#om3ned

@om3ned followed from  | ℒ |

He sat back, fingers flexing against his knee, eyes drifting away for a beat as if searching the dark corners of the room for an easier answer. None came. ‘Expert,’ he muttered finally, a quiet scoff under his breath. ‘That’s generous. Surviving doesn’t make me an authority. It just means I’m too stubborn to stay dead.’ The silence stretched. His jaw worked once, as though chewing over words he rarely spoke aloud. ‘Truth is…’ A pause, lips parting, then closing again before he pushed forward. ‘All I’ve ever wanted was a family. Not power. Not a throne. Just… people to come home to. Something to anchor me when everything else was chaos. Something I could keep, protect, instead of watching it all burn.’ He gave a faint, quiet laugh, shaking his head at the absurdity of the confession. ‘Didn’t think I’d ever say that out loud. Guess centuries of blood and betrayal will do that to a man — make him crave the one thing he’s never managed to hold onto.’ At last, he looked back at Damien, gaze steady, stripped of its usual bravado. ‘So if you’re asking me if I want a brother? Maybe … I don’t know how to be one. I don’t have a handbook for it. But I’m not going to turn you away, either. You didn’t ask for this life any more than I did. That’s enough to start with. Eh?’

Lucifer looks at Damien, studying him for a moment. This was supposed to be the Antichrist, the one to bring about Hell on Earth and force Heaven into a war that could wipe out humanity. Instead, he's sitting there cajoling Satan into making a deal. Perhaps he's more like his father than initially suspected. He can't force Damien to be a part of the plan. And he's grown a little fond of talking to him. As much as he is loath to admit it, the company that his son has provided has been nice. Having someone to look out for is a feeling that Lucifer didn't even realise he missed.

He could always try and make another Antichrist next century. Heaven, unfortunately, wasn't going anywhere.

@grimmusings chose to pet the wolf : i guess there are no rules anymore about what a person can do to another person. (Damien @om3ned)

‘What do you mean?’

A shudder coursed through his body, his mind a storm of thoughts as he anxiously searched for any memory of harming Damien. Accustomed to self-blame, Valentin's thoughts spun in endless circles. Despite this, he couldn't recall any misstep, suggesting that Damien's words were either theoretical or about someone else entirely. ( In truth, Valentin's deepest wish was to improve the world, to infuse it with light and hope. It was against his nature to harbour ill feelings toward others, even those who had caused him pain. ) He had been conditioned to believe that he deserved his suffering, that the misfortunes that befell him were his fault. That he hadn’t been good enough, and never would be. His eyes, heavy with the weight of ingrained submission, instinctively lowered to the ground, a gesture more born of habit than necessity now.

‘People don't always understand how to act. They need guidance.’