It took another hour or so, but all the decorations did eventually get put up in the right places, and to broad smiles all around, the party was started. Unsurprisingly, Cass had been asked to provide most of the food, and as usual, he’d cooked in industrial-sized quantities, which would perhaps be helpful here. Kaz placed her hands on her hips, satisfied with her work, but when she turned to say something to As, she found him gone. He was still in the area, so she just shrugged and went to go talk to the other three for a while.
Asmodeus had, in fact, been pulled aside by Kazehaya, or as the demon knew him, Uriel. “A moment, if you would, As?” he said, and his tone was unusually serious. Leading the demon back to his office, he tossed a few of the trappings of his costume onto his desk, and rolled the right words around in his mind for a moment before speaking them.
“She’ll kill me if she ever finds out I said this,” he prefaced, and from the wry smile on his face, it was obvious who he was talking about. “But I feel obligated all the same. I’ve seen the way you look at my daughter, Asmodeus, and I’ve not missed the way she looks at you, either.” He leveled a knowing stare at the demon, the deep blue eyes his daughter shared meeting bright red. There was something hard there, and unrelenting. It may ordinarily be easy to forget that this man had once wielded power as great as Raphiel’s, but in this moment, the reminder was very potent indeed, and the air shifted slightly. Uriel had regained quite a lot of what he’d lost when he fell, more even than Cass yet had. That was the doing of his Chiyo, and his children.
“I won’t tell you not to pursue her, because that would be stupid, and honestly probably impossible besides.” He grinned, the expression tinged with paternal affection. He knew well how wonderful and bright his daughters were—they had saved him, too, after all. “But I am going to tell you to be careful. Kaz is tough, and more than capable of meeting her problems head-on, but there’s a part of her that’s surprisingly fragile. So I’ll only say it once: don’t fuck this up.”
Asmodeus had very much felt like the young teenager who was picking up his girlfriend for a first date when he entered Kazehaya's office. Frankly, he felt absurd. But with the shift of power, it was very easy to forget all of that in an instant. Wings or no, presences this powerful made even him uncomfortable. Still, he could completely understand where the man was coming from. That in mind, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. There was a half-smile on his face when he spoke.
"After what that girl has done to me, there's no way I intend to fuck anything up." His wings unfurled. "She's saved me this far, the least I can do is love her as she deserves."
If anything, Kazehaya’s smile grew wider as he observed the obvious change in the demon prince. “So, you got them back, did you?” he asked, nodding in answer to his own inquiry. “They make miracles, those girls. They’re the best thing that ever happened to me, and that includes everything that happened before. I’m glad you understand what that’s like.” His face softened, and this time, there was nothing stern in his tone, though it was serious all the same.
“You do that, Asmodeus. And never forget to let her love you, too.” He stood, crossing the office, and opened the door, gesturing for the demon to precede him out. “But there’s a party we’re missing, so let’s go back before we’re missed, shall we?”
Asmodeus chuckled, shaking his head. Being on earth had changed the angel, for certian, but it was also for the better. "I think the more proper saying is that they are miracles." he said as they rejoined the group. The demon's eyes lit up as he honed in on Kaz, linking her arm with his as he approached her. "You know, as scary as your father is, he can be a bit hard to take seriously half-dressed in a santa suit."
Kaz smiled brightly at his sudden reappearance, but then his words registered properly, and a look of horror crossed her face. “Oh, for the love of… he didn’t.” Her tone was flat, and she shook her head, resisting the urge to run a hand down her face. “I’ll kill him one of these days, I really will.” For all that, though, her hand found his, and she laced their fingers, squeezing gently. She was at least relieved that As seemed to have taken it humorously. She got a lot of her traits from her father, deep down, even if he generally acted like an idiot, and it was important to her that they got along.
“Sorry about that. He sometimes forgets that I’m an adult and can make my own decisions.”
Asmodeus chucked. "He did, but then, he is your father, I think he has the right. I'm just as old as he is, you know. Meeting your mother turned him into a giant teddy bear. Of course," His eyes danced as he glanced above them. Either Kaz had stood there under it waiting for him, or she hadn't been paying attention. Either way, they were both under it now, and that meant only one thing.
His hand brushed across her cheek softly as he cupped the side of her face, bringing it close to his own. He kissed her softly, smiling the whole way through, probably even moreso when a few of the younger kids nearby errupted in fits of giggles, 'ews's', and made faces sticking their tongues out. "You've done the same to me, so I guess it's only fair."
She’d never been the kind of person with a lot of shame, but Kazehana kept her end of the kiss well within standards of public decency, and it was something sweet and light and soft. She had not known she was standing under any such plant, and she was actually pretty sure that stalk used to be elsewhere, but it would seem like Carlisle the clinic poltergeist was up to his usual shenanigans. She’d have to thank him, this time. Poor guy probably wouldn’t know what to do with himself. “Mm, I hope not entirely,” she said softly. “I’d feel guilty, thinking what I’m thinking about someone defenseless.” Her eyes flashed, belying something much less appropriate for public settings, and the next part was thought and not spoken for that very reason.
You’re lucky there are other people around, Asmodeus. Someday, there won’t be. A suggestive pause. Now, let’s go find some mistletoe to shove Cass and Tsuki under.
As's eyes lit up and he chuckled slightly. "Oh, is that a promise?" This was one of the many reasons the Demon had fallen in love with the girl. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, or with it, either. Hopefully sometime rather soon there won't be people around. He grinned and let out a laugh at her suggestion. "I like where this is going, I'll go find Reindeer Games. You find the mistletoe."
Asmodeus had, in fact, been pulled aside by Kazehaya, or as the demon knew him, Uriel. “A moment, if you would, As?” he said, and his tone was unusually serious. Leading the demon back to his office, he tossed a few of the trappings of his costume onto his desk, and rolled the right words around in his mind for a moment before speaking them.
“She’ll kill me if she ever finds out I said this,” he prefaced, and from the wry smile on his face, it was obvious who he was talking about. “But I feel obligated all the same. I’ve seen the way you look at my daughter, Asmodeus, and I’ve not missed the way she looks at you, either.” He leveled a knowing stare at the demon, the deep blue eyes his daughter shared meeting bright red. There was something hard there, and unrelenting. It may ordinarily be easy to forget that this man had once wielded power as great as Raphiel’s, but in this moment, the reminder was very potent indeed, and the air shifted slightly. Uriel had regained quite a lot of what he’d lost when he fell, more even than Cass yet had. That was the doing of his Chiyo, and his children.
“I won’t tell you not to pursue her, because that would be stupid, and honestly probably impossible besides.” He grinned, the expression tinged with paternal affection. He knew well how wonderful and bright his daughters were—they had saved him, too, after all. “But I am going to tell you to be careful. Kaz is tough, and more than capable of meeting her problems head-on, but there’s a part of her that’s surprisingly fragile. So I’ll only say it once: don’t fuck this up.”
Asmodeus had very much felt like the young teenager who was picking up his girlfriend for a first date when he entered Kazehaya's office. Frankly, he felt absurd. But with the shift of power, it was very easy to forget all of that in an instant. Wings or no, presences this powerful made even him uncomfortable. Still, he could completely understand where the man was coming from. That in mind, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. There was a half-smile on his face when he spoke.
"After what that girl has done to me, there's no way I intend to fuck anything up." His wings unfurled. "She's saved me this far, the least I can do is love her as she deserves."
If anything, Kazehaya’s smile grew wider as he observed the obvious change in the demon prince. “So, you got them back, did you?” he asked, nodding in answer to his own inquiry. “They make miracles, those girls. They’re the best thing that ever happened to me, and that includes everything that happened before. I’m glad you understand what that’s like.” His face softened, and this time, there was nothing stern in his tone, though it was serious all the same.
“You do that, Asmodeus. And never forget to let her love you, too.” He stood, crossing the office, and opened the door, gesturing for the demon to precede him out. “But there’s a party we’re missing, so let’s go back before we’re missed, shall we?”
Asmodeus chuckled, shaking his head. Being on earth had changed the angel, for certian, but it was also for the better. "I think the more proper saying is that they are miracles." he said as they rejoined the group. The demon's eyes lit up as he honed in on Kaz, linking her arm with his as he approached her. "You know, as scary as your father is, he can be a bit hard to take seriously half-dressed in a santa suit."
Kaz smiled brightly at his sudden reappearance, but then his words registered properly, and a look of horror crossed her face. “Oh, for the love of… he didn’t.” Her tone was flat, and she shook her head, resisting the urge to run a hand down her face. “I’ll kill him one of these days, I really will.” For all that, though, her hand found his, and she laced their fingers, squeezing gently. She was at least relieved that As seemed to have taken it humorously. She got a lot of her traits from her father, deep down, even if he generally acted like an idiot, and it was important to her that they got along.
“Sorry about that. He sometimes forgets that I’m an adult and can make my own decisions.”
Asmodeus chucked. "He did, but then, he is your father, I think he has the right. I'm just as old as he is, you know. Meeting your mother turned him into a giant teddy bear. Of course," His eyes danced as he glanced above them. Either Kaz had stood there under it waiting for him, or she hadn't been paying attention. Either way, they were both under it now, and that meant only one thing.
His hand brushed across her cheek softly as he cupped the side of her face, bringing it close to his own. He kissed her softly, smiling the whole way through, probably even moreso when a few of the younger kids nearby errupted in fits of giggles, 'ews's', and made faces sticking their tongues out. "You've done the same to me, so I guess it's only fair."
She’d never been the kind of person with a lot of shame, but Kazehana kept her end of the kiss well within standards of public decency, and it was something sweet and light and soft. She had not known she was standing under any such plant, and she was actually pretty sure that stalk used to be elsewhere, but it would seem like Carlisle the clinic poltergeist was up to his usual shenanigans. She’d have to thank him, this time. Poor guy probably wouldn’t know what to do with himself. “Mm, I hope not entirely,” she said softly. “I’d feel guilty, thinking what I’m thinking about someone defenseless.” Her eyes flashed, belying something much less appropriate for public settings, and the next part was thought and not spoken for that very reason.
You’re lucky there are other people around, Asmodeus. Someday, there won’t be. A suggestive pause. Now, let’s go find some mistletoe to shove Cass and Tsuki under.
As's eyes lit up and he chuckled slightly. "Oh, is that a promise?" This was one of the many reasons the Demon had fallen in love with the girl. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, or with it, either. Hopefully sometime rather soon there won't be people around. He grinned and let out a laugh at her suggestion. "I like where this is going, I'll go find Reindeer Games. You find the mistletoe."