phoenixstrut | [AU] For the Greater Good

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.

"'Rambling?' Magilou is the... eccentric one, right?" Maybe it would be best for her to turn the subject again, at least, partially. So cryptic... What information, exactly, has she been feeding the Demon King, if any?

She rolls her eyes at the grin, but gives him one right back, even if it's fleeting. "We do our best, where we can. It's just... difficult with their Nature." Human nature. 'We'. As if she can still barely consider herself more than a guardian.

She pauses again at an intersection, waiting to see which direction he'll take them next, back to the Grounds or further into the city. Either way, it's strikingly obvious that she's lost, though she does look back to mark where the orphanage is once more.

"That's a way to describe her." Zaveid laughs.

.... He doesn't want to know, with how Angels have their whole guardian role, what happens if they find out their child in need of help is likely to turn out demon, just because of blood. Where they are for kids stuck in shitty middle systems.

And so with that twist of a mood, he looks down both options ahead, trying to remember.

"You like trees, right?" Whether she answers yes or no, Zaveid is heading toward a 'park'. So it's basically a patch of semi maintained forest, whatever.

She doesn't press for any more information on Magilou, though she does make note to pay a little more attention to the things she says around the woman from now on.

Instead of letting herself sink into thoughts of her grandfather's reign, she glances up at him, then down the paths... then back to him again, bemused. "Trees are...good?"

Even as she follows him, she mulls over the many different directions she can take the conversation. For now... maybe some fishing, since he seems willing to placate her with... trees.

"...I bet the rock scene is pretty spectacular here on the weekends." The aesthetic, at least, fits.

"You'd think, but its been quieter shows. I think maybe the previous king wasn't into rock, it's close enough one of those would probably be heard at the manor." Or maybe his attack of the manor scared people off. Who knows-

Does he hear puppy whines?

"I could work on convincing them to use the spot, if you like that kind of music."

She gives him a confused look; did he not... know the previous king? Then how-

"I mean-"

Puppy whines? Those are definitely puppy whines. But where...?

Nope, Zaveid's stomach ended up knowing him but Zaveid didn't know him for too long-

He tilts his head this way then that, and starts off toward some shrubs.

There's definitely something moving under it. Maybe a couple somethings, fuzzy and four legged and rather small.

She hangs back a bit, watching him, then follows... cautiously. Whatever this is feels familiar, even if...

Her eyes go wide. "O-Oh..."

Terrified? Or completely awestruck by adorableness?

Zaveid sure hopes its awestruck by adorableness, because he crouches near the puppy hell hounds, scooping one up and giving it a once over.

"A little too little to be by yourself, aren't you?"

Dove, he's going to hand you this tiny puppy and go searching with the other for Mom..

"Oh- I-"

She tenses visibly but takes the puppy as he hands it off to her, her eyes wide as a doe's and hands shaking a bit as she holds it out in front of her. She watches Zaveid take a few steps before her eyes are glued to the little fuzzy thing, and she sighs, watching it wriggle too and fro.

".....okay maybe you're not... too bad..."

....but she's still not letting her guard down. The lacing of scars across her torso remind her of too much. Not that her husband would know.

[AU] For the Greater Good

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject