phoenixstrut | [AU] For the Greater Good

"Huh." Zaveid... is still very neutral on this. Absolutely no indication how he feels about that - other than he's not giving any indication how he feels on it.

"Well, you're here. I don't care if you want to spend time poking around in the mud." .... Okay maybe he does care a little- "... Okay, I'd rather you didn't pull things out unless its real clear they're sick."

At least he gets a bit of a grateful look at that, even if it's brief. She turns her attention to some of the more wilted flowers near the bench and reaches out a hand, Light filling her palm. "No need to uproot them... They've been here much longer than me, anyway."

Even before she touches them, the flowers seem to reach for her and blossom to full health.

She sighs. "I... probably should leave the manor at some point, though..." Maybe that's some guilt in her voice, because uh... oops.

He's quiet for a good couple minutes, a kind of twisty feeling like he's debating something.

So when he speaks up, it's a little slow, and that weird neutral. "While we don't have much that's super fancy down here... We could go out to lunch tomorrow."

Yes he's offering an excuse to go out and with someone-

"Or the day after." And trying not to pressure her into yep let's get you out asap.

She looks at him in surprise, masking it too late, and tries to feel him out. There's that... strange neutral again...

"I'd like that," she tells him, actually brightening a little. Despite the awkwardness between them... They are married. "My, um... schedule isn't exactly...busy."

Or existent. She really needed to find something to fill it with, now that she had devoured most of the law books he had had sent to her. "Maybe you could show me around, too...? Probably fewer ways to get lost that way..."

"Walk up an appetite, walk to settle after." Said thoughtfully. Yeah, that works.

"Be ready to head out around ten, then." a tickle of amusement and

It's a date.

He will be out in the morning, and returns a little before ten to fish in his dresser.

... So slightly torn jeans and a hoodie seem to be his choice. Dubious if he's got a shirt on under that....

Her smile brightens just a little more, even as he leaves to do... whatever it is the King does.

She's ready the next morning, and while it's obvious she's casually dressed.... she still looks much more the part of Royal in her leggings and heels. Even a thin, silvery-gold band sits atop her head. Old habits drilled into her die hard.

Oddly enough, though, she... doesn't hate his own outfit, even if it's a bit unconventional.

"So... where to?"

"I don't think you ever answered my pizza question," the wedding night anything you don't eat-, "so for now, left side entrance." Because the right side is half collapsed and probably not a good reminder to her that she's married a terrible demon king-

He will hold doors for her and... Mm, does she want his arm? He's not exactly dressed for that sort of fancy walk, be she kinda is, might be an angel thing. Well, he sticks sort of close anyway.

"So time to ask again - anything you don't eat?"

She blushes, immediately reminded of why she hadn't answered him.... hadn't he somehow dimmed the lights and drawn her in with just a look in his eye-

"I... tend to eat light?" She told him, stepping through the open door and glancing over to him, resisting the strange urge to set her hand on his back as they walk. She shakes her head. "But I also love a cheeseburger every now and then, too, so..." A pause. "Raw meat?" Dove, no one eats raw meat-

Well, he has occasionally, but it wasn't with the purpose of eating raw meat-

"Either fish isn't meat or you don't like sashimi." Raw fish on rice, it's technically meat right-

They don't get too many looks - not the looks Dove might expect from demons noticing their King is just walking by. Of course, she can probably tell it feels like he's sort of.... Everywhere, to be quite honest.

Looks like they're not in an area with much food.

"O-Oh, no! I like sashimi," she corrects, pushing her hair back. "I just meant like.... super rare steaks and stuff."

She's surprised at how easily they're able to walk through the streets, even with the occasional glance. Either their disinterest is just that strong, or perhaps Zaveid is just that... terrifying? She's not entirely sure, but she doesn't seem to mind much, even if she still sticks out a lot too much for her liking.

"So... do you have a favorite or... non-favorite?"

"... Not really. I gotta be in a mood to want really sweet things, usually." Despite what he ate at reception -

"Most of the time I just find something that smells really good." And from around a corner, his stride pauses.

"Like that. Whatcha think about teriyaki?"

She tips her head back to look up at him, brow raised. Hadn't he conquered their dessert table while she had been changing gowns-

She blinks at the sudden stop, not...entirely sure where he's talking about. "Um...sure? Teriyaki is good."

There's a smile in return. Yes, he did, it was stress eating, one of those moods he mentioned -

"Right over here, then." Do you want his arm, Dove, even for a casual link? He's offering it, as he focuses on a door a couple down from where they are..

Doesn't look like much, but there is a faint smell of teriyaki...

Oddly enough, the smile has her relaxing a bit more and she links arms with him-properly, as she's been trained.

There's a bit of pep in her step as they head for the restaurant and the smell. "You know, I haven't been to a 'hole in the wall' since New York..."

It's no secret that her team had all but forced her to permanently reside in the High once things had begun to settle.

"And we're mostly holes in the wall so it works out, doesn't it?"

Here, he even has the door with cheap electronic bell for you, Dove.

A demon lady pokes her head out, asks if it's for here or take out, and tells them to sit anywhere when Zaveid says here.

Despite the slight awkwardness of the previous weeks and the fact that... no one really seemed to care who they were, or at least, didn't show it much, Dove is almost a little shocked at how well their 'date' goes. While certainly not romantic, it was nice to have a friend again, or, at least feel like maybe there could be hope for them afterall.

Once they're full and Dove finally promises the woman they'll definitely be visiting again, it's back out the door and onto the street again. "So... now what?" She's obviously down for letting him lead, as her navigation skills are... more than questionable. "Anything fun nearby to show me?"

Sure, they're close-ish to the slums, but...

Zaveid hums a little, hands back in his hoodie's pockets.

"Depends on your idea of fun. There's some really old buildings that are rare in the middle?" Dove the whole area might more or less look like slums- "Dunno if architecture is your thing. ... A couple of parks?"

Although, in his thought that well, she liked the garden, so parks it is, they will be heading past a pretty rough looking orphanage.

As intrigued by the architecture as she might be, Dove nods, but agrees with his idea to visit the parks- she's curious about what sort of things might be considered 'recreational' down here and... what state a 'park' might be in or how well it could be tended. Though she tries to hide it, her hopes aren't set too high.

As they pass the orphanage home, she slows her walking, clearly more invested in the children playing in the yard than their path to the park. "What's this...?"

Zaveid thankfully doesn't ask if she's never seen an orphanage before.

"I think... This one is the parents were unfit to look after them, and..." How can he put this delicately. Not many demons look to add more children to their probably already thin budget?

"Still waiting on homes, foster or otherwise."

For a moment, it's pretty obvious that she's in shock. Demon and Angel children are so rare... how could there be an actual orphanage full of them here?

Though slow, she doesn't fully stop, snapping out of her borderline horrified stare when she realizes she's caught the attention of a few of the kids playing whatever game it had been. Instead, she offers them a little secretive smile and a wink as she heads along.

Even as she turns her attention back to the king at her side, wildflowers start blooming over the dry, dying grass, much to the delight of the weary looking children. She can't afford to stop on this tour... but she does make a note to come back at the sound of distant coughing.

A part of her wonders if they've ever seen flowers like that before.

"We don't... have those in the High..." She shakes her head. "Homes, I mean. Like that."

"It's.. I'd rather have them here, then let the middle system keep them. Most of them won't have any telling traits, but puberty hits all over the place and demon nature shows not long after that."

He... totally didn't make a silly face over her head at the kids. Flowers, huh.... Well, the light and gardens and things.

That was...fair.

"But still... so many? Angel children are so rare... I just assumed..."

Her face goes pink. There's a lot she's 'just assumed' over the years, despite being one of the least conservative of her kind.

She might not have caught the look itself, but the thought does nudge at her anyway along with the spike of playfulness from him.

"...Do you like kids?"

"I'm working on the whole.. sleep with the humans and leave them with the consequences thing." Because how else are a lot of demon children popping up- "But vices are strong with humans - it's not hard for demon lines to show up."

Zaveid tries not to have much more than a second's confused thought of wait, she barely stands touching him, why is she thinking about babies.

"They're good. Some get messed up by where they're at, but they're good."

Now that's an interesting answer on it, isn't it.

She frowns. Like... personally? Or... in general for all demons-

She decides not to think on it too hard. "Right... That's a precaution the High really doesn't have to take... Our older laws are really strict about that sort of thing." Human children with only half blood were considered dangerous; their interactions with their charges were to be limited- strictly business, lest they actually create a new race. "They're not too fond of nephillim either," she added with a dark frown at her feet. Sure, her choosing to pair with a demon 5 years ago had been the worst thing they could have imagined. Now, of course, since it had been their idea, it was just fine. "Though I guess when it's under their control, it's acceptable."

Disgruntled with her own kingdom? Understatement. Though... a part of her had to admit they had been right about him. She could only hope they were right about Zaveid.

She looks up at him again, confused and maybe looking for some clarification. "I'd think that would fall on the adults around them, wouldn't it? Or... lack thereof..." Fishing? Yes.

Yeah don't think too hard on whether that was a personal answer or not. But don't be surprised by a lack of contraceptive prep in his room - its not like he takes anyone home, after all.

Well, fortunately half demons just seem to become closer to full demon. Who even knows how many are just 'demon' anyway-.

Zaveid snorts. "That could explain a lot of Magilou's rambling." Cryptic again, right. Why does it seem like the demon court has a better read on the angels than the archangel does? Hmmmm. Zaveid wonders if he should actually bother Duke and see if he knows why.

"Yeah. They all start with a good place, but. Shit happens and you get messed up kids, or-" a quick irony smile, glancing over at her. "little angels, somehow." he means it in the way the humans in middle, mean it.

[AU] For the Greater Good

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