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 Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 1:42 pm
Lawrence wasn't hungry any more.
That was the first thing that he really knew, everything else before it all had been a blur. There had been so many of him, he'd been so many people and he'd been all of them. It hadn't satisfied him, nothing could satisfy the yawning void that he was, but for a moment it had distracted him.
Every person he touched was left scarred by the experience. Even those people deemed "good" enough to survive had felt his judgement pass them over, an invasive hand which reached into their mind and found them worthy of sparing. Of the people who hadn't committed suicide in the aftermath or had failed in their attempts, they had been left emotionally numbed, unable to feel appropriately and incapable of comprehending morals, blankly doing horrendous things when left to their own devices and incapable of remembering what had happened to them during the event.
The entire city was reeling and trying to understand why of all places Gardeville had been the one to suffer these losses and on the outskirts, in Appleton, Lawrence didn't understand anything at all of what he'd done other than that it had felt good and that now he wasn't hungry any longer.
At home Butch was nowhere to be found, and later he would return back with several cats and dogs in tow without explanation of where he'd gotten them. It didn't matter to Lawr.
He just wondered where everyone was.
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Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2016 3:27 pm
Melvin was exhausted.
He had heard his phone ring the moment the event took place, as such large events were sure to draw the attention of all sides. This sort of event would have gotten a call from him regardless of where he was, but it just seemed fortunate he was nearby. Gardeville had it's own angels, it's own department of hard working angels, but none were as prepared for such a new event as this. His phone had started that day and hadn't stopped ringing since. There were times he was texting back while talking to someone while he gathered the suitcase he just unpacked with a few pair of clothes and walked out of the house with a note that he was away on business and he regretted not being able to tell anyone in person as it was on such short notice.
A car was rented and he left the moment the paperwork was signed. It took time for these things, and he usually would dedicate a month or two to make sure everything was being handled, but he didn't have that luxury. He was still on a mission and while nothing was said exactly why he couldn't manage the crisis, angels were informed that he had to be called away. It would be trial by fire for them to learn how to handle and arrange humans to a central idea to blame and work against, but he knew he couldn't leave the entire thing to them.
So he prioritized. There was a roaster of excuses and they organized who to blame. An environmental cause couldn't be used as some were sparred, and with the humans already preforming autopsies, they couldn't plant in any drugs. So they went to a willed, joined cause to harm others and to kill themselves as a disruptive suicide to send a message. With the situations, it was best not to fuel the fire with more reasons for demons to make more SIN out of fear and hatred. Instead, working together to promote unity and hard work was best, so they selected a cult, gave them a message, and planted what they could while directing the investigating forces on what to find, what to focus on, and what to address. The tech guys worked on creating a fake site and text messages. They worked fast, and Melvin worked to take on the right hosts needed to make the right messages while pulling on the political strings of others to say what was best. Their words were often better than his, but the police force was great for inspiring others to work hard to unite the city.
It was exhausting and he was well into the next week talking with the other members of Gardeville on what was happening, and yet he took a moment to be proud of how well they were pushing themselves to resolve the sudden chaos that took hold.
The actual investigation on what was happening was being handled as well, but that wasn't his department.
That day, he got into his rental, turned in the last of his information, and sent his cell phone number to those who were to call him when absolutely necessary and to send emails with other reports on their private lines outside human prying. The drive back was long, and he thought it probably could have been best just to take to a hotel, but he still had another job.
A job that was now more concerning.
Parking the rental, he knocked on the door.
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 5:04 am
Lawrence answered the door brightly with the smile of someone who was more or less oblivious to any trouble they were in. Still, he wasn't completely oblivious, Rodney was gone for a start, which made him uncertain that everything was all right in the world and he'd seemed pretty upset with the whole thing. Upset was probably an understatement.
The news hadn't stopped talking about it, and he'd been pretty annoyed that they hadn't realised the things the victims had had in common was that they were universally ranging from downright evil to pretty horrible.
"Hellooo" he crooned. "Welcome back!"
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Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 3:48 pm
Looking up, he could in no way match Lawr's cheerful demeanor, and for a moment he felt the pangs of hatred for the demon. How could a creature be so chipper at the suffering right past it's doorstep, and why go so far as Gardeville when there was a quiet, unsuspecting town right here? It wasn't like he was being too discrete by just going one town over, and yet did that mean his intentions for Appleton would be even worse? Was this a warmup or a flexing of his power to prove something?
He didn't know, and worse off, he hadn't been there to see for himself the reasoning and to prevent it. He was here in the house of the culprit and had let him pass into the night without interruption.
Lawr stood there, a smile that made Melvin glare back despite his resolve, but closed his eyes tightly to remind himself of his own task. Even if Lawr wanted to fake not knowing what he did, HE knew, and every demon around must have heard about the chaos and rejoiced at such a shocking display of cruelty. Humans were left in fear, paranoia, and suffering from their massive loss one town over, and he felt the twisting ache of guilt and responsibility for them.
Looking back up with a worn expression, he forced a smile back. "Hello Lawr. I'm back."
Walking in, he looked around. "Is Rodney out?" He asked, and shook his head. Even the angel here saw no reason to watch Lawr.
He was tired, but he knew he couldn't be lax now. His full attention HAD to be on Lawr from this point on. He wouldn't make the same mistake again.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2016 2:09 pm
Lawrence only faltered a little at the look he got from Melvin and shrugged. "I'm assuming you had a bad day." As if that was the only reason he'd be glared at in such a way.
"He's out yes." And had been out pretty often of late, trying to mend something or other to do with the humans and their relative panic. Lawrence didn't really understand, he'd been busy enjoying the ample SIN he'd reaped from fetching his own dinner.
"I'm glad you are back though."
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2016 3:00 pm
"A bad week. You probably saw the news." He said, moving to slowly take a seat and breath out.
"While I am glad to be useful, I am also glad to be back. It seems my superiors feel the same as they don't want me to be taking control of major chaotic events every time I sniff it in the air. It's a kind of selfishness to be too helpful I suppose. They feel it's best I take it easier. I suppose that means I'll be out and about a lot less." He rubbed a hand down his face.
"How have you two been since I've been gone? Okay? Safe?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2016 2:42 pm
"I didn't." he said. "I should though. Is it about the people?" and it seemed implicit that the people he meant were those involved in the tragedy. "I'm glad you'll be here more though, I like having company."
He felt it was only polite to offer Melvin some SIN and didn't think anything of the implications. "Would you like a drink?" he said, and held out a silver flask to the angel helpfully. He wasn't even out to tempt him, just trying to be friendly.
The flask smelled both incredibly tempting and incredibly evil.
"I've been great though!" he volunteered.
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 4:47 pm
He looked at the flask, the smell, and cringed , turning his nose away from it in a show of disgust. Both hands went up politely however. "No....I do not want that." He said, before getting up, suddenly uneasy and ticked off that Lawr would stand in Rodney's home and carry around something so incriminating as if he was simply untouchable even with two angels around.
Seemed even the reputation Lawr seemed interested in before didn't account for much of anything when it came to any degree of respect.
On his feet again, he felt worn to the bone but unable to sit properly around the demon.
"There was a incident. A tragedy...it....." He looked over at Lawr holding his flask and shook his head, looking away. "If you are even interested then it's all over the news. I'm too tired to go through all the details." He moved to the kitchen to see if he couldn't procure a glass of water.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 4:11 am
Lawrence blinked and raised a brow at the flask in response to Melvin's sharp response to it. "No problem then." he said, and took a small sip of the liquid, for a second a strange wavering of his shape arising and then once more settling back to human. The watchface on his wrist lit up like a night light.
"I was just being polite. It's tasty."
He tilted his head slightly at Melvin. "A tragedy? Oh." and there was a flicker of memory of what that word meant, it meant that humans were upset about it. "That was me." And he had no guilt and no reason to hide what he'd done, to him it had felt as natural as reaching for a snack on a shelf with nothing really to stop him.
"I was hungry."
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 5:49 am
"I don't know if you are sometimes or playing some weird joke. You should know an angel cannot drink that." He said flatly, turning his wrist watch around as he looked about the room.
There was something to say about honesty but it was shocking to see it so plainly displayed on a demon of Lawr's reputation. Again, he wondered if it was his own disconnection with Earth or maybe a feeling of immunity that made him talk so openly, he wasn't sure. Regardless, he could only stare at him before slowly taking a seat.
"I didn't expect you to say that." He knew, but he expected him to cover up or do some game of wordplay.
"You've caused a lot of pain and suffering. The affects linger now in that city."
He was a demon. Demons ate,
"Is your appetite so large or are you so gluttonous to make sure a scene of cruelty? Why would you be so open?" He looked up, pained and tired.
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Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 1:13 pm
Lawrence shrugged. "I think anyone can drink it. I was an angel I think." he took another swig from the flask. "And yet here I am." It was delicious in indescribable ways and yet always left you hungry for more, so much more.
Melvin looked upset and he wasn't sure exactly why. "Yes, pain and suffering were needed and I went for the most optimal route." There was something cold and clinical about how he said it. "I just was efficient about it or as efficient as I could manage to be at the time."
He shrugged his shoulders "I don't think I'm gluttonous, I was just hungry and now I am not hungry any longer. I saw no reason to be anything other than how I was. Besides, it was simple, it was just like picking an apple off a tree. They'll make more."
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