Always Infernal

Exactly, [She grins] you gotta get someone who can cuddle you after nearly killing you. Perfectly balanced. [Then a laugh follows suit with Lusts’] It really is, imagine if the nuns from my childhood could see me now. Not that they even made much of a difference back then. Even so, for any type of lover I look for such qualifications. Monster or not.

[Rosalie sort of tilts her head in thought] I see… okay, I can understand your point. [The direct eye contact throws her for a second, but she maintains it while nodding her head] A fair choice. Sometimes it’s nice to have someone care for you in every way. [Rosalie takes another sip as she muses over her answer] I’m not too sure, I do love the softness of the Yeti… but, sometimes I just want Bigfoot. Consequences be damned.

[She nods her head in thought at the idea] Mhm, I think you’re totally right on that. Both would be pretty wild but the Yeti would be softer of the two. [She looks to Lust more directly, raising an eyebrow] Who would you prefer? The Yeti or Bigfoot?

starters from my discord gc

“There is nothing going on to begin with.” What an odd and slightly intrusive thing for Wrath to say. If this is about the matter with Kyle, that is over and finished. And he surely is not so thoughtless as to presume that he knows about anything else going on in Lilli’s life right now. At least she would certainly like to think this is the case.

“And you should be sorry. I never see you,” Lilli chides, turning back to the stove to grab the tea kettle for emptying. “And the only time I do see you is apparently when an interrogation is warranted.” About things that have nothing to do with Wrath. Not to her mind, anyway.

“You know, I would like a visit just to say hello. Is it so bad? The idea that we might try to be friends?”

“No, I mean— like, the...” He trails off, and his voice gets a bit quieter. He averts his gaze and realizes he probably sounds stupid without context. He doesn’t want to worry Lilli by telling her, either. “The bad mood.”

While Lilli chastises him for visiting only because he wishes to “interrogate” her, Wrath frets over the situation. If his influence is really rubbing off on Kyle, what are they going to do now? Fuck, and being around Lilli probably isn’t helping her in the slightest.

“Ah, yes, how could I forget. Certainly not as preferable as Australian attention or even American.” 

The mind Wrath reads is a direct contrast to Lilli’s subdued and slightly curt, demeanor. Her thoughts swirl with plans of things to be done around the household, for work, and even for church. When she can do this, can she schedule some time to do that, she needs to call Ludwig and she really should visit Gilbert soon to make sure he hasn’t fallen into one of his depressive episodes and been neglectful of his health as a result. 

However, underneath all of that is a slight tinge of…something. Something Lilli herself does not even recognize or know is there. Something that has made her irritable, more prone to snapping when pressed, that’s been lingering ever since that day with Kyle. She has been excusing it as perhaps being a bit too tired and stretched thin without even realizing its existence.

“Well?” Lilli asks after an unusually long silence from the sin. “Do you have anything more to say or are you just going to stand in my kitchen?”

Wrath wrinkles his nose. “That’s different, and you know it.” Getting attention from a romantic partner is nothing like getting attention from a city full of demons.

It’s almost hard to see through all of the worrisome swirl of thoughts that seems to flitter about like a summer breeze, but he sees it there. While she can’t place what this lingering is, he can, and it causes him to tense up. It’s his own, wrathful influence. It doesn’t make ay sense since it was since she was hanging out with Kyle, so why—

Any annoyance Wrath feels towards Lilli due to her current state washes away almost immediately, and it turns to worry. Oh, no. 

“Thank you for your concern. However, I am doing perfectly well. You may report as such to Kyle since he is apparently just as concerned for my wellbeing.” So this is not a social call. Lilli should have known better than to think Wrath would come without a motive. 

“Do you want to know what happened? He asked me to say a word that he knows would be difficult for me to pronounce. For laughs, I suppose. Perhaps that is how Australian friends behave with one another. They are able to laugh at themselves and one another when their flaws are pointed out.” 

“He was trying to get a rile out of me and he got it. That is what happened. You can take that back to Dis and do with it what you please for all I care. Now, is that all or do you have more to ask of me?”

Wrath watches as she explains what happened in greater detail, but nothing seems out of the ordinary. Kyle always teases people. His first thought is that maybe Lilli was already annoyed and got upset when Kyle teased her over something as simple as a word.

But something still doesn’t add up. 

He hesitates to actually use his abilities—feels like cheating, in some respects—but desperate times call for desperate measures. Instead of pressing her and potentially making her feel even angrier, he decides to take a dive into her head and read her mind instead.

“If I had any fear of that, I would have cautioned you from appearing in my home long ago.” As it stands, Lilli has nothing she’d like to hide away. “It is rude to ignore someone’s request when it regards their own home. I would never presume so much in Dis.” 

Lilli hums, glad to hear that Wrath has been doing well at least. He’s suffered a whole lot of Not Well At All in his life. She supposes it’s time some of the good in the world came around to him. He’s more than waited his turn. 

Although, when Wrath insists upon bringing up that, suddenly she wishes a little less kindness on him. And no tea. She flips off the stove almost immediately before answering. “And what?” There is no point in denying what happened. He clearly knows. “What? Are you here to defend your boyfriend? Threaten me on his behalf? You can save that because Kyle is more than capable of defending himself, thank you.” 

Wrath makes a face. “Dis is an entire city, and Pride loves the attention. Of course it wouldn’t matter if you had an invite or not.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “That’s not what I’m here about anyway.”

He lowers his hand from his face and crosses his arms over his chest. “No,” he says. “Because you’re right. Kyle can handle himself. I’m more worried about you since the behavior is...” He pauses to think of the right word. “... irregular. You don’t seem possessed, so we can mark that off the list. Did Kyle ask me to check up on you? Yeah, but I was planning on doing so myself when I heard what happened.”

‘Uh-huh,’ Kylan says, unconvinced.  He’s still wearing a cocky smirk, unable to shake the thought that maskless, tipsy, flustered, annoyed Alexander is honestly cute as hell.  ‘I reckon you need some alone time before we set sail.  Why don’t’cha have a sit down n’ cool off while the men finish loading the ship, ey?  We’ll need all hands on deck soon enough, I’m sure.’

Thomas rolls his eyes. “Sure, whatever.”

“I would argue it is even more mannerless to ignore repeatedly what a friend says. Then again, what do I know for manners?” She has only spent centuries being schooled in etiquette and presentation.

Lilli waves a hand, indicating to Wrath that he should follow her into the kitchen where she puts some water for tea on the stove. He can materialize tea just fine, she knows, but it is decidedly more mannerly to make it herself. His question stops her in her tracks and she looks over at him with a frown on her lips.

“I am well,” she answers firmly, not much caring for the way Wrath phrased his question, “Thank you. And yourself?”

Wrath raises a brow when she claims ignoring her request to just let himself into her house is rude. “Is it really that rude that I wouldn’t want to walk in on something you’d rather me not see? Is it like... a nation thing to not really give a shit about privacy?”

He sighs and follows her into the kitchen. “Then why do I get the feeling you’re not fine?” he says. He hooks his thumbs into his pockets and watches her at the stove. “I’ve been doing real well. Things are good.” Almost too good, he worries, but he isn’t here to think about that.

“He is a very sweet demon. And very kind.” A slow smile spreads across Lilli’s lips while she sings Peter’s praises. She would only dare to sing Peter’s praises in front of Pride, however. That seems far more excusable than, say, Envy’s. “He treats me very well. If he shows half as much dedication to Gluttony as he shows to me, well, she is very lucky to have such an assistant at her side.”

Challenges. Ah, yes. The mention of that is enough to make Lilli’s smile melt away and she purses her lips. “Are you thinking, perhaps, of Jordan and Lucifer? I still do not understand why those two could not make it work.” A tragedy Lilli mourns to this day.

Pride nods and takes another sip of her drink as she listens. “I’ve heard nothing but good things from Gluttony, so it doesn’t surprise me to hear the same from you.” She’s noticed that demons from rings higher up in Hell tend to be nicer than those below, and it makes plenty of sense to her considering the sins that landed them in those parts of Hell.

Kyle smiles sheepishly.  ‘I was thinking of something far filthier, not gonna lie.  But maybe that’s ‘cause you were the one doing the possessing n’ I’m biased as fuck.’