House of Sloth

[isabel-bishop]

Oh, my ever noble Slothy. Always thinking of me and making sure I'm protected. Sounds like the two of you really are two peas in a pod– family strife brings everyone together.

[the-lethargicsloth]

You think I could completely trust my prideful brother to keep you safe entirely? No, darling. Kaniel really does hate his family more than I do and I never thought that was possible. Nevertheless, you are now here to stave my dreary boredom and perfect timing too. I have a preposition for you, Bels, something I've been thinking about for a while now.

Since the coven is slowly reconstructing, one would think they'd kill not offering a position of power for a witch of your expertise. Because you are content slightly living your life outside of the scattered drama, you deserve every happiness doing what you cherish. If it's your interest helping the coven in any fashion, you cannot exactly heal without a proper clinic. You have more than just witches as patients, there are demons like yours truly. While your magic is boundless, my Belly, demonic injuries require certain resources I have access to. I connect the medical pipeline between our realms and you're given a space to work in I am happy to extend upon with only the best. My brothers will tell you I'm not one to give gifts, but I'd do that for you. And I think seeing you happy will make Quinn happy.

[isabel-bishop]

You have an assassin now? Now that is fancy.

[the-lethargicsloth]

Don't fret, Belly Well, you and invited under his umbrella of delightfully murderous protection at my demand. Kaniel knows the struggles of siblings with his own brother Ramiel. He's not fond of his mother either.

[isabel-bishop]

I would turn around where you are before you get pulled into it somehow or another. Save yourself, darling.

[the-lethargicsloth]

Ah, Belly, you are the most extraordinary light of my life, I have an assassin on the payroll now who can fight my battles for me. A shame I did not possess one ages ago.

[kaniel-thebutcher]

I'm not surprised to hear of that turn of events for your brother, even if I could not imagine him even having a Queen. He was not fortunate enough in my timeline. Your coveted Isabel– would you like me to add her to my umbrella of protection as well as the others? Speaking of a meddlesome mother, the Queen Mother approached me with a request for my assistance. She's married to Nikolai, and she wishes for me to watch out for his pseudo-sister. She knows that it is only with your say.

[the-lethargicsloth]

Trust me, I am just as shocked as you are he ever gained a queen. Belly remains my soulmate and love of my life given a different world out there, Kaniel, she's most deserving a place under your umbrella of protection. My mother came to you for help. Ugh. Typically, I do not entertain fulfilling any favors for the Queen Mother, but as this is Nikolai's little mini me and she's considerate asking my permission, I'll allow you to play guardian angel over Violet.

[the-lethargicsloth]

I emerge from my sanctuary and find the city is seconds from godly apocalypse. Not interested.

[judiciously-ezekiel]

I have more tea if you would like to sit.

[the-lethargicsloth]

Sitting and doing nothing sounds riveting. I believe entering tea into the chat is acceptable menial action I can pencil in too.

Your boon has worked wonders in a pinch, by the way. One touch and it's blissful silence for days.

[steadfast-hope]

I'm turning into my favorite gluttonous brother with how much I love the food that doesn't consist of gruel.

[the-lethargicsloth]

You are what you eat with how grueling your incessant blathering wastes the oxygen in the air around me.

[tempestuously-lysander]

Forgive me for staying out of the current issues, but there's not much I can do other than lend an ear.

[the-lethargicsloth]

Why would you actively insert yourself into current issues anyway, Mini Envy? Just stop listening and your worries disappear. It's what I do.

[kaniel-thebutcher]

As always, I am grateful to you again, my Prince. Maybe, whenever you feel like telling the full story of how you came to be your daughter's guardian, I will listen, but worry not. I will protect both my Queen and the Princess with everything I am. Since I have taken over my station again, you should know in all fairness that if a woman shows up at the door giving off the stench of an untrimmed asshole for how much she likes to be up everyone's ass, turn her away. That is my mother, Sabina, and she is the bane of my existence.

[the-lethargicsloth]

Please, no thanks and praise required, just simply surrounding myself with like-minded kin. There is not much to the story, Kaniel, except my brother Pride could not handle losing his Queen at childbirth and thrust the baby in the hands of the other me while he wiped his memories. She looks like my coveted Isabel, quick wit and all. Protect them as you would me. Oh...a meddlesome mother, why, we are such two peas in an introverted pod. I will turn this Sabina away if she upsets you so and invades our personal space. I cannot have any untrimmed assholes mucking up the domicile. You are one in tandem with my House now, Kane. Make yourself at home.

[kaniel-thebutcher]

It's the only way to exist without being an annoyance or being annoyed.

In my timeline, you didn't have much use for me either, other than eliminating the few that encroached on your territory or dared to target you, but you offered to take me on despite me not being labeled the 'best' assassin. You would be guessing correctly; it's down to you taking me under your wing again, or I would be subjecting myself to the eternal suffering of listening to my mother prattle on about expectations and revenge. So, I do not mind if there is a lull in action so long as I'm away from her. I'm Kaniel, or Kane, my Prince.

[the-lethargicsloth]

A man who knows me as well as I know myself.

Understanding my own mind, Kaniel, slaughtering anyone who stepped a foot in my kingdom or place a target on my back is very useful to me indeed. I know about the eternal suffering of a mother's overbearing nature, and for that reason alone, I'll take you under my wing as a different version of me has done before. My home is open to you. Assuming you worked in tandem with my Hellhound, but Mara is now my queen here. There's also bestowing your protective services onto my daughter Quinn who is technically my niece until another me was given no choice but to adopt her. Long story, Kane, just Pride being Pride.

[kaniel-thebutcher]

Merely giving you a synopsis of the happenings so that you didn't have to talk to the unsavory types for any sort of news.

You don't know me, but I know you. I am your assassin from a different timeline, my Prince.

[the-lethargicsloth]

Short and to the point so neither of us waste the precious time blabbing or listening to others as they blab from their face orifices. Appropriate.

My assassin, I never imagined I would need one of those. I'm guessing you tracked me all the way here asking for the position? Suppose you can have it, but I must warn, there won't be much to do for a while. Does my assassin then have a name?

[kaniel-thebutcher]

Demons, vampires, and wolves, oh my.

[the-lethargicsloth]

And we are stating the obvious like a preschooler because...?

[voracious-gluttony]

As long as doing whatever you were doing includes a celebratory drink, then by all means– I won't hold you from it.

[the-lethargicsloth]

You might not spend as much time with me as others, brother, but you should be made aware I never turn down a drink of any kind.

[the-lethargicsloth]

Gratitude where gratitude is due, I guess.

Now I can return to...whatever I was doing.

[voracious-gluttony]

Gluttony pinched the bridge of his nose before releasing a deep sigh. "An argument over who had it worse growing up was not what I intended, nor was I pointing blame at you when I knew you were suffering just as I was. All I wanted to say was this isn't a convenience thing, or me trying to act like a hero to bring him back– it's me proving that I do actually care about everyone." The prince dropped his hands to his hips. He was still demon royalty, yes, but he hated being at odds with his brothers, despite having done what he needed to in the past. For once, Gluttony could taste actual unification, but things were not seamless yet. "I don't want to go back to ignoring you. You aren't some burden to be around, Sloth, but if that's what you want, then I'll do it." Another beat of silence passed before he spoke again. "You could be there, you know– for Envy. You don't need to play any part– you can be on the sidelines with Wrath and Gianna. I'm sure Envy would want to see you when he comes back."

[the-lethargicsloth]

Sloth maintained his typical deadpanned expression, concealing the rare emotions he was inclined to experience when the situation presented something he garnered an opinion for. It's not often it happened and in the company of his brothers. At least...the brothers who were not either Wrath or Envy. "And all I was giving is my perspective on how our brothers operated. I felt as if those like you and the others only turned your attention on Envy when he expressed the plan resurrecting the First Daughter as redemption." Envy's knack of creating chaotic problems usually caused the Princes who didn't understand his reasons to brush him aside. Perhaps, it was a mistake on the most lazy of the family not to look deeper. "I never said that's what I wanted, just what is expected of me. If I can make an exception for two of the brothers, my queen, Isabel, and Quinny...I may find opening my door to you not out of the possibility realm." Gluttony's last statement halted Sloth from speaking for a moment, even briefly forgetting to leave zero trace of feelings along his features. "You would include me on that?" The dryness in the man's tone was nowhere to be found. "I want to be there for him. I know he can be a pain in the ass, an impulsive idiot with a few screws missing, but there's more to him than anyone tried searching for. It's easy painting Envy as a psycho, but he isn't a monster."

[voracious-gluttony]

No one is going to throw him into a fire, because it wouldn't be fair if we weren't doing the same to Envy. You're joking, right? Now you're dredging up the past when I can do the very same? It took me losing my voice and being on the verge of taking my own fucking life for any of you to even show that you cared for me outside of my own twin. No one spared us a glance in Hell; our father hated Lust and me just for breathing, and we were alienated from the rest of you because no one took us seriously. I cared about all of you, but you're goddamn right I didn't show it when it wasn't shown towards me. I'm the one coming up with the plans, but if you have anything better, then you can take over the reins since you and Wrath are the only ones allowed to care. Got any other centuries-old bitterness to air? I'm all ears.

[the-lethargicsloth]

It's in my nature not to give a shit about anything and anyone, Gluttony, you nor Lust ever gave me and our other brothers an opportunity to bother caring. I knew the others wouldn't have let you die and I'm the last face you'd want to see when you were already depressed without me adding to it. You think the King ever took me seriously either? The unbothered, the lazy, the one who barricaded himself in his kingdom while my siblings basked in his ire? We were all disappointments for him, Gluts, don't think for a second you and your twin are the only ones suffering the endless cycle that was our father. It's not my job to come up with the plan, by the way, you get him back and then you can return to ignoring me like the rest.

[voracious-gluttony]

He'll be cleaning up the actions of another version of him that he's unfortunately stuck with, and it will not be easy for him. Which is the same as other people we've come across, you know. The hate won't go away easily, if at all, but we won't be the ones to add to it. He'll have people in his corner, and hopefully, if the dream witches pull through, this won't happen again.

[the-lethargicsloth]

Yeah, I would've cut off his fucking hands for hurting my Isabel, but then our brother unfortunately wouldn't have attached limbs. Are you talking about the so-called changed man we call our father? I'm keeping my distance until someone hurtles him through a fire infested rift where we mustn't concern ourselves about what happens to him. Now you all care about Envy, funny. Wrath and I were ever the only ones who bothered with him, so you understand how I see the humor in it.