Chapter 2

Diligence

Envy was going into hysterics.

"Would you calm down!?" Pride bonked him over the head.

"Don't tell me you're not freaking out either!?" Envy snapped.

"No, not really." Pride blinked.

"Agh!" Hailey abruptly jumped up.

"Hailey, what's going-" Luciana started, when Chase groaned.

Chase sat up, staring at his hands with an expression of disbelief.

"What's going on?"

Chase's phone rings.

"Claire's back." Greed said.

"Good." Luciana hung up.

Talia groaned from the floor.

"Kiara should be waking up, right? So why isn't she!?" Envy was still panicking.

"Why. . .why would she. . ." Chase stuttered.

"Hailey, why's your hair brown?" Pride pointed.

Hailey grabbed her hair, pulling it until she could see it. She shrieked.

"My hair!"

"Kiara should be waking up soon." Talia patted Envy's head.

"Calm down everyone." Talia addressed everyone in the room. "Mother spoke to us and told us we'd be human for now on. Diligence should be around here somewhere."

"Nice house you've got." Diligence said sarcastically, walking out of the girl's room. "Not very spacy, cramped, hot-"

"Shut up, Diligence." Kiara said from where she was draped on Envy's lap.

Diligence stared at her. "You should move."

"What?" Envy asked, confused.

Kiara refused to move.

"Mom will punish you if you keep the act up." Diligence continued.

"Shut up." Kiara rested her arm over her eyes.

"Don't tell me to shut up, because-"

"SHUT UP!" Kiara jumped up and lunged for her sister.

"Stop!" Chase grabbed her, holding her back.

Diligence just watched with a blank look. Her nose slowly wrinkled in disgust.

"Seriously? You're going to attack me too? Ooh, I'm scared."

"Dil, stop. You're not helping." Talia said.

"Whatever." Diligence turned and slammed the bedroom door behind her.

"Nice sister you got there." Pride said flatly.

Kiara made a snarling noise. "She's such a little...ugh."

"Since you're a human, it's probably alright to swear, though it's probably going to influence someone." Chase hesitantly released her.

So I guess being a Virtue prohibited them from swearing?

"Such a little b**ch."

Envy reached for Kiara. "Come."

"She's not a dog, Envy." Luciana sighed.

Kiara stared at Envy with a "Really? I'm a dog now?" look, then shocked everyone when she walked over and snuggled up against him.

"Okay, I take it back. She is a dog." Luciana sweat-dropped.

Envy glared at his sister, wrapping a protective arm around the red-head.

"So, as a Virtue, did you have a list of rules or something to follow?" Pride asked.

"Something like that." Chase said.

"The rules said Mother had complete control of everything," Hailey said quietly. "And we were just lucky to be created."

"We're her minions." Kiara muttered into Envy's chest.

"Are you saying your mom's a tyrant?" Luciana asked.

"She was always nice, though. But lately, she hasn't cared much. Some people have gone to hell that shouldn't have. It's like. . .someone replaced her." Hailey played with the grass floor.

"So why did Kiara-"

"I care too much." Kiara interrupted. "Comes with being Kindness."

"Mother's been waiting for Kindness to revolt. It was only a matter of time." Diligence said in a flat, uncaring tone.

"Who called you in?" Kiara glared.

Diligence just watched her blankly. "I live here, don't I?"

"No." Kiara muttered.

Surprisingly, it was Envy who made her shush.

Talia watched with a small smile. Out of them all, it was Kiara who was doing the best at nudging Envy in the right direction, whether either of them realized it or not.

~With Greed and Claire~

Claire finished explaining what had happened to Greed. He listened in silence.

"So, you're freer than ever, but at the same time, more restrained?" He glanced around the bar.

"Yeah." Claire fiddled with the edge of her skirt.

"And this is wrong." He placed a quick kiss on her lips.

Claire flushed. "Don't do that in front of everyone!"

Marta smirked as she dried a glass.

"Do what? This?" He did it again.

"Greed!" Claire yelped, earning a laugh.

"Lighten up, babe." He swirled his drink around in the glass.

Claire sighed.

"So you going to try alcohol?" Greed downed his drink.

"No thanks." Claire said.

Greed shrugged. "You've still got a month and some week yet to change your mind."

"Oh right, we had a two month span. I forgot."

Marta blinked. Two month span? What? But with a quick glance at a miserable Claire, she decided not to ask.

Claire sighed. "I'm going to bed. Night."

Greed watched her leave, frowning. "Night."

Marta glanced at Greed, trying to figure out how he knew her. He didn't get her from death row, since Marta was there. He must've already knew her before then. Obviously something traumatic happened, since they were so close. Marta had walked in on the end of an explanation, so she didn't understand the whole thing. How was Claire restrained? And why was kissing wrong?

"You keep thinking like that and you'll go gray." Dave crossed his arms.

Marta glanced at him, then away. "Like I'm not already."

"You ain't." He protested.

"Aren't." Marta corrected.

"See?"

Marta sighed. "You are an idiot."

"Stop it." Greed sighed.

"Sir." Dave shut up.

Yes yes, the chapters are short. Sorry.

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