#apersonificationofsins

Sure there were books but even then they weren't the same without Superbia in the building. The pages, newer or older, seemed to reflect the oldest of papyrus, limping and sighing every time a finger turned them over. There were games and other things in many other sins' rooms, especially Avaratia's and Invidia's, other 'games' resided in Luxuria's room, however most of all activities required one partner or more. The beings could play by themselves but after a few moments of playing against the other half of one's self, those games got tiresome as well.

Eventually Shade and Umbra resorted to fiddling with the rubix cubes Avaratia rearranged the colour stickers on, going to fix all of them up so maybe Invidia could actually fix the cubes. It seemed like for every one they accomplished in returning to normal, there were another two elsewhere that then were added to the pile, and so the 'fixed' pile never was as large as the 'Avaratia is a jerk' pile. The guardians of that house blamed that Nashton kid. Who did he think he was some kind of ultimate prankster? Giving thousands of year old beings a puzzle cube... Honestly most would think that would be childsplay for all of them.. how embarassing.

Shade huffed, Umbra sighed, smog and smoke blew out of their mouth with a small spark, the cubes were scooped up and returned to their rooms.

Though neither sun nor stars ever showed completely in the void the beings knew time passed. Day after day continued on for what may have been months now, and every day the sins showed no sign. There was nothing that the beings could do to search or track them, the seven had dropped completely from radar which meant either Lucifer was blocking their locating efforts, the sins were surrounded by many other sins and blended in, or... they had died, and Shade and Umbra, keepers of the house, would have to wait for the new seven to arrive or die themselves.

Silently they hoped it wasn't the last answer, even if evidence showed potential for it.

The appearance of the guardian altered slightly, if the seven had died that could be reason for the change but, over the years there had been many changes, this could be just another. Since there had been no word, no sign, no anything, all the combined being could do to react was almost destroy their main room. Not knowing was worse than knowing. At least with knowing there was confirmation of one future design or another. Not knowing opened far too many doors.

All eight fists tightened and stretched or pawed the air. If nothing continued to be all Shade and Umbra felt, saw, or heard, they were going to leave the house, let it all blow up in smoke and return to hell, taking all the books and research of years past to their place in hell to await another assignment or be destroyed. It might be called senseless, but neither Shade or Umbra would let Superbia's work fall to anyone else's hands. They didn't deserve it. No one would get those notes if they had anything to say abou-

The being froze mid thought as something sounded from outside.

The familiar pulse... it was growing louder again, picking up the normal calm wave-like volume and tempo it possessed before. Immediately the being flung open the nearest window and pressed as close to going outside of the home as possible to try and see if anything down there moved.

At first they saw nothing, though they did hear something.

A cheerful sing song laugh. A spastic screeching voice. A bubbling gurgle. A near constant annoyed shout. Shade and Umbra smiled fondly as the familiar yet slightly different voices floated up into their head. Previous impatience from hearing nothing seeped away until one voice was heard. Smooth, cool, completely calm. A small spark of annoyance sat spinning behind Shade's eye, mist of relief shifted behind Umbra's. That smile never left.

The shadowy being jumped onto the shadows on the walls and zipped easily through the house, getting to the front room ceiling as the door opened and a tall crystal riddled being walked inside. It seemed too good to be true but it took only a split second. Superbia, Invidia, Ira, Acedia, Avarice, Gula and Luxuria. All seven. If Shade and Umbra had a heart they were sure it would be near stopped to skipping beats. A bright smile pulled the sides of their mouth up and they were grinning widely.

Superbia looked up and almost immediately it was tackled in a large multiple armed hug. It staggered a step backwards but otherwise was completely solid. Hands either gripped shadowy cloth or patted the sin's back and arms slightly to be absolutely sure it was actually there. A loud purr started almost echoing through the house before the oldest sin even started to move its own arms.

Instead of just accepting a hug, Shade and Umbra pulled back for a moment, slapped the oldest sin across the face and then went back to cling as if letting go would mean the crystalline being would disappear.

A quiet halfhearted chuckle rose and Superbia nodded, "I suppose I deserved that."

Almost a chorus was what answered, "~Yes̰̟͕̞͙̯̼ͦ́̇͒̎ͯ̑ͩ͢ss!!"

"Ḫ̟̣̬̜͈̲e̻͓̥̣̬̖͙ͨ͒ͫ͂ẖ̹̭̥͖ͫ̿̔.͉̹.͖͈͇̟̃̎ͥ̄̊̚.ͅ ̳̝̪̃w̹̭̭̫̫ͪͭe͚̺̤͖̲l͖̲͓͖̃ͅċ̭̬̞͇̻͇ͧͧͬ̀o̠̪̓ͭm̃ͯ̑̈́͛͐̆e͔̠̯̿͋ ̭̤̮̞̘̟ͪ͌ͯͅḥ̇̃ͮ̚ȍ̠ͬ̒̾m̉̑̈́̄ë̠̥͖̦.̪͉̦ Heh... welcome home."