set fire to the roses on my grave

we must always be willing to be more savage to the angels

rip up their flesh and reveal them to be nothing

He’d heard about Halo, he’d heard about Zariah coming back into town. And there’s a part of him that remembers the Advocates had struck a deal with the then-Queen. So perhaps, now that he’s got the control over it, he can figure out exactly what Lucas had them doing for the woman. Still, the thought has his lip curling slightly, the idea of dealing with yet another form of monarchy isn’t exactly his favorite thing to do.

That and he’s in a rather shit mood to begin with, seeing as things have gotten particularly difficult for him as of late.

Regardless, he sends a note to Zariah, mentioning to meet him in the Temple to chat – because he’s certainly not inviting her to the Advocates hangout – and takes a seat in one of the front pews, his steel eyes lingering on the shrine before them. He hasn’t come to thank Safrin for the companion yet, nor is he sure he remembers if he’s thanked her for the panther form he sports now too.

Another time.

And so he waits.

how willing you must be to kill angels

and how willing they must be to let you do it

SuNJATA

Zariah the Merciless

"No one gives you power - You take it"

So Lucas was dead. A pity. He’d been entertaining. But men in his position never lasted long, and neither did her mourning over him. It seemed someone knew had taken over the Devil’s advocates and still had some interest in…some sort of an arrangement with her. She just hoped they lived up to the hype that Lucas had left behind.

The sound of her heels clicking against the temple floor would announce her arrival long before her voice did. She came to a stop a few pews back, hands shoved into the pockets of her tightly fit pants. She was taking advantage of wearing a very low cut top as well. Perks of the warm weather. ”You’re Sunjata, I take it?” she asked, her voice smooth as velvet.

we must always be willing to be more savage to the angels

rip up their flesh and reveal them to be nothing

Lucas was certainly dead. As was Edrei, both of which holding major hands in the Devil’s Advocates. And now with Adam’s uncertainties of what to do with said guild, it all landed right onto his shoulders. He hadn’t complained, really. Hadn’t thought about it much. But their numbers have dwindled spectacularly, and dramatically once more. Frustrating in and of itself.

Still, he hears the click of heels and his head lifts, pushing up against the pew to stand. But he makes no attempt to approach, a simple turn to face her when she addresses him. “That I am.” He offers, a slight dip of his head in greeting. “My condolences about Edrei.” Another quiet offering, something he can’t help but to say. Lucas, Edrei, and Ezra were probably his favorites at the beginning of the guild.

And now they’re all gone.

“Thanks for meeting me. I asked you here to go over what Lucas and you had planned when you were in power.” A somewhat avian tilt to his head as he regards her. The Temple, despite its openness was empty aside from them. No prying ears, no prying eyes. He’d made sure of it.

how willing you must be to kill angels

and how willing they must be to let you do it

SuNJATA

Zariah the Merciless

"No one gives you power - You take it"

Zariah nodded back, accepting his condolences. But she didn’t really need them. That was not how Launceleyn’s mourned. She would get the retribution Edrei deserved for those who contributed to her death.

So he was after information. A cool smirk curved her lips. ”Lucas had arranged to take care of any dirty work I had need for while I was Queen. In return I would turn a blind eye on his activities where I could.” she said, shrugging a bit. ”But Now I help rule over Halo. What use am I to the Devil’s Advocates now? Surely you’ve some arrangement with the Voice’s puppet you now all call Queen.” she said, lifting her darkly painted, pointed nails up to examine.

we must always be willing to be more savage to the angels

rip up their flesh and reveal them to be nothing

She doesn’t react to the comment about Edrei other than a nod – which is what he expects in the end. And while he hadn’t been close to the woman, he did respect her. He’d been burned too many times by flames of other natures to know when to not get involved where he wasn’t particularly wanted. But a cold smile mimics her own as she replies with the information, exactly the sort of idea that he had from the beginning despite Lucas’ wish to keep things mostly quiet for the rest of them.

But now? Now she helps rule over Halo, that place of cold and ice that he really wants no part of other than more information. “Just that, mostly.” He offers, an accented rumble and a dip of his head. It’s really all he’s after was figuring out what sort of arrangements there were. Instead, since he hadn’t met the ex-queen, he was after what she was like.

The mention of an arrangement with Wessex causes a low chuckle to leave his throat as he shakes his head. “Not quite. Flattered you think so.” An easy transition of information for information. “I’m more of a man of opportunity. I just like to see what options are out there just in case there’s better ones out there.” A tilt to his head. No, with the blight wreaking havoc on many people, with the approach of LongNight and the events that occurred there? They hadn’t done anything at all, really.

Other than talk. Lots of talk. But she doesn’t need to know that.

how willing you must be to kill angels

and how willing they must be to let you do it

SuNJATA

Zariah the Merciless

"No one gives you power - You take it"

She hummed, low and considering. Hazel eyes raked up and down his form as she approached again. Each step slow, deliberate, the click of her heels and the stance of her frame exuding her predatory nature as she began to near circle him. His Attuned instincts might not appreciate it, but she didn't care. Lucas' reputation had preceded him. This man was nameless, faceless, and unknown to her. One arm remained around her waist, cradling her opposite elbow as her hand lifted to rest her fingers under her chin. "Better options? Please, dear, I was the better option as a child compared to this Ascended puppet." she said softly, tone low and velvety. Zariah was a woman who knew what power was and how to wield it in her sleep. It was a game she played while it was a battler Wessex fought.

Or any natural from the Hollowed Grounds really. None of them would know order if it slapped them in the face.

"The real question is why would I help you? What have you to offer me? You, a boy who looks barely a man, trying to fit in the shows left by the ruler of hell." she said, pouting slightly as one pointed nail tapped against her chin. "I won't make arrangements with someone unproven, you see. Nothing personal. Purely business." she said with a hint of a smirk.

we must always be willing to be more savage to the angels

rip up their flesh and reveal them to be nothing

She begins to circle him, that annoying click of heels casting her direction and he has half a mind to roll his eyes at it. He doesn’t; and instead doesn’t let her finish her vultures circle, stepping out of it and crossing his arms across his chest, steel eyes narrowing on her smaller form. She might have magic, yes, but to rely on it so heavily was a shame when he had managed to do what he did completely on just himself.

And then she tells him that she was the better option and he snorts at that. “Actually, memory serves that you were the only option. And that many here, myself included, care little for the likes of monarchies.” A tilt to his head, voice flat despite the accent as he regards her.

But he wonders if he’s hit something personal for her, to so willingly attack his person outright. A boy? Please. A smirk crosses his face at her attacks as his head remains tilted. “Oh, I wasn’t asking to work with you. I was just curious what details I may have missed when we did.” Turns out he hadn’t really missed any. His records, his coded book had been right on the money, up to date. “Lucas was a lot of things, and ruler of hell he may have been. But even the ruler of hell can die from being struck in the chest by a tree I suppose.” A light shrug at that. He doesn’t want to fill in Lucas’ shoes. He wants to blaze his own path. It’s cute she thinks he does.

“It seems we can agree on that, though. Proven worth.” A wink as he reaches for his jacket to begin to leave. “I only invited you here to see again, what the options were and had been. Seems I have them. So thanks.” He gives her another smirk before he moves to leave.

how willing you must be to kill angels

and how willing they must be to let you do it

SuNJATA