Author's Note: Hello and welcome to the twenty-sixth update of Drifters! My apologies for the lackluster intro, and the one day delay. Had a busy week at work. So any free time I had for this installment was dedicated to proof reading it.
Alright, with that pretext out of the way, time for a light speed transition over to reviews!
An Angry Green Boss: Thanks for the reply man! I'm glad to know the beginning of the Heaven section was a fun read! Especially since writing these first two chapters of it made me feel like I was on a none stop sugar rush.
Also, with the lore on the Exorcists being limited in the show (at the moment ) I can't tell you how fun it is to develop my own sort of twist on their origins and inner workings!
Gamer of Action44D: Thanks dude! It would be hard for me to create a tier list for the show's characters. But if I did, Emily would definitely be in contention for an 'S' ranking. And is hands down my favorite character from Heaven!
Lol, it's not in this chapter, but here is the first bit of a spoiler I'll offer for the upcoming one. If the intro to the Heaven arc was like being on a sugar rush, then writing Cherri's upcoming scenes was like a drug trip XD
Caboose el Rojo: Thank you for the compliment and review! I'm glad to know the story is a fun read and the new characters are likable!
As far as your questions go for why Nester hasn't shown much anger, and why he went to Hell… Well, spoiler alerts are the only answers I can give for them at the moment XD
However, part of it is due to the fact Nester, as you said, is quite like Jerry Smith (and Jesse. Although I'm less confident on that comparison because I don't know the character that well.)
With both Jerry and Nester not really being bad people because of their own physical actions or morals, but rather their anxieties' addiction to getting other people to act and make moral or personal sacrifices on their behalf through the use of, basically weaponized, inaction.
Reviews were amazing as always guys!
But now, without further adieu, besides my traditional apology revolving around any grammatical mistakes that may pop up along the way, I welcome you back too….
Drifters
A Hazbin Hotel Fanfic
Chapter 26:
An Awesome Day in Heaven
Hell taking away Nester's free will was…
Well, it sucked. But at least it made thematic sense.
Heaven stripping it from him on the other hand… that was very much an unwelcome surprise he hadn't prepared for.
Yet lo and behold, with Saint Peter and Emily grasping hands, panting alongside a righteous group of bipedal zoo animals, and posing with them on the nimbus lined sidewalk as if it was a broadway stage… the truth of Heaven's involuntary musicals shined for all the cosmos to see.
"I can't believe I'm saying this," Husk groaned alongside his winded companions, "but I think Earth's the only place free of this Disney bullshit."
It took all of Nester's focus to muster a silent nod of agreement. And from the corners of his eyes, it took all of a jaded Velvette's will to not tunnel her way back to Hell through the clouds.
"Oohhh!" the distant Emily yelped joyously. As she turned, she clapped her hands into a blur at the menagerie of souls, "That was even better than the last time guys!"
"Last time?" Velvette's eye twitch was to herself. But upon a low whisper, it quickly infected Husk, and to Nester's surprise, even the jester faced Exorcist, "Do you guys do this whenever a new soul arrives?"
"Heaven's no," Sera's towering form beamed her warm smile onto the younger Seraph. Her eyes filled with nostalgia. Staring at the smaller Angel as if she was thousands of miles away, "Peter's poor lungs can barely get through one performance without popping."
The celestial being's gaze fell to the Saint. Whose desperate gasp for oxygen earned him a closed mouth smile and head wag from the higher Angel. A sight that, honestly, didn't seem too dissimilar to how Alastor viewed and treated the hotel staff.
"But when the Seraphim are about, all our proud Winners give it their all to keep up with Emily's kindness." Sera waved her shimmering sleeve out across the exhausted sea of beings waving their farewell to the six winged being of pure energy, "Even though they always fall behind, their attempt to do so is just the sweetest little thing."
The exact way her words were phased triggered an annoying little buzz next to Nester's ear. A quick glance to his side revealed the culprit to be his pointer finger. That had, evidently, run up to flick his feathered quill on instinct.
He'd say the paranoia was probably a bit much, even for him, given where he was. Yet the sight of Husk's slightly disturbed side glance proved he wasn't the only one put off by the higher being's words.
"Yeah, yeah, these Winners you got up here are as cute as a pack of puppies thrown on a high speed treadmill." Velvette's eye roll spiraled everybody's wandering thoughts back to reality.
Which caused Nester's pen to nearly snap off. As the head Seraph's gaze shifted from her fellow Angel to the Vee. With all the enthusiasm of a parent whose stroll through the family's photo album was cut off by a ring from the divorce attorney.
"Better to be a winded pup, than the bitch who got sucked beneath the track."
"What was that?"
Nester saw the reflection of Velvette's fiery gaze in the Exorcist's sword. And while the influencer certainly had the passion to fuel herself into a blazing forge… the bird and cat next to her took an involuntary step back.
Knowing full well, that the steel blade would strike down the furnace long before the ladder could melt the metal.
"Exorcist." Sera's hiss slammed the guard's weapon back in her holster, "You cannot strike a Sinner's words down anymore then you can slash away a hurricane."
The jester's fingers hovered above the handle of her stowed blade. Almost as if to say, 'you want to bet?'. But as the shadow of the higher Angel fell over them all, the security detail surrendered with a crisp nod.
"My apologies. As it would seem, Winners are not the only ones who struggle to keep up with us Seraphim." Sera sighed.
Nester's eyes darted back and forth. Not sure how to process such a statement. Especially when the apology was more so the echoes of somebody else's slap on the wrist… and the explanation beforehand was just a straight up insult.
"It's no problem," Husk quickly answered for the group. Stitching shut whatever comeback the hot tempered Velvette had in store, "Charlie wouldn't have sent us if we couldn't take a few verbal licks."
"Do give the young Morningstar my compliments for her…" since Sera's orbs could still translate the silent anger before her, Nester was glad he remained a few feet away from ground zero, "mature decision…"
The avian measured the brief rest that followed by the ticks of his heartbeat.
"If you thought the greeting was great," Emily's innocent smile flew down and started up another conversation. Blissfully unaware of the one she had ended, "just wait until you see what I've planned next for you guys!"
"Forgive me for another intrusion Ma'am," the steel-faced Amp cocked her head in confusion at Sera, "but what does she mean by 'next'?"
With all eyes on the smaller celestial being, whose wings fluttered with the energy of a wound up jack in the box, the chief heavenly authority sighed.
"It appears Emily has taken the task of supervising our special guests' arrival," oddly enough, Sera all but stressed out her absence of the word 'Sinner', "and ran with it."
The white haired woman bit her cheeks and nodded her head rapidly.
"Without running any of her ideas with me."
And quickly experienced severe whiplash as her neck snapped her skull into place.
"Maybe just a few…" the purple cheeked Angel rubbed ripples through her mane, "dozen activities."
Nester noticed Husk and Velvette's face sour inward.
"Regretfully, they are only here for the afternoon." Sera quickly defrosted their fear of having signed up for an even more PG version of the hotel, "Let's show them to their room so they can prepare themselves…"
But beneath Emily's faltered smile, even her stoic boss couldn't bring herself to completely dismiss the white haired Angel's hopes and dreams.
"And if there is any time left, you can take them sightseeing." the higher being sighed in a warm surrender.
"Really?!" Emily's face instantly inflated upon the world's most entrusting defeat, "Then I'll help you guys prepare your argument! With me on board, the time will be cut in half!"
"Oh fuck no-"
In place of his lost claws, Husk's fingers pinched Velvette's lips.
"Thank you for the offer," the bartender grumbled, "but I doubt Heaven is gonna want you helping out the opponent's argument."
Nester saw Amp's head nod sharply. Yet, when he leaned back, he saw the pupils of the ultimate decision dilate in silence.
"Of course they would!" and Emily's upbeat attitude quickly answered both the verbal and silent questions raised, "Because we aren't actually opponents! In Heaven, all that matters to the court is finding out the truth!"
The smaller six winged Angel fluttered her way up to be eye level with the taller one.
"Because as Seraphim, it's our job to help all mortal souls from Earth navigate the divine realm!" Emily's grin soon tapped a finger of realization beneath her chin, "Whether that be through our city of clouds, or our legal system! Isn't that right Sera!"
"You aren't… incorrect." The cosmic haired Angel's stellar markings shone in sync with the breath she took to steady herself, "But I've already taken it upon myself to guide the representatives through our judicial customs."
"That's awesome! With the two of us helping, well get the work done even faster-"
"Heaven's no!"
"Hell no!"
Nester would have dove down to Earth to seek cover from Sera's yelped declaration. Luckily for him, or more so Charlie's argument, Velvette's scream took in all the attention meant for the Seraph.
Well… her scream and the one Husk currently trapped behind his caged teeth. As Nester saw the Vee remove her own fangs from the bartender's crunched wrist.
"… oh, um, okay…" Emily's face morphed into broken glass. And from what Nester could see through his own shock, it appeared like the white haired woman was emotionally bleached at the strange sight before her, "C-can I ask why not?"
"Because I don't want to be cut to ribbons by a fucking Exorcist when I finally snap at your high on life-" the influencer's remark wasn't so much cut off, as it crashed into a pupil less Husk's backup palm.
"What she means is," the cat quickly hissed out through the past and future pain the Vee's narrowed eyes promised to inflict, "if our information on the court is lacking, then our know-how on Heaven must be guesswork as well."
Nester would be confused by what the gambler was trying to get out. Since outside of the dictionary defined points on salvation, the entirety of their argument focused on what Hell was like, not what they thought Heaven was.
Although, any brain cells he could devote to pointing that out quickly became preoccupied. As watching the silent politics flow between Sera, Husk, Velvette, and the Exorcist wove his neurons into a tangled mess.
"And since you've so-" Husk's soured lips vacuumed down whatever pain the pinkette had just chomped onto his digits, "Graciously offered to give us a tour, why don't we kill two stones with one bird."
The cat's eyes flickered onto Nester's twice. And before the avian could raise an eyebrow, the bartender's voice became less strained. When Velvette's irises followed the signal, and her shoulders relaxed.
"… I'm afraid, I still don't follow." Emily admitted. With all the hesitation of somebody whose initial trail led them to the sight of animal cruelty.
"Nester here's gonna take you up on that tour." The cat's hand all but slapped the answer onto the Doorman's face when he lowered it from Velvette.
"He is!" Emily's smile, quite literally, levitated upwards.
"I am?!" and if physics had been working properly, Nester's panic induced frown would have sent him hurtling towards the Earth.
"Yes he is." Husk hissed as his wrist bones cracked themselves back into place… along with the crack his arm whipped onto the bird's back a pat. "If we're gonna get people to redeem themselves, we've got to tell them about the benefits that are in store."
Nester's anxiety was currently trying to jump start his nervous system. To have the stress strip his feathers off, bleach his face, and burst his lungs with air.
Unfortunately, the cat's repeated knocks had sent his motor pathway into a full system reboot. And of the two people who could respond to the idea. Only Emily's high pitch squeal of glee could be heard.
"Don't you worry!" the younger cosmic being spun down. A sparkled hand held a salute to her forehead when she landed, "I'll show him everything Heaven has to offer a saved soul!"
"Make sure you do." Husk smirked. His response seemingly emphasized Emily's own use of the word 'everything', just as Nester's body spasmed back to its core system.
"Of course!" The six winged Angel turned her blinding smile onto the bird already frozen in headlights, "Get ready for the best day of your afterlife!"
Nester's eyes bobbled around. Searching for a way out that wasn't there. Or more accurately, as his gaze fell onto a muscle tensed Exorcist, a way out that wasn't oblivion.
"I'm not sure I-"
"Can accompany Emily without supervision," Sera interrupted Nester's excuse with her own, "You are very much right, which is why I'll have Sargent Amp personally escort you two around."
Only for his face to blank when the celestial being's fast words turned into a justification for the activity. Or, given the head Angel's look between Husk, Velvette, and Emily rather than Emily and Nester, more her excuse to keep her protégé from the former.
"Ma'am, I cannot simply leave you unguarded." Amp cautioned.
And with his panic attack at its limit, the avian found himself rapidly nodding his head in agreement with his, in about a month and change time, potential murderer.
"Two Exorcists are already guarding the facility we're heading to," Sera clarified, "I shall be perfectly safe. Protecting Emily and…"
Despite the social horror that unfolded itself before Nester, the bird quickly realized he had never truly known fear. Not until a goddess in all but name pronounced the word 'from' as 'and'.
"… this Sinner on their outing, is simply the continuation of your current task." her choice to finally use the title of the damned didn't exactly leave him with the warm and fuzzy's either.
"Yes Ma'am." the guard straightened herself, and snapped her answer and gaze onto the Doorman. And from the look of things, the mask orbs wouldn't be leaving him until he left Heaven… or existence. "I shall ensure no vulgar acts stain their outing."
'… oh my God, this can't get any worse.' Nester thought.
"Oh please." Velvette snorted. And with her pent up frustration finally able to leak, she trained her eyes onto the ever gleeful Emily, "A soft top,"
Just in time for Nester's to widen, when the influencer's trailed over to him.
"and a soft bottom's the cleanest match Heaven could make."
In dreadful realization that there was a consequence to using the Lord's name in vain up here. One that, thanks to a snickering Vee, beat down upon him with the weight of the entire emotional spectrum.
From the embarrassment that overcame him when he saw Emily's confusion on the subject still contained a smile. To the shame that beat him down when Husk's forehead smacked itself into all the annoyance that piled up. And finally, the holy terror he felt when Sera's mortified face morphed towards him with Amp's threatened wrath.
XxxxxxX
Within the pale turquoise walls of Heaven's guest room, Velvette's smirk traveled out a far too geometric window.
Where she witnessed her belief in selective karma be reformed. As she watched Emily drag an all but limp statue of Nester by the hand over the horizon.
Their accompanying Exorcist followed suit a hairs length behind. Her own digits gripped to her blade's handle, ready, and almost begging, for an excuse to slash the turkey's legs off.
'Let's see how she'll like that aura crap.' Velvette's mind sneered. As if the Doorman's accidental use of it on her hadn't already led to an Imp filled consequence.
Not weighted down by that memory, the pinkette turned from the glass triumphantly.
Only for her eye's to roll to the ceiling, when they saw the Seraph who stood tall enough to scrape it.
"Calm down lady, they're going to be fine." Velvette's, toned down, statement didn't draw Sera's attention.
"She's right." Husk supported. Even as his own form sank onto one of the room's lackluster beds, "We're honestly more concerned what Emily will do to Nester than the other way around."
"So if you don't mind, now that we dodged the dopamine bullet she had aimed at our heads," Vel folded her arms toward the high Angel, who was only just now turning herself into the conversation, "we'd like to know more about the metaphorical meat grinder we're walking into."
"Specifically any rules we need to know that keep us from being thrown into the real one." the cat's groan added.
Velvette snorted through her nose. If Charlie had made Husk come to keep everybody in line, then the smartest thing the feline had done was bring her along to rain in his blue collared stupidity.
"What type of procedure are we looking at here? Because if we're not running a civil trial, we're gonna need to re work some things-"
"Don't bring up the Extermination." the Sera stated. Her words hung in the room, but her far off tone was elsewhere.
"Excuse you?" Velvette said after a moment, that lingered so long even Husk had to prop his laziness up on an analytical glare.
"Bringing it up before the high court of Heaven is forbidden." the Angel's soft tone demanded. Before she took Vel's words all too literally, and began to levitate her way towards the door.
"Woah, woah, woah!" The Vee knew she had enough money bet against the case, that it would honestly be in her best interest to just let the Seraph finish her Irish goodbye. But regardless if Husk was there to witness it or not, the influencer wasn't about to let her question be answered with a preemptive order, "What do you mean we can't bring up the Extermination?"
"Your mind may be mortal," the Angel sighed with all the tiredness of a university professor trying to teach calculus to a cat, "but even it should have little trouble processing that rule."
"I'd love nothing more then to disagree with you, but I still don't know if you're barring one of our main fucking points," Vel spoke her word coldly as the being's hand met the door's handle, "from a courtroom or a security council."
"For your own safety," Sera didn't allow silence to enter the room, "bringing up the Extermination is forbidden."
"What kind of bullshit answer is that-" the Vee was shut down by a barrier that calmly opened and closed. "Did she just- Did she just fucking leave?"
It had been a long time since- God, as she turned toward a similarly wide-eyed cat, Vel couldn't actually think of any time she had been left the shell shocked victim of a 'meeting'.
"Yeah.. yeah she did." Husk fell back down onto the mattress. Where he dragged his filed nails down a crimson free face, "Shit, no wonder she agreed to let her little sister, or whoever the fuck she is, leave with Nester. Letting Charlie Two work with us would have done more damage to Heaven than if they let the original up."
Velvette dropped herself onto the futon by the window. And chose not to think about the selective karma that came around through it.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing, it's just…" the Vee took in a deep breath then let it out, "usually I'm the one making the rules people don't know about."
"Is being on the receiving end about to make your heart grow three sizes?" The cat's sneer sent a sideways glance her way, "In sympathy for all the people you've screwed over the years by being an asshole."
"Pfht." Vel snorted, the corner of her own vision latched onto the bundle of notes Charlie, or more so Vaggie, had left, "More like my brain's about to quadruple. Because luckily for you, I'm an arsehole with an image to maintain."
"Great…" Husk forced his legs over the side of the bed, before he dragged his back up after them, "more work."
"More for me if that's the type of attitude you're bringing to the table." Vel grinned, "Ah, who are we kidding, you're such a moron it's gonna be more for me no matter what."
"I'm sorry, is the image you're trying to maintain that of a bitch."
"As a matter of fact, it is." Velvette replied plainly. As she picked up the leather sack, flipped it over, then poured Charlie's argument onto the floor.
The cat groaned, but nonetheless joined her around the scattered evidence. Set to rearrange the puzzle pieces it contained to best fit a picture they couldn't see.
XxxxxxX
Despite the overall aura of anxiety that had followed Nester around since Charlie's Heaven squad announcement, the bird truly didn't think his first time in Paradise could be stranger than his introduction to Hell.
"Come on, don't be shy!" but then Emily happened… Emily and the rainbow striped tiger cub she currently stretched out towards him, "This wittle guy couldn't hurt a fly!"
"I'm more concerned about his programming to hunt birds." Nester nervously retorted. His back against the, in light of any actual physical barriers in the petting zoo, metaphorical wall.
Shockingly, the miniature feline didn't actually scare Nester. Its unique fur pattern, cartoonishly large eyes, baby swan-like wings, and anthropomorphic ability to smile like a human infant confused him to no end for sure. But illuminated beneath the Seraph's shining teeth, even the Doorman's paranoia couldn't view the gurgling beast as a threat.
"Hunt? The only thing Tony here wants to hunt is your attention!" Emily's words practically cuddled the creature as she squished its neon cheek into her blue one. At least the one spot of her cheek that wasn't already preoccupied by the herd of koalas, teddy bears, and raccoons snuggled to her form, "Isn't that wight my tiny terrific tiger!"
And outside of his general distaste for trying new things, Nester's dedicated hesitation at picking up the animal was because he didn't want the others to take it as an invitation to swarm him.
"It is Miss," the stern voice of Nester's other reason for reluctance answered for the infant, "because I hear tigers are one of the only animals on Earth who like to hunt humans."
"… w-what a fun fact." the bird's pale face rasped. His attention now fully on the masked carnivore.
"Here's another one," Emily dropped her own knowledge as a bundle of joy atop his head, "the animals in this zoo prefer to snuggle with people instead."
Nester's eyes slowly trailed upward, until his brunette hair shifted to red, yellow, and green fur. Where the upside down orbs of a reverse frown stared back. And brought down a cushioned paw to pad at the avian's cheek.
Whether it overstretched its reach, or was pushed by Emily's giggles, the cub tumbled over the doorman's forehead a cliff. Despite the flash of wings on the creature's back, the Sinner instinctively reached out his arm and swooped Tony up a fair catch.
"Y-you don't say…" the bird awkwardly smiled. Admittedly unable to stop himself when he saw the one the cub shot his way. And while he certainly kept his arms fully outstretched, and had no desire to reel them in for a cuddle, he had to admit the kitten's fur did feel rather comfortable in his hand.
Whether the unexpected bundle of cuteness could cancel out Amp's deathly stare though, Nester did not know. But when enough time passed for Tony to roar out a yawn, the avian gently put the tiger down.
And even patted the top of its prismatic head. Just before a whole menagerie of sentient stuffed animals flowed off the Seraph, and joined the kitten in a giant sleepy pile on the ground.
While there was no announcement that the free range zoo had closed, Nester figured the clockwork like nap was a signal to depart. Although, he certainly didn't make for the Exorcist guarding the exit until after Emily started her own journey.
"We've got places like this all over Heaven." The blue-skinned Angel smiled as she herded the avian from the petting zoo back onto the nimbus line streets that made up the divine realm, "After all, animals need a place to enjoy salvation as well!"
"I-I guess that makes sense." Nester replied, "I imagine the ultimate afterlife for the grown up ones is a place even farther from the city."
"What do you mean?" Emily's head ticked to the side.
"There were only cubs and stuff in the petting zoo," Nester tried to clarify, "the adults probably want to enjoy Paradise as far away from humans as possible. Or am I just being stupid?"
"No," the Seraph waved her arms, as well as whatever response Amp had, away, "It's just, I've only ever seen infants in Heaven."
Her smile faltered for a moment. Not in sadness, but rather concentration. As she searched for an answer that wasn't there.
"I'll remind myself to ask Sera where the adults go later," Emily's smile eventually returned when she shrugged it up, "but like you said, I'm sure their parents would just rather be out in an open field than in the city."
"C-certainly beats the deal they get in Hell." Nester awkwardly chuckled as he recalled the processing plants down below.
"T-there are animals in Hell?"
His forced laugh quickly became lodged in throat when Emily's words were spoken through the traffic jam clogging her's.
"Um… yeah," the bird's hand immediately felt the itch on his neck spread to his quill. A sensation made worse when Emily's flatline lips pointed him to the sight of her horrified eyes, "b-but seeing a young one is rare. So it's good to know most newborns get an automatic pass into Heaven!"
Stuttering, the bird raised up his hands in an attempt to raise the woman's spirit. If the color draining from her face was anything to go off of, he was failing miserably.
"I-I wasn't aware animals could go to Hell at all." the Angel's eyes drifted downwards along with the strength of her voice, "Let alone adolescent ones."
"O-oh… um… I-I'm sorry." Nester, well, he still only had a slight clue on how the damnation of animals worked. But was surprised one of the beings that managed Heaven didn't have any at all.
Although, given the intensified death glare Amp shot his was accompanied by a pat on her sword, the avian wasn't about to be the one to inform Emily on the nature of Food Falls.
"But you know, I'm no expert on Hell," Nester's lie cracked his lips into a smile, "so maybe I've just accidentally confused some Sinners for animals. After all, I'm completely covered in feathers and have two wings. But compared to most other Demons, my animalistic traits may as well be nonexistent hehe~"
"… that…" Emily closed her eyes, as her ears breathed in the words like they were a cool glass of water. When she opened them again, a small smile had returned to her face, "that must be the case. I mean, I can't imagine a baby animal going to Hell anymore than I can imagine a child going there."
"… yeah," Nester squeezed out through sucked lips. He had seen some pretty young looking Sinner's down in Hell… but if the look Amp had given him before had promised pain, the fiery one it had turned into was currently burning him alive in its demand for him to fib, "that would be super weird..."
"Honestly," completely blind to the daggers being rocketed over her head, two of Emily's hands grasped Nester's arms and directed him to her warm grin, "even you look too young to be in Hell."
"Oh, well, thanks. But twenty-two doesn't exactly make me a spring chicken."
And just as quickly as Emily's face had thawed, it froze over once again.
"Y-you're only twenty-two?!" the Angel's hand of comfort turned into a hydraulic press that squeezed Nester's arm a stress ball, "H-how old were you when you died?!"
"Same age!" Nester yelped. The pain not being enough to distract him from the non-stop threats Amp was sending his way, "I've been dead for less than half a year. So don't worry, it's not like I was teenager when I arrived-"
"Only half a year… my gosh!" The Seraph fluttered upward. Her wings blocking the flaming glare being branded into Nester's soul with, what he could only assume, was Emily's version of his nervous flick, "I-I'm on the other side of my half millennium, and I'm barely old enough to be a part of the High Court! I thought all of you were going to be in your thousands like most of the jury!"
"… you're over five hundred years old?" Nester raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Please do not stress yourself Miss." Amp finally moved in to wrench her fellow Angel away. But when she went to pull Emily's hands back, they merely purchased themselves a vice grip onto Nester's shoulders.
"You must be in so much shock- To be sent to Hell so young and so recently-" much like Charlie in the midst of a panicked tangent, Emily completely ignored the words being offered around her, "Is there anybody you want to see up here?! I was going to do the reunions as a surprise for you and the other representatives after the case put the redemption ruling to ink, but…"
When Emily pushed her worried face into his, any horror Nester felt at the idea she presented was incinerated by his furnace-like cheeks.
"You're basically a new arrival! You deserve to be reunited with a loved one, stat!" Emily's face nearly gave Nester's a third degree burn when it turned towards Amp. Whose hands faced a similar friction like wound as they tried, and failed, to crowbar the Sinner and Angel apart, "Have the scribes run the name Nester La Nampen through the archives!"
'La Nampen?- Did Charlie actually make that my official title?!' Nester's mind whiplashed. As between Emily's grip, and Amp's effort to remove it, he was shaken around like a rag doll.
"Find any of his relatives, and let them know he's here pronto!"
"T-that won't be necessary!" Nester begged more than he stated. Then again, Amp's nodded head growled more than it agreed.
"Of course! You're so young, all the grandparents you knew in life are probably still alive!" Emily slowed down slightly as her curiosity shifted gears.
"T-that's true… I hope. But-" the Doorman and Amp took advantage of the opening to pry him from the heavenly grip. Although he cut himself off when he hit the ground, Nester continued before Emily could find a new tangent to pick him up with, "You're not gonna be able to find people for me without my real name anyway."
"Nester's… a nickname?" the Seraph's mind finally seemed to catch up with her decelerated mouth. And, albeit with a now very tense Exorcist between them, she floated down to the Sinner.
"Um… kind of," the bird rubbed the back of his neck, "I was told it's a bad idea to throw around my actual one in Hell, so I use Nester instead."
"Oh… I see," despite the eye on her gown, Emily's frown clearly showcased she didn't, "It's not taboo up here though. If not for family, then we can use it to find any older acquaintances that have passed."
"Thanks but… I'd rather just keep my name to myself, if that's okay."
The blue Angel reached out a, much softer, hand.
"Of course… if you'd like to make things more streamline, you could give me the title of somebody you know or think could be in Heaven."
The heat in Nester's cheek vanished in a moment. A chill front rushed in by a question he'd instantly wanted entropy to tear apart.
"That way, you can give them a visit while your up here-"
"I said it's fine Emily!" Nester snapped, and before he could even realize he did, a sword was at his neck.
"Amp!" the Seraph panicked, her arms immediately having reversed their position. And now desperately latched onto the Exorcist, "What are you doing?!"
"Keeping the peace." The jester's words were stated with all the emotion of her statue-like form, "How much piece I make depends on him."
Meeting stillness with stillness, Nester somehow felt less fear before a blade that could actually kill him than all the weapons in Hell that could only do him harm.
Perhaps, as his own breath was close enough to fog the angelic steel, his current ability to stare it down had less to do with his fear of it, and more so the contempt it offered in being able to destroy the question Emily had brought up.
"I'm sorry…" the bird, almost in relaxed shame at what the problem ringing in his mind revealed, reeled in the air he let out, "I didn't mean to cause a scene. It's just, I'm almost positive there's nobody waiting for me up here Emily."
For a moment, the Exorcist before him nearly pressed her blade into his throat with the same force he crossed his fingers. Though, as her stitched eyes flicked to an anxious Seraph, she eventually lowered her sword.
Of course, her weapon did not re-enter its sheath. And Nester doubted it would return home until he was long gone.
"Which is a good thing. Considering that means they're all alive," the avian forced a smile onto the being who had probably lost hers more in this single day, than all her hundreds of years of life put together, "and we don't have to deviate from the schedule you've got planned."
The shell shocked Angel looked at the comfort his words provided as if they were the first lie she's ever witnessed. And perhaps true to her divine status, the frown she produced when she finally processed the statement seemed to be more in sympathy than discomfort.
"R-right." Emily stowed herself, bringing up a fist to strike down the tension of the moment, as a Charlie-like level of enthusiasm re-fueled her drive, "We've still got a full afternoon of divine activities ahead of us!"
She spun around, and pointed her outstretched arm triumphantly ahead. During which, as Nester's default form of embarrassment returned, he took the opportunity to raise his shaky hands in surrender to an Amp who now decided to follow him at a sword's length.
"So get ready, because today is gonna be a wonderfully awesome day in Heaven!" and practically to the tune of trumpets, Emily led them forward.
Yet, just before Nester could sigh his way into a cautious smile.
"But if you mention anything about Hell to her again," Amp's low whisper locked it into a frown, "I'll make sure it's your last."
Nester gulped… and caught between the embodiments of kindness and violence, the bird fast walked his way behind the former.
XxxxxxX
Alright, Nester and Amp can be as angsty as they want, but they'll never ever be a match for the upbeat joy that is Emily and Tony the Tiger cub!
Thank you to all those who have read through the twenty-sixth chapter of Drifters!
I will try my best to upload a chapter every Friday. But until next week, please feel free to leave a comment! Criticism is always welcomed, so long as there's an attempt for it to be constructive.
As of this moment I am still looking for a beta reader. So to anyone interested, please feel free to shoot me a PM.