AN: Just to be clear, from now on, in case I end up causing anyone some confusion. Adam and Piccolo will be used interchangeably throughout this fic, as both names belong to our reincarnated Namekian.
The Reborn First Man:
Chapter 3: The Morningstar: Part 2.
For a tense moment, an awkward silence filled the air, as the angel and First Man met each other's gaze, the former startled and unsure how to proceed, now that he was caught like a deer in the headlights, while the latter, aura still firing off his form in controlled waves, was cold and focused. His shining onyx pools boring into Lucifer's own as if he were trying to pierce his very soul itself, behind his pupils, which only served to further unnerve the blonde-haired being.
Effectively finished with his meditation, Piccolo rose to his feet, while keeping his attention on his new company, who was forced to crane his neck and look up to continue meeting his strong gaze, while also, in a small form of respect, keeping himself from having his eyes travel downward to a place he definitely didn't want them going.
"Wow…" Lucifer chuckled nervously, finally breaking the silence that'd begun to permeate, as he stepped back awkwardly. "You're, uhm… pretty tall, huh?"
The First Man rose a brow, as if to non-verbally ask him if that was seriously the first thing he thought to say to him now that they were interacting.
The angel instantly felt the sweat bead over his white skin, as the urge to kick himself grew.
Of all the things to say to him, now that he found himself in a situation where he was speaking to the First Man, someone he wasn't supposed to be interacting with, in a place he knew he'd get in trouble for being in, if the Elders found out about his presence here, he had to start with that!? A mention of his height, of all things, when height was something Lucifer himself felt a little insecure over, on account of how short he was, compared to most in Heaven, outside of those tiny, intentionally small Cherubs?
"You know, with how long you've been watching me like some sort of stalker, I'd have thought you'd at least have the courtesy to introduce yourself, when confronted, instead of making a comment about something as meaningless as my height." Piccolo remarked rather gruffly, as he crossed his arms over his chest, taking note of the six wings behind the much shorter individual that'd disturbed his tranquil training.
"St-Stalker!? I'm not a stalker!" Lucifer piped up indignantly. Even though he didn't know what that word meant, as he'd never heard it before, but he could guess it had negative connotations to it, just from the way it was said! "I-I was merely observing you, that's all!" He added, after a bit, while pointing his finger at the much taller male.
"Hmph. Observing me, huh?" The former Namekian narrowed his eyes. "Did Sera tell you to do that?" He asked, wondering if something had come up in Heaven, and she'd chosen to delegate the responsibility of checking up on him to the smaller, winged male before him. The responsible thing to do, in such a situation, provided one had the allies to rely on, and something he would not fault her for, given her position.
"Uhh… Yeah! Yeah, that's exactly right!" Lucifer latched onto the excuse given like a life-line, bobbing his head up and down in the affirmative, seeing it as a way to make the First Man more relaxed around him, despite knowing it was a lie, and also knowing that Sera would find out about it, and likely have more than a few words for him. "You got it in one, big guy! Sorry for starting off on the wrong foot, hehe. Name's Lucifer, by the way. As you can probably tell, I'm a Seraphim just like Sera. Pleasure to meet you!" The angel introduced himself politely, pushing out some confidence and what he'd like to call his usual charm with a toothy smile, as he offered his hand to the much taller male.
The more virtuous voice in his head told him that what he was doing wasn't a good idea, and that the responsible thing to do here, would be for him to retract that lie and tell the truth. If he did that, though, there was a chance the First Man would want him gone, and damnit, he didn't want to go, just yet! Now that he was here, actually interacting with him, even though he knew he shouldn't have been… it couldn't be helped, right? It'd be rude to just back out now, when they'd only just engaged in conversation, even if the First Man had been a little rude there, referring to him as a 'stalker', even if he still didn't know what that meant. He could let that slide though, as the taller male was likely put on-guard by his presence, which honestly, now that he thought about it, showed a surprising amount of awareness for a creature that was only supposed to have been newly made, and thus, fully innocent and naïve to the world.
Just one look into the male's eyes showed there was a sharpness to them, though. A readiness and awareness that he wasn't sure he should have, at least not right now, but he did, and that only made him even more fascinating!
"Hrmm. The name's Adam." The ex-Namekian replied back, almost saying his original name, but had the discipline to stop himself before he did, and give the new one, without any real pause, unlike the blonde man, who'd hesitated a bit at his question, as he made to take his hand in his own. The taller, reincarnated human's hand dwarfing that of the shorter being's hand with ease, as he dissipated his aura, just before he gripped it tight.
Straight to the point, without pleasantry with this one, I guess. Lucifer chose not to dwell on his new acquaintance not being as courteous as he was, along with his disappointment at the man killing off that beautiful aura he'd summoned before their hands touched, as he zoned in instead on the name given back, as he maintained his friendly smile and air. "Adam, huh? That's a wonderful name! Real fitting for the First Man, I'd say." Bet I could've come up with a better one for you, though. He added cheekily, in his own thoughts. Wisely choosing not to verbalize it, given how rude it'd come off.
"Hmm." The former alien grunted in acknowledgement of the compliment, but little else, as their hands separated, and he crossed both his arms over his chest again. He had an inkling that this guy hadn't actually been sent by Sera, but he sensed no hostility or malice from him, so he'd let the blonde's potential lie slide for now. "Well, seeing as you're here, and you clearly have the time to spend, do you mind answering a few questions I have?"
"Oh! Uh, sure! No problem. I can do that!" Lucifer nodded his head exuberantly. "Ask away, Adam!"
The reincarnated human almost smiled at the shorter male's excitability. The air about him, for a split-second, reminding him of Goku and a younger Gohan, to an extent. "For starters, what exactly are you? I know you just said you're a Seraphim, but I have no idea what that is, so care to elaborate?"
"You mean Sera didn't tell you, already?" Lucifer blinked in surprise.
"When she was here, we spoke of Eden and of my purpose, for the most part. This is one of the questions I wanted to ask her, but I felt as though I shouldn't keep her too long, even when she asked me if I had anything else to ask about, what with the position of power she holds in Heaven, and all the responsibilities she no doubt has on her shoulders, so instead elected to keep them for later." Piccolo cooly explained.
"I see…" Huh. I would've thought he'd be all over her with questions, taking up as much of her time as possible. The designated joy-bringer found himself further taken aback by the attitude of the recently created being, who was displaying much more maturity already than he'd expected him to. Instead of pushing for answers to all his questions immediately, he'd chosen to be considerate of Heaven's governor's time and let her leave without a fuss, for a later time. An action that he didn't doubt Sera had been surprised by, too.
Maybe that was why she'd been so pleased with herself, when she returned to Heaven, after greeting him. Their First Man, without prompt, was already showing virtue and meeting their expectations, thus far. Perhaps even exceeding them altogether.
"Hey. You alright there?" Piccolo asked with a furrowed brow, seeing the winged male pause.
"Ah!" Jolted out of his thoughts, Lucifer realized he was keeping the First Man waiting, and cleared his throat, before letting out an awkward chuckle. "Ehehe! Yep! I'm good. Soooooo… You want to know what the Seraphim are?"
Piccolo grunted his assent, gesturing for him to go on.
"Right, well, you see, Seraphim like myself and Sera are at the top of the angelic hierarchy of Heaven." Lucifer explained, before reopening his wings, spreading them wide, as he lifted himself up into the air in a rather grandiose manner. "As the highest class of angel, we're identified by the six wings we all have on our backs, and for the particular group of them I was born to, the double-halos above our heads." He said, while gesturing to the shining ornament that hovered above him with a prideful glint in his eyes, and what at first seemed to be just a single ring, on closer inspection, indeed had a second within it, similar to the taller angel's. "All angels have wings and halos, but only Seraphim like me have it like this. Pretty cool, huh?"
"Sure." Piccolo rolled his eyes. "Anything else, or is that it?"
Lucifer pouted almost childishly. "Seriously? Not even a little bit impressed?"
"I've already seen those before, on Sera." Piccolo drawled, before adding dryly, "Must've gotten all of my awe out, when I met her." More like he'd seen halos before, along with wings on a person. They were nothing special to him, even if they clearly carried status here, amongst the angels.
The blonde's brow twitched, as he landed down on his feet. "Okay, smartass. I get your point."
Lucifer thought briefly about how to proceed, then, letting what he felt like was a bit of mockery at his expense go, given that the first human did indeed have a point, even if he'd personally say that his wings and halo looked better than Sera's.
It went without saying that wings and halos were also things which the First Man didn't have, and other than a petty remark that almost made it to the tip of his tongue, Lucifer felt no need to point out that little tid-bit, given the guy seemed more than sharp enough to have figured that out on his own, by now.
"Oooookay then! Getting back on topic," The angel remarked, slinking himself back into his groove. "it is the job of the Seraphim to be the ones who run Heaven – Sera having been appointed the leader, of course – and we're meant to set our ideas into motion to add to Creation as a whole, for the betterment of it, and all those who live in it!" With a flourish, Lucifer exaggeratedly thrust his arms into the air then, for dramatic effect.
Piccolo had to supress the snort that almost bubbled up at his antics, as he kept to his stoic demeanour.
He also had his suspicions confirmed, in that these beings were, in fact, a type of angel. Not the same as that of Whis, of course, but certainly a breed of them. One which was responsible for building Creation.
The mention of an 'angelic hierarchy' also confirmed for him that there was more than one kind of them, in this reality. The Seraphim were just one of several, which just so happened to sit above the rest.
"Of course, none of my ideas ever get through…" The angel then added bitterly, bringing Piccolo out of his thoughts, as the smaller male's arms dropped, shoulders slouched, and a deep frown marred his features.
The First Man rose a brow at this. "Why's that? Were they not good enough, or something?"
"Oh, heck no! My ideas were, and still are, the best!" Lucifer instantly defended, taking an aggressive step forward while clenching his fist near his chest, all while trying not to show just how annoyed, saddened and fed-up he was, with this topic, but must've failed miserably, given the look the First Man shot him. "My fellow Seraphim, the Elders of Heaven, are just a bunch of overly-strict jerks!"
"They are, huh?"
"Oh, you bet!" Lucifer nodded vehemently. Bitterly. "Every time I've come up with a fantastical idea to benefit Heaven and Creation, it's always, 'oh, that idea is too dangerous, Lucifer!' or, 'you need to stop being a troublemaker, Lucifer'!" The blonde rattled off, while giving himself a more high-pitched voice, and then a lower-pitched one, no doubt meant to mock at least two of the Elders, whilst also using his free hand to mime a yapping mouth.
"They're really that bad with you?" Piccolo asked. The former Namekian sensing, given the sincerity of the angel's tone, that this was how he felt about the situation, but held his doubts that it was the full truth he was being told here. He hadn't met the Elders yet, outside of Seraphiel, or Sera, as she preferred, and she'd seemed nice enough, so he'd hold off on casting any judgment on them for what Lucifer was ranting about, until he had a better read on them, and their side of things.
"Oh, they are!" The blonde Seraph groaned in discontent, while scrubbing a hand down his face in exasperation. "Ugh… It's soooooo tiresome, let me tell you! It's getting to the point where I think it'd be better if I just did one of my ideas, regardless of their approval, just so I can show them how wrong they are about me! In fact, I think they're probably just concerned my ideas will end up better than theirs!"
It was brief, but for an instant, Piccolo saw a certain spiky-haired prince of all Saiyans reflected in the angel now. Less disciplined, definitely, and more childish without question, but the unmistakeable pride that Vegeta was known for, was wafting off this guy in spades, just as it had him.
Regardless, though, the reborn First Man was just a little bit curious now, as to what exactly his ideas were, if he was this confident in them, despite them getting shot down time and again.
If he got another chance to speak with him, after this, he'd be sure to inquire on them, if only just to sate his curiosity. Right now, though, he had other questions he'd like answers to.
"Alright, setting aside yours and the Elders' disagreements, what else can you tell me about Heaven?"
Lucifer blinked, taken aback by the shift in topic, before looking at him with surprise. "Wait. You want to know more about Heaven? Not Eden?" Not that he'd know much of anything about Eden, given this was his first time actually being in it, but still.
"Why would I ask about Eden, when I can get the answers to any questions I have about it, on my own, simply by exploring?" Piccolo replied matter-of-factly, as though it were as simple as that. "Heaven, on the other hand, I can't do that with. At least not yet, anyway." Lucifer's eyes widened at the way he chose to phrase that. "Regardless, it's the place I'm most curious about, since it's where you and Sera come from, and I'd appreciate it if you could tell me what it's like. So long as you're willing and allowed to, of course."
He also, more importantly, wanted to know about any potential differences between it and Heaven from his old universe, but he wasn't about to tell him something like that, when he'd only just met him, so he was sticking with his stated reason.
"O-Of course!" The blonde bobbed his head enthusiastically. "I absolutely am!" Another lie. He was still not supposed to be here, thus, not allowed by default to tell him anything. But eh, what was the harm? Even if the Elders did find out, what exactly were they go to do? He was hardly ruining their new favourite creation simply by talking to him and explaining some things. If anything, he was being helpful! So, who cared if he stuck around?
"So, what else would you like to know, Adam?" Sliding up to the much taller male, Lucifer forced down the self-conscious part of him that envied the First Man's towering height, with him reaching just below chest level to the muscular human, as he grinned at up at him. The angel successfully stopping his eyes from shooting down where they shouldn't, and slung an arm around the guy with a friendly gesture, at an upward angle, so as to avoid the awkwardness of wrapping an arm around his ass, and bringing his hand near his genitalia. "Would you like me to tell you about the rest of the hierarchy of angels, first? Or would prefer to hear about the seven Spheres of Heaven, and what you can expect to find in each? Because trust me, there's a lot!" The Seraph laughed jovially.
Piccolo felt a little smile come over him, as he saw a small bit of Gohan in the angel, once more, with how psyched up he was to be talking about a subject he enjoyed. He remembered the half-Saiyan being similar, whilst studying different fields, back in his schooling days to become a scholar, just as Chi-Chi had wanted. The kid never failing to show his excitement for what he'd come to learn about each subject, and sharing it all with Piccolo, when he'd come for a visit, or vice-versa.
"You can start wherever, Lucifer. I don't mind."
And so, he did. The short angel exuberantly running through every aspect of Heaven he could think of, with some occasional prodding from Piccolo for more details. The former Namekian wasn't sure how long it went on for, but what he did know, was that at some point, the two of them had started walking alongside each other around Eden, as Lucifer rattled off fact after fact about his home, greatly broadening Piccolo's knowledge of this reality's Empyrean realm.
He learned of the names and roles of the other classes of angel. From the wheels-within-wheels which were full of eyes, called the Ophanim, to the most recent edition to Heaven, in the forms of the tiny, winged, almost baby-like Cherubs, which were not to be confused with the Cherubim, four-faced, four-winged titans who often accompanied the Ophanim within the final Sphere of Heaven. A place they rarely left, if Lucifer was to be believed.
Speaking of the Spheres, he learned they all varied in appearance, while carrying what Lucifer called a 'holy aesthetic'. The bottom Sphere, which Lucifer focused on the most, outside of the seventh, housing a city called the Silver City, where much of the Heavenborn tended to congregate and hang out. All while having its own sky, where the other Spheres could be seen hovering above, capable of being reached through simple flight. It apparently had a day and night cycle like on Earth, only, it was still rather bright out, apparently, during the nighttime. Something about the heavenly light within the sky making it impossible to be any darker, though Lucifer couldn't quite elaborate too well on what the difference was between heavenly and regular light, other than magic.
The seventh Sphere, meanwhile, might as well have been its own cosmic bubble, with how Lucifer described it. For other than the ground being nothing but a golden, magical cloud – something which reminded him almost humorously of Goku's Nimbus – to remind one of the rest of the realm, the seventh's makeup was more… primeval in nature. Which made sense, he supposed, given the seventh Sphere was where it all began, according to the short angel.
From Lucifer's description, the seventh Sphere, at its centre, had a grand white pillar of light shooting up seemingly infinitely into the cosmos, called the primordial light, from which all the original and most powerful angels had spawned from, and which cascaded down into the other Spheres, with its wondrous rays. And from these rays was what the rest of the angels could be formed from.
Beyond the light, there was a resplendent, golden throne so massive, that even the largest of angelic beings were but a speck of dust, compared to it, in their regular sizes. And when Piccolo had asked why that was there, Lucifer had replied that it belonged to the Creator of this universe, its God, Piccolo's mind soon supplanted, who had once sat upon it, but which had been empty, since His departure, for reasons unknown.
The throne itself was held aloft by the Ophanim, who found much of their purpose in being its wheels, even without its owner there to sit upon it, while much of the Seraphim resided within what Lucifer described as a swirling mass of now star-spangled, shimmering clouds that stretched upwards to impossible heights around said throne and the primordial light. It was from there, apparently, that celestial bodies and other, even more fantastical objects or places, such as the other Spheres of Heaven, were created. Some by this God, who Lucifer admitted to having never met himself, at one point, and placed within the tapestry that was His once empty universe, and others mostly by a specific group of the Seraphim that Lucifer revealed he was a part of, as the youngest, called the Archangels, who were given the reins to the cosmic tapestry in His stead, out of trust.
Well, his older siblings, the Elders of Heaven, were handed it out of trust, anyway. Lucifer hadn't existed yet when that arrangement had been made.
Speaking of them, Lucifer was very forthright in giving names and his personal opinion on their personalities, beyond being 'overly strict jerks' as he'd put it a second time.
Seraphiel, for a start, since she was the only one he'd met, according to Lucifer, was a very by-the-books type who was almost obsessive in having everyone follow the rules, which the shorter angel personally thought of their being too many of. They were often at odds, because of that.
Michael, the taxiarch of Heaven, leader of the Archangels, and someone Sera held in the highest regard, to the point where whenever he made a suggestion for a new rule or law, she gobbled it up as though he was the leader of all of Heaven, and not her. Something that'd earned her an insult under Lucifer's breath, that Piccolo didn't quite catch, as he referred to Michael as a spoilsport who didn't know how to have any fun.
He was also, to Lucifer's great chagrin, as he mentioned it, almost identical in appearance to him, just way taller, which aggravated him to no end, much to Piccolo's small, hidden amusement.
Then there was Gabriel. The messenger of the Archangels. She was, evidently, similar to Michael in being a spoilsport to Lucifer, with her being the one to usually relay to him about his ideas being canned, and did so, at least according to the blonde, in an indifferent and uncaring way. Lucifer hadn't hesitated to call her a bitch for that.
Then Jophiel. The Archangel of beauty. Someone who Lucifer actually said something positive over, in that she was, in fact, stunningly beautiful, to the point she'd become the heartthrob of most of Heaven's denizens, male or female, when they laid eyes on her, with even Lucifer not being immune to her charms, which she effortlessly exuded.
She had a distaste for anything she found to be ugly, though. Lucifer himself was included on that list, and when asked why, the angel merely shrugged, unable to give an answer. Either that, or he knew, but simply refused to say.
Uriel came next. The Archangel of wisdom. Said to be without pity, and borderline emotionless, most of the time, when in Lucifer's presence. Out of everyone, Lucifer said she was the coldest to him. Had threatened to blast him with her holy light, at one point even, for annoying her.
Piccolo once again got the sense that there was more to that story, if true, but did not prod further. When he hopefully met Uriel, he could judge for himself the true breadth of her character, beyond what Lucifer said.
Raphael, the Archangel of healing, was the following mention. The one Lucifer was the least bothered by, and by his own account, even friendly with, at times. He was apparently the stoic, but caring type, when not being a jerk to Lucifer about his ideas, like the others.
Chamuel, the Archangel of love, was next, and came with a bitter tone from the blonde. The short angel not holding back about how he thought her being called that was ironic, as while she got showered with love for her own beauty, similar to Jophiel, she did not seem keen on reciprocating. At least, not with Lucifer, anyway, who timidly admitted he'd attempted to court her, at one point. Apathy best described her, in the small angel's opinion, for that was mostly all she ever showed him.
By this point, before the Seraph even continued, Piccolo had noticed a pattern, but hadn't commented on it.
Raguel, Archangel of justice and fairness, Remiel, Archangel of hope, and Sariel, the Archangel of protection, came rapid-fire after that, given that Lucifer barely interacted with them at all, when compared to those previous. Piccolo barely got anything of the first two, other than they were both male, distant and preferred to keep to themselves, especially in Lucifer's proximity, whilst Sariel had been described as the 'desiring' type. Whatever that meant, as Lucifer hadn't done a great job at elaborating, other than saying he, Sariel, occasionally threw the more beautiful female angels weird looks that made some of them uncomfortable, though he never did anything untoward.
He too, like the other two, preferred to keep to himself, when near Lucifer.
Last, but not least, was the Archangel of mercy and forgiveness, Zadkiel. He was talked about as being condescending, in Lucifer's eyes, spouting off nonsense about how Lucifer should be apologizing for his 'troublesome' behaviour, and seeking to be 'better', for Zadkiel 'knew' he had it in him.
Lucifer hadn't failed to mock his voice the most when quoting him, as something told him he interacted with Zadkiel, whether he liked it or not, the most frequently, and did not like his attitude, in regards to him, whatsoever. More so than the others, for Lucifer didn't believe he had anything to be sorry about.
Zadkiel often got just like all the others, with him, whenever he said that. Along with frustrated.
After Zadkiel, Lucifer had glowingly introduced himself as the Archangel of joy and happiness. The joy-bringer of Heaven, as his siblings had called him, though in his eyes it often didn't feel like it was so, as he rarely seemed to bring anybody such emotions at all. He maintained, however, that this was simply because those he was around the most, just refused to appreciate him and his vision.
Piccolo had said nothing to that. Just listened.
There were plenty of other little things he'd gleamed from Lucifer's words, too, such as the shorter descriptions of the other five Spheres, other types of angelic beings that were in the works, like the Houri, and so forth, but those were the bits that stood out to him the most.
The angel wasn't the only one speaking though, for eventually, Lucifer got bold enough to ask him his own questions. When he'd begun, Piccolo had thought the first thing he'd ask, would be about his Ki, but surprisingly, the angel showed some decent restraint on that topic, and instead asked about Eden, seeing as this was his first time here and he was curious. And with how forward the angel had been with his own information, Piccolo saw no need not to tell him all that he'd learned about his new place of residence.
In the ex-Namekian's mind, it didn't come out sounding as glamorous as Heaven did, but Lucifer ate up all that he told him. The Seraph creating quite the contrast between them, as he reacted to each new string of information Piccolo gave him about the animals and their names, as well as the trees, plants and fruits, as they were pointed out, with an almost child-like awe that yet again reminded him of Goku. Whereas Piccolo had been more reserved and composed in his fascination and interest in each detail gleamed about Heaven and its denizens.
Eventually, the duo settled down in a forest clearing, side-by-side, sat upon a log, as the sun began to set in the distance.
"Huh. You know, I think this is my first time actually viewing a sunset on Earth." Lucifer mused with a light grin, legs lazily swinging out back and forth, hands gently gripping the log, as he watched the star dip down, the sky beginning to darken, as it gained an orange hue, especially around the parting clouds that'd formed. "The way it paints the sky like that, I gotta say, it has its own beauty to it, unique from what I'm used to seeing in Heaven."
Piccolo could only hum in agreement, for he had always found sunsets like this to be an easy sight on the eyes, when he watched them in his solitude, instead of meditating.
"Can I… be honest with you, for a bit, Adam?" The angel suddenly asked, as he glanced in the First Man's direction.
"Is that meant to imply you weren't honest before?" Piccolo shot him another raised eyebrow, but there was a small hint of teasing to his tone, enough for the angel to catch, as the former Namekian was fully relaxed into the tranquil atmosphere of Eden, once again.
"Oh, ha, ha, very funny." Lucifer rolled his eyes, but sounded amused himself, nonetheless.
His expression then shifted before Piccolo's eyes into a more complicated one, that the First Man couldn't quite decipher. "In all seriousness, though… I don't think I've talked for this long with anybody in Heaven. Either can't stand them, or they can't stand me, or both, for being different from them." The Seraph admitted with a more sombre and bitter tone, letting out a sigh that was a mix between frustrated and sad. "I wish it weren't the case, and we all got along better, but it doesn't seem like that'll happen anytime soon." He said, as his legs stopped swinging, and he cast his gaze down to the grassy floor beneath them. "I'm the one who thinks that change is in order, and that its necessary for improvement, and all my ideas reflect that, in some way, but the others are stuck in their ways, refusing to listen to me, no matter what I argue."
Piccolo thought to himself for a moment, as to whether or not he should say anything to that, but seeing how this topic seemed to be affecting him, the ex-native of Universe 7 chose to give his two cents.
"Change can be tough for even the best of us to accept, because it's easier to stick with what you know, then venture out for something new." Piccolo found himself saying sagely, recalling a similar line he'd once told Gohan, when they were training together. The irony, of course, being that Gohan had helped change him, far more than the other way around. A thought that had him smiling in recollection, of his dear friend. "Perhaps to resolve whatever is going on between you and them, it might be a good idea to see if you can meet each other in the middle, somehow?"
"Meet in the middle?" Lucifer shot him a perplexed look.
"By that, I mean, you ask one or more of them if you can't come up with an idea together. Show you're willing to work alongside them and be helpful, and that you're not just some 'nuisance', as they claim." Piccolo explained, while once again feeling there was more to that, than what Lucifer had told him, but he stayed his tongue on the subject, for now. "Build some camaraderie with them, some actual trust, in that you know what you're doing, so that when you pitch one of your next solo ideas, they'll be more receptive, knowing of your efforts beforehand."
"Huh…" Lucifer looked thoughtful at the premise, as though he'd never actually even considered it, before. "That… definitely has some merit, I suppose." He then frowned sceptically. "Say I go along with that, though. What about if any of them take credit for everything, and say I contributed nothing?"
"Don't you have any way to keep track of who does what?" The First Man asked with narrowed eyes, as Lucifer awkwardly removed his hand and rubbed the back of his head.
"Well… we do have these viewing orbs that allows us to see things in other locations, in real time. Not sure if they can capture what's going on and record it, though, like what the Ophanim can do. And I'm hardly about to go up to the seventh Sphere to ask one of them to do me that kind of favour, when they're some of the staunchest, as far as maintaining the status quo is concerned…" Lucifer looked lost in his own thoughts, for a moment.
"Well, I'm sure you'll figure something out." Piccolo decided to give the guy a bit of encouragement. "If your ideas for Creation are really as great as you say, then I doubt you'll have much issue coming up with a solution for this. You should have the mind for it."
"Aww, Adam! You're gonna make me blush!" Lucifer replied with a laugh, seeming to have gained some confidence back, with the way he sat straight and smiled. "You're right, though. I'll definitely think of something, for sure!" His small hands clenched in determination. "One way or another, I'll get my siblings to acknowledge me and treat my ideas with the respect they deserve!"
"Hmph. That's the spirit." Piccolo nodded, ever-so-briefly seeing another flash of Gohan in the angel.
"You know, it's odd." The Seraph spoke, after a beat, looking strangely bemused, yet also content, as he locked gazes with Piccolo. "I've hardly known you a day, and we spent most of it just talking about Heaven and Eden, and yet, I feel… comfortable around you. Way more so than I ever have around my siblings in Heaven. Not to mention, you're far wiser than I thought you'd be, before I met you, given the short amount of time you've been around. I mean, here you are, giving me decent advice and you're like, what, a week old? If even that?"
Piccolo couldn't fault him for that opinion, given he knew nothing of his old life, and only knew he'd existed in this one for a matter of days. Realistically, he should be a naive, innocent, and perhaps clueless being, at the moment. And that was no doubt what his 'creators' had been expecting, at first.
The reincarnated First Man had never been much of an actor, and he certainly wasn't a faker, though, so he damn sure was never going to give off that impression to people. If he had a bunch of people bamboozled by his behaviour, then so be it. He wasn't about to start pretending to be someone else, any time soon.
"Suppose I have to give credit where it's due, my siblings did a great job, when making you." Lucifer remarked, throwing a genuine compliment the Elders' way, even if they didn't hear it, as he patted Piccolo on the back. "You're one of a kind, Adam. Someone I can already tell I'll genuinely enjoy being around."
Piccolo very easily picked up on the phrasing of that. "So, I take it you're planning to come back here, then?"
"Oh, you bet!" Lucifer laughed. "I actually had some fun here, even if it was mostly just chatting about Heaven and Eden, so why not come back? If you ask me, it might do us both some good to have a friend to spend some time with!"
"A Friend, huh?" Piccolo gave a neutral look.
"Yeah, yeah! You and I, friends!" Lucifer stated it as though it had to be true. He almost sounded desperate for it. "No, wait. More than that! We'll be the best of buddies! I can feel it!" He added with a face-splitting, toothy grin, as he gave the much larger male a one-armed hug.
Piccolo merely huffed, but didn't complain about the unnecessary contact, when it didn't overstay its welcome, as the angel let go of him after only a few seconds.
This guy was definitely a weird one, but was overall harmless, for now. At least, as far as the First Man was concerned, when it was just them.
"Anyways, it's about time for me to go, I suppose." Lucifer didn't sound too pleased about that, but instantly brightened up, when it appeared something clicked in his head, as he hopped off the log and rounded on Piccolo, his wings keeping him floating above ground, as the two came eye-to-eye. "Oh! Before I go, there's one more thing I have to ask, Adam! And this time, it isn't about Eden."
It didn't take a genius like Bulma to figure out what question he wanted to ask, especially with the giddy look in his eyes.
"Sooooooo…" Lucifer began, eying Piccolo up and down, like he was one of the most fascinating things he'd ever come across. "Don't keep me waiting in suspense, bud! I just have to know about that thing you were doing when I showed up-"
"Lucifer! What is the meaning of this!?"
"Ah, damnit…" The short Seraphim muttered under his breath in dismay, as that familiar, feminine voice rang out from above, cutting him off. A ball of light shining above-head by a dozen metres, as the two looked up, but which quickly shifted and took the instantly recognisable shape, features and dress of a much taller Seraph, who was practically double of Lucifer's height.
It was Sera. And she didn't look pleased to see her fellow Seraph within Eden's boundaries. Not one bit.
AND CUT!
That's the end of this one. Don't know if I nailed Lucifer right(probably not) but I think I got his prideful side right, at least.
Yes, by the way. Luci and Piccolo are gonna have a bit of a friendship going on. Will it last? Eh, we'll have to see.
Know its been a bit since updated and all, so I hope you all got some enjoyment out of this, and I'll see you in the next chapter, whenever that is.