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Post by Behax on Mar 21, 2021 0:38:40 GMT
Something in Oath’s core told him that Envy was probably being quite literal with his comments. Not that he had much space to think on it with the way arousal was creeping through his body, making his squirm. Every salacious word from Envy’s lips made him flush a deeper shade of red. And even if the demon made it appear as though it was a choice, Oath knew that it wasn’t in actuality even before Envy drove the point home by touching him.
He had to close his eyes as he was so overwhelmed by the feeling of ecstasy and bliss it was almost painful. It wasn’t exactly a feeling that went away the moment Envy pulled away either. It lingered in his very skin, leaving the poor boy breathless.
But there was one other problem...Compelled as he was, Oath wasn’t really sure where or how to start. The uncertainty was there on his face when he opened his eyes again. He wasn’t just reluctant and conflicted, he was also innocent in ways that even Envy likely hadn’t even considered.
------
Beltis eventually offered Brahm a hand up. He did pity the man more than a little.
“Well you did promise me drinks on your tab if I kicked the shit out of you, and I’m pretty sure I either cracked or broke a rib there.” Beltis didn’t exactly have the moral code of a person who would refuse drinks from someone who he’s just beaten in the street.
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Post by Grimm on Mar 21, 2021 5:50:27 GMT
Envy sat tapping his fingers, a coy but almost expectant look glassing over his placid features. His hair while pickled pink was starting to turn a little red on the edges. The demon stared at the little half-angel dumbstruck face until the look of realization crossed the Envy’s own face. And it was met by glorious rich laughter.
It a real emotion crossing over mask and Oath might have felt a fleeing joy added to the erotic vides Envy had been sending out. “Oh my. Oh my indeed! I hadn’t even considered!” Envy was alight with delight. “You are truly the innocent lamb to slaughter.” His laughter left as quickly as it had started.
“Oh Barn-a-by” Envy sung out ominously, knowing the cat-demon had hidden earlier.
“Yes Master?” A discombobulated voice echoed from the edges of the dark room.
“Why don’t you give this sweet little angel a quick tutorial on how to masturbate.” Envy’s eyes never left Oath as he made his request from his familiar-on-loan. There was a long drawn out pause and Envy tilted his head slightly and blinked.
“Barnaby!!!” Envy’s hair turned a bright shade of red and he stomped his heel into the floor as he ordered his resultant familiar forward. Barnaby appeared from the shadows in his humanist form, a young man with cat ears that appear no older than Oath. Not much of Barnaby’s taste had changed, or rather Envy still preferred him to dress with the hint of Egyptian flair, although his outfit didn’t leave much to the imagination. There was a scar (thanks to Walter) that travel from one shoulder across to the opposing hip. There was one large exception to the exotic attire…and that was a slaves collar. It was old and looked rusted shut, it’s dullness hidden by the shiny gold in the rest of his clothing.
“Go on…” Envy motion for Barnaby to get on with it.
“My Master wishes for you to….for you to…” Barnaby made a difficult face. “How do you not know how to jack off?! Did your parents keep you under a rock?” He said with exasperated breath.
———
Brahm accepted Beltis hand up and the pair ventured to one of the more private and classier of Envy’s joints. A place Brahm frequently met his clients to take home. Here he could drink for free…in a sense. You see the bartender that Brahm had struck a deal with was a little more physical that most when it came to sex. Barnaby didn’t mockingly call Brahm the ‘Saint of Pain’ for no reason.
“He’s on my tab.” Brahm pointed to Beltis and took a seat at the end of the bar. The place was scarcely populated, although the dancers kept on dancing on their platforms just beyond the bar. “How do you fall?” Brahm blurted out what was on his mind. “I think I asked you once before…long ago…but I can’t remember that answer.” Brahm reached over the bar for two bottles. “I keep thinking any day now…but I haven’t.” He gestured to the angel features that most angels lost when they fell and then to Beltis. “What am I doing wrong?” He pushed one of the bottles in front of Beltis.
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Post by Behax on Mar 21, 2021 12:57:28 GMT
The sudden laughter startled Oath, as was the way he could feel the change in Envy’s emotions. The sudden way Envy’s mood and reactions seemed to come and go was disconcerting. His confusion was only added to when Envy started to call for someone else, deepening when a reply came but Oath couldn’t pinpoint where it had even come from in the room.
He practically jumped when Barnaby seemed to walk straight out of the darkness. If not for the fact his emotions were being flooded by Envy’s influence, Oath likely would have felt some sadness at the rusted collar Barnaby wore.
Oath’s face flushed and his gaze dropped when Barnaby ended up berating him for not knowing how to pleasure himself. And well Barnaby probably didn’t know how hard he’d hit the nail on the head. Oath’s mother kept him shut away, and often switched between loving and hating him, from wanting to protect him, to hiding something she considered a shame, a sin, a weakness. Oath was a half-angel and should never give in to such ‘base human temptations.’
In short he was beyond sheltered, and knew very little about the world he’d walked out into, and even less about the world he was now trapped in.
“....ye-s?” Well his mother might as well have kept him under a rock, and he didn't even know who his father was.
----
Beltis made a face before crossing the threshold of Envy’s establishment. If the demon Beltis was ‘technically’ enthralled to, was the mother of all Succubi, then Envy was the opposite side of that coin. They were in the same classification, but Beltis didn’t know how closely related the two actually were. What he did know was that Envy was a lot more ambitious, vain, selfish and arrogant than Rhaizel. You didn’t get named after a cardinal sin for nothing.
Still Beltis followed Brahm to the end of the bar and sat down, when Brahm blurted out his question.
“How do you fall?”
Beltis nearly choked on air, it was so sudden. He took the bottle with a laugh when Brahm asked what he was doing ‘wrong’.
“First off,” he started as he removed the lid from his bottle. “The way I fell was a lot more expedient than most, there are few ways to fall faster unless you are Lucifer himself.” He took a drink.
“What you are doing ‘wrong’, is you are still trying to hold onto the ideal that is ‘Heaven’. And have yet to accept that Heaven has already abandoned you. Nothing you do will be good enough, kill demons, kill vampires, kill all the monsters that stalk the night, continue to withhold yourself from certain pleasures…” The fact that Brahm continued to only eat scraps of bread was a source of amusement in certain circles.
“Gabriel himself is not going to descend from the top of Babylon and welcome you back into the fold, not when he’s the reason you and many others were left to rot down here in the first place.” The painful fact was that many lower ranking Angels had been left behind to fight the never ending war, and then when the world ended they were just expected to continue.
“You’re already falling Brahm, you’re just doing it slower than most because you are still holding onto the idea of something that no longer exists.” If it ever existed in the first place. Possibly the hardest thing for Brahm was how closely what Beltis had to say was similar to what Frowley had already explained to him.
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Post by Grimm on Mar 23, 2021 3:33:58 GMT
Brahm might had just heard it from Frowley but he wanted to hear it from his own kind, someone that had experienced it first hand. Food hadn’t really became a temptation since he couldn’t remember the taste of it anyway, bread satisfied that hunger need, just like sex and violence satisfied the other needs he had felt. With a perplexed look Brahm opened himself a bottle and kicked it back. When you thought he was going to pause for a breath, Brahm kept going until more than half the bottle was gone before he set it back down on the bar.
“I thought I was on some path…some other purpose that made all this suffering worth it. I thought Lance would be the end all of that….and now I’m here. In the same fucking place….” Brahm looked at the bar snacks wondering if eating a peanut would be the straw that broke the camels back…that would be amusing. But Brahm never reached for them instead he drank half of what was left in his bottle. “And now Envy has be bonded to some poor fucker I brought home for Envy’s dinner.” He show Beltis the seal on his hand and wrists.
——
Barnaby ears went flat at Oath’s answer, the look of utter bewildering defeat upon him. He didn’t want to touch the half-angel and he certainly didn’t want to instruct him in any matters. It was bad enough he was living in their house. But on the other hand if he didn’t do what Envy wanted...
“No.” Barnaby couldn’t believe slipped out of his mouth.
“Excuse me?” Envy cocked his head to the side when he heard the word.
“No.” Barnaby couldn’t believe he said it again.
“Finally growing a backbone?” Envy asked with a forced smile.
“No.” Barnaby wished he could stop staying that word. “I mean, if I show him that’s not really doing the card...wouldn’t it be better for Oath to seek you out once he knows the basic?” Barnaby was trying to find any bullshit reason not to do what Envy demanded.
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Post by Behax on Mar 23, 2021 14:49:08 GMT
Beltis watched as Brahm chugged away. Well he had impressive lung capacity at least.
How many times had he heard that? That someone once believed they were on some kind of path. Well if Beltis was being honest having a hand in causing the apocalypse very well could have been a part of Brahm’s so called destiny, but just because you fulfilled some kind of role that didn’t mean your life ended there.
Beltis blinked at the seal on Brahm’s skin.
“That sure is some ancient magic there…” He pondered this for a moment, Envy was a capricious creature. He gave in to his whims, and what he wanted changed more frequently than the weather. At least on a surface level.
“Just exactly who or what did you find that captured his interest so?”
-----
Oath watched the way Barnaby visibly emoted with some curiosity, but also apprehension. After what he’d already been put through, he wasn’t exactly eager to have someone else touching him, never mind in a manner that was sexual.
Oath looked just as surprised that Barnaby said no as the demon was himself. He blinked eyes wide at the demon. He had come under the impression that saying no to Envy was a mistake, and ill advised. With some wariness Oath’s gaze slid to the other demon watching to see how he was going to respond.
Well to Oath, Barnaby’s excuse made sense, but if that would actually be good enough was another question altogether...Not that Oath wanted to be in a position where he had to ‘seek out’ the lustful demon either.
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Post by Grimm on Mar 24, 2021 20:08:22 GMT
“An angel’s bastard. He’s nothing special.” Brahm didn’t understand what was so special about this one. It wasn’t the first half-angel he had brought home, but Oath was the most pathetic looking. “I should have left him to the vampires...” Brahm was starting to regret his decision more and more, especially after Frowleys warning. He polished off the bottle and grabbed another one. Brahm had a high tolerance for alcohol and it showed with how quickly he would drink. The angel had been caught in a continuous cycle of both self destruction and self preservation.
——
Time seem to stop for Barnaby as he waited for Envy’s reaction. Envy was unnaturally still, staring at Barnaby. Envy’s hair slowly faded to white with a tinge of pink as a smile widened across his placid face.
“Oh Barnaby,” Envy started “this is why I can’t bare to ever let you go.” He gestured for Barnaby to come close to him in a loving fashion and hesitantly Barnaby did so, the uncertainty read across the way his ears were positioned.
Envy patted his familiar on the head and fixing his messy hair. “I think your way would be so much more delicious.” The demon stroked the cat demons hair into place and Barnaby took the affection with great reluctance. “But if you ever tell me ‘No’ again, you will grace my throne as my permanent foot rest.” Envy tucked the last strand in place before ruffling it with his hands.
Barnaby bowed respectfully, his heart racing at the reprieve he was given. Envy turned his attention back to Oath the smile still there. “When you’ve brushed up on the sensual art of masturbation you can retrieve this card.” Envy stuck the card into his coat pocket and not with the others in the box. “Well, I’ve delivered my tasks...just remember when you’ve completed them all...freedom will be all yours.” Envy got up giving Barnaby a long pause, “and you keep doing you.” He said before walking into a shadow and disappearing.
Barnaby let out the breath he was holding. “Am I crazy?! I must be. I must being stupid in my old age.” He ranted rather animated at the adrenaline from refusing Envy’s request.
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Post by Behax on Mar 24, 2021 23:55:49 GMT
Beltis thought on that for a moment. Half-Angel’s weren’t exactly common, but ever since the apocalypse neither were they as rare as they had once been, though most tended not to live long. The world they lived in now, was not one where half-breeds were typically safe. If you found a half-angel that made it to their first century, now that was rare. Most were kidnapped or captured, sold, used, abused and fed on by the darker creatures of Babylon.
This half-breed Brahm had found, likely would not have met a swift end, but it would have been faster than whatever Envy had planned.
“Well how special he is would depend on his parentage.” With half-angels it could be a roulette, some of them were very weak, others almost equal to their full blood kin. Many just simply had no control or understanding of their powers.
“Regardless you thought it was a good idea to leave him alone?” Beltis could understand Brahm feeling regret or shame, but leaving the kid by himself...Was sheer negligence.
-----
Oath could feel the tension in the room, despite Envy’s apparently amicable mood. When the smile was turned back on Oath, the half-angel held his breath. He watched as Envy tucked the card inside his coat. He didn’t really believe that Envy ever planned to give him his freedom, and even if he did earn it...Would it be worth having at that point? Would there be anything left of him at the end?
His eyes slid to Barnaby at his outburst and then, Oath let himself fall backwards against the bed, he reached down and pulled the covers all the way up and over his head. The action sent the box of cards flying, not that he cared right now.
He let out an audible huff under the blankets.
What was he going to do?
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Post by Grimm on Mar 25, 2021 14:32:51 GMT
Brahm thought about telling Beltis it was one of Gabriel’s bastards. That could have been one of the reasons Envy was so amused by this. It wouldn’t not have been the first time Brahm encountered one of Gabriel’s children, he had even killed one in hate. Brahm had a great deal of hate for Gabriel but killing an offspring Gabriel didn’t even know existed hadn’t scratched the itch. For the time being he kept Oath’s parentage to himself.
“He’s not alone.” Brahm began on the second bottle, happy that the first one was starting to help with whatever this feeling was. “Barnaby is keeping an eye on him.”
——— Barnaby was fretting about what he had just done, he was sure Envy would retaliate in someway. The box spilling it’s contents on the floor startled him enough to jump. “Tsk.” Barnaby quickly gathered them up, making a face at a few of the deeds scribbles upon the cards. When he was done he set the box on the nightstand.
“I’m going downstairs.” Barnaby stated turning and stalking down stairs.
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Post by Behax on Mar 25, 2021 15:01:08 GMT
Beltis was just putting the bottle back to his lips when Brahm admitted who he’d left to babysit the half-angel. He missed his mouth completely, spilling the drink onto the table as he looked at Brahm as if he’d not only lost his mind, but also his very last brain cell.
“Oh well fantastic, you’ll probably get home to find Satan himself with his cock rammed down the poor kid’s throat. Nothing to worry about,” he said his tone completely unimpressed as he put the bottle down and reached for some napkins to mop up the mess, hissing when he realised it had spilled onto his pants too.
It wasn’t like he didn’t understand, it wasn’t like Brahm had much choice in babysitters. However Barnaby was as brave as a chicken, and this wasn’t even taking into account his feelings towards any kind of Nephilim, never mind that half-angels were not even the most dangerous or most powerful kind.
---
For a while Oath didn’t move, just stared at the blanket. He listened to Barnaby walking out the room, and after a while pushed the covers back down to his waist. He lifted his arm so he could examine the bond mark on his hand and wrist. He might not understand or know how to use his powers, but even he could tell it was a powerful spell.
He didn’t know what he was supposed to...What was he even allowed to do? He was used to being restricted and controlled, to have little agency. But now he was in a new environment...A new cage and the rules had likely changed. Not that the rules his mother made him live by hadn’t changed regularly on a whim, depending on the mood she was in.
Eventually Oath sat up, looked around the room to get his bearings.
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Post by Grimm on Mar 26, 2021 15:40:10 GMT
Brahm scoffed at Beltis’ remark. “He’s bad, but he isn’t that bad,” Brahm defended the familiar that had been thrust upon him before adding in “yeah he is...” as a correction of Barnaby’s character. But he couldn’t blame the cat demon. He had been in Envy’s service for what seemed like eternity.
“My place is close if you wanna clean up.” He motioned to the spill on Beltis pants.
——————
Barnaby sneezed as he stalked downstairs and to the liquor cabinet choosing his favorite and a glass. His hands were shaking as he uncorked the bottle. And shaking he poured himself a drink. Down the hatch, he poured another and turned back to the cabinet pulling out his smoking supplies. He stuffed a pipe full before lighting the green herbs in the bowl, sucking on it long and slow.
With the pipe and the drink in hand, he melted into the couch in the living room. “Brahm is going to get an earful when he gets back. The nerve making be babysit...” Barnaby complained to himself, after all he was the only one who listened.
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Post by Behax on Mar 30, 2021 13:45:45 GMT
When Brahm tried to defend Barnaby, Beltis fixed him with a blank stare, until the angel corrected himself. Then he went back to cleaning himself up. He considered Brahm’s offer for a moment, unsure of if he really wanted to journey deeper into Envy’s territory over a pair of wet pants. Though he had to admit he was intrigued to find out more about the poor soul that now found themselves trapped in Envy’s web.
“Sure…” He said after a moment's contemplation. He stood up and put the napkins he’d been cleaning up with in the bin.
----
Oath had to admit some of the furniture, and other items in the room was beyond him and a feeling nagging in the back of his mind told him he was better off not knowing. He was hesitant about exploring the rest of the house, not having any indication as to what he was and wasn’t allowed to do, or where he was and wasn’t allowed to go.
Eventually nagging boredom of sitting alone in an unfamiliar bed spurred him to get up. He was near silent as his bare feet padded across the floor and carefully down the stairs. He peeked into any room that didn’t have a shut door. He was curious, not nosy.
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Post by Grimm on Apr 3, 2021 6:34:38 GMT
Brahm led Beltis to his place long the rows of homes of Envy’s favorites, a private play land for those considered elite. As he walked the large quantity of alcohol began to affect the way he movedalthough he still did it with a smidgen of grace. Honestly Brahm couldn’t really understand why he invited Beltis back to his place, perhaps he didn’t want to be alone with his bride and mouthy familiar. How was he even to approach the situation.
Barnaby was obsessively trying to calm is nerves and at the same time ignore the curious house guest. Oath would find his new home to be a modest yet well furnished. On the second floor was the bedroom with it's unique duel purpose furniture and a bathroom built for function and with simple tub in the corner. The lower level was meant to entertain waiting guests and a rather bare kitchen sat just off to the side. Despite how quietly Oath thought he was being, Barnaby’s cat ears could hear him moving around but he absolutely didn’t care. At least that's what he kept telling himself. He puffed angrily on his pipe and was about to yell at the annoyance he was trying to ignore when Brahm opened the front door.
“How Dare you leave me to babysit a-“ Barnaby’s insult was cut short when he saw Beltis with Brahm. “…bringing quite a lot of riffraff home today are we?” Barnaby huffed smoke out his nostrils in his belief.
“Shut it Barnaby.” Brahm sauntered to the cabinet that Barnaby left open and pulled out a bottle of a more potent alcohol favored by demons.
“Little early to be drinking?” Barnaby nagged at Brahm although the cat-demon had just took a sip of his own drink.
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Post by Behax on Oct 29, 2021 22:08:44 GMT
It wasn’t as if Beltis wasn’t welcome in Envy’s territory, it was more that the theatre of it all got under his skin. Really Babylon as a whole was like one big charade, pretending the world never ended, as if what was left of it wasn’t stuck in a decaying stalemate. But Envy’s domain was one of the worst, decadence and privilege was abundant as he encouraged and fed on the lust of its denizens, human and otherwise.
On entering Brahm’s home Beltis rolled his eyes. Really he didn’t know how Barnaby held onto his ego, he’d never met a demon who was so much bark and so little bite. He was more suited to a tiny yap-dog than a cat.
“Ever heard the phrase ‘don’t throw stones in glass houses?” Beltis asked Barnaby with a smirk, and just to be petty picked up Barnaby’s glass and finished his drink for him.
After that it was a simple matter to find replacement pants, after which Beltis made himself as comfortable as was possible. He spent much of his time bantering and winding up Barnaby, though he was also conscious of the half-angel in their midst. Beltis would almost say he stood out as not belonging, but well...A bigger group of misfits would be hard to find. This side of the tower city anyway.
While Brahm continued his descent towards a drunken stupor, Beltis observed Oath. He noticed that at no point did he ask or attempt to join them, and seemed to nervously stick to the periphery. As if he was almost afraid of intruding. He was a timid thing, and Beltis could practically feel the misfortune coming off of him. Oath was unlucky beyond measure, he didn’t need to know what had happened to him to know that.
“Barnaby...Putting your over dramatised prejudice aside for a moment, what do you make of our new friend there?”
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Post by Grimm on Nov 19, 2021 3:59:27 GMT
Brahm was on a mission to dull the nagging worry in his head and for that to happen he was going to have to drink a lot more. He kept steeling glances at Oath, trying to figure out if the timid feeling was his or not. It felt like a fluttering of moths in the pit of his stomach as Brahm hated it.
Barnaby's ears twitched when he heard is name, looking at Beltis and then to Oath, the cat demon quick to raise his glass to his mouth to drink while he thought of something catty to say. It wasn’t that he didn’t have anything to spout off the top of his head, he had plenty, but he needed to be careful so he didn’t spill all of what Envy was planning.
“He’s bait.” Barnaby wrinkled his nose taking another robust sip of his drink at some words he hadn't meant to say. “Some poor creature tricked into this tall wicked world,” The cat demon corrected himself and as he spoke his voice level rose, “a sheltered soul that wouldn’t know how to walk off if his life depended on it.” He was being cruel, but he wanted distract from his ‘bait’ comment. Not that he cared.
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Post by Behax on Nov 19, 2021 22:20:02 GMT
Beltis regarded Barnaby for a moment, his expression largely unreadable.
“Never play poker Barnaby, you’d be terrible at it,” he said as he leant back in his seat. Suffice to say the demon’s little ‘addendum’ on his previous comment hadn’t been enough to cover his mistake. Not that Beltis was likely to do anything with such information. Brahm seemed to be the only one still in denial of his fall.
Still that didn’t make Barnaby’s further comments wrong either. Beltis had been a type of ‘watcher’ when he’d been an angel, and even when he fell he hadn’t lost those gifts or abilities. They had merely changed and expanded. While he couldn’t look into Oath’s past the way Frowley had, he could still feel that suffering, that misery, that isolation.
Beltis watched as Oath’s body language shifted ever so slightly, as if he’d somehow become smaller. He’d heard what Barnaby had said when he raised his voice.
“It’s because he hasn’t lived...Not really. He doesn't know how to, it’s written all over him.” Beltis was being quieter as he spoke. “He’s not dissimilar from Brahm in that regard, what's different is the why and the how they ended up like this.”
Then he sighed. “I know this is a big ask for you, but that child doesn't have a friend in the whole world. Try to at least play nice with him, what happens from here is already going to suck without you making shit worse than it has to be.”
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