Niffty was the first to react, balancing her tray of cookies in one hand while picking up unbroken ones from the floor, giving them a critical onceover before blowing on them, dusting them off, and setting them on the tray with a smile.
Brows knitted together in confusion and concern, Charlie took half a step forward, "Claire? What are you talking about?"
Claire heard her but it didn't quite register, everything in her head moving too fast for her to really be in the moment. She could see it all coming together in front of her, the pattern she'd been looking for, the order to that particular part of the chaos board all aligned itself perfectly in her mind and she looked up at the group with a new, clear certainty.
"Orkas was killed for the list of new sinners he kept," Claire followed the thoughts through out loud, "And then the Exorcists used the list to kill all the new sinners they could find hoping one of them was the rogue soul. That's what I was missing. They were looking for me."
"Are you sure?" Vaggie asked, arms folded, and her expression caught somewhere between skeptical and concerned, distracted by Niffty gobbling up the cookies on the floor, "If so, this is really, really bad."
"I feel like a 'rogue soul' should be a little more dangerous than well…you," Angel gestured towards Claire, offering a halfhearted, "No offense."
Lucifer waved a hand dismissively, "Michael said the rogue soul is an extremely dangerous anomaly who threatens existence itself," he said with a roll of his eyes, "It's not a sinner that makes cookies."
Claire fixed him with a stern look, "I know this might be hard to believe, but I am the one they're looking for. Call Heaven and tell them you found me," she turned to Charlie, tone shifting to more imploring, "Use the leverage for something good, Charlie."
"Let's just all take a moment—" Charlie began, raising up both hands in a placating manner.
"Us talking with Heaven hasn't done fucking shit before," Husk interrupted gruffly, taking a swig from a bottle, "Except make things worse."
Angel stood up angrily, moving to stand beside Claire, "Why are we even talkin' about this?! We can't call Heaven, they'll kill her!"
"Angel and Husk are right," Vaggie nodded, "If this is true, they won't hesitate."
Lucifer's dismissive posturing melted into something far more uncertain and he glanced between Claire and Charlie, "Michael is insufferable, but that's because he's always right! That's why he has the position he does! And if Claire here is the rogue soul..." he trailed off, giving Charlie an apologetic look and saying gently, "I'm sorry, kiddo. We have to call it in."
"No," Charlie said definitively, drawing up and away from her father, "No one is making any calls tonight. Let's just—" clearly not wanting to have to make a decision, she struggled for a way to bring a conversation she didn't want to have to a close, "Let's all just get some sleep and we can talk about it again in the morning. Okay? Let's sleep on it?" she pleaded.
"Far change any of us'll be sleepin' tonight after that bombshell," Angel replied with a shake of his head, running a hand through his hair and giving Claire a concerned look, "Fuck, Claire, are you sure?"
"Pretty sure," Claire replied grimly.
"Well, I'm getting a drink, if anyone wants to join me at the bar," Husk declared, pushing himself to his wavering feet and heading in that direction. He paused for just a second as he passed Claire adding, "All souls welcome," with a wink before guzzling more from the bottle and continuing on, Angel following closely behind him.
Charlie gave Claire a weak smile before turning to head back upstairs with Vaggie, the smaller woman wrapping an arm around the troubled princess as they went. Lucifer looked like he was going to say something, then shook his head and sighed, heading off in another direction as he pulled out his cell phone. Claire turned to go after Husk and Angel when she felt a tug on her skirt.
"Hm?" she asked, turning back to look down at Niffty who gazed up at her intently with her one huge eye, holding a sharp looking dagger.
"If you see an angel, stab it!" She said excitedly, offering the dagger towards Claire, who knelt on one knee to be more on the little maid's level.
"Thanks, Niffty," Claire said with genuine gratitude, taking the dagger and looking it over, "Are you sure you won't need it?"
Niffty laughed, shaking her head and skipping off down the hallway, "Don't worry! I've got loads more!"
Claire watched her until the only thing remaining was the lingering echo of her laughter, getting to her feet and giving the dagger another onceover, "That's mildly terrifying," she commented to herself, tucking the dagger away and heading to the bar.