OOC NOTICE- Do not interact if you are under 16. This blog is based around Hazbin Hotel, which is NOT FOR CHILDREN.
STATICLAMB FOREVER
Vox is a 30/70 switch (30% ler, 70% lee), although he's what I like to call 'ler presenting.' This blog takes place after the events of Season Two, but we will assume he was given back his body privileges.
You CAN:
Send SFW asks/teases/PLAYFUL flirts
Roleplay
Surprise tickle attack
You CANNOT:
Send NSFW asks/teases/flirts
Interact if under 16 (you will be blocked on sight)
Make Vox do something (ie, make him do something that tickles when I haven't actively attempted that action)
HC INFO UNDER THE CUT!!
Lee:
Gills: 100/10, even the LIGHTEST touches here SET HIM OFF. Do not combine with other high-ranking spots unless you intend to fucking ANNIHILATE him
Ribs: 9/10, mostly because the proximity to his gills sends him into anticipatory panic, but they're still really ticklish on their own!
Sides and Underarms: 7/10, not as bad but still pretty bad, gets decent enough laughs
Stomach: 6/10, decent enough, cannot STAND the word 'tummy' tho :3c
Antennae, Under and Behind Screen: 4/10, really not that bad, will get giggly, and his antennae and under his screen gets him to utterly melt
Absolutely cannot handle teasing, especially being called 'cute'. Complimentary teases and just generally being sweet to him while absolutely destroying him with tickles is a CRIME. CANNOT say the word unless from a ler standpoint.
Ler:
Will absolutely use threats, death spots and teases whenever he feels it benefits him. He's an egotistical, evil bitch, so if you wanna provoke him, just insult him! It works wonders!
Will go after spots as he learns them but will stick to one if he notices how bad it gets to you.
Tends to use his claws, his cables and electricity are usually an afterthought, for when he's already got you down and laughing
Other useful info: Has three different types of sparking; antennae sparks, when he's flustered, hand sparks, when he's pissed, or full-body sparks, when he's about to completely bluescreen, usually coupled with minor electrical failures in the room
I feel ya, sounds like it was a lot. but at least it seems like you had fun? or didn’t hate it, both are good in my book! still surprised you didn’t manage to run or something, my fight or flight instincts always choose flight lol even if I WANT to be tickled
I'm... gonna be honest, I dunno why I didn't do anything either. Like, you guys know me, I don't normally just freeze up like that! I dunno, I guess all the teasing just... got to me.
Christ I leave for a week and come back to learn you met a REAL Tickle Monster. How are you functioning cause I SWEAR I’d never recover if that happened to me!
*He was silent for a while, his screen steadily glowing brighter recalling it* Idon'twannatalkaboutit.
Her heels click against the tile as she gives a knock on the door before coming inside,the clown sinner looks around and hums in thought.
"So you're Vox hmm? I heard a lot about you..some good some bad..the names Victoria, I'm a newer Overlord, I figured I'd introduce myself to you since we both are fond of being entertainment~"
She honks her nose a bit, before putting out her hand, she stood at 10 feet, 6 without the heels,and she bends a little to be at his eye level as wears a grin.
Ah, Victoria, Val talks about you so much I was wondering when I'd get to meet you in person. *He shakes your hand* So, hows life as a newer Overlord? Hell knows I haven't been in that position for 70 years.
"I've been around since the 70's but being a comedian and being a clown, I really did work for most of my souls, especially my newest one.. but demons lately really like the tickling based videos I produce! So thats fun, genuine laughter is what grows my power even if it comes from tickling."
She hums
"And you? Any new projects? I've always be intrigued by you even in life you know, the late forties and early fifties thats all I would watch, i always wondered what happened to you."
*His smile faltered a bit at the mention of his life, but he shook his head as if to clear it* Not too many, no. Y'know how it is, having to keep a low profile nowadays. Right now my job is to handle all the boring, behind-the-scenes shit, like budgeting and approving shit, y'know?
She senses the tension and moves on from that as she hums.
"Well we need someone to do the boring shit, though budgeting does sound like a very Ethan job to do.. but, im sure Val and Velvy appreciate your hard work and if they don't you just tell me~ Now,, Val told me about a little double date idea he had with you and your little lamb, Mirage was it? Val said he bakes, does he have a bakery?"
*He seemed to light up a little at getting to ramble about Mirage* Oh, yeah, he does! Well, moreso a cafe, I think. He makes the best pastries in the city, I swear... I've always wanted to visit, but, y'know how it is out there. He does bring me some sometimes, though, it's like the highlight of my day when he does that...
((I’d love to see him try to deny that lol that wouldn’t go well for him, he’d just get another visit from Tia! The way I was tempted to send something praising him for not trying to deny she visited him XD))
PFT- yeah he knows damn well it's a bad idea, esp with how he goes full lee when she teases him))
Her heels click against the tile as she gives a knock on the door before coming inside,the clown sinner looks around and hums in thought.
"So you're Vox hmm? I heard a lot about you..some good some bad..the names Victoria, I'm a newer Overlord, I figured I'd introduce myself to you since we both are fond of being entertainment~"
She honks her nose a bit, before putting out her hand, she stood at 10 feet, 6 without the heels,and she bends a little to be at his eye level as wears a grin.
Ah, Victoria, Val talks about you so much I was wondering when I'd get to meet you in person. *He shakes your hand* So, hows life as a newer Overlord? Hell knows I haven't been in that position for 70 years.
"I've been around since the 70's but being a comedian and being a clown, I really did work for most of my souls, especially my newest one.. but demons lately really like the tickling based videos I produce! So thats fun, genuine laughter is what grows my power even if it comes from tickling."
She hums
"And you? Any new projects? I've always be intrigued by you even in life you know, the late forties and early fifties thats all I would watch, i always wondered what happened to you."
*His smile faltered a bit at the mention of his life, but he shook his head as if to clear it* Not too many, no. Y'know how it is, having to keep a low profile nowadays. Right now my job is to handle all the boring, behind-the-scenes shit, like budgeting and approving shit, y'know?
Her heels click against the tile as she gives a knock on the door before coming inside,the clown sinner looks around and hums in thought.
"So you're Vox hmm? I heard a lot about you..some good some bad..the names Victoria, I'm a newer Overlord, I figured I'd introduce myself to you since we both are fond of being entertainment~"
She honks her nose a bit, before putting out her hand, she stood at 10 feet, 6 without the heels,and she bends a little to be at his eye level as wears a grin.
Ah, Victoria, Val talks about you so much I was wondering when I'd get to meet you in person. *He shakes your hand* So, hows life as a newer Overlord? Hell knows I haven't been in that position for 70 years.
I see you met a real life Tickle Monster, so…how’d that work out for ya? If I’d been in your shoes I’d have run for it, I’m too Lee to stay still when an ACTUAL Tickle Monster decides to come for me 😅
*He huffs softly, his screen going bright blue. He couldn't exactly deny this one, could he?* It was... interesting, to say the least. I mean, on the plus side she's really nice.
Abel had found himself standing behind the door which led to Vox’s office, you know, the guy who’d tried to take over Heaven a while ago…yeesh, talk about intimidating. In the angel’s hands was a gift basket, much like the one he and the others had attempted to bring down to the residents of Hell when they’d arrived to apologise, but last time it haaaadn’t exactly gone well. This time would surely be different, though, right? It’s not like he was coming to apologise; more so, he was coming to check on this soul who’d definitely gotten his fair share of punishment by now from all he’d done.
Regardless, the memory of the response they’d gotten last time burned fresh in his mind, and he had to swallow down the lump that was forming in his throat. The cellophane covering the gift basket crinkled as Abel subconsciously gripped it just a bit harder, and he breathed in deep through his nose before blowing the air out through his mouth, counting to 10 in his mind to ease his racing thoughts.
Then, he rapped his knuckles against the door before nudging it open, peeking his blonde-haired head through the crack to see if Vox was even present in his office, his amber-gold eyes settling on his form within moments. He brought a crooked grin onto his face, pushing the door open with his arm a bit more so that he’d be in full view, his wings politely folded and tucked under his arms.
“Hey, hi, uh…don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Abel! Mind if I uh…come in further?” Abel asked, but he was quick to continue before Vox could even respond.
“I tooooootally get it if you don’t want to see me though, and if that’s the case, then I’ll leave! Just uh, say the word!”
- @angel-abellee
((Hope you don’t mind me already popping in with Abel!! - Lamb/Mirage))
*He glanced up from his endless amounts of paperwork - this time, written requests for time off from Ethan of all sinners, doomed to be denied again - to see Abel stepping into his office. Immediately upon seeing the angel, he straightened up, feeling incredibly on-edge. He still felt that looming nervousness whenever he saw anyone from Heaven in his building. Why'd the security team even let him in?! Did he portal in or something? Whatever, it didn't matter. Adam's boy was here now, and... carrying one of those stupid apology gift baskets? Whatever. He wasn't interested in starting a second Holy War, so he decided not to be a dick this time* Uhm... n-no, it's... whatever. Uh, what- what brings you here... Abel?
“Oh, great! Great, then let me juuuust…” Abel said, shuffling his way further into the room, but not without closing the door behind him. That’s just polite, after all! As he approached the desk, he kept his friendly and warm expression despite the nerves that bubbled right underneath the surface. This would surely go fine, right? Surely…
“I was just thinking, you know, it’s been a while since- well, everything…and even back then, I couldn’t help but notice that you seemed…troubleeed?” He stretched out his words uncertainly, his eyes wandering the room as if he didn’t want to meet Vox’s eyes just yet. Really, it was just a way of trying to keep himself from stuttering over his words.
“Aand you…I mean, you mustn't have been in a great place after it, you know…emotionally. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m here to check on you…? See how you’re doing.”
Once the words had been spoken, his feet had carried him in front of Vox’s desk, and Abel could set down the gift basket, which was still beautifully wrapped. Inside it were taffies, a cuddly hammerhead shark plushie (surprisingly without a silly phrase or anything) and various other delicious goodies like lollipops and even lemon drop hard candies.
*He fiddles with the basket, slightly turning it back and forth before looking back at you. 'Troubled' was... certainly a way to put all the things Vox had been feeling those days. He took a short breath* I'm... better, safe to say. Val's... actually talking to me again. I have a boyfriend and a few friends... I mean, I haven't exactly... forgiven myself but shit hasn't been horrible?
“Oh, oh! That’s good! That’s amazing, I’m glad to hear that, man.” Abel’s grin grew on his face, crinkling his eyes into little crescent moons as he clasped his hands together in front of himself, “and a boyfriend? Wow, you’ve been busy, huh?”
He gave a laugh that went into an awkward clearing of the throat at the tail end of it. Abel hadn’t been expecting someone like Vox to feel bad for what he’d done, or more accurately, he’d expected it to take longer. Then again, with how things came crashing down on the poor soul, it might’ve been a wake-up call of some kind…
“You know, I’m glad to hear it hasn’t all been horrible! I mean, a lot happened, so I wouldn’t have been surprised if you’d still not been feeling alright-“ Abel wrung his hands together idly as he shifted his full attention back to the TV-headed sinner, “how’s…how’s it feel? Trying to move on from it all?”
*His gaze turned downward as he leaned onto his desk with a soft huff, tapping his claws against the surface* Guess that's where it... hasn't been great. I-I mean, you're an angel, so you probably don't understand what it's like to come to terms with the... horrible shit you did. How it parallels to the horrible shit the people you love went through. At least I don't have as many days where I wish the damn thing had just exploded but... still.
Abel listened attentively, taking in the information he was given, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit bad for the guy. It’s true, he couldn’t personally entirely relate to what the sinner in front of him was going through, but he had his own struggles. Ones he’d carried to Heaven with himself from Earth and any that came after…but that was something to dwell on later. His hands found themselves stroking over his wing, fingers lightly gliding over the golden feathers as his expression turned sympathetic.
“Well…no, I can’t entirely relate. I haven’t been what you’ve been through, obviously, but I get human struggles,” said he, his smile holding onto a somber edge, “and I know it’s not easy.”
He allowed a small pause to hang in the air as he searched for the correct words to use, before he cleared his throat to continue: “A-and I know it’s…difficult not to uh, dislike yourself? After everything that’s happened. It’s good you’ve made some, uh, strides, so that you’re not wishing such great harm upon yourself, but…have you everrr…thought of…therapy? To talk about what you’re feeling?”
Ah, geez, that was a lame suggestion, wasn’t it? He could almost kick himself for how stupid it sounded, and who knows whether or not he’d even want to go for an option like that.
*He let out a short scoff. What a Heaven answer...* This is Hell. Even if I did go to therapy, it'd probably be from someone who just wants to use me. Good therapists don't go to Hell, do they?
“Well…there’s Charlie, isn’t there? Not that she’s like an offiiiicially qualified therapist, but she’s better than just…no one. As far as I know, she doesn’t want to use people.” Abel’s response was pretty swift despite Vox’s dismissive attitude. Besides, if he’d come to learn something from everything that had happened, it’s that not everything is so entirely black and white…honestly, who knows why some people go to Hell, now that you think about it.
“And clearly not everyone down here is…so bad. I mean, uh, everything has nuance, right? A good therapist might go to Hell, but it’s for something entirely unrelated to their career. Someone might end up down here due to doing something horrible with good intentions,” the angel began listing out a few reasons, raising a finger with each one, and yet found himself quickly almost backtracking, “b-but!! It’s all your choice in the end, not trying to push you one way or another, hah! Just…something to think about. You deserve healing as much as anyone else.”
*He let out a quiet huff.* I seriously doubt little Miss Morningstar ever wants to see my face again... and I'm not going to search all over a realm that wants me double-dead for someone willing to tolerate me long enough to make me stop wanting to kill myself some nights. It'd be a waste of my time...
Busy as Mirage had been lately, he’d finally reached a point where he had more significant free time. The relief he’d felt when he’d realised he could finally take another well-deserved break was immeasurable, and he’d chosen to make something to bring to Vox as he had promised a bit ago. He double-checked his bag, making sure he’d grabbed everything he needed for his upcoming visit, before turning his attention to his mirror, his eyes flicking over his reflection briefly to make sure he didn’t look absolutely awful. Once he felt satisfied with his check, he nodded to himself with a smile.
Then, only a few moments later, the telltale sign of Vox’s lights flickering showed itself, and Mirage stood in the middle of the room with his usual, cheery smile once the lights returned to normal. He had one hand on his bag’s strap as he took a few steps towards Vox’s desk, his tail wagging up a storm behind him.
“Hellooooo, honeybun!! Guess what I’ve brought with me?~”
- @the-lamb-lee-of-hell
*Vox had been at his desk, trying to focus, trying to ignore... everything he'd been pressured with. Nosy people and doing what they thought was right, they didn't fucking know anything about him or Mirage... But he was distracted as the lights flickered in his office, looking up at them before they landed on you. He felt a soft smile overtake his face and pushed down the negativity for now... maybe he could feel better just spending time with you. He put his head in his hand, tilting it just slightly* Hmmm... I dunno, what?
“Weeeellll, last time I promised I’d bring something back with me when I came to visit, and as you knoooooow, I keep my promises, sooooooo…” Mirage began, dragging out some of his words playfully as shrugged the bag off of his shoulder, placing it momentarily on the desk with a small thud. His clawed hands wandered into the bag as soon as he’d opened it, pulling out a pastel coloured box filled with an assortment of pastries he’d freshly made. There were 6 of them, all evenly laid out in two rows. Even through the thin cardboard and little plastic window, it was easy to smell the sweet scents of berries, chocolate and cream that the pastries gave off.
The lamb looked chipper as he slid the box in front of Vox before standing up straight once more. He moved the bag off of the desk, but not before he’d taken out a small bag of candied eyes he’d brought for himself.
“I couldn’t decide what to make, so I instead went with a variety selection, hahah…the main berries I used were raspberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, strawberries, blackberries and cloudberries.”
*He let himself bask in the scent, opening the box to see and smell them better* God, these smell so good... *He took the one that was made with raspberries out and bit into it with a pleased hum* Mm, and just like I thought, taste fucking amazing. I swear, the shit you can do with an oven, fucking magic.
Mirage gave an excited little squeal, clapping his hands together while bouncing from one hoof to another, each movement accentuated by the sound of bells, as per usual. It always made him feel happy to hear such good feedback over what he’d made, and seeing someone enjoy them so much was even better.
“I’m so glad you like them, love!” He beamed. He looked over the pastries himself, before pointing to the one which had orange-coloured jam.
“That one’s cloudberry! I have to warn you that that one’s a wee bit tart, although not horribly so,” Mirage explained, leaning against the desk with his hip as he began to open the bag in which he had candied eyes, “it’s been quite a while since I last made something with cloudberries. I grew up using them in baked goods and whatnot back when I was…well, alive.”
*He nodded as he listened, eating the pastry in his hand faster than he'd like to admit. He wanted to savor it but it was so good that it was hard to stop from eating so fast. However, his mind was brought back to earlier and... well, he felt a little nosy, himself* Speaking of that, I got some asks earlier and realized, y'know, you've told me about your death, but not much about your life. What was it like?
Mirage’s hands paused for a moment, the bag suspended between his hands by the drawstrings as the question fully registered. His ears swiveled towards Vox, and the silence hung in the air much like a blanket for what felt like a much longer time than it in reality had been. It was only perhaps a mere second until the lamb’s hands resumed, and picked out an eyeball from the bag, the glossy candy coating shining from the lights of the room.
“Well…I suppose it depends on where I should even begin with that or what in particular you wish to know about,” he said, holding the eye to his own eye level while turning it in between his thumb and index finger’s claws, “if I’m to start where I was just a tad older, around 12 or so…then it was unremarkable. It was just me, my mother and my grandparents at that time. Nothing special really happened, but life was…hmm…comfortable enough, I suppose.”
He popped the eyeball into his mouth, and the candy coating crunched between his molars sharply as he chewed. Once he’d swallowed, he continued with a voice that rested in a much lower register, and lacked his usual expressiveness:
“If we’re to talk about when I ended up as a part of the cult with my mother and her ‘new man’, well…mmm…I suppose that was a new type of unremarkable once I got used to the routine. You can grow numb to anything once you’re in it for long enough….although perhaps that’s just me.”
*He grew concerned with how you responded, from the silence to how your voice became* Well, just... start where you're comfy. You don't have to tell me anything you don't wanna talk about. Maybe your earlier life? When it was less... cult-filled?
“Early life, well…it wasn’t anything to brag about, honestly. My father was a disappointing example of a human, what with his behaviour and addictions. He didn’t treat either of us kindly, if I were to put it lightly. My mother was…neglectful, sort of. She did her best, but she had her flaws,” Mirage explained, plucking another eye out of the little bag with his claws, “once she got rid of my father, life was a bit easier. I think my grandparents were relieved when she divorced him.”
Every one of his words were spoken in an almost bored drawl, and his eyes had grown half-lidded. A few cracks sounded through the air as the pink claws slowly broke through the delicate sugar coating of the eye, and Mirage’s eyes remained glued on the treat as he tilted his head thoughtfully.
“My grandma was a nightmare to deal with, but my grandpa was a saint. Out of my entire family, I loved him the most.”
The lamb smiled to himself at the mention of him, the memory bringing back fond feelings…it was almost bittersweet now, of course. So many years had passed since those days, and sometimes it felt surreal to even think about. Sometimes, it felt like everything had just happened yesterday.
“I used to cook and bake with my grandma and mom occasionally. It’s what started my interest in both of those,” Mirage said, “and my grandpa would let me tag along on whatever stuff he was doing that day. Chopping firewood, cooking something outside on a fire, going to the store…he also did his fair share of spoiling me with small gifts, haha. Well, as much as our budget would allow. As a whole, he was always there for me.”
Happy and soft as those memories were, they were tinged with a certain level of grief, as those times could never be gotten back anymore. Still, he’d always tried to hold onto those memories so as to not forget them, much like he’d forgotten many others.
“My family also had a dog and a cat. Silly little babies. Otherwise, I can’t tell you very much. Like I said, life was unremarkable,” Mirage shook his head slightly, “and I don’t remember everything to begin with. I never have. Some things are hazier than others, and some memories I just don’t have.”
The words were spoken almost matter-of-factly, as if it was just a fact he’d gotten used to over the years. He popped the candied eye into his mouth before closing the drawstring bag of treats, and pocketing it.
*He nodded slightly, he understood. A lot of memories would be lost down here, to time or trauma, a fact he understood all too well. He's seen things change people completely. Still, he stayed quiet and attentive. He didn't expect you to elaborate on things you couldn't even recall.*
Mirage looked thoughtful as he reached back at his memories, his eyes cast up towards the ceiling as he crossed his arms over his chest loosely. Was there truly nothing else he could recall from his time before the cult? Nothing? His brows furrowed a bit as he realised that nothing else would come to mind, no matter how deep he tried to dig. Unfortunate as it was, all he could do was move on.
“Well, from there, eventually my mother got involved with this guy. I don’t even remember how long she’d been with him but it was due to him that we got pulled into that whole cult situation,” Mirage finally spoke after a momentary pause, lowering his gaze to look at the glass which separated the aquarium from the rest of the office, “regimented schedules for the newcomers to prove their willingness to join, very few hours of sleep, followed by a couple of hours spent listening to the head of the flock prattle on and on about their faith. The whole process lasted for about…two weeks?”
The lamb scrunched his nose at the memory before giving a small huff through his nose, almost wanting to roll his eyes.
“It would’ve been boring stuff, had disobeying not come with a harsher punishment. I mean, that had its own levels too, of course. There was no ‘one punishment fits all’ type solution…but hey, once you proved yourself to be someone who would fit perfectly into the slots provided for you, you’d be allowed to stay.”
*Ah, the part he had been looking forward to the least. He tried not to compare it to what he'd done, trying to keep his expression tempered, to turn any self-loathing into concern. He just needed to listen...*
“They encouraged a simple life and all that. Complete disconnection from the rest of society. Once you got used to it, and you learned to ignore certain things, then the days blended together. If people disappeared, you just had to act like they’d never existed in the first place…quite morbid, in a way.” Mirage recounted, bringing a claw up to tap at his chin thoughtfully as he gazed into the water beyond the glass. Perhaps once upon a time, he would’ve been more upset by these memories or the situation he’d been in, but it was hard to recall a time such as that.
“Eventually, after a few years of being in this group, I was deemed as “The Oracle” by the leader. Whether it was due to any actual ability with intuition that I had or complete delusion, I have no idea…but I’d clearly given them some reason to think that way. I’d risen in the ranks though, and that’s all I knew at first. The pressure that was brought on with the title was a bit more than I’d expected at first.”
Eventually, his eyes flicked to glance over at Vox, to try and read his body language and expressions. All of this was quite a lot of information to take in, and he couldn’t lie and say that he didn’t want to know what he truly thought.
*He was tense. It wasn't quite like what he ran, but in comparison Vox felt as though he'd been more intense... more ruthless. That he'd been more selfish. He couldn't help making connections though- how people were treated, how some people had been killed and he'd forced people to ignore it lest they faced the same punishment. He tried to keep that off his face though, as he listened, even tho the pastry in his hand was starting to get cold from how much thinking he'd been doing instead of eating*
Mirage took note of the little things such as how dense Vox appeared, and the fact that the pastry no longer steamed the way it had prior. Although he said nothing yet, he chose to keep an eye on changes from that moment on.
“Once I had my title, and my standing had improved within the group, it felt more…freeing. I wasn’t exactly under just anyone’s foot anymore, since people began to look to me for advice,” the sinner said, “that didn’t make me completely safe, of course. I wasn’t the leader by any means, after all…”
Subconsciously, he’d began to rub over his wrist with a hand, a ghost of a feeling having reared its head. That tightly wound band hadn’t been wrapped around his limb for years upon years, but the memory still persisted like a stubborn echo.
“I wasn’t allowed to move too freely. I had to stay within the bounds of our ‘home’ on my free time, and during…well, I suppose you could call it ‘work’, I was confined to a single room. Predicting the future for hours to anyone who came searching for some kind of guidance, all the while needing to adhere to a certain script so as to not say anything eehh…blasphemous. Straying from it brought consequences. I had to stick to it till they felt more confident in me working without anyone standing guard, or so to speak.”
*He couldn't help sitting up a little, grip tightening on the pastry just slightly. It sounded suffocating and you had been in such a high standing! How horrible had he been? He'd refused to let anyone get even close to his level, how suffocating had that been? Was it better or worse? He tried to make the words that slipped out sound like they were in regards to what you'd said, but really he was thinking of all he'd done.* Oh god...
Mirage’s head finally turned entirely to face Vox, his gaze unblinking as he took in his entire form. His ears shifted forward, and his head tilted minimally to the side. These reactions he was receiving weren’t something he hadn’t been expecting, but something felt a bit off, didn’t it? How strange. He brought an ambient smile onto his face, even if it didn’t reach his eyes, before he spoke again.
“It was troublesome, certainly…but as I’ve said, I grew used to it,” the lamb said, and as he turned his entire body to face Vox as well, his hands found their way to resting against the desk, “though I hope that hearing all of this isn’t too off-putting to you, honeybun.”
While what he said was more of a question, Mirage’s tone failed to make it seem much like one. His low toned drawl continued, even if he softened his voice in an attempt to make it sound more comforting.
*He shook his head, both to try to dispel his own thoughts and to assure you* N-No, I get it, a lot of people had... shitty lives up there. Just kinda a lot to imagine, y'know... *He'd hoped his tone was convincing, though part of him knew it wasn't. All he could hope was you didn't share his curiousity*
But that curiosity he did share, for Mirage knew that he hadn’t asked very much about Vox’s past yet, and judging by his tone and his reactions? The lamb wondered just how much of it was related to whatever Vox’s life had been like. There was a minor arch of his eyebrow, but it was only for a brief moment before Mirage returned his expression to its prior state.
“Yes, that we did…which does bring me to a question; what was your life like before you ended up down here? Surely you must have plenty of stories to share.”
*He visibly tensed, silently cursing himself, before he tried to figure out how to word it. Best to start with his childhood, right?* Well... I grew up in a pretty well-off household. Dad made good money, and, y'know, Mom was a housewife. They weren't the best parents, but they... *He paused. Could he even say they tried? His mother treated him like a disobedient animal at best and his father never wanted anything to do with him. He'd always blamed his eyes for that...* They were there? I guess? Got kicked out on my 18th, though... maybe my 17th, I can't remember anymore... But, whatever, I was grown. *He shook his head. He shouldn't pity himself.*
Mirage listened attentively, his ears shifting forward with each little addition. His ambient smile slowly faded, the corners of his mouth dropping into a small frown as Vox recounted his time with his parents. Well, didn’t they just sound like the unpleasant sort. Vox didn’t need to say it explicitly for Mirage to figure as much.
“Ah, well…that must’ve been hard. I never understand why parents would be so eager to kick their own children out…” he said with a small sigh, “did you have a clear plan for what you were going to do when you got kicked out?”
*He shrugged* Kinda? I moved in with my friend who had connections with a local news channel and got me a job with the station. After a while they turned me into their token weatherboy... *He trailed off... this was where his story got gruesome. He wasn't sure how you'd take it considering how yours had gone.* I-I uhm... You, uhm... I-I'm gonna need you to promise something...
Mirage cocked his head to the other side almost curiously, but stood up straight while his arms found themselves crossing over his chest loosely once more. ‘Well then, here we are getting to the true meat of the story, aren’t we?’ Mirage thought to himself.
“Yes, honeybun? What is it?” He asked out loud simply, finding himself uncertain of what to expect.
Promise me that, with what I say next, i-if... When you get mad about it, you just don't hit me, okay? I did a lot of things that I've recently become... very not proud of.
A look of surprise crossed Mirage’s features as Vox’s words sunk in. He had to promise not to…hit him? Why would he ever hit him? His ears lowered on his head, and he knitted his brows in concern as he tried read Vox’s face for any hints for what may have been coming…and yet he couldn’t really factor in much of a guess of what it could be. Killing, perhaps? But that wasn’t that serious, now was it?
“I promise, love. You won’t exactly be able to make me angry either, I can also promise you that…so, go on.” The lamb encouraged, trying to offer the other a reassuring smile.
*He took a deep breath* Being a weatherman was never enough... for me. I wanted people to see me, to have all their attention on me. So I'd started killing. The anchor... the talk-show host... the producers... our featured segments... I started sloppy, but began to stage suicides. Accidents. I killed my boss and took over the network, and... I began to amass followers. They called me a God. Treated me like I was divinity. And I loved every second of it. I've always... called it a movement but I think it's... time to accept that it was just a cult. I'd basically started a fucking cult. I was the center, I was the most important man in these people's lives. *He huffed out a soft, almost sad laugh* I-I still remember when I died, I-I had been... preaching to these people... God, it feels so fucked up now, knowing you and everything you've gone through and... actually caring.
Mirage listened patiently, and as attentively as before, but his expression gave way to little reaction at first. It was mainly his ears that moved and twitched this way and that in response to the information he was receiving, but that wasn’t truly much to go off of, now was it? It was, arguably, a lot to take in but more so because it was a lot of new information he was given, rather than the topic itself. Finally, a smile split the lamb’s face one more, and he couldn’t do anything else except give an amused sounding chuckle.
“Is that what you were so worried of telling me about?” He asked, and while his voice still lied in its lower register, he sounded almost delighted. He gave a small sigh, circling around the desk to Vox, his fingers lightly tracing the edge of the desk as he walked.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I see why you would be worried, with my past and all,” Mirage continued, leaning down to be more eye level with the other sinner, “but this isn’t nearly enough to make me be angry at you. Honestly, it’s something I’ve already wondered about you. You’ve at least seemed to have a penchant for power and admiration in the past, given what happened a bit ago with the whole Heaven thing, so…I figured it must’ve come from somewhere.”
The look in his eyes softened, as did his smile, and it felt less like he was trying to stare into one’s very soul. It was instead a look of sympathy.
“I’m sorry for how much these memories must hurt you now, Vox. It can’t be easy…but I still love you the same. This changes nothing for me.”
*He seemed to pause for a second. He was shocked and his expression clearly showed that. He'd expected a negative reaction at best so to hear you so willing to love him after hearing about the things that now made him feel like he was unlovable was... jarring. He took a second to actually feel like he could speak again...* I-I... y-you... you promise...? That you're not just... saying this because you feel like you have to...?
“I promise, honeybun. I mean it when I say that I still love you,” Mirage replied, booping Vox’s screen gently. It was sad that Vox had even had to feel so worried over whether or not he’d be lovable for doing what he had once, but such is the way of human emotions, huh?
“Besides, you think I didn’t cause my own fair share of issues in the cult I was in? I’m not as innocent as I seem, silly.”
*He couldn't help hugging you. He needed to, it was obvious. He let out a quiet, shuddering sigh before he spoke again* You have... no idea how terrified I was that I was about to fuck this all up... Thank you so fucking much...
Mirage’s arms wrapped around Vox in a warm embrace as soon as the hug was initiated, and he nuzzled his nose against the side of Vox’s screen with a small smile.
“You’ve no need to thank me. I’m sorry that you’ve had to carry this with you for so long while worrying over what I’d think.” he said while gently stroking a hand up and down Vox’s back.
*He let out a more steady sigh this time, relaxing into you. After a moment he pulled away slightly, looking into your eyes* I-It's okay, I just... you know how much you mean to me. How much I love you... I was terrified the things I couldn't change would change that but... *He couldn't help but smile* But of course you're so amazing that you could actually forgive it...
Mirage met his gaze without hesitation, and his smile grew a bit as he chuckled.
“I love you too, Vox…and I’m not that amazing. Again, I’m not an innocent soul down here. I’ve done my fair share of deeds that didn’t require someone forcing my hand. You’re not really that much worse compared to me.” The lamb spoke, pulling a bit further from the hug so that he could slide his hands into Vox’s, squeezing them gently.
“You’d need to be pretty fucking horrendous towards me or someone I care about to really tick me off, honeybun.”
Then it's a good thing I'd never want to do anything like that to you... *He huffed out a soft laugh* I mean, after all, you're like... everything to me. Have- have I ever actually told you that?
“Hmm…I’m not sure if you’ve said the exact words before, but you’ve shown it plenty.” Mirage purred, nuzzling his nose against Vox’s screen softly before giving a soft giggle. Those words were sweeter coming from Vox than anyone else he’d ever heard them from before, because here? They at least felt real.
“And you’re everything to me too. I hope you know that, honeybun.”
*He pressed a small kiss to your nose in response to the nuzzle* Every day I feel it more and more... Since you're here, and I don't have much to do... wanna snuggle again?
“Mmhm, I’d like that.” Mirage replied, the pitch of his voice heightening back to the register which was most familiar to everyone. It was easy to slip into by now, since he’d been using it for years upon years now. His ears perked up as he placed a few kisses onto Vox’s screen, offering him a small grin.
“I also feel like you might need those snuggles after everything.~”
*He couldn't help a short giggle slipping out* Yeahhhh, that might be part of the reason why I asked... *He took your hands as if to gently guide you into his lap, more than happy to be cozy with you once again*
Mirage easily settled into Vox’s lap, it being the most typical place for him to settle by now. It felt almost routine, not that he minded it very much. His arms found themselves around the other’s shoulders as per usual while his head nestled itself into the crook of Vox’s neck. With the topics they’d gone over, it almost felt strange to be so affectionate…not because he viewed Vox any differently, no. Mirage had just never truly thought about how his own affectionate gestures towards his honeybun differed from the ones he gave others, because at least these were truly genuine. They were meaningful gestures that he was giving, and it was…nice. It felt effortless.
“I’m sorry for trudging up such negative memories, though,” he muttered, “I know it’s not fun to remember times that you now feel regret for.”
*His arms wrapped gently around you, almost instinctively, giving a small squeeze in response to your apology* Honestly... I'm kinda glad you did. It would've felt so much worse if I'd just held onto the idea that you'd hate me forever for it... I... still hate everything I did, but at least the person I care about most forgives me. And I can live with that... mostly...
“Ah, well, I’m relieved that I didn’t push you horribly, love.” Mirage spoke, sounding more relieved as he happily placed a few stray kisses onto Vox’s neck, right where he was keeping his muzzle nestled into. He was glad for how the conversation was going, but there was a small part of him that began to wonder if the deep parts of him that he didn’t explicitly speak of or show would be unfavorable. While Vox spoke of and showed regret for what he’d done, Mirage…didn’t feel any of it for what he’d ever done himself. ‘Would that be a dealbreaker?’ He wondered.
“I’m sorry you had to ever worry that I’d hate you…but I’m glad I was able to tell you otherwise,” after speaking, he lifted his head from where it had rested to look at Vox, “but I hope someday, you can forgive yourself for what you’ve done as well.”
*He let out a soft sigh* Maybe one day... wayyy off in the future... But hey, that's the great part about Hell, right? I have all of eternity to forgive myself, and having you here definitely won't hurt that.
“That would be true,” Mirage agreed with a lilting laugh, fidgeting with a lock of his hair even as he rested against Vox once more, “and I’ll be here every step of the way to support you, and help you, however I can.~”
Thank you so much... *He pressed a small kiss to your forehead* Until then, tho, I think I'm gonna keep eating these... *He grabbed the unfinished pastry and bit into it again*
“Haha, you should! Enjoy them while they’re still somewhat warm…nooot that they wouldn’t be good even once they’re all cooled off. I just personally enjoy most pastries when they’re all fresh.” Mirage mused, continuing to fidget with his hair. He looked thoughtful as he stared past Vox into the rest of the office, humming a bit to himself.
“Honestly, I wonder what my clientele prefers…I should do a poll for fun,” said he, “I’d probably have to make two polls, actually. One for the general public, the other for the ones with cannibalistic tastes.”
*He chuckled slightly* I'd have to see the results of that. Just to see if the general public actually has good tastes, y'know. And maybe to figure out what cannibals like. Other than candied eyes~
“Hahah, I could tell you plenty about the most common cannibal favourites, honeybun. Obviously including my own.~” Mirage responded, his tail softly thumping against the chair as it began wagging.
“Candied eyes are a simple treat that are especially easy on the go, so they’re a common favourite for others, and myself…buuuuut I’ve also noticed some people really take a liking to the blood pancakes, or blood cakes I can make.” He listed a few things off the top of his head, his eyes wandering the room as he tried to recall the most common orders his establishment received. He had most of them memorized, but the favourites had been changing recently - as they do every few months.
“Mmm sort of! Most of the time, they can turn out looking more dark brown than anything. Taste wise, it’s a very unique flavour! Most things made with blood can taste a bit similar to black pudding. They have a sort oofff…bone marrow-esque flavour, aside from the obvious hint of iron you’d get with each bite.” Mirage explained, making vague, rolling gestures with his hand as he attempted to find the best way to describe how it tasted.
“I grew up eating blood pancakes. Down here, I just took a unique approach to what uuh…blood, I’m using. Sinner blood is quite easy to come by.” The lamb couldn’t help but giggle a bit, in morbid contrast to his statement.
“Hah, yes. I suppose it makes sense that would come as a surprise,” Mirage began, giving an awkward laugh while rubbing the back of his neck, “it’s a cultural thing. Typically made with whipped reindeer blood, though pig or cow blood could be used as well.”
The sheep snorted out a small laugh, shaking his head as he lowered his gaze to look at his claws, inspecting them lazily.
“Guess I’m not surprised. Not many people really look into the Scandinavian area of Europe,” Mirage hummed, watching the light glitter off of his claws, “doesn’t really matter either. I don’t care. Either way, those areas have certain dishes that have been made with blood - I’ve always quite liked those.”
Hm, that's actually pretty interesting... is it weird that I wanna try that now? *He paused for a second before it hit him* I just asked that to my boyfriend who eats candied eyeballs, the fuck am I talking about, 'weird'?
“Haha!! Well, in case you need reassurance, it’s not ‘weird’ at all,” Mirage joked lightheartedly, nuzzling his nose against the side of Vox’s screen, “buuut I can totally make you food made with blood soon if you do really wanna try it!”
Mirage tilted his head from one side to another in quick succession, before raising an eyebrow at the other sinner. He hummed thoughtfully, tapping his fingers against Vox’s shoulders in a slow rhythm as his eyes flicked to look at a particularly uninteresting corner on the ceiling.
“Now, if I told you absolutely everything, then where’s the fun in that? I’ve gotta keep you in suspense for a bit longer.~” Mirage joked, his gaze returning to Vox while a mischievous smile played on corners of his mouth.
“See?~” Mirage hummed softly, planting a few kisses on Vox’s screen once more. He couldn’t help but give a gleeful little giggle after, giving the other sinner a quick, squeezing hug.
“Guess that means you’ll just have to keep uncovering all of my mysteries.~”
Mirage’s ears twitched forward at the question, and his eyes grew wider as his curiosity was piqued quickly. His tail slowed in its wagging, and he cocked his head to the side once more.
“AwwwwWWW, honeybun!!” Mirage squeaked out amidst little giggles, hugging Vox to him tightly before rocking back and forth. He nuzzled his cheek against the other, purring so loudly that it felt like it was reverberating in his chest.
“Geez, you’re silly!!” Mirage giggled, his nose scrunching up a bit from the kisses. Afterwards, he gently shook his head, his ears flip flopping against his skull a bit before he ran his hair through his curly locks.
“I wager you’re starting to feel a bit better from earlier?~”
Abel had found himself standing behind the door which led to Vox’s office, you know, the guy who’d tried to take over Heaven a while ago…yeesh, talk about intimidating. In the angel’s hands was a gift basket, much like the one he and the others had attempted to bring down to the residents of Hell when they’d arrived to apologise, but last time it haaaadn’t exactly gone well. This time would surely be different, though, right? It’s not like he was coming to apologise; more so, he was coming to check on this soul who’d definitely gotten his fair share of punishment by now from all he’d done.
Regardless, the memory of the response they’d gotten last time burned fresh in his mind, and he had to swallow down the lump that was forming in his throat. The cellophane covering the gift basket crinkled as Abel subconsciously gripped it just a bit harder, and he breathed in deep through his nose before blowing the air out through his mouth, counting to 10 in his mind to ease his racing thoughts.
Then, he rapped his knuckles against the door before nudging it open, peeking his blonde-haired head through the crack to see if Vox was even present in his office, his amber-gold eyes settling on his form within moments. He brought a crooked grin onto his face, pushing the door open with his arm a bit more so that he’d be in full view, his wings politely folded and tucked under his arms.
“Hey, hi, uh…don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Abel! Mind if I uh…come in further?” Abel asked, but he was quick to continue before Vox could even respond.
“I tooooootally get it if you don’t want to see me though, and if that’s the case, then I’ll leave! Just uh, say the word!”
- @angel-abellee
((Hope you don’t mind me already popping in with Abel!! - Lamb/Mirage))
*He glanced up from his endless amounts of paperwork - this time, written requests for time off from Ethan of all sinners, doomed to be denied again - to see Abel stepping into his office. Immediately upon seeing the angel, he straightened up, feeling incredibly on-edge. He still felt that looming nervousness whenever he saw anyone from Heaven in his building. Why'd the security team even let him in?! Did he portal in or something? Whatever, it didn't matter. Adam's boy was here now, and... carrying one of those stupid apology gift baskets? Whatever. He wasn't interested in starting a second Holy War, so he decided not to be a dick this time* Uhm... n-no, it's... whatever. Uh, what- what brings you here... Abel?
“Oh, great! Great, then let me juuuust…” Abel said, shuffling his way further into the room, but not without closing the door behind him. That’s just polite, after all! As he approached the desk, he kept his friendly and warm expression despite the nerves that bubbled right underneath the surface. This would surely go fine, right? Surely…
“I was just thinking, you know, it’s been a while since- well, everything…and even back then, I couldn’t help but notice that you seemed…troubleeed?” He stretched out his words uncertainly, his eyes wandering the room as if he didn’t want to meet Vox’s eyes just yet. Really, it was just a way of trying to keep himself from stuttering over his words.
“Aand you…I mean, you mustn't have been in a great place after it, you know…emotionally. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m here to check on you…? See how you’re doing.”
Once the words had been spoken, his feet had carried him in front of Vox’s desk, and Abel could set down the gift basket, which was still beautifully wrapped. Inside it were taffies, a cuddly hammerhead shark plushie (surprisingly without a silly phrase or anything) and various other delicious goodies like lollipops and even lemon drop hard candies.
*He fiddles with the basket, slightly turning it back and forth before looking back at you. 'Troubled' was... certainly a way to put all the things Vox had been feeling those days. He took a short breath* I'm... better, safe to say. Val's... actually talking to me again. I have a boyfriend and a few friends... I mean, I haven't exactly... forgiven myself but shit hasn't been horrible?
“Oh, oh! That’s good! That’s amazing, I’m glad to hear that, man.” Abel’s grin grew on his face, crinkling his eyes into little crescent moons as he clasped his hands together in front of himself, “and a boyfriend? Wow, you’ve been busy, huh?”
He gave a laugh that went into an awkward clearing of the throat at the tail end of it. Abel hadn’t been expecting someone like Vox to feel bad for what he’d done, or more accurately, he’d expected it to take longer. Then again, with how things came crashing down on the poor soul, it might’ve been a wake-up call of some kind…
“You know, I’m glad to hear it hasn’t all been horrible! I mean, a lot happened, so I wouldn’t have been surprised if you’d still not been feeling alright-“ Abel wrung his hands together idly as he shifted his full attention back to the TV-headed sinner, “how’s…how’s it feel? Trying to move on from it all?”
*His gaze turned downward as he leaned onto his desk with a soft huff, tapping his claws against the surface* Guess that's where it... hasn't been great. I-I mean, you're an angel, so you probably don't understand what it's like to come to terms with the... horrible shit you did. How it parallels to the horrible shit the people you love went through. At least I don't have as many days where I wish the damn thing had just exploded but... still.
Abel listened attentively, taking in the information he was given, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit bad for the guy. It’s true, he couldn’t personally entirely relate to what the sinner in front of him was going through, but he had his own struggles. Ones he’d carried to Heaven with himself from Earth and any that came after…but that was something to dwell on later. His hands found themselves stroking over his wing, fingers lightly gliding over the golden feathers as his expression turned sympathetic.
“Well…no, I can’t entirely relate. I haven’t been what you’ve been through, obviously, but I get human struggles,” said he, his smile holding onto a somber edge, “and I know it’s not easy.”
He allowed a small pause to hang in the air as he searched for the correct words to use, before he cleared his throat to continue: “A-and I know it’s…difficult not to uh, dislike yourself? After everything that’s happened. It’s good you’ve made some, uh, strides, so that you’re not wishing such great harm upon yourself, but…have you everrr…thought of…therapy? To talk about what you’re feeling?”
Ah, geez, that was a lame suggestion, wasn’t it? He could almost kick himself for how stupid it sounded, and who knows whether or not he’d even want to go for an option like that.
*He let out a short scoff. What a Heaven answer...* This is Hell. Even if I did go to therapy, it'd probably be from someone who just wants to use me. Good therapists don't go to Hell, do they?
Busy as Mirage had been lately, he’d finally reached a point where he had more significant free time. The relief he’d felt when he’d realised he could finally take another well-deserved break was immeasurable, and he’d chosen to make something to bring to Vox as he had promised a bit ago. He double-checked his bag, making sure he’d grabbed everything he needed for his upcoming visit, before turning his attention to his mirror, his eyes flicking over his reflection briefly to make sure he didn’t look absolutely awful. Once he felt satisfied with his check, he nodded to himself with a smile.
Then, only a few moments later, the telltale sign of Vox’s lights flickering showed itself, and Mirage stood in the middle of the room with his usual, cheery smile once the lights returned to normal. He had one hand on his bag’s strap as he took a few steps towards Vox’s desk, his tail wagging up a storm behind him.
“Hellooooo, honeybun!! Guess what I’ve brought with me?~”
- @the-lamb-lee-of-hell
*Vox had been at his desk, trying to focus, trying to ignore... everything he'd been pressured with. Nosy people and doing what they thought was right, they didn't fucking know anything about him or Mirage... But he was distracted as the lights flickered in his office, looking up at them before they landed on you. He felt a soft smile overtake his face and pushed down the negativity for now... maybe he could feel better just spending time with you. He put his head in his hand, tilting it just slightly* Hmmm... I dunno, what?
“Weeeellll, last time I promised I’d bring something back with me when I came to visit, and as you knoooooow, I keep my promises, sooooooo…” Mirage began, dragging out some of his words playfully as shrugged the bag off of his shoulder, placing it momentarily on the desk with a small thud. His clawed hands wandered into the bag as soon as he’d opened it, pulling out a pastel coloured box filled with an assortment of pastries he’d freshly made. There were 6 of them, all evenly laid out in two rows. Even through the thin cardboard and little plastic window, it was easy to smell the sweet scents of berries, chocolate and cream that the pastries gave off.
The lamb looked chipper as he slid the box in front of Vox before standing up straight once more. He moved the bag off of the desk, but not before he’d taken out a small bag of candied eyes he’d brought for himself.
“I couldn’t decide what to make, so I instead went with a variety selection, hahah…the main berries I used were raspberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, strawberries, blackberries and cloudberries.”
*He let himself bask in the scent, opening the box to see and smell them better* God, these smell so good... *He took the one that was made with raspberries out and bit into it with a pleased hum* Mm, and just like I thought, taste fucking amazing. I swear, the shit you can do with an oven, fucking magic.
Mirage gave an excited little squeal, clapping his hands together while bouncing from one hoof to another, each movement accentuated by the sound of bells, as per usual. It always made him feel happy to hear such good feedback over what he’d made, and seeing someone enjoy them so much was even better.
“I’m so glad you like them, love!” He beamed. He looked over the pastries himself, before pointing to the one which had orange-coloured jam.
“That one’s cloudberry! I have to warn you that that one’s a wee bit tart, although not horribly so,” Mirage explained, leaning against the desk with his hip as he began to open the bag in which he had candied eyes, “it’s been quite a while since I last made something with cloudberries. I grew up using them in baked goods and whatnot back when I was…well, alive.”
*He nodded as he listened, eating the pastry in his hand faster than he'd like to admit. He wanted to savor it but it was so good that it was hard to stop from eating so fast. However, his mind was brought back to earlier and... well, he felt a little nosy, himself* Speaking of that, I got some asks earlier and realized, y'know, you've told me about your death, but not much about your life. What was it like?
Mirage’s hands paused for a moment, the bag suspended between his hands by the drawstrings as the question fully registered. His ears swiveled towards Vox, and the silence hung in the air much like a blanket for what felt like a much longer time than it in reality had been. It was only perhaps a mere second until the lamb’s hands resumed, and picked out an eyeball from the bag, the glossy candy coating shining from the lights of the room.
“Well…I suppose it depends on where I should even begin with that or what in particular you wish to know about,” he said, holding the eye to his own eye level while turning it in between his thumb and index finger’s claws, “if I’m to start where I was just a tad older, around 12 or so…then it was unremarkable. It was just me, my mother and my grandparents at that time. Nothing special really happened, but life was…hmm…comfortable enough, I suppose.”
He popped the eyeball into his mouth, and the candy coating crunched between his molars sharply as he chewed. Once he’d swallowed, he continued with a voice that rested in a much lower register, and lacked his usual expressiveness:
“If we’re to talk about when I ended up as a part of the cult with my mother and her ‘new man’, well…mmm…I suppose that was a new type of unremarkable once I got used to the routine. You can grow numb to anything once you’re in it for long enough….although perhaps that’s just me.”
*He grew concerned with how you responded, from the silence to how your voice became* Well, just... start where you're comfy. You don't have to tell me anything you don't wanna talk about. Maybe your earlier life? When it was less... cult-filled?
“Early life, well…it wasn’t anything to brag about, honestly. My father was a disappointing example of a human, what with his behaviour and addictions. He didn’t treat either of us kindly, if I were to put it lightly. My mother was…neglectful, sort of. She did her best, but she had her flaws,” Mirage explained, plucking another eye out of the little bag with his claws, “once she got rid of my father, life was a bit easier. I think my grandparents were relieved when she divorced him.”
Every one of his words were spoken in an almost bored drawl, and his eyes had grown half-lidded. A few cracks sounded through the air as the pink claws slowly broke through the delicate sugar coating of the eye, and Mirage’s eyes remained glued on the treat as he tilted his head thoughtfully.
“My grandma was a nightmare to deal with, but my grandpa was a saint. Out of my entire family, I loved him the most.”
The lamb smiled to himself at the mention of him, the memory bringing back fond feelings…it was almost bittersweet now, of course. So many years had passed since those days, and sometimes it felt surreal to even think about. Sometimes, it felt like everything had just happened yesterday.
“I used to cook and bake with my grandma and mom occasionally. It’s what started my interest in both of those,” Mirage said, “and my grandpa would let me tag along on whatever stuff he was doing that day. Chopping firewood, cooking something outside on a fire, going to the store…he also did his fair share of spoiling me with small gifts, haha. Well, as much as our budget would allow. As a whole, he was always there for me.”
Happy and soft as those memories were, they were tinged with a certain level of grief, as those times could never be gotten back anymore. Still, he’d always tried to hold onto those memories so as to not forget them, much like he’d forgotten many others.
“My family also had a dog and a cat. Silly little babies. Otherwise, I can’t tell you very much. Like I said, life was unremarkable,” Mirage shook his head slightly, “and I don’t remember everything to begin with. I never have. Some things are hazier than others, and some memories I just don’t have.”
The words were spoken almost matter-of-factly, as if it was just a fact he’d gotten used to over the years. He popped the candied eye into his mouth before closing the drawstring bag of treats, and pocketing it.
*He nodded slightly, he understood. A lot of memories would be lost down here, to time or trauma, a fact he understood all too well. He's seen things change people completely. Still, he stayed quiet and attentive. He didn't expect you to elaborate on things you couldn't even recall.*
Mirage looked thoughtful as he reached back at his memories, his eyes cast up towards the ceiling as he crossed his arms over his chest loosely. Was there truly nothing else he could recall from his time before the cult? Nothing? His brows furrowed a bit as he realised that nothing else would come to mind, no matter how deep he tried to dig. Unfortunate as it was, all he could do was move on.
“Well, from there, eventually my mother got involved with this guy. I don’t even remember how long she’d been with him but it was due to him that we got pulled into that whole cult situation,” Mirage finally spoke after a momentary pause, lowering his gaze to look at the glass which separated the aquarium from the rest of the office, “regimented schedules for the newcomers to prove their willingness to join, very few hours of sleep, followed by a couple of hours spent listening to the head of the flock prattle on and on about their faith. The whole process lasted for about…two weeks?”
The lamb scrunched his nose at the memory before giving a small huff through his nose, almost wanting to roll his eyes.
“It would’ve been boring stuff, had disobeying not come with a harsher punishment. I mean, that had its own levels too, of course. There was no ‘one punishment fits all’ type solution…but hey, once you proved yourself to be someone who would fit perfectly into the slots provided for you, you’d be allowed to stay.”
*Ah, the part he had been looking forward to the least. He tried not to compare it to what he'd done, trying to keep his expression tempered, to turn any self-loathing into concern. He just needed to listen...*
“They encouraged a simple life and all that. Complete disconnection from the rest of society. Once you got used to it, and you learned to ignore certain things, then the days blended together. If people disappeared, you just had to act like they’d never existed in the first place…quite morbid, in a way.” Mirage recounted, bringing a claw up to tap at his chin thoughtfully as he gazed into the water beyond the glass. Perhaps once upon a time, he would’ve been more upset by these memories or the situation he’d been in, but it was hard to recall a time such as that.
“Eventually, after a few years of being in this group, I was deemed as “The Oracle” by the leader. Whether it was due to any actual ability with intuition that I had or complete delusion, I have no idea…but I’d clearly given them some reason to think that way. I’d risen in the ranks though, and that’s all I knew at first. The pressure that was brought on with the title was a bit more than I’d expected at first.”
Eventually, his eyes flicked to glance over at Vox, to try and read his body language and expressions. All of this was quite a lot of information to take in, and he couldn’t lie and say that he didn’t want to know what he truly thought.
*He was tense. It wasn't quite like what he ran, but in comparison Vox felt as though he'd been more intense... more ruthless. That he'd been more selfish. He couldn't help making connections though- how people were treated, how some people had been killed and he'd forced people to ignore it lest they faced the same punishment. He tried to keep that off his face though, as he listened, even tho the pastry in his hand was starting to get cold from how much thinking he'd been doing instead of eating*
Mirage took note of the little things such as how dense Vox appeared, and the fact that the pastry no longer steamed the way it had prior. Although he said nothing yet, he chose to keep an eye on changes from that moment on.
“Once I had my title, and my standing had improved within the group, it felt more…freeing. I wasn’t exactly under just anyone’s foot anymore, since people began to look to me for advice,” the sinner said, “that didn’t make me completely safe, of course. I wasn’t the leader by any means, after all…”
Subconsciously, he’d began to rub over his wrist with a hand, a ghost of a feeling having reared its head. That tightly wound band hadn’t been wrapped around his limb for years upon years, but the memory still persisted like a stubborn echo.
“I wasn’t allowed to move too freely. I had to stay within the bounds of our ‘home’ on my free time, and during…well, I suppose you could call it ‘work’, I was confined to a single room. Predicting the future for hours to anyone who came searching for some kind of guidance, all the while needing to adhere to a certain script so as to not say anything eehh…blasphemous. Straying from it brought consequences. I had to stick to it till they felt more confident in me working without anyone standing guard, or so to speak.”
*He couldn't help sitting up a little, grip tightening on the pastry just slightly. It sounded suffocating and you had been in such a high standing! How horrible had he been? He'd refused to let anyone get even close to his level, how suffocating had that been? Was it better or worse? He tried to make the words that slipped out sound like they were in regards to what you'd said, but really he was thinking of all he'd done.* Oh god...
Mirage’s head finally turned entirely to face Vox, his gaze unblinking as he took in his entire form. His ears shifted forward, and his head tilted minimally to the side. These reactions he was receiving weren’t something he hadn’t been expecting, but something felt a bit off, didn’t it? How strange. He brought an ambient smile onto his face, even if it didn’t reach his eyes, before he spoke again.
“It was troublesome, certainly…but as I’ve said, I grew used to it,” the lamb said, and as he turned his entire body to face Vox as well, his hands found their way to resting against the desk, “though I hope that hearing all of this isn’t too off-putting to you, honeybun.”
While what he said was more of a question, Mirage’s tone failed to make it seem much like one. His low toned drawl continued, even if he softened his voice in an attempt to make it sound more comforting.
*He shook his head, both to try to dispel his own thoughts and to assure you* N-No, I get it, a lot of people had... shitty lives up there. Just kinda a lot to imagine, y'know... *He'd hoped his tone was convincing, though part of him knew it wasn't. All he could hope was you didn't share his curiousity*
But that curiosity he did share, for Mirage knew that he hadn’t asked very much about Vox’s past yet, and judging by his tone and his reactions? The lamb wondered just how much of it was related to whatever Vox’s life had been like. There was a minor arch of his eyebrow, but it was only for a brief moment before Mirage returned his expression to its prior state.
“Yes, that we did…which does bring me to a question; what was your life like before you ended up down here? Surely you must have plenty of stories to share.”
*He visibly tensed, silently cursing himself, before he tried to figure out how to word it. Best to start with his childhood, right?* Well... I grew up in a pretty well-off household. Dad made good money, and, y'know, Mom was a housewife. They weren't the best parents, but they... *He paused. Could he even say they tried? His mother treated him like a disobedient animal at best and his father never wanted anything to do with him. He'd always blamed his eyes for that...* They were there? I guess? Got kicked out on my 18th, though... maybe my 17th, I can't remember anymore... But, whatever, I was grown. *He shook his head. He shouldn't pity himself.*
Mirage listened attentively, his ears shifting forward with each little addition. His ambient smile slowly faded, the corners of his mouth dropping into a small frown as Vox recounted his time with his parents. Well, didn’t they just sound like the unpleasant sort. Vox didn’t need to say it explicitly for Mirage to figure as much.
“Ah, well…that must’ve been hard. I never understand why parents would be so eager to kick their own children out…” he said with a small sigh, “did you have a clear plan for what you were going to do when you got kicked out?”
*He shrugged* Kinda? I moved in with my friend who had connections with a local news channel and got me a job with the station. After a while they turned me into their token weatherboy... *He trailed off... this was where his story got gruesome. He wasn't sure how you'd take it considering how yours had gone.* I-I uhm... You, uhm... I-I'm gonna need you to promise something...
Mirage cocked his head to the other side almost curiously, but stood up straight while his arms found themselves crossing over his chest loosely once more. ‘Well then, here we are getting to the true meat of the story, aren’t we?’ Mirage thought to himself.
“Yes, honeybun? What is it?” He asked out loud simply, finding himself uncertain of what to expect.
Promise me that, with what I say next, i-if... When you get mad about it, you just don't hit me, okay? I did a lot of things that I've recently become... very not proud of.
A look of surprise crossed Mirage’s features as Vox’s words sunk in. He had to promise not to…hit him? Why would he ever hit him? His ears lowered on his head, and he knitted his brows in concern as he tried read Vox’s face for any hints for what may have been coming…and yet he couldn’t really factor in much of a guess of what it could be. Killing, perhaps? But that wasn’t that serious, now was it?
“I promise, love. You won’t exactly be able to make me angry either, I can also promise you that…so, go on.” The lamb encouraged, trying to offer the other a reassuring smile.
*He took a deep breath* Being a weatherman was never enough... for me. I wanted people to see me, to have all their attention on me. So I'd started killing. The anchor... the talk-show host... the producers... our featured segments... I started sloppy, but began to stage suicides. Accidents. I killed my boss and took over the network, and... I began to amass followers. They called me a God. Treated me like I was divinity. And I loved every second of it. I've always... called it a movement but I think it's... time to accept that it was just a cult. I'd basically started a fucking cult. I was the center, I was the most important man in these people's lives. *He huffed out a soft, almost sad laugh* I-I still remember when I died, I-I had been... preaching to these people... God, it feels so fucked up now, knowing you and everything you've gone through and... actually caring.
Mirage listened patiently, and as attentively as before, but his expression gave way to little reaction at first. It was mainly his ears that moved and twitched this way and that in response to the information he was receiving, but that wasn’t truly much to go off of, now was it? It was, arguably, a lot to take in but more so because it was a lot of new information he was given, rather than the topic itself. Finally, a smile split the lamb’s face one more, and he couldn’t do anything else except give an amused sounding chuckle.
“Is that what you were so worried of telling me about?” He asked, and while his voice still lied in its lower register, he sounded almost delighted. He gave a small sigh, circling around the desk to Vox, his fingers lightly tracing the edge of the desk as he walked.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I see why you would be worried, with my past and all,” Mirage continued, leaning down to be more eye level with the other sinner, “but this isn’t nearly enough to make me be angry at you. Honestly, it’s something I’ve already wondered about you. You’ve at least seemed to have a penchant for power and admiration in the past, given what happened a bit ago with the whole Heaven thing, so…I figured it must’ve come from somewhere.”
The look in his eyes softened, as did his smile, and it felt less like he was trying to stare into one’s very soul. It was instead a look of sympathy.
“I’m sorry for how much these memories must hurt you now, Vox. It can’t be easy…but I still love you the same. This changes nothing for me.”
*He seemed to pause for a second. He was shocked and his expression clearly showed that. He'd expected a negative reaction at best so to hear you so willing to love him after hearing about the things that now made him feel like he was unlovable was... jarring. He took a second to actually feel like he could speak again...* I-I... y-you... you promise...? That you're not just... saying this because you feel like you have to...?
“I promise, honeybun. I mean it when I say that I still love you,” Mirage replied, booping Vox’s screen gently. It was sad that Vox had even had to feel so worried over whether or not he’d be lovable for doing what he had once, but such is the way of human emotions, huh?
“Besides, you think I didn’t cause my own fair share of issues in the cult I was in? I’m not as innocent as I seem, silly.”
*He couldn't help hugging you. He needed to, it was obvious. He let out a quiet, shuddering sigh before he spoke again* You have... no idea how terrified I was that I was about to fuck this all up... Thank you so fucking much...
Mirage’s arms wrapped around Vox in a warm embrace as soon as the hug was initiated, and he nuzzled his nose against the side of Vox’s screen with a small smile.
“You’ve no need to thank me. I’m sorry that you’ve had to carry this with you for so long while worrying over what I’d think.” he said while gently stroking a hand up and down Vox’s back.
*He let out a more steady sigh this time, relaxing into you. After a moment he pulled away slightly, looking into your eyes* I-It's okay, I just... you know how much you mean to me. How much I love you... I was terrified the things I couldn't change would change that but... *He couldn't help but smile* But of course you're so amazing that you could actually forgive it...
Mirage met his gaze without hesitation, and his smile grew a bit as he chuckled.
“I love you too, Vox…and I’m not that amazing. Again, I’m not an innocent soul down here. I’ve done my fair share of deeds that didn’t require someone forcing my hand. You’re not really that much worse compared to me.” The lamb spoke, pulling a bit further from the hug so that he could slide his hands into Vox’s, squeezing them gently.
“You’d need to be pretty fucking horrendous towards me or someone I care about to really tick me off, honeybun.”
Then it's a good thing I'd never want to do anything like that to you... *He huffed out a soft laugh* I mean, after all, you're like... everything to me. Have- have I ever actually told you that?
“Hmm…I’m not sure if you’ve said the exact words before, but you’ve shown it plenty.” Mirage purred, nuzzling his nose against Vox’s screen softly before giving a soft giggle. Those words were sweeter coming from Vox than anyone else he’d ever heard them from before, because here? They at least felt real.
“And you’re everything to me too. I hope you know that, honeybun.”
*He pressed a small kiss to your nose in response to the nuzzle* Every day I feel it more and more... Since you're here, and I don't have much to do... wanna snuggle again?
“Mmhm, I’d like that.” Mirage replied, the pitch of his voice heightening back to the register which was most familiar to everyone. It was easy to slip into by now, since he’d been using it for years upon years now. His ears perked up as he placed a few kisses onto Vox’s screen, offering him a small grin.
“I also feel like you might need those snuggles after everything.~”
*He couldn't help a short giggle slipping out* Yeahhhh, that might be part of the reason why I asked... *He took your hands as if to gently guide you into his lap, more than happy to be cozy with you once again*
Mirage easily settled into Vox’s lap, it being the most typical place for him to settle by now. It felt almost routine, not that he minded it very much. His arms found themselves around the other’s shoulders as per usual while his head nestled itself into the crook of Vox’s neck. With the topics they’d gone over, it almost felt strange to be so affectionate…not because he viewed Vox any differently, no. Mirage had just never truly thought about how his own affectionate gestures towards his honeybun differed from the ones he gave others, because at least these were truly genuine. They were meaningful gestures that he was giving, and it was…nice. It felt effortless.
“I’m sorry for trudging up such negative memories, though,” he muttered, “I know it’s not fun to remember times that you now feel regret for.”
*His arms wrapped gently around you, almost instinctively, giving a small squeeze in response to your apology* Honestly... I'm kinda glad you did. It would've felt so much worse if I'd just held onto the idea that you'd hate me forever for it... I... still hate everything I did, but at least the person I care about most forgives me. And I can live with that... mostly...
“Ah, well, I’m relieved that I didn’t push you horribly, love.” Mirage spoke, sounding more relieved as he happily placed a few stray kisses onto Vox’s neck, right where he was keeping his muzzle nestled into. He was glad for how the conversation was going, but there was a small part of him that began to wonder if the deep parts of him that he didn’t explicitly speak of or show would be unfavorable. While Vox spoke of and showed regret for what he’d done, Mirage…didn’t feel any of it for what he’d ever done himself. ‘Would that be a dealbreaker?’ He wondered.
“I’m sorry you had to ever worry that I’d hate you…but I’m glad I was able to tell you otherwise,” after speaking, he lifted his head from where it had rested to look at Vox, “but I hope someday, you can forgive yourself for what you’ve done as well.”
*He let out a soft sigh* Maybe one day... wayyy off in the future... But hey, that's the great part about Hell, right? I have all of eternity to forgive myself, and having you here definitely won't hurt that.
“That would be true,” Mirage agreed with a lilting laugh, fidgeting with a lock of his hair even as he rested against Vox once more, “and I’ll be here every step of the way to support you, and help you, however I can.~”
Thank you so much... *He pressed a small kiss to your forehead* Until then, tho, I think I'm gonna keep eating these... *He grabbed the unfinished pastry and bit into it again*
“Haha, you should! Enjoy them while they’re still somewhat warm…nooot that they wouldn’t be good even once they’re all cooled off. I just personally enjoy most pastries when they’re all fresh.” Mirage mused, continuing to fidget with his hair. He looked thoughtful as he stared past Vox into the rest of the office, humming a bit to himself.
“Honestly, I wonder what my clientele prefers…I should do a poll for fun,” said he, “I’d probably have to make two polls, actually. One for the general public, the other for the ones with cannibalistic tastes.”
*He chuckled slightly* I'd have to see the results of that. Just to see if the general public actually has good tastes, y'know. And maybe to figure out what cannibals like. Other than candied eyes~
“Hahah, I could tell you plenty about the most common cannibal favourites, honeybun. Obviously including my own.~” Mirage responded, his tail softly thumping against the chair as it began wagging.
“Candied eyes are a simple treat that are especially easy on the go, so they’re a common favourite for others, and myself…buuuuut I’ve also noticed some people really take a liking to the blood pancakes, or blood cakes I can make.” He listed a few things off the top of his head, his eyes wandering the room as he tried to recall the most common orders his establishment received. He had most of them memorized, but the favourites had been changing recently - as they do every few months.
“Mmm sort of! Most of the time, they can turn out looking more dark brown than anything. Taste wise, it’s a very unique flavour! Most things made with blood can taste a bit similar to black pudding. They have a sort oofff…bone marrow-esque flavour, aside from the obvious hint of iron you’d get with each bite.” Mirage explained, making vague, rolling gestures with his hand as he attempted to find the best way to describe how it tasted.
“I grew up eating blood pancakes. Down here, I just took a unique approach to what uuh…blood, I’m using. Sinner blood is quite easy to come by.” The lamb couldn’t help but giggle a bit, in morbid contrast to his statement.
“Hah, yes. I suppose it makes sense that would come as a surprise,” Mirage began, giving an awkward laugh while rubbing the back of his neck, “it’s a cultural thing. Typically made with whipped reindeer blood, though pig or cow blood could be used as well.”
The sheep snorted out a small laugh, shaking his head as he lowered his gaze to look at his claws, inspecting them lazily.
“Guess I’m not surprised. Not many people really look into the Scandinavian area of Europe,” Mirage hummed, watching the light glitter off of his claws, “doesn’t really matter either. I don’t care. Either way, those areas have certain dishes that have been made with blood - I’ve always quite liked those.”
Hm, that's actually pretty interesting... is it weird that I wanna try that now? *He paused for a second before it hit him* I just asked that to my boyfriend who eats candied eyeballs, the fuck am I talking about, 'weird'?
“Haha!! Well, in case you need reassurance, it’s not ‘weird’ at all,” Mirage joked lightheartedly, nuzzling his nose against the side of Vox’s screen, “buuut I can totally make you food made with blood soon if you do really wanna try it!”
Mirage tilted his head from one side to another in quick succession, before raising an eyebrow at the other sinner. He hummed thoughtfully, tapping his fingers against Vox’s shoulders in a slow rhythm as his eyes flicked to look at a particularly uninteresting corner on the ceiling.
“Now, if I told you absolutely everything, then where’s the fun in that? I’ve gotta keep you in suspense for a bit longer.~” Mirage joked, his gaze returning to Vox while a mischievous smile played on corners of his mouth.
“See?~” Mirage hummed softly, planting a few kisses on Vox’s screen once more. He couldn’t help but give a gleeful little giggle after, giving the other sinner a quick, squeezing hug.
“Guess that means you’ll just have to keep uncovering all of my mysteries.~”
Mirage’s ears twitched forward at the question, and his eyes grew wider as his curiosity was piqued quickly. His tail slowed in its wagging, and he cocked his head to the side once more.
“AwwwwWWW, honeybun!!” Mirage squeaked out amidst little giggles, hugging Vox to him tightly before rocking back and forth. He nuzzled his cheek against the other, purring so loudly that it felt like it was reverberating in his chest.
“Geez, you’re silly!!” Mirage giggled, his nose scrunching up a bit from the kisses. Afterwards, he gently shook his head, his ears flip flopping against his skull a bit before he ran his hair through his curly locks.
“I wager you’re starting to feel a bit better from earlier?~”
Abel had found himself standing behind the door which led to Vox’s office, you know, the guy who’d tried to take over Heaven a while ago…yeesh, talk about intimidating. In the angel’s hands was a gift basket, much like the one he and the others had attempted to bring down to the residents of Hell when they’d arrived to apologise, but last time it haaaadn’t exactly gone well. This time would surely be different, though, right? It’s not like he was coming to apologise; more so, he was coming to check on this soul who’d definitely gotten his fair share of punishment by now from all he’d done.
Regardless, the memory of the response they’d gotten last time burned fresh in his mind, and he had to swallow down the lump that was forming in his throat. The cellophane covering the gift basket crinkled as Abel subconsciously gripped it just a bit harder, and he breathed in deep through his nose before blowing the air out through his mouth, counting to 10 in his mind to ease his racing thoughts.
Then, he rapped his knuckles against the door before nudging it open, peeking his blonde-haired head through the crack to see if Vox was even present in his office, his amber-gold eyes settling on his form within moments. He brought a crooked grin onto his face, pushing the door open with his arm a bit more so that he’d be in full view, his wings politely folded and tucked under his arms.
“Hey, hi, uh…don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Abel! Mind if I uh…come in further?” Abel asked, but he was quick to continue before Vox could even respond.
“I tooooootally get it if you don’t want to see me though, and if that’s the case, then I’ll leave! Just uh, say the word!”
- @angel-abellee
((Hope you don’t mind me already popping in with Abel!! - Lamb/Mirage))
*He glanced up from his endless amounts of paperwork - this time, written requests for time off from Ethan of all sinners, doomed to be denied again - to see Abel stepping into his office. Immediately upon seeing the angel, he straightened up, feeling incredibly on-edge. He still felt that looming nervousness whenever he saw anyone from Heaven in his building. Why'd the security team even let him in?! Did he portal in or something? Whatever, it didn't matter. Adam's boy was here now, and... carrying one of those stupid apology gift baskets? Whatever. He wasn't interested in starting a second Holy War, so he decided not to be a dick this time* Uhm... n-no, it's... whatever. Uh, what- what brings you here... Abel?
“Oh, great! Great, then let me juuuust…” Abel said, shuffling his way further into the room, but not without closing the door behind him. That’s just polite, after all! As he approached the desk, he kept his friendly and warm expression despite the nerves that bubbled right underneath the surface. This would surely go fine, right? Surely…
“I was just thinking, you know, it’s been a while since- well, everything…and even back then, I couldn’t help but notice that you seemed…troubleeed?” He stretched out his words uncertainly, his eyes wandering the room as if he didn’t want to meet Vox’s eyes just yet. Really, it was just a way of trying to keep himself from stuttering over his words.
“Aand you…I mean, you mustn't have been in a great place after it, you know…emotionally. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m here to check on you…? See how you’re doing.”
Once the words had been spoken, his feet had carried him in front of Vox’s desk, and Abel could set down the gift basket, which was still beautifully wrapped. Inside it were taffies, a cuddly hammerhead shark plushie (surprisingly without a silly phrase or anything) and various other delicious goodies like lollipops and even lemon drop hard candies.
*He fiddles with the basket, slightly turning it back and forth before looking back at you. 'Troubled' was... certainly a way to put all the things Vox had been feeling those days. He took a short breath* I'm... better, safe to say. Val's... actually talking to me again. I have a boyfriend and a few friends... I mean, I haven't exactly... forgiven myself but shit hasn't been horrible?
“Oh, oh! That’s good! That’s amazing, I’m glad to hear that, man.” Abel’s grin grew on his face, crinkling his eyes into little crescent moons as he clasped his hands together in front of himself, “and a boyfriend? Wow, you’ve been busy, huh?”
He gave a laugh that went into an awkward clearing of the throat at the tail end of it. Abel hadn’t been expecting someone like Vox to feel bad for what he’d done, or more accurately, he’d expected it to take longer. Then again, with how things came crashing down on the poor soul, it might’ve been a wake-up call of some kind…
“You know, I’m glad to hear it hasn’t all been horrible! I mean, a lot happened, so I wouldn’t have been surprised if you’d still not been feeling alright-“ Abel wrung his hands together idly as he shifted his full attention back to the TV-headed sinner, “how’s…how’s it feel? Trying to move on from it all?”
*His gaze turned downward as he leaned onto his desk with a soft huff, tapping his claws against the surface* Guess that's where it... hasn't been great. I-I mean, you're an angel, so you probably don't understand what it's like to come to terms with the... horrible shit you did. How it parallels to the horrible shit the people you love went through. At least I don't have as many days where I wish the damn thing had just exploded but... still.
