Crussing Presure. Oppressive Darkness.

Tia sighed. Clearly Abaddon was having an emotional break. Tia sighed loudly. She didn’t really want to get into this with them. She rarely resorted to violence but it was obvious they wanted something from her. She frowned. “Fine. If you must know… Or if you want me to get angry, fine!” She yelled, throwing her hands up in frustration. 

The horseman narrowed her eyes at them and took a step closer. “You should be lucky I haven’t released my full wrath onto you, Abaddon. You know I don’t like violence but you better be extremely careful how you respond. I can send you back to the void… Hell, I can send you to a worse place than that.” 

Tia didn’t like how she was speaking to them but it seemed like chaos was the only language they understood. “If you don’t understand me, why in lucifer are you out here trying to make me angry?” She asked, crossing her arms. “I feel like you’re just wasting your time. You’re not them… Whatever the fuck that means, Ab. I thought…” She sighed. “I thought you and I made sense… In some sort of twisted way but god, it’s just so much more complicated and useless than I originally thought.” Tia spat out. 

She sighed again. “If you wanted a reaction out of  me, there. You got it. Happy?” She asked in a mocking tone.

///

More like a mental break considering Tia was driving Abby fuckin’ insane. They barely had time to exhale, spinning back around to face her.

“Sure, I don’t feckin’ care, get angry! Give me something to work with!” When she stepped closer all they could offer was a blink of disbelief, “Oh?” followed closely by a laugh, taking their own step forward. If she wanted to get into their face, they’d get into hers, “Oh. I’m sorry. You say that like you weren’t going to kill my vessel. Remember that? He was havin’ a nice walk thinkin’ about if he was going to order in for dinner when I showed up -- And d’you’know what? I happen to like the void, Tia. It’s MINE. At least it was mine. Now everything’s fucked. Do you think I’d be up here if I didn’t have to be? So go on then. Do it. Send me wherever you fucking want, Death. Do us all a favor.”

Abby didn’t like how they were speaking to her either but they were just so frustrated (more at the situation than Tia if they were honest with themself). Forgive them with being blessed with a knack for destruction. “You name a place worse than right here under this goddamn tree.”

They took a drag. Accepting whatever venom she wanted to throw their way. It was deserved.

The wolf raised a brow, knowing it was a hell of a lot more complicated than that.  He hated not being more informed on all this supernatural shit.  “Uh, yeah, we’re still together.  Mattie’s good, been busy with the shop now that it’s spring.”

James’ brows furrowed as he thought back to what Abby had told him before they up and left town.  “Tia?  That’s her, right?”

///

Abby sighed.

“Right. Stop it. Don’t do that.” Waving a hand towards James’ face, “-- The sad eyes. It’s complicated, yeah? And I’m already not... Great with explainin’ things. Or as good at talkin’ to people as they were. I spend most my time in a glorified black hole. People aren’t really chatty in the Abyss. Just a lot of floatin’ aimlessly around. Bit depressing, really, but it’s what I’m accustomed to... So...” they cleared their throat, “...You’ll have to forgive me. I’ll try again in a bit, if that’s alright.”

They murmured a short ‘that’s good’ when James spoke about Mattie. And they genuinely meant that.

“Yeah, that’s her. It’s painful. But we aren’t anything and we never were so I don’t know why it bothers me so much. Maybe I feel guilty, I dunno.”

“Oi, you’re Malachi, yeah?”

Exhaling a cloud of smoke. For what it was worth, they didn’t seem all that interested in the angel’s presence. They did appreciate the black on black on black though. The seraph and Abby shared good tastes.

“Finally can put a face to the name. — Nice jacket.” and that was that. As far as introductions went, they knew who each other was. Which left a long silence between them. “.....Small talk’s not really my thing, sorry.”

“Right... No, I think I’ll pass.” Looking for a way out they caught sight of a man taking a break from jogging close by, “I’m sure my friend would love a sample though, wouldn’t you mate?”

Tia was late for a meeting when she was bombarded by Abby. She frowned at them and nearly lost her breath when they jumped down from the tree. “Jesus Christ, Abby. You… Almost killed my vessel.” She sighed. “Mary would fucking kill me if I let her sister die.” Tia shook her head and groaned. 

She listened to them talk about the tree and rolled her eyes. She didn’t really have anything to say to them, so why were they here. 

When Abby started to discuss emotions, Tia frowned and her mouth closed… opened and closed again. “I… I’m not… Abby… I thought we agreed that we were going to keep our relationship strictly professional.” She told them. “You… Me… It’s not in the cards and I know you are saying you want to be around me. I just… I don’t get you, Abby.” Tia said with a sigh. 

///

A sigh, holding up their hands in defense. “I’m sorry.” But the lull in their agitation only lasted a moment...

“-- Yes! Finally.” motioning towards her at the eye roll, “And here I thought I was the only one with less facial expressivity than bleedin’ mt. rushmore, Christ, Tia. Strictly professional is chattin’ about the weather, yeah? Strictly professional is complain’ about Lucifer and his three piece suits. Who owns that many suits? I’ve never seen him wear the same one, have you? Listen, there is nothin’ I detest more, yeah, than small talk and organized sports but here I am. What d’you like? Cricket? Rugby? Dancin’ with the feckin’ stars? Work with me.”

The wolf shook his head.  “Nah, and I didn’t really ask.  Not really one to dig into another’s personal life unless I gotta.”  

His brows furrowed as Abby kept talking.  “I….I don’t get it.  They’re…gone?”  James’ head swam, struggling to grasp what exactly the other was going on about.  “Wait what?  You’re Abby but not?  I….Okay, you gotta explain this to me like I’m five.”

///

Abby paused at the man’s confusion, placing their hands on their hips as they attempted to figure out some coherent way to explain this.

“...Right...”

But they came up short. So fuck it! At this point Abby couldn’t be assed.

“Don’t worry about it, mate. I’m Abby. That’s all you need to know, really.” exhaling, “What’s been goin’ on with you? How’s your bird? You’re still together, yeah?” They figured they had enough base line knowledge to stumble their way through this initial conversation. “Nothin’ much’s changed in my life if I’m honest, considering I’m havin’ a’ adjacent issue wit’ the same person I was prior so no need to ask.”

“You’re doin’ what?” Their entire posture changed, transforming from a casual lounge against the wall to pulling up a chair and leaning forward in it. They seemed amused, “Oh, feck off, Lucifer.” A pause, scanning the man’s face, “... Shit... You’re serious, eh?” They couldn’t help the laugh of disbelief that slipped from between their lips. Leaning back in the chair.

“Right. Well.” A nod, “You’ll have to excuse my unprofessionalism, Lucifer, but,” a shrug, “Hell yeah, feck em.”

“Right. We’ve got to talk, love. We can’t keep workin’ this way. It’s drivin’ me mad. I get stabbed,” shoving up their sweater and jabbing a finger towards the scar forming on their abdomen, “ — first of all, still not very pleased about that, a wee bit annoyed actually. Then I had to come up here, which I hate doin’, yeah? Because there’s too many people up here. But the issue is there’s too many people in my place too now so I’m fecked until the veils are sorted and who knows how long that’ll take with fuckin’ Michael back in town. The ruddy boy scout.” A sharp exhale, calming.

“...I don’t... like a lot of people, Tia. You’re one of the few it shouldn’t be hard to hang round.” Until now, “I much rather you verbally assault me than this. I’ll take cold over tepid. At least it’d be something.”

-

Tia rolled her eyes and took a cigarette from him. “I don’t want anything, Ab. I’m trying to figure out where everyone keeps vanishing. I figured the club full of drunk people will let their guards down.” He shrugged and reached into her pocket and lit the cigarette. She shook her head and chuckled lightly. “Bossy, huh? I don’t really remember you thinking it was a bad thing.” Tia said, leaning against the wall.

///

“Didn’t think you would.” Abby was almost 100% certain that Tia hadn’t had any luck with Abyss patrons. “And how’s that goin’ then? People come here to dance, Tia. That’s all. And most are from out of town.” She didn’t need to know about the fight that had happened only a day or two ago. When she lit her own cigarette they tch’ed,

“Yeah, well,” they glanced away from her to exhale, focused on nothing important as a distraction. “I said it must be my lucky night didn’t I?” Then stuffed a hand into a pocket.