Ohhhh Raphael gets to keep the little foxy. Clearly an angel becoming the permanent owner of a demonic hellbeast that can feed on souls is in no way going to be a problem or cause any trouble or worry with anyone who oberthinks things. Are we going to get pics with it wearing cute doggy outfits too?
The physical therapy turned out to be a lot less harmless than he expected. Apparently, some people just... broke their shoulder? With wings? He hadn't thought that actually possible, but here they were.
The worrisome part came from the angel not realising it was a problem. The pain simply was and they thought it was supposed to be like this.
It took a long time to convince and explain every single bit that was wrong. Raphael didn't seem to be the only one not reading the memos.
Or they were simply written in a way the angels didn't understand. Whatever it was, they were stuck in the office for more than a day. Amurel didn't announce anything catastrophic and his home was still closed up, so that was alright...
And the paperwork he had to send up was not going to be great. Especially since it involved reading the bloody memos.
It was a terror.
Especially the arguing afterwards.
It took eight more hours to read through the horrific things.
The end result of this was: This had only happened once. So maybe it was an exception. He put it into the statistics. If it happened three times, he would put himself though the suffering. Maybe that equals out the pain levels. It was documented. Confidential and all. Sure.
Clean up in the clinic, scheduling a re-meet with the angel... and that's it!
Time to prepare more meat and vegetables and head up to Kazu. The creature might be hungry... he was about nine hours late.
When Raphael walked up with the plate, he heard tapping noises on the other side of his home door.
And when he opened it... he saw the critter. In all it's fox-alike glory. It had more eyes than the last time he had seen it. Also a little more agitated. Might be that's where the eyes came from? Was that a thing?
Unlocking his phone, he snapped a picture and... this creature... did not photograph well. Or at all. AH well.
"Kazu! Sorry for the wait, I brought dinner, though," he said and put the plate on the floor. It was four pounds of meat... so a little more than 'normal', but it seemed rather edible. Because it consumed the food at an impressive rate, at least two eyes watching him at all times.
He stared right back - sometimes slowblinking - to be able to draw the creature, at the very least.
Two minutes later, the number of eyes was reduced to a statistically normal level for foxes... and it jumped off in the direction of the bedroom. Huh.
More food to prepare for the next day, then.
The reaction was... subdued, though? When looking around, the only thing it had completely shredded was the pillow it had already 'claimed' - it was bag from the garbage can.
Otherwise, the rooms were... normal. Raphael shrugged and sat down with a tablet, trying to recreate the create he had seen when coming up.
And send them to both people that asked for an update.
'Demon-fox update! It - Kazu - does not photograph, but that's what it looks like. Approximately. The eyes change sometimes.'
Well now we gotta know what the two big boys have to say about the twiddle foxy friend and who gets to keep custody. Heaven, Hell or Raphael?
Whistling, Raphael went downstairs and was barely through meat-assembly (rabbit today... it had been a well grown critter, one was enough) and in the middle of cutting some carrots for the creature, when his phone already buzzed in his pocket.
Unfortunately, he knew from whom it was, so he had to wash his hands and get the phone out.
It read:
'Hello Raphael,
In case of your guest staying with you, Hell needs to be contacted for permission, not only information, to avoid misunderstandinga about us holding an Agent of theirs hostage. Please contact me when you receive a reply. Until it is clear whether Hell will send someone to pick it up ASAP or allow it to stay in your care, keep it under strict supervision. It is imperativ that you keep it in the clinic, for its own and human safety. Please report negative changes in behaviour immediately. Thank you for your diligence in reporting this as soon as you had assessed the situation. Looking forward to hearing from you.
ꙮ Metatron'
... the manufacturer or the software developer probably hadn't shelled out for a Metatron's Cube as a sign. Why he would sign twice if it were the case was a different question, but well.
This...
He was glad he's washed his rands, because he rubbed his eyes before oinching his nose. This was just... well. It was not pleasant.
There certainly was no hostage-holding if the creature in question could leave at any time. Like any creature should be able to at any time. Not that most animals had a desire for this kind of thing when they were held in a reasonable state. Of course, the order to keep it in the clinic and under strict supervision at all times would turn this into some kind of hostage situation. But... he had contacted hell. He had been diligent and if anyone asked, he had the orders in written form in front of him.
Bloody hell. He just liked imprisoning people, didn't he. Favourite hobby. Kch.
With a little twitch in his brow, he sent back:
'Hello Metatron,
I have reached out to hell and will report as soon as a message arrived. The fox will remain safe in my private rooms. Behaviour unchanged.
Raphael'
There. Due diligence and all. Maybe he would need to build enrichment for the creature. And if he needed to add a new room to his place. TARDIS-ing his home. Or something. When he figured how that even worked. But angelic abilities could do more ridiculous things. Somehow creating more space where there isn't... the worst thing Raphael could imagine, so... he would see.
For now: Finishing the carrots, starting the celery. Stuffing the whole meal into the fridge upstairs.
And maybe he should look more into enrichment for foxes. If it had no choice but to stay, he should definitely look that up. Sure, the creature might be older than himself, and not actually a fox, but it certainly didn't talk to him.
Puzzle boxes for food it was! He had still some wood laying around... and about ten hours of time. He could make something to get... maybe dried meat hidden in the the next day? Cardbord boxes he would be able to find no find no problem. Maybe he could put balls in the bathtub? But a kiddie pool might be more suitable. He really did need more space...
Well. Off to work he was. After informing the critter - or, more accurately, the thin air of his flat: "Hey, my invisible guest, I have to keep you in here or at least under supervision for the next few days. Not my call, but you don't seem to mind right now. I'll try to make your stay more bearable." Nothing answered. If it had been the right time of year, crickets would have something more to say. So he sighed, but added: "And I'll call you Kazu from now on. Not very demonic, but it's a name, so, Kazu, good night to you!" It probably needed to digest the meat - and vegetables - anyway.
Off he was to the attic and... mh... if he cleared that one up a little more, that might be an option. For now, there was just some cardboard boxes to grab and bring down. And then... a saw to create a puzzle box. It could not be too hard.
...
When it was time to walk downstairs, he wasn't sure if he could simply not do math... or if the measurements were simply out of wack. Fact was: Nothing fit together. Better luck next time, he supposed. The fox would not be harmed by any of that. So he served breakfast: "Kazu! Breakfast's ready!"
Not that he expected a response. The waterbowl was full too... looking at it, and considering normal foxes... it might be nice if it was a well, always providing fresh water. Like with cats? But that was another project.
Downstairs, he greeted his team and received the customary hugs and his usual stack of correspondence. Mostly letters, the advertisements, bills and reports get already sorted by Amurel.
At the table, he found a thank you letter from a patient (with pictures), a report from one of his angels in more critical areas, gathering field experience, other correspondences he would need to pen down in the break and then... a letter with a sticky note.
'Was like this in the post bin, no one brought it there, but there it is. Be careful? Amurel'
Huh. The letter was a sealed piece of paper. 'To Raphael' it said, with a flourish. And, indeed, held no adress. Well. He photographed the seal to maybe figure something out later, if the insides weren't revealing.
So he opened the folded sheet and read the following words, written with flourish in blue, sparkly ink:
'Dearest Raphael,
Congratulations on your new pet! I see no reason as to why you shouldn’t be permitted to keep it, provided you feel confident in your ability to handle it safely. Unfortunately, it sounds as though its previous owner was no suitable fit - I assure you this incident will be investigated and the individual reprimanded accordingly.'
SHIT. A quick glance to the end of the letter confirmed suspicions, it was Asmodeus. SO. He grabbed the phone and composed a quick message:
'Asmodeus, PLEASE do not investigate OR reprimand the guy. They needed help and came here and we helped. And that could happen because demons slowly started to trust us. I did not mean to incriminate them, it was simply an explanation why I did not send the fox down immediately. They guy is probably punished enough for having lost his pet. And feeling in some of his arm. We don't need a rumor that the clinic rats people out. In whatever way there is. It's nice that angels and demons can meet here on neutral ground. Armistice is a good reason. If at all possible, just... leave them be? Please? Since they came here, they at least knew they did something very wrong. Give them a chance to better themselves?'
He really was an idiot for not expecting that. Asmodeus liked animals, for all he knew. And currently he might still make examples out of people. Aaargh.
Well, he still continued reading:
'As for your new friend, do be careful of its pointy bits. It may be foolish to assume without seeing it firsthand but I can’t imagine it would differ too greatly from an Earthly fox; they can be snappy when frightened and are easy to startle. Please expect a courier within the next few days with the following supplies, provided free of charge: 1 bag of DevilKitty Kibblez brand fox chow, 1 medium memory foam pet bed, 3 assorted toys, 1 enchanted safety muzzle, 1 collar and lead. In the mean time, I should think meat, fish, fruits and vegetables would make for a suitable diet. It may beg for souls of the damned, but those should be given sparingly and only as treats for good behavior.
Thank you for reaching out and please let me know should you need any further assistance. We also request pics at your earliest convenience.
Best wishes,
Emperor Pro Tempore and Great King of Hell
Asmodeus
xoxo As 💙'
Fish. He had forgotten about fish. And fruit, to be honest. As for the soul... he tapped his phone in thought.
'Hello again, Asmodeus.
I apologize for the sudden message. Morale of patients is something I have to pay close attention to. Usually.
Anyway. I thank you very much for the allowance and the help for a new demonic pet-carer. I hope you understand that souls of the damned might have to be stricken from it's menu. If that is a problem, I obviously can not handle them. Angels and souls of the damned are not too good a mix.
For now, my guest still evades sightings. Pictures will follow when it has acclimatised some more.
Now, is angel blood good or bad for the critter. I don't mind being bitten in fear, but I don't want it to suffer from... holy-poisoning?
I'll get back to you when there is a chance for pictures or I am overwhelmed by fox-entity. Thanks again!
Sincerely yours
Raphael
P.S.: 'Pro Tempore' mh?'
For whom DID he stand in that comes back any time soon? But alright. More pressing was the question if the XOXO was an indictation for a greeting he... wanted? Hugs and kisses? He was used to them, but... usually from his team and not... well... the emperor of hell, he supposed. From what he had seen, it was not an actionable thing, but... why?
Anyway.
'Hello Metatron.
I got permission and allowance from hell, no worries anymore. Raphael.'
There. Done. Therapy! Physical, to be exact. Some people were not meant to stretch their own wings in their corporation. They tended to dislocate their shoulders and screw up their whole musculature. Time to warm his hands properly.
Oh no the poor foxy. It requires belly rubs now (with bite resistant gloves, probably)
Healer, you must help the poor pained animal!
The fox did not answer. Didn't even look. Just laid there on the floor and whined.
After half a minute it tried to snap its teeth around the remaining meat.
With an affronted and somewhat more concerned frown, Raphael lifted the plate away and up on the table. The whining got louder.
So it wasn't exactly a sane creature.
When he reached out his hand for the fox to sniff, it - naturally - bit into it.
After a moment of a put-upon stare at the fox, the creature's ears unfolded from anger to neutrality and licked over the hand that... literally fed it. Healing such a small wound was barely worth a thought.
Very carefully, he put the hand on the foxes' belly and moved it in clockwise motion. That, at least, felt like a proper furred belly under strain. Barely had any give when (lightly) pressing. Had immediate repercussions in volume and octave (higher) of yowling, too.
With warm hands and patience, the fox calmed down after maybe twenty minutes. Then it just relaxed under the ministrations. Even rolled from its side to its back, folding it's front legs. It looked less pained in general.
But it also was still there. Hadn't left. Even with the warning to close the window. Well, maybe it didn't understand. One day with a closed window, then one open again. Hopefully it would not destroy the pillows in rage.
"So I suppose four pounds of meat is definitely the limit. So, less tomorrow." He tapped on the belly withtwo fingers and there immediate protesting whines.
"Shush, you. You'll get enough, still." Even if understanding was questionable, it felt better to talk to a being instead of... the room.
Stretching over to the next bookshelf, he flipped the book open he had and... stared at the theoretical physics in front of her. Mmmmgh. Lorentz transformations... goooo.
Maybe someone should explain him this particular subject. And not just read about it. But well. He settled against the shelf-of-wool and looked through the book with one hand and continued the petting with the other, alternating positions and pressure to not overstimulate the poor creature.
After another two hours, the fox jumped up and run towards the bedroom, body pressed close to the floor. At the door, it turned around, flicked its ear to the side, stared at him and ran into the bedroom after it had enough. So that was that.
He got up and brought the meat into the lab fridge, after filling it up to four pounds in the downstairs kitchen. He absolutely did not wish to continue with so much math and switched on 'Cap and Capper' which... well. Was a childrens movie.
Spice and Wolf after that. That was... not... how a fox actually behaved, but... the tail looked very fluffy. And his gues's tail looked very pettable as well.
Then... it was morning. The window got closed, the meat put out and he walked down to another day of meetings, patients and more magazines to read for more knowledge.
...
When he finally got up again, he actually saw the fox. It laid on the floor next to the meatplate, staring at it.
When he actually came in and had closed the door, the fox looked at him, then looked back at the meat and opened it's jaw wide to swallow the whole plate's content in one bite.
He stared at the fox.
That. Wasn't something a normal animal's jaw could possibly do.
The realignment did not look - or sound - healthy either. The cracking noises were way too reminiscent from serving in a few war tents.
The generally black colour of the extention of its jaw wasn't... exactly the greatest addition to its attributes either.
Then the fox ran into the bedroom, the vegetables already gone before he even arrived.
"I think... I might have to tell someone now." He took out his phone and tapped its side.
So how does Raphael continue with his new foxy roommate? Change in diet? Change in habitat arrangement? Hunting it down looney toons style?
For once, Raphael could do something with his time apart from research. He knew now what his visitor looked like. And what his teeth felt like (painful, but negligible). After looking it up, it made sense that both meat and vegetables disappeared. Foxes were basically omnivores.
Adding a few eggs might be enrichment for the creature. Adding a lot more Taurin might actually help the creature feeling a bit better. As fox-alike as it looked, it might not actually be a fox, but it did eat meat! So it might crave the same things as a fox. On occasion. Whatever it really was.
It hasn't peed anywhere yet. No other excretions either. Very fox-unlike behaviour. But very understandable, if you do not want to be found and understand that concept.
He would continue to ignore that clear indicator to finally report the critter. It was not doing any harm.
He would make the best fox-food for his guest. And maybe a plate instead of a bowl. Seemed more respectful. A big plate. Maybe it would even leave some meat. Six pounds should be too much for any kind of creature of this size. Right?
He prepared and got it into the lab fridge for the evening - the fox would not show up when he was there, after all. Get it out all fresh in the morning.
Fox stories it was! Pax... and the Fantastic Mr. Fox. For starters. Which... would be most comfortably read in the pillow-nest he liked to call a bedroom. Mrh.
"Okay, my dear guest, I will close the window tomorrow, it's getting cold. Last chance, when I come back tomorrow, it'll be closed." Talking to the air was still ridiculous.
To do something less verbal, he half-closed the window - a kind of warning. It... was only fair.
The books were as ambiguous towards Raphael's opinion as any fox-spirit is in any fable... but they were nice. In the morning, the meat and some carrots and cucumbers were set out and he got to work.
...
Many patients and papertrails later, he returned to his rooms and... there was a fox laying on his side, next to an almost empty plate of meat.
Raphael stepped next to him and there was a whine coming from the animal.
"... could possibly have overestimated yourself?" He squatted next to it, looking down with a bit of concern.
But but but... Raphael still has not actually discovered what kind of creature is lurking in his home now. Is he not at all curious? Is he not bothered by the noises happening now and then as it rustles through his stuff or knocks something over or such?
Raphael stretched his aching limbs when he stumbled back into his home around midnight. Michael meant well, and got the training regimen specifically arranged for him. It’s just a shame when Raphael half-assed it and flunked on the forms. And now: Ow.
Admitting he was in the wrong himself was the worst.
Maybe he should think about doing more of a regimen. Properly. If nothing else grabbed his attention. Maybe. … sometimes he could understand Michael’s frustration with everyone.
Ah well.
The daily check of the food bowls revealed that a slight bit of green produce was left over. He made note of it. Not the whole pound of celery stalks was consumed. Well, better than the different kinds of cabbage he’d offered beforehand. The whole three pounds of meat had still disappeared.
Hungry little fellow.
… still had to be little, right? Otherwise he would have seen the critter by then.
After three weeks of careful non-searching – privacy is important and should be granted, even to weird trespassing critters – he should still have seen something that can consume four pounds of food without breaking a sweat. If it worked in conventional ways.
I had left two hairs behind. One in the pile of wool… one stuck to the pottery clay. One was black. One was… a blackish-red? Slightly coarse, maybe the length of a segments of his finger, but without a root, the fur might be even longer…
So it had… blackish-red fur. At least partially. Ate four pounds of food without issue, had opened the lab-door the second day it had been in the flat – apparently, a proper key would be in order – and… that’s that. No metallic pens were allowed anymore, they get thrown down and bitten into. The bitemarks are inconclusive, though.
It appears to be a mammal. Which… is a bit of a disappointment, usually Raphael attracts birds – and they have a much more favourable disposition to him. Reptiles would have been fine, too… a big insect, maybe? But… a mammal it was.
With a shrug, the angel grabbed the bowls and put them on the pile to go downstairs for the next morning. A few files were waiting already their review was done.
It was a bit of a shock how long it stuck around, actually. The window had been open the whole time. After two days, a little ramp had been added to ease a possible escape, but it had been destroyed. And the window bitten into. Which… seemed to be a theme.
Walking up to the sofa for the current excursion into Late Cretaceous period, he noticed that the theme of biting had received a bit of an expansion.
The armrest of the sofa had been bitten through, stuffing falling out. Large parts of the pillows were simply destroyed… whole chunks of the seating pillows were partially ripped out.
Hm. Someone seemed unhappy. It most likely was not the fault of the food. Had the visitor been fed up by something?
Or was it the change in schedule?
Raphael smiled at the destroyed furniture: “Did you miss me?” Then flipped over the cushions – not the most comfortable, but it would do for the night – and sat down to flip a geography book open: “I can tell you when I’ll come and go. If that helps. I still don’t know if you understand me…”
And currently there was no real way to judge…
“… I mean… uhm… put… one of the bitten pillows into a bowl when you’re done eating? Tomorrow? That’s not demeaning? We can go from there?” It still felt really awkward talking to himself.
“… or you just bite me and I get a good look at you and we’re fine.” He looked around just in case, trying to look… delicious? Easy to grab with teeth?
After about five minutes, he gave up on the vigilance: “It was worth a shot.”
Avisaurus will entertain. With their strange socket joints between shoulderblade and shoulder girdle. A concave coracoid and convex scapula is the modern day version. Those were exactly the opposite. ‘Opposite bird’ was right.
Their particular brand of anatomy had spread all over the world… only to die out in the looked after Late Cretaceous. Actually… he wanted to hold it in his hands. At least in form, if not in material.
The clay would be used for once. He pulled open the image of the Avisaurus archibaldii and stated to re-build one of the skeletons to scale. He had a pelican skeleton in the attic, so comparisons would be interesting to make, size-approximations helped there.
So he was almost done with the model of the second wind, when he felt a sharp, thorny pain. His wands immediately let the model fall and reached down to grab for the curlprit. Firmly.
It was an almost ear-destroying noise that was first too high and then too low, growling with abandon. He knew better than to let go, though.
Blinking, the angel looked down and saw… a fox. Mostly black with wide areas of red, nothing grey or white in there. Teeth still embedded in his calf.
It’s eyes did not reflect any light, but it didn’t struggle, simply growled.
“Sorry, I have to get a picture,” his phone was the closest camera-supplied apparatus in sight. “Good to see you. Thank you. It hurts a lot. But… you can’t actually harm me… so… maybe come out some other time, you can show me which food you actually like”
When he finally let go, the teeth dislodged to get a deep nip slightly below in. And then ran away. It disappeared into the bedroom. Leaving a bit of a blood trail behind. But had its tail between its legs.
Mh.
“Sorry about that! You surprised me!” He called after the critter.
The wounds were bleeding properly, which was already a good thing. He made a photo of them as well, then ran a hand over the little incisions and closed them up again.
Ah well, cold water and a cloth would get rid of the stains. And then he could continue modelling. Hadn’t seemed like the fox-creature wanted to come back any time soon.
What would it look like if a small animal managed to get into Raphael's private rooms and hid somewhere between all their stuff? Like you only know it is there because you hear the rustling every now and then, but you can't pinpoint where it is (possibly a heaven beast that can avoid detection by magic?)
The files were signed, recommendations written, team meeting done – Ayin needs practice her people skills. A patient cursed the clinic and wished to sue. Being honest was very important, but the packaging needed work – and all appliances had been switched off. Closing time.
So, he walked up and chose the next best book to continue. Stoisicm – the history around Marcus Aurelius was as good a theme to continue as any other. Last of Pax Romana! What a time, to have a philosopher on the Roman throne.
Retaining all the information about different emperors still didn’t come natural, but the whole thing might give a little bit of inside how the humans could assume god is part of nature. And didn’t exist. It’s a wrong, but… valid way to see things.
With the reading lamp shining enough indirect light to make it a pleasant experience, he settled on the sofa. God’s wrath was still a bigger theme during these times… a smallpox/measles outbreak – or whatever the Antonine Plague had been - could have been seen as such. And then be translated to a ‘god’? Since no one could do things about it? And it literally decimated the population. And dear Marcus Co-Ruler.
He turned the page and his ear twitched. There had been a rustling from the direction of his bedroom. Which… should not be the case.
The house did not ‘live’ like this. Which meant he had a visitor. Rare, but possible.
The thing was… he did not… detect… anything.
He walked over to the room and looked around: the pillows were a bit in disarray, some items had fallen over… nothing unusual, if the window would be open or anyone else entered these rooms.
Raphael leaned against the doorframe with a sigh: “Hello, dear guest. Of beastly or spiritual kind. You’ve come to an archangel’s home. If you actually understand me: I’m not hostile, if you want a place to stay, stay. The only ‘intel’ you get is my research of humanity. If you still want to leave undiscovered, I’ll leave the window in this room open… There’s a roof directly under the window you can safely reach, so… there’s that. I’m usually here from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Otherwise… you can mess up the place, if you want… the wool-section in the living room is warm and cozy. If you want to talk… come and talk. And if you don’t understand me… I was talking to myself again. And will get some food prepared now.”
It was a change from reading… so he opened the window… rearranged the wool into a bit of a nest and walked downstairs to get some meat-arrangement… some fruit salad… and some cereal, each in a bowl, up to his own rooms.
He placed them into the ‘bed’room and locked the laboratory – that one was a bit of a hazard and the reason he did not generally allow relatively mindless visitors in.
Back to dear Marcus’ Meditations. Maybe Raphael should look into the Alexandrian dialect to understand it in his own way as well…
