It was not a pleasant decision to make by any means. Charioce XVII’s recently-adopted policy of treating demons as “paid workers” seemed pathetically insufficient in the way of reparations after the humiliation and brutal abuse he and his brethren had suffered at mortal hands, and as for the Wasteland itself...Azazel could never manage to think of it with anything more than contempt. It stood as nothing but a bitter reminder of how far demons and fallen angels alike had fallen since Cocytus’ destruction–of the day his kind had been forced to flee–from humans–to the farthest, most uninhabitable reaches of the land just to survive. 

No, it was not a choice Azazel had derived any amount of joy or satisfaction from...but with demons finally free to leave the human capital if they so chose, there was precious little reason for him to linger any longer. 

That was the conclusion he’d come to...but that was not to say that returning “home” was without its fair share of problems–potential, guaranteed, or otherwise. 

Most pressing was the notion that Azazel may no longer have a post to return to. Regardless of his intentions, there was no denying that, for five years, Azazel had all but abandoned his position and severed contact with both his superior and the demonic courts. To return now and expect his prior status to remain intact, despite accomplishing none of what he had set out to do in either Anatae or in (what should have been) the final battle against the human king...it was just as arrogant and presumptuous as his original demand for reinforcements all those weeks ago had been. Indeed, it seemed far more likely that he might be banished for his failures–or disciplined, at the very least.

Even so...it was difficult to imagine living out the entirety of his existence anywhere but at Lucifer’s side. That was why, even if his efforts had been for naught...–

With quiet footsteps, Azazel entered his superior’s study, waiting a few seconds in silence for acknowledgement before finally opting to speak.

@duskfeathered​

A different world brought with it a myriad of different topics to study, and Lucifer wasted no time in throwing himself into these new subjects whenever he had a moment alone.

In particular, Spirale had many things that Lucifer had never heard of: highly advanced technology not known to the skies, novel modes of transportation, traditions foreign to the culture he had watched evolve, and fauna unlike anything in the world he had observed for thousands of years. If he had no prior arrangements with anyone else, he could wile away hours in the library simply reading.

But even the library had a finite selection of books. As Lucifer perused the shelves for a title he hadn’t yet read, he wandered into a particularly quiet--and dark--section of the library. His eyes traveled along the books until he found one that he hadn’t read, but as he reached for one of them, his hand brushed against another’s.

“Oh. I apologize--”

When he looked up, however... His eyes fell on a familiar face, but not so much because it belonged to someone he knew...

“You...”

...Rather, it was familiar because he knew his own face well.

@mycsei @duskfeathered​

“So, Lucio... What is this surprise that you said you wanted to show me?”

It had certainly been one that Lucio was enthusiastic about, having made all of the arrangements to make sure that Lucifer wouldn’t have any other arrangements for this day--not that he would have anything of urgency to take care of for the next little while, given that he was still recovering from his accident--yet Lucio had remained tight-lipped about the whole thing.

Even more confusing was that this so-called “surprise”...was apparently Lucifer’s next door neighbour.

“...Lucio? I don’t understand. Why are we were?”

But as he asked, a realization dawned on him.

Who was the one who lived in this house? Lucifer had never seen the owner before. In fact, more often than not, the curtains were drawn, and whenever he looked, there was never anyone coming and going, yet there were clear signs of occupation... Of course, Lucifer himself was rarely home because of his busy schedule, and this likely factored into why he often missed his elusive neighbour.

But now he was really curious. As they stopped at the doorstep, Lucifer glanced to his older brother again.

@duskfeathered​

While Lucifer had contemplated waiting out the chaos while safe within the city limits, he had caught word of doppelgangers forming troupes to hunt down their doubles. Such groups were scouring every nook and cranny of the city, and Lucifer knew he could only remain hidden for so long before he was also found. 

Reluctant to leave the confines of the city without ascertaining either Lucio’s or Sandalphon’s safety, Lucifer knew he had little choice on the matter. But an irrational fear of getting caught gripped him, one that was strangely prevalent, especially after the fear of his double that the other Lucilius had planted within him. And without giving it much further thought, Lucifer followed the many others who had fled the area.

He walked slowly, urging his ailing, aching body to keep going. Breaths came in short gasps, an effect not only from a prolonged period in the hospital, but from whatever sickness that he had been unfortunate enough to be afflicted with at this timing. It was already difficult enough traveling this barren land with no guidance or company. But solitude was comforting in a way. This way, he didn’t have to spend his time looking over his shoulder. This way, he could hear and see any potential allies coming from miles away...or enemies, if it came down to that.

Speaking of...

He saw a familiar figure in the distance, and though he wasn’t who Lucifer had initially been looking for, he felt relief upon finding him all the same.

“Brother!”

Forcing his weary legs into a run to catch up with him, it was only after he drew close that he realized just how much in disarray his brother looked. The older Lucifer seemed to be somewhat shaken... A rare sight indeed, and the concern was immediate on Lucifer’s face.

Noted!

Welcome back to scenic Isola Radiale, Lucifer!

You will be housed in TOWNHOUSE 230.

You will receive everything you had in your previous stay.

PLEASE NOTE: As you were removed in an activity check, you have one week to make three IC posts else you will be considered inactive once more.

Thank you for letting us know!

Your url has been updated for you!

In the time following his sudden arrival a week prior, Mugaro had begun to acclimate rather well to his situation. There was still a great deal about Spirale, of course, that he could not understand: the noisy metal carriages clogging the roads, for one, still never failed to startle him, and the “cell phone” Azazel had spent the better part of an evening teaching him to use had enough buttons and different functionalities to set his head spinning. Even so...outside of his guardian’s insistence that he remain nearby at all times, Mugaro found that his life in this city wasn’t so different from the one he had led for the past two years in Anatae–and in more ways than one, that was a comfort.

“Ah...–Lucifer-san.”

It...wasn’t so different, but...the company Azazel had taken to keeping in Spirale–namely, the tall, regal-looking fallen angel in the doorway–was definitely on the unfamiliar side. If he was being honest, it was still a bit nerve-wracking to be alone with the fallen angel Lucifer...but then, Azazel seemed to trust him–even respect him. In light of that, he couldn’t possibly be all that bad.

...

That, and...well. Between the snow packed into Lucifer’s feathers and the state of disarray the wind had put them in, the fallen angel was just a little harder to take seriously. 

(He looked like a big, disheveled bird...!)

“Your wings are all wet... I’ll go get some towels.”

It was a relatively short time after this exchange that Azazel made his way downstairs; and though the demon, at this point, was no stranger to the strange and even impossible, finding Mugaro standing on tip-toe in an effort to reach and towel down his superior’s wings was...not exactly a scenario he had expected to walk into so soon after waking. 

“Oh–good morning, Azazel!”