"Phew...I'm full..." The Slayer said with a contentful sigh as he patted his stomach, "Been a while since I've had a meal like that...should start making it a regular thing..." He told himself.
Standing up from his bed and stretching out his arms, before the Slayer attended to the food cart and the empty plates on it, he chose to make his bed. Whether it was due to his time spent as a soldier or because his mother made sure he did it every morning, as odd as it may seem for someone like him, he wasn't about to leave his bed a mess. It took him only a minute or so to get it back in perfect condition, so good you could bounce a quarter off the top blanket. With that done, he turned his attention back to his surprise breakfast, or rather what was left of it.
Opening his nightstand drawer and retrieving the metal plate autographs he made, if he ran into someone else that wanted one, he stored them in his suit's storage, then grabbed onto the cart and pushed it out of the room. Although his attire looked precisely like his uniform from his time with the UAC, it was just as advanced and had the same capabilities as the Maykr armor. The simplest way to explain how this was possible is to compare it to something like a touchscreen cellphone. At first glance, it looks like a relatively simple device, but then you learn of all the different things it can do because its inner workings are surprisingly complex and that it also has a multi-lensed camera for some reason.
And as a bonus, he greatly preferred this attire of the Maykr suit. It was far more comfortable, and even with the lack of armor in certain places like on his arms and his midsection, he was indestructible now, so it's not like it was needed or anything. Anyway, as he pushed the cart down the ground floor hallway and into the lobby, he saw an unexpected gathering happening at the front desk.
"Hey, guys..." He greeted Alastor, Azrael, Nifty, and Husk, which caused the last one mentioned to freak out.
"GAH! WILL!" Husk shouted in a panic, doing his best to pry himself away from the other three, "YOU DIDN'T SEE THIS!" He added.
"Oh, come now, Husker, nothing wrong with a nice group hug first thing in the morning, at least that's what one of the counselors in my programs always say," Alastor told him.
"Don't worry...I'll make sure this doesn't get back to a certain someone..." The Slayer promised, referring to the very same person responsible for his unexpected wake-up call.
"Thank you, least someone here isn't a dick." Husk replied, staring daggers at Alastor when he said that.
"Wait, Will, did you order room service?" Nifty questioned, now noticing all the empty plates and glasses.
"Nope...that's courtesy of a certain devil..." He informed.
"Heh, this does have Charlie written all over it," Azrael said with a chuckle, "Surprise she didn't show up alongside it herself, though." She admitted.
"She'll probably try to play it off...say it came from a fan in the hotel or one of you..." He replied.
"Now THAT will be a sight to see! She's terrible at lying." Alastor commented.
"Hilariously bad." Nifty chimed in.
"To the point, you'd think she was physically incapable of telling even a slightly convincing fib," Husk added, all of them deciding on their own to dogpile on her.
"I'd stand up for her, but she takes too much after her father for anything I could say to be believable." Azrael joined in, not wanting to be left out.
"Should be fun to see then..." The Slayer said before changing the topic, "Anyway, I need to get this to the kitchen..." He told them.
"I'll come with you!" Nifty exclaimed as she hurried over.
"Why?..." He questioned.
"Because Will! Angel Dust and Katie got to spend time with you before the show last night! And in case you've forgotten even before you went to stay with Helsa these last few weeks, you and I haven't had a chance to spend any time together!" She explained but had to speak again as she could tell he was about to say something, "AND WHEN WE'RE WITH THE OTHERS, IT DOESN'T COUNT!" She shouted.
"...But we're going to be with the others no matter what...we're spending the day in the hotel..." After needing a second to think of something else to tell her, he replied.
"Then we'll just have to make the most of our time in the kitchen!" She exclaimed with a huff as she took the cart from him, "You're already living with Angel and Katie, so they get to see you when you aren't here, which is also super unfair!" She carried on.
Surprised by how upset she seemed about this, the Slayer chose to go along with it to make her feel better.
"You know, we forget because she's so cute and hyperactive, but Nifty's scary just like any other demon in Hell." Husk said as he, Alastor, and Azrael watched them head into the dining area.
"Can you blame her? Both of her romantic rivals have got a massive lead on her in the fickle game known as love! She'll need to double down on her efforts if she has any hope of catching up and passing them!" Alastor exclaimed.
"...You are WAY too fucking invested in this. It's fucking creepy." He replied, giving the radio demon a look of unease.
"You are more interested in this than I assumed you would be. Is there any reason why?" Azrael asked, for although she didn't know Alastor all too well yet, she felt at the very least she had a good read on his personality.
"Two actually, the first is that I care about Nifty, and so I also care if she finds love and has all that her little heart desires." He answered.
"And the second reason?" Husk pressed.
"I've discovered I have both an affinity and insatiable curiosity for anything regarding love. After all, I was the one who got you two into your relationship." He reminded.
Huh, neither Husk nor Azrael ever acknowledged that fact; if Alastor hadn't told them how the other felt, they wouldn't be where they were now. However, both had blushes come to their faces when they realized this, so they looked away out of embarrassment.
"Fuck...I forgot about that..." Husk muttered before letting out a groan, "God fucking damn it...of course you'd be responsible for my relationship..." He went on, causing Alastor to laugh.
"No need to be so upset about it! Turns out I'm as skilled at being cupid as I am charming." The radio demon jested right before an idea came to mind, "I wonder if Vega would be willing to give me angel wings and a bow?" He asked.
"I could ask him for you." Azrael offered.
"What the? Azrael!" Husk exclaimed, dumbfounded she'd offer to help this lunatic with something like that.
"Don't worry, Husker. She won't need to help me." Alastor said before pointing towards the other side of the room, "I can always ask him for help." He suggested.
Unsure of who he was referring to, Husk and Azrael looked to the front doors, and they were shocked by who was standing there.
"Gabriel?" Azrael questioned, having no idea as to why her brother was suddenly in the hotel.
"Sister, radio demon, drunkard." The archangel greeted, making Husk feel uncomfortable both with his presence and how he addressed him, "I'm sorry I couldn't be present at the Slayer's celebration last night. I had business to attend to." He told them as he walked over.
"Is that same business why you're here without warning or notice? Because your appearance is rather confusing." Azrael responded.
"Believe it or not, it is." He admitted, "Tell me, are any of you familiar with the woman who performed before the Slayer last night? A celebrity of this circle by the name of Verosika Mayday." He asked.
"Uh...yeah...why the fuck do you know about her?" Husk asked.
"I'm partly responsible for her inclusion in the festivities." He answered, which blew all of their minds at once.
"YOU? An archangel of Heaven, the overseer of justice throughout creation, orchestrated to have a musician perform at Will's party?" Alastor questioned.
"It was part of a deal I made with someone I work with; you'd know her as the wife of a nobleman named Stolas." He explained.
"No...fucking...way..." Husk muttered in disbelief, "You've been working with Stolas's ex? The one who's batshit insane?" He asked.
"Careful drunkard, I can still kill you." He warned, not too fond of someone like him insulting her.
"Get even so much as a centimeter closer to him, and you'll become acquainted with the true sensation of death," Azrael warned him in return with a stern, intimidating glare.
"Forgive my interjection." Alastor apologized as he intervened, "But if two children of God are going to start fighting, please let me know. I prefer to be at a safe distance to spectate from." He requested.
"That won't be necessary, radio demon." Gabriel assured while standing down, "The only reason I shared this information with you is to help explain my presence now. The deal I made with miss Stella was that I'd inform her daughter she wants to see her. But when I went to her former residence last night after the celebration was done to deliver the message, the staff told me she and her father came here with all of you. And I waited for morning to come because I didn't want to put a damper on what I assumed was a continuation of the party." He explained.
"Well, Gabriel..." Husk hesitantly replied, feeling as though at any moment he would have a spear violently thrust through him, "I hate to be the one to break this news to you, but if you tell Octavia that there's a good chance she'll want to throw something at you." He told him.
"Or quite possibly stab you!" Alastor chimed in.
"Then, I will have to take those risks. I am an angel of my word, and I would never betray the trust miss Stella placed in me to carry out this request. So if you could please tell me where her daughter is currently staying, I shall be on my way." He replied.
"I'll do you one better; here's the room key." Husk said before finding it and handing it over to him, "We always keep plenty of spares in case people lose'em or we need to get into the room. Just be sure to return it, alright?" He instructed, being a bit bolder towards the archangel than usual.
"Thank you," Gabriel responded as he took it.
"Gabriel, I hope you don't think me intrusive or too forward when asking this, but could there be another reason why you're going so far for miss Stella?" Alastor inquired.
"Al. I am begging you. DON'T." Husk said with widened eyes, as he knew EXACTLY what this asshole was doing.
"I don't see how that question is intrusive, but be assured I am solely carrying out my part of our bargain and doing this out of respect for her. I have no hidden ulterior motives." He promised.
"You're sure? No other reasons at all?" Alastor pressed with a cheeky grin.
"AL." Husk said again, on the brink of reaching over the desk and wrapping his hands around his neck to get him to stop.
"No, but now I feel as though you know something I don't." He replied, finding the continued interrogation to be peculiar.
"Not at all. I'm inquisitive, nothing more." Alastor assured before shooing him away with his hands, "Now go on, you have an awkward family matter to get to." He told him.
Eyeing the radio demon for a few seconds more, to be sure, Gabriel decided it was simply an aspect of his personality and went about his business, leaving the three of them alone again.
"WHAT THE FUCK AL?!" Husk asked once he was gone, "ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US BOTH KILLED?! ARE YOU SUICIDAL?!" He questioned.
"I was just fulfilling my role as cupid," Alastor said in his defense, which only pissed the other off more.
"A word of advice Alastor." Azrael spoke to get his attention, "There's no point in trying anything with my brother. He's far too thick-headed to understand anything." She told him, letting the sibling side of her show with that comment.
"That just means it'll be an exciting challenge!" He exclaimed.
"I'm going to die..." Husk muttered with wide eyes full of fear, knowing if Alastor started messing with Gabriel's life, it'd be his ass that'd get skewered.
Meanwhile...
How do two young women handle suddenly becoming celebrities? Because neither Loona nor Octavia was equipped to handle this kind of situation. In the late hours of the night, when the after-party at the hotel was over, these two up-and-coming superstars felt two emotions, excitement and anxiety. On the one hand, this was fucking awesome; the concert went as planned, they got to perform with Will, and after checking social media and other platforms of information, they discovered they'd become the talk of the circle.
Which was when the anxiety came in. They started freaking about how everyone knew who they were now and how there'd be a demand for things like more concerts, public appearances, meet and greets with their new growing fanbase; it was so much to think about! This is exactly why neither of them got any sleep, like at all. They stayed up all night drinking soda, or coffee, or booze in Loona's case, because they wanted to figure things out and where they were going to go from here.
But eventually, it all came crashing down like a meteor from space, which they should've expected after everything they'd done. At about three in the morning, they both collapsed where they were from their exhaustion, Octavia thankfully landing on a bed while Loona, unfortunately, on the floor. She didn't mind, though, from how drunk and tired she was; she could've fallen on a bed of rusty nails that were on fire and still sleep like a baby. In this state, very little was likely to wake them.
Luckily for their current visitor, he had a booming knock.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuugh...fucking stop..." Loona whined with her face pressed to the floor, lacking the strength and the care to move it even slightly, so it was in a better position, "Octavia...get the door..." She requested.
"I can't...feel my limbs..." Octavia replied, also having been woken up by the knocking, "You do it...you're closer..." She argued.
"I'm dead right now...can't..." Loona countered, "Please...just do it...my head's going to explode otherwise..." She insisted.
"You owe me...like three times over..." Octavia told with a sigh as she willed herself to life.
"Thank you..." She said to show her appreciation but remained still as a statue.
Having to struggle for a full minute before she got out of bed, even when Octavia got to her feet, was like walking on ice.
"I...am way too tired...for whatever this is..." She muttered as she wobbly made her way to the door.
"What the hell do you want?..." She asked with her eyes closed as she pulled the door open, fully ready to slam the door in this person's face if they came here only to waste her time.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, miss Octavia. Especially after the eventful evening, you had last night. But I promise I would not be here if it weren't for a good reason." Gabriel responded.
She knew that voice, that was the voice of the archangel Gabriel, you know, one of Vega's children. The very same who radiated purity and was dressed in shining white garments that hid his body and face, Gabriel. And when that information all fell into place inside her head, Octavia slowly opened her eyes, blinked a few times, smiled at him, and said:
"I'm sorry, I just woke up. Could you please give me a moment?" She requested while holding up a finger.
"Of course. Again I am sorry for disturbing you." He apologized a second time.
"Oh no, please don't apologize. In all honesty, I should've been up by now anyway." She assured before gently closing the door.
Making sure the door was shut tight and that he wouldn't be able to see or hear her when she did was she was about to do, Octavia went from charming and composed to freaking out in less than a second.
"LOONA!" She exclaimed quietly so the archangel wouldn't hear, running over to the Hellhound who was still face down on the floor, "GABRIEL. HE'S OUTSIDE OUR ROOM. WHAT DO I DO?!" She asked.
"Why...the fuck...are you panicking?..." Loona questioned, still not feeling like moving her head at all, "We know Gabriel...it's not like he's here to kill us or some shit..." She reminded.
"HE'S STILL AN ARCHANGEL!" Octavia exclaimed, "And you know what his personality's like! He wouldn't be here if it weren't for something important, so what could have happened that involves me?!" She asked.
"Dude...I don't...fucking...know..." Loona answered bluntly, "But you need to go back out there soon...he'll get suspicious if you never come out..." She told her.
Realizing Loona was right and that she'd wasted enough time already, Octavia scrambled about the room, trying to make herself presentable. She didn't have another set of clothes, but thankfully what she wore was clean, her feathers were ruffled but easily made neat with a quick smoothing, and after taking one quick look in their bathroom mirror followed by a splash of water to the face, she looked no different than she usually did.
"Alright, did the best I could. Now I won't look like a homeless person at least." She said as she headed for the door.
"Go get'em girl...I'll be...yeah..." Loona cheered her on with a weak wave of her fist, right before passing out.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Octavia apologized as she opened the door, quickly stepping out and shutting it behind her so Loona could sleep peacefully, "So...what brings you here...to the hotel...looking for me?..." She asked with a nervous smile, trying to keep her composure.
"If it's alright with you, could we discuss this while leaving the building?" He responded, which only made her nerves jumpier, "What I have to tell you is better shared without so many ears nearby." He explained.
"Oh...uh...sure...no problem..." She said.
Allowing him to take the lead, Gabriel didn't walk towards the front of the building but rather the back.
"There must be people in the lobby..." Octavia thought as they walked in silence, "This really must be important...if he doesn't even want anyone we know to hear this..." She reasoned.
It didn't take them long to find the rarely used back entrance of the hotel, which was different from the front as it was a simple door rather than two large ornate ones. Proceeding through to the outside, they were met with a chilly breeze, which to Octavia served as an omen of what he had to say.
"Thank you for indulging me," Gabriel spoke as he closed the door after she was through.
"As I said, it's no problem." She assured while rubbing her arms to stave off the cold.
"Allow me." He offered as he summoned a cloak similar to his.
"Oh, thank you." She replied as he put it on her shoulders, feeling honored to receive something like this from someone of his position and status.
"It's the least I can do." He said with a sigh, "For what I have to share is...going to upset you." He warned.
"Before you say anything else." She spoke to keep him from saying more, "Is it my dad? Did something happen? I know that's probably a stupid question because everyone would be freaking out, and I just saw him last night, but still, is he okay?" She asked.
"As far as I am aware, nothing has happened since you last saw him." He answered, which allowed her to breathe more easily.
"Okay...good...that's one worry off my mind..." She confessed with a small smile, "But that does leave me at a loss. I'm not sure why else you would be here unless something happened to him." She admitted.
"Remember, you have TWO parents." He replied.
Everything came to a stop, at least that's how it seemed for Octavia. It all just...drained right then and there; that was the best way she could describe it. No emotion, no perception of anything happening around her; the only thing she could feel even with the cloak on her body was that chilled wind blowing.
"...Did something happen to my mom?..." She asked after a short while, clutching the cloak and pulling it closer to her, "Or...did she send you...because she knew I'd listen then?" She added.
"You're very intelligent. You get that from her." He complimented, "I won't waste your time, in case you already know what your answer will be." He told her as he put his hands behind his back, "She wants to speak with you and nothing else. This isn't an attempt to bribe or persuade you or to try and turn you against your father or your friends. All your mother wants is a chance to talk to you as both a person and your parent." He informed.
Another period of silence came between them as Octavia thought that over, which he expected.
"...Do you believe her?" She asked, "Is this genuine? Or is there a chance it's a plan for something else?" She suggested.
"As the archangel of justice, it is both my position and within my power to know when I am being lied to. Ignoring our association with each other due to our work, which I, unfortunately, cannot share the details of, I can safely say her request to see you is without ulterior motives." He answered.
"That's...I...don't know how to react to that..." She said with an angry expression, "My mom has never been much to me...even before the recent explosion of built-up tension between her and my dad...she wasn't exactly mother of the century or anything..." She explained.
"She's shared this with me." He revealed to her surprise, "I know it is hard to believe. Not long ago, I too thought that no soul, if they actively chose to do wrong, could truly repent, and thus they could only be punished. I do not claim to know her better than you, Octavia, for regardless of who I am, I have no right to make such a bold claim. But it is in my opinion, which is formed from my experience, that she is genuine and that she is putting forth the effort to mend her relationship with you." He told her.
"Are you saying I should go hear her out then?" She asked.
"No. This is your choice to make. All your mother requested is that I inform you she wants to talk. And I will remain here until you make a decision no matter how long it takes." He answered, wanting to assure her there was no rush.
Slowly tilting her head upwards, Octavia looked to the sky, almost as if she was searching for an answer there. And in truth, she was; she didn't know where to begin forming a decision for something like this. She and her mother didn't have a relationship beyond "I'm the one who gave birth to you." So hearing she suddenly wanted to make one was...indescribable. Yet...she couldn't say she didn't want this, she always wanted them to get along and be closer, and the fact it could finally be happening was both exciting yet terrifying.
"...Gabriel." She spoke, going so far as to use his name to convey the seriousness of what she was about to say, "Could...you come with me? And I don't just mean to take me to her...I'd appreciate it if you stayed for the conversation." She requested.
"Why?" He questioned, baffled that she'd choose him of all people.
"Obviously, dad's not allowed to come, and I wouldn't want him to anyway because all they'd do is fight. But I can't lie and say I'm not scared of what she may say or how this will turn out. I just...I don't want to be alone when I do this or when it's over in case it goes bad." She explained.
"Well...first of all, I'm honored that you would ask that of me. Second, if you truly wish for my presence to help you in whatever way is needed, I more than willing to provide it." He said.
"Thank you." She replied with a smile, though it only lasted for a moment, "Is she waiting for us?" She asked.
"Yes. Are you ready to go now?" He answered, ending with a question.
"No. But I don't think anyone could be." She replied.
"I know how you feel." He said while opening a portal for them to use, "When Lucifer and I first spoke to each other properly not long ago, it was many things. Awkward, stressful, and most of all painful due to the memories we shared and the regrets we carried but never dared to acknowledge." He shared.
"And yet, you both managed to work things out." She told him.
"That we did. But if the same outcome should not happen for you, it is not a tragedy nor a failure on either you or your mother. What will come of this conversation, although not fated or predetermined by any means, will be what is meant to happen when you two face each other." He replied before they entered the portal side by side.