Temptation of an Angels Child (Squeeze and Dusu)

[Lady.Taser]

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, i made the thread XD let me know what you think lol

 

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Zaniel woke to the sounds of bird chirping outside his window, in fact it wasn’t even outside his window it had hopped onto the windowsill and through the window he had left open while he slept. Something about his ‘aura’ made animals collect around him some times. At least that was what she had said and these days she was the only person he really got to speak to other than when he would be sent out to keep people from endangering their souls by straying from what was considered the right path. He sat up stretching his arms above his head and arching his back to help wake up the muscles and allowing the duvet, which had covered him to collect around his waist. He had been sleeping in just a pair of pyjama bottoms, as it was still quite warm outside despite having reached the end of September.

 

 

Scratching the back of his head under his hair which was currently falling over his shoulders and framing his face he clambered out of bed and started to get ready for the day slowly. It was only 6am and daylight was only just starting to filter through the thin curtains. He was being collected for the day just after 8, but he took a long time to wake and did everything slowly. Starting the morning off with a long hot shower Zaniel would spend some moments just standing under the spray of heated water with his eyes shut wishing the shower could never end. He wasn’t fond of the teachings but didn’t argue against being taught them. This stemmed from a mix of not believing he had the power to fight against it and not wanted to expend the effort to fight against it.

 

 

After getting out of the shower he immediately tied his hair back into a pony tail leaving a couple of strands at the front, since he always did this just out of the shower and then just let his hair dry naturally there was always a wave in his hair when he took it out which reflected the fact it had been tied. Breakfast and coffee were the next thing for the morning, both of which helped raise his awareness of his surrounds slightly more. If he listen carefully he could hear the noises of his neighbors leaving the houses, or running late and rushing around, it was about 7:30 by this point and he was onto his second cup of coffee and staring out his window at the birds just outside it, different to the bird that woke him up, but still singing at him all the same. It wasn’t until 8 am that he did anything else, including getting dressed, he just wandered around his apartment with a towel wrapped around his waist until this point, but with his mother arriving in the next few minutes he quickly dressed, pulling on a loose pair and jeans and a t shirt which seemed large on his small frame.

 

 

Barely minutes later there was a knock at the door and he opened it to find his mother stood there, her long blonde hair loose and cascading down her back, blue eyes reflecting his own brown eyes and smiling serenely at him. With a sigh he grabbed the key to his apartment and left the rooms, locking the door on his way out. As she turned to lead him down the corridors the white robes she was wearing lifted slightly as they twisted slower than her body.

 

 

When they reached the lift rather than taking it to the ground floor they went up to the roof, not yet exchanging a word with each other. Once they had reached to roof where they were alone did she speak.

 

 

“Good Morning Zaniel.” She turned to face him, smiling brightly, her voice high and pure in the morning sunlight. “how did you sleep my child?”

 

 

 

“I slept well I guess mother. Where will the teaching be happening today?” They couldn’t have a conversation in public, she drew to much attention, and the moment anyone heard that she was his mother they began asking questions. After all she didn’t look any old than he did, despite the hundreds of years difference in their ages.

 

 

 

“We shall be training as normal at least for the morning and afternoon.” Zaniel found himself bathed in a bright golden light momentarily and when the light cleared they were no longer on the roof, rather in the all too familiar class room that his mother had been using for the last 3 years of his teachings. It was a bare room with a calendar on the wall turned to the month of September, though it was already the end of the month and soon it would need to be changed to October. He only had another month before he was to make his choice. One month until all hallows eve as well. “though tonight we will need you to go any talk to some who are been diverted from the path of good and being swallowed by evil. They have only started in the last couple of days so there is still time.”

 

 

Zaniel sighed inwardly, at least it would get him out of the classroom earlier, and out of heaven. He found being up here oppressive and much too pure, despite this he was likely to make the choice that would ultimately end with him spending a lot of time up here. He quickly sat down in the seat and waited for the day to start.

[SqueezeBabe]

He swept a hand through his silky black hair, brushing the strands away from his face. He gave an inward sigh as he submitted his "report". "Another one?" the head Auditor asked. Mephistopheles nodded and slowly smiled; a smile that hinted at dark things, that promised to grant whatever a heart desired, the smile that made his job so much easier. The Auditor pushed his glasses back up his nose, for all the world looking like a boring accountant, except accountants didn't have red eyes. The ruby orbs studied him for a moment, "Your name suits you well" he said as he signed off on the report, handing it back to the demon. "Make sure submit this by the end of the week, otherwise it won't get counted towards your monthly quota... not that you have a problem with meeting your quota..." The Auditor gave a perfunctory smile as he dismissed the demon.

 

Mephistopheles walked through the halls of what could only be described as an "Academy" of sorts. The purpose of being a demon was to collect souls, to entice those who thought themselves good and true, and show them that they were anything but, to lead them to their eventual fall into the depths of despair and the pits of hell. The "Academy" was where individual progress was monitored - if you couldn't meet your quota, then you obviously needed more training. Except he'd never missed his quota ever.

 

Demons were often named after Legendary Demons, in a hope that perhaps the name would impart some of the traits associated with it, wishful thinking by most parents, but Mephistopheles was really like the legend of old. His talent was to find those whose souls were already corrupted; yet to be claimed, and then corrupt them beyond any possible redemption. It was almost like cheating in a way, but he didn't see it like that... those people were already on the path to damnation, he just... made their journey a little more comfortable. It wasn't hard to make someone do something that deep down inside, they already wanted to do... he was a facilitator, an enabler.

[Lady.Taser]

Zaniel stifled a yawn. He had been listening to his mother talk about Demons and way in which the corrupt human souls and turn them away from God. In was all stuff he had heard before in one form or another, but this time was specifically about the demons and took over 4 hours of lecturing. Most of said lecturing consisted of the words, "do not trust these vile demons" or "Demons such as these are the dirtiest of creatures". To be honest Zaniel blanked a lot of what was being said, if he was asked what she had been talking about it was easy enough to give a satisfactory answer.

 

He was starting to day dream, remembering the past, he hadn't always been cooped up in this lifestyle and dragged to heaven every day. There was a time when he was normal... well as normal as you can be knowing your mother is an Angel, but he went to school with the humans and had friends.

 

"Zaniel!" he jumped slightly pulled from his daze as his mother stood in front of him, eyes stern and suprisingly somber. "This..... this is vitally important that you listen. The Demons.... while they search out humans to corrupt and claim the souls of those corrupt." She paused and looked sadly at him, They have also been known to target half angels... Please be careful my child." She reached a hand out to caress his cheek, only to be interrupted by the door to the classroom being opened, and a young angel nodding at her before hurrying away to inform another the time for work on earth had come.

 

"It is time. Zaniel, this is not your first mission alone on Earth so i am certain you are aware of what you must do. Just guide the lost soul. This one will be slightly harder as they are falling into the spiral of despair." Zaniel nodded and rose, smiling at his mother before she took him back to Earth. When he was alone he sighed slumping his shoulders forward, he didn't want to do this, but he didn't know what else he could do in this world. He had no skills useful for life as a human, and while he thought himself useless as the job he was given he was still praised.

 

The one he was meant to guide tonight was a young girl, about his age and was recently frequenting bars, drinking and harming herself, no one expected him to succeed with this case, the only reason she could still be saved was that no demon had claimed her yet. Before he left for the mission he changed into a pair of black figure hugging jeans, - just because he was part angel he wasn't expected to wear all white all the time, it would draw too much attention. He put on a top of deep blue and then a white shirt buttoned part way up. He left his hair tied back the blonde slightly less bright when he was wearing some white.

 

He looked himself over in the mirror once before heading out the door, not bothering to lock it as there was nothing of any value in the house.

[SqueezeBabe]

The club was dark and smokey, the bass reverberating off the walls. Mephistopheles was leaning against the bar, a drink in one hand and his dark eyes on the dance floor. He was watching a young woman, swaying to the music, attempting to lose herself in the music. He could sense the darkness in her soul already; she was looking for an escape from the despair that she felt. He took a mouthful of his drink as he watched her. He didn't need another soul, he was already in front for the month, but it was apparent that no other demon had sensed her and for the moment her soul was fair game, and if she met the right person, then perhaps she could still be saved...

 

Mephistopheles wasn't inherently evil... he was just doing his "job" so to speak. If he could save her, he would, but saving souls wasn't his territory, and if he got caught doing it, there would most likely be repercussions... not that anyone could argue that he was slacking off. He watched her for a few more minutes; the time it took him to finish his drink, before pushing himself off the bar and walking out onto the dance floor to join her. The dim and smokey interior did nothing to hide the fact that by human standards he was beautiful like a painting or a work of art is beautiful. He moved up behind her, the two of them moving to the music, and he put his arms her loosely, hands resting on her hips. He leaned forward his lips brushing against her ear, "I can make it all go away" he whispered.

[Lady.Taser]

Zaniel wandered the dark streets towards the club she seemed to prefer. If he was going to find her then it would be there, but he needed her alone, not that he had any idea of what he was going to do or say to save her. The only thing he could think of was give her a reason to strive for the light... but what that would need to be for her he didn't yet know. He stopped and looked up at the exterior of the grimy brick building. Just a two story building, the only distinguishing feature being the neon sign on the front of the building and the bouncer by the small door. He headed over to the bouncer smiling lightly. While he was under age he could charm people into seeing him, but not at the same time. This allowed him to pass through the door easily, and if he was ever caught using this when not completing a mission then he would lose the power.

 

It didn't take long for the beat and rhythm of the music to permeate through the corridor and surround him turning from a gentle wave of music into a brutal onslaught of sound when he opened the inner door. He wasn't used to the volume of music here and it took him a couple of moments to adjust to the room. He sat at one of the empty tables near the entrance and scanned the room. It didn't take long to spot her in the middle of the dance floor, swaying alone, seemingly unfocused. Zaniel sighed deeply and stood up moving towards the woman, then stopping abruptly as a black haired man moved towards her first. He slowly moved back to watch carefully, the man leaned forward and whispered into her ear, she seemed happy from here. Inwardly cursing he moved over to the bar and got a small drink before finding another seat.

 

He watched the pair on the dance floor, hoping for an opportunity. When one didn't arise he started to become impatient, the longer he waited, the more he drank. The more he drank the worse his mood became, and the more he became jealous of those around him who had the freedom. The freedom to choose how they lived and what they did. The more jealous he became the more the stress of his mothers wishes sat on his shoulders, becoming harder and harder to ignore. Eventually he downed the rest of the drink he had in his hand and slammed the glass onto the table. He got up and left the club, not looking around him and not realizing he had stopped watching his target quite some time ago.

 

When he left the building he walked, and continued walking until he found himself in the middle of an open field in a park. He couldn't see anyone around and he lay in the center of the field, arms thrown open wide and staring up at the sky. He searched for the stars in the sky, finding few due to the light pollution. Brooding over his earlier thoughts he lay there, allowing the dew of the grass to seep through his clothing, the feelings of Envy to every being that surrounded him on the planet building as he realised the extent of which he wanted to be like them. Tears silently made tracks down his face as he watched the sky.

[SqueezeBabe]

He could tell that she liked the appeal of having all her problems just... disappear. Whilst he couldn't really make what was troubling her vanish entirely, he could at least make her think that it had, or, as he was supposed to, make her believe that couldn't escape from her troubles ever, and then let her take the obvious course of action after that... As they danced to the music, he wondered what he should actually do.

 

He sniffed the air for a moment. Above the smell of smoke and stale alcohol was the smell of something fresh and clean. He looked over to the bar and spotted the newcomer. A young man with pale skin and blonde hair, who gave off the particular smell, who had a particular aura... half-breed he thought to himself, more curious than anything. Heaven had sent a half-breed on a mission to see if he could save a soul, and Mephistopheles had gotten there first. He waited for the half-breed to come over, but it seemed that he'd lost hope so quickly, just sitting at the bar and drinking. He smiled to himself, already sensing the darkness in the half-breeds soul, just a faint glimmer that perhaps things weren't as shiny and pleasant as angels would have you believe. Half-breeds were quite a coup if you could convince one to take the plunge...

 

He watched, through half-lidded eyes, as the half-breed drank himself into a dark mood, working himself up into a jealous depression. Ah Envy, the fall of many. The jealous rages, the burning desire to have what you cannot... Mephistopheles watched as the half-breed slammed down his empty glass onto the table and stalk out of the club. He smiled to himself, perhaps he would do the half-breed a bit of a favour... earn his trust and see where it took him. He didn't really want to take the half-breed's soul, but he thought that at least if he was in the "way", it would prevent someone else from doing it... and the slight flicker of darkness beckoned him deliciously.

 

He led the girl out of the club, and she followed him willingly. He kept half an eye on the half-breed, watching, following him as he walked through the streets, ending up in one of the large open area parks; watched as he flopped onto the ground, gazing at the sky above. Mephistopheles looked up at the sky himself, noting that there wasn't much to see... the lights were too bright. He paused for a moment, feeling a wave of sadness wash over him. The half-breed was feeling sorry for himself, and just then, Mephistopheles felt sorry for him too...

 

He snapped his fingers and watched as one by one the street lights flickered and dimmed, slowly bringing this part of the neighbourhood into complete darkness, and looked up at the sky once more, watching as the stars glimmered and flickered, becoming brighter. He leaned down to whisper in the girls ear, "Over there, there is someone who can help you, someone... who will make it all go away for you..." he gave her a small push in the direction of the half-breed, watching as she stumbled slightly through the darkness. He concealed himself in the shadows and let human nature do the rest....

[Lady.Taser]

Zaniel didn’t notice the lights flicker out per say, but rather the gradual increase in his ability to see the stars. The glimmering lights fading in and out of existence as the light reached the end of its long journey. Why could he not be normal, life as every other human on earth could. Live, love and choose who to be. The choice that had been taken from him when he turned 16, being taken from school and from his father to study with his mother. He had been told it was when a half angel turned 16 that they were vulnerable, right up until they made their choice of life at 20. Only 4 years in which to decide, before 16 he had no knowledge of his heritage. It had been so long since he had interacted with anyone of his own age that when the girl he was meant to save stumbled over his legs and fell to the ground he had no clue what to do.

 

As she landed on the grass on her hands and knees he sat up, wide eyed and surprised. They stared at each other for a moment, her eyes half shut as if in a dream, his still leaking tears, neither moved and Zaniel couldn’t help but wonder how the girl who was dancing with a black haired man had now fallen across his path.

 

“I heard… you could take it away.. the pain and despair. Can it not all just be a nightmare?” She raised both her arms and gripped the edge of his shirt tears now starting to stream down her face. “Can you save me? Please!”

 

Zaniel found himself frozen by her plea for a moment found himself caressing her cheek and drying the tears. He even found himself smiling with tears still trailing down his own cheeks. “What is causing your nightmares? What do I need to save you from?” his voice was quiet and low. He wish he already knew what the problem was but only the Dominion angels who assigned the work could tell him that, and they only gave the level of information they felt was needed. To help encourage believe in God that was waning dramatically in recent years they had started to see a need for the being that was to be saved to have a ‘personal visit’ from and angel before the cause of their despair was removed. Hence they had reduced the amount of information given to the lower angels, making the job harder.

“He….. every night…..and ….can’t stop…. him.” Zaniel could only make out a few words between her sobs, which choked her voice. Her hands were now scrambling at her own face trying to wipe away the tears, trying to be strong. “…tried to….. couldn’t end it….. tried…. Forgetting…. Came…. Often…. Why….. how……” Zaniel winced, the girl had no way of protecting herself and had fallen victim to such cruel abuse, but the cruelest part was when she managed to vocalize the title of her demon. ‘Father’

 

Zaniel pulled the girl into his chest caressing her hair lightly and lulling her into a deep sleep. She wouldn’t remember his face, she had been crying too much for that. When she had fallen asleep against his chest he picked her up and carried he home. Her mother answered the door, Zaniel smiled and said he had found her crying in the park and asked if he could take her upstairs. Her mother smiled and welcomed him in like an old friend. As he passed the family’s living room he glanced the father, and felt a feeling of pure disgust roll through him. After depositing the girl in her room he confronted the parents.

 

A few hours later he was wandering the streets after having delivered a man talking gibberish and a recorded tape of his confession to the police. Whether or not the girls soul would be saved was now due to how she reacted. The police had promised it would be kept quiet and now the causer of her drinking and self harm were gone she should be able to return to her life from before.

 

When he stopped and looked around he found himself back in the same park he had been in earlier. The lights were still out and stars still glimmering beautifully up in the sky. The moon had also made an appearance, the tiny sliver of it that was still visible this night captured his gaze.

[SqueezeBabe]

Mephistopheles watched from the shadows as the girl stumbled across the half-breed, clutching at him as she poured out her tale of woe and suffering, watched as the half-breed put her to sleep and carried her away to do his "duty" and save her soul. He waited until the pair had vanished into the gloom of the night before detaching himself from the shadows, walking out to stand in the middle of the oval where they had just been. He flopped himself down on the damp grass, breaking off a stalk and chewing on it as he lay on his back to stare at the night sky above. He knew about the girls troubles, knew what had tipped her into a spiral of despair and hopelessness... He closed his eyes and let his thoughts go...

 

Heaven seemed to have this policy of providing as little information as possible, believing that it interfered with the "free will" of humans. Mephistopheles was sure that this is what made it so hard for the half-breeds to actually save anyone... after all, how could you help if you didn't know what was wrong? How could you fix the problem if you didn't know what was broken in the first place? He felt no rivalry towards the half-breed, and no animosity either; they were both just doing the jobs that were assigned to them, the difference being that Mephistopheles was a demon, and would always be a demon, and he could choose whether or not he would be "good" or "evil", his only job to collect souls in whatever way he could. Just because his "boss" was the Lord of all that was Evil didn't mean that he aspired to be like him...

 

He watched the stars wink in and out of sight, watched the moon rise over the silhouette of the surrounding buildings, the sliver of brightness standing out against the inky blackness of the night sky. He smiled to himself, feeling at peace with silence and the solitude of the night and closed his eyes...

[Lady.Taser]

Zaniel found himself wandering the open area in the dark, he started at a central point and wandered in a spiral pattern outwards, humming quietly to himself, a song from his childhood, a nursery rhyme his father used to sing to him.

 

"Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are?

Up above the world so high , like a diamond in the sky

When the blazing sun is gone, when he nothing shines upon,

Then you show your little light, twinkle, twinkle all the night.

Then the traveller in the dark, thanks you for your tiny spark,

He could not see which way to go, if you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep, and often through my curtains peep,

For you never shut your eye, 'till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark lights the traveller in the dark,

Though I know not what you are - twinkle, twinkle little star."

 

His eyes were fixed on the sky and he wondered if his father had thought some of the stars were angels, did his father know the mother of his child was an angel? Was that why the most common nursery rhyme he told his son was twinkle twinkle little star?

 

Why was his mother so intent on him becoming an angel? He knew of other half angels who basically spent the time in heaven they were meant to be learning watching the human world, and learning the human day to day skills so that when they made the choice they could pick human, and still be able to fit in. Those who did this ranged from 16 right up through till 20 when the choice was made... only one more month till his... He had originally told his mother he would choose human and yet she still taught him intensively and now he didn't know if he would manage human. What did it mean to be a human, what did it mean to be angel.... were there demons such as him? Did half demons exist, and did they have to choose as well?

 

He was pushed so hard to be an angel that he didn't want to choose, no longer able to be human but not wanting to be an angel, and only a month left to choose meant he had no time. Suddenly the stars dissapeared from view and the ground entered it as he tripped over something in the dark landing on his front. Assuming it was just a branch he rolled over staring again at the stars in the sky. He liked being able to see the stars, they were calming, silent and he could tell them his secrets and he would never tell, the same as the wind that whispered through the trees, it would never tell....

 

He sat up quickly and looked around him with similar speed. There were no trees. He had been walking in an open grass field so what had he tripped over. He carefully looked to the ground where he had tripped and saw a leg, gulping he followed the line of the leg up to a torso and then to the head attached. The same black hair and the same man who had been dancing with the girl earlier that night. How... Why was he here....

 

He scrambled to move away, not sure why but feeling uneasy, could it be just coincidence that he was here. In the process of moving he kicked the leg he had tripped over extremely hard. He then he froze, staring, waiting to see if the man would move

[SqueezeBabe]

Mephistopheles opened his eyes suddenly, feeling the contact against his leg. He blinked a few times, hearing the soft thud of someone landing on the ground. He wondered if perhaps it was a homeless person, and stayed as still as possible, not moving, keeping his eyes closed. Perhaps whomever it was, was too drunk to notice that they'd tripped over a someone rather than a something.

 

His eyes flew open again as he felt the solid kick against his leg. He gritted his teeth against the pain; kicking him was seriously uncalled for and he'd make sure that whomever it was would regret it. "Oy, come now, that really hurt!" he admonished as he sat up, both hands rubbing where he'd been kicked and looking across, he realised that the "someone" was the half-breed. He looked at the half-breed somewhat curiously, did they even teach them how to identify demons? Could they identify demons? He never really thought about half-breeds and their abilities, there not really being anything similar for demons. If a human and a demon had a child, then that child was always a demon, there was no "half" to it, they were just a "lesser" demon and their demonic skills not as great.

 

"Oh" he said softly. "You're back..."

[Lady.Taser]

Zaniel watched, eyes wide with suspicion as the man sat up, rubbing his leg and complaining. Who was he? and why was he lying in the middle of the field like this, Zaniel's thoughts paused as he realised he had been doing the exact same thing earlier that night, and possibly in the same spot, he couldn't really tell as he hadn't been paying that much attention to the area earlier on.

 

The Black haired mans next words half terrified Zaniel and increased his suspicion to the figure sat in front of him. Back.. what did he mean by back... The only time Zaniel had been here before was earlier that very night, which means that this man had been watching him.... watching him and the girl. Zaniel narrowed his eyes at the stranger not sure what he had seen and what he might have glimpsed.

 

There was no way this could a coincidence, the very man who was in his way earlier that night, then the girl miraculously appearing in front of him after he had left the club and now the same man saying the words "you're back". Had he somehow led the girl here? If so why?

 

"Who are you?" Zaniel paused, not sure if that was the question he wanted an answer to. "... What are you?"

[SqueezeBabe]

A smile twitched at the corner of Mephistopheles lips, nothing more than a facial quirk, a quiet "humph" of laughter accompanying it. "My name is..." he paused for a moment. If he gave away his full name, then no doubt the half-breed might get himself some righteous ideas. He thought that perhaps it would be best to play it safe for the time being... "Meph" he finished, "and as for what... Let's just say that I'm..." He paused again. "Different..."

 

Mephistopheles slowly stood up, almost giving the impression that he was unfolding himself. He brushed the loose grass off his clothes and stood up, and in the moonlit darkness of the night, he seemed a little taller, a little bigger, and perhaps just a little dangerous. Luck may have been against him slightly as he took the moment the moon disappeared behind a cloud to actually smile. The shadows made his cheeks look hollow, and his pale skin just added to the contrast between the moonlight and the shadow. He surreptitiously snapped his fingers, and one by one, the street lights slowly flickered back to life. He waited quietly until the illumination was such that the stars had faded once more, before proffering his hand to the half-breed. "Coffee?" he asked, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards.

[Lady.Taser]

The stranger... Meph. That wasn't his name at least not his full name. If he wasn't going to give Zaniel his name he wouldn't have answered but instead he paused part way through, what was he hiding? Not that it would matter Zaniel didn't use names to remember people other than those he directly spoke to. Even angels that weren't his mother he didn't know by name, sure he could recognize them but he was too lazy to remember names.

 

"There are a lot of meanings to different. Which one is your's?" The man stood and the moon seemed to hide, illuminating Meph's figure in a haunting manner. It was a good thing that Zaniel wasn't scared of ghosts, and their more dangerous... relatives or this may have freaked him out. Well slightly more than it already was. The man had a strange aura about him, though Zaniel couldn't identify it. He watched carefully as Meph clicked and the street lamps re-ignited then at the hand offered.

 

He looked straight into Meph's face and took the offered hand, using it to pull himself upright. "Coffee would be good. And over it maybe you can explain the breed of different that allows you to control those lights." He gestured to the lights behind him which were now on as they had been when he had first come to the area. Pausing he watched the edges of the unusual man's mouth twitch.

 

"I know somewhere, near the edge of the park that does good coffee." He turned away and started heading towards the trees and path in the park. "Unless there is somewhere you had in mind?"

[SqueezeBabe]

Meph ran a hand through his black hair and gave a self-depreciating chuckle as he followed the other out of the park "Oh vey, you got me there... I'm the supernatural kind of different.." he gave a wink, "Just like you half-breed." Given what he was, Meph wasn't surprised that the other had an inkling that he, at least, wasn't human. But there were many different kinds of demon and angel about in the world, probably more commonly known as fae to humans, but whatever they were called, didn't change what they were.

 

"I don't have anywhere in particular that I rather go... I make better coffee at home" he said with a shrug as he followed the half-breed. "I don't live all that far away from here..." Mephistopheles maintained an apartment for himself, somewhere he could stay if he needed to; somewhere he was allowed to have his own personal touches and be a little apart from everyone else. There was certainly nothing wrong with living on the surface.. he had his own magic circle in his bedroom if he needed to go back to hell for anything...

[Lady.Taser]

Zaniel froze, supernatural, yea he could tell that much... but how did this man he had never seen before know he was a half... wait the man had just said half-breed, did that mean he didn't know that Zaniel was a half angel? He mused over what the consequences may be if a random supernatural being knew his heritage. What danger could it bring? He was asking himself too many questions and they would never get answered if he just asked himself. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts he stopped and turned to Meph.

 

It was already past midnight, probably long past and Zaniel wasn't certain of the exact time. He would have to report in on the mission in the morning, and he should report any suspicious activity. He wasn't sure how much of a threat Meph posed to himself and the rest of the angels on missions, and while he normally wouldn't care considering this wasn't a place he had been before it was still very close. Not somewhere he wanted an unknown entity wandering around.

 

"You say your coffee is better at home..." Zaniel paused biting his lower lip, it didn't seem safe... but he needed to know who and what this man was. He needed to know how much he knew and he only had hours before his mother would be knocking at his door again to take him to heaven for the following day. "If you agree to answer my questions i will go there with you" He stepped out of the lead, hoping that Meph would both accept his offer and allowing him to lead the way. This little... adventure also meant he knew where to avoid in future if this man turned out to be a danger for Zaniel.

[SqueezeBabe]

Mephistopheles nearly burst out laughing at the indecision on the half-breed's face. He smiled, "Whilst I'm probably the most dangerous thing there is... I'm not as dangerous as what you think I am.." he chuckled, "I know that probably didn't make a lot of sense, but if you think about if for a bit, I'm sure it will" he said with a wink. He walked ahead, taking the lead, "My apartment is just a few blocks this way," he looked over his shoulder at the other, "So, do you have a name? Or are you happy for me to keep calling you half-breed?" Meph ran a hand through his hair again, "I'll answer any questions you might have; I even promise to tell the truth" he said with a wink.

 

As they walked, Meph slid a hand under his shirt and rubbed his stomach, the shirt riding up slightly to reveal the pale skin underneath, "I don't know about you, but I'm actually a little bit hungry. Will you mind if I cook something whilst you interrogate me?"

[Lady.Taser]

Catching the wink thrown his way he found himself scowling at the term Half-Breed he answered quietly, not sure how many people he had told his name to in the past few years. "Zaniel... my name. Also why are you calling me half-breed" He wasn't so much trying to play innocent as to his heritage, rather was curious as to how Meph knew he was half of anything. The next wink made him feel a bit uneasy, what did Meph mean by them... Zaniel felt himself far to removed from normal social contact to be able to identify what any of it meant. He could have tried to keep up with his school friends, if he had really wanted but he was just too lazy to bother after listen to his mother all day.

 

"Well when i ask questions i kind of expect the truth anyway.. it does tend to make things easier in future conversa..." He trailed off, stopping mid sentence as he realised the implications of those words. Was he really planning on seeing this man again? Well no, he had meant those words for any situation when meeting any new person but he couldn't say how this man might take those words. He was strange, it took considerable effort for Zaniel to not stare at how pale the skin of his stomach was, and he couldn't help but glance a few times.

 

"Oh.. food. Yea food is fine i guess. Wait you can cook?" unsure of why this surprised him considering he could cook himself. The idea of this mysterious black haired man cooking seemed so out of place that he had trouble imagining it. He coughed as he tried to hide the blush that was staining his cheeks, almost wishing his hair wasn't tied back. "So what do you plan to cook?" Zaniel asked as he fractionally sped up the pace of walking so that he could get the interrogation... conversation finished and be home before his mother arrived.

[SqueezeBabe]

"Zaniel?" Mephistopheles chuckled, "You're named after the Angel of Mondays?" he found it rather poetic in a way, that a half-breed angel should be named after one. He guessed it wasn't any different from the practice of Demon parents naming their children after notable demons, a bit like himself. He tilted his head slightly as he studied Zaniel for a moment. "You're a half-breed... half human, half... angel... because I'm... supernatural, I can tell these things." They walked in silence for a few moments, Meph thinking about what the Zaniel had asked of him, as a demon, he was an expert in telling the truth without actually giving anything away. It was how they made their contracts with humans in exchange for their souls. Of course he would tell Zaniel the truth, but it would be interesting to see how far the truth actually got him.

 

Meph smiled once more, "Of course I can cook, when you live on your own, you need to know how to do these things. It's cheaper and tastier than having to eat out all the time." he made a face, "I just don't like the cleaning after..." He turned to face Zaniel, walking backwards, "I can cook just about anything, but I was thinking something quick and easy like an omelette or something..." he gave a small hop has he spun back to face the direction they were walking. He'd noticed that Zaniels face had gone slightly red, but wasn't quite sure of the reason behind it, perhaps he was just shy? Meph certainly wasn't shy about anything, either not caring what others thought, or being deliberately provocative, knowing that his actions disturbed others.

 

After a few moments, he stopped outside the front of an apartment complex. "We're here" he said as he punched in the security code that opened the doors to the complex. He liked the complex because it was private and there was less chance of people "stumbling" upon his "secrets". He waited for the electronic doors to swing open before stepping through and into the complex. It opened out into a huge courtyard area, complete with a swimming pool, and leafy gardens with benches. This alone was part of the reason why Mephistopheles had picked this place to stay. The gardens at night were particularly peaceful, and always full of sweet smelling flowers. He walked over to the lift and pressed the button, "I live on the top floor" he said by way of explanation, "I usually take the stairs, but I figured you might get a bit lost..."

[Lady.Taser]

Zaniel blinked. Not only did this man know the origin of his name but he could identify a half angel by sight apparently. This worried Zaniel immensely as the he had only picked up the man was supernatural when he demonstrated by switching the street lights on with a click of his fingers. While quite lazy with anything that failed to catch his interest, the moment something did he needed to know everything he could. The longer he spent around Meph the more he needed to know. He was strange and Zaniel couldn't place what he was. While trawling through his memories trying to remember the lesson on other beings that weren't human he placidly followed Meph until he announced they had arrived.

 

Looking up he stared, the complex was huge and looked so much more high end than his own. No not looked, it was definitely more high end as Meph had to use a security code to get into the building where as at his you could just walk on in. The view through the door was also one he wasn't expecting. This place almost had its own park inside it, what kind of apartment complex needed it own park... when it was so close to a park and that pool.... Zaniel looked over at Meph, his face a mixture of disbelief, horror and astonishment. What kind of money was this man paying to stay here.

 

wandering over to the lift area while it slowly made it's way to the ground floor he spoke "What do you do to get the money to pay for this place...." as Meph's words processed he groaned quietly "Top.. floor? does that mean you like in a penthouse or something?" he peered cautiously at Meph expecting an answer, but not certain he wanted to know what it was. All too quickly the lift pinged open and Zaniel stepped into then moved to the back so that he wasn't in the way.

[SqueezeBabe]

Meph stepped into the lift after Zaniel, putting his hands in his pockets after pressing the button for the top floor. "I do.. odd jobs here and there. It's enough to get by." A smile quirked at his lips, "You could say that it's a penthouse, though is not nearly as big as some of the ones I've stayed in." The lift moved silently upwards, Meph casually leaned against the wall of the elevator, closing his eyes as he rested the back of his head against the wall. This caused the hair to fall gently away from his upturned face, revealing his features in the harsh light of the elevator. His skin was pale, the contrast with his hair even more noticeable under the fluorescent light. When the lift came to a stop, he opened his eyes and pushed himself from the wall and stepped out.

 

He walked casually down the landing stopping in front of the door at the end. His lips twitched into another smile, "Ah, sorry, I always seem to pick the places furthest from the elevator, but at least this one is right next to the fire escape... and the stairs to the roof" He fished a key from his back pocket, and unlocked the door, stepping inside the apartment. It was certainly large and spacious, opening out from the small alcove that was the front door. Meph looked over his shoulder at Zaniel, "Make yourself comfy, I'll go make something to eat... I assume you still want that coffee?"

[Lady.Taser]

Zaniel scoffed when he saw the rooms. Odd Jobs wouldn't cut it. How could Odd Jobs get you enough for this place, it felt like he could fit his whole apartment into the living room... with space left over. What ever this man truly was it made him a lot of money, or he was able to charm people out of it.

 

"Why did you bring up the roof? Also I do not, for one minute believe the odd jobs story... there is just way too much space here for that to be believable." He wandered through the door after Meph, gawking at everything he almost tripped onto the sofa and decided it was best to sit down and stare rather than falling. "Um... Yea coffee please. I think i'm going to need it black with no sugar..."

 

He wasn't sure what to think, such a huge place, the ability to control electricity. More likely he could control any inorganic substance or object ift he wanted to. Zaniel was still unsure as to what the man could be. All supernaturals tended to fit into distinct descriptions... Except for demons. He could recall hearing that demons could have any number of powers that wouldn't be known or expected.

 

He decided to take a chance and to ask Meph. Afterall if he was a demon and wanted to hurt Zaniel then surely he would have done it already and instead he was offering food and coffee. Standing and finding the kitchen entrance he leaned against the door frame and quietly asked. "Are you some kind of... Demon?"

[SqueezeBabe]

Meph busied himself in the kitchen, turning the gas on for cooking, getting ingredients out of the fridge, all the while listening to Zaniel's questions. "The roof? Oh, sometimes on really clear nights, I like to lie on the roof and look up at the stars, it's... kinda peaceful.." Meph smiled to himself, having the stairs to the roof nearby also meant that if he ever needed to get away quickly, he'd just... run up to the roof and... jump. There were a myriad of ways to get to hell, "killing" yourself was just one of them. "As for the oddjobs, well, it's true, I don't have a fixed job, but occasionally I'm contracted to do work that pays the money that it's worth."

 

Whilst his food was cooking, Meph quickly made the black coffee as requested. He liked his own coffee rather strong, and wondered in the back of his mind that perhaps it would be too strong from Zaniel. He shrugged internally, even if it was, it was still better than the swill they served in cafe's. He had access to some very good coffee beans. He walked over to Zaniel leaning against the frame of the kitchen door and handed the cup to him. "Yes, you could say that I'm a demon" He grinned wolfishly, his features momentarily taking on a seductive cast, before he turned away from the half-angel to continue cooking.

 

A small smile played around his lips as he pushed the omelette around the pan. It was in his nature to tease, but perhaps he should go easy on Zaniel, who obviously was trying very hard not to get suckered into his supposed charms; perhaps all he really needed was a friend. His features softened slightly at that thought. He knew what it was like to be "alone" and surrounded by people. His talents had already set him apart from the rest, his name spoken in hushed tones of awe; he rolled he eyes at the thought.

 

He plated the food, dividing it between two, offering Zaniel the second plate. "I know you're hungry, don't argue, just eat." he said, walking past the other to flop himself down on the couch, nibbling daintily at the food on his fork. "You got any more questions you want answered?"

[Lady.Taser]

Taking the coffee he had a sip, the strength caused him to grimace slightly as it ran down his throat. Strong, bitter, but not bad. The caffeine was a necessary companion at the moment as it helped keep him thinking clearly. Meph admitted to being a demon and his face was... strange, Zaniel only able to catch a glimpse of it before he turned the cooking keeping his busy. The omelet was thrust into his hands and he was ordered to eat, not really sure how to refuse he sat and started eating and finding the food tasted good, much better than he had expected it to.

 

"You... why were you there? You were dancing with the girl earlier and then you were lying on the grass as i had.." Taking another bite he mused over the other questions he had as he swallowed. "Aren't demons meant to drag humans into corruption, so why didn't you take her while you had the chance?" As he chewed the last bit of the omelet a thought occurred to him. "Don't..... demons also... corrupt half angels...." The hand holding the fork fell, the fork and knife colliding with a clang as he looked over at the demon. "Are you after my soul... is all of this a ploy?"

[SqueezeBabe]

Meph nearly choked on his mouthful of food. "Eh? What would I want with your soul? I already made quota for the month, I certainly don't need it.." he said after swallowing, "Sure, we're supposed to corrupt every chance we get, but what's the point of corrupting something that is already there and doesn't need it? I think you lot upstairs have a skewed notion on these things..." A small smile played around the demon's lips. "Though, next month, if i'm feeling particularly lazy, I might have a crack at it" he said teasingly and took another bite of his food, chewing on it, momentarily lost in thought. He'd often asked himself the same questions about what his true purpose was; Souls were souls and seemingly recycled as the ages passed. Some never got the hint and continued to be dragged to hell, and others learned from their supposed mistakes and got a chance to experience heaven... hell, it even worked the other way around. Meph shook his head, demons didn't have existential crisis...

 

He finished the rest of his food, and stood up, stretching as he did so. He looked over his shoulder at Zaniel, "Finished?" he asked, his voice deep and slightly sultry. It would be ok to tease him just a little... wouldn't it?

[Lady.Taser]

Zaniel blinked Once. Then again. "Quota? You demons have a quota?" Gripping the plate on his lap he looked down extremely confused. "but.... mo... she said.." Clearing his head slightly he continued slowly. "She said that demons are vile creatures that will under any circumstance take and corrupt a soul and that half angels have to be especially careful..." one hand left the plate and moved up to run his hand over his tied back hair, knocking the pony tail so it fell over his right shoulder.

 

"Why would she lie to me? So you don't want my soul..." Zaniel smiled, his lips barely moving as it showed a degree of sadness that he couldn't understand. "That's... good. So what do you want? why did you invite me back?" he looked up as Meph stood up, watching the man stretch and blushed as he spoke. Meph's voice was lower than it had been moments before and all he could do was mumble his response. "Um.. yea finished.. where should i put the plate?"