cont from x | @ineffableduality
Keep repeating that to yourself and I will find myself a hot poker and shove it up your ass! Michael’s self-assurance, self-rightousness and presistence in the belief that they would eventually defeat Lucifer was grinding on his nerves. It had already been traumatising enough that they had cut off his wings before God and everybody else back when the Rebellion had been beaten down. Lucifer did not need a constant reminder that Michael wanted to kill him. Though could you even kill the devil? What was permament defeat towards a creature, which lived eternal anyway? Did that even exist? Great, there I go with my pondering again.
They were both metaphorically speaking yearning to point guns to each other’s head and blast the other one’s brain out. The politeness was so false, one could choke on it. And yet they decided to go through with it. After all their great battle would not be taken place yet. That was unless Lucifer threw caution into the wind and slain Michael, where they stood. Which Lucifer did not for a very simple reason: He was not an idiot. Michael, even without arms, was a formidable opponent.
“Of course you are”, Lucifer said. Their fingers laced into one another and closed tightly. He did notice the trail of golden light. A mockery, Michael had made. A mockery of disrespect towards him and what he now had to call home. Lucifer made a mental note: Inform Beelzebub somebody left little “messages” on the floor and get somebody to clean it up.
“Do come along, my dear.” Lucifer nodded his head politely. Not a bow. More a greeting between colleagues, between friends. If they taunted him with bringing God’s light into the pit, he would remind her every step of the way that they had been siblings. And particularly close.
Lucifer headed towards another tunnel, which had just opened in the rocks. It lead around in a long-winding road without any lights. Not that demons needed light. They could see in darkness. You could have locked a demon in a labyrinth in a pyramid and it would have found its way out. Some faster, some quicker. After all, it was never said that demons were intelligent. Most would have needed a city map to find the way to the toilets!
The rocky tunnel opened again and Lucifer guided Michael out into what seemed to be a valley. Trees grew here and heavy bushes. Their leaves hang in the mist and the crooked roots buried their way through the soil. It was mild here, but damp. The mist glowed in a silvery light. Steps of things moved in the place, weightless, only leaving their imprints on the grass. Hooves and paws and claws.
Lucifer pushed a leaf away and revealed a few antique houses, where three people were wildly discussing something written on a sheet of paper. It were Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach and a tired Ludwig von Beethoven, who nodded every now and then. Though it was hard to say whether he had heard anything. He had died deaf after all.
Siblings. The reminder was most assuredly like swallowing ash, a burn that laced down Michael’s throat that they wanted nothing more than to eliminate entirely. Perhaps Michael missed the days when being in Lucifer’s company was accompanied by something other than wariness; something other than the grey tinge of fear that lingered at the edge of their consciousness, always expecting the other to lash out in some way.
Every interaction was draining upon them, frankly. There was only so long they could handle the stress of being around their former family. And although the touch didn’t burn, it felt as if it did. The only being which could bring such petty anger out of Michael was most assuredly Lucifer -- it was almost sibling like, the way in which the two fought back and forth every time they saw one another.
Eyes ghosted over their surroundings as they walked along, taking in everything around them. There was only so much of hell Michael could be bothered to take in -- let alone want to take in. The only thing they were truly caring to do was memorize the path taken. Wouldn’t do to get lost in Hell -- and there was only so much they could take from Beelzebub before the demon Prince started to make a greater mockery of them.
Pursed lips, that smoothed themself out again as they stared at the three musicians. “Any particular reason for where you’re deciding to show me? It’s not as if I’m particularly a fan of human music, you know. Or perhaps that’s your reason for it.”
