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 Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 3:53 pm
Lucifuge sat. Well, that actually wasn't an accurate enough descriptor. He lounged, looking very much like a king on his throne in his demonic glory. Of course, it wasn't day time. Actually, it was more like eleven o'clock, getting on quickly towards midnight, and he was waiting for someone. Who, he couldn't quite say, but he'd been told by the new demon (Lamia, who had just become Named; he thought it highly amusing) that someone would meet him here, and he would know the person when he saw him.
No, he didn't much care for riddles.
The Prime Minister straightened his clothes; he'd dressed for the area, which was high in night traffic, by trading out his suits for a loose shirt of mesh and a pair of neat (but not leather) pants. Idly, he hoped it wasn't Soah he was supposed to be meeting; right now, he looked rather a lot like the demon he was. With a sigh, he leaned on the arm of the bench and watched the passerby.
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:24 pm
He cradled the cup of hot chocolate gingerly in his hands, and as he walked he would occasionally bring the styrofoam cup to his lips and take a cautious sip. Never this late was he usually out, but it was the weekend, and since he was at home on the weekends, and had to deal with Merihem... he had taken to leaving his home for a few hours and wandering around - never long enough to worry his dad, but enough to clear his head. He didn't want to think about the reason that had driven him out of his own home in the middle of the night. He didn't want to think of Merihem. Sure, Soah accepted his fate, and he accepted it graciously. But sometimes... the demon and him outright conflicted.
They had fought, that much was clear. Maybe there weren't physical injuries visible (not to say that there weren't some bruises carefully hidden under his hoodie), but the pain reflected in his eyes, the little bit of fear. When the demon and him conflicted, Soah usually backed down and left. This time he hadn't backed down, and he had only left once things were settled. Merihem didn't want him living with Neil. Soah wasn't going to let Merihem have a say in it. Soah fed the demon whenever the demon desired it, and Merihem had no control over where he went or what he did, so long as he did feed him. So, the boy was going to do what he wanted, and he didn't care about what Merihem felt.
He wanted to be with Neil - he wanted to be where he felt safe, where someone could understand him and help him through these things. Neil was really the only comfort he could take out of this situation, and he was too stubborn to be losing it now.
The boy was jolted from his own thoughts, though, when his legs less then gracefully collided into something else, and he was sent tumbling forward. He didn't quite manage to land face-first into the ground, because his knees and the palms of his hand managed to catch the ground and hold him up before the rest of him made acquaintance with the sidewalk. His cup of hot chocolate went rolling forward, the lid coming off and the steaming liquid spilling onto the grey pavement. That was the worst tragesty of them all, that Soah had just lost his hot chocolate.
He remained sprawled over long legs for a few moments longer as he gained his bearings, and then mumbling profuse and sincere apologies for running into whomever the legs belonged to he righted himself. He wiped barely bloody palms on the front of his jeans, silently glad that they were only a little bit skinned.
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:38 pm
He reached out easily and caught Soah's hand to examine it. "Now what's a nice boy like you doing in a bad place like this," the demon drawled, running the pad of his thumb over the scrapes. New skin grew over them- effectively healing them, since Lucifuge's skin contained a mild anesthetic for reasons even the demon himself didn't understand- and he held out his free hand to the human boy. "Shall I take care of the other for you, boy?"
Yes, he did very much regret dressing the part of a club-goer. It would certainly cast a different picture than the boyish face he'd worn in the park, seeing as now he appeared to be a man in his prime, rather than a boy yet decades away. "I'll procure another hot chocolate for you," he added. "If that is what you wish."
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:04 pm
He nearly jumped out of his own skin when he felt someone take his hand, and helplessly he stared at Lucifuge as the other healed the scrapes on his palm. Curiously he glanced around himself, as if he did not entirely know what he was doing here either. "Oh, wow, I didn't think I'd travel this far. Man, dad'll kill me." He mumbles this to himself before glancing back down to the man, the man who he knew to be Lucifuge. He knew the talk, and he knew that healing scrapes wasn't a natural occurence. It had to be Lucifuge, and so he felt a little bit more comfortable. Obediently he held out his other hand, so it could be healed as well.
"No, it's fine. It burned my tongue. You don't have to get me another one. Why were you putting your legs so far out into the sidewalk? To purposefully trip me?" He remained standing uncertainly in front of the disguised demon, and if anything, he looked minutely troubled on account of where he was, and on account of what had happened to force him in this direction. With a regretful sigh, he shook his head.
"I should head home, really. It's late. I wasn't supposed to be gone this long."
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:51 pm
Obligingly, Lucifuge healed the scrapes on the other hand. "I do wish you hadn't wiped your hands on your pants," he sighed, but it wasn't really something he could do anything about. "No, I wasn't intending to trip you, dear boy. If I'd intended such a thing, you wouldn't have been out walking half as long as I presume you were." With an easy smile, he shrugged and dropped the boy's hand.
"It's not safe for you to be out this late alone, as you said so astutely," he mused, snapping his fingers idly. A zip-up hoodie draped itself over his arm, and he shrugged it on. (This took a moment; he had to retract his wings and then wrest his hair out of the thing after putting it on.) "May I presume to walk you home? As reparation for tripping you."
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:20 pm
"Sorry, I didn't think you could heal the scrapes. If I knew, I would've saved my pants. But, I can get the blood out, don't worry about it." Once again he shrug off Lucifuge's concern, and really, this action came naturally to Soah. He had practiced enough times exerting the fact that his problem was no one else's, and so it was habit now to shrug off anyone's concern. He could take care of himself, and he would rather not bother anyone else with these little issues. Really, bloody pants weren't something for Lucifuge to bother himself with. "Well, then you should have kept your legs from laying out in the middle of the sidewalk. I wouldn't have lost my balance and fallen over them." He wasn't really scolding the demon, just reminding him that it wasn't the kindest thing to have one's legs taking up all the space.
He blinked in surprise at the hoodie draping itself over Lucifuge's arm, but he paid it no mind. "No, I didn't say that it wasn't safe. I just said I shouldn't be. My dad will get mad if he notices I'm not in the house during the middle of the night." He gave no hint as to the reason he wasn't home and comfortable in bed. Lucifuge did not need to know about his physical and emotional squabble with Merihem. "Oh, sure, I guess I wouldn't mind if you did. It's better than walking home alone, at least."
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Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 3:43 am
He snorted at the sheer audacity of a human boy lecturing the Prime Minister of Hell, but didn't express the vague irritation. Of course the boy would be a little bothered, he'd been sent sprawling by an accident. He might have felt better if Lucifuge had done it on purpose, perhaps, but that would violate the demon's promise to never hurt Soah. So he said nothing, just put his hands in his pockets and looked at a group of men across the street, where a fight was just breaking out.
"Perhaps then I should note: It's not safe for you to be out alone. Especially not now." Something in Lucifuge's tone made it clear that he didn't just mean here, in a red-light district of Durem, but all the time. The Prime Minister of Hell didn't have much call to be a paranoid sort of demon, not really. "So... lead the way, Soah." Not like he didn't know where the boy lived. It was one of the privileges of knowing where most of the demons were from that book of Edward Fauste's. However, the last time they'd met he'd rather overdone himself at reminding Soah of how much he knew, so he wasn't going to try it again.
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Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 11:29 am
His gaze wandered briefly over to where the fight had broken out on the other side of the street, and minutely he shied away from the scene. He wasn't the sort of person who thought violence was the first course of action someone should take. Soah didn't believe violence was unneccessary, because sometimes it just was, and he was not a pacifist by nature, but if fighting could be avoided, it should be. Everyone would be happier with a resolution that did not involve bloody noses and bruises, and even broken bones.
"I know it's not safe to be out at this time of night, especially alone." Of course, he was saying within those words that he had made the choice to come out here, even after knowing it wasn't safe. He knew what he was doing, and once again he was shrugging off someone's concern for him. It was a habit, and one that would likely never be broken. It was only through sheer persistance (and not consulting Soah) that Neil managed to help the boy when the boy needed it the mosst. Neil was the exception, and Soah was determined to have him be the only one.
"Follow me," he said in a decidely more cheerful voice, though it sounded almost forced. He walked in front of the demon, making way through the sidewalk-goers and out of this current district.
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Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 12:03 pm
He kept pace with the boy, though he was sorry to leave the maelstrom of wrath on the other side of the street before he got his fill. "That's not precisely what I meant," he said, but since Soah didn't seem to be much for the warning he was trying to give, he stopped attempting. He didn't think that his mistress would stop with the one summoner, after all.
"May I ask what you're- ...No. I suppose I may not." Lucifuge sighed.
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Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 12:34 pm
"It's Merihem," he confided in Lucifuge quickly, though he had no idea why he was sharing this with the other. Perhaps it was because he could tell no one else. Neil would be upset if he found out that Merihem and Soah were fighting about him. Neil would try to distance himself from Soah, and that was not something Soah could properly deal with. He was still so frightened of losing Neil, because he was so dependent upon the other man for the most simplest of necessities - being cared for. "I've been staying with Neil throughout the week, and I want to be able to do that every week. I feed Merihem before I go, I make sure that I fill out my part of the contract, but he still doesn't want me with Neil. I know he doesn't care for Neil, but this is my life, and as long as I fulfill my part of the contract, I should be able to do as I please." His voice was firm, determined, hiding his inner turmoil at the fight. "We fought. I hate fighting, so I left afterwards."
He shrugged, his little way of saying that the conversation, as far as he was concerned, was over. He didn't really want to talk about it... he just wanted to tell someone because right now he didn't have Neil to go running to. Besides, he knew Lucifuge had been curious, so why not answer? There was no harm in it, especially since the fight was over now and had been somewhat resolved. It was a thing of the past - he just needed to dwell upon it a little longer.
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Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 12:07 pm
He sighed through his nose. "You're correct," said Lucifuge softly. Right now, he wanted to run ahead and strike that damn incubus right across the face- but that wouldn't be wise. Certain events made it unsafe for any summoner to be alone, and he hadn't yet requested that the boy be left alone.
...Somehow, he doubted such a thing would be allowed. The mistress had begun to collect her seven 'weapons'. And then there was the presence of It. It grew stronger every day, and had begun to unnerve even the Prime Minister of Hell. "Next time you fight-" because there would be a next time "-please call someone to walk with you when you leave?"
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Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 6:28 pm
"I know I am, Merihem doesn't have any right to exert any sort of control over me like that. I'm not his posession, no matter the contract." He shrugged his shoulders, and was set firmly in his beliefs. Of course, because he was so strong-willed about this, Merihem and him oftentimes did quarrel. It just usually didn't get as bad as it had this night. One or the other usually backed down, but Merihem was in a rightful bad mood, and Soah was too stubborn to, even when it was for his own safety. Safety didn't matter to him when it came to something or someone as important as Neil.
Soah shrugged his shoulder, the gesture dismissing Lucifuge's suggestion. "I wouldn't bother anyone else with this. I'll just walk to Neil's next time, and spend the night with him. I always feel better that way, and his house is only a few blocks from mine. I'll get to his house and tell him to go to bed, because I don't doubt he'd be up late." His route of choice usually brought him to Neil's house, but mahyhaps this night he had been too troubled to go to Neil's. If he was troubled enough, Neil would know, and he didn't want to be a nuisance to the older man.
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Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 4:52 pm
He stopped walking, and put one hand on Soah's shoulder to halt the boy, too. "I wouldn't ask you to do such a thing if it were not important," he said. "My mistress is beginning to advance her cause on this plane of existence, and that means evoking the seven sins. Already one is awake- the sin of Wrath. Fights like the one on the street where we met will only become more prevalent, not less. I simply desire to keep you from becoming affected by the presence of Wrath in this place." Of course, the sins would only get stronger the longer they were present. Lucifuge's 'protection' would keep the worst of it from the boy, though. "If it would please you, I would extend the same to your friend Neil."
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Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 5:02 pm
He was drawn to a halt when he felt Lucifuge's hand upon his shoulder, and curiously his indigo gaze was cast to Lucifuge. But, he wasn't listening to the 'danger' portion of it. He was instead listening for hints to the woman's cause, and when Lucifuge fell silent, it was the first thing that came out of Soah's mouth, a question of sorts. "But what is her cause... that she would bring the seven deadly sins into the mix?" Suspicion in his voice, darkening it slightly, twisting it from its usual purity. Soah was forever the Defender of Good. And sins weren't good. Lucifuge couldn't reveal some information to Soah without the boy desiring to hear the rest. "If it isn't some noble cause I'd really rather... not have you walk me home further." That was it. He wasn't going to try and associate himself further with creatures destined towards evil. He knew that demons were evil, but some, like Merihem, were pushed to evil by what they needed to survive. He sincerely liked Lucifuge, but if Lucifuge was doing something really nasty... Soah couldn't bear to be near the other. He could handle the little things, the little cases of evil. But not something big.
"I'm sorry... I just, don't want to be near you if you're up to no good. I'll end up doing something stupid, and Neil would get hurt, and I don't want to hurt Neil." He could hurt himself with a good conscience... but if that hurt brought Neil pain, then his good conscience was wiped away. The last thing the boy wanted to do was cause Neil pain, and he knew that if anything happened to him, Neil would suffer for it. It was the same the other way around.
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Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2008 5:09 pm
"Hardly," he said, starting back as if insulted. "You can't get rid of something that's not present, can you?" His mind was working quickly to come up with lies enough to cover that slip, and shore up the small bits of truth he could share. They spilled easily from his lips and sounded like gospel truth- as well they should, since it was true. Just... not the entire story. "The mistress desires to spare all of humanity the misery of their current experience. To do that, she needs the Sins to be present here, obviously, as it's difficult to destroy things from one plane to the other."
There. Imply the Sins were to be destroyed after all seven were incarnated. That wasn't a lie, since he simply told the truth and never directly said that that was the fate of the Sins. "If I were up to no good, Soah, I wouldn't offer to keep an eye on Neil as well, would I? I would protect you and yours from suffering."
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