoulder and attempted the same for the last bullet but it was deeply embedded and at an odd angle. "Fuck..." he grunted with a sharp breath. "Samson..." he breathed while looking over at him. He gestured to his shoulder. "Would you mind trying? Don't be shy either, really dig in there if you have to." --- "Unhand me!" Shezmu snapped. "This would not end well for you, fledgling. Release me, now," he warned him. His own eyes turned red. Just like he had done to Jean earlier, he allowed Ben to sense the extent of his power for just a second. He hoped it would be enough to make him realise fighting him would be pointless. On comparison to Shezmu's age and all the power that he'd consumed, Ben was no more than a gnat. Quote
Denix Vames Posted January 5 Posted January 5 Ophelia sucked on the pacifier as she waved the rattle around. Sara caressed Ophelia's cheek. Giving her a nice scratch on her feathers. "Thank you for the gifts. I appreciate it. Just try to make sure you don't use up too much of your powers. I understand that you're an important person for Hell." A purple bird figurine suddenly appeared in Amelia's hand. Sara frowned, "She's been casting power recently. It seems as though she thought of a present for you too. But I'm worried about how to keep her powers in check. Right now, we should head to the penthouse. I need to give her a perfect room." --- Raven said, "Don't worry. I'll take the blame. Just don't say anything, ok? I don't want you to get in trouble." He disappeared. --- Death immediately buttoned himself and made sure he was appropriately dressed. He checked on Azrael's professional look before appearing at the archives. "What is going on?" Once he was told of the mess and a missing book, he clenched his fists. Believing it to be Raguel who ordered this attack. "That insolent angel calls himself a-" Raven shouted, "Wait! It was my fault!" Death's eyes widened when he saw the book in Raven's hand, "What do you mean? What happened?" Raven frowned. He sadly sighed, "I wanted to know if my boyfriend, Conrad, was around somehow. I had to find out. I didn't want to bother you with it because I thought it wasn't important enough for this place. I figured I could do it on my own. I didn't know I would cause a scene. I'm sorry." Death touched his shoulder and bent down a bit to look at Raven closer, "I admire your honesty. However, I gave you full instructions to not enter the archive." He stood back, "My reapers will monitor you while you go back in there and clean up the mess you made." Raven nodded, "Yes father." "And afterwards, we can find a way to meet your boyfriend." He couldn't help but smile through the tears, "Thank you." --- Samson smirked, "Don't mind if I do." He dug into his flesh and ripped the bullet out. "I gotta say, you gave quite the show. I'm impressed." --- Ben shouted, "You think that matters to me?! Who you are?!" He let him go and clutched his head, "I just care that she's devastated! I don't know what to do now!" He burst into tears. "All I want is to make her happy and I can't even do that!" Quote
Shadowess Posted January 5 Author Posted January 5 "The sooner the better," Ellesse said as she nervously looked towards the windows to check if any humans had happened to notice them using their powers. "Alright, let's go then." Amelia helped Sara to her feet and a second later they all stood in Charles's old penthouse. "Thank you for the gift, Ophelia." Amelia then said while smiling at the baby. "My job is done here too. Sara, if you have any questions or need any medical help for your baby, please don't hesitate to call on me. Oh, and congratulations." she smiled, then vanished. --- "Wha-? Raven, wait!" Lilly called after him. She felt responsible for what had happened. After all, it had been her idea and she had literally dragged Raven along. However, she was still so new to her powers and even her afterlife powers that she didn't know how to teleport yet. So, assuming he was heading back to the archives, Lilly took off at a run after him. Azrael had quickly made sure he was also presentable before following Death to the archives. By the time Lilly had reached the door to the archives, which was ajar with Reapers looking in, she overheard Death talking to Raven and knew she was too late to step in. It sounded like they had already resolved the matter and while she was relieved that Death wasn't too angry with Raven, she still felt guilty that Raven had taken the blame. She didn't know what to do now, so she turned and started to walk back to the throne room while nervously biting her nails. --- Damien gritted his teeth and gripped Samson's arm when he dug his fingers into the bullet hole. Being so close to him now, it would be clear that Damien did indeed feel pain. He just resisted showing it. Once it was out, Damien gasped in relief and stared at the blood-covered bullet between Samson's fingers. He thought about his words for a moment. Tempted to tell him what he used to be but bit his lip, unsure of how much he could trust him even with the contract signed. He ended up settling for; "I was trained by the best..." he glanced around at the carnage again. "I used to do things like this all the time, you know." he looked up at Samson, feeling his cheeks getting warmer but was sure it was hidden under all the dried blood sticking to his face. "I used to enjoy it," he admitted. Realising he was still holding on to his arm, Damien let go. "For a while there... I felt like how I used to. I thought I'd never feel that again." --- "What would you have me do?" Shezmu asked softly. He looked over at Jessica who was still sobbing. "What would you have me say that I haven't already?" he looked at Ben apologetically and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I only brought you the knowledge. I am not responsible for our circumstances..." he said, pointing out that not only was Ben effectively shooting the messenger, but also that Shezmu himself was unable to have any children. "Apologies. It was not my intention to bring you both pain," he said somberly. Quote
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