BECOME BLOCKED SINFUL BEINGS

Raphael froze up completely, his eyes widened as he took in the sheer size of it all.. The scar.. those creepy, annoyingly endeared to him eyes.. The pile of weapons. All barely illuminated by his own body.. Rex could practically smell the preylike scent as if there were smoke coming from his angel, as if the gears in his mind were grinding to a halt, confused by the sudden, familiar fear... And completely at his mercy.

It wouldn't be possible for Raphael to wiggle free, not with how weak he is. The dragon moved closer, its giant snout in the angel's face. Teeth came into view and with them, hot, steamy breath like the inside of an oven.

"Rrr-" It growled at him. "Raa…Raaaaphhhael."

Ever since they'd met, Raphael had always found Rex to be a thorn in his side. A perfect match to his puddle of gasoline. Over time they'd softened, sure... But he hadn't discarded himself so easily as Rex might have thought.

Raphael's brows furrowed, his face twitching just slightly as the overgrown reptile bared his teeth at him, just the faintest bit.

That twitching was the only warning Rex had before his fear melted and boiled over in the face of familiarity. Rex was greeted with that oh so nostalgic picture of his angel, angry as ever and completely subject to his every whim.

"DAMMIT REX- YOU STUPID- OVERGROWN- LIZARD- " he huffed and puffed, his wings flaring at every accessible angle as he thrashed around under his talons.

"You did well," he spoke plainly, very matter of fact about it... It explained why Rex had considered him for a few seconds before lowering the knife... If something like that ever refined it's mimicry.... Raphael thought on it a moment before he spoke again, lowly, as if wary he'd be overheard.

Rex refused to think about what could've been if it had been better at pretending to be his children.

"A code is a great idea. As long as it cant read minds, it would protect the kids from unnecessary trouble."

He left it unspoken that this unnecessary trouble might be their fathers killing them instead of the imposter by mistake.

"I looked into his room but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Why? You wanna check with me again?"

"Yeah, might as well," he responded with a huff as he got out of the seat.. His wing didn't leave Rex for a moment though, even while he stretched a little.. Raphael really did seem sick almost...

Rex remained silent in the shadows until the door opened. The moment his eyes caught sight of his husband his powerful tail whipped the door shut and knocked the angel over.

It moved faster than one can blink, towering over the fallen angel in a second. Its breath was hot and dry as it regarded Raphael, maybe pondering if he wanted to eat him.

Raphael froze up completely, his eyes widened as he took in the sheer size of it all.. The scar.. those creepy, annoyingly endeared to him eyes.. The pile of weapons. All barely illuminated by his own body.. Rex could practically smell the preylike scent as if there were smoke coming from his angel, as if the gears in his mind were grinding to a halt, confused by the sudden, familiar fear... And completely at his mercy.

"Rex? " he called down the stairs, half not expecting a single word back while he slowly walked into the darkening room.

There wasn't a response, not a verbal one. The giant dragon shifted as it heard a familiar voice, and that tiny movement caused some of the knives from its pile to clatter noisily to the floor.

It would definitely be heard from where Raphael was walking.

He watched Rex as he warmed up his food again.. It was sweet, even if Raphael would have just finished it cold. It had been a tiring couple of weeks, even as he seemed to have finally stabilized out at a lower energy.. He wasn't as much bedbound all the time... Like whatever had been doing it had caught on to Rex knowing of it's presence...

"Thanks, " he mumbled, resuming with a spoonful of soup that he blew lightly on before putting it into his mouth.. Raphael stretched his wing out invitingly, silently offering Rex the chance to indulge in the comfort... He knew better than anyone how much of a sucker his husband was for the softness of his feathers.

He didn't know how well Raphael could fight, given his state, but just having another pair of watchful eyes would be useful.

Rex set down the bowl in front of him and was pleased when he started eating again, taking the silent invitation to sit underneath his husband's wing. Raphael knew him too well, just being surrounded by those beautiful, warm feathers was enough to cheer him up a little. Enough to start the conversation, at least.

As he asked the question Raphael sighed a little, shaking his head.. It was tiring dealing with everything this office threw at them... even when he used to be at his best.

"Well something's even more fuckin off than usual." Rex leaned into the feathery hug, closing his eyes. It was working like a charm.

"I was woken up earlier tonight by some strange sounds. Thought at first it was one of the kids coming into bed with me after a nightmare, yknow how it is. But the...thing that opened the door wasn't one of ours. It sounded like Seven, like it was tryna mimic her but its form.... Wasn't good enough."

He could still hear it scream in her voice and he tried not to imagine what it would have looked like if it really had been her. If he had been mistaken and...

Rex fought the urge to jump up and check Seven's room again.

"You did well," he spoke plainly, very matter of fact about it... It explained why Rex had considered him for a few seconds before lowering the knife... If something like that ever refined it's mimicry.... Raphael thought on it a moment before he spoke again, lowly, as if wary he'd be overheard.

He watched Rex as he warmed up his food again.. It was sweet, even if Raphael would have just finished it cold. It had been a tiring couple of weeks, even as he seemed to have finally stabilized out at a lower energy.. He wasn't as much bedbound all the time... Like whatever had been doing it had caught on to Rex knowing of it's presence...

"Thanks, " he mumbled, resuming with a spoonful of soup that he blew lightly on before putting it into his mouth.. Raphael stretched his wing out invitingly, silently offering Rex the chance to indulge in the comfort... He knew better than anyone how much of a sucker his husband was for the softness of his feathers.

He didn't know how well Raphael could fight, given his state, but just having another pair of watchful eyes would be useful.

Rex set down the bowl in front of him and was pleased when he started eating again, taking the silent invitation to sit underneath his husband's wing. Raphael knew him too well, just being surrounded by those beautiful, warm feathers was enough to cheer him up a little. Enough to start the conversation, at least.

As he asked the question Raphael sighed a little, shaking his head.. It was tiring dealing with everything this office threw at them... even when he used to be at his best.

"Maa--lachi. Maall-y wake up. I hea--rd something ba-d. Outside..ee. It was lo--ud! Wake up.. Y-ou should lock the d0or!"

Mal had been sleeping, since it was late at night.. He was completely unaware of the disturbing scene just down the hall from his room... Before the voice woke him up in the middle of a sweet dream.

He stirred awake far too quickly for a child of his age, already alert from from the tone the screen voice took with him.

The little face on the screen glanced around, flickering a bit in alarm. It was being truthful- there could be something or someone out there with malicious intent... that scream sounded nasty. But also, it could feel something like itself dying in the other room over...

It wasn't sure what the apparition was doing at the time of exorcism- it's not connected to them like that. They're not even a hivemind, it's just... it kind of knew.

"I don't know whh--4t it was.. It sounded really b4-d, Malachi..-"

He finally decided on something, grabbing the chair from his room.. It wasn't one suited to him, but Raphael used it often to sit by his bed when he wanted a story. Mal propped it up haphazardly against the door, not technically locking it, but blocking the entrance off semi effectively.

"Couldn't sleep again..." he mumbled in that same monotone of his.

His wing extended as Rex sat down next to him, cupping his body in soft feathers.. He could do that much, at least.

"Yeah, I figured. Did something wake you up or...?" He tried to be subtle in asking if Raphael heard anything. No need to alarm him right away.

He watched Rex as he warmed up his food again.. It was sweet, even if Raphael would have just finished it cold. It had been a tiring couple of weeks, even as he seemed to have finally stabilized out at a lower energy.. He wasn't as much bedbound all the time... Like whatever had been doing it had caught on to Rex knowing of it's presence...

"Thanks, " he mumbled, resuming with a spoonful of soup that he blew lightly on before putting it into his mouth.. Raphael stretched his wing out invitingly, silently offering Rex the chance to indulge in the comfort... He knew better than anyone how much of a sucker his husband was for the softness of his feathers.

He heard Raphael before he saw him and instinctively reached for his knife, still tucked away under his shirt.

Upon seeing him though...

Raphael's wings bristled, his feathers rustling as his wings spread out slightly.. His eyes widened a little too, staring at his husband...

He was still sticky with blood.. Or- maybe it was just his imagination- Raphael froze up, unmoving, glancing between the knife and Rex's face...

Rex's grip tightened around his blade, searching. He didn't move either and if Raphael would've started towards him, he might've been tempted to attack.

Then, slowly, the tension bleeds out of him. His face goes slack and his hand drops down, knife by his side. He doesn't put it away. Not yet.

"...nightmare." Rex lied. He glanced down at his skin, but the blood had vanished alongside with the mimic. "Why're you up?"

He walked cautiously over to Raphael, still eyeing him for a second before he let himself sink into one of the chairs. It wasn't as if he didn't trust Raphael with the truth, he would tell him soon enough. But suddenly the idea of explaining to him that he had killed something that screamed like Seven felt too exhausting for him.

"Couldn't sleep again..." he mumbled in that same monotone of his.

His wing extended as Rex sat down next to him, cupping his body in soft feathers.. He could do that much, at least.

He heard Raphael before he saw him and instinctively reached for his knife, still tucked away under his shirt.

Upon seeing him though...

Raphael's wings bristled, his feathers rustling as his wings spread out slightly.. His eyes widened a little too, staring at his husband...

He was still sticky with blood.. Or- maybe it was just his imagination- Raphael froze up, unmoving, glancing between the knife and Rex's face...