The Turning of Leaves

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Malachi Logos landed on the damp turf with a heavy foot, which sunk slightly instead of bouncing as he would've preferred. He was barefoot-- weather and temperature didn't affect the angelic soul too much-- and though the grassy knoll he'd alighted on was not soaked, it was still somewhat...unpleasantly mushy.
Ah, well.
He had needed a nice lunchtime flight. Noctum had been rather quiet lately, which had afforded him a great deal of time to himself. Not, of course, that he'd spent much of that time being self-indulgent. It just wasn't within him. Malachi was an insufferable workaholic, which one supposes is a fantastic trait for an angel. Just the same, being quite so productive can dampen one's mood after awhile.
Which was naturally why he'd been out flying. Flying was a joyous action, a freeing one, a boon granted to the angelic and the angelic only. It wasn't often that Malachi actively missed his native land, heaven, but on such a nice day as this one he grew nostalgic. The cool wind in his hair, and the warm sun on his feathers? Yes, it was the perfection that brought him the boundless joy experienced by those who were in heaven. A happy sigh escaped the man has he touched down-- and on the grass outside of some cave or other.
Today's attire consisted of the sort of basic business casual wear Chi had grown accustomed to wearing; khaki slacks and a white button-down shirt, untucked with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. His feet were bare; it was a habit of white angels, to go shoeless. Possibly it had something to do with not really minding cool weather. After all, it was fall now, and the temperature combined with the altitude and the winds held a chill in the air that made most men reach for socks.
And a beautiful autumn it was turning out to be. Instead of inspecting the contents of the cave he stood before (Chi was feeling rather invincible lately) the angel turned to survey the absolutely breathtaking view below. Whatever might be lurking in the darkness at his back was lost on the angel, who was enthusiastically taking in the view.

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It was a delightful day for flying, not withstanding her usually elated emotional state. Suriel thought it was only natural to enhance the atmosphere even further with her presence, her luminous joy rang out in every tone of her pale olive skin and every deliciously golden ray of sunlight illuminating her pure white feathers from above. She loved the way the sun lit the earth and touched everything like a splash of cool crystal clear life giving water. It was impossible to imagine anything better than flying on such a glorious day, if only she had something more appropriate to wear... something more colorful than her dull boringly obvious white attire but even it sang with a rainbow swirl of colors when she turned.

The strands lit from within by the sun radiated the light and it seemed almost magical how every degree of a turn shone a different color. Reddish orange, golden yellow, gloriously fresh green, before it then turned three different shades of blue to match the sky above as Suri twisted and turned, ducked and dove twirling about the breeze like a tiny fledgling bird caught in an updraft. She was loving every minute of it and only wished she could share these daytime experiences with Orion her partner, though it seemed somewhat remiss of her considering he would die if he was to join her, it would be the last thing he ever saw. Not because he ill or near death, no not quite. He was a vampire, an oddly unusual one but unable to enter the glorious daylight without a permanent tan. So Suriel's mood was slightly dampened by the mere fact that she had no-one share this moment with but with all things considered she doubted Orion would take as much pleasure from it as she did.

It seemed to be only something a flying creature would delight in seeing and as much as she wished for her lover to join her, he could not fly and so probably could never understand. Though she was sure he would try. Stopping momentarily to catch her breath after a rather dizzyingly sharp dive, Suriel sighed nostalgia was not something she usually felt as one who was nostalgic, ordinarily had memories of a previous event similar to that which made them happy and Suriel had lost most if not all of her memories since before ten years ago. Though she now knew what she was and where she came from she could only speculate as to what heaven might actually look like because she couldn't actually recall ever having been there. Though she admittedly thought it might be close to what she saw and how she felt today as it was the most extraordinary weather they were having lately.

Having had enough of the sickeningly outstanding heights she was now reaching in such a joyous fashion, Suri decided to land for awhile to better appreciate the view from the ground and to give Orion a better description for when he should wake. He seemed to have great difficulty picturing things from her perspective in the sky, that and he always seemed interested in knowing what she did with her 'waking' hours seeing as he slept quite soundly for most of them. She hated to go far from him in that vulnerable position of sleep but today was such an awesomely beautiful one that she could barely resist the temptation of a thirty-five minute flight. Swooping back down to earth at an alarming rate Suriel only just noticed as she slighted to the right for yet another perfect landing that the caves were not altogether unwelcoming. It seemed there was someone else nearby or just around the corner, her mind started its usual panicked flurry of worried thoughts. Whoever it was, was standing right outside the cave she'd left Orion in to sleep away the day.

Had they noticed someone was in there yet? or had they come to admire the view on such a lovely day? In a single blindingly white flap of her wings Suriel leapt up onto the rock face, diving up and around the corner in a protectively witty maneuver, she would not have normally tried if not for the fact that it was a gorgeously sunny day and that it seemed a shame to have to hide her god given wings away from mortal sight. Besides, her forever distractingly accurate empathy ability for once wasn't working as it normally did. Whilst she could sense the others presence quite easily she could not read his emotional state, feeling slightly alarmed by that fact and hoping to scare the person senseless to gain something of an emotional outburst she propelled herself even further with a slight surge forwards. The air passing underneath her wings tugging tight at the usually unrestrained muscles in her wings as she flew around the corner of the caves in an almost catlike pounce.

It was only at the last second that she realized who and what she was pouncing on as her soft slate grey eyes grew wide and large with the strenuous effort of taking everything in, a man in khaki pants with a white shirt casually rolled up at the sleeves to his elbows exposing his rather admirable forearms. It was only then that she noticed his wings. His beautiful snowy white feathers and rather large wingspan, it was slightly larger than her own but then again why would one want to be the same as every other. Originality was key after all to one's own identity, as quickly and as suddenly as her expression had changed from a tremendously surprised almost shocked one it turned to that of an astoundingly playful puppy. With a delighted squeal of pleasure and joy at having found another of her own kind, Suriel almost forgot that she was in a stupidly outrageous dive and that she was about to crash into her new found friend... Ohh dear.

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Malachi had just lifted a hand to run his fingers through his dark hair when the tell-tale whoosh of wingbeats caught his attention. Instinctively, before even registering that it was a little white-angel girl that had been about to tackle him, Chi had already dived into a forward roll, dodging the other angel's excited pounce. Unfortunately, he had attempted to do a forward roll while standing on the cliff's edge, which launched him rather clumsily into the empty air above the valley.

Thankfully, flying came as naturally to Malachi Logos as it did to a bird. Monstrous white wings unfurled onto the rushing air with some force-- Chi's wings were not something you wanted to get close to in a fight, not in the slightest. He righted himself in air, and managed (with a little clumsiness) to flutter back onto the lip of the cave mouth, the angel's hair now all asunder and his face a mask of surprise.

And who was it that had surprised him so? Why, now that he actually was paying attention, not just reacting to the fact that something rather large had been coming at him very quickly, he saw the angel before him.
The centuries-old-man had to laugh.

"Well I'll be damned." An ironic, silly thing for an angel to say, which was probably why Chi said it. He was undeniably just and upright, but he was a very old man, and such a dark sense of humor was not too off color for him. Not out of character, either, was his tendency to give people nicknames in Hebrew, his favorite language. It was especially common in women he met. This woman he'd playfully dub malach katan, 'little angel.' "Hello there, מלאך קטן . I honestly had no idea it was an angel coming after me, hah. Oh! Sorry...are you alright?" Of course, he was concerned that he's scared her or she was upset about something. She had made some sort of squealing noise, after all. He could've tried to sense her emotional state, but where was the point in doing that for an angel? He knew he could trust another of his kind to always speak the truth, or at least to do what was most righteous.

At this point, Chi would finally get around to checking the contents of the cave at his back. However, it being so dark, he was unable to see anything past the receding light in the cave mouth. No, as far as he could tell, it was just the two angels present on the ledge there on such a nice day. The man's hands slipped into the pockets of his slacks as he now took a moment to study the angelic thing in front of him. She was either one of the exalted humans-- those who had started as mortals, lived exemplary lives, and been promoted to angelic beings after death-- or she was one of the Old Ones, the angels who had been in existence since the very start of the world, as he was. In the former case, he'd only know her if he'd run into her before. In the latter case, he'd recognize her from heaven by some cue or other; her appearance now, however, might not mirror how she looked in heaven. Perhaps he'd know this angel's name? Or she would know his? He would give his angelic name, just out of curiosity.

"I am Zadkiel, or Malachi here. And you are?" There was a genial smile on his face. His heart was at peace, for now, and all was well in his eyes. It was clear to any onlooker that Chi was feeling relaxed and easygoing for the moment, his feet easy in the sparse grass and posture slouching very slightly under the weight of those gigantic wings of his, which were now curling up behind his back.

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Suri crashed heavily into the ground as Malachi rolled out of the way at the last possible instant, rolling once, twice almost three times she landed in a rather muddled heap. Her knees folded in underneath her as her adjoined legs stuck out behind her in odd angles as she sat on them her head hung low as she held her hands together in her lap. The amount of happiness surging up within her was almost unbearable, she couldn't recall ever meeting another Angel other than her lost and fallen brother Rahab, his violently unpredictable nature had been the reason for her descention though she no longer remembered this either. She was vaguely aware that he had cursed the damned, though it seemed meant as more of a statement of relief than a purposeful admonition. Too wrapped up in the flood of emotions now coursing through her veins, such happiness and joy she had only felt once before but that had been almost a decade ago and yet this seemed to feel slightly different.

"Hello there, מלאך קטן . I honestly had no idea it was an angel coming after me, hah. Oh! Sorry...are you alright?"[/i]

Suri shook her head sideways with a sob, she wasn't alright not by a long shot. Though she found it inextricably delightful at being named 'Little Angel' in the old tongue, she was almost at bursting point with all this happiness. Her sob although it might have sounded sad was merely her crying with happiness, she was not injured or hurt in anyway far from it but the longer she sat there the harder it was to contain herself. Trembling now with the effort of holding it all in she suddenly came to the realization that she didn't have to, of all the creatures that walked the earth bog or small surely another White Angel of all beings would understand her joy at finding another. He himself seemed surprised by her sudden appearance as was she to his and as she sat there her identity more or less still hidden by her human disguise she heard his name.

"I am Zadkiel, or Malachi here. And you are?"

Suriel gasped she knew that name from somewhere... but where? It had been too long since she'd been in heaven and after the traumatic experience of her first rebirth Suriel had no memories of that time. Leaping to her feet with an uncontrollably joyous cry as her own silver tears streamed down her face, Suriel suddenly became aware of the ground water beneath them and drew on it to help clean her wings now mottled with dirt stains. Three small geysers of pure clear water erupted from the earth were she stood bathing her entirely as she answered both his questions at once. "My name is Suriel, and I am more than okay at having met another of our kind..." she answered ecstatically as the water slowly receded, leaving her in her usually unseen Angel form. Her wings were still white yes but they were no longer feathered as they once had been. Taking on the color and unpredictable movements of a raging waterfall as they flowed and folded behind her back, her hair that had once been golden like the sun was now a deep sea green changing intermittently with the color of the sky which was a crystal clear blue shade.

Her clothes too changed from being that of a blindingly snow white dress to her heavenly attire of blue, this was not a show however to please the other more of an introductory courtesy as she never usually got the chance to show her true form to anyone but Orion. "I didn't mean to scare you Zadkiel, only defend that which is hidden here in these caves..." She murmured, feeling quite embarrassed now that she'd jumped the Angel in such a fashion. It was not usually in her calm well-mannered nature to attack without first having been given cause but the day had muddled her senses with its astounding beauty and abundance of gifts. So much so, that she'd barely had time to think.
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( FUCK YOU PROBOARDS. I definitely wrote this post 4 times. Not even kidding. Just thought I'd preface this with that little tidbit. )


Malachi had escaped their little encounter with little more than a smudged shirt and a rapid heart rate. The girl, on the other hand, had come out rather the worse for wear. She had rolled a few times, that much was clear from the amount of dirt that covered her and the hair and feathers that were stuck up at odd angles. She seemed rather dejected, as well, judging from her hunched posture and her head, which was hung low and sad-looking. He was extremely concerned at this—and especially at the fact that she shook her head ‘no’ and sobbed in response to his inquiry into her health.

Still, he’d refrain from using his empathic power. It had been a useful crutch for him when he’d first come to earth out of heaven, when he hadn’t understood body language and social cues, but now these things came more easily to him. Using his empathetic abilities now seemed pointless. He didn’t need magic to know the little angel was unhappy; how surprised Chi would’ve been to find that she was actually overcome with joy.

Was she…trembling? Surely she’d hurt herself somehow, or was scared of something, or…well, he wasn’t sure what. The large angel would step forward hesitantly, as he might’ve stepped toward a skittish animal, one hand moving out in a gesture of goodwill. His wings would naturally open behind him, pushing forward so that the bony top of the wing faced the girl and the tips of the feathers pointed behind him. It was the natural complement to the act of lowering his posture, a stance both cautious and deferential, somehow.

He introduced himself, however, and everything changed. The girl gasped in recognition and leapt up like a springbok foal, her whole self a-shake, excited and small. Malachi was very lost. She looked happy, though the strange kind of happy where you cry instead of laugh. And then…she summoned jets of water from the ground somehow to cover her? It was all rather flabbergasting for poor Chi, but he tried to take it in stride. Perhaps she had a summoning power and…something? Yeah, he was lost. Malachi had never been known for his brains.

Finally, though, the water subsided and a completely different-looking angel emerged from the little deluge. ”Suriel? Suriel the Flood-bringer?” Malachi was quite sure he recognized the name correctly, especially now he saw that in her true form she was indeed very…watery. She was an Elder angel, then, since she had an angelic form besides the one she wore on earth. It was the same with Malachi, though he didn’t really think it was necessary to take off his earthly guise for the time being, not unless she asked. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it, it was just…a bit showy, all lights and purple flames and ethereal transparency and whatnot. And, well, if there were any humans that happened to be in the area, Chi certainly didn’t want them seeing him in such an unnatural form.

Still, it was nice to see an angel in the Old way for a change. ”I’m glad to hear that you’re not upset or unwell, then. I was worried there for a moment.” Malachi chuckled, a very charming, hearty sound. It was a bizarre sight for an onlooker, gentle, plain ‘Chi having a casual conversation with this angel who looked like a living waterfall.

”Don’t worry about, just a little shock. Protecting what’s in the caves? And what would that be?” He hoped he wasn’t being too nosy, he was just feeling very curious at the moment…

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Suriel squealed with delight, as he finally seemed to recognize her. "Not just the 'Flood-bringer'..." she pouted, momentarily displeased with his admiration of the most gruesome of her arts to date. She took no pleasure in killing thousands of evil-doers, even if god had so commanded her to. Suriel was the angel of healing after all and one of the very few death-bringers, as old as time itself not that she'd remember it. Though in Zadkiel's presence she seemed to remember more and more of the commands she'd been given once upon a time. When suddenly he spoke again, Suri relished every note and every tone in his voice almost like a little lost puppy might at the sight of its owner. Though he did not actually own Suriel she felt compelled to answer every question he aimed at her. It seemed his curiosity matched her own in every way if not having exceeded it.

”I’m glad to hear that you’re not upset or unwell, then. I was worried there for a moment.”

Suriel beamed at him, as if something so small and insignificant as a crash could even dull her cheerful mood today. She didn't understand how he could be so worried for her but the thought didn't hang around long in her mind, lasting only a few moments before it too disappeared into the swirling black oblivion of her lost memories. She could only giggle lightly as a light breeze whipped up her hair and the watery substance of her wings, flapping them in anticipation of another flight like a small restless sparrow. It was hard to contain Suriel when she was in such a mood, ecstatically joyful and over-abundantly happy. As she fluttered for a moment, she couldn't fly very well in this form mostly due to the fact that her wings were made of water but wasn't worried it would only take a second to revert back to her half-human form then she could fly again. Soaring on the warm thermals, lifting and weaving this way and that. Before diving, falling like a stone to rise once more from the tips of the cliff, the lightest touch of the earth and she'd be airborne again. Ahh, even the thought of flying sent a flurry of excited shivers down her spine.

Suriel was so distracted by the thought of flight once more and the delights of mortal life that she almost missed his next barrage of questions or statements she wasn't sure which as she caught a fragment of the conversation. "...Protecting what’s in the caves? And what would that be?” Suriel squealed excitedly again, more enthusiastic about her newest discovery than any flying opportunity. She had so much trouble containing herself she couldn't help but turn back into her half-human, half-angel form to dart over to the caves entrance where she'd left her sometimes-mortal-immortal-night-walker of a partner asleep. It seemed a long title to bestow upon one she so adored, so she merely called him by the name he had been given by his parents. "Orion...?" she asked Malachi who obviously had no idea of whom she was speaking of, her tone and general demeanor seemed to change at the mention of his name though. Suri had suddenly become softer, more relaxed as though this spoken word alone inspired her to do something great.

"He is my partner, the one who captured my heart and holds it still..." she replied, ducking inside the caves momentarily before returning to indicate that Malachi follow her. The caves smelt badly of frequented Lycan and ancient Werewolves but Suriel didn't seem to mind as Orion was not the only one worried about the lack of interest in this place. They had collected another on their journeys and as much as Suriel wished to show it the outside world the orphaned Neko child was hardly ready. Folding her wings almost completely away, Suriel walked at a brisk pace down the weaving corridor of stone that almost appeared to be carved by teeth and claw. The Lycans and Werewolves that had once called this place home, seemed to have deserted it in favor of the city now that their war had reached full scale assault. Then as quickly as they'd entered the cave opened into a small alcove big enough for three or four bunks that were dug into the sides and a small smokeless fire in the center, the fire was not truly smokeless but it was just small enough that it could not arouse any suspicions from either the air above or the land below the cliffs.

Orion had chosen this particular spot to camp, although Suriel had originally chosen caves. It was Orion's belief that this small alcove was the better of the many places inside the cliffs to hide. Making her way past the warming fire that sparked embers slightly in the gust of air she drew behind her, Suri made her way over to Orion's huddled form. Instead of waking him though she lifted a tiny folded up bundle from the bunk above his head, heavily wrapped in blankets the creature made a tiny movement stirring slightly as she began moving back towards the fireplace to warm it up. Unfolding the many blankets surrounding it in a pouch-like fashion Suriel revealed a little Fox Neko not more than a year or two old. Curled up soundly in the many layers of protectively warm bedding it purred lightly, barely opening its bright emerald green eyes a moment to notice it was indeed Suriel before closing them again the lulls of sleep that overtook it. Children always surprised Suriel, so much undying love from such a tiny creature. It was truly amazing just how much wonder and inspiration they invoked in ones spirit. "Isn't she gorgeous?... Her mother died recently and we rescued her from slavery. Her name is Kitsune..." Suri beamed, speaking quite softly so that she wouldn't wake either the small Neko or her life-time partner from their much needed sleep.

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"Not just the Flood-bringer..."

Malachi had to chuckle at her pouting face, like a fond father-- his usual demeanor. "Of course not, מלאך קטן. It is a sad fact that our greatest works are sometimes the most painful, I'm sorry. You've made up for it over the years, I'm sure. There is a balm in Gilead." The angel's smile was somber and compassionate. The angel of mercy, surely, understood the harder parts of the angel of healing's job, as she probably understood his. It was heartbreakingly common for the most merciful solution for some to be death-- Malachi did not see himself as a killer, but he had taken lives, certainly. A sad thing, the death of a mortal, but sometimes necessary. Still, when they passed, he knew they passed to a happier afterlife, and that made the action easier.

The angel, still in his human shape, watched as the watery angel before him seemed to float and shimmer in the earthly breeze. A strange thing, to see an angel in it's real shape in this world. It had been a very long time since Malachi had seen another, and even longer since he himself had felt the six wings he possessed in his original form instead of the two he had in this one. But he'd excited her (again!) with his next question, and so she whisked back into the human disguise their kind used and bounced off to the cave mouth, admittedly not far away. She spoke a name, which had an obvious effect on the girlish angel.

"He is my partner, the one who captured my heart and holds it still..."

"Ah, I see," he murmured respectfully. Angels were the sorts of souls who formed strong bonds and gave love freely, and relationships between the earthbound angels and various sorts of people weren't uncommon. Malachi'd had his share of such things. He watched with scrutinous eyes as the angel ducked within the cave for a moment, not really understanding that he was to follow. It was only after she returned to indicate that he follow did he recognize that he was meant to come with her. And so, into the darkness they went, large wings folding back onto their backs in the small space. Malachi immediately began emitting a faint glow; it was a natural habit for him, to use his holy aura as a flashlight. The angel tended toward utilitarian pragmatism of that nature.

The caves they were in were rather fascinating to Chi. He did not smell the lycan in the place; he had the senses of a human, after all, but he could see from the walls that they'd been carved by hand, and were not terribly old. Cinder stained the ceiling where small fires had once been to light the way; the floors and walls were scarred with unmistakable claw marks. It was bare moments before the claustrophobic passageway opened into a circular room, which allowed Chi to loosen the tightness to which he'd been holding his wings to his body. An interesting little sleeping quarters this was, and cozy, with the warmth of the fire not escaping easily.

The male angel stayed closer to the doorway as Suriel breezed over to the sleeping mass of what he assumed was 'Orion,' taking slow steps into the room as he took the whole thing in. He was lost in thought for a moment, imagining the construction of this place and the sorts of things it'd been used for in the past, until Suriel stepped back towards the fire, bundle in hand. He'd have thought it was just an armful of blankets except that the angel held it like a babe-- and sure enough, that was what was inside. He stepped closer, the angel's ageless face settling into an easy, adoring smile at the sight of soft little ears and a button nose. Neko were a strange new breed, but undeniably cute, and babies even more so. And what angel didn't fawn over children? Stepping closer now, Malachi watched the babe slumber peacefully, safe in her foster-mother's arms.

"Isn't she gorgeous?... Her mother died recently and we rescued her from slavery. Her name is Kitsune..."

"Beyond a doubt. Little Kitsune, what a stroke of luck that she found her way to you, poor little one." Chi mimicked Suri's soft speech, too enamored with the child to really concentrate on the man sleeping nearby. Although, if he was the partner of a white angel, surely he wouldn't be terribly violent or excitable....

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Ooc: Sorry it took me so long to post Feathazz/Malachi, I did have a lengthy post written out last time i was online but it got eaten by Proboards and now my Modem wishes to die a slow and painful death... *Sighs* Technology. -_-"

He'd taken her breath away, she had no air. She was suffocating in a world full of hatred, violence and war. Even with the passing of Rahab she still felt like she was slowly dying little by little and yet she was so blissfully unaware. Orion seemed to have that effect on her, everything seemed to move into the background when he was around. His emotions became hers, whether good or bad. Making situations such as this almost intolerable, as she sat cooing at the Neko child encouraging it to eventually wake up and play. The poor thing had been through more than most, in its short lifespan to date. Losing its mother seemed to have the most frightening and traumatizing impact, in her brief connections with the creature. Suriel tried not to lean her consciousness on the tiny creatures’ if she could help it, the child was so fragile and innocent she didn’t wish to traumatize or injure it further if she could avoid it. Though her mental influence wouldn’t kill anything, it was amazingly bewildering to be surrounded by a calm and endearing wash of emotions. The sensation was like your mind being submerged in an unbelievably large expanse of clear, blue ocean. Though of course, this had little effect on Malachi and Suriel felt somewhat humbled in his presence.

Ever so slowly breathing, his rising and forever falling chest. Curled up into a tight ball to try and hide from the light now filling the cavern. Bouncing off the stone walls and shining in his face, Orion growled bitterly to himself. He wondered why Angels constantly felt the need to shine light into the darkest corners, it provided hope for those who needed it but for a nocturnal creature such as himself, it was more than an annoying irritation. He was about to tell Suri to turn her darn lights out when he heard another voice, the voice of another male. Orion was not particularly defensive of anyone or anything, nor was he in the general custom of fighting over a woman but he felt given his extraordinary lengths at keeping Suriel earthbound he had some right to at least be with her whenever he was able. Though he truthfully hadn’t expected Suriel back for a few more hours, not until sunset at the very least. He was surprised to see another angel with her, for a moment Orion thought he might be dreaming or seeing double. Then he remembered the sound of the other males voice and figured this must have been who was talking, though it was almost impossible for Orion to glance in Malachi’s direction without being blinded by his eternal light. Orion was not unused to such strangeness, particularly from the likes of angels.

Unsure if Malachi was a good or bad angel, Orion still feeling slightly irritated made himself known. ”Do you plan on shining that light over here much longer?...” He growled in annoyance. Lifting himself up on his elbows with a wince, as he tried to see what exactly they were both fawning over. It had never really occurred to him, that Angels might prefer the company of small children, to even that of their own kind. Orion still wincing to try and block out as much of the damned light as possible, flung the filthy hole-ridden blanket off the rest of his body. Getting to his feet, an arm barring his eyes from eventual blindness under these extreme conditions. Orion snarled a little louder, obviously whoever this was had Suriel’s complete trust or they would not be examining the sleeping Neko child. Nor he hoped would Suri bring an enemy into their quarters whilst he was sleeping but Orion couldn’t help but feel a little protective of Suri in her fragile state. She had no recollection of most things friendly or otherwise and as far as anyone could tell she had no memory of what her life had been like before ten years ago. Orion had filled in the blanks for some of the time, as they’d been together for some time before she’d died but even he had no idea what Suriel had done previously or for that matter what she’d managed to accomplish in heaven or if she had a family there besides her brother Rahab who was now destroyed or in hell where he belonged. Suffering all kinds of punishment seemed the only way Orion could survive, if he’d thought all his pain would end once he’d found out the truth of Suriels death he was sadly mistaken. There was still so much he had to learn and so much he had yet to do, their daughter Charlotte ranked amongst the highest on his checklist but there were other things he’d like to do as well. One of which was finding that little Neko child a family of her own, though Kitsune’s mother had died in the bonds of slavery Orion believed she had family elsewhere that might take her. He didn’t want to abandon the child for the sake of being rid of it but almost being selfishly indulgent he just wanted things to be the way they were before.

Still cooing over the child and making a fuss as Kitsune eventually woke up, to smile at her White angel protector. Suri almost missed the fact that Orion had been rudely awaken before nightfall as well, her head turned sharply to one side as she heard his voice. Clearly irritated and annoyed, she could tell he wanted answers as to why she’d brought someone here that they didn’t already know. At times she found Orion’s impatience trying, though today it was understandable given all they’d been through. She thought maybe if she could smooth things over with the grumpy vampire he might be able to make friends with another creature that for once wasn’t of his own kind. Though truthfully he had made other friends in the search for her murderer they’d all but moved away from the city now in an effort to help the vampire lord Kayen win this war and stop the treacherous ring of slavery drowning the city in evil. ”Orion… this is Malachi. He’s a good angel like me…” She beamed happily, speaking to Orion softly. By introducing them she hoped he’d calm down somewhat but the only emotions she got from their strong invisible bonds, were those of bitter annoyance and a sour irritation that prickled her skin as he looked in her direction with those angrily glowing blue eyes of his that seemed to always contain the color of a chaotic rain storm. Swirling grays, blues and even a few dashes of black or navy blue. The color of a creatures eyes always gave Suri’s curiosity a burning edge of intrigue as she sat cradling the Neko child once more, she noticed Kitsune had quite lovely green eyes a fact she’d seemingly missed before.

This time it was Orion’s turn to lean against her mind, his anger exploding across her calm waters as she allowed him access to her thoughts and feelings and through the bridge he’d created she had access to his ”I didn’t mean to upset you… he’s good and I trust him” Suri explained, getting a word in first may have helped her cause but she increased the wash of guilt, joy and happiness at having found another of her kind that wasn’t bad or trying to kill them. Letting him make up his own mind as to whether he should pursue this argument or leave it as is and give Malachi a go. ”You shouldn’t have brought him here… not without asking first but if you trust him… then I have no choice.” Orion answered her with a frustrated frown, as though words and feelings alone could not explain what he felt about this situation. She understood his tentative nature towards newcomers, she herself was wary around others more so than usual these days. Letting her relief and boundless energy flood across the gap between minds, she felt almost offended when he suddenly shut her out. She had all but forgotten that her feelings could overwhelm him to such a degree, forgiving him at least for now she went back to addressing Malachi ”This is Orion… he’s a vampire, so not entirely happy about your lighting arrangement.” she smiled warmly, speaking as though on behalf of Orion though he didn’t seem to pleased about that either.