The Poem of Everyone's Souls

[aria_of_the_soul]

The message was sent out within minutes of learning that an angel had found the Navigator.

He intended to demand a meeting with the master of the Velvet Room, with the full team present, and he didn't intend to take 'no' for an answer.

What Goro hadn't expected was for the old man to chuckle and simply agree- which was surprisingly rude, in the circumstances, considering it'd taken nearly all of the righteously angry wind out of his sails.

And so, once everyone had given their consent, the night immediately following...

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It began with the music, as previous dreams were gently shifted aside. Then, as darkness faded, the next impression was of cool wind, tinged with salt, of weathered wood beneath the feet. The assembled party stood on the deck of a ship under sail, its wood a deep, rich azure. Although... on examination, so was everything else. The sails made of navy canvas, the sky roiling midnight, with indigo clouds massing on the horizon, the occasional flash of cyan light illuminating the endless night. A periwinkle moon overlooked the whole affair, while prussian seas lapped at the hull below.

In fact, the only thing in sight upon the deck that wasn't blue were the guests- and, of course, the man dressed in a simple black suit with white gloves, seated behind a desk that had been set out for the occasion, hands folded gracefully. More noticeable, however, were his eyes, bulbous and faintly luminous in the moonlight, his face seemingly locked in a rictus of a smile- and the nose, long and beaklike.

He spoke- and his voice was soft, slightly airy, in an elderly way, with a tone that suggested no sinister intent- but rather delight, as though receiving a surprise visit from a favorite grandchild.

"Welcome, my young friends, to The Velvet Room. I am Igor, the caretaker of this place. I must say, it's been some time since last we've had so many guests."

There was a woman at his side as well, bearing a striking resemblance to Reneé, and indeed- a succubus that might have been briefly seen removing her from the hospital. She wore no disguise here, however. What would be the point? But she remained silent, for now, only observing.

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[mansbestend]

"WOAH! FUCK ME-"

Pardon him. That was a pure fight or flight response, and about the only contribution that 'Rider' would make for the time being. But when he turned away from the sight, he took a breath and brought a hand to his chest.

"Shiiiit, that was kinda mean, yeah? But like... I had 'prey brain' for a second..."

[hadal_predator]

"Uh-huh. ...So this is where he goes when he kind of zones out? Where all those weird charts he makes come into play?"

Because even looking at those, what, 'fusion charts?' Gave him indigestion.

"Also, how's... how's Miss Blue? She's one of yours, isn't she?"

[poppypapillon]

Even having been told what to expect, even after recently wandering into other people's dreams with magic not that long ago, it's still jarring to wake up so abruptly.

And... wow. This place is even more blue than Lust. And the curator in question greeting them was... a lot...

Poppy glanced around, seeing Denji at least, waiting for the rest to arrive. "I'll-- hold my questions."

[butterflyaffect]

"I'm here," Reneé said, softly. She looked... significantly better than she had in the hospital. But then again, it would have been hard for her to look worse.

"The medicine helps tremendously. Everything's healed, for the most part, with little to no residual pain, but Margaret believes I should refrain from combat duties for another week."

[aria_of_the_soul]

Igor's assistant spoke up, finally. "You may be more resilient than many mortals of your size and build, but you're still, fundamentally, mortal, now. That you're alive is a blessing- and we have no issues with ensuring your other duties are fulfilled until you're ready."

She turned her head towards Goro. "That said... it's nice to meet you all. I confess a certain curiosity about the pack of demons who, it seemed, were able to tempt my sister to a life of sin."

[sleepybitchvibes]

THE FUCK IS THIS.

THE FUCK IS THAT.

THE FUCK ARE YOU.

IS THAT WHAT A HUMAN LOOKS LIKE?

THEY LOOK WEIRD. I KEEP LOOKING AT THEIR LACK OF EARS.

IS THAT A NOSE OR A BEAK? IT'S HARD TO TELL.

"I don't think she was tempted as much as she sauntered down looking for the restroom and found herself in a place with a language she didn't speak and a confusion on what a restroom even is." The little bat tries not to look at his nose. They try.

They fail, but they try.

[hadal_predator]

Thank goodness. He was glad Renee was holding up well.

"Ha! It's in our nature: We can't help but tempt such fascinating individuals."

He raised a hand and gestured. Pardon him with this. It's a nasty habit. "Which brings me to the matter of, well, you... and who might you be~?"

[systemofadowny]

Yeah, Sibyl is guilty of also staring at...uhh...the host? The keeper of the very blue dream corner place? This is taking the term "deep blue sea" a little too literally.

Renee's back, and she's doing alright. A good thing to focus on so she's not rudely staring. That's a beak any Goetia would be proud to have, god damn.

"Renee's been a dear friend all this time. It's only fair we try to keep her." The owl teased. It was her choice, naturally, and they're all the better for it.

"But...thank you for seeing us on short notice. Should...we go through introductions or do you already know about us?" Whether through Renee telling them or whatever magical mojo they have at their disposal.

Not long after midnight

[herewardbound]

He'd been true to his word, and he hadn't run out the clock. Tomorrow morning was going to be an absolute bitch, but here he was, staying up to place a phone call. From his personal number, even.

Probably she'd be waiting on the call, since he suspected she wasn't the type to fuck around. But he could do this.

1/2

[polymolly]

Molly was sitting up in bed, holding the phone, watching the clock. Waiting for Goro to call her, as she required. And playing the conversation and the way Goro and Mako behaved throughout it over and over in her head.

She has a notepad app open. She'd typed the note several times, rewording it.

La mia gioia,

Thank you for holding my phone. If the timer on this message has triggered, then my fears were right and I walked into a trap. I knew the people I was meeting were frighted, dodgy-as-fuck and armed with angelic weapons. But I did this of my own Free Will, because I hoped they had information pertaining to Anthony and a method given to me to find him.

I would ask two more things of you. The link below will open a special app. When it opens, speak the following words: Angel Dust Pentagram City Pride All of Hell. See if you can use whatever it does to find Angel Dust. If you do, render him whatever assistance he may need if he is still alive. Then ask him if he is Anthony.

If so, tell him I love him and that I am sorry I couldn't make it myself.

Once that is done, regardless of how it turns out, please take my phone to your sister. Ask her to speak her name to the app. I am hoping she will be able to figure things out from there.

Love,

Molly

2/2

[polymolly]

Molly jumped a little as the music started to play. It was the song she was waiting for -- the one she had assigned to the security guy, Goro. She answered the phone within the first four notes.

Even as she did so, she checked the clock. Not quite eight hours of the twelve. He hadn't run the clock.

"Hello?" she answered, not giving or presuming names. The call should be Goro. But for all she knew, this could be one of the infamously reclusive friends of his. Plus, even though she had made sure the mysterious V app wasn't running, best not until the caller did.

The notepad app recognized she was on the phone and automatically saved her progress and closed. It was Heavenly that way.

[herewardbound]

"It's Goro. Hello, Molly."

He inhaled. "I have good news, but first I'd like to apologize for what happened earlier today. It would be very easy for bad actors to use what you've stumbled into to hurt a lot of people, and it's happened before. An unknown factor at a time like this was the absolute last thing anyone was prepared for, especially with both Mako and myself recovering from injuries incurred during the fight with Adam. So, for the way we treated you, and for what I'd be thinking was coming next, if I were in your position, I'm sorry."

[polymolly]

He started with an apology. A sincere one. That took Molly off guard. And it brought her impression of him more in line with what Emily had to say.

"Thank you, Goro," Molly said. "I won't lie: my impression of what might be coming next doesn't end well for me. But someone I care for gave you and Mako quite the glow-up. And the two of you have been personally hurt by monsters wearing halos. So I don't blame you one bit. Apology accepted."

"Now, since you said it's happened before, I take it you, Mako and Cal have been lying about not knowing what my mystery app is, where it came from, and what it does." Molly reconsidered. Mako and Goro had been sketchy as Hell from the moment it appeared. (And she really needed a new phrase for that!) But Cal seemed entirely genuine and legit confused. "Or, at least, you and Mako had a pretty darned good idea, and your infamously reclusive friends confirmed your suspicions. So how about telling me the truth?"

[herewardbound]

"I do know where it came from, and I'd like to show you what it does, exactly. I'll have to ask your trust on this, but if you want to make it a proper Deal to ensure your protection I'm willing to swear to that. In any case, I'm not willing to discuss this over the phone for security reasons. I'm pretty diligent with surveillance, but Vox's grubby cables are all over fucking everything in Hell and it's impossible to be certain. That said:"

He inhaled. "Is there a place you would be willing to meet in private? You'd be free to choose the time and location, and I'll swear to your protection if that's a concern."

1/3

[polymolly]

"I'm an angel, Goro. We don't make Deals." She paused, recalling part of Emily's rant earlier. "Actually... Let me rephrase that: I'm no Dealmaker. So I'm going to trust you. But not stupidly. So bring your phone. One with our gal on it. I'll meet you at the Hea...no, delete that. Place is bugged. Hmm."

Molly thinks for a moment. "Okay, how about Cafe Magne. I noticed it right across from Heaven's Embassy while doing a test flight of my Sundial. The back booths don't have sightline to the street and are high enough to be secluded. So no Vox cameras. This time of night, we should be practically the only ones there. I think I can make it in twenty minutes. How about you?"

2/3

[ambassador_emily]

"I'm coming!!!..."

>SNAG!<

THUD!

Emily lay there, wings spread out over her like a blanket, dazed.

She opened an eye on her back, between her wings, and looked at the clock next to her bed. And from there to the sheet that had coiled around her foot, bringing her hasty, half-awake flight from bed to door to an abrupt stop.

It is half an hour past midnight, and I'm laying on the floor naked. The carpet in Charlie's hotel does not taste good.

Graceful. As an angel representing Heaven should be.

Emily pushed herself back up as the knock on her door sounded again. "Sorry. Coming." She stretched out her arms and summoned her Heavenly raiment. Then opened the door.

"Molly?"

3/3

[polymolly]

Molly was already dressed and ready for this. A ensemble more black than magenta and red tonight, in case stealth became an issue. Sneaky spider. Not that red didn't just function as camouflage in Hell. Molly had not grasped the local decor when she had packed.

She thrust her phone into Emily's hands. "Take this, Emi. I need to step outside. Hopefully, I'll be back within a couple hours..."

She took in the younger Seraphim's worried expression. "Yeah, I'm going outside in Hell. But I can handle it. You've never been to Brooklyn..."

That wasn't going to work. "Okay, how about you give me a Golden Portal to the Embassy. I'll hang around there. Okay?" A city block qualified as around.

"While I'm gone, I want you to hold my phone for me," Molly told her. "If I don't come back within two hours, there are some instructions on the phone. I'm counting on you."

I am freaking Emily out.

She gave the Seraphim a kiss on the forehead. "Look, it's just something I have to look into. About Anthony. Okay?"

That got a response. The kind of smile that Emily couldn't hide, and the squeak that meant she was trying.

Emily knew.

ARRRUGH.

Deal with that later. If she had a later. Nope, trusting Goro. Going to have a later. This was just a precaution.

---

Ten minutes later, sans one phone, Molly pulled a hood over her halo, slipped out of Heaven's Embassy and headed across the street. In the dark. To the background sounds of screams, gunfire and someone singing about their laundry.

This is worse than Brooklyn. Hell is Detroit.

She felt lucky that Cafe Mange was open. And not on fire.

[herewardbound]

He checked the distance, checked the time on his phone. "I'm not interested in owning anybody. I said Deal, I meant a fixed-term agreement with a set end date and exact expectations spelled out. That said, I appreciate your trust. I'll be waiting."

A quick trip across town wouldn't be an issue, especially not if he slipped into the cognitive. That gave him a few extra minutes to make sure he was clothed.

True to his word, though, when Molly arrived, he was there waiting for her. Possibly the presence of two faintly-luminous red eyes in the dark might be concerning... but then this was par for the course, in Hell. He announced his presence with a simple "Hey. Thanks for coming."

M e a n w h i l e...

[youknowwhothisis]

Another request was made. Really, were it anyone else, he would have drawn things out a little or needed some time to think about it.

But times were changing, and the balance was delicate. After holding all the cards for so long, it was time King Lucifer Morningstar let some wheels get in motion to help level the playing field.

Nautilus had been a great deal of entertainment for him. It wasn't the group itself that amused him, like a cluster of toys to pull out on his whim, but it was the waves they made that had him tickled gold.

Really, he wondered how they would handle Sinners among their number, and here he had his chance to see. That world that the kiddos could go into probably didn't even factor into the geas! However, it wouldn't help the cause if something put up for Very Good Reason were to cause harm.

It was old magic that called upon Calantha, a message that slithered like a snake into his residence and bid him hello. It was a serpentine construct made of red magic and smoke, one that wished to be held so that it could give the boy an address to which he should go and a time to which he should arrive before vanishing completely.

Could be a scam. Or maybe it was juuuust weird enough to be heeded.

[andnowyouregone]

For all that Cal did to ensure the privacy of himself and his sister - keeping his identity as Bonjour separate from their personal lives, ensuring they and their performances remained independent, even sharing their residence with as few people as possible - his methods weren't infallible. Peet once navigated through the labyrinth he arranged and fortunately, the two got along very well.

But that was someone doing things normally. His defenses didn't count for shit against seraphic magic. The Ambassador just found him and their home with no trouble at all. Fortunate again, that the other person who found him was someone he could trust. This time, it was a serpent in wisps of red who slithered oh so easily into his home. Instead of coming to his home, this person wanted to meet.

Was there an equal and opposite phrase to "Third time's the charm"? He might find out today.

The moth couldn't ignore the invitation. Someone else knew how to reach him, and it was a fair guess, he believed, that this was someone of considerable power. No Overlord seemed to have such divination magic, so it could only be someone higher up. Goetias? One of the Sins? Maybe even King Lucifer himself. Maybe it's Santa Claus! Shit's already been weird enough in Hell, so why not? Despite the sarcastic thoughts, he left for the address all the same. This wasn't something to put off, so he didn't. Perhaps whoever sent this to him might appreciate the punctuality of Cal's arrival. Perhaps they expected it.

Either way, they'd have more fun with this exchange than the anxious Sinner. Like Molly before him, he prepared an automated message to go out if he didn't cancel it after a while, and had a phone on him to track his location. Hopefully, the preparations wouldn't be necessary.

[put_a_spellonyou]

Lettie preferred to keep out of Cal's business. She knew he was up to something that could potentially be dangerous, but she didn't want to know the details. It was better for her safety. There were times when ignorance was bliss.

Yet, she felt oddly compelled to go with her brother this time. She gently knocked on Cal's door. "What's going on this time?"

She usually didn't ask questions like this, but she was concerned for him. She wanted to be there to make sure her brother was safe.

[andnowyouregone]

Cal was hastily throwing on clothes and making preparations when Lettie knocked on the door. They agreed that it was best she be kept in the dark about a lot of what he did, but this? It was important to share with her. And she wanted to know, herself.

He opened the door to let her in and returned to simultaneously putting on a shirt and typing away at his computer. "Remember when Emily came by? Used her magic to find our apartment? Someone else did the same with their magic, this time sending a message. They want to meet. I have my guesses on who, but with angels making casual visits to Hell now, I can't be sure."

[put_a_spellonyou]

"We go through a lot to make sure that we have privacy. I'd rather not have to move again. I'm guessing its someone with good contacts or strong magic?" She was already dressed casually. She never did enjoy being flashy when she didn't have to.

She followed her brother, making sure the door was locked. She was sure that he would explain things as they walked.

[youknowwhothisis]

The place to meet was one of a whole Hell of a lot of dirty alleyways in Pride. It was an unfortunate side-effect of a city existing. Sorry about the smell.

"Oh, HELL yeah! Two-for-one!"

"This makes things WAY easier!!"

The air kicked to life precisely on the time that Calantha was given, and with a swirl of that same red magic, a portal opened up.

But there wasn't really much time to decide whether or not to go through it. Instead, a pair of marionettes had emerged from behind a dumpster, dressed in white and looking kinda... familiar... from news reels of late, but they're giving a hand by taking these moths and shoving the twins through the portal.

They landed in grass and soil. The air was ripe with that of roses, but there was a very faint growl of some sort of animal in the air.

Either that, or something was snoring.

But they appear to have arrived in a small, manicured meadow in the midst of a garden's rose hedge maze, wildflowers sprouting all around and attracting the hellbees that buzzed and worked to take their drink.

"Punctual! Hah! That's always nice." Black hands raised an ornate tea cup to his lips for a drink. Seated at a small, quaint little table set up amid the wildflowers, one leg crossed over the other, was the casual little king of Hell.

He smacked his lips idly, savoring the tea. "...Hm. Not bad at all."

A beat. He'd distracted himself. He then gestured to his tea set, two unoccupied chairs, and little petit fours were waiting to be eaten.

"Anyway, sit, sit! Spit the grass out, wash it down with this tea."

[andnowyouregone]

"Probably both." Cal sighed. People in power get more powerful and all that. Wasn't a whole lot you could do unless you had one or the other. Though in Cal's defense, he had some pretty good contacts.

But that required...well. Contacting them. There wasn't enough time for that when voices started calling out and pushing them through random portals. The hacker landed face first into far worse things than grass and dirt in the past; it wasn't graceful this time around either, but it would be less irritating to clean up later.

But minor thoughts like that were quickly set aside once he saw their captor. Stares of disbelief followed, as did forgetting how to blink. Cal looked to his sister in shock, prepared to meet the expected look of 'what did you do this time' with 'I don't know, I swear'.

Still, there was an invitation to accept, and he did. He rose to his feet, helped his sister up and joined the...King of Hell...at the table.

"Umm...hello, your highness." Cal greeted him with uncertainty while taking a seat. "To...what do we owe the pleasure?"