[IC] The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

[AkiBlue]

His optimistic pep talk was flushed away as the two continued walking down the field. Aoba struggled to get Dicxson to stay one way. That one way would only stay the same direction for a few seconds before the hellbeast decided to follow his own path. It was tiresome alone just to get him on course. The fallen angel didn't even have to look back to see that nothing was being plowed. He was holding more to the reins than the plow anyway. He didn't know what to say, and his commanding tone. . . .needed a lot of work. Simple instructions like, "stop" or "not that way", went ignored. But that was probably because it was more of a plea than a command. The demons couldn't really blame him for not knowing how to show authority, could they? After all, Aoba grew up being rather submissive to instructions and commands he was given. If he wasn't, well he just might have been an impressive angel in the medical field.

Aoba nearly jumped out of his skin when Dani appeared out of no where and started barking out at him. But after the minor scare, Aoba could barely focus on Dani's babbling. If he focused hard enough, Aoba managed to keep Dicxson from straying away. "There you go! Now stay just like that!" His attention turned to Dani who was- well Aoba wasn't sure if he was being scolded or given advice about how to properly address Dicxson. He spoke of having an iron fist and proper commands, but Aoba couldn't fathom such a thing. But maybe with given time, that could change. When Dani left to perch back on the fence, Dicxson jerked forward, causing Aoba to stumble. Instead of falling face first onto the ground, he fell on his knee, quickly jumping up in order not to get dragged too far. He heard Dani's laughter, only for it to grow silent as Kuro returned.

Whatever he was doing, it was probably more productive than him at the moment. "Come on Dicxson, we have to get something done." There was a new determination in him and as he urged the hellbeast to move forward, he attempted to adjust the plow. It was no good at first, but after some struggling, mainly being Dicxson changing course, he managed to plow a patch of the land. It was a small patch, but it was straight! He smiled at that, only to look ahead of them and sigh. "This is going to go past lunch-" A chill went down his spine at the strong sense of demonic energy appeared behind him. Both the angel and the hellbeast turned to see another beast coming out of a portal. Of course Aoba wandered over to see what this one would look like. Dicxson wasn't too far behind.

It looked. . . Well, it didn't look terrifying- the lack of eyes got to the angel though. Other than that, the creature looked nice. He found the tail a nice add on to it. He tried not staring into the empty eye sockets, but it was difficult so he ended up looking at everything but its eyes. Instead, he focused on Kuro. "Will this one help out? Or is it much easier to guide?" He was fine with either one of the choices. Dani frowned a little when the toy started asking questions about Kuro's beast.

The demon got a little defensive and patted Dicxson's side. "Hmph. It's not his fault you don't know how to guide him properly. He could out do anything that shrimp can do! He's better in everyway." He growled a little, before pouting like a child and crossing his arms.

This made feel a little guilty about it, forgetting that Dani could be such a temperamental child sometimes. "Oh I- I didn't mean it in offense! Um, sorry."

[PopeAlessandros]

Kuro lets out an audible sigh as he watches Aoba approach. The angel doesn't even pay any mind to the best following behind him, dragging the farm equipment unceremoniously across the earth. 'Wow, he's more easily distracted that Shuura, and she has the attention span of a gnat' He crosses his arms, Dalia puffing up a bit at the approach of something she doesn't recognize. When at last Aoba gets close enough to talk he starts off by stepping on Dani's toes, and the small demon lets him know that post haste. 'Way to go Little Mouse, and we just got him all puffed up too' Kuro swats at Dani he growls slightly. “I am the first to admit that Dicxson is better at certain things, and you have been breeding for many more years that I, so of course you are better at it, but we both know he's not the best.” He gives Dani a hard look and after a moment he drops his gaze, grumbling in agreement.

While they are talking Dalia wanders over to Aoba and without hesitation bites down gently on the small angel's arm. The bite is not hard enough to hurt, but it does serve to keep the angel still while it's antenna flare out to better examine this new thing. The antenna are soft as down and bush across Aoba's skin where it can reach it. The waving feathery appendages are about as long as the angel's arm, but only a few inches wide, and half an inch thick when relaxed. At the moment they appear a bit bigger as she flares them out during her examination. He sensory pads also take stock of what she can see, and she snorts slightly as she spots Dicxson coming up from behind the angel to continue it's own exploration.

Dani continues pouting. “But, if mine are better than yours at this, why didn't you have be bring another one? Huh?!”

The little brother rolls his eyes. “Because, I have my own, and I know how much you are loath to help me when you don't have to.” Dani thinks for a seconds, then with an evil smile, nods in agreement.

“You're right, I wouldn't have done it.” He eyes Kuro approvingly. “I see you are learning Little Shadow.” Kuro visibly cringes at the nickname his father gave him years ago, the addition of the word little in it considered a great insult.

With a faint hiss he turns away to the sight of Aoba being crowded by the hell beasts. “Dalia, let him go, he's not going anywhere.” She complies after licking Aoba gently, her canine tongue far more pleasant that the feline one from previous generations. Kuro moves in close to the angel, wrapping an arm across his shoulders and speaking in a soft voice. “I hope she didn't startle you, my beasts are a bit selfish, and when they want something, they do whatever they can to take it. It's a flaw I'm trying to breed out, she just wanted to check you out without you having the option to run.” He chuckles and ruffles the angel's hair. “You are going to keep on with Dicxson, and Dalia and I will set up a ways off. We'll both work towards the middle until we've tilled about a quarter of the field. That should be all we need this year. I'll set up markers if you like so you know where to turn.” He smiles warmly at Aoba, Dalia licking the demon's elbow as she tries to demand attention.

[AkiBlue]

Aoba was going to apologize again. He didn't mean to upset Dani like that. As he started to, he immediately paused when he noticed Dalia coming up rather close, rather fast. The fallen angel tensed up and started shuffling backwards, but at the time Dicxson was still behind him, so he ended up bumping into him. Stuck between the hell beasts, Aoba shuffled and tried to move from their attention. But, the next thing that happened made Aoba freeze. If there was a time he could say he truly jumped out of his skin, that would be it. Kuro's hell beast bit down on his arm causing him to try and pull away. He didn't try too hard, afraid that the beast would bite down harder.

Soon enough, those antenna were brushing against him and he froze in place. He flinched at the touch, but realized it was pretty soft. Even still, he was stuck by the creature's grip, and it was doing something that freaked him out at first. Aoba had a look of sheer terror when he was bitten, but it relaxed into something more of an uncomfortable look. His eyes were closed, and he turned his head away from the 'attack'. The fallen angel was completely unaware of the brothers' conversation. He just tried not to make any sudden movements or sounds in fear that he'd be bitten harder. It didn't help that Dicxson was still rather curious about the angel, and was now wondering what Dalia was doing.

By the grace of- well, Aoba couldn't really use that could he? Dalia let go of him and licked his arm. He sighed and wiped his arm off on his shirt before looking up at Kuro. "St-Startle? No- No not at all." He huffed and held his arms behind his back, just in case Dalia tried to do it again. "Oh, okay. I suppose." He said when he explained her actions. The male didn't frown up when he was told he would have to stick with Dicxson, one because he was going to have to learn and the easy way wouldn't get him anywhere, and two because he didn't want Dani growling at him again. There was no need for that again. "Markers sound like a good idea."

"Come on Dicxson, let's try this again." He patted the beast and grabbed onto the reins to lead them towards the start of the markers after Kuro put them down. After getting a slight break, he felt a little more confident about driving the pup like creature around. He stood in front of Dicxson, staring into the creature's eyes. The animal stared back, mildly interested and somehat mesmerized by the angel's eyes. "Follow." Aoba touched his face gently, receiving a huff and a slight nod. The angel smiled and nodded back before going to grab the reins. Dani's head tilted, wondering what he did or said to Dicxson, but decided to just watch.

"Alright, let's go!" They started off rocky. A few plows here, a few misdirections there, but soon enough Dicxson was cooperating much better than before. Now, it was just getting the plow to work properly. . . Well, it was a start.

[PopeAlessandros]

Aoba's vehement rejection of the idea of having been frightened is almost enough to make the tall demon pick him up and squeeze him until all the cute leaks out. However, Kuro knows batter than that. 'He just got held against his will by something not one hundredth my power and is freaking out. If I suddenly seized him, he'd fall to pieces' Pushing aside his urges to defile the adorable little angel Kuro lets out a sigh and nods. Raising a hand above his head, small purple lights appear over his palm, a faint hum emanating from them. Concentrating on where he wants them to go he flexes his hand gently and they rise up, each growing to the size of a melon before racing off to take their places. Once they are set and settled Kuro turns his attention to the impatient furalin.

Dalia headbutts him a few times while he chuckles, but he manages to get the harness on in to time. Once it is on the curious beast sets about exploring the plow while Kuro hitches her up. She has no need for a halter, the guidance he provides with his energy far more accurate. Glancing over his shoulder he spots Aoba showing his first real sign of understanding what it takes to control a hell beast, the forced eye contact rather commanding for the angel. Chuckling softly he look over at Dani, his smile widening at the sight of Dani's confusion. Singing quietly Kuro takes his place and lifts the plow so it isn't touching the ground while they head over to where they are to start. Dalia shakes her head, her antenna wrapping around her head with each twist until at last she settles.

With a click of his tongue she begins moving exactly how he wants her to, and in no time the demon feels ready to begin. He casts one last glance at Aoba, a fond smile on his lips. As soon as he is sure the angel doesn't need any help he sets to work. With each turn he comes closer and closer to the other male, however he keeps his mind on the work, Dalia's little queries this way and that not throwing them off course. 'She knows better, and has the urge to please. Dani bred that out of his beast, making them too independent, and slightly unruly. Though, I guess that suits him. Him charging into battle is more like throwing an active chainsaw into a pack of pit bulls than an actual battle charge'

~*~*~*~*~

With a groan Fenrir once more lock himself in his office, flopping down like a limp rag. 'You would think they were all back in training, all the mistakes they made, all the hesitation. This new influx of wounded is making them second guess themselves at every turn!' Letting out another groan he covers his eyes and spends several minutes in a very undignified position, just letting the stress seep out of him. The very nature of heaven makes this a rather simple, the place designed to make it's inhabitants comfortable. However after not too long his lack of stress almost reversed as his mind wanders to the mirror hidden in his top drawer.

'I really should stop. . .' he muses, peeking out from under his arm at said drawer. His body seems frozen for almost a full minute before his arm flops down, hand landing on the handle. 'Might as well. I know I can't stop now. . .' With a sigh he pulls the handle and takes out the mirror. Unfolding the cloth with almost shaking finger, unsure of what he is going to see this time. The fog clears quickly and it takes several long seconds for him to understand what he is seeing. When it finally hits him however it is all he can do not to faint.

[AkiBlue]

The pair were cooperating much better than they started. Walking was getting less difficult with the beast, but Aoba was still struggling with the plow. There were a few times he managed to get the plow to work, but it wasn't enough to be considered okay. At least not to Aoba. Seeing Kuro and Dalia work diligently, he took note of how he worked the plow so easily. "Hmm..." The fallen angel mimicked the taller male and began to plow a lot better than before. "Hey look, I got it." He grinned, speaking to no one in particular. His voice probably wasn't loud enough to even get across the field.

Dani flew around, watching and keeping an eye on how his hellbeast was being treated. Too much of that pure angelic aura might tamper with Dicxson and all of his years of training. It wasn't necessarily proven, but it gave him the excuse to get a little closer to check things out. Seeing everything as 'okay' wasn't acceptable. The older demon was sensible to move back some as Kuro got closer. He didn't want to believe a weak angel could control his hellbeast.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

'T- Those monsters!?' A growing anger and the need to help the small angel built rapidly. The sudden pang in his chest made him clutch over his heart. His eyes gazed over to a simple black picture frame that sat on the corner of his desk. In the picture was he and his brother, who was only a few years older than him. They had similar features, the one standout the two had was that his brother's hair was longer and lighter than his. Fenrir kept his hair at medium length, for his own purpose of keeping it out of the way while he worked. Bad memories waved over him too fast and all at once. Images and flashes of seeing his brother in his infirmary, bloodied and broken made him bring his hand to his face.

He nearly dropped the mirror in the process, but caught it before it could slip off his lap. His brother had taken the path as a warrior angel, an archangel. And he was good at what he did, just as Fenrir was good at what he did. But one day, that took a turn for the worse. He remembered being too frozen to move after seeing them carrying his brother off to an emergency ward. What he did manage to catch while his brain was racing away from him was that while he was on patrol, he saved his comrades from a hell beast attack. Seeing Aoba not only being so close to the creatures, but using them as if they weren't horrible monsters made Fenrir sit up.

'This isn't safe. Not all.' It didn't matter what those demons had done before. They were demons, and by the looks of it, Aoba was getting more and more tainted every day. This wasn't supposed to happen to him. He was only supposed to be learning a lesson, not becoming tainted by demons. Wouldn't that have been the last thing an angel wanted? They were supposed to be purifying and helping others stay away from the sinful demons- not throw them to them! It was official. Fenrir had to get the sound to hear what was going on. Little did he know, the poor young angel could have already been corrupted. The medi angel was in a minor frenzy at the moment, and set the mirror face down, trying to relax. He was set and avid on getting the sound for the mirror. He wasn't reassured that Aoba was okay. The child didn't know any better, he just needed the help. . .'He didn't know any better. . . All he wanted to do was prove that he could be a medic too. . .'

"I'm so foolish." Fenrir's head was in his hands and he sighed, trying to calm down. He couldn't go down there and save Aoba. That would be forbidden. . . But maybe he could encourage someone else to? Once, he remembered seeing a priest visiting Aoba. It was a slim chance. . . A very slim chance. But maybe that priest could be his key to keeping Aoba pure.

[PopeAlessandros]

Lifting the mirror one last time, he vaguely takes note that the job the little angel is doing is nearly finished, instead looking to those increasingly dark wings before wrapping the glass up and tucking it away into a deep pocket. “I need sound. I think. . .I think Gabriel would be able to help. He likes humans, and he's the one who makes the mirrors, but. . . .I'm. . Not suppose to. . .” He goes over his options as he leaves his office, locking the door and putting up the sign that he's gone for the day. His musing go internal, not wanting to be overheard as he walks down the halls of God's palace. 'I think one of his interns would be good. I think Jezebel has been around long enough to know what she's doing, but still new enough not to question a request from someone not in her department. . .'

Strangely enough, heaven is run more like a giant business than anything else. True, there are civilians, but all angels are expected to eventually get a job for the betterment of heaven and God's will. All are content with this arrangement, however there has been more than one joke made about how the most holy of lands seems to be nothing more than a monumental corporation. The marble halls and plush red carpeting here and there, along with the walls and ceiling filled with opening big enough to be flown through definitely do not make one think of a downtown office building, but as Fenrir passes from the medical wing into the mail hall the hustle and bustle of angels rushing this way and that could definitely give that impression.

He does his best not to draw attention to himself. He may be an archangel, but seeing as he no longer takes to the field he is easily overlooked, and few recall the days he was a soldier. Heading down a slightly darker hall, the stone shifting from white to a dark blue, he slows down and is careful to keep an eye out for anyone who may question his presence. There is a reason for the dark stone, but Fenrir can not recall. 'Something to do with the magic necessary for view earth' he thinks with a sigh, stopping just inside and stepping out of the way of a young angel who seems to have somewhere very important to go. He lets his eyes adjust before trying to find his target. It does not take long, there not being many people in this part of the castle.

The large dark chamber is filled with a soft music,t he walls covered with mirrors of varying size. From large enough o walk through to small enough to fit in the palm of your hand they glitter faintly every now and then. Behind the music there is a faint murmur of voices, and it doesn't take long for Fenrir to realize that most of the voices are coming from the mirrors themselves. Looking to the large vat in the middle of the room, filled with some sort of molten liquid used to make the mirrors, Fenrir spies the intern he was looking for. At his back one of the man sizes mirrors trembles, his proximity causing it to expect him to move through it to earth. For less than an instant he considers this, but thoughts of the wrath of God coming down on his head next makes him shudder and step away quickly.

~*~*~*~*~

When at last they come to the final line Kuro motions for Aoba and Dicxson to stand off to the side so the beasts don't collide. He'd heard what the little angel had said, but kept himself from replying because it sounded like the boy was talking to himself. Dani drops down to stand next to his beast, patting it a few times before moving to dissolve the harness made by his little brother. Kuro notices this and calls out, “Hey, Little Mouse. Would you like me to get these few spots you missed or would you rather do it yourself.” Dani hears this and stops, looking to Aoba for the answer while his younger sibling finishes up the final row and begins moving over to the three of them, the plow held casually in one hand.

[AkiBlue]

The angel in the center of the room barely noticed the new presence. She was busy at work, creating a new mirror. Thankfully, she wasn't busy enough to ignore the medic angel that came in. As she pulled out the perfectly shaped mirror using her tools, her eyes met Fenrir, who was looking at one of the mirrors. "Oh, what a surprise. How can I help you?" Normally, ones that walked in obviously needed something done for their mirrors or they were in need of one in general. But seeing as Jezebel had never seen Fenrir around this part of the place, she assumed he might have needed a little more help.

"I just," Fenrir pulled out the mirror he possessed, staying calm as he could. This was his only chance. Any slip now could have resulted in the mirror being taken from him or worse, him being accused of a crime. Someone walked past, making him freeze. Though, fortunately that angel was also in too much of a hurry to care. He held up the mirror as he continued. "I was just wondering if you had time to add sound in this mirror." The female angel across from him set her tools down and walked over to take the mirror in his hands. She didn't bother to glance inside to see who he wanted to listen to. Whoever it was, was important to Fenrir and that was his business. Either way, her business required the back of the mirror in the first place.

No one ever paid much attention to the backs of the mirrors, so people didn't really notice the different, small detailed designs on them. Designs to others, but an encryption for Jezebel, her fingers touched the design causing it to glow faintly. "It's one of the easier parts. Especially with smaller mirrors." The angel informed. In a sense, it was as if she was unlocking the mirror through the encryption. It took less than three minutes to do. While Fenrir waited, he glanced over at the mirrors that were propped up and then the ones on the shelves.

Most of them only showed his reflection, but others, he could catch glimpses of humans going about their daily lives. They weren't being tormented by demons or beasts. . . They were normal. Why couldn't Aoba be like that? Why couldn't he live a normal life?

"Here you go. All nice and done. Just give it time to adjust and register. It'll probably take," She took a quick glance at the screen, noticing a farm, before handing it back. "A lot of space, so it'll take some time to adjust." Fenrir stayed calm, even more so when Jezebel didn't notice the picture clearly.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." He nodded and started to leave. The female angel went back to her large pot and then tilted her head a little. Something wasn't right about that farm. . . Maybe she was just imagining things.

< < < < < < < < < < < < <

They finally were at the end, and he happily moved off to the side and out of the way for Kuro to finish it up. He patted the beast's side and then sat on the ground. "That was a lot of work." He mumbled and glanced over at Dani. He was petting Dicxson and it appeared he was about to take the harnesses off. Well, until Kuro called him. Aoba's wings visibly slumped downward and he sighed. "Well. . . I can do it." He started, though it was obvious that he really didn't want to.

Dani rolled his eyes and flicked the angel on the back of the head. The action earned a surprised 'ow' from Aoba. "If you're going to lie, at least sound believable." The angel rubbed the back of his head and pouted a little, but stayed quiet. "Obviously the toy here doesn't want to. Just finish it. Besides, I already started removing the harness off of Dicxson." He rolled his eyes before walking back and doing what he said he started. Aoba's nose wrinkled a bit, but he stayed seated on the ground. Dicxson decided to lower his head and nudge the angel, pushing him forward a little.

[PopeAlessandros]

Kuro growls softly when Dani thumps his Little Mouse, but instead of saying anything he picks up a clod of dirt and whips it at the smaller demon. He manages to catch his big brother in the shoulder, earning a snarl, but the fight stops there as Kuro finishes up the plowing before unhooking Dalia and heading over to the other two. Dicxson and Dalia race off to an unploughed part of the field and start fighting rather roughly, but the brothers show no sign of worry at this. In fact Dani watches for several seconds before laughing as his beast manages to land a hard kick to Dalia's ribs. Out of nowhere Kuro tackles his big brother and the two of them mimic their beasts and begin play fighting between the plowed area and the fence. The yelping and growling is punctuated with cussing whenever a blow lands with full force.

The fight doesn't last very long and when at last the two of them break Dani takes to the sky, his tongue sticking out. Jumping up Kuro points to the two beasts still at it and calls out, “Oi! Send Dicxson home! If he's here too long he'll start upsetting the animals!” Dani gestures for Kuro to kiss his butt before racing over to do as he's told. He likes teasing the animals, and if Dicxson beats him to it, he would be very upset. Looking over at Aoba, Kuro smiles wide, his clothes a little worse for wear, but without any open wounds he doesn't look too pitiful. “Well, that was fun. . . .We should get these plows to the fence then start planting. . . .Did you read up on it? If not it's frightfully simple, and if you did then that saves us time!” It's obvious he's still coming down off the high of the fight but he smiles and pulls out the packets of seeds and ignores his slightly dazed feeling.

[AkiBlue]

The fallen angel at least had some instinctive reflexes. Seeing the dirt being tossed, he ducked his head and turned to see Dani get hit. Besides a few growls, nothing happened and Aoba got to rest. He rested and watched as Kuro finished the tasks for them. It didn't take him long to finish and he huffed. Eventually, he'd manage to get it right and be able to plow and farm as easily as Kuro could. Aoba was about to get up to see what was next, only to be stopped by Dicxson rushing past. "H-Hey. . .?" The two hell beasts were fighting, but neither of the brothers tried to stop it. So, maybe it was normal? And then out of nowhere, the brothers started to fight. For a moment, Aoba panicked and scrambled from his seat on the ground to get away from them. He was going to panic and say something to them, telling them to stop, but he remembered the first time they randomly broke into a fight. . . This was normal. . .

Aoba sighed and facepalmed at the odd demons. He really did have a lot to learn with them. Dani flew past, going to send Dicxson home and Aoba stood up. "Your clothes. . . Never mind." He shook his head and then walked over to grab some of the seeds. "Oh, I know how to do this part! For planting by hand they have to be at a few centimeters apart." He was about to go off to one end on order to start planting the seeds, but Kuro mentioned putting the plows off to the side. He did just that, careful not to damage the plow or scratch the ground too much in the process. The fallen angel seemed a little more excited about this part of the farming process, maybe because he knew what he was doing and it didn't require as much physical labour. Still, without the helpful mechanical materials Kuro had spoke of before, things still took a lot of time.

"All you have to do is, put them in the ground. The little shovel tool is useful for that one. I remember." He smiled and went to go get the proper tool so he didn't have to dig up the ground with his hands. Dani was a little more curious because of the toy's interest in the task so he began hovering over them while they worked.

"I still think this would be a lot easier. . . But nooo, do everything the boring human way. Might as well be a human if you're going to act like one Kurotama." Dani said as he flew around the two.

[PopeAlessandros]

Grinning wide as Aoba starts to worry then decides not to Kuro hands over half the packets then like before moves to the other end of the plowed area and begins planting. Deciding just to use his hand for digging Kuro sets to work, flipping off his big brother when he makes a comment about being a human. “There is nothing about hard work that is strictly human. After all, don't try and lie to me and say your breeding project was “easy”. I know for a fact you didn't sleep for a week when that splice went awry and half your breeding stock began eating one another. And are you forgetting what happened when the twins l-”

“Don't bring that up in front of the toy!” Dani barks, his magic crackling angrily. “There's a difference though! The stuff I was doing was for fun! This here is so stupid! This is like. . . .Wholesome and life giving and crap!” Because of their nature, hellbeasts like Dicxson and Dalia are not technically alive, so Kuro is unable to draw a parallel there. However, as Dani goes on to say they're making it harder for no good reason the little brother whips a corn kernel at the fluttering demon. Snatching it out of the air Dani looks at it for a good long while before dropping it to the ground with a huff. “Fine, you win.” he mutters and takes a seat on the fence.

The seed he dropped is now a blackened husk, the touch of his energy having sucked the life out of it. Kuro continues planting until he meets up with Aoba. Looking back over the field he smiles proudly. Along with a few rows of corn in the far back there are several mounds in two rows for cucumbers and zucchini, along with a couple watermelons he planted more for fun than profit, topping it all off with a couple rows of peas and the last two rows taken up by potatoes and carrots. Looking over at Aoba he grins and peeks at his seed packets. “So, what did you plant in your half?” His hands are caked in dirt and as he places his hands on his hips the fabric beneath them becomes instantly filthier.

Dani flutters over, curious about what all these foods stuffs are seeing as he eats primarily raw meat and human souls, but he stays quiet and waits. 'I'll see what they are when they grow. If I'm still around. I could always check back. . . .Not that I care. . . .But if the toy is still here, I'll come back to steal it away anyways, and my brother is such a softy he'll let me look them over before I kidnap the toy. . .'

[AkiBlue]

"One here, space for growth, one here, another space for room to grow." Aoba decided to stretch out his wings as he practically crawled to each spot in order to plant the seeds. He didn't like hunching over because it hurt his back, and he couldn't hover as well with his wings. Thinking about his wings, he decided to use them a bit more. They weren't there just for show- at least not anymore. The gray dusty look was there to stay, and Aoba wasn't sure he could handle them being any darker. He missed the pristine white color, but there was nothing he could do at the time. The fallen angel realized his thoughts running off on a tangent and he focused back on planting the seeds he had.

The blue eyed male overhead Dani and Kuro talking about working hard and the likes, but he didn't put his two cents in. Though, he couldn't help but echo "Twins?" in curiosity - only for Dani to growl that he was not suppose to know. "I'm not a toy..." He mumbled more to himself as he continued working. This easy task was done faster than their other ones. He looked up when Kuro's row and his own ended. He grinned and stopped, looking back at the rows he planted. "I planted tomatoes, oh and another type of tomato called cherry tomatoes. I think those are different. They had a different name at least. Um, also lettuce, celery and. . . Broccoli." He nodded and stood. His bottom half was decorated in dirt stains. Subconsciously, Aoba went to brush it off, only for his hands to get more dirty as well. "I'm pretty sure a bath will be needed. . ."

He asked Kuro what was next and was informed that there was still plenty to do. He looked up to see the sun getting lower in the sky, indicating night was soon to come. Aoba was just happy that he wouldn't end up burning up in the sun. The two moved over to creating a compost heap. The fallen angel only knew about how to pull weeds from the ground. But with a quick explanation, he was once again working alongside Kuro. Dani on the other hand watched the two in a slight curiosity and then a little boredom. When he got bored, he went back to the barn, deciding to see how Mom was doing. Even she could be more interesting than those two. . .

Before they moved on, Kuro had ushered Aoba inside to take a quick break before he overworked himself. Not having his own magic made the activities a lot more laborious. Aoba complied and grabbed a quick drink of water before hurrying off to meet Kuro in the barn. They went through and checked all the animals that weren't roaming the field. Aoba picked up one of the little piglets that had been roaming around and laughed. "It's so cute- and heavy." He returned the pig to its mother and then went herd the animals back in. It was easy to herd the chickens and turkeys back into their little homes, so the fallen angel did that first. Fortunately, there was only one incident of a turkey wandering off. Aoba poked and prodded the turkey into the right direction, giving it gentle commands "No, wrong way turkey" and "You have to stay with the others".

"Cows and sheep are last to go inside." He mused, before going in the barn and opening the gates for the animals. "In you go, time to come inside." Dani was in his makeshift nest, spying on the two as they completed their tasks for the day. "We finished! Yay-" His stomach growled lightly. Once again, he had forgotten that he was going to have to actually eat more than he realized. Looking down at his filthy form, he made the decision, "Alright, bath and then food." He didn't want them to track dirt in the house and have more to clean. Besides, with how tired he was starting to feel, a bath would have helped his muscles.

[PopeAlessandros]

POPE:

Kuro lights up at the announcement that they would have cherry tomatoes with this harvest. Of all berries the only ones he likes better than cherry tomatoes, are grapes. However he doubts they will ever have a vineyard, at least not for a generation, so he contents himself with the little red gems. He laughs aloud at the bath comment but instead of replying he says, “Well, we'll have time for that later. For now let's get all these weeds out of here and start us a compost heap.” As they get to work he explains how a compost heap will help in future years, and what should and should not go into one. Hauling all the now dead plants over to the far corner of the field so the stench is as far from the house as possible while still being on the grounds takes some time, and by the time they are finishes Kuro agrees that a bath for his sore muscles sounds like bliss.

However, the animals come first. He drags Aoba into the house to rest for a little while, taking the opportunity to grab a few apple for a pre dinner snack. Once they are downed the slip back outside to take care of the beasts. Aoba is left alone to deal with the fowl while Kuro snaps Dani to work, enticing him to once more drive the herd to the fence in payment for his supper. As soon as they are in close enough however he darts into the barn once more and begins patting down his nest for the evening, freshening up the hay with arm loads from the nearby piles. As Aoba celebrates the completion of their daily tasks Kuro chuckles and looks up at Dani. The smaller demon does not like the look in his little brother's eyes.

When Aoba announces it's time for the bath Dani's eyes widen and he tries to scrabble backwards away from the edge of the loft. Kuro however looses his wings and flies up after him. The smaller demon howls incoherently as Kuro drags him out of the loft along with a good amount of hay. Kuro smiles at Aoba to assure him everything's okay before tucking the thrashing demon under his arm and leading the way out of the barn. “A bath sound amazing right about now. I couldn't agree more!” he calls over the enraged screams of the distraught Dani. Despite his protests and writhing, Dani doesn't seem to be doing any real damage to Kuro, his actions more childish than vicious. Kuro smiles once more at Aoba as they reach the tub. “Think you could climb in and clean out the leaves? We forgot to cover it last we used it. I'll hook up the pipe while you're doing that.” He still has to call over the now moaning and groaning package under his arm, but he is clearly in a happy mood.

AKI:

Aoba watched as Kuro attacked and pinned Dani under his arm. He raised an eyebrow, but just went with it. Everything that wasn't normal to Aoba was seemingly normal to the brothers. As they walked out, he couldn't help but stare at Dani and his futile attempts to break free. It was a little funny when he realized no damage was being done to Kuro. But, he stayed silent, not wanting Dani's childlike anger to be turned towards him.

"Clean the leaves out. I can do that." Aoba nodded and climbed inside the empty bath. He began collecting the leaves, first pushing them all in one pile before scooping them out and tossing them over the side of the bath. "Do you want me to get towels too? For afterwards?"

POPE:

Kuro manages to get the pipe in place just in time for Aoba's question. Kuro nods, still smiling, and Dani gives the angel a pleading look. Spotting it the younger brother swats him gently on the head and motions for Aoba to go grab the towels. While he's off doing that Kuro goes through the arduous task of retrieving the wood they will need while Dani goes back to trying to wriggle his way out of the upcoming trauma. Once all the wood is in place under the tub, Dani scrabbling against the ground every time Kuro kneels to place a log, the tall demon moves over to the pipe and begins pumping the water.

AKI:

Aoba nodded and flew out the tub to the house. He noticed the puppy eyed look he was given, but before he could fall for it Kuro stopped the demon. He was careful not to touch too many things in the house. He didn't want to track dirt everywhere and have to clean that up too. Once he found the towels, Aoba hurried back to the bath and set the towels to the side. "Let me go Kurotama!" Dani growled and then clawed at the ground. Aoba blinked, watching the failures of escape before looking at Kuro.

"Does he not like baths?"

POPE:

Dani's head whips around to stare at the angel, a growl deep in his throat. “I'm right here, angel! You have a question about me, ask me! You don't have to go to my brother for everything you know!” His tone is harsh but there is very little anger behind it. Crossing his arms the smaller demon huffs indignantly and Kuro pumps the water with his free arm, the motion causing him to flop around a bit.

Kuro is still all smiles, giving his brother a squeeze both out of affection, and so that he'll calm down. “Dani, he only asks me because you are ranting. I am sure he just didn't wanna interrupt you.”

The little one glares at Kuro but accepts the explanation without question and looks back over at the angel. “Angels are all about purity, cleanliness, and I just feel that baths are gross. Besides, I can't swim, and every time I get in the water, one of my siblings tried to drown me because they think it's funny.”

Kuro rolls his eyes. “I'm the only one here, and I've never done it. I may have laughed at the caterwauling you do when Issho drags you tot he bath, but I never found all the teasing funny.” Dani gives Kuro a critical look, trying to find a lie in those dark eyes. However the little brother is being truthful in this and grudgingly consents to not run away. Kuro sets him on the ground carefully, ready to grab him should he bolt, however Dani has decided that getting to see the toy naked, up-close-and-personal and with his little brother’s consent is worth getting int the water.

AKI:

Somehow, Aoba managed to anger Dani again. He flinched a little, not because he was scared, but more because he wasn't expecting to be yelled at. Luckily, Kuro covered for him, and now that he thought about, it was slightly true. He didn't want to interrupt Dani's complaints and then get yelled at for it. That, obviously didn't work. When Dani explained himself, Aoba gave an innocent smile to the demon. "Well I won't try and drown you. And baths aren't gross! They make you all nice and clean. Not necessarily pure, but clean. You can't really wash away your sins with a bath- unless it's a holy bath, but still this is just a regular bath." He realized he was rambling and then laughed a little. "You'll be fine Dani. I promise."

The demon stopped protesting, and Aoba looked over the edge of the bath as the water began to pour in. At the mention of a person named Issho, Aoba just assumed it was another one of their brothers. He decided not to question it until it was needed to be questioned. "Kuro, it's full now." He called over to the younger demon before the water could overflow. After Kuro lit the fire, the water was given ample time to warm up. Aoba dipped his hand in after waiting and nodded, when it wasn't going to freeze him to death or burn his wings off. He started to strip out of his clothes, only to pause at his pants and turn a shade of pink. "Stop staring Dani. . ." Dani had a curious look on his face, but either way, it made Aoba uncomfortable to undress.

POPE:

“I know that” Dani mumbles, kicking at the ground. “I'm not stupid. It's the perception, not the reality.” He smirks. “You couldn't drown me if you tried little angel.” His voice in menacing but his goofy smile that follows wipes the malice from his face. As Dani paces around waiting for the water to get wherever it needs to be he takes up his old habit of watching the horizon for possible attack. The last thing he wants is to be in the middle of some dreadful washing when an enemy attacked. He begins muttering to himself as he does this. “I don't complain as much when it's Issho, he looks out for all of us, you know that Kurotama. Only reason I would complain is 'cause the other are always there to watch. They want to see me all blue. Papa had to step in once, but that was almost worse. . .You know how he is. . .” Kuro simply nods, his smile dropping a bit.

When at last the tub is full enough Kuro kneels and lights the fire, using his energy to get it hotter faster than a normal fire would. Kuro strips off his shirt while they wait for the water to heat and looks over the tattered mess for a good long while before muttering, “Tomorrow, clothes shopping.” Dani snorts at this but does not comment. He does whine however when his little brother grabs the back of his collar and tugs at the cloth found there.

“Fine, fine. . . .” he grumbles, pulling off his black leather half jacket followed by his light blue t-shirt. He pauses however when he spots Aoba getting undressed and takes up staring at the slightly taller male. Kuro is down to his unders by this time and when he spots Aoba turning such lovely shades he takes a moment to appreciate them before swatting Dani and telling him to finish getting undressed and to stop staring.

The smaller demon huffs but complies, knowing full well he'll be able to see Aoba just fine through the water. Kuro knows this as well, but despite his jealousy he also knows that if he tries to tell Dani not to stare once in the tub Aoba may guess that the two demons can see very well through the water and may ask Kuro to let him bathe alone from now on.

AKI:

"Just helpful reassurance is all. I wouldn't dream of trying to do something so malicious." Aoba sighed and continued stripping down when Dani stopped staring. He wondered why he was staring but decided to save himself the embarrassment. Instead, he slipped out of his pants and undergarments and climbed into the water. Immediately, he sank lower into the water and sighed. The heat felt nice against his muscles. He didn't realize how much they ached until he started to relax. Aoba wasn't necessarily built for that type of physical labour, but he had to adjust in order to survive farming. Seeing Aoba slip into the water, Dani pushed past Kuro and climbed in.

POPE:

Once in the water Dani keeps a strong hold on the edge of the tub while he waits for Kuro to join them. He is facing away from the angel his wings trembling ever so often as the cool water, well cooler than his natural temperature, laps gently against his body. Kuro rolls his eyes once more, stripping off his unders and climbing in carefully. Dani shuffles away from his brother still holding tight to the side, his eyes narrowed at the taller demon. Kuro returns the look as the motion brings him close to Aoba. Once Dani notices how close he is to the angel he stills, staring. One wing claw creeps forward to poke at the angel's wings gently as Dani stays clinging to the side

Kuro's lips pull back at Dani getting so close, but he remains on his side of the tub until Aoba calls for his help. 'My Little Mouse is learning to deal with him, and when Dani is in the tub, he is at his most vulnerable. He won't try anything in here. If I discipline him in here, he could very well go under, and he knows it. . .I know it's mean, as his brother, but hey, he needs the heavy hand' Kuro takes a calming breath and starts scrubbing at his arms and chest. Dani meanwhile opens his eyes really wide, silently checking Aoba out while his wings continue to explore what they can.

AKI:

The fallen angel watched as Dani clung to the side of the bath. "You know, you can walk around here. It's not that deep." His voice came out as a whisper, not wanting to disturb Dani's concentration. He noticed him inching closer, but he only assumed he didn't trust his brother not to try and drown him. He paid no mind to Dani. The demon reminded him of a child exploring, or a curious cat. So, he started to wash off his arms. That was until he felt the gentle poke on his wings. "Hm?" He turned his head to see Dani's wings sifting around his feathers. Aoba focused more on Dani's wings more than his eyes. As Dani's claw managed to accidentally scratch him as they moved about his wings, Aoba lightly flicked him. "Be careful. . . That hurt. You're going to pull my feathers off or something." Dani started to growl when his wing was flicked away, but he was far too focused on the other things at the time. Aoba looked at Dani, finally noticing him staring. The fallen angel looked away for a brief moment, and to stop his stares, he splashed water in Dani's direction.

POPE:

The sudden smell of blood, though faint, sets Kuro on edge. Dani's growl is echoed in his little brother's throat as he realizes where the smell is coming from. He doesn't even notice his claws sliding out until Aoba chides his brother, and even then the sudden realization that Dani is staring and subsequent splashing keeps his attention, his heckles fully raised. Dani senses the reaction from his brother and glances over at the larger demon. Seeing the elongated claws and his hand slowly closing into a fist Dani whines slightly, tucking his wings in and giving Kuro a fearful look.

“I didn't do it on purpose! How was I suppose to know he has such thin skin!? The only angels I've ever met take a lot more to damage them. . .” He keeps looking at his brother with a fearful expression, his grip on the wood beneath his fingers tightening so much that a faint cracking can be heard. The sound seems to snap Kuro out of being angry and he settles once more against the side of the tub. Though no longer upset the taller demon motions for Dani to come over to his side of the tub which pulls another whine from the little demon.

Openly pouting Dani shuffles his way over to Kuro. Once in arms reach the taller male grabs him up making him yelp and curl up. Kuro however is rather gentle with his brother, not needing it to be such a fight every time Dani needs to be washed. Instead of the roughness Dani is expecting Kuro begins washing his back carefully, handing Dani a cloth to wash his front with. It takes a while but eventually the little demon relaxes enough to enjoy the feeling of being washed. The view doesn't hurt either. Once he is sure he's clean enough, even scrubbing between his toes, Dani arches his neck so he can look at his brother and with big shiny eyes he asks, “Can I wash his back to make up for scratching him?”

Kuro raises an eyebrow. He really doesn't want to let Dani lay hands on Aoba, but the seemingly honest look in his eyes when he said it's to make up for hurting Aoba makes his resolve waver. 'He's probably lying, but if I don't start trusting him at one point he's just gonna get more and more grumpy. . .I bet he just wants to touch my Little Mouse. . .' With a sigh he looks to Aoba. “It's up to him. You haven't been very nice though, so I doubt he wants you near something as delicate and precious as his wings. . .” Dani turns to look at Aoba, his eyes almost unbelievably wide and puppy like. Leaning his head down a bit to speak directly into his brother's ear Kuro adds, “But if he does let you, you be gentle or I will see just how hard I can squeeze before one of your wings pops off.” The threat does not even phase the smaller demon, even though he believer Kuro means it. He knows better, and would not risk losing a wing just to get a little rough with his toy.

AKI:

One thing Aoba learned for himself was to stay quiet when others were arguing or talking. It kept him out of trouble, and he didn't have to bother with getting yelled at. Aoba knew that nothing was his fault, but he decided to stay out of it and let the brothers handle it. Of course, the childlike pouts and wide eyes from Dani made Aoba feel bad for the demon. It was in his nature to be soft for such things- then again, Aoba was kind hearted in general. He sighed as the two relaxed and Kuro began washing him like a child. Aoba took the time to wash his own body while the two were distracted. Without the proper soap, Aoba only managed to get his hair wet. In the midst of doing so, he heard the two talking about him. The fallen angel's hair was short, but still long enough to cover his eyes when wet.

His head turned towards the two and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "Um. . ." Those wide eyes were getting to him. He didn't want to hurt Dani's feelings, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to trust Dani around his wings. The hesitation was evident on his face, along with embarrassment. He pushed hair out of his face before glancing at his wings. "Um, sure. S- Sure, okay. Just. . . Be careful please." His wings had automatically tensed and pulled closer to his back at the idea, but with a sigh, he relaxed. He watched the demon beam in delight and start to wade toward him.

POPE:

Kuro and Dani both smile at the blush on the angel's cheeks, though for very different reasons. Kuro gives Dani's shoulders one last squeeze before letting him go to claim his prize. His eyes remain firmly on the two of them while he washes his own hair, summoning some shampoo to wash with. Dani seems for a short time to forget his fear of drowning as he happily bounces over with his wash cloth and takes a stance behind the angel's back. Humming softly to himself he begins very very carefully washing the delicate pale flesh beneath his fingers. He makes sure that when the wings start fluttering or trying to pull in tight to wait until he is sure they are not going to bat at him and accidentally upset him before continuing.

Kuro is sitting with conditioner in his hair when at last he speaks up. “When he's done with that you can use this to wash your hair, and I'll help you out with your wings again. They got pretty dusty in the field today. . .” Dani pouts bus says nothing, having a fun time washing Aoba's lower back.

'It's okay for him to get all cleaned up, he's an angel after all. Fallen or not. I mean, it'd be more fun to get him all filthy, literally and figuratively, but for now just having an excuse to get in close so I can check the differences is fine. If stupid Kurotama wasn't defending him, he'd likely be with some other demon now and I'd have to fight for him, and he'd prolly be dead, and that wouldn't be as fun, so yeah. . .I can wash him. . .' Dani's musings go on until he's done scrubbing.

AKI:

As Dani got closer, the fallen angel tried his best to stay relaxed. Surprisingly, as the older began to wash his back he was gentle. It wasn't very expected, but he sighed in relief- and because he had relaxed. It wasn't that bad. He let himself trust Dani a little more. Though, more out of him being the angel he was, Aoba's wings fluttered and started to pull in as he moved lower down his back. But, he relaxed once again and let him. His eyes wandered over as Kuro washed his hair. "Hm? They did? Alright." It was harder to tell if his wings had gotten dirty now that they were dirty, and he couldn't see behind him, so he trusted Kuro's judgement. And he cleaned his wings before so it was fine to Aoba.

When Dani feels he's done washing the fallen angel, he nods proudly. "All clean!. . . Hmph, though I could easily clean your wings too. . ." Mesmerized, he ran fingers through Aoba's feathers, but the act made the fallen angel pull away. Dani was rubbing his feathers the wrong way, making Aoba shake his head.

"Ah, maybe, um, another time."

POPE:

Suppressing a smirk as Dani slips his hands a little low on the angel, the possessive streak submitting to the hilarity of the situation, Kuro nods in response to the question. “Of course they did. Do you never look at them?” He pauses for a second, then in a slightly quieter voice he adds, “I mean, I know you don't like the color they are turning, but you should really pay more attention to your body.” Rinsing the conditioner out of his hair Kuro shakes his head as Dani finally slips up, but only in a little way so he lets him off with a swat. “You go wait over there, I have to scrub your hair before I let you out of this tub. I know for a fact I ground your head in the dirt at least twice in the past couple days, and I can smell the stuff threatening to grow in there.”

Dani gnashes his teeth but goes back to his habit of sneaking around the tub while hanging off the side as Kuro takes up his position behind the angel. Kuro meanwhile summons up some soap and begins what could be considered lovingly cleaning those lovely steel gray wings. “He murmurs softly, “Your white wings were beautiful but so are these. They are a apart of you, and no matter what they are just like you, soft and beautiful. His tone is a bit matter-of-fact and Dani sticks his tongue out at the sentiment. Kuro ignores this however and continues rubbing the appendages down thoroughly, making sure to linger in places that seem to draw a positive reaction out of his Little Mouse.

AKI:

"I do. I mean, not thoroughly, but I glance at them. I know they're there. I don't really need to look at them. . . Well, I never did much to have to look at them." He admitted with a shrug. It was true though. He never had to worry about getting injured or things going awry in heaven. Everything was practically perfect. Now of course, with all that was going on, he supposed he would have to check more often. Or he would end up with scars and didn't know where they came from. The fallen angel merely nodded towards his concern, and then gets comfortable leaning on the wall of the bath, looking out to the field. He laughed softly when Kuro mentioned how dirty Dani's hair was and then commented, "That's disgusting." Even teasing lightly, he added, "I think an angel's touch is needed for something so dirty. . ."

He laughed again as Dani growled, and then relaxed as Kuro went to cleaning his wings. He listens as Kuro speaks about his wings and couldn't help but blush lightly. He didn't consider them beautiful anymore. The white wings he had were so pure and so beautiful. It was all he had that he could proudly say was better than some of the other angels. But, now he was left with gray wings. . . But they were his wings. And he loved them no matter what the color. The angel sighed and smiled a little. "Thank you. . . And thank you Dani for cleaning my back." Dani stays quiet, curiously moving a little closer to his brother in order to see him clean his wings. He clung to Kuro's shoulder and watched. Occasionally, he'd reach out to touch a feather while Kuro worked. All the while, Aoba quietly enjoyed the feel.

POPE:

Kuro chuckles at the little exchange between his brother and the angel. 'He's becoming less and less worried about speaking his mind. I like that. It shows a strength I didn't get to see much of up in heaven. I mean, he was strong, in his own way. . .But I think that was more of drive to please that a personal power' As Dani sneaks in for a better look Kuro focuses on the little nooks and crannies along the base of the feathers that have trapped dirt and small pebbles. Wondering how those got in there, and more over how the angel didn't notice them, the demon shakes hie head softly.

“I speak only the truth of what mine eyes see. There is no need for thanks.” Dani rolls his eyes and smacks his little brother in the back of the head.

“Nerd.” He murmurs, careful to not move around too much least Kuro push him away. However the larger demon only chuckles, in no way disagreeing with his sibling.

'I am a nerd, and proud of it, heh' Finishing one wing he slips over to the other, digging ever so gently so those wings will shine when he's done with them. He hasn't used and soap yet, wanting to make sure he's not going to grind anything in while he's massaging in the sudsy stuff. A stray pebble could rub the skin raw if he doesn’t notice it, and from how he's been ignoring them, it is a possibility.

AKI:

"I'm still going to thank you you know." When Kuro finished with one wing, Dani contents himself with messing with it. He'd glance over at Aoba every now and then to make sure he didn't do anything wrong, but seeing that Aoba didn't move or flinch made the demon happier. While Kuro cleaned off his wings, he started to feel loose pebbles and caked up dirt. "Maybe I should pay a little more attention to them. . ." He sighed and stretched out his wings a little more. "This feels. . .nice." Despite their beautiful white color before, he never had to clean them so much.

POPE:

“I know” Kuro murmurs, his smile soft and warm. The taller demon keeps an eye on Dani as he moves in to play with Aoba's right wing, but lets him go for now. 'He's being nice, a rare sight to say the least. Maybe if he figures out he can have fun without breaking something, there's hope for him yet' The demons both pause, eyes widening a bit as Aoba stretches out his wings. Impulsively Dani's also arch out, but more to prepare to move away than anything else. After all, feathered wings means angels, and for his entire life, angels have meant danger.

Once the wings settle again Kuro goes back to work with a sigh, and Dani moves back in, his wings tucked up against his back. Running his finger over a particularly rough spot one of Aoba's feathers falls out naturally. Without a word he slips the feather behind his ear and continues working. However, Dani spotted the loose feather and after a few seconds scoots in closer to his taller sibling. He begins trying to move around to the side the feather is one but Kuro swats at him. With a grumble he tries his puppy eyes on the taller male. “Kurotama. . .I wants it. . . .” Kuro glares, knowing very well the uses an angel's feather can be used for, even a tainted one.

'I've been keeping an eye out, and this one is the first he's lost outside the house, the rest are settled on the floor inside. We can't lets these start just flying off everywhere, the greedier demons will take to hanging around to collect them as they blow off the property and distract us from the more dangerous demons' Dani holds his ground and after a long moment he takes the feather down and hands it to his big brother. As Dani grabs it though Kuro doesn't release it right away, inside pulling the smaller male in close to hiss, “Do not lose this.” Dani stares for a few seconds, the cogs in his head turning slowly until he arrives at the same conclusion as his brother. He nods solemnly and tucks it behind his own ear to be played with later.

Kuro goes back to scrubbing and in no time the left wing is finished. With a satisfied “Humph” he pulls out the soap and begins lathering up the wings gently. Dani sneezes at the smell, once more hanging off his brother to watch.

AKI:

Aoba's mind wandered as Kuro continued to clean. He wondered what they would do the next day, he wondered what other people that didn't have to farm did. He even wondered what demons did in their spare time. . . But the thoughts made him shiver. Demons had rather impure activities that he didn't want to think about. But, he thought about everything else to not think of the other angels and how they were doing. He didn't want to feel so bummed out after such an accomplishing day. Out the corner of his eye, he noticed soap forming around his wings. He turned his head, only for soapy bubbles to land near his face. Aoba blew them away and laughed softly and turning to try and see what the other two were doing. One side it felt as if his wings were being cleaned, and on the other side, it felt like he was being petted- though it stopped when the bubbles started. But, the fallen angel didn't mind one bit. He did wonder why Dani stopped, so he turned his head the other way to see Dani avoiding the soap. It made him laugh again, but he said nothing of it.

POPE:

Dani hisses a bit as Kuro tries to poke him with a soapy hand and for the first time Kuro almost feels like perhaps he really is more human than demon. He has never seen a demon family act like this, though he has often observed it among human ones. He's also sure that angel families may act like this sometimes, but if Aoba's is any example it is less likely. After all, his parents sound like the type to ignore him completely now that he's fallen. Demons are very different in that, but they are also not loving in this manner' He eyes Dani who gives him a curious look, wondering why he's stopped moving.

With a shake of his head however he goes back to work. “I love Dani, he is my brother. Papa loves me, I am his son. . . But there is nothing really “loving” about how we interact with one another. . . .'[/i] He sighs softly, finishing up with the soaping. Carefully he moves in a little closer, shooing Dani to the side so he doesn't have to worry about the little guy, and with gentle hands he dips Aoba back a bit so his wings are submerged. He keeps a hand on the angel's back so he doesn't sink, but the other goes to work on removing all the soap. Dani is smart and doesn't try to move around to get a better look at the angel's front, knowing it would likely upset both Kuro and his toy.

AKI:

Aoba's eyes closed for a moment, and he yawned. He knew he wouldn't fall asleep just yet. His growling stomach wouldn't allow that. He started to hum a song he remembered, but it was interrupted when he felt himself being pulled backwards gently. Thankfully the water never lost its warmth, and Aoba didn't freeze as he dipped back. Though now, he had less of a choice, but to stare up at Kuro as he cleaned his wings off. A faint pink tinted his face, but he stayed quiet and let him. His head turned slightly to see Dani staring with wide eyes. Any wrong movement and the toy could be under the water and drowning. Though, he was positive Kuro wouldn't do something like that.

It grew darker and the stars started to dot the sky even more. "Pretty. . ." Aoba stared up at them. When Kuro finished, Aoba sat up and look at the inside of his wings. He ran his fingers through them and smiled. "Thank you. I guess. . . I guess they don't look so bad." He spoke, more trying to reassure himself than to agree with Kuro.

POPE:

Kuro expression remains soft and free of his more carnal feelings. He does feel them, seeing as Aoba is willingly letting him lay hands on that pale body, however he knows better than to try anything. . . .Yet. His fingers work quickly, not wanting to give Dani more of a chance to ogle the angel than absolutely necessary. Once all the soap is out he stands Aoba back up and coughs lightly, turning his gaze up to the sky above. “Yes. I've always liked stars. They remind me of the crystal caverns of gahzet.” Dani cocks his head curiously, having never gone sight seeing on earth before. When Aoba expresses his feeling about his wings Kuro can not hep but give the little angel a hug.

“They are pretty.” he says with a note of finality. Glancing over at Dani, who flinches at the look, Kuro adds, “You may wanna go get dry and head in. His hair won't take too long, but he's not as well behaved as you are.” Dani takes this as a challenge, like his brother hoped he would, and jutting out his bottom lip he lets go of the side of the tub and puffs out his chest. Once Aoba is out of the way Kuro gently pulls his brother in close and sets to work. Dani shakes every so often, trying to duck his head despite Kuro explaining over and over again that that is how one gets soap in his eyes.

AKI:

Aoba can't help but smile towards his comment. He was so sure about his wings. He didn't say anything about the hug or react how he wanted, instead Aoba nodded and waded to the empty side of the bath in order to climb out. "Don't cause too much trouble." He said with a small smile. Dani rolled his eyes and huffed, focusing on Kuro who was eyeing him. "Um, good luck." Aoba climbed out and grabbed a towel. He wrapped the towel around his waist and stretched out his wings. He couldn't help but notice the shine it gave off as the water shook off. Aoba looked back at the two, seeing Dani already trying to scramble out made him laugh. He hurried inside, flying so he didn't have to walk on the ground. Inside, he hurried to his room to put on a set of clothes, at least to have something on for dinner. It was a warm night so he decided to just take the clothes off before he went to bed. While he waited, he roamed around the kitchen wondering what could be made with all the ingredients they bought.

POPE:

Kuro watches out of the corner of his eye as Aoba leaves the tub and heads inside. Smiling at the use of his wings, among other things, the taller demon does his best to keep Dani from being his own downfall. Once the angel is out of ear shot Dani stops struggling as much, instead turning in his brother's arms to look up at the dark haired male. Kuro cocks an eyebrow at this but takes the opportunity to scrub his crown unimpeded. Dani stares hard for a long moment until finally blurting out, “Are you feeble in some way I don't know about? Or have you gone through something that has changed you?”

His usual childish tone is gone, the deep rough voice that he has when in his true form coming out of his small body giving a rather comical feel to them despite the seriousness. Kuro closes his eyes, knowing that a lie would be better, but at the same time he knows Dani only sounds like this with good reason. 'I can't tell him, but he won't stop hassling me if I don't tell him something. Maybe I can pass of a half truth. . .I don't want a war to start over this. Things seems to have settled after my return, and I know Papa probably has his suspicions. . .' Sighing he opens his eyes once more, his thumb darting down to catch some suds before they could reach those wide eyes.

Working carefully he uses his magic to lift up the water, tilting Dani's head back so the soap goes the right direction off his head. He keeps his eyes focused on the act rather than looking to his brother's eyes as he speaks. “I want what I want dear brother, and no matter how I look at it, I can not get it the way Papa taught us to. Something has happened, and I will discuss it with Papa should the need arise, but only after he has had time to let this recent upsurge settle.” Once all the soap is out Kuro places a teasing kiss on Dani's forehead. “You do not have to worry for me so, and we both know that I'm as feeble as you are, just in a different way.” He giggles as Dani turns back into his normal goofy self, scrubbing at the kiss spot before pushing Kuro away from him.

Raising a questioning eyebrow Dani questions silently if the bath is over. Kuro gives him a nod and with a “whoot!” he jumps out of the tub. Kuro follows behind, still laughing. Dani shakes of a lot of the water before grabbing one of the towels and heading inside with it in hand. Kuro growls and finishes the job of unplugging the tub, covering it, and putting out the fire before grabbing the last towel and rushing after his brother. Meanwhile Dani walks in drying his hair. Spotting Aoba only a few paces away he smiles with a slightly intrigued expression. “Hey, Aoba, do I appear any different from you besides my wings? Oh, and can I borrow some clothes, mine are dirty.”

[AkiBlue]

Fenrir walked back to his office, holding the mirror carefully. For most of the afternoon, he was in his office. But every urge he had to check the mirror, seeing if the sound came through was pushed aside with questions from staff members. On his break, or at least one he made for himself, the doctor choked on the water he was drinking after seeing Aoba bathing with demons. In between coughs and him trying to compose himself, he also had to hurry and hide the mirror when a young female staff member peeked her head in, asking if he was okay.

"Ahem. Fine, fine." He cleared his throat and stood, gathering his things. "It's time for me to go anyway. I should be heading home." The young woman nodded, asking if he needed any help, but when she got a no, she departed. With the mirror wrapped in his doctor's coat, he held it carefully and went home to see if the sound finally returned. 'Why am I so obsessed with this. . . There is nothing I can do for the angel. . . But I can't seem to. . .' He sighed and continued on home.

- - - - -

Aoba shuffled through one of the cupboards, finding some of them to be empty. Hearing Dani, he tilted his head a little before responding. "Not really. Physically if that's what you mean. Besides our wings we-" His head turned to spot a nude Dani. Immediately, Aoba turned his head, refraining from turning a shade darker in the face. "Uh, yeah. I'll get you some clothes." Aoba scurried off up the steps and grabbed a set of clothes for him to borrow.

Dani watched with a confused look as Aoba hurried off. He draped the towel over his shoulder and crossed his arms. "What's his issue?" With a slight tilt of his head he spoke again. "He can't be embarrassed by seeing me- We were just in a bath together. . . Weirdo."

[PopeAlessandros]

Kuro come in just in time to hear the comment about Aoba being weird and without hesitation he walks over to his brother and clonks him on the head hard with his knuckles. With a yelp Dani turns and the two of them scrap for a few seconds before Dani gets tossed on the couch with his towel over his lap. There are no words exchanged between them but the smaller demon gets the idea and begrudgingly agrees silently to keep himself covered in front of the angel. 'I don't need my Little Mouse having a heart attack over Dani just hanging it all out there. I mean, I agree, the idea of being ashamed of ones body or there being some inherent need to cover certain parts foolish, but that's not how it is for angels. Maybe, one day, he'll be less affected, but for now I don't want him getting use to Dani naked. He may not have meant anything in this moment, but knowing him as I do, Dani would not pass up the opportunity to mount the poor guy'

With a snort Kuro pulls a bathrobe out of thin air and takes the towel from around his waist and instead wraps it turban style around his head to help his hair dry. Once the black robe and towel are secured he sets to work making dinner. While he works he spots Aoba coming downstairs with an armload of cloths and gives the smaller male a warm smile while his hands continue working. “Sorry about Dani. He wasn't trying to be rude or anything, it's just. . . .Wearing clothing is something we do more out of fun than anything else. I personally like the feel of them, and Dani's told me he likes combining different kinds to see what looks he can get.”

Dani nods enthusiastically, holding his hands out for the clothes in Aoba's hands. “I'm not into fashion or anything, but I think it's neat to mess with looks and watch them catch on back home. I don't go to earth too much, so I have no idea about human fashion, but in hell I've started a few trends. It's funny, and gives me a great sense of power.” Once Aoba hands over the load Dani promptly drops it on his lap and digs out the shirt first. Once it's on he glares at Kuro's back and stands, setting the rest aside. The shirt it too long for him, looking almost like a child playing dress up, but with just a little tweaking he manages to get the pants to stay up. They drag a bit on the ground so he rolls them up, looking over at the unders and wondering why he needs two sets of stuff to cover his ass.

Picking them up he looks them over for a bit before stretching out the waits band, taking careful aim, and firing it at his brother's head. Kuro hears it coming, but his hands are busy so instead of ducking he just lets him hit their mark. Keeping his eyes on his work he says, “Dani doesn't wear underwear Little Mouse, you can take those back.” Said garment had landed on his shoulder. His hands work quickly and soon enough a hot soup is on the boil and he's able to relax against the counter.

[AkiBlue]

As Aoba searched around for clothes, he heard the two demons scuffling where he had just left. The fallen angel could only sigh as he folded and collected the clothes. As he walked down, it appeared that Kuro fixed the situation. Dani was laying on the couch with the towel on his lap. So, Aoba handed him the clothes, giving him space to dress. While he gets dressed, Aoba folds up Dani's towel and sets it on the arm of the couch. He listened to Kuro and Dani explain themselves and looked a little embarrassed, this time not with a blush. He had to remember, he was technically the odd one out in the group. Sheepishly, Aoba rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "It's not a problem. It was just. . . Unexpected. I'll get use to it. And sorry I couldn't get you anything that fit. Didn't have anything." Though, Aoba had to admit, Dani looked kind of adorable with oversized clothes on.

Curiously, he watched as the underwear was flung. Kuro replied before Aoba could ask, not even bothered by the garments on his shoulders. "Oh. . . Well, wouldn't it make more sense to just wear the underwear and not the pants? I don't know. . . You guys do what you like. I'll keep up eventually." Aoba walked over and collected the garment off of Kuro's shoulder and folded that. "Want me to take your towel?" When Kuro let him, he reached up, noticing it was still a bit wet. So, he draped the underwear on his shoulder and reached up to gently pat his hair dry some more with the towel before taking it off his head. He folded the damp towel and looked inside the pot. "Smells yummy." He turned, walking off and grabbing Dani's towel as well. Aoba went off to put the items up in their proper place.

Dani watched him curiously, but once he disappeared the smaller demon stalked closer to the kitchen in order to see what Kuro was making.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After a tiresome day at work Fenrir was soon home and ready to rest for the day. He planned to relax and sleep, since he was able to do that this night, but as he set the mirror on his bedside table, once more he felt compelled to look at it. With a heavy sigh, Fenrir stretched his arms out and spread his wings before walking into his own kitchen and grabbing a glass of water.

[PopeAlessandros]

Kuro chuckles softly at the idea of Dani running around in a shirt and underwear. 'Well, as of late he has taken to wearing shorty shorts, so I suppose it's not all that different, but in this case I don't think he's be able to keep the boxers up, not with those slender tiny hips' When Aoba asks to take his towel Kuro nods, checking on the soup. He smiles as the little angel removes the towel then proceeds to try and dry his hair with it. 'He is so adorable. It's like having a human little brother. . . .But I don't want another brother. . . I'll have to fix that' As his thoughts turn more to the wicked side of things Aoba once more vanishes up the stairs after complimenting the soup. Kuro only hums in reply, testing the flavor before adding a little dill.

~*~*~*~*~

Putting a little lime flavoring into the water Fenrir returns to his bedroom and settles on the bed. He takes several slow sips before finally setting the glass aside and taking up the mirror. Unwrapping it carefully, almost afraid that the sound will be working. A fear had been growing inside him since the angel altered the mirror. An irrational fear that what he hears will prove that the little fallen angel is truly damned already, and take away any hope of saving him. 'But I can't stop now. I've gone so far out of my way already, keeping this rather than returning it, getting it upgraded, not telling anyone I still have it. . .I pray I am not damning myself with all this less than pure activity' Arch angels are given a little more leeway than most, but only a little. The picture clears quickly ad he spots Aoba carrying a couple towels, the faint sounds coming from the mirror indicating that the sound is indeed working now. Taking a calming breath, he settles back against his headboard, and watches.

~*~*~*~*~

Dani stalks up right next to his little brother, his gaze never leaving the steaming pot on the stove. 'The smell is okay, but I don't smell any meat in there. I wonder if he's gonna become a veggie head. . .That's gross. At least I can still eat the wild animals or I might starve to death. Okay, I know there is no meat, but I smell meat. . .' “Hey, Kurotama, what's in that?”

Glancing at Dani the taller male rolls his eyes and huffs. “Carrots, celery, potatoes, and beef stock and some dehydrated meats that will plump up as they absorb the stock. Don't worry, you'll get your flesh tonight, it'll just be cooked.” Dani's eyes go wide, honestly curious at what dehydrated, whatever that means, meat will taste. Aoba comes back downstairs and Dani's attention turns to the fluffy winged beast. Growling happily he wanders over, sniffing at Aoba like a curious puppy before collapsing on the couch to wait for dinner. Laying face first his wings flop limply to either side of him, the back of the couch making one wing scrunch up on his back while the other flops over the small coffee table.

[AkiBlue]

Aoba watched as Dani walked over and sniffed him. With a smile, he patted his head and then laughed softly as Dani flopped onto the couch. He watched him for a moment as Dani laid as if he were lifeless. Curiously, he inched forward and looked down at the smaller demon. "Dani. . ?" Instead of an actual response, Dani tilted his head a little to let him know he was listening. "Can I. . . Can I touch your wings?" There was a pause, and Dani lifted his head in confusion.

The demon's wings folded as Dani sat up to stare at Aoba. "Why?" He was completely serious with his question. He didn't let many- or anyone for that matter touch his wings for obvious reasons. Sure, he could be clumsy and leave them out, hence him being collared by Kuro, but most of the time he was careful about his wings. Before Aoba could even respond, Dani growled lowly. "No." He ignored the slight droop in the angel's wings.

"I just wanted to know. . . If they felt the same as Kuro's." Dani stared into Aoba's large blue eyes and then rolled his own. ". . . Please?" He didn't get to see Kuro's wings as often, and Dani's were out often. Dani often tried to use the pleading look, so Aoba decided it was worth a shot. And with a slightly annoyed growl, Dani opened one of his wings.

"Fine. . ."

The angel grinned and reached over, running his fingers across the wing. It didn't feel much different from Kuro's, but the smoothness felt nice under his fingers. He then decided to ask, "Why'd you ask me that question? About how we look?"

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Most of the time, Fenrir would have a book to read or just go to sleep, but with the proof that the sound was now working Fenrir pushed his books aside. . . He hoped this wouldn't be too distracting for sleep. Seeing Aoba's gray wings made him sigh, but he stayed silent and listened. After a few moments of only seeing Aoba putting things away, Fenrir set the mirror down and changed into something more comfortable.

When he returned, he tensed seeing Aoba touching the demon's, apparently named Dani, wing. He was awfully comfortable around the demons, and maybe now he'd be able to figure out why.

[PopeAlessandros]

Kuro's eyes narrow slightly as Aoba asks to touch his brother's wings. 'Dani may be very liberal with his use of them, but he's kinda stingy' Looking over his shoulder as he clicks the fire off he half smiles at the sight of Dani giving in to the attention. The smaller demon enjoys the touch, though he would never admit it, and turns away so Aoba can't see the please glint in his eye. Kuro ladles out the soup into three bowls and brings them carefully to the table. He freezes midway between setting down the first bowl and the second one, the angel's question one he's not sure should be answered just yet.

Dani looks back to Aoba as his little brother finishes setting the table, returning to the kitchen to grab the koolaid he made while waiting for the soup to boil. “Well, because I was curious if growing up in hell as opposed to heaven and having demon parents would make us different.” He shrugs, “I mean, Papa i-” He freezes as Kuro gives in a sharp look. “What?!”

Kuro sighs, taking a seat on the floor. “He doesn't know about Papa. Angels aren't told about such things.”

Dani's eyes go wide. “But that's stupid!” He stares at his little brother for several long seconds, a silent communication going between them in which Kuro concedes, looking down at his soup as he waits for Dani to drop the bomb. Dani's eyes find Aoba's once more and his voice drops to his true tone. “I was wondering if half angels born and raised in hell are different than normal angels. After all, Papa is an angel. The most beloved before he was cast out with the rest he corrupted.” He waves a hand. “The others have changed a lot over the years, they can't really be called angels any more, but Papa was one of the first arch angels, so he's changed very little.” Kuro continues staring at his soup, eating slowly.

~*~*~*~*~

The arch angel's grip on the mirror is like a vice, his eyes growing impossibly wide. “It can't, that's not. . .It's not possible.” He murmurs to himself over and over. From the moment Dani says that Satan, the epitome of evil in the universe, is and angel, Fenrir's mind begins collapsing in on itself. His breathing become erratic as he goes on talking as if the reveal was nothing more than common knowledge, a mere conversation piece. “God would have told us something so vital. How could this. . .I don't. . . .Demons. . . Demons, they lie! He must be lying!!!” Unable to look away he stares at the mirror, waiting, watching, somehow hoping there will be some way to prove that this can not be true. Praying that no angel was capable of the pure evilness that they fight on a daily basis.

[AkiBlue]

Dani looked a little disappointed when Aoba stopped rubbing his wing, but he didn't show that to the angel obviously. He did turn to see Aoba walking off to take one of the bowls on the table. The fallen angel took one of the bowls, and as Dani moved off the couch to grab one, Aoba stole a seat. He sat comfortably with his legs folded Indian style. He began eating quietly, raising a curious eyebrow to the brothers' broken sentences and minor glares. He would have asked what was going on, but he started eating. The fallen angel was more focused on the fact that his new mortality made him a lot more hungry than he was used to.

The two were talking about their dad, who was obviously the ruler of hell and a really bad person. What else was there that he needed to know? Why were they getting so worked up? When he looked up, he found Dani staring at him. Slowly, the spoon went back to his bowl and he waited for the news. He felt something serious about to arise and he didn't want to accidentally spill his soup in shock. The seriousness in the small demon's voice and look worried him a little, but he listened carefully.

A moment of silence hung over as Aoba tried to register what had been said. Half angels. . . ? His Pa- "W-What?!" His voice came out in a slight panic. That couldn't have been true, could it? For a moment, he believed it to be some unfunny joke that Dani was trying to play. He stared at Dani a little expectantly, but the demon began scarfing down the soup as if all was normal. So, Aoba's gaze turned to Kuro, wanting an answer, but he was eating too. "Kuro? Is that. . . Is that true?" It only took a second for Aoba's eyes to widen when he was given a nod.

"But why did he never speak of it? That's- that doesn't make sense. Your dad- since when?!" Dani merely shrugs and licks the bowl, feeling satisfied that he had told. He could leave a the educational stuff to Kuro.

- - - - - -

Fenrir practically leapt off his bed, leaving the mirror behind. He rummaged through a few books of his, nearly ripping them off the shelves. "This isn't right. How in heaven's name is that even possible!?" But nothing he had could give him the answer. So. . . Who else knew? What other angel could have known about something so important to their lives and history? Did any of them know!? "Why did he not tell us?!" Fenrir was pacing back and forth, his wings tucked in despite his frantic nature at the time. This was all too much, and nothing was even explained!

It did send him into a minor relief that Aoba had panicked right along with him. It meant the boy wasn't completely turned against him, and it meant that he wasn't being taught too much about the demons race. "Aoba. . . Stay strong."

[PopeAlessandros]

'He's flipping out. Well, of course he's flipping out, this goes against everything he's ever believed in. We're telling him that their worst enemy is one of their brothers and that his most trusted and beloved has been hiding this from him and all of his kind. It only makes sense that he's more than a little disturbed' Kuro sets his spoon down carefully as Aoba asks in almost pure panic a tumble of short questions that have fairly long answers, and no delicate way to answer them. Shifting Kuro looks up, waiting until he meets Aoba's eye before speaking in a soft but firm voice.

“Back when God was creating earth, he informed his angels, who loved him more than anything and would serve him even onto their own destruction, that once he was finished that there was to be a change in this thinking. They were no longer to love him most. It was to be their task to love and care for his newest creation: Man.”

~*~*~*~*~

At the sound of Kuro's soft calm voice, a voice he's hearing for the first time with clear ears, Fenrir slows his frantic attempts to find out the truth of things and instead stands still in the middle of his room. His eyes are fixed on a point on his wall, unwilling to move closer to the storyteller. Instead he stands, and waits, a part of him still trying desperately to deny what he is hearing.

~*~*~*~*~

Kuro us careful not to waver, plunging through the tale with a calm even voice, his gaze never shifting. “Several angels did not like this idea, and back then there were only a handful of angels, and only three arch angels.” He blinks slowly, trying to make things as clear as possible. “The arch angels kept themselves a little separate from the others, so when one of them came to them to tell them of his displeasure at the announcement many were in awe and unsure, being knocked off their solid footing and easily swayed. The three arch angels were leader for them, and while Michel and Gabriel were willing to submit to their father's will, Lucifer, or as he was known then, Samael, loved his father too much and could not abide the order.”

Dani nods vaguely. His eyes move over to his brother, never actually having heard the full story, only knowing that their Papa was an angel who defied this “God” for a good reason. Well, a good reason to him at least. Taking a sip of his drink Kuro goes on. “These new creations were to be perfect, made in God's image and without flaw. The only thing that could corrupt them, was something all sentient beings since take for granted: Knowledge. As I'm sure even you angels know, there was a tree placed in the garden on earth that contained that very thing, and man was instructed not to eat of it.”

~*~*~*~*~

At the familiarity of the story Fenrir shifts his gaze, even going so far as to take a few steps towards his bed where the mirror lay. As his eyes fall on the image, Aoba and the two demons sitting peacefully together, his heart cracks slightly. Both the angel and the demon on the couch are watching the taller one intently as he tells his tale, and Fenrir can not help but be pained at the sight. 'No, Aoba, don't listen, it's a lie!' However the arch angel knows that isn't true. Some part, deep down in side, in a part of him he refuses to acknowledge, he can feel the truth of it.

~*~*~*~*~

“Well, after speaking with the angels, swaying a few of him to at least a middle ground, Lucifer went to earth to prove that these beings were not worth the love their father was asking them to show. After all, God is perfect and without flaw, and if they were truly worthy, then they would be also, no? So, with all f heaven watching, and I mean all of it, my father took the form of the serpent, and with no more effort than a wolf mother nudging her newborn cub to her teat, he convinced Eve to take that which had been forbidden them.” Dani can't help smirking at this, loving the imagery that humans are so easily corrupted. Even the first, the ones made so perfect.

“God was so angered at this action, despite the fact that he let it happen, his confidence in the humans unparalleled, that for the first time God's wrath was known to his creations. As Eve went on to corrupt her mate the two of them were forced from their home and from then on, life for humans has been nothing but a constant struggle to redeem themselves, though none of them really know how. On the other hand, those angels that were on middle ground swiftly came to Lucifer's way of thinking and the war began. For a long time God's eyes were turned from earth, preoccupied with the infighting between his first creations. Angel on angel, brother on brother, daughter on father, it was pandemonium. Many angels died until at last God created Hell and cast out all angels who defied him. Even the ones who had not yet shown their disloyalty. All who were corrupted were cast out.” Dani nods, smiling softly at this mildly familiar part.

~*~*~*~*~

Fenrir comes to kneel next to his bed, taking the mirror in hand. 'So then why? How is it we all not know this. Michel and Gabriel still live. They know, so why?' His eyes slide over the young demon, and for an instant he feels a flicker of something. The flicker, he can't identifying, but he knows it has something to do with the expression on the youth's face. Almost as if, he doesn't want to be telling this tale.

~*~*~*~*~

Indeed, Kuro knows this will rock Aoba to his core, but he finishes the story, unable to bring himself to stop so close to the conclusion. “The rest of what happened in heaven we know through the Ocularus, the book of knowledge which my father carved out of the tree of knowledge by hand. It can never lie, and it knows everything as it happens, no matter where it happens. It can even predict the future to a degree. Anyways. After the angels were cast out God swore the remaining to secrecy. The true danger of the draw of knowledge finally sinking in, and then and there he made the decision that knowledge is something to be controlled. Of course, he was not going to stop the fallen from having it, already being corrupted, there was no point, but when it came to the rest he cared for, they were to be kept in the dark when he knew that knowing would do more damage than good.”

Dani drops his two cents in at this point. “So, in other words, he doesn't trust you guys enough to know the truth. He thinks if you guys know too much, you'll revolt again.” He shrugs. “I don't think it'll happen again. I mean, you all hate us so much and fear Him so much that, yeah, no chance.” Once his bowl is clean he hops up to get another. The dehydrated meat, while not up to his standard, definitely a new experience he does not regret having.

Kuro rolls his eyes at his brother, but being unable to deny his brother's assessment, to each their own after all, he looks back to Aoba and wonders what his response to this revelation will be. “Dani's right about the angels. Every one of them besides Papa, well, the ones that are alive still, are angels no longer.”