AN: Hey everyone. Finally back from vacation. It was very nice and we had a wonderful time in Sweden, going to Liseberg theme-park and High Chaparral, a western theme park. If any of you ever get a chance to go there, I can highly recommend the 'stunt show' 'the Annie and Billy show' and Lucky Luke shows'. They were amazing and fun, even if you don't understand Swedish.
I'm glade everyone enjoyed the last chapter, especially the flashback. I had so much fun writing it, imagining how Michael and Samael would be like as little kids. I'm not sure why it is, but I love the idea of him being a bit of a cry baby and super clingy, a complete opposite of what he is as an adult.
Regarding Charlie's temporary name, I just picked Ava at random because it was short and sounded close to Eve in Danish without being Eve (we pronounce it as Eva. Think of Disney's WALL-E. Such a cute movie). It's mostly for the sake of whenever I'm writing the story from their POV, it's not always 'the baby' or 'tot' or 'little one'. They aren't sure when, if, or even how they are going to return her, so I'm imagining it's a bit like when people find a lost dog and give it a placeholder name until the owner can be found.
Now I know a lot of people have been asking if Charlie will stay in Heaven or not as well as how the Angels will react to finding out Charlie's their niece and all I can say is... it's a secret! It's not that I don't want to answer, but more I don't want to spoil any surprises I have planned down the road. Hope everyone's okay with that.
Regarding also the ages of the Archangels, I'll be honest, I'm not great with thinking time while I write they are so and so many centuries, I'm imagining it more in an abstract construct as time in the beginning isn't really defined. I do however imagine them aging much slower then anything else and Charlie being a half angel, grows a little faster but not by much. If anything, in my story, none of the angels have started as infants but as toddlers and their appearances just take on the different features of their age after a few centuries. Sorry if it doesn't make too much sense but it's more to give an idea of where they might be in their mental development.
Chapter FiveA Forced Break
'This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This cannot be happening!'
Michael had been trapped before in his life. He had been trapped in a tree the first time he ever climbed one and when he was learning to fly and crashed into the branches as a fledgling. He had been trapped when Samael had rolled onto his wing while napping in the afternoon sun as teenagers. Michael had trapped with Samael in the meeting room once when they were five and hiding from Sera and the pair had debated whether or not peeing themselves was worth not being discovered hiding in the cabinet to avoid two scoldings instead of one.
Thankfully, they picked the scolding, though Samael had gotten the worst of it as he was blamed for the idea.
And he had been unknowingly trapped in his office once when some idiot cherub or angel had left about thirty-seven boxes in front of his door so he couldn't open it for two days and had to leave and enter his office via the window. To say he was mad about that time would be an understatement.
But this was the first time since he had reached adulthood, that Michael found himself not just trapped, but held hostage by his hair.
Michael first realized he was in trouble when he decided to try, the key word being try, and put Ava in the makeshift crib he had crafted out of two armchairs because, despite her small size, Ava was slowly causing his arm to cramp. He was fairly confident that it would work as a bed for the little one where she wouldn't lie cramped as she finished her nap. He could remember Jophiel doing the same for him and Sammy when they were little and wanted to spend time with her.
Michael had been leaning down to gently lay her down when he felt it. The sharp and slightly painful tug at the sensitive hairs at the nap of his neck, the ones that seemed to have grown out of nerve endings. At first, he was confused, wondering why it hurt when he tried to move Ava from his shoulder, but when he then walked over to look in a mirror, he finally saw the problem.
While he and Gabriel had been singing the lullaby to Ava, the little Hellborn brat had tangled her tiny fingers into his hair before snarling them in the many strands. But hey, that was fine, a minor setback sure but nothing he couldn't handle. All he needed was to untangle her hand from his hair and then he could put her down, no problem.
Except there was a problem.
When Michael tried to untangle the small fingers, Ava groaned in her sleep and not only tangled her fingers more into his golden strands, but she also closed her hand into a firm fist. Michael had frozen when Ava whined in her sleep, damn near yelping when she gave his trapped hair a firm tuck as she tried to pull her hand closer as she got comfortable again. Once he was sure she wasn't about to wake up, he tried again.
And again... and again...
On the fifth attempt, Michael had accepted that unless he sacrificed his hair to the finger goblins, Ava was only going to release his hair when she was good and ready. Now he finally understood what Adam had meant with 'good luck with that', the slimy arrogant prick. He could have warned him babies had supernatural strength when grabbing hair was involved!
But no matter. He was fine, he could make this work. He just had to deal with a sore arm and shoulder later when she'd wake up and summon Adam to deal with the mess he had created as punishment. That would show him who was in charge... and maybe Michael would be able to sneak a few tips from the man on how to care for a baby without asking for it. Adam was after all the only one he personally knew who had dealt with anything this small before.
However, as Michael sat down at his desk, he started to discover a new dilemma. For all his years of wisdom and most likely his lack of experience, Michael had for some reason decided to hold Ava mainly in his right arm. Specifically his dominant right arm.
Like most of his siblings, Michael was right-handed, the only exceptions being Samael and Raphael who was ambidextrous, something he self-taught himself as he started to really immerse himself in anything and everything to do with medicine and healing. It had taken him years to learn the skill but it allowed him to write notes twice as fast. But that wasn't a skill Michael had. He needed his right hand to sign the request forms that had been backlogged since Father only knew when, as well as write his different reports or suggestions or revisions to plans sent for his approval. It was important that his messages were easy to read and understandable, a skill Sera had drilled into him with almost obsessive vigor when he had turned ten. She had tried the same with Samael too but by then his twin had nearly mastered the skill of avoiding her completely much to her ire.
Michael mentally shook his head to chase the memory away. He didn't have time to reminisce on the past, not when he had so much paperwork to do and a baby claiming his hair. Sure he could maybe cut it, but he didn't want to risk cutting Ava in the process, not to mention he was a little vain about his hair. It had taken him a long time to grow it to the length he had now. He didn't want to start over again.
'I'll just write using my left hand. Sammy and Raph do it all the time,' Michael thought, getting himself comfortable in his chair with Ava snoring lightly away on his shoulder. 'How hard can it be?'
The answer was of course, very hard. The first time he tried to write his name on a simple request form, the glass quill bled a massive blob on the scroll, blanking out whatever it was the councilmen was requesting. The second time Michael was starting to wonder if he had had a stroke while holding the pen as the lines were unsteady and wonky, and by the seventh, his fingers were threatening to snap the glass in half.
His writing hadn't been this bad since he had started to learn his letters. And even then he was sure it was better than this! How the hell did Samael and Raph do it so naturally? Michael left himself growling for a second before urging himself to calm down. He couldn't let his anger get the better of him, he was too old for that. He knew how to be calm and mindful of his actions, to maintain an image of a mature adult who had everything under control and could carry the heavy burden of being his father's stand-in while the Almighty slept... or was he away? It had been so long, that Michael wasn't sure anymore other than that he needed to maintain the status quo of Heaven no matter what. So he would perceive and overcome this tiny obstacle of caring for Ava, which he had volunteered to do, and complete his paperwork in an orderly and pristine fashi-
Just as he was about to try writing his name once more, the glass pen suddenly shot out of his hand, his fingers accidentally snapping as he tightened his grip on the smooth surface. He felt a light splatter of electric ink hit his face before the quill flew through the air and landed nib first onto the marble floor.
He didn't even need to check it to know the damn thing was useless now. Once the pint broke, the quill was no longer useful.
Michael could feel the urge to swear loudly boiling beneath his skin, his frustration nearly peaking. He wanted to break something, scream and shout as he'd flip his desk and destroy half the pages that just never seemed to end. He wanted to chuck his coffee mug out the window and shatter the crystal glass in anger just so he could get some of the steam out of his system!
After all, Jesus lost his shit in a temple once because the mortals had turned the house of God into a market of false redemption, so why couldn't he do the same? Why was it all alright for the so-called son of God to through a tantrum but he as an all great archangel had to keep his cool like he had taken some sort of vow?
But he didn't lash out, despite how much he wanted to.
A sudden suck from Ava reminded him all too well that there was an innocent infant on his shoulder and the last thing he needed was for her to wake up to chaos and a billion enraged eyes covering his body. Mortals could barely handle the sight of their angelic forms so he doubted a baby would fair any better.
Signing heavily, Michael groaned as he leaned back in his chair and gently started to pet Ava's hair. It was surprisingly soft to the touch and it felt calming to run his fingers through the strands.
And Father about was he starting to feel exhausted. When was the last time he had properly slept? Why was the last time he had actually been in his own room? Was it a few days ago? Weeks? Months? Had he even been in his own bed in the last century?!
'Shit I have to be exhausted if I can't remember that,' Michael huffed annoyed at himself before his eyes drifted over to a lounge sofa he had tucked in the corner for reading breaks. He had never used it before though, there was no time for leisurely reading after all when there was work to be down. Azrael had even joked about it being an art piece in his office. He had never given it much thought before but now... "Might as well..."
Michael finally accepted defeat. He couldn't go and get a new quill with the kid in tow, too high of a risk someone would see them. And he could do his paperwork without one so whatever was there to do.
And honestly, Michael was just so, so tired.
It took a little maneuvering and propping of pillows, but Michael managed to find a position that was comfortable for him to lie down in with Ava sleeping on his chest. The second Michael actually lay down on the sofa, Michael began to wonder why he hadn't done this before. The cushions were unbelievably soft, fitting his body perfectly as if it was made from clouds, relaxing his body almost instantly. As the tension left his body, Michael could feel his back give several pops and cracks that hurt for a second before blissful relief followed.
It scared the wings out of him though when Ava suddenly let out a squeak of a sneeze, the baby waking only for a second as her pacifier was shot out of her mouth and into Michael's ear. Groggy scarlet eyes looked at him via half-open lids as she gave a little whine. Using his free hand, Michael quickly found the soother and popped it back into Ava's mouth. Her eyes widened for a second as she gave it a few testing sucks before she gave him a dopey bright smile that could warm any heart before promptly dropping her head back down on his chest, dead asleep again.
Michael just stared in disbelief as Ava snuggled into his chest in her sleep, her tiny hands slowly curling under her cheeks making them look all the more chubby- Michael blinked as he lifted his head a little to better look.
"Oh sure, now you let go of my hair," Michael muttered softly though he could feel a soft smile still twitch on his lips as he looked at the baby as he absently started to pet her slightly messy hair. "I should put her in the crib instead and get back to work. She's let go now after all..."
Michael knew he should. He had important documents to look through and approve or reject. And the reports! So so many reports to read, write, or revise before sending them back to the relevant people. It felt never-ending really but it was important. Father had said it was important when he was assigned this purpose after all...
But he really was so tired and the sofa was so comfortable.
And Ava was asleep on his chest with her apple-red cheeks all puffed up as the pacifier bobbed In her mouth. It reminded him of Samael a bit, though Samael hadn't ever been this small. At least, he didn't think so.
"You know, Sammy was really good at getting us all to stop what we were doing and go play with him when he wanted us to," Michael whispered to Ava despite knowing she was asleep. Not that it would have mattered if she was awake, she was far too young to know who 'Sammy' was after all. "He used to pin me down whenever he thought I was working too much."
Michael frowned a little as he remembered how Samael once time had just waltzed into his room while he had been stressing about... something. He honestly couldn't say what it had been other than it had to do with Eden's creation back then. Everything regarding Father back then had been about Eden in one way or another. Maybe it was about fine-tuning the behavior of what would be called bees. He could remember he had struggled in describing how they were supposed to work and what their purpose was and had gotten frustrated.
And he had been angry at Samael because while his ideas were wild and strange, creating things just came so damnably easy for him. Now if he just bragged about it and let it go to his head, that would have been perfect for Michael to vent his frustrations about, but Sammy wasn't like that. He encouraged and brainstormed with him and the others, trying to come up with suggestions until something would stick, and then...
… then he would allow them to take all the credit.
*** Flashback ***
Mikey growled loudly as he crumbled up what was probably his fortieth attempt to explain the purpose of his suggestion for Eden. It had been a month since he had presented his drawing of a slow six-legged creature with transparent wings and covered in black and yellow fur. He had been so proud of his creation, the first he had ever presented to Father and he had hoped he would have approved of it as quickly as he did with Samael's ideas only to be asked the one thing he hadn't thought of.
What was its purpose?
To say Michael hadn't been prepared for that question would have been an understatement. He had been so taken aback by the question he wasn't sure how to answer it. What surprised him more after was how the others explained to him that that was the norm for them all when they presented an idea. That they had to not only visualize it but also argue what purpose and properties they would serve in Eden.
Yet he had never seen Samael having to do the same.
Sammy seemed to be the exception to the rule as far as the fourteen centuries old angel could see. Sammy was never organized with his papers but rather seemed to zip around with his arms full of papers filled with his drawings that he would excitedly ramble endlessly about to anyone who would listen. He was always a ball of energy and positive light, so it was hard to turn him down.
'I guess it's like they say. He's Father's favorite,' Michael thought hotly.
Since they had joined their siblings in regards to planning and creating Eden, Father had started to add a few more angels to Heaven though it was clear they were not like them. To start with these new angels didn't have as many wings as they did, some having four but most of them only two. Nor were they as powerful as them. They weren't born as children either but as young adults, many of them appearing to be closer to Uriel's age which was now thirty-one centuries.
Michael wasn't sure what their purpose was, but Father and Uriel assured them all that they were a bit like their sister Sera, angels born with a purpose to either help them or take care of the tasks they normally did but didn't have time for. It was strange but because of the important work they were doing, Michael didn't have a lot of time to think too much about it.
They were Sera's problem to wrangle when she wasn't checking on them to make sure they were still obeying the rules like bedtimes, eating meals, and showing up to meetings. Michael didn't mind it too much, he was used to her entering his room and reminding him of his obligations but Samael... Samael seemed to be doing his best to avoid her as he still had some lessons with her he had yet to complete.
If he had it his way, he never would.
And speaking of the baby of the family, Michael mentally groaned as his door was flung up without so much as a knock as Samael waltzed in as if it was his birthright. He had lost some of the baby fat over the years but despite being the same age as Michael, Samael still looked extremely young for his age, being about the same size as Michael was when he turned a millennium old if not a little shorter.
"Hey Mikey!" Samael greeted, throwing his arms around Michael's neck in a hug. Michael wanted to growl at him to go away but didn't. Sammy just had a way of making him feel better even if he wanted to stay in a bad mood. "What 'cha doing?"
"Samael is there something you need? I'm a little busy," Michael tried to shoo him away as took out a new piece of papyrus and started to try and write. He needed to focus if he wanted to get his idea approved. "Don't you have stuff you need to do? Lesson stuff."
"You sound sound like Sera right now," Samael crinkled his nose in annoyance. Sera had been more and more unbearable for him as of late, always trying to monopolize his free time with something pointless and irrelevant. "She wants me to read about one of the Elder beings that were vanquished by Father before he created Heaven. Seriously what is the point of that?"
"It's our Father's history, Sammy." Michael scolded him softly only to be met with a rather rude eye roll.
"It's utterly useless knowledge to waste time on. There was an elder being, that wanted to eat Father and he didn't agree with it. A big old fight happened and Father ripped it apart and established himself as a powerful being. Done," Samael grumbled, waving his hand flippantly in the air as he described the bare bones of the lesson with a bored expression. "I swear she just wants me to do it because she still thinks I'm a child."
"You are," Michael muttered as he continued with his report. 'Maybe if they helped move the wind...'
There was a moment of silence before Michael realized Samael had gone quiet. It wasn't usual for his brother to go silent, at least not willingly. Still, he welcomed it if it meant he could concentrate on his report and-
"ARGH! It's no use!" Michael yelled as he started to rip the papyrus apart and tore the drawing of his idea in half. Samael yelped in surprise before he started to try and stop him from tearing the picture into a million little pieces of scrap paper when Michael took the inkwell and hurled it at his wall in disgust. "It's pointless. I can't do it! It was a stupid idea anyway."
"Woah, Mikey calm down. It's okay," Samael yelped as he ducked just in time to not get hit by the glass bottle. Michael rarely acted out like this, that was more Camael's thing, so he was a little worried as Michael banged his head into his table with a loud groan of defeat. "Mikey what are you-"
"I give up," Michael groaned as huffed in frustration. He had spent the last nine days trying to think of a way for his tiny creation to fit into Eden with a purpose and yet nothing. He had barely eaten that whole time or slept, only coming out to bath quickly before a meeting or because Sera would show up and pester him about joining the family for meal time, which he barely part took in as his foal mood kept the others from talking too much with him. "It's never going to work. I might as well just throw the damn idea out."
That or Uriel would barge in and order him about because his grumbling was bothering everyone.
"Come on Mikey," Samael suddenly insisted, tugging on Michael's arm to get him to stand. "You're just stuck 'cause you've been sitting in here too long. You just need a break-"
"Sammy, I don't have time for this." Michael groaned, his head starting to throb. He hadn't been sleeping well as of late, the stress of trying to get his idea to work pledging him.
"-Some fresh air, a bit of flying," Samael continued, still tugging on his arm, a silly endeavor since Michael was taller and stronger than him. It made the difference between them more obvious and it annoyed him. It annoyed Michael that Sammy was smaller than him, that he could weaponize being the smallest of them. "A preening circle maybe-"
"Sammy..." Michael growled but was ignored as Sammy started to use his wings to try and pull him out the door. "Sammy, I don't-"
"-Maybe we can even get Zady to join us," Samael smiled brightly at the idea of their youngest big sister joining them. "We haven't sung together in a long time. Probably since-"
"SAMAEL STOP IT!" Michael finally snapped, yanking his arm free from his hold. Sammy looked shocked that he had yelled at him, his wings jerking oddly for a moment before lowering behind him slowly. Michael could feel himself blush out of guilt for yelling at him, knowing it wasn't Samael's fault that he was grumpy. "Look I'm busy and I need to think of something else to present to Father for the next meeting. I don't have time to just go and play around like you do."
"I-" Samael looked a little hurt at his harsh words.
"I have work I need to do, Samael. I can't just make some silly picture to show Father and that's it," Michael growled."We can't all be lucky and be Father's favorite."
The second he had said it, Michael wanted to rip his flight feathers out. Samael wore his emotions on his robes for all to see and the hurt that flashed in his eyes left Michael with a bitter taste in his mouth. He hadn't meant to say it. It was just him being immature and grumpy and wanting to lash out because nothing was working out for him.
Sammy was just unlucky that he was there when Michael finally did.
"Just go, Sammy. I don't have time for you," He wanted to say sorry but just couldn't. He felt embarrassed that he hadn't managed to provide a single idea to Father for Eden beyond the stupid name of 'duck' to Samael's little yellow bird while Samael was practically bursting with brilliant ideas with every breath he took. "Go play with Jophiel or Azrael or do your damn lessons before Sera starts yelling at you again. I need to work. Where's my quill?"
Michael's head was hurting more and more by the minute and as he looked at his desk which was normally clean and orderly, he wanted to cry in frustration when he could see where his quill had disappeared to.
"You... threw it at the wall with the ink well be your bed," Samael whispered in a low voice. "I think it fell behind it."
"Grand, just what I needed," Michael groaned and walked over to his unmade bed and leaned over it to see if he could spot the writing tool. But no matter how hard he looked, he could see it. Rising, Michael sighed as he turned to face Samael again. "Hey Sammy? Where did you say it-WAH!"
Without warning, Michael felt himself get pushed onto the bed as Samael tackled him in a hug, throwing him off balance. They landed with a soft 'oomph!' on the bed in a slight mess of limbs and feathers with Samael sighing content as he snuggled into Michael's chest.
"Ah, perfect." Samael sighed as he spread out his wings and covered them both the best he could.
"Sammy?" Michael sighed, praying that he wasn't doing what he thought he was. "What are you doing?"
"Napping."
"I see...," Michael tried to give Samael a few pushes to lift him off only for the little brat to latch on tight to him. "You mind getting off?"
"No."
"Sammy!" Michael let out a childish whine when Samael snuggled more into him, closing his eyes as made himself comfortable. "Sammy, please. I need-"
"I've missed this," Samael muttered and it took Michael a moment to realize Samael was lying perfectly to listen to his heartbeat. "I've missed you a lot, Mikey."
"Sammy..." Michael sighed as he felt the wave of guilt wash over him. He had been ignoring all his siblings a lot as of late, especially Samael. "I... I know. I've been-"
"Busy, I know," Samael sighed as hugged his brother close. "You're always busy. You've always been a hard worker Mikey but... you never have any time for any of us anymore."
Michael felt himself fall silent, unsure of what to say.
"You never join us for preening circles, or go flying anymore," Samael continued, pressing himself closer to his chest so he could hear his twin's heart better. "And you don't smile anymore either or talk to me anymore. You've never not talked to me before."
There was another moment of silence between them before Samael started to curl himself up into a tighter ball before he whispered.
"Did... did I do something wrong?" He sounded so young and lost that it broke Michael's heart. Had he really made Sammy feel this way? "Is that why you're mad at me? I'm sorry, Mikey. Whatever it is I did, I'm sorry. Just... just don't be mad at me."
Michael groaned mentally again, feeling worse and worse by the minute. He could hear the worry in Samael's voice as well as the sorrow from being pushed out by his twin. Sighing, Michael reached up and started to pet the mop of golden hair above him, earning a content purr.
"You don't need to say sorry, Sammy. You didn't do anything," Michael sighed. "It's my fault. I just... Father wants my idea to have a purpose beyond just 'being' in Eden and... I don't know. I'm just not very good at it. I may as well scrap the stupid useless thing and think of something new."
"I don't think it's stupid. I like you little creature. It's cute," Samael protested with a pout. "You're just tired Mikey. Like Ary is. She's stressed too because she can't get her flowers to grow new ones."
Michael sighed as he recalled Zadkiel telling the others something about that when they dined together last. Ariel had been stressing more and more over the idea that while she could design and grow many beautiful plants to decorate Heaven and now Eden with, the flowers didn't seem to want to produce seeds to grow new ones but instead would wilt and die after some time had passed. For an angel that looked at nature as dearly as she did, watching her creation wither and decay left the dark-haired brunet melancholy. She had been trying to find a way to fix her problem but so far had come up with nothing beyond using magic to make them regrow.
And during their last meeting, Father had made it clear that magic could not be the solution to the problem.
"You should talk to her," Sammy suggested before he gave a small yawn, the feeling of Michael's figures running through his hair making him feel more and more relaxed as he listened to the rhythmic thumping of his heart. It was hardly surprising that Samael loved the sound of Michael's heart. He had been surrounded by it ever since they formed in the egg after all. "I know you two would be able to figure something out together."
"You think so?" Michael laughed, unable to see how he could possibly help Ariel with anything regarding her pet project.
"I know so," Samael yawned wider now, his words slurring a little. "That's how I do it. Because you all..."
"Hmm? 'We all' what, Samael? Samael? Sammy?" Lifting his head a little, Michael was surprised to find Samael had fallen asleep on top of him, his hand still wrapped tightly around Michael's waist as if he was afraid he would disappear if he let go. Laughing a little, Michael allowed his head to drop down as he stared at the ceiling and allowed his mind to wander a little. 'Maybe Sammy's right. Maybe taking a break isn't such a bad idea. Maybe talking to Ariel wouldn't be a bad idea. If anything maybe I can get a new idea to work on instead...'
Michael could feel his eyes getting heavier as he listened to Samael's soft breathing. It was a comforting sound to him as well as the weight of him being near him. It reminded Michael of a simpler time when their biggest problem was avoiding getting a scolding from Sera or having Uriel yell at them for doing something dangerous... well, Samael doing something dangerous, he had always been the obedient twin after all.
Without thinking about it, Michael began to unfurl and wrap his wings around his brother, cocooning them in a blanket of feathers just as they did when they had been in the Aviary before he started to drift off to sleep as well.
*** Flashback End ***
Michael smiled lightly at the memory. That day he and Samael had slept for a good five hours before Jophiel and Ariel came to wake them. Apparently, Azrael had found the pair asleep, having gone to tell Michael it was time to eat only to see the twins sleeping and despite Sera's insistence that they wake them so Samael could do his lessons, Uriel had put his foot down and declared that two be left alone until the next meal time as they needed the rest more.
And as it turned out, Uriel had been right just as Samael had been. After their little nap, Michael found his mood had mellowed and the irritating throb in his head had gone away. He felt he could think more clearly and was more at peace with himself instead of being wound tight like a spin ready to snap. And after talking with Ariel about her issues with her plants, Michael had the inspiration he needed to give purpose to his little creation, the bee. As for Sammy...
He frowned a little.
'What did Samael do after we woke up?' He pondered as a strange sense of deja vu filled him as his eyes felt heavier once more. 'Oh well... it hardly matters. It was so long ago...'
He felt Ava shift a little on his chest and without thinking about it, he extended his middle wings and wrapped them over her, blanketing her in warmth as well as making sure she couldn't fall before he drifted off to sleep as well.
* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *
Elsewhere in Heaven...
When Jophiel had woken up that morning, she had thought today would pass as any other day. It had started that way at least. First, the morning rays had peeked through her window to gently wake her only for her to seek refuge under her pillow before her two maids had waltzed in and yanked the covers away from her. After she had then managed to crawl her way out of bed, Jophiel had suffered the 'joys' of getting her corset set and tied before finding the most practical outfit she could wear for the day. Of her siblings, she was the only one who really paid any attention to the mortal realm's fashion trends though it probably had a lot to do with her purpose that Father had assigned.
Jophiel was to help inspire the mortals on Earth, make them see the beauty in the everyday mundane and ugly be it through music or art. It was thanks to her blessing that some of the man-made wonders had been created and the Renaissance had happened. She was after all known to them as 'the Beauty of God' after all.
However, the irony that she couldn't create anything herself wasn't lost on her. The drawing table that had been shoved into a forgotten corner of her room had remained untouched for eons now. A forgotten relic from a forgotten time.
After she had pulled on her blouse and skirt for the day, the maid had handed her a button hook so she could fasten her shoes, Jophiel huffed as she tried to show the mess of tightly curled hair out of her eyes only for it to return a second later.
"Shall we try and set your hair today, Miss?" The maid asked. What was her name again? Anna? Marie? Ethel? It hardly mattered because Jophiel couldn't get herself to care. There were too many names for her to keep track of the unimportant ones. "Or shall we just do the usual?"
The maid was one of the Heavenborn servants that Sera had assigned to check on the siblings every morning, acting more like a sort of secretary to ensure that none of them overslept or were late for anything. The staff was supposed to clean as well but everyone had quickly discovered that none of the siblings liked having their things touched beyond their laundry when Camael had lost it one one unlucky cherub who had thrown out some old papers they had found. The fiery warrior had practically destroyed half her office in a rage, scorching the floor and walls with her sword before Zadkiel could calm her down.
After that, Uriel informed the staff to only retrieve and deliver laundry and clean the hallways and bathrooms. Their private quarters would be up for the siblings to care for themselves.
Jophiel huffed as she blew a stray curl out of her face before glancing at the clock.
"Just tie it back. I'm late as it is."
So with a little manhandling and a lot of help, Jophiel managed to focus the massive main back into a puffy ponytail before heading off to start her day. She could practically set a clock to it. She ate with her siblings in silence, all of them worn out and still trying to brush off the remains of sleep before she'd gather a couple of hundred of Cherubs to send to Earth had plant ideas of inspiration into a selected few minds, before trying to turn her attention to the paperwork that was pilling onto her desk.
There was always paperwork to do and she felt like she was backlogged by a few hundred years. It wasn't as bad as Michael though, he had to deal with everyone's request forms and reports as Father's stand-in, but still... she hated discovering that some mortal she was supposed to bless had long since left the living world and was either in Heaven or Hell because she had taken too long. It didn't help that she tended to jump from one task to another, trying to complete several tasks at once. This of course led to her only completing a few while having started many, leaving her office in a perpetual state of chaos.
But where the day suddenly changed when she realized that Gabriel hadn't been by yet to pick up her reports and request forms for Michael. Jophiel sometimes envied her little brother for his freedom. Gabriel was never bound to a desk for most of the day but out and about talking with others. Jophiel did visit the lower levels sometimes but it was a rare event and usually left her feeling more exhausted than refreshed. Probably because both Winners and Heavenborn wanted to talk to her when all she wanted was some peace.
Glancing at the clock, Jophiel was surprised to see that Gabriel wasn't just late. He was very late. Like two hours late.
'That's not like Gabriel,' She frowned before looking at the stack of papers she needed Michael to approve of. She was pretty sure there were some request forms but because of the amount of paperwork she had to read though, she couldn't really remember what the heck they were about. 'He's probably goofing off somewhere and chatting up a girl.'
She was about to cast a summoning charm to call Gabriel and remind him of his job when an idea struck her. Why didn't she just deliver them herself? Michael's office wasn't too far from hers, a twenty-minute walk at the most and twelve if she flew. It would be a great excuse to leave her office and break away from her normal routine. And she might get a chance to talk to Michael and hear if he had heard anything from Father as of late.
The idea had her wings popping out with a flutter, the red and pink-hued feathers shuttering with excitement as she stuck her quill pen behind her ear and grabbed the stake of excuse paperwork to hand deliver it herself. She stomped down the little voice in her head that told her how absolutely sad and pathetic it was that she was getting giddy over the idea of walking to her brother's office to exchange work but the fact that she could get an early escape from having to stare at the same damnable four walls as just too good to pass up. Everything so so damnably routine nowadays that they all tended to bleed together in her mind. She only knew when it was Sunday nowadays because the maids would allow them all to sleep in an extra hour or two.
She was about halfway to Michael's office when she met Zadkiel who also had her own stack of papers with her, having had the same idea. It was strange seeing her youngest sister out and about. Like Gabriel, she had an office she rarely ever used but unlike their brother, Zadkiel was rarely outside. Zadkiel had always been a fragile-looking girl, even from childhood and while she had grown into a beautiful young woman with her appearance freezing at twenty-one, she had a very frail appearance. Unlike her sisters, Zadkiel had never been blessed with any notable bust, her breast just barely large enough to form two small bumps through her clothing. She had lavender hair that nearly reached the floor which Jophiel shamefully noted she probably had the maid's brush every day as she worked in her room, which she rarely ever left.
It was probably also the reason Zadkiel still dressed in the Greek goddess-inspired gown with many layers of sheer fabric over it. Her style of fashion has never moved on since then.
"Did Gabriel forget you as well?" Her voice was so soft and meek, barely above a whisper. She didn't talk much these days, usually just nodding her head during meal times to show she was listening if someone spoke to her. Not that it happened often now a day as they all just seemed to eat in silence.
"Yeah, I figured maybe he's gotten sidetracked by something," Jophiel smiled and grinned a little as she thought she heard Zadkiel fake cough 'or someone'. "So are you headed to Michael too? Want to walk together?"
Amethyst eyes looked overjoyed at amber ones as Zadkiel gave Jophiel a hopeful smile. Some company would be nice even if it was a short walk. Even if it was filled with a slightly awkward silence which weirded Jophiel out a little. While she hadn't been the closest to Zadkiel, at least not as close as she was to Ariel, Jophiel was certain when they were younger she had been able to strike up some sort of conversation with her little sister without any difficulty. Now she felt like she was struggling to just think of anything to talk about.
"So... how have you been?" Jophiel asked as they made their way down the hall.
"Oh, you know... busy," Zadkiel answered in her soft voice. "Paperwork and the like. You?"
"Same." Jophiel shrugged at her own before they fell silent again.
'When did it get this hard to talk to my sister?' both girls pondered as started to regret walking together.
But by the time they got to Michael's office, Jophiel was starting to wish she had summoned Gabriel instead and Zadkiel felt like her nerves were growing more and more frayed. They knocked on the door for a moment before entering, expecting to hear their brother's mumbled voice greeting them and telling them to just put the papers or whatever down where there was space. Honestly, it was a testament that his desk hadn't buckled under the weight of the many stacks that covered it.
Except there was no answer or order or even the sound of a pen scratching on paper. Instead, they were met with silence.
"Michael?" Jophiel called as she stepped into the room and when over to his desk to see if he had passed out there again. It had happened a few times in the past when he exhausted himself too much. "Huh? He's not here. I wonder-"
"Jophiel?" Zadkiel gently tugged on her sleeve, eyes fixed towards the corner of the room. Turning around, Jophiel was shocked to see Michael lying on his lounge sofa, something she was sure he had never used before. "I think he's asleep."
Sure enough, as the pair neared him, Jophiel could see her baby brother was indeed fast asleep and lightly snoring away as he lightly drooled. If she was honest, he looked terrible with dark circles under his eyes even now and his blond hair messy from probably running a hand through it constantly. However what surprised her the most was that not only were his wings out but looking at them, Jophiel could tell he hadn't preened them in a long while, not that she was any better. It just took a lot of time to preen six wings.
"I just we should just leave the papers and go-" Jophiel started to say when Zadkiel pointed confused at him
"Is it just me or is he holding something?" she asked. Curious but cautious to not awaken their brother, the pair neared him to get a better look. They froze for a moment when they saw the feathers across his chest suddenly start to move, like something was shifting beneath them when they heard the tiniest squeaky yawn they had ever heard. Whatever it was, moved enough to the flight feathers parted to just enough to show a tiny porcelain face underneath that was scrunching up as it slowly started to wake.
'Is that a baby?' Jophiel felt her mind screech to a halt, unable to make sense of what she was looking at. Why was there a baby napping on top of Michael of all places? Why did he have a baby to start with?! Why wasn't she in the Nursery with the others? "You see it too right? I'm not imagining things."
Zadkiel nodded her head mutely when the baby started to move more, her eyes slowly opening to reveal a set of crimson doe eyes that blinked slowly at them as she sat up. At least, Jophiel figured it was a girl since she was wearing a yellow fluffy dress.
"Oh. She's awake." Zadkiel gasped with a cooing voice which Jophiel could understand. The little thing was adorable. However, at Zadkiel's high-pitched voice, Jophiel saw Michael frown slightly in in his sleep.
"Shhh, not so loud," She gently hushed her sister. "You'll wake Michael."
Zadkiel blushed a little as she covered her mouth, nodding her head understandingly. If Michael was sleeping during the daylight hours, then he needed the rest. However, that didn't change the fact that they were now looking at an infant on their brother's chest, peering at them curiously. It was sort of comical the way half of her just popped out of his wings as she wigged about to sit up and look at them. The infant cocked her head to the side as she looked at them and the two women subconsciously mimicked her as she sucked on her pacifier. Jophiel had that the little one would start crying. She didn't know them after all, but instead, they were semi-greeted with a little shy smile and coo.
* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *
"You see it too right? I'm not imagining things."
Charlie frowned a little as she slowly started to wake up from her nap, smiling as she found Daddy right where he had been when she fell asleep. Good, she had missed him a lot. She wasn't fully sure why, but he and Mommy had gone away for a long time now, leaving her behind. Charlie hadn't liked that. But now Daddy was back, though he looked a little funny. His hair was longer and his eyes looked different and so were his clothes. She hadn't even known it was Daddy at first until the strange men and lady brought her over to him and she had felt his magic. It was a little different but she could still feel the familiar traits that Daddy's magic had, so she figured whatever Daddy had gone away for had maybe left a mark on him. He could change how he looked after all so who was she to question it?
And besides, he was covering her with his wings like he always did when she slept on top of him, so of course it had to be Daddy.
Sitting groggily up, Charlie rubbed her eyes and looked around the strange room. This wasn't Daddy's room, she knew that much. The colors were all wrong and the walls didn't have the magic wards she normally could feel. It was also very bright, the white and gold almost overwhelming to a baby who was used to seeing deep red hues and dark wood colors, except for her own room of course. But it still had the same things in it that Daddy's room had. There were books on the shelves and lots and lots of papers on his desk. Maybe he had changed it like he changed his appearance? It made sense to her.
"Oh," A light and soft voice gasped behind her. "She's awake."
"Shhh, not so loud," another hushed voice urged. "You'll wake Michael."
Turning around Charlie saw two ladies standing behind her staring in awe. The first lady was a very tall-looking woman, though that probably wasn't saying much since everyone was tall in Charlie's eyes. Like Daddy, she had pale skin that almost looked iridescent with soft pink cheeks that gave her a blushing appearance and honey-warm orange-yellow eyes. She had blonde hair too like Mommy did, but unlike Mommy whose hair was straight, this lady's hair had tied her wild and curly hair behind her head in a ponytail where it puffed out like a giant messy ball. The way she was dressed though reminded Charlie a lot of the nice lady from the duck park as well as the lady Daddy had invited home a few days ago. What was her name again? Charlie was pretty sure it was Tabby. That's what the big doggy had called her, although Tabby seemed to get mad when he did. But unlike Tabby, this lady would a soft cream-colored blouse with a high collar and a rich plum-colored skirt that reached the floor.
The other lady was tall too, but not as tall as the first. She too had pale skin though instead of pink cheeks, hers were violet in hue. She also had very long lavender hair, almost as long as Mommy's as it just barely reached the floor. She was dressed in a strange dress though that reminded Charlie a lot of Mommy in the morning when she would wear her nightgown and morning robe so maybe she had just woken up from a nap too? Today was a really strange day after all. She did have some very pretty eyes though. They looked like some of the pretty purple stones Mommy would sometimes wear.
The two ladies looked very nervous at Charlie for some reason though Charlie wasn't sure why. Was it because Daddy was still sleeping? Sometimes when Daddy was sleeping, the imps would avoid him so that he wouldn't wake up, but Mommy never had a problem doing so. And Daddy was always happy when he woke up to see Mommy or her so maybe they needed help waking him? Or did they think Daddy was scary? Because sometimes people seemed to think he was when Charlie knew that wasn't true. Daddy was never scary. He was silly.
She'd just have to show them that.
* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *
The sound of the baby's coo made Jophiel feel all gooey inside at the cuteness of the sound. The little one started to look between them and Michael as if she was trying to think of something when she leaned towards Michael's face, lifting her hand to-
"Ah, no no. Don't do that little one," Zadkiel had been faster on the uptake and quickly but gently picked the baby up off Michael and into her arms. Michael only stirred for a second before he returned to snoring lightly. "We shouldn't wake up those who are resting little one."
The baby stared at them curiously before smiling brightly while giggling. It was an utterly beautiful sound. One that neither of the girls had heard in a long time. Not since... Jophiel didn't want to think about it. Those memories gave her nothing but regret and pain and she didn't want to dwell on them. Looking at the little one, Jophiel froze as she saw suspicious red blotches on the little yellow dress. Was she hurt?
"Come on," Jophiel whispered to her sister and jerked her head towards the door. "We should let Michael get some rest. He's clearly out of it."
"What about her?" Zadkiel tucked the baby close, the little one babbling lightly as she spat out the pacifier. "We can't leave her alone with him while he's resting."
"We'll take her with us and leave a note for him when he wakes up," Walking briskly to his desk, Jophiel quickly found a piece of paper she could scribble on. Out of habit, she reached up into the massive mess of hair behind her ear, feeling for her quill from earlier... and pulled out a completely different one which she stared at with unnatural unease. 'Is... is that the quill I lost three months ago?... No... maybe? Best not to think about it.'
Dipping it quickly in ink, Jophiel quickly scribbled a quick message for Michael and lay it next to him so he would see it when he'ld wake again. Hopefully, it would help them avoid a possible panic attack as well as him yelling at them for taking the little thing, but Jophiel was honestly worried about how dark the rings under his eyes had gotten and they honestly couldn't leave the baby unsupervised with him. That was just a recipe for her to get hurt.
Or more hurt depending on who's blood was on her.
"Come on, we'll go see Raphael and have him give this little cutie a check-up," Jophiel smiled as she allowed the babe in Zadkiel's arms to grip her finger. The infant cooed happily, looking curiously at the pale digit before smiling and letting out a string of nonsensical words that none of them understood. "I want to be sure she's not hurt anywhere and then find out who's baby this is."
AN: Fun facts for anyone that hasn't noticed it in Hazbin, but Lucifer is left handed. This isn't by chance. During the Middle Ages, it was believed that left handed people were unlucky and even evil. Even the word 'Sinister' comes from the Latin word 'sinistra' which means left or left hand. It was even called 'The Devil's Hand' and up until the late 20th century, children in school were often forced in school to use their right hand if they were left handed. It's one of the reasons why it's said that about 15% of the entire world population is left handed, my self included. I can't remember where I read it as well, but I have heard that during the Victorian Era, teachers would sometimes bind their left handed students left hand to the chair to force them to train writing with their right. Crazy huh?
Regarding Jophiel's messy hair, imagine Merida from 'Brave' when she wakes up in the morning. That's how messy it is.
Inspiration pictures:
Michael's glass quill: /images/I/51Rex3u673L._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg
Zadkiel appearance is very much inspired by therealtroxa's version which can be found on Deviantart: therealtroxa/art/The-pacifists-869481879