“If it’s about me personally, then no, it’s not your place to ask. If it’s about Hell, then as one of the demons that inhabits here, it’s perfectly alright to inquire,” Lucifer said, with the tone of one who’d had this conversation before. He could have kicked himself for saying it now, especially given the fact that he wanted that topic to drop, but as he picked up the note, all other thoughts were driven from his mind.
He paled, and the corners of his mouth tightened as he read it. “Torture,” he muttered, though it wasn’t a question, and almost instinctively, he pressed a hand to his shirt, over the place where they’d marked his chest. Attention snapping back to Kay, along with his wits, he said, “I’ll double the guard outside your room, they’ve been warned about them and their… shape shifting. Do you have any other ideas on what we can do? Since you’re the guardian of the Fates, I assume you know something.”
Kay’s brows drew together in faint confusion as her eyes followed his gesture, lingering on his chest, but then she blinked, distracted and caught off guard by how readily he’d offered his protection.
She swallowed, shifting her weight, and it took her a moment to find her voice again. “I’m not…” she shook her head, and started over. “One Fate, and she’s been a child for most of the time I’ve known her, and doesn’t seem to have any previous memories. I haven’t talked much to the others, I haven’t seen them in months. And I hadn’t so much as heard of Torture before they walked into my room,” she added, somewhat bitterly, then awkwardly corrected herself, “Your room, I mean.”
She chewed on her lip for a moment, face pale and expression turning distant, then added quietly, “They mentioned having… older brothers. War, Rage, Hatred and Treachery, I don’t know if they’re… here,” she swallowed, shuddering unconsciously, “But it might… it might be better to warn more than just my guards about the shape-shifting, or anything else that might happen,” she finished and lowered her eyes, looking for all the world like she might throw up.
(Source: reaperoftears)
Lucifer froze for a moment, mouthing over that she’d said, and shook his head vaguely, finding he had no idea how to answer her. “Why do you ask?” he responded, curious to know the answer, and if he were entirely honest with himself, he’d admit to buying time to think of something to say. “I assume this is about wanting to go Topside?” he added for good measure, doing his best to keep the conversation flowing towards a topic that didn’t entirely revolve around whether or not things in Hell were going to continue being just as smooth, “Since that was what we needed to discuss, anyway.”
Kay faltered visibly at that, worry passing through her face like a shadow.
“I’m sorry, Sir, that wasn’t my place to ask,” she said stiffly, then cleared her throat. “Yes and no. I… well, I found this under my door, Sir.” She awkwardly stepped closer to finally pull a hand out of her pocket and deposit the slightly crumpled note she’d discovered earlier, then stepped back again to what was a more respectable distance.
(Source: reaperoftears)
“Duchess,” Lucifer responded, dully. He inclined his head in greeting and eyed her carefully. She seemed fine, or at least, as fine as she could be given her circumstances. At best, she looked healthier in comparison to how ill and drawn she’d been before, and Lucifer allowed himself a sigh of relief.
“I’m sure you know how this works by now,” he said, though what would usually have been banter came out more wearied than he intended, “If you’d like a seat, or some tea, feel free to help yourself.” He paused, waved a hand, and found a mug of steaming coffee sitting on his desk. “What’s the nature of your visit?” he asked, taking a sip without taking his eyes off Kay, “I thought you’d be taking it easy, not seeking appointments with me.”
Kay blinked slightly, shuffling closer to him, but remained standing. “I’m not expecting this to be… strenuous, Sir,” she said uncertainly, eyes flitting over his face and the hard set of it, the shadows under his eyes. “I have something to… bring to your attention but you were.. unavailable, earlier.” She twitched slightly, caught off guard by a new wave of unease prickling at the back of her neck, seeming almost familiar. “Is everything alright?” she blurted before she could think, then looked immediately mortified.
(Source: reaperoftears)
Lucifer glanced up at the guard, eyebrows knitting together with confusion. The Duchess wanted to see him? Now? Inwardly, he cursed, and wondered just what warranted the visit, though he was uncomfortably aware that given recent events, she could be there for any number of reasons. He sighed, and drew a hand through his hair, then blinked the work off of his desk, allowing the office to straighten itself up a little before he gave the ok for her admittance. For a moment, he toyed with the idea of telling the guard to send her away to come back at a more convenient time, but a voice at the back of his head scolded him for such a notion. He owed his demons his time, particularly now when he had so much to make up for. It didn’t matter whether they were aware of that or not, what mattered was that he made his indiscretions right again.
“Very well, then,” he said, tiredly, raising on hand to rub the sleep from his eyes, “She’s free to come in.”
The guard resumed their former spot by the door and Kay swallowed as she was waved in.
She closed the door behind her and took several steps into the office, blinking slowly at what she saw. At first glance, nothing seemed out of place, but something she couldn’t put her finger on was making her twitchy, like an alarming smell faint enough not to register. Shrugging inwardly, she decided it was probably a product of her paranoia and nothing else.
“Sir,” she swallowed, giving a somewhat stiff bow, and looked hesitantly at Lucifer, frowning slightly at the intensified feeling that something was out of place.
(Source: reaperoftears)
She’d returned later, just as she’d meant to, and this time around there was something far less forbidding-looking about the shut doors to his office. Looking closer, Kay realised it was more that the guards outside looked more relaxed and at ease compared to the borderline disturbed looks she’d caught the previous time she’d tried to see him.
She was still wearing the same heavy long coat she’d dug out of the closet earlier, her meager frame seeming to almost drown in it as she put her hands in her pockets, feeling the reassuring weight of the book in one and the wrapped knife in the other.
Walking up to the door, she was stopped by the guards and quietly announced herself. A moment later the guard nodded and opened the door to step inside, even as she waited patiently, shifting on her feet.
“Duchess Kaytara is here to see you, Lord,” the guard’s voice echoed dimly through the door and she couldn’t help but swallow in anxiety.
Kay blinked down at the hand, then sheepishly took it and shook it. “Pen,” she repeated, nodding faintly, “I can… uh, imagine why,” she said lamely, gesturing at the books, then stepped back. “I’m sorry, you were… you were going somewhere, weren’t you?” she asked.
Penemuel nodded, “yes, but it doesn’t matter, I’m here early.” She turned back to the books, looking for any more. Seeing none she turned her attention back to the pile in front of her, gathering it up in her arms and pushing herself up so she was standing.
“Oh,” Kay nodded slightly, awkwardly, then added, “if you’re here for Lucifer, he’s not - he doesn’t seem to be available right now.” She frowned, not entirely successful at hiding her concern at that, then looked back to Penemuel, sharply aware that she really did need to start making new friends here. “I could… help them carry them, wherever you’re going?” she ventured, gesturing at the books. “I’m… free, right now, and I could use… I mean, I need to get more familiar with this place anyway.” She gave a weak, forced smile and decided to leave the suggestion of her being new here at that for the moment.
“Right,” Kay nodded, taking the book and cradling it against her chest unconsciously. “Sorry again.”
An awkward moment of silence descended and she stared at the other demon, shifting her weight. Then she winced and asked sheepishly,
“Uh, my name’s Kay.” She gave a twitchy smile, knowing she was being incredibly awkward and unable to help it. She needed to start getting to know these people, and she needed it now. You never know when you might start depending on your contacts.
“Penemuel.” Her name came out of her mouth instinctively, and she had to stop herself from covering her mouth in surprise, instead reaching a hand up towards the other- Kay, she corrected herself. “But most call me Pen.”
Kay blinked down at the hand, then sheepishly took it and shook it. “Pen,” she repeated, nodding faintly, “I can… uh, imagine why,” she said lamely, gesturing at the books, then stepped back. “I’m sorry, you were… you were going somewhere, weren’t you?” she asked.
“Er, right,” Kay stammered, still embarrassed - and caught off guard, for the moment, by the fact that this demon seemed to be viewing her as a threat, instead.
She clasped her hands aimlessly after the other demon took the book out of her hands, then frowned as she saw her bend to pick up another one and add it to the pile. Kay’s hand flew to her left pocket, now empty, and she swallowed before stepping close.
“That’s- That’s mine,” she said cautiously, pointing towards the short story collection the other demon now held.
Penemuel looked up at the other, surprise on her face, “this one?” reaching towards the book she had just placed on the pile, she glanced at the title, blinking in surprise, but not saying anything, only handing it to the other, “here.”
“Right,” Kay nodded, taking the book and cradling it against her chest unconsciously. “Sorry again.”
An awkward moment of silence descended and she stared at the other demon, shifting her weight. Then she winced and asked sheepishly,
“Uh, my name’s Kay.” She gave a twitchy smile, knowing she was being incredibly awkward and unable to help it. She needed to start getting to know these people, and she needed it now. You never know when you might start depending on your contacts.
It took Kay a moment to realise just what she was looking at - a slip of a demon who had ‘fledgeling’ written all over her, terrified and helpless, a pile of books all around her. It took her another moment to realise the collision had been her fault, and no one else’s.Kay blinked, then swallowed, then hurriedly scrambled away.
“I- I’m- I’m sorry, I didn’t- Sorry about that,” she stammered in embarrassment, face burning, and stumbled back another step. She nearly tripped over another book as she did so, and looked mortified, bending down to retrieve it and dust it off, then throw another sheepish look at the other demon.
Pen pushed herself up, eyes flicking from the demon to her books. Swallowing, she scrambled to her knees, grabbing at the books littering the ground she piled them up. Taking the book from the other and adding it to the pile, she shook her head, “it’s fine, it was just an accident.”
“Er, right,” Kay stammered, still embarrassed - and caught off guard, for the moment, by the fact that this demon seemed to be viewing her as a threat, instead.
She clasped her hands aimlessly after the other demon took the book out of her hands, then frowned as she saw her bend to pick up another one and add it to the pile. Kay’s hand flew to her left pocket, now empty, and she swallowed before stepping close.
“That’s- That’s mine,” she said cautiously, pointing towards the short story collection the other demon now held.
Kay couldn’t help but hiss as she found herself tackled to the ground, a presence that was unfamiliar and far to close bearing her down, and the grim menace of Torture at the front of her mind. She barely had a moment for conscious thought before she was gripping onto the other being and rolling over, coming to a halt above them, pinning them down with a hand closed around their neck and her eyes flashing angrily.
Penemuel gasped sharply at the sudden movement and what almost felt like pain. Eyes wide and panicked she looked up at the demon pinning her down, forgetting to breathe, she shrank into herself, not wanting to seem dangerous.
It took Kay a moment to realise just what she was looking at - a slip of a demon who had ‘fledgeling’ written all over her, terrified and helpless, a pile of books all around her. It took her another moment to realise the collision had been her fault, and no one else’s.
Kay blinked, then swallowed, then hurriedly scrambled away.
“I- I’m- I’m sorry, I didn’t- Sorry about that,” she stammered in embarrassment, face burning, and stumbled back another step. She nearly tripped over another book as she did so, and looked mortified, bending down to retrieve it and dust it off, then throw another sheepish look at the other demon.
