9,698Dear God, Please, Hear Me Out
The room was in silence and neither of the three people around seemed in any hurry to break it.
Certainly not Joshua, that much he knew. So, he contented himself with the cup of tea he had in hand. He'd have pulled out a notebook or some tome, but he had a hunch that it'd be a bad idea. Instead, he just took a sip from his drink and let his mind wander as he waited.
Because, again, he wasn't going to be the one to break the silence.
Kunou, for her part, was more free than he was and had actually pulled out her notes. The girl was living the dream, happily spell tinkering away while he suffered. He didn't blame her one bit, but he certainly envied her. She was having a good time though, so that improved his mood quite a bit.
And then there was Yasaka.
The cause of the awkwardness, as it were, what with the way she stared at him like she wanted to burn a hole through his skull. She wasn't glaring, she had too much control over her emotions and expressions. However, Joshua had no doubt that was what was going on, even without being able to read her in any way.
If there was one thing that he'd come to learn about Yasaka, it was that she was independent… Too independent at times. She didn't like asking for help and she didn't like showing weakness in any way. She'd push herself to do things on her own and she'd push her own problems away to keep going. All of it a remnant left from her last serious relationship, a lasting mark that made her not want to depend on anyone but herself.
So, he waited for her to scold him for helping her, like she'd done all the other times he had done that. It was what he expected and he was fine with that. He'd take her anger for a bit if it meant she had an easier time. Helping her hadn't been the goal he'd gone there for, but it had been a nice side-effect and it had been easy too. A promise of a few defense setups here and there and the Jedeok had left with smiles on their faces and very friendly dispositions.
The Egyptians were very happy with him too, which was a plus.
When half an hour went by, his tea cup was emptied and Yasaka kept her silence, Joshua decided that it was enough waiting. With a sigh, he asked Nephthys for a can of beer that she happily gave him and prepared himself. He had a feeling that this would be a long conversation. Considering that, there was a little something he had to do in the meantime.
Staring right back at Yasaka's golden eyes, he started casting a Communication spell mixed with an Illusion one. Good for having a conversation with someone far away and without giving away anything. Fortunately, it wasn't a long conversation and he got the OK fairly quick.
"Kunou, can you go to the cafe, please?" he asked, making the girl look up with wide eyes. To her credit, she didn't ask any questions. She was a smart kid… and the situation was kind of obvious, which helped. "Koneko and Kuroka will be there. They'll look after you. I'll pick you up later and the three of us can go have dinner at that place you like."
"The one with the ice cream?" she asked, eyes almost shining, which made him smile and nod. "Yes!" she cheered, picking up her things and going to leave. He had a feeling that she was plenty happy to leave the awkward atmosphere behind too, even if she'd been remarkably unaffected by it. "See you later, mom, dad!"
"See you later, Kunou."
"Later," he replied after Yasaka, grinning at his daughter and waving before the door closed. "Can we have the conversation now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the woman and deflating a little.
To his surprise, she didn't jump at the chance to scold him. Instead, she did much as him, dropping her shoulders and lowering her head. Probably for the first time, Joshua saw Yasaka hesitant, unsure. Now that they were on their own, she grew more and more expressive and he was a little caught off guard by that.
"I apologize," she told him, which was definitely not what he'd been expecting. "I… Kunou picked up on my emotions, didn't she?" Yasaka asked then, visibly trying to gather herself. "She's gotten better as of late, more relaxed. It helps… and I must have slipped quite a bit at some point," she mused, sighing wearily as she finished.
"She said you were lonely… or at least sad," Joshua commented, taking a sip from his beer. Even though he could read things all over Yasaka's expression – for once, that is –, he waited for her to say something. Obviously something was going on, so he wanted to deal with it as well as possible.
"I'm just being silly," Yasaka said, trying to wave away what he said. The problem was that she did so half-heartedly and things were obviously important if they were getting to her like they were. So, he just stared at her until she sighed. "You won't let it go, will you?"
"Now, my people skills suck, but I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to," he answered, drawing a slight smile from the woman. "What's going on, Yasaka?"
"I guess… I'm also having trouble dealing with the attack. Just like Kunou and you," she said and he didn't even bother denying it. Kunou was still twitchy and nervous about the smallest of things or even for nothing at all. As for himself, he was working himself to the bone in order to finish his projects and finally have a cover against Khaos Brigade that he could rely on, or at least something that'd stop Annihilation Maker. "All my years and I'm still just a silly woman," Yasaka mused, and she didn't even seem to be speaking to him anymore.
"And why's that?" he asked, setting down the can in his hand.
"Because I love you," she answered, as if that explained everything. Fortunately, she didn't just leave it at that. "And because of that… I want to keep you close. For the longest time, I only had Kunou. And now you are here too. I guess, with everything, I want to keep the both of you close and safe and... I can't do that though, I know. You have your life, your own duties like I have mine, and then there's Serafall and Gabriel-"
"Do you want me to move here?" Joshua asked, interrupting her and making her blink. "Simple solution, isn't it?"
"Your place-" she started arguing, but he didn't let her gain speed.
"Is just a place. It's not my home or anything. I have been living there for under a year. A lot of things happened there, sure, but it's still just a place and it's not like I'll be throwing it away," he explained, leaning back and taking a sip from his beer while Yasaka stared at him like she didn't understand a word he was saying. "If you need me closer, I can be closer, is what I'm saying. I've told you several times that you only need to ask for things, Yasaka. But I guess you are a silly woman."
"That… That could cause problems with Serafall and Gabriel, if I hog you like that," Yasaka pointed out.
"They weren't attacked like you and Kunou were. I'm sure they'll understand," he said, feeling odd, being the reasonable one between the two of them. He guessed that, in the end, she was still a person, prone to giving in to emotions. He did think that most of the "old" beings he came across tended not to act as such on occasion or even most of the time.
He wondered why that was.
"And if it is a problem, then we'll talk it out, like we are doing right now," Joshua finished with, before chuckling awkwardly. "Although, I guess I've been kind of talking at you, haven't I? Sorry. It's just that you are kind of stubborn at times."
"... I… acknowledge that," Yasaka replied, half resigned and half amused, somehow. "And I think you are right, for the record. I just… I'm stubborn," she said then, chuckling weakly. "... You'll… You'll really just do that?" Yasaka asked and he would have found the question funny if not for how vulnerable she looked.
"With no problem," he answered decisively. It was nice, to be the one with his feet solidly under him for a chance, but he'd have preferred that it weren't in such a situation. "Might need to move everyone here though. I don't want to just ditch them, you know? I can leave Raynare and Kuroka at the house though. Would be a good idea for someone to stay there anyway," he mused out loud. "So, are we doing this?"
For a long moment, Yasaka just stared at him, as if he were some kind of mystery.
In the end though, she smiled, and all was right in the world once more.
For how long, he didn't know, but any victory was good those days.
[}-o-{]
"A woman could get jealous, you know, Josh?" Serafall asked him and he had to hold back a wince. Sure, those words were worrying, but he liked to think that the people he was in a relationship with were more reasonable than that. And if not… Well, his social skills had always been lacking. It wouldn't be a surprise if he was wrong about something like that, even if it would be disappointed.
"But are you?" Joshua asked, raising an eyebrow. He wondered if his nerves showed, quite honestly, because no matter how cool he tried to play things, the fact remained that he was not equipped to deal with this kind of stuff. He was doing his best though, and he really hoped it was enough.
"Nah," the Satan answered and he didn't even bother holding back the relieved sigh that escaped him. This seemed to amuse the woman to no end. "Silly Josh. Of course I don't mind. Sure, I might be feeling a little jealous, I'll admit. But Yasaka needs some extra support after everything and so does Kunou," she said, a soft smile on her face. "And I understand how important family is, so don't worry."
"Thank you," he told her, because he was really grateful that she was so understanding. No matter what his thoughts on the matter were, it'd have sucked if it all took a turn for the worse.
"I'll just hog you later, to make up for it," Serafall added, which made him chuckle. "I'm not Gabriel, after all. I'm allowed to be envious and greedy," she commented, to which he rolled his eyes.
Although, that was a good reminder to be wary of that. The angel quite literally couldn't afford to feel those things, so it'd be a real dick move if he didn't at least try and avoid making her feel so. Hmmm, it'd take some juggling with his schedule, but Joshua guessed it was doable to make some more time.
Now that the Sleep Disease matter was semi-finished – he was getting a little nervous because of the lack of screen, but nothing seemed to be wrong – he was probably going to get some more of that. Granted, he'd wanted to use that to push his other projects further, but… Well, all he had to do was remember the arguments his parents had had over his father working more than he needed to and such.
'I mean, if I'm always around, then I don't need those defenses quite as much, right?' he wondered, which was bullshit and he knew it. His defenses were for the times when he wasn't around. No matter how much time he spent at home, there'd always be a moment when he wasn't and an attack at that moment was what worried him. 'Khaos just can't help giving me problems all over the place, can they?' he thought, eye twitching.
"What's going on in that head of yours?" Serafall asked, bonking him lightly with her staff.
"Just thinking that I need more time in my days," he commented with a sigh. "I don't have nearly enough time to spend with my family and all of you."
"Not including us there yet?" she asked, pouting. However, Joshua was pretty sure she was just messing around. And if she was not… Well, time for her to be disappointed, he supposed.
"Not quite yet," he answered, trying not to sound joking despite his guess. "It feels… different, if that makes sense. Like it'll be harder to reach that point like this than… I don't know, how it was with Asia and Jeanne," he said, trying his best to explain his thought process. All kinds of relationships felt incredibly difficult to navigate though, so he hoped she'd cut him some slack if he'd messed up.
"I get what you mean, and I was just joking," Serafall told him, seeming very happy despite everything. He'd expected to bring the mood down a little, even if she hadn't been serious. "That was a good answer though, Josh. It means you are taking this seriously."
"Of course I am," he replied with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I suck at socializing… but that just means any kind of connection I manage to get is that much more precious," he explained, a soft smile on his face. It had truly been like that, with any and all instances where he'd managed to get close to someone, even before he'd popped up in that world, rare as it had been back then.
Hell, it was the reason even business partners and such were important for him. He didn't talk all that much with Agnes, for example, but he cared about her, even if they were both doing their jobs every single time they interacted. She was someone that he could talk to without feeling awkward or out of place and someone that had proved to be dependable and a good person… for the most part. That was good enough for him to care, and the same applied to everyone.
"I still can't believe you were such a loner before," Serafall commented, seeming entertained beyond belief. "How'd you go from that to this?" she asked, waving her staff to signal his… everything. "You aren't lying to me, are you, Josh? Are you? That'd be mean."
"Not at all," he answered with an amused grin. "It's just that things kept happening and I kept being forced to meet new people and interact with them. It sucked, but… I guess I'm not complaining, if it got me where I am."
"Good answer," Serafall told him, standing on her tiptoes and giving him a quick kiss. "Now, I'd love to give you a proper kiss for being so precious, but I think we have a scene to shoot."
"And a magical girl's work is never done eh?"
"You know it."
Yeah, he definitely wasn't complaining.
[}-o-{]
[Adriel]
"You can still back out if you want to," the human said, calmly, patiently, as if fully expecting him to turn back and leave once he realized the severity of what was about to happen. It made sense even, all things considered. Adriel didn't blame him for that. In fact, he appreciated it, because it meant the human cared about his well-being as much as he cared for what was about to be done.
He might not be all that involved with humanity, but he knew well that they were known for their sinful nature, and the situation merited at least a few of those. It spoke of Davis' character that he kept his pride, gula and greed in check for the sake of others. Then again, what did Adriel know? He'd known the human for all of a few minutes pushing on an hour.
However, he was in a relationship with Lady Gabriel and that was all he needed to know.
It was still odd to think about that though. Heaven was still processing those news and they were unlikely to stop anytime soon. Many were concerned for their Great Seraph. Many were doubtful too. There were many theories about why that development had come to be too.
Adriel had seen the two together for, again, almost an hour at most, and he thought most, if not all, the theories were wrong.
And if he couldn't trust a Great Seraph, then who could he?
"I appreciate the concern," Adriel replied after taking a moment to consider the offer even though he knew there was no way he could back down. "But I am resolute."
"So you are," Davis mused, looking at Adriel as if trying to discern something. Not unlike how he'd been when Lord Raphael had ran his tests and assessed Adriel and a few other angels like him, he felt like his entire being was bare to the eyes of another. His soul felt out in the open, for the world to judge, for Davis to judge.
"Adriel," Lady Gabriel said and he turned to give her his undivided attention. "I'll be right here in case anything happens and my brothers are keeping an eye on things from Heaven," the Seraph reassured him, giving him the kind, warm smile that she was so known for. "Our kind and I appreciate your contribution to this project. If it works, and we believe it will, then you'll be the one to bring much needed good news to our kind. We all thank you for this, Adriel."
He smiled at that.
Then he took a deep breath in and nodded firmly where he stood, just like he had with Lord Raphael.
The human nodded back while Lady Gabriel returned his smile, if much kinder, softer, warmer.
"I should have improved the procedure a lot, so it should be much smoother than the last time I did this," Davis explained and Adriel blinked. Last time? "Then again, the last time I did this, it was on a Fallen, so this is still a lot different. Just so you aren't too surprised, as far as I know, you should feel very uncomfortable, very strange and maybe even very afraid. My spells will seize control of your energies, they will twist them and they will strain you in a way that you probably didn't realize was possible."
There was silence in the room after that, the human going back to checking on the many, many circles he'd laid out around Adriel and the angel himself took another moment to process that. Lady Gabriel, for her part, stepped away but never took her eyes away from him. He'd heard similar warnings to those before, as he was informed and prepared for what he'd volunteered for. Never had it been explained to him in so many words, so straightforward and blunt. A little contradictorily, the way the man spoke without concerns or doubts told Adriel, once more, that the human cared.
He wasn't necessarily trying to dissuade him, but he certainly wanted him to know exactly what he was walking into.
"I understand," was all Adriel said with a firm nod.
"Well," Davis said, nodding and looking around once more. "I hope you are ready to get some new wings soon, Adriel."
What a statement to make.
As if the news that Lady Gabriel was in a relationship with a human – one that was also in a relationship with one of the Youkai leaders and one of the Satans of the Underworld – weren't crazy enough, there he was. Joshua Davis wasn't content taking a sledgehammer to Adriel's sense of logic, but he also had to blow it up with dynamite by saying that he could increase angels' wing number. And yet, it couldn't be said that it was all jest, empty words or something equally as inane.
Because Lady Gabriel and Lord Raphael were both backing up the claims.
Things had changed a lot since Heaven had all but turned their heads away from the world, but surely not this much, right? What had the world come to when a human thought he could do what only God himself had been able to up until then? And to convince their leaders of this fact too, which all but meant that he was speaking purely the truth.
Surprise didn't quite encompass how Adriel felt, but it was close enough.
"I'm starting now," Davis said, pulling him from his thoughts. He couldn't help but stiffen a little in preparation for what was to come. Through the corner of his eyes, he saw the human starting to activate spells one after another. No magic touched Adriel, but he knew it was coming.
Like a warning shot, the boons, wards and hexes loomed over him. If before he'd felt like he was being looked at by the Seraphs themselves, now he felt like the entirety of the world looked upon him. Eyes of all kinds turned towards him, peering at him, analyzing him. People, creatures and even mechanisms locked on him, taking in everything he had to show and maybe even more.
It was unnerving, and it was just the start.
The next thing Adriel sensed was the spells reaching towards him and he had to stop himself from reacting. He'd been prepared, of course, but it was one thing to know it'd happen and it was another to have so much magic all around him, watching him, pulling closer to him. It was like he was in the depths of the ocean, with only a measly bubble separating him from the crushing waters… And the bubble was shrinking.
Until the magic touched him.
It was mere caresses for a good, long moment. The spells poked at Adriel's magic and body, little nudges here and there… Until he felt them against something that he didn't even know was there, but felt much more important than either of the previous things. The spells didn't stop there though, because they reached deeper into who Adriel was and went for that.
Nothing had happened yet and Adriel was already on edge.
No wonder so many warnings had been given.
It wasn't until Davis walked in front of him that Adriel realized he'd frozen in place. He'd pulled in and hyperfocused on the spells and their effects, forgetting that there was a world outside. However, meeting those blue eyes unlike those of his kind, Adriel found himself slightly reassured.
"Everything is in place," the human said and Adriel clung to his words like a lifeline. Everything was fine. All was going according to plan. Lady Gabriel was in the room. Surely she would say or do something if anything were to happen. He had nothing to worry about…
And yet he couldn't help it.
"I'm ready," he said all the same. Even speaking felt weird, what with the spells that now permeated the room and even Adriel's own body. "I'm ready," he repeated, almost trying to convince himself.
"I'm here and Gabriel is here," Davis told him and Adriel found himself relaxing the smallest bit. "You'll be fine, Adriel," the human promised, even though he was likely lying. At the very least, he didn't seem certain of his chances before, so that likely hadn't changed. "We are starting."
And with that, he felt the spells start working, start pulling at his energies, at his body, at himself. Adriel felt himself be and stop being all at the same time. He was Adriel, but he was also starting not to be, while remaining the same. He was confused. He felt lost. Was he Adriel? Was he not?
Through his confusion, he felt specific changes, like how his everything seemed to shift a little towards his back. That was the palace where his wings were, but it was changing. Or, at least, something was changing, even if his body remained the same.
In the middle of all that was happening, somehow, that felt like the least important thing.
It seemed that he'd been proven ignorant.
Adriel hadn't understood what he was walking into at all.
[} Chapter End {]
Hey guys! How's it going?
Well, that was quite the shift between the start of the chapter and its end, huh? Can't say I saw that coming, I have to admit, but that's just par for the course. Joshua be Joshua-ing… Sometimes socially speaking and sometimes magically speaking.
I don't even know what I'm talking about anymore.
I swear I'm not drunk, guys. Sometimes I just struggle to come up with notes so I might come across as very random… Sorry about that.
Anyway, yeah, Joshua dealing with social situations as best he can. The guy is trying, alright? Cut him some slack like his girlfriends do, yeah? It's the effort that counts, isn't it?
And then we have some of Joshua just casually bending reality over and doing things to her.
And then people wonder why the fic is rated M or posted in the NSFW section.
As always, if you can't wait until next week for next chapter, there's up to three new chapters in my Pa tre on:
P a treon . com (slash) AdrianKing
Discord Link: discord .gg/UTDransjJZ
Random Question: GoM has a lot of things happening all the time and a lot of characters in its cast, to the point where sometimes people or plotlines can get pushed to the side too much. Is there any of those that you feel deserves getting some screen time?
See you.