Walk With Me in Hell [Mammon/Lucifer CLOSED]

[Mammon]

January 26th, 2012
Sanguine Palace, Regal Necropolis

The new year had just passed in the human world, but for Inferis? For Mammon? It was another year gone by in the timeless world of Hell. She had already taken her time in the mortal realm the day before, watching the idiots partaking in Amateurs night, possibly stealing a soul here and there along the way. But today... Today was rather special. A little birdy, as the humans said, had visited her to tell her that she would be getting a visitor today. A visitor that she had not seen for a few months, a visitor... that made her anxious. Not a bad sort of anxious of "oh-god-I'm-fired" or something like that, no... it was a different sort of anxious. The Sanguine palace was a whirl with motion that was beginning to wind down as all the preparations were near completion, only a few things left to go.

Mammon was in her bedroom, staring at herself in the mirror, those two jaws NOT smiling in the least bit. Two of her puppies were sitting nearby, one laying down in complete giving-up on its master while the other sat by her knees panting and trying to help her. She knew that Lucifer did not mind her demon form, and usually she didn't either, usually she adored it. But right now? She was feeling particularly vulnerable and.. well... self-conscious. She could still remember what she looked like when she first fell to this land with her beloved creator and master, how... beautiful... she had been. She ran a clawed hand over the stunted mockeries of wings on her back, the sharpness of them something she didn't feel. Yes, she was being vain, but it was just one simple fact that was getting to her right now. She did not feel worthy. She did not feel worthy of being in the same room as Lucifer, of the man, angel, demon that she loved and admired so greatly.

Her puppy whined beside her, nudging at her leg as a heavy sigh escaped her, shaking her head. No... she was no longer so beautiful. Not in this form. "I'm alright my darling." She whispered, turning away from the mirror as two of her shadowy servants held out things that she had selected to wear. But there was no sense in wearing any of it, she did not need clothes or jewelry to wear right now. She was Mammon, the Queen of Regal Necropolis, and she had no need for those things. Her mortal form might, but Lucifer would only tell her how he did not prefer that form so she did not wear it before him. One of her puppies barked to the other to wake him up, the other startling and hurrying over to her side in big clumsy gallops. The two walked beside her as she strode down the halls, the screams that echoed alongside the moans just background noise to her this den. Her Lord was coming, he was coming to see her again. "Barghest, has everything been prepared?" She asked her puppies, walking downstairs to the balcony where she knew he would be arriving at. They both barked in response, Mammon only nodding once. "Good. Please ensure that the others are ready, he should be here soon."

With that, one of the pups went tearing off down the halls, the other remaining with her as she strode out into the open air. She could hear the distant sobbing of her Weepers scattered throughout the court yard and beyond, the screeches of her Nosferatu and other various demons that lived in her realm. She rested her clawed hands against the railing as she stared out at her realm, three tails swishing back and forth in nervous anticipation. She... had missed her Lord, and he was amongst the very few that she could even say that about. So her great golden eyes with their hints of crimson stared out, one hand now absent-mindedly petting the loyal Barghest at her side.

[Lucifer]

With a touchdown upon the walk through to the Sanguine Palace, twin black wings folded inwards and flattened, smoothing over a darkened dress shirt as the glowing blue inscriptions upon it faded into nothing, and as if of its own sentience, the clothing tightened and the buttons magically pulled themselves together, the collar rested itself to hug the muscles of a swiftly-paling neck, of its own free will and intelligence. The amorphous black surface the slender feathered wings of the black-haired man had faded into pressed down over him as the man began to walk in rhythm, thrusting his arms out to the side as they formed into a creeping black texture, wrapping over the dress shirt and even obscuring his arms, before pulling itself over his torso and tightening a blackened longcoat proper over the now-invisible dress shirt. Black leather gloves fed into the sleeves of the jacket, and as if by habit, as the overcoat just stopped its formation, the man pulled taut the material of the fresh-formed skin-tight gloves with a sigh.

Finally, in an instant, as all else fell black, the pigment from the man's skin, originally a rich tanned olive, swiftly began to drain to a spectral, pale white; the same for a slicked-back head of hair of a strong charcoal tone, which fell swiftly devoid of all colour, to a pale, bleak pallor, in all of the same style, slicked backwards and held down over defined and ghostly skin - white to reflect the black of his clothing. Poignant at the very least.

And finally, as all else fell still, within a pair of eyes upon the once-winged man's head, a pair of crimson rings seemed to shatter, fall within themselves and drain of all colour, before injected with a fresh cloud of pale azure that refilled the ring around but a moment later and suspended itself around the pupil. In one form, he was Lucifer, the Fallen Angel. In this, he was Lucifer, the Image of Sin. The banned Satanic idol of humanity they were all told from preachers and abbots not to so much as consider worshiping.

The ruined palace of a line of ancient monarchs had stood now for eons in the centre of London. Here it stood bloody testament to the scores and slaughter of one of his Archdemons, his nine priorities, his greatest favourites in all the land. The ones closest to him. And here laid Mammon, the Corrupter. She of Greed, one of the Archangels he had crafted in his own image; she of blood, who hunted and carved swathes through fields of his enemies at so much of a whim in her loyalty; she of the hunt, who commanded the Barghests of the Regal Necropolis, her loyal canines who could ravage the bodies of even Demons in but a moment.

Though, really, they were just cute little doggies in the man's eyes. He remembered how he and Mammon had time and time again taken them for fearless walks through the streets of the Necropolis, feasting upon the flesh of any organism unlucky enough to be in sight or smell radius for the Corrupter's Hellhounds. They endeavoured to venture out on at least a hunting trip once a year - for with the pair of them closer than he was to most Archdemons, it was a waste not to meet each other frequently.

The palace was grandiose and just suiting Mammon herself. With a smirk on his face, the once-winged angel stepped up to the gilded reddened gates of the Sanguine Palace itself, and with a great, sharp intake of breath, prepared a great shout which would reverberate across all the palace grounds in their entirety. "MAMMON!" He howled in Demonic, the echo hanging in the reddened sky like a lingering sentiment. "I'm home, my bloody Valentine." The murmur hissed through the wrought gates of the palace ground as he waited for them to swing open of his greedy Archdemon's own accord, to be greeted by an array of slobbering death hounds and the finest Demon huntress to have ever walked - or hovered, to be more precise in this form - the land.

Oh, how he loved these winter visits.

[Mammon]

She didn't need the call to come... She knew that he was here... So she went inside, taking long strides and down the foyers stairs, winding her way to the front door just as she heard,

"MAMMON!"

Three of her puppies went tearing out of the doors, barking and yipping in excitement, the front doors to the palace bursting open as each ran across the courtyard towards the gates. Above him, two shadowy figures manifested and opened the gates for him, bowing their heads in respect as the Queen finally cracked a smile, the shivers already running down her back. "Lucifer.." She whispered beneath her breath, she sound a soft wind as her Barghests, each 10 ft tall, slowed and approached, one of them licking him excitedly as the others pawed at the ground. "I'm home, my bloody Valentine." Now... Now the Blood Goddess strode out into the light of her lovely domain, her three tails flicking back and forth behind her as she stood tall, the last of the four hounds trailing along at her side. She always had four summoned with her, though there were many, MANY more.

"My beloved Lord, it's been far too long," She called out, her voice smooth and steady as silk, her long legs carrying her to him. Mammon bowed with a clawed hand over her heart, her head lowering before him until she rose and gazed with those topaz eyes upon him. No, no she was not worthy of the beauty and grace that stood there before her. Her hounds all looked up at her approach and instantly backed off of him, falling into a line beside her with two on each side, bowing their heads as well, "You have been missed." The crimson flecks in her eyes swirled, her ears swiveling forwards, towering over his mortal form. She would not change, however, because she knew how he would not prefer it. How he would tell her to shed such facades for it was him, and she was her. He had made her, and so she was beautiful. "I trust you ran into no troubles on the way here?" She asked him, gesturing with a great paw towards her home as a Weepers scream stabbed into the air. Good. They were doing their duty.

Her hounds howled in response and went trotting back inside, but she walked slowly, easily beside him at the pace that he set. Her inner fears, her insecurities vanished one by one as she walked with him, for she was indeed his bloody Valentine.

[Lucifer]

The gates swung open and the Barghests tore forth from them, howling and yapping as they licked out with tongues like tendrils of flame, brushing against his clothing with a light scorching smell yet making no apparent damage. Others eagerly waited their turn as three of the hellhounds, far taller than he, forced themselves at him for some good ol' demonic affection as he moved his comparatively lithe and elegant hands under an amorphous black smog-like chin for the death puppies.

"WHOSA GOOD BOY? WHOSA GOOD BOY? WHOSA GOOD BOY?" The Devil chided as he scratched one in particular vigorously until it slumped down, and rolled over onto its back, almost scorching the path in the process, sticking all four paws up in the air as it whined, apparently satisfied. The fallen angel leapt around to the side - slightly more difficult to maneuver oneself around a ten foot tall dog - and rubbed his hands along the scalding heat of the creature's belly, and the whining only peaked into happy panting. Apparently Satan gave the best tummy rubs.

"My beloved Lord, it's been far too long," As his mistress of corruption approached, the Devil composed himself and the hounds' ears pricked up, and they backed up into form, a linear corps of devoted puppies to the Blood Goddess' cause. Lucifer straightened out his jacket and whatever fabric had been burnt away from the surface of his gloves thanks to the scalding heat of the Hellhounds' innards almost immediately regenerated, covering pale and almost grafted skin beneath. "You have been missed."

The fallen angel inclined his head, the serious aura clinging to him once more as his damned cohort took her place in that grandiose and demonic form he took to find so beautiful. Hovering, headed by multiple mouths, clawed hands, almost serpentine in visage; the only thing that would make the form of the Corrupter any more fitting would for her to be bathed in sanguine glory. "My darling Goddess, indeed it has, and I assure you I have missed you all the same." With a quick, analytical look over her figure, a smile clung to his pursed lips. "I see you have chosen the more beautiful of your forms to greet me with?" The Devil nodded in approval.

"I trust you ran into no troubles on the way here?" The bloodcurdling scream of one of Mammon's personal security scouts split the comparative silence of the Necropolis and the Hellhounds began to bark, diving back inside at an order. The noise brought Lucifer's smile, with a swift transformation, into a smirk, and he shook his head as the echoes faded, the two Archdemons turning to walk - well, one to walk and the other to float - back inside her glorious palace behind the Barghests.

If the love Lucifer held for each and every one of his creations, be it platonic or not, was to be considered a sin, then the God above could damn him all he wanted. These were once a flight of Archangels, and now they, though "corrupted", had risen tiers above such a pathetic imitation of the human form. Now... they were Archdemons. "Of course not. The skies were clear. The care you take in defending your realm has never been anything but impeccable, mine Mammon." In but a fraction of a moment, however, that smile was whisked away and replaced with a downwards, irritated curling of the Devil's lips. "But I come not with such news on this day." Knowing she would be curious, he waved it away and gestured within the Palace. "Come. Let us sit and reunite. Pleasure and love before any business of leading the realm." Such an odd thing to supposedly hear from the greatest tyrant to ever walk the Heavens, the very origin of sin himself; that his love, twisted though it could be, would rank far beyond his lust and need for control.

[Mammon]

Oh yes, the Barghests had missed him as they submitted to the best belly-rubs given by any creature in this creation. "WHOSA GOOD BOY? WHOSA GOOD BOY? WHOSA GOOD BOY?" If the puppies could speak words, they would be saying, ME OH ME!! THATS ME!! THATS MEEEEE!! But they couldn't talk, though their happy whines and barks were enough to demonstrate their thoughts on the matter. Mammon gave the second best, and she knew it, no jealousy or anger there. Lucifer was her creator, why shouldn't he give better belly-rubs than her? Ah but they were such good pups, retreating as their mother stepped forward, "My darling Goddess, indeed it has, and I assure you I have missed you all the same." His words made her smile all the more, yet it retained modesty despite being a creature of death and blood. His eyes traveled her form, and she felt as if a searing fire flickered over her at it, tickling and flowing through her veins. "I see you have chosen the more beautiful of your forms to greet me with?" Yes, a demon could still blush, because there was a reddening to her cheeks beneath the thin layer of fur that covered her, bowing her head gratefully to him.

His smile at the Weepers call only made her want to grin (though she didn't), the very sight and knowledge that she had caused it by extension sending her a happy shiver through her, strolling with him back towards her palace. Tea would be set out and prepared for them, little delectable treats set out for them that she had made herself, the recipes ones that Beelzebub had given her years and years ago. Some she had added her own twist to, adding her own flair and delicious taste. She hoped that her dearest Lucifer would be pleased. "Of course not. The skies were clear. The care you take in defending your realm has never been anything but impeccable, mine Mammon." She blushed faintly and bowed her head in thanks, pausing though as she noticed a change come over his features. "But I come not with such news on this day." Her brows furrowed because if something was troubling him, she wanted to know so she could help him-- He waved it away, so she nodded slightly, straightening up more as she let it pass... for now. He would tell her if he needed her, she had no doubts of that. No one in Hell would dare argue who was the most loyal to their dearest Lucifer because they all knew that she was. Her siblings might try to argue the point, but they could think whatever they pleased.

"Come. Let us sit and reunite. Pleasure and love before any business of leading the realm." Ah but yes, they were here to catch up. "Of course. Come, I thought we could enjoy some tea in the Music Room." ...Or the Inferis equivalent of it. A single puppy met them along the way, adding on as they strode through the halls till they reached the tall windows with their crimson flowing curtains on either side. An oily black grand piano stood in one corner though no notes flowed from the keys, a delicately ornate table set up near to the windows with a tea tray and snacks. There was one chair and a chez set out for them, each padded and made of carved ebony that gleamed beautifully in the natural light of Inferis. Gesturing for him to sit, she had to take the chez because of her size, though... if he preferred for her to actually sit at the table with him, then there was a chair ready. She would just have to shift into her human form was all. "Now, my dear Mephistopheles," she began, stretching out on the chez, her puppies gathering to lay down about their table. "What have you been doing to entertain yourself of late? The whole Iraq war was keeping me amused, but for now I'm collecting on all the other border scrabbles between countries.[/i] She asked him, with a slight tilt of her head, her tails curling behind her though they still undulated back and forth in slight motions. It was the motions of her contentment, of how relaxed she was now in his presence.

There was a normal sized teacup aaaaand then there was hers. It had to be big enough for a 15' tall demoness, made of gold plated red stone, the rest of the china set ebony with gold filigree inlaid into it. It wasn't easy when your best china was meant for your mortal form. The pot itself was somewhere inbetween their two sizes, allowing her to pour them both cups, placing it back down on the table before she mixed a cube of crimson sugar (That may or may not have been mixed with blood) from one of the two sugar bowls into hers, the other still simple sugar cubes in case there was a demon that DIDN'T want blood mixed in. Granted, they were few and especially so in her realm, but you never knew. She didn't add in any of the creamer, bringing it to the upper of her two jaws to sip at it, quite pleased with the resulting effect. Beelzebub may have the best recipes, but she knew how to brew tea.

[Lucifer]

"Of course. Come, I thought we could enjoy some tea in the Music Room." Lucifer nodded. The offer of his personal mistress of corruption's fine tea was not one to be given so lightly, and thus it was to be considered an honour to lesser Demons. Between Archdemons, it was more courtesy, but the extension of it was still recognised, and the fallen angel inclined his head gently as a show of respect, something rarely shown from the progenitor of all hubris.

The trip through Mammon's palace was always a fine one, his step in time with her hover - something they'd had eons to perfect - as the Barghests came and went around them, trotting loyally alongside. They were amongst his favourite Demons in all the realm; and though whilst they could not perform such comical adaptions of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth like his own Praetorians could - truly hilarious when one grasped the head of another and branded him 'Yorick' - they were loyal, doting, and at the same time, savage if so much as provoked.

The arrival in the Music Room came shortly after their brief traversal of the palace. As was usual custom, the Devil seated himself at the regular chairs whilst the great Blood Goddess seated herself upon the chaise-long, draping her utterly perfect demonic figure over it. "Now, my dear Mephistopheles," Satan seated himself adequately upon the comfort of the Sanguine Palace's furniture, stiff in its arches but somehow perfectly accommodating to the form of transcendental angelic-hybrid life such as he. "What have you been doing to entertain yourself of late? The whole Iraq war was keeping me amused, but for now I'm collecting on all the other border scrabbles between countries." Ah... the Iraq War. Bush was an excellent specimen of idiocy in that regard. And it was such a shame that Hussein had met his demise so quickly. He hadn't taken any direct involvement, but from what he took from it all, it was something of a shame that his damned mistress had no real time to toy with good old Saddam before the thing was drawn to such a conclusion.

That was the problem with eternal life, you see. Five years? Nothing more than a snap of one's finger in the scope of billions. To a human, perhaps it was more significant. To a Demon, billions of years old, it was not quite as simple. "I more concern myself with our realm's comings and goings, my precious huntress." The Devil smirked with terms of endearment as she poured them each a cup of tea, Satan reaching forward to grasp him. Mammon knew how he liked his; whereas she took it with sugar, no creamer, and but a hint of blood, her creator was far less subtle about it. He poised a gloved finger above the lip of the mug, and with a gentle trickle, as the blackened leather faded away, revealing not his usual pale skin but his differing olive tones beneath - that of his angelic self - a tapered nail let loose a gentle trickling of cold, ambiguous, crimson liquid, spilling forth til it filled the lip of the cup to the very grim.

Lucifer shook away the last droplets of freshly-materialised - and freshly-squeezed - blood, and the skin paled once more, the glove reforming over his hand. Such synchronicity, when it came to minor usage of his power, anyway, allowed him to not so much break the self-established rules of Inferis as bend them somewhat. He had been tapping into Mammon's own abilities; and her proximity coupled with the subtlety of such an action was something that allowed him to utilise his own omnikinesis without making a full conversion into his winged angel-hybrid figure.

The blood swiftly melded in with the tones of the tea. She took but a pinch of it, whereas he went the full nine yards, sipping gently at it; ah... the sharp red tones of the liquid gave the brewed beverage something of a metallic tint, all the while cooling it, similar to cream, for a more drinkable sensation upon one's tongue. "These newer Demon Hunters... have potential, my darling." The Devil murmured slowly. "Perhaps none have been as strong as required, but in the right circumstances, whilst our dear cohort still slumbers over the chasm..." Pensively, he drummed a gloved set of fingers against the varnished wood of the table. "...they could source perhaps some... entertainment... for we Princes, sitting here atop our thrones..."

Gently concerned, he sipped his tea, before breaking the expression to grin at his Huntress. "But, alas, after all, where is the fun in leading such a realm without your ample challengers?" The Devil spoke in such giddy tones for one who had his authority challenged so simply. This was a dog-eat-dog world, but even the hardiest Demons respected Satan's authority. Humanity was far more fickle, far more likely to underestimate. That meant that even he, such a figure of power within their pitiful religions, Samael, Heylel, the First, the Fallen Angel... could be posed against. And that was where the fun lay. "Time will tell... but I am so utterly bored with this incessant calm, my dear." Another subtle pause and the grin faded to but a quizzical smile. This was not similar to how he usually dealt with people at all; but Mammon demanded far more respect from him than a simple dirty grunt beneath his heel. And they were speaking his fine language, after all. "After all, what is a Devil to do?"

[Mammon]

"I more concern myself with our realm's comings and goings, my precious huntress." She felt a bit of an inner sting, sipping at her tea as she lowered her eyes to the steaming cup. That... was always his in his thoughts. Inferis. It was his world, his playground, his rival to God's Heaven above. The rest of them were the keystones to rival, each with their own petty interests and rivalry. He loved his 9 apostles, but did they really love each other? She hadn't spoken to most of them, minus Moloch, in who knew how many years. Perhaps that was why she turned her eye towards the mortal world, for that was her playground. That, and her cherished Regal Necropolis. There were enough beings in both to satisfy her urges for blood and screams, yet it was always so hollow in the end. The smell of fresh blood made her glance over to him, smirking before she took another sip of her tea, placing it down on the table. Picking up one of the pastries on the plate, she popped it into the middle of her two jaws, the two center flaps closing around it as the chewy sinews exploded with metallic deliciousness. Mmm.... Perhaps she should drop Beelzebub a line again. He wasn't so bad.

But back to the conversation at hand, "These newer Demon Hunters... have potential, my darling." Her ears twitched, demon hunters? She sat up a little bit more with a single raised eyebrow, now there was a group she hadn't devoted that much attention to for the last decade. "Perhaps none have been as strong as required, but in the right circumstances, whilst our dear cohort still slumbers over the chasm..." Her golden eyes did glance out the window towards where the Entropic Chasm was, her lips tightening about her two jaws as one of her tails flicked to the side rather suddenly. Yes.... their dear cohort indeed... "...they could source perhaps some... entertainment... for we Princes, sitting here atop our thrones..." Hah, entertainment... Her upper mouth curled into a smile as she thought of the last bit of entertainment that had struck her, one of her claws tapping her chin pensively before tossing another of the sinew buns into her mouths. "Now that is a thought. They have been encroaching more as of late." She had noted the frequency in which her Weepers had been screaming amidst the other demons that resided in her realm. Perhaps she should make some more....

Her gaze turned back to him, both jaws now smiling at the sight of his grin. "But, alas, after all, where is the fun in leading such a realm without your ample challengers?" Mammon had to chuckle at that, nodding in agreement as she mused over a thought in the back of her mind. Challenges were few and far between, and her wars could only entertain so much because those damnable humans always found some way to breach it all into peace. Well, MOST countries anyways. "Time will tell... but I am so utterly bored with this incessant calm, my dear." "It does get rather dull..." She spoke softly, absentmindedly, for this was why she paid less attention to her own realm. Nothing ever changed. "My hounds haven't been on a hunt in a while and I know they long for it. As do I." She sighed and picked up her tea, her ears twitching again before she took another sip. "After all, what is a Devil to do?" What WAS a Devil to do in times such as these? "Why, raise Hell of course."

She shifted how she lay, rolling onto her back as her elbows leaned on the raised back, both hands wrapped around her cup as she gazed at the piano in thought. "I recently am owed a favor by one of Belial's demons. Gaius Octavian Skipio." As she said his name, she chuckled, one of her ears perking up as a girls cry of pain echoed through the halls from the floors below. Silly little demon. Her golden gaze shifted back to her beloved, "Perhaps you'd care to use him to some end to play with the Demon Hunters?" Her face darkened for a moment as she glanced away, "Or Templars... They have been testing the borders of my land as of late." The queen sighed and shook her head again, "Will he wake soon? Belphegor, I mean." There was another pause as she sipped her tea, this time picking up a bear claw (actual one) to chomp down on it, licking the blood and jelly from her lips as she chewed thoughtfully, swallowing before she spoke again. "No peace lasts forever, and no calm can sustain itself. Chaos must come... It almost seems... strained now in Inferis. Fluctuations and distortions... It will be soon, I think. There's a change in the air."

Mammon snapped out of her thoughts, taking a breath as she bowed her head apologetically towards her dashing Devil. "Forgive my ramblings. I'm sure you know it better than I." Yes, she did hate to repeat words he must have already thought of himself, of knowledge that he most likely already possessed. For he was the one constantly watching their realm, and she... She only watched two. Her own, and his. The others.... not so much.

[Lucifer]

"Now that is a thought. They have been encroaching more as of late." The Devil nodded in agreement. Oh, they had. The chasm had been met with two intrusions in the past couple of weeks - and even for a mortal, that was short. One he'd not been present for, and the other had been a particularly... specific example of a Hunter he'd been watching. Why, the young Mr. Cross, of course. Such an... interesting case... in his daydreaming, Lucifer, for a moment, seemed to focus on the decorations Mammon hung elegantly from her walls, but snapped back to reality but a moment later.

"Seems such a waste to simply crush the insects when one can farm them for the greatest produce of all, my dear huntress..." Mephistopheles sipped at his tea with a dark, cold smirk once more, sighing in relief at the metallic taste. Oh, she did make the best tea. "Fear, my love. For it is what all of our extravagant games and ploys thrive upon, no?" Fear. The universal Demon currency. Fear. The wealth and strength of the world. If Soul Energy was Inferis' gasoline, fear was its diesel.

"It does get rather dull..." Now t'was the Goddess' turn to remain absent-minded in her voice. The Devil didn't mind. He never really had. Archdemon or not, he had known Mammon so well and so intimately to see that it was not so much ignorance as a pondering sensation, and one she was so accustomed to. Once more, he sipped at his cup, paling in size to her great tankard of the freshly brewed tea. "My hounds haven't been on a hunt in a while and I know they long for it. As do I."

Lucifer idly waved the issue away. "Feel free to send the puppies down to me if they ever tire of hunting the same old prey. I assure them, the Spire is full of things they'd love to shred." Mania glinted in his smile; for the Devil knew too well that his Spire held treasures for killers of their lesser kin, such as Mammon's Barghests. They'd have a field day there, fresh meat of all sorts; not just lesser Demons, but some of the greater ones that had incited their Overlord's irritation, too!

"Why, raise Hell of course." The smile extended to a grin, and in a compliant notion he rose his half-drunk mug straight up into the air, and the light of the Necropolis danced across a perfectly white and excellently symmetrical set of teeth. His darling Valentine knew him far too well - but that predictability in their relationship was something that was so perfect between them, something he cherished and savoured.

"And that, my dear Mammon," The Devil explained, tipping back the last of his tea, before he set it down, eying her sinew buns - no doubt of their gluttonous familiar's own creation - with hunger and lust in his eyes. It had been far too long since he'd tasted some of Beelzebub's cuisine. "Is exactly what I intend to to do." Had it ever been anything but?

"I recently am owed a favor by one of Belial's demons. Gaius Octavian Skipio." In her perfect form, the Demoness rolled back against her chaise-long and Lucifer settled nicely into the cushioned chair. The fallen angel arched an eyebrow in response to this, waiting for her to elaborate. "Perhaps you'd care to use him to some end to play with the Demon Hunters?" With a gloved hand, he stroked at his beardless chin ever-so-gently. She rose a very good offer, his Mammon. She always had done.

With a slow raise of his hand, he outstretched a single figure in the Blood Goddess' direction. "The Roman..." Interesting... of course. The warrior of indomitable spirit. "Instruct him for me. Do not use my name or my authority. Your own shall do." Came the orders, straight from the Devil's mouth. "There is a man. I watch him, but know not of when he shall enter our barrier again. A Hunter." Samael nodded. "His name is Elijah Cross." Why, oh why, had their dear Mephisto taken such interest in the boy? "Tell the warrior to test his mettle. To meet him when he next traverses the barrier. The Chasm, no doubt." Hmmm... for a while, Lucifer had not ventured beyond the veil. Earth was so pitiful, but still so... fun. A vacation of sorts.

"Or Templars... They have been testing the borders of my land as of late." Lucifer growled in a low tone on instinct. Hunters were tolerable. Those Bible-thumping morons were less so. And what was worse was their skill. The Demon Hunters typically attacked alone using small pockets of guerilla-tactic resistance. With the right skills and the right knowledge, the Templars had the potential to be something of a thorn in their realm's side. But his use for the Roman was not to crush the crusaders, but to test the boy. The Devil watched him day and night. A hobby of sorts. A pet project, a bug in a farm. He was tenacious; and there was potential, but the fallen angel was all too afraid it could go to waste in one of the Hunters' pitiful, self-righteous causes. "Will he wake soon? Belphegor, I mean."

A coy smile, and Lucifer tapped his nose. "Now, now, my dear Mammon," In a chiding and playful tone, the Devil continued. "That would be telling." Belphegor... oh, Belphegor. How the overlord tired with his slumber, and dwelt on the uses of his awakening... a subservient servant was not a rare thing in this land, but an unconscious Archdemon certainly was. And the circumstances were utterly... manipulable. "Time will tell."

"No peace lasts forever, and no calm can sustain itself. Chaos must come... It almost seems... strained now in Inferis. Fluctuations and distortions... It will be soon, I think. There's a change in the air." She was right, and he knew it. Save for the Templars and the Hunters, Inferis had not seen any form of war for millennia. Tens of millennia, even. Lucifer nodded, ever-so-slowly. There was a crackling tension in the air around them, so thick that one could feel it when they waved their hand along. Just waiting for a spark to set the whole powder keg off. And the Devil wanted to provide just that, all to pique his morbid curiosity and stochastic boredom. "Forgive my ramblings. I'm sure you know it better than I."

"Perhaps I do," Lucifer concurred, but let his grin fade back into an affectionate smile. "But it is good to hear such insight from you, my darling Goddess, and to listen to your reflection helps my analyses of all these issues, if only by a touch." It was these little things that could push decisions one way or another, make-or-break changes for the realm in entirety. Though that said, for eras, Inferis had not so much as changed; simply just growing stronger, wider, and more populated.

"The truth is that the entropy of our realm swirls around is in the very wind, and we can feel it. All of us can feel it." The Devil concluded. "Even the humans." Lucifer evaluated, raising a single, outstretched, leather-clad finger, and moving it in ever such a slow and circular revolving pattern. "It simply takes a mind such as yours and mine to recognise this entropy, and see that it is not a product of the existence of you or I, but of the nature of this glorious Hell itself." A grin. A smile. A tongue against the red-tinted lips, licking away the last of the dried blood from the tea in a vicious, hungry stroke. "In Inferis..." The genesis of all sin began to muse. "...chaos is... nature."

[Mammon]

"Seems such a waste to simply crush the insects when one can farm them for the greatest produce of all, my dear huntress..." Aye that was true.... and especially when they could be of some use as he had pointed out. They were a bit more entertaining than mere mortals considering their different powers. It's like they wanted to be superheroes so terribly. His sigh of relief brought her back to the moment as she had to inwardly smile, swelling with some pride and joy at the fact that he loved her tea so. Beelzebub may have the rest of food under control, but this was Regal Necropolis. If proper tea couldn't be made, then there was something very wrong in Inferis. "Fear, my love. For it is what all of our extravagant games and ploys thrive upon, no?" She chuckled and sighed happily at some memory of nations past. Yes... That was indeed what they fed on most, what they thrived on most when it came to their toying with humans. And in her case.... sometimes demons. Maybe she should send her hounds on a hunt of one sometime in the future...

"Feel free to send the puppies down to me if they ever tire of hunting the same old prey. I assure them, the Spire is full of things they'd [i]love to shred." Her golden eyes rested upon her love, eyebrows raising as both of her jaws split into a great smile. "That would be wondrous. I think I shall in the near future. And the pups would love to spend some time with you. Wouldn't you babes? Hm? Wouldn't you?" She spoke to the dogs then, a couple of them raising their heads and panting, one of her clawed hands petting the nearest one affectionately. It rumbled within its exposed chest, the flames there brightening as they grew more intense, licking at her hand as she stopped. The burns on her arm twisted up in a rather delightful pattern, the flesh knitting back together as the thin layer of fur grew back over it. One of the things she loved best about her hounds as well, is that none of them got jealous of another for getting more pets. They all shared the pets within their minds, and so all were content and happy when affection was given.

But in any case, he was raising his cup to her words, and so she raised her own. "And that, my dear Mammon," they both drank, emptying their glasses before placing them back down in their respective spots. [i]"Is exactly what I intend to to do." Well of course! She knew her beloved, and she knew what it was he would do or want to do. She also knew how lucky she was to truly know him like this, how none of her siblings could be like this with him and for that.... THAT was a spot of great pride for her. It seemed that her offer to let him use Gaius was a bit appealing, now watching him as it was clear there was an idea in his mind. "The Roman..." Aye, one of many, or so it seemed. "Instruct him for me. Do not use my name or my authority. Your own shall do." The gold in her eyes swirled with crimson as she nodded slowly, hanging upon each word as she drank in his orders for her. "There is a man. I watch him, but know not of when he shall enter our barrier again. A Hunter." Oh? A hunter that caught his interest in particular? "His name is Elijah Cross." Elijah Cross.... She burned the name within herself, already thinking of how best to contact and snag Gaius so she could give him his orders. "Tell the warrior to test his mettle. To meet him when he next traverses the barrier. The Chasm, no doubt." Her head bowed to her Creator, a hand clenching over her heart in her fealty for him. "It shall be done."

Her dearest Lucifer had given her a task, A TASK! Ohhhhhhh she could positively squee at her happiness! Of course she wouldn't, not here and now. Maybe later if she would spend the eve alone, and if not? Then she would just relish the sensation now. But yes, there was no sense in making it obvious to Lucifer-dearest how ecstatic she was. Ah but yes... again, the matters at hand. It was so easy for her to get distracted with him around. "Now, now, my dear Mammon," a blush graced her cheeks as she looked down to the floor in a sort of abashment to match his playful tone. "That would be telling." Thats true, it would be telling. But in a way... wasn't that some sort of backwards confirmation to the fact? "Time will tell." Aye.... aye it would. But it was going to happen soon, wasn't it? Her hounds raised their heads at the change in the air, glancing towards their masters as Mammon took the time to pour them both more tea. "Perhaps I do," She placed the empty teapot down, flashing him a warm smile as she dropped in two blood cubes this time and stirred, tossing a group of cubes to her babes that each consumed one happily. "But it is good to hear such insight from you, my darling Goddess, and to listen to your reflection helps my analyses of all these issues, if only by a touch." "You are too kind my love." She spoke quietly, humbled by his words and rather relieved that she hadn't irked him at all by blathering on.

"The truth is that the entropy of our realm swirls around is in the very wind, and we can feel it. All of us can feel it." She sipped at her tea, watching him over the glass as she popped another of the delicious treats into her mouth. "Even the humans." Her lips tightened as she grimaced a little, he was right there too. With the growing conflicts on Earth (both with her help and without), there was unease spreading amidst the mortals. "It simply takes a mind such as yours and mine to recognize this entropy, and see that it is not a product of the existence of you or I, but of the nature of this glorious Hell itself." Mmmm..... Yes... "In Inferis......chaos is... nature." That was the truth. If Heaven was the peace and order in the world, then Inferis would be its true opposite. "It is the mirrored image of a blackened Heaven." She concurred quietly, grimacing at the thought of that place up above. The place that they had been banished from.

Her eyes lowered to her tea as she sipped at it, the knot in her stomach that had been there before he arrived tightening again as she thought upon that place she used to call home. They knew what they were getting into when Lucifer had called them all together before arriving before God. She had been hopeful, naive, and stupid to think that their Father would pardon them for even one transgression. Unconditional love my ass, there was a long list of conditions in order to keep that love of his. She stared into that dark liquid in her glass and for the briefest of moments she saw her angelic face stare back at her. Her eyes narrowed and she placed her tea away from herself, a claw spearing another treat and slipping it between her lips. Inferis would have its day again. She knew it, and she knew Lucifer would be working towards it happening.

[Lucifer]

"That would be wondrous. I think I shall in the near future. And the pups would love to spend some time with you. Wouldn't you babes? Hm? Wouldn't you?" God, Lucifer was just imagining the chaos these puppies could raise in a graveyard. You toss a regular dog a bone and it'll quite happily bury it in the garden. These were hellhounds - something told the Devil he could give them a full skeleton and they'd contentedly somehow dispose of the whole thing a few miles away.

"Well, just send a courier over, or return a message with the next Abyssal I send down." The Devil sipped at his bloody tea with a contented smile. "I haven't been messing around with the Praetorians nearly enough at the moment. I'm sure the Barghests would enjoy a full troop of the little skeletons to play a little fetch." Lucifer could see it now. Alas, Yorick, I knew him; before one of Mammon's dogs ran off with his shinbones. C'est la vie.

Idly picking up one of the sinew buns his dear huntress seemed so partial to, he took a quick bite, before turning his head down and looking towards it, nodding in enthusiastic approval. "Thish ish good!" The Devil murmured between mouthfuls, still chewing, apparently having forgone the Necropolis' lessons on table manners. He polished off the last of it in a moment, and washed it down with some tea, before waiting as his dear Mistress of Corruption replied to his spiels.

"It shall be done." Picking one of the strands of sinew from his teeth, Lucifer immediately began to regret his consumption of said confectionery. Of course, anything of Beelzebub's recipes cooked in the Necropolis' grand kitchens were absolutely beautiful to lay your eyes on, let alone one's tongue; but the sinews within had an awful habit of getting stuck in those little slats between your canines. For a moment, silence hung between the pair of elder Demons as the fallen angel picked between his teeth to finally remove the strand, dangling it again into his mouth and swallowing with a sigh.

"Gotcha..." He murmured triumphantly, before turning back to Mammon, having absentmindedly forgotten where he was in his trance of pseudo-dentistry. "Indeed. Get the Roman to test the boy and report back to me not moments after you meet him once more. Mr. Cross is an interesting specimen, and I wish to see how his journeys in our grand realm develop, mine dear..." With that, the Devil trailed off somewhat, finishing off the last of his tea with a brief sigh.

Not moments later, Mammon returned with the grand teapot, filling up the mug once more as Lucifer graciously extended it. God, all of this fine crockery made him desire so for that Praetorian bone dining set and table he'd had made for the express purpose of these bureaucratic visits. With over six hundred floors within one's very home, some of which refuse to obey human laws of physics, it becomes difficult to organise these sorts of things. In reflection, the Devil considered hiring a few more servants, and buying a boat, before his goddess spoke once more. "You are too kind my love." The Devil inclined his head smoothly.

"It is the mirrored image of a blackened Heaven." Heaven. The land from whereupon he and his kin had been cast out. The land from whereupon the first of all demonkind had sprung. The land from whereupon his old creator, God himself, had struck down the genesis of sin for his hubris and for his arrogance. With that, Lucifer rose to his feet, and trailed around the table, past his Goddess on her chaise-longue, and moved instead to her Music Room's bay window, grandiose and perfect, having been erected ornately in its construction, it would seem. From beyond it, he stared out over a world aflame. A world of torture, of suffering, of eternity, of hatred, of sin. A world of entertainment. And he stood, and he looked over this world of red and black, and wondered just how true Mammon was when she spoke of it reflecting Heaven.

"No, Mammon," The Devil concluded with not but a whisper. "We do not aim to mirror nor reflect Heaven." And like that, he spun around, with a glint in his eye, and a grin on his face, sipping at his tea as he stared at his huntress, her ultimate, perfect form sprawled over her seat. "We have crafted a world that is different entirely." And then his voice shook and quivered, and in the tones of the greatest egomaniac, he spoke once more a fact that he had "known" forever, but continued time and time again to rediscover - and it was just as great each time. "...a world that is better."

With that, he skirted back around, smiling once more in his grand superbia, and took a seat opposite his Mistress once more, sipping again at the tea. "And this world is our playground, my dearest Mammon." A grin slipped further onto the Devil's face, as it always had a habit of doing. "So what shall we entertain ourselves with tonight?"

[Mammon]

"Well, just send a courier over, or return a message with the next Abyssal I send down." She nodded her great head once, that would be easy enough. "I haven't been messing around with the Praetorians nearly enough at the moment. I'm sure the Barghests would enjoy a full troop of the little skeletons to play a little fetch." Mammon had to laugh at that, imagining her pups running all amock amidst skeletons carrying their parts away. Oh... that did bring back memories... "They would most certainly love that." As if they understood, one of the pups raised a head and let out a "rrrruff!" that resounded throughout the halls, a tail wagging happily up at his parents. Well, they may as well both be their parents with how they were. At that she had to inwardly blush, sipping at her tea to try and hide how she had smiled so. "Thish ish good!" Her glass lowered as a low chuckle rose from her, her tails chattering which made her sigh lightly. Picking up three of the sinew buns, she tossed them back, one mouth from each tail jumping up to chomp down on the delectables. Picky bastards.

"I'm glad you like them. An old recipe of Beelzebubs I still have. Haven't made them in a while." She murmured thoughtfully, not really bothered as he picked at his teeth. It was a miracle the sinews didn't get caught in her teeth considering she had 2.5 jaws full of them. "Gotcha..." It appeared he was successful, good. She probably could have helped what with the blood bending, but then again he could have done it himself if he needed to. But moving onward, "Indeed. Get the Roman to test the boy and report back to me not moments after you meet him once more. Mr. Cross is an interesting specimen, and I wish to see how his journeys in our grand realm develop, mine dear..." What was his fascination with this Cross fellow? Mammon bowed her head to her love, making a mental note to track down Gaius as soon as Lucifer left. She wasn't going to care if he was in the middle of something, her lord had asked something of her and she was going to deliver. Right now... she was just debating if she wanted to stay and watch when the two did meet. It would be a bit of sport, and she did love sport.

But such good feelings only lasted so briefly, especially when one had lived for as long as both of them had. She was doubting that she should have said anything of the sort, but either way the words were already in the air. She knew it was a... sensitive topic still. Or perhaps she was being too careful, too worried about this. "No, Mammon," Her golden eyes looked up at him, the crimson pulsing before thinning out amidst those iris'. "We do not aim to mirror nor reflect Heaven." His gaze found her own as he looked away from her domain out the window, "We have crafted a world that is different entirely." She could only offer a weak smile at her mistake, nodding her head in agreement. It was true, their Inferis was entirely unlike heaven where all embraced their carnal, primal natures. There was no soft music or gentle clouds. It was rough, it was unforgiving, and it was.... "...a world that is better." He seemed so excited as he stood there by the window, lowering her eyes in thought as she sipped at her tea.

It was... a better world, right? She saw her reflection again in her tea and her jaws twisted in disgust, placing her teacup aside again while she decided she was quite done drinking her tea. They did have more freedom here, they had realized how one-sided, how... broken.. Gods love was for his creations. They were abandoned, and forgotten next to the fresh crop that he had created upon Earth. And yet Mammon still found herself longing for certain things from that time. Little things that she knew should matter not anymore, things that had become twisted that her dearest loved her for. Like... her appearance. Her hounds raised their heads as they sensed her discomfort, one coming over to climb up onto the chez to lay on top of her. "And this world is our playground, my dearest Mammon." Only one set of jaws smiled slightly at that, a hand petting the pups head while the others merely watched Lucifer and Mammon. It was their playground, and she loved to play in it. She loved it here with him, and yet... she still did not feel worthy to stand beside him. She did not deserve the beauty he showed her, gave to her, nor the affection that she knew belonged to her alone. She should be happy, satisfied, and yet she was consumed by the desire to be worthy of standing beside him. How very... human.. of her. She wanted to spit on these feelings of hers. "That it is my lord."

"So what shall we entertain ourselves with tonight?" Blinking, she placed a kiss atop her puppies head, shooing him off as her legs began to heal over from the burn wounds due to her hounds. Pushing herself up, she took a deep breath, inwardly cursing away the weight that had descended down upon her as she gazed fondly at Lucifer. "Why don't we dance? I have not danced in so long and I think," She found herself pausing as her pups all still stared at her, tails flicking back and forth in her agitated state. This was not like her. She forced herself to turn and smile brightly to him, "I think it's a good evening to. Don't you agree my darling?" Snapping her fingers once, two of her hounds came running up, staring at her rather solemnly as she bent slightly so she could whisper her commands to them. When she had finished, however, they did not immediately leave, but instead stared at her with that knowing stare that dogs possessed. Damn them. "Go on! Off! I want them ready within five minutes!" She spoke firmly, watching as they yipped and ran off through her halls, two more running after them.

Now only one remained and it nudged its head under her great claws, but she pulled her hand away. Get a damn grip, you are Mammon. Your Lord loves you exactly as you are so stop being a fucking human and act like a damn Archdemon! She told herself, ears twitching as she looked back to her darling Lucifer. "Where should we dance? The ballroom? Or maybe some fresh air would be good. I know the Weepers won't be too loud tonight and the gardens were just tended to the other day." She was rambling. So she stopped talking and instead focused her attention on stilling her damn tails, waiting patiently for his response.

[Lucifer]

JANUARY 26TH, 2012
THE MUSIC ROOM
SANGUINE PALACE
REGAL NECROPOLIS

"Why don't we dance? I have not danced in so long and I think," The Devil tapped his chin in deep thought. It had been an age since he danced. No, really, Heylel was not too fond an advocate of dancing. At least a hundred years since he'd set foot on the ballroom floor - at least, not in an ironic manner, anyway. Amongst the higher-level Demon communes, such soirees were not so prevalent, especially so in the more savage regions of his lands. More carnal and base pleasures were indulged at Demon parties. Especially his. Why embody simply one sin when you can invite the incarnation of each? "I think it's a good evening to. Don't you agree my darling?"

Lucifer for a moment stood upright and began to shake his head and suggest a more base itinerary for their evening, but in just that exact moment, a stroke of innate genius struck him. His entire body froze, and for a moment, everything seemed to stop in a small aura around him; but then, the Devil rose a sly, gesturing finger towards his huntress. His pale pallor contorted into a devilish grin - for what other elements would his smile possess? "Yes, my dearest Mammon..." The fallen angel began to trail off. "Let us dance."

"Where should we dance? The ballroom? Or maybe some fresh air would be good. I know the Weepers won't be too loud tonight and the gardens were just tended to the other day." The Huntress, his Mistress of Avarice, rambled like a child, and solicited a dry chuckle from her devilish cohort. Reaching forward as her tails swished in anxiety, he pressed a gloved finger just inches from her mouths, confident that the plan he had would be almost utterly to her appreciation. With a smile, he nodded, possessing the answer stilled already within his mind.

"Take some time to lavish yourself in my beauty, mine Blood Goddess." That sly grin had not yet faded, scheming and complex in every definition of the words. "Wait and enjoy the pleasures of your realm. And when you are ready, venture down to your ballroom." Something maniacal was beginning to come together. A stupid farce, but one that he held faith and belief in to be utterly hilarious - at least to him - all the same. Strokes of insanity and supernatural genius flashed simultaneously in the Devil's pale blue eyes. "I will be waiting." With that single blunt phrase and not a word more, Lucifer set down his empty teacup, pivoted on his heel, and made to exit the Music Room - making for a more grandiose chamber of Mammon's palace.

*****

JANUARY 26TH, 2012
THE BALLROOM
SANGUINE PALACE
REGAL NECROPOLIS

The ballroom was dark. Pitch-black, infact. Not a single speck of light to be found in all of it. Unnaturally so, for the perpetrator behind this entire illusion had let a veil of darkness fall upon the entire grandiose hall of the Blood Goddess herself in the City of the Dead with his simultaneously wondrous and horrific powers. The obfuscation still let one theoretically see where they moved and stepped, but beyond that, the great hall of the Huntress was utterly cloaked in complete shadow.

And then Mammon entered.

From up on high, a light began to appear. A spotlight, infact. It fell with dim, weak light, slowly growing from a gentle piercing of the obfuscating darkness up to a dull glow - and whilst still illumination in the dark, certainly not the main event. That which it lit up was infact a single Demon, one silent, fashioned of broken skeletal parts, around nine feet tall, normally seen to be grasping tightly an ethereal scythe and guarding the Dark Overlord of this Hell with its very life, soul, and essence; but infact, here, its bare hands slammed in time against a pair of ornately fashioned, built with the sinews of lesser demons, and held together with the sturdy bones of larger ones, percussion instrument. Conga drums.

The rhythm it played was simple and complex, and only lasted for but a moment before a second light appeared from apparently nowhere, illuminating the Reaper Praetorian's similarly glum-faced fellow, standing in a completely unfitting pose, grasping a pair of midget human skill maracas, shaking them with god-knows what held within in time to the beat of the congas. In the darkness, behind it all, upon a grand stage fashioned of perfect and evenly varnished wood, a set of muffled, inhuman, and truly harrowing stifled grunts echoed out from beyond.

And then it came.

The first note chimed in time with the voice as the strongest light of all fell upon a corner of the stage. Sitting behind a pearlescent white piano sat the fallen angel, the overlord, the Devil himself, on a bench, sat in his black-haired, olive-skinned angelic alter form, with a pair of grand, black, feathery wings protruding from his back, clenched inwards and held tight. Instead of his regular smart-casual garb, Mephistopheles instead had chosen to don more formal attire, a pianist's coat-tailed black tight jacket, buttoned up over a fancy white shirt and a black bow-tie. Along with this he took a pair of black dress trousers and formal shoes, pointed out and glistening as the white light fell upon him and illuminated him. The piano itself was infact not fashioned from ivory, but, once more, the bones of those who had wronged the Archdemon, molten down into a fine, viscous paste, bolstered and strengthened in essence with soul energy - every fragment of it, even the rather morbid-looking skeletal triumvirate of draconic skull footholders, was made from one of Lucifer's late challengers.

The first note of the piano rang out as two things happen. First, the Devil got up; and inexplicably, from beyond, the keyboard, as if by influence of some invisible figure, continued to play a tone in time with the man, and, as if to defy all logic and preconception, tuneful song started to echo from his voice. Not in Infernal Speech, but, no, instead, in English. "Please allow me to introduce myself..." Came the first line, accompanied by a widening grin as the suit-garbed Demon leapt forwards from the stage, and landed nonchalantly, continuing to sing. "I'm a man of wealth, and taste."

From behind the Praetorian playing the bongos, another one appeared, clasping a deep black wickedly crafted and perfectly sculpted V-shaped four-string bass guitar. Lucifer continued to walk forwards, the veil of darkness still in effect but rising gently somewhat as more lights perforated the shade. "I've been around, for a long, long year..." The song continued as a smile curled upwards on his lips, and he advanced with his dress shoes making a light clap in every step, walking slowly, ever so slowly, towards his Huntress. "Stole many a man's soul and faith," His voice seemed almost impeccable, to mirror that of the song's original author and even surpass it. Jagger and Richards held nothing on the namesake of their ballad himself.

"And I was 'round when Jesus Christ," The veil was beginning to lift further as the great chandeliers seemingly lit of their own accord, flames growing larger and steadily larger with every passing second, illuminating the truly grandiose nature of the Goddess' ballroom. "Had his moment of doubt and pain," A grin swept further up onto the Devil's face, contorting his olive pallor ever further as black hair glistened and a crimson stare glinted. Now, he was but metres from Mammon, looking more lavish than ever before.

"Made damn sure that Pilate," With this, he ventured closer to his fellow and lieutenant, extending his hand and gesturing for her to take it to join him in the dance she'd so suggested. Lucifer reckoned she'd never had preempted something quite like this. "Washed his hands," Then he locked eyes with Mammon proper so she understood just the depth of his engagement in the religious fiasco he spoke of. "Sealed his fate."

With that, he extended his other hand, no gloves in this fallen angel figure of his, and gestured then for her to grasp them both, continuing his song as he tilted his head and looked her maniacally in the eyes. "Pleased to meet you!" The Devil continued in song. "Hope you guessed my name." And now, something flashed within those crimson orbs. Something horrific. Something entwining and seductive. Something utterly... devilish. "But, what's puzzling you..." And now, for the finale of this first segment. "Is the nature of my game."

The Devil finished with a tone of absolution, and the song continued, a personally-sculpted, extended variant, giving her time to react properly - though silently, as he hoped she'd guess - before retorting with the next set of lyrics. For, after all, even Demons loved the Rolling Stones.

[Mammon]

He began to shake his head. She had suggested something incorrectly. Dammit, CALM DOWN! She had made an error in her flustering, in her damnable-- "Yes, my dearest Mammon..." --and now she had angered him and-- "Let us dance." --she--what? Eh? He... he wanted to? Oh thank goodness. Mammon felt a blush rush all over her at him holding a finger up to her mouth, instantly shutting up, her brows knitted together at the storm of emotions within her. "Take some time to lavish yourself in my beauty, mine Blood Goddess." As she gazed upon her beloved, she could see the mischief in his eyes, the plans that he was forming. But what plans could they be? "Wait and enjoy the pleasures of your realm. And when you are ready, venture down to your ballroom." The flash in his eyes..... what was he thinking of? She could only nod once, completely at his mercy as he held her there with but his finger in front of her mouths. "I will be waiting." And with that, he left, her golden eyes watching him go as her last pup followed after him, leaving her alone in the music room.

Exhaling a breath, she sank down to her knees, then the floor, her tails splaying out behind her. The mouths were quiet, the air was still, and yet... Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to try and calm herself, shaking her head. "You are a damn fool Mammon. A damnable fool." She whispered to herself, staring down at her claws that did to tremble ever so slightly. Lucifer had loved her, had always loved her across all the eons that they had shared no matter how she had appeared. He had even said upon his entering her palace that she had chosen her 'more beautiful' of forms. So why. Why did she have to want to appear as beautiful as him? Though... that was it in itself... wasn't it. She was the Lady of Avarice, the ruler of greed and blood. Of course she would want to appear worthy of him... It was in her base nature. The Angel of Compassion, to the Demoness of Want. Not for the many, but singular, selfish desires. But that didn't matter. Lucifer loved her all the same. Pushing herself up off of the ground, she flexed the webbing of those stunted wings on her back, tails swishing in much calmer, smaller undulations.

It was time to see what the Devil had up his sleeve...

*****

It was very... dark in her ballroom... What was-- A light suddenly flicked on, sending its singular beam down onto a rather broken down demon with drums. It was just the drums at first, but then another light came on to reveal another figure. This time it was one of the Praetorian's of her dearest Lucifer, her brows furrowing a little as she stepped further in, a single step at a time. She smiled at the maracas, chuckling at the grunts that flowed through the mix. It was becoming clear what he had done and when that final light came on, she had to resist bringing a hand to her lips because there.... There was the man, the angel, and the devil that she loved so much. His six wings extended outward so elegantly from his back, black hair drawing all the more attention to him. He was dressed to the nines and... Mammon felt her hands raising anyway, two great claws touching to her mouths as she listened to him sing. "Please allow me to introduce myself..." She was positively beaming, all of those knots and worries already banished by this act of her Lord. "I'm a man of wealth, and taste."

The song was quite befitting of them, of him in particular. More instrumentalists appeared, her hand lowering away from her face as she hovered forward one more step. "I've been around, for a long, long year..." She couldn't believe this. He had done all of this.. for her. "Stole many a man's soul and faith," For the simple reason that she was his Huntress. And... she had honestly forgot how lovely a singing voice he had. When was the last time they had shared a song, a concert even? It was true that she had some difficulties with two mouths producing the correct notes or enunciations, but in other times... in earlier times... yes. She remembered. "And I was 'round when Jesus Christ," A giggle escaped her as her tails wagged back and forth, ears perked up and twitching with each fresh sound, each melody that danced about her ballroom. Golden eyes glanced upwards to see the chandeliers rising upwards, light flooding into back into the room. "Had his moment of doubt and pain,"

Her head lowered as she stared at Lucifer, Mephistopheles.... Her Devil. Her Satan, both of her jaws positively split from ear to ear that was how big her smile was. His human form was beautiful but... This form was the one she preferred from him. She could never compare to it, and there was no reason for her to want to. He had been, undoubtedly, the most beautiful creature ever created. So she did exactly what he had told her to do earlier. She soaked in his beauty moment by moment, second by second. Because he never took this form. Not anymore. His hand reached for her and she closed the gap, taking his hand when suddenly... Suddenly she felt very... different. The room was growing taller, bigger, the sensation of hovering replaced with the cool stone of the floor. She could no longer feel the undulations of her tails, but a different weight.. one between her shoulder blades had taken its place. Her ears shrank down to two horns atop of her head, the fur of her back falling to dust as the rest of her fur slid into her skin. Aye... she had skin again, a lighter golden tan in its color. The crimson patches of fur swirled over her form, darkening to black cloth that formed a skirt about her waist with a wide split up the middle. About her breasts the shadows became a little wrap appearing like the petals of roses extending up and over her neck in a sort of halter top, tattoos of dark brown thorns curling about her ribs and along her biceps. Her hair lightened to white, but the gold of her eyes remained the same. "Made damn sure... This is for you. I know you wish to look as you did, my dear." His voice insider her mind outshone the words he sang and at first... she didn't quite understand.

Her hand could close about his own, and her eyes finally glanced down to see... it was a hand. It wasn't a claw. It... He.... Her eyes immediately raised and locked onto his own, "Washed his hands," He... had made her... Tears gathered in her eyes as her heart raced in her chest, beaming up at him as those crimson droplets rolled down her golden skin. "Sealed his fate." Her eyes closed as her head bowed, "Thank you my dearest heart. Thank you." She whispered to him in his mind, positively filled to the brim with her adoration for him, her affection. Her other hand took his, and now... Now she raised her head again and those golden eyes opened, one last little tear rolling down her cheek. "Pleased to meet you! Hope you guessed my name." Her eyes searched his own, looking over the features lovingly, that little devlish glint only making her giggle. It sounded like bells, like soft, gentle bells. It was a little out of place amidst the Rolling Stones, but it was hers. As it had been before a larger size and twin mouths twisted the sound. "Is the nature of my game."

"I stuck around St. Petersburg," She immediately jumped in, her voice matching the way that he had been singing before, and yet... it had more of a melodic bend to it. Her body began to move, beginning to dance with him in what could only be appropriate for the song. Moves befitting Jagger. "When I saw it was a time for a change," The Blood Goddess was completely at a loss because this.... This was something she had never dreamed of. And it was all thanks to him. "Killed the czar and his ministers," Heh, and she had too. Mirth slipped into the tone of her lilting voice, "Anastasia screamed in vain!" Mmm.... Mammon was sure she still had her soul around here somewhere actually. Spinning away for a moment, she came back in to her Lord with a little laugh. "I rode a tank. Held a generals rank!" This was the best night of her very long life, "When the blitzkrieg raged, and the bodies stank." Was this alright? Did... Did he lose affection for her for looking like a human? For wanting to appear like this again?

No... "Pleased to meet you! Hope you guess my name, oh yeah" Her voice grew, ten toes gripping at the ground as they danced, that smile never once leaving her perfect lips. "Ah, what's puzzling you," No... This... all of this was proof enough that no, his affections had not waned for her selfish wantings.
"Is the nature of my game, oh yeah!" The Huntress would always love her Lord, and he.... He would always love her.

[Lucifer]

The Devil saw the tears well up in his Goddess' eyes as her form morphed from that of the Huntress to that of the olive-skinned, golden-eyes, truly beautiful fallen angel. If her original, twisted, Demonic form had been any representation of beauty, this way indeed beyond that. Lucifer despised the human form for being fashioned in God's image; but the fallen angels' visages were collectively a mockery of his divine figure, and perfectly lascivious all at the same time. Her response came back from her mind to his in the telepathic link he'd momentarily fashioned, and she bowed her head, finishing the bout of tears: "Thank you my dearest heart. Thank you." And then they continued.

Mammon had lived up to his loyal expectations of her, and the Devil's broad grin faltered not for a moment as he continued the song. "I watched with glee," Upon the stage, three spotlights propped up once more as a triumvirate of succubi stood in complete motion, hands held behind their back and eyes screwed shut as with every bar that went past, they sung "ooh-ooh~" in the same way the original had. The dance had truly come into full swing as the pace of the music quickened behind them, the pair of them clasping each other in bare, gentle, tanned hands as she had transformed into this fresh visage right before his eyes as an instrument of his will. "As your kings and queens," Now, they were closer than ever before, emotionally, mentally, and physically.

A father to a wife. A sister to a brother. A leader to his lieutenant. "Fought for ten decades for the Gods they made," The step and pace of the tune slowly increased as the music boomed up behind them, the army of bass and drum-carrying Praetorians having risen from a pitiful three up to a mass of almost eight now, four on either side, each in their own spotlight.

Next came his favourite part. "I shouted out," There was more truth to this next segment than met the eye - and he and Mammon knew it better than anyone as their glares met and he inclined his head ever-so-gently. "'Who killed the Kennedys?', when, after all," Taking her hand and clasping it tightly, he pulled her in towards him and rose it, spinning her around in time for the tango and rhythm to continue, executing the move perfectly, without a shadow of a doubt. Finally, their gazes met once more and he continued to sing. "It was you and me."

With this he broke away from Mammon's grasp and spun off onto his heels, turning his back to her; but it was all a display of showmanship as the music only grew louder and more intense, the bass thrumming, the drums beating, the maracas cracking aside that otherwise sombre, dull, uninteresting melody. "Let me please INTRODUUCE MYSELF!" He called upwards, dropping to his knees and screwing his eyes shut as he howled at the top of his lungs, putting every ounce of his supernatural being into the show he was performing for his goddess. "I'm a man of WEAAALTH AND TAAASTE!"

The piano only grew and swelled behind him as he continued to howl tunefully, a better show than any human musician, be it Jagger, Richards, Presley or Cobain could put on. "I lay traps for troubadours!" The succubi continued to chime, the Praetorians continued to silently beat their instruments as, in the very centre of the prestigious ballroom of Mammon, Lucifer continued the rock and roll epic. "Who get killed before they reach Bombaaay!"

Now came the third chorus of their demonic rendition thus far. "Pleased to meet you!" He howled, stepping up and getting to his feet. Something... was coming. Something was impending. It was easy to tell from his pose. "Hope you guuueeeessed my name, ohhh yeah!" And the stress and emphasis on his voice. His feet shoulder-width apart, his hands cocked out to the side as the fine Italian craftsmanship, tailored to his slender form, slim-fitting and perfect, not a single thread out of place, clung to his frame. His very fingers cupped the air and he continued to sing.

"But what's puzzling yooou!" He bothered not to look upwards as it occurred, crimson eyes meeting Mammon's fresh, golden orbs. "Is the... nature of my game!" With that, from up on high, apparently from nowhere, the grandest guitar forged of the darkest metals in the sharpest shapes, strings glimmering silver in the white light that now bathed her ballroom. The neck was impossibly long, so that no normal man could have played it; yet the body of it was wickedly sharp, curved like an axe, that any orthodox user of this instrument would have slashed open their hands simply from holding it. The Devil Wing.

Lucifer began playing almost immediately, working through with increasing intensity the first segment of Richards' guitar solo, plucking strings with a metallic plectrum that had appeared from apparently nowhere, with speed as of yet unseen by any mortal guitarist. With each simple pluck, each string gave a subsonic roar, and from the head of the guitar, a burst of flame gushed out of the neck and illuminated the Devil; and not moments later, halfway into the solo proper, the flame emitted stemmed not from the head, but the whole guitar; and then, it spread to Lucifer proper. The Devil himself was alight, immolated, on fire, as he played the solo to Sympathy for the Devil. Wasn't this the life?

Before long, the last note chimed out and the flames smouldered away, the last of their cracklings fading. Lucifer, with a nonchalant flick of his wrist, launched the guitar back up into the belfry of the ballroom; not a single clatter, yet it didn't come flying back down, seemingly disappearing into the high-up murky depths in silence as he walked forwards and clasped his Huntress' hands once more, smiling and waiting for her to continue in the guitar solo's cessation.

[Mammon]

His hands.... They did not feel as small as before.  She didn't have to worry about the awkward size difference between them.  No great claws or juts of bone to prevent her the simple pleasure of touching him with a hand, for she would never do such a thing in her human form.  She knew how loathe he was to it.  Now... Now she could hold his hand like this and have it feel so natural.  So... normal.  Heh, whatever "normal" might mean for an Archdemon dancing with her creator and her Lord.  Her body easily complimented each graceful motion he made, the ballroom floor cool against the bottom of her feet as she could feel how her flesh clung to it more than her fur would have.  No more hovering, no more dealing with the added hunger of her tails, no ducking through doorways.  She would besmirch the face of God with her beauty as Lucifer did, mock how beautiful he had made his creations.  Let him stare now at the face of greed and blood with loathing and grief.  Let him stare and regret all that he had betrayed that day, all that he had thrown away without a seconds thought or even time for an explanation.  And now... Now she could be worthy of standing beside her creator, her lover, and her master with her head held higher than ever before.  

She had always been proud of being so treasured by Lucifer, and she had never felt worry or doubt from it except from herself.  So as the beat rose and the drums shook the foundations about them, a grin began to grow across her lips at the lyrics.  She hummed along beneath him quietly, her gold eyes meeting those crimson rubies with a look of knowing and glee.  She spun towards him, body moving without error as they clasped together perfectly and in time.  "It was you and me." She whispered as his singing voice shot about the room once more, her hands feeling how he slipped away, the spirit of the stage taking over as she watched him.  Her wings stretched upwards and flapped once, her blood tingling from how much power was in the music pouring from her ballroom this evening.  Her limbs still began to move in slight undulations to his beat, unable to not even though her eyes remained locked upon the Devil as he screamed up towards the heavens.  There was a party in hell tonight, and it was right here.  No other invitations necessary for it was just a party for two.  And... the joker sitting up in the clouds perhaps.  

He howled and her smile only grew as she extended her arms out and let her hips move, white hair billowing slowly through the air as she moved.  He was more than just a man of wealth and taste.  He was the epitome of class.  In her eyes, he was the very definition of the word.  The Devil was the classiest motherfucker you would ever find, and all others had merely learned from him.  The screams from upstairs were completely drowned out as all of the instruments rose together in a great crescendo, raising her eyes to meet his gaze as he faced her now with hands extended into the air as if he were waiting for something to happen.  Anticipation had filled the entire room, rippling right over and through her as a guitar came down to settle into his waiting hands.  And that guitar.... was a thing of beauty.  Her eyes positively slid over that sleek blackness, dark as any pit yet sharp as the finest swords ever crafted.  Her lids fluttered closed as she let his strumming flow into her.  First it came through the floor, trickling up through her legs to her hips, her waist, her chest, shoulders, arms and then.... Her eyes opened as they gleamed a brilliant gold just as fire encased him up on that stage.  And that, ladies and gentleman, was a perfect moment between them. 

There was no other that such a moment would happen with, who could cause it even.  And so she held her hands out to him as he tossed that dangerous beauty back up into the depths of the ceiling, the glow slowly fading as he came back to her grasp.  Her fingers laced with his warm touch, her lips parting as she continued, "Pleased to meet you!  Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah~"  She gave him a wink as they danced together once more.  "But whats confusing you, is just the nature of my game."  Giggling, she spun out away from him, twirling back inwards so that their bodies pressed closely to each other.  Their noses were barely touching, her lids closing halfway as she continued to gaze up at her love.  "Just as every cop is a criminal,"  Especially in L.A.  Oh had that been a seed of corruption at one point in time, not that it had improved too terribly much now.  "And all the sinners saints."  She pulled back as she seemed to light up at the words for they were so very laughable.  Saints weren't welcome down in Hell.  Not unless they were to be the evenings entertainment of torture and feastings.  

"As head is tails, just call me Lucifer."  Mammon drew close to him as she nuzzled her nose against his with a grin, another giggle escaping her as she drew back once more.  With a dramatic flourish, one hand left his and came to rest back to her forehead in a very 'woe-is-me' pose, "Cause I'm in need of some restraint!"  She couldn't help but cackle as the notes rose up out of it, "So if you meet me, have some courtesy."  Mammon curtsied to him though her eyes remained locked on his own, positively infected by his showmanship.  "Have some sympathy, and some taste.  Use your well-learned politesse," She straightened up as that tinge of crimson swirled about in her eyes, giving her that hint of bloodthirstiness she only possessed in certain situations.  "Or I'll lay your soul to waste, um yeah."  Oh and she would.  If her beloved Master had been insulted, wronged, challenged... Whomever had done the wronging was doomed from that very second.  He had seen how she had flayed men and demons alike alive, how she'd stripped the skin from their muscles and killed them as slowly as possible.  And other times... he hadn't seen.  But he was the Devil and so he still knew.  

Her smile returned as those clear eyes of hers returned to that pure gold dripping with affection and adoration of the being dancing with her now.  "Pleased to meet you!  Hope you guessed my name, um yeah." Her thumb stroked the back of his hand, her voice growing through the chorus as her head cocked back to let those notes fly.  "But whats puzzling you is the nature of my game!  Um meant it, get down!"  Her head straightened as she looked upon him with mirth, the goddess of blood seeming to positively glow with happiness as the two of them danced together so.

[Lucifer]

The flames ceased in perfect timing with the Devil Wing as Lucifer launched it back into the air only for it to disappear in the ballroom's belfry with a subtle flash once more, every aspect of his visage, shirt, wings, trousers, even his impeccably polished dress footwear apparently untarnished in the slightest from the supernatural inferno. He danced in tune with his Mammon as she carried on the tune; the orchestra's numbers continued to swell and grow as she took this part of their devilish duet, and the ethereal spotlight fell on her, he drawing back temporarily to the shadows instead. For Hell's greatest showman was not done yet; this was simply a leadup to the grandest crescendo of all.

And alas, when it came his turn to sing once more, the Devil screamed his lungs out to a level beyond simple human might, and vigorously the spotlight swung around once more. "Woooohoo!" From on high, the Devil Wing guitar appeared once more; but instead of falling again into Lucifer's hangs, it simply suspended of its own will at the height of the ballroom, a certain amount of luminescence centering around it so that there could be a backdrop to the tune's finale. "Ah, yeah, get on down..." The tuneful murmur brought with it the illusory brightened glow dividing in a manner not dissimilar from the process of mitosis; a swelling cell which formed into two curvatures and then split.

And, through some force of obvious supernatural, intangible, and incorporeal will, with each ball of light was conjured another guitar; but dissimilar from the Devil Wing, in that they were barely lesser imitations conjured from the ironically-tinted "light" itself, blue spectral geist-like impressions of the instrument proper. "Ohh, yeah.." Each tweaked and flew of its own accord, playing itself, strumming and plucking at its own strings, turning and pinching them in complete harmony, in perfect time with the orchestra; now joined by seemingly-sentient self-playing electric guitars. "Ohh, yeah.."

As the song's second solo rose in intensity, so too did the movement of the guitars. And this could have easily, by any talented guitarist, been played on a single instrument, but it was no surprise that Lucifer himself, the very first of the prideful fallen angels, was a master of the grandiose, and instead conjured a gospel of guitars to strum along in time and give an ultimately more complex solo to sound similar; but impossibly deeper and richer than Jagger and Richards had ever achieved in their life before.

Leaping then with a surge of erratic and impossible speed, he leapt upon the raised stage, and looked first to the leftmost succubus, lowering an accusatory finger upon her and screaming louder and in a higher pitch than before in this particular musical number, running a hand through his slicked-back hair and widening his jaw to almost impossible lengths. "TELL ME BABY!" He viciously jabbed his finger once more in the direction of the Demon. "WHAT'S MY NAME?!"

"Lucifer!"

She giggled in response with glee as he moved on then to her sister to the right as the melody continued in its same furious yet rich speed; doing the 20th-century classic justice; and then a touch more, even for the irony in the song. What Devil demanded sympathy? "TELL ME HONEY!" This was so very fitting for the Genesis of Sin, the master of hubris himself. "CAN YA' GUESS MY NAME!?"

"Lucifer!"

Finally, he brought himself along to the third of the choir of succubi, and the final, and lowered that same finger once more, still screaming with vigour and intensity and still almost feral in appearance, those usually so well-kept olive-scrubbed tones of his face contorting and bulging, becoming grotesque, veiny, and unnatural; but even this purely evil appearance seemed only to make the lesser succubi fawn more over their great Overlord's presence and their luck at being chosen for this of all the things. "TELL ME BABY!" He even reached forwards and almost lunged with his entire body and form at the succubus as he cried out in time with the tune. And why, why would such a being of boredom and usual passivity exert so much effort for something so trivial? It in itself was simple, really. All for the drama. "WHAT'S MY NAME!?"

"Lucifer!"

The final screamed as the Devil pulled himself in line and pivoted once more on his heel, finally throwing his hands up into the air. "I TELL YA ONE TIME," Here it came, rising and swelling as it had been for so long, foreshadowed in his stance of self-immolation, a great gesture of sacrifice to his avaricious beauty. "YOU'RE TO BLAME!" And as the Devil threw his hands up, from on high behind him developed a trio of pillars of unholy, white-hot orange-red flame, sent down in complete synchronicity but for a moment as they stabbed into the ground and enveloped the succubi simultaneously with but a moment's notice. When the fwoom and the roar of the flames had subsided, and the insane demonic heat that Samael had felt at his back faded, there was naught left of the gospel of Demons save for scorched ask marks on the stage proper.

As he stepped forwards, Lucifer continued; for the flights of Praetorians slamming the bongo drums and playing the base guitars, and even the sentient piano continued to work themselves in an orchestra, and as he kept his hands raised, the Devil leapt forwards from the stage and onto the ballroom floor proper. Curling up all but his index finger, with a scream, at once, he pivoted, and seemingly at random, cast his targeting damnation on one of the Praetorians playing the bongos on his left. "OOH-HOO~!" From on high, another grand and instantaneous pillar of flame pulled itself down and erased that particular skeletal Demon -and his instrument - from existence, turning his bones to naught more but an off ashen stench in the air.

Clearly quite enjoying this and utterly unperturbed, the Devil turned back as inexplicably the other Praetorians stayed in line and continued to play on, and the bongo beat sounded no less stronger than it had before for one of the Demons' number missing. It was clear now what he intended to do, turning this time to his right. "OOH-HOO~!" Another point, another skeletal Demon - this time clutching a great bass fashioned from bone and brimstone - and another pillar of hellfire enveloping them in a moment's notice. "OOH-HOO~!" And again, it occurred, in exactly the same fashion, Lucifer making a very steady advance back towards Mammon, facing her and not lowering his gaze for anything but to vaporise another of his all-so-willing servants.

Then with the following four, he bothered not to turn. "OOH-HOO-HOO~!" FWOOM. Instead, as he walked, keeping his gaze and stance focused surely on Mammon, he simply cast his fingers blindly towards the two that flanked him as he moved. "OOH-HOO-HOO~!" FWOOM. Over his shoulders the points fell nonchalantly as he sidled through the idle that quickly became filled with momentary flame and the ash and essence that had once made up almost an entire squadron of Praetorians, immolating now two or even four at a time with each scream. "OOH-HOO-HOO~!" FWOOM. He was going to have to apologise for the scorch marks. He knew how Mammon took pride in her ballroom and its appearance. "OOH-HOO-HOO~!" FWOOM.

Then, as the music continued to fill the grand hall inexplicably save for the fact that there were only two silent there to populate it, it began to fade; not becoming quiet, but instead unimportant as Lucifer approached his beautiful Huntress and extended his hands with that pure aura of arrogance simply radiating from him. "Tell me, baby," He spoke, not sung, in time but not in pitch; for this was truly a question for his Mammon, though one he knew with certainty she had committed to memory- no, infact, worshiped the answer to. "What's my name?" But it didn't cease there. "Tell me, sweetie," He spoke once more, such honeyed words to be spilling from the mouth of the Devil. "What's my name?" And then as his grin widened, the Genesis of Sin clasped the Mistress of Avarice's hand in his own and locked his gaze directly to her as he spoke, the scarlet flames raging so tempestuously than any pillars Mephistopheles had today called down upon the heads of any unwitting Praetorians in those bright crimson eyes.

"Tell me, lover," And in that he grinned at her with greater vigour than he ever had before. "Tell me, sister," Two oxymoronic statements hinting at some sort of spiritual incest. It was odd to think of it in that manner; for the lines became blurry after seven billion years of celestial existence. "TELL ME, MAMMON!" He bellowed in finality, with that wicked cackle upon his lips as he cast both arms out to his side awaiting the lavish answer to appeal to his egotistical inner fallen angel so; for this was the risk of unchaining this far more arrogant and prideful form.

"WHAT'S MY NAME!?"

[Mammon]

They danced and spun... the music growing and building as the anticipation of what was to come grew greater and greater.  Then... he was away from her again.  That first scream of his sent a hint of a ripple down her back, arching her back as she rolled it out, wings extending to the full extent of their length.  Her breath came out slow in a single, smooth stream, another single tear rolling down her cheeks at the emotions flowing through her that she couldn't readily describe.  Her head lolled back, watching as each reflection of her lord burst above in her ballroom, but they paled so compared to the real thing.  So when the sound grew into a cacophonous swirling of sound that one could almost swear swirled with ribbons of color all about the room.  Mammon let a hand lower, drifting through it as she let those sounds roll over and through her, wings flapping once with a rush of air.  The colors shifted, changing direction and running through the room in a different pattern from that single shift in the atmosphere.  Her eyes were half-lidded, watching as she saw her lord move and resume his place on the stage.  He screamed again and another, bigger ripple went down her spine, her body spinning as the Succubus spoke.  But her eyes flashed as she glared at that lesser demon who took such glee at that simple showing of attention from Lucifer.  She was small time, she was not worthy of him.  

Shadows began to swirl to bend and refract the light that he had brought into the ballroom, small and flickering in the briefest of seconds.  Her eyes turned to the next succubus as her body shivered at that third scream he gave.  It was as if he sent an electrified pulse down her, as if... he had touched her with his hand.  Her eyes let off a golden flash as he lunged at that Succubi, taking a step towards the stage as the dark swirled up behind her, clinging at her ankles.  The room was at the breaking point from the sounds, the tension, the... power that was running through it at that particular moment in time, her breath falling still as the music rose one final time.  It was as if she was frozen to the spot on that last scream as the pillars of flame roared to life in her palace.  And the biggest grin spread across her lips as the Succubi were gone.  Yes, he was the most beautiful of all beings ever created.  Yes, he had the charm and wit to make any person swoon for him.  But those traits were not for them.  Not for some pitiful daughter of Lilith that had gone and gotten herself bound to a human.  A low chuckle rumbled through her as the heat licked against her before it went out, white hair undulating about her head as she took another breath and exhaled slowly.  This.... This was a side that few got to see of him, and certainly not in this capacity.  He could be a showman, and lord knows that he did love his drama, but... She doubted any of her other siblings could say they had done this with him.  

Her eyes followed him as he bounded off of the stage, turning to face him as her wings fluttered close to her body again.  A longing was filling her as she felt another jolt at his scream.  Her head turned back to see another blast of flame decimate another band member.  The colors and sounds lessened, the light returning to the room as the dark tendrils about her ankles began to dissipate into smoke.  FWOOM!  Another demon was gone, the light of the flames dancing against those golden eyes as she began to laugh.  It was low at first, growing with each demon that he obliterated as her gaze focused entirely on that perfect being that had deigned to love her so, who was approaching her with that look in his eyes.  The pitch of it boomed, joining the final chords and fading with them as she merely smiled at the man that stood before her.  Her hand reached out to his, sliding smoothly against the skin as that simple warmth sent more ripples all the way to her core.  The simple words that slipped across her body like silk, binding her and calling to her, exhaling a quiet little gasp as he grasped her hands so.  The Archdemon found herself taking another step closer to him, bodies almost touching.

She shivered at how he spoke those words, crimson swirling with gold as she straightened up at the call of her name, her coy little smirk spreading across her lips.  Her lord was calling to her, and she would not disappoint him.  And so all of the tumultuous emotions within her settled down to a single point, the shadows banished as she stared at her creator, her lover, her master and said with a surprising calm,

"Lucifer."

 

But it was not with a single voice she spoke, it was as if there were three voices chiming together at once.  A man, a womans, and something... darker.  The gold darkened to the color of blood as she smiled at her lord, suddenly pressing close to him with her lips at his ear.  "My lord." She whispered, her breath hot against his flesh as she slid back to kiss him hard on the lips, feeling as if those hot flames of his had filled her to the brim. Oh yes.... he wasn't going anywhere that night.

[End Thread???]

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