Prophet
Apartment
They appear quietly in Balor's apartment. Death is subtle, when he's allowed to be. It's humans who are flashy.
Valentine is still sprawled sleeping upon the couch. Balor was curled next to him, but he wakes immediately, wary after years of being hunted. Death can feel the power he automatically gathers around himself. He hesitates when he sees Sadie smile, open and sunny.
“Is Balor here?” she asks softly, reaching out to him.
“Yes....”
“I'm Sadie, and this is Death.” Sadie can feel Balor rummage around in her mind, and wishes his touch was more delicate. She understands that he's afraid, though, and stays still. He leaves her and leans towards Death, then recoils strongly. It's more power than Balor's ever felt, and it feels ancient. It frightens him, so he pulls away, standing protectively in front of Valentine. “We're not here to hurt you, I promise.”
“A lot of people have said that to me,” Balor snaps.
“I am Death, child. I will take your soul someday, as I must, but until then you will not be harmed.” Sadie twines her fingers with Death's and tugs.
“Shush. You sound so pompous. We need your help, Balor.”
“Okay...”
“The angels are after Death, to steal me away from him. I'm a prophet, and they would use me.” He nods, looking far older than he is. But Sadie is easy to trust.
“Alright. You can stay.” Sadie reaches forward, searching for his hand. She manages to find it, and grips him tight.
“Thank you.” The vampire wakes up then blinking groggily at Death. He jumps to his feet after a moment, hissing.
“He smells wrong, Balor.” Balor just sighs, waving a hand. Sadie smiles brightly, turning towards Valentine's voice.
“Hi, I'm Sadie.” He bows over her hand, suddenly charming.
“An honor, Sadie.”
She blushes and grins. “Are you the vampire? My dreams have started smelling of blood.” Valentine backs up, bearing fangs.
“How did you know that?”
“I'm a prophet. I see a lot of things.”
“It's all good, Valentine,” Balor says, suddenly cheerful. Valentine peers at him, curious.
“They feel weird, but they're not evil.” Valentine shrugs, accepting it. Death puts a hand on the small of Sadie's back and smiles thinly. He's fond enough of humans, but they make little sense to him. Full of emotions and confusion and lies, their lives a brief flit of color against his eternity. Sadie is clear and direct. Sadie makes sense.
“You will block out any sense the angels could get of us. You're polluted,” Death tells Balor, not meaning to be unkind. Sadie frowns anyway, trying to elbow him but missing.
“Death!”
“I apologize. I meant only that your mixed blood is confusing.”Balor's mouth twitches as he sits next to Valentine, both of them tense. “I don't require sleep, but Sadie will.”
“I can sleep on the couch, or the floor,” she says brightly, brushing at one of her bullet holes. Death knows it doesn't hurt, but the boys squirm, looking away.
“What, uh, happened to you?” Valentine asks.
“I was shot a few days ago. It was an accident.”
“Oh. I'm sorry.”
“I don't mind.” Death guides Sadie to a chair, then moves to stand beside her. “It'll be like we're room mates,” Sadie says excitedly, looking at the wall over Valentine's head. The boys smile uncertainly, trying to catch her eye.
“Uh...”
“She's blind,” Death says softly. “It's common among prophets.”
“Oh.”
“I can see when I've got a prophecy. I saw you, Balor, and your snakes, and a video game you were playing. I think we'll get along fine, by the way.”
“That's...that's good.”
“You know, I didn't know any of this existed until I met Death, but now I know everything and it's kind of terrifying but also really cool.” Sadie settles herself between Valentine and Balor, not noticing the way they flinch away from her. She just smiles.
“She smells wrong,” Death can hear Valentine say later, when Sadie is sleeping.
“I'm pretty sure she's dead, but...not,” Balor whispers, casually shifting closer. Valentine smiles at him, softer than usual.
“Like a zombie?”
“No. I've met zombies before, and she's not one.”
“She's nice, though.”
“Yeah.” Valentine puts his head on Balor's shoulder. Balor catches a drift of his thoughts, happy and warm, a little pleased. Valentine doesn't make him nervous anymore. The feel of his mind is quickly becoming familiar. Balor falls asleep, wakes up beneath him, their legs tangled.
Valentine is still sprawled sleeping upon the couch. Balor was curled next to him, but he wakes immediately, wary after years of being hunted. Death can feel the power he automatically gathers around himself. He hesitates when he sees Sadie smile, open and sunny.
“Is Balor here?” she asks softly, reaching out to him.
“Yes....”
“I'm Sadie, and this is Death.” Sadie can feel Balor rummage around in her mind, and wishes his touch was more delicate. She understands that he's afraid, though, and stays still. He leaves her and leans towards Death, then recoils strongly. It's more power than Balor's ever felt, and it feels ancient. It frightens him, so he pulls away, standing protectively in front of Valentine. “We're not here to hurt you, I promise.”
“A lot of people have said that to me,” Balor snaps.
“I am Death, child. I will take your soul someday, as I must, but until then you will not be harmed.” Sadie twines her fingers with Death's and tugs.
“Shush. You sound so pompous. We need your help, Balor.”
“Okay...”
“The angels are after Death, to steal me away from him. I'm a prophet, and they would use me.” He nods, looking far older than he is. But Sadie is easy to trust.
“Alright. You can stay.” Sadie reaches forward, searching for his hand. She manages to find it, and grips him tight.
“Thank you.” The vampire wakes up then blinking groggily at Death. He jumps to his feet after a moment, hissing.
“He smells wrong, Balor.” Balor just sighs, waving a hand. Sadie smiles brightly, turning towards Valentine's voice.
“Hi, I'm Sadie.” He bows over her hand, suddenly charming.
“An honor, Sadie.”
She blushes and grins. “Are you the vampire? My dreams have started smelling of blood.” Valentine backs up, bearing fangs.
“How did you know that?”
“I'm a prophet. I see a lot of things.”
“It's all good, Valentine,” Balor says, suddenly cheerful. Valentine peers at him, curious.
“They feel weird, but they're not evil.” Valentine shrugs, accepting it. Death puts a hand on the small of Sadie's back and smiles thinly. He's fond enough of humans, but they make little sense to him. Full of emotions and confusion and lies, their lives a brief flit of color against his eternity. Sadie is clear and direct. Sadie makes sense.
“You will block out any sense the angels could get of us. You're polluted,” Death tells Balor, not meaning to be unkind. Sadie frowns anyway, trying to elbow him but missing.
“Death!”
“I apologize. I meant only that your mixed blood is confusing.”Balor's mouth twitches as he sits next to Valentine, both of them tense. “I don't require sleep, but Sadie will.”
“I can sleep on the couch, or the floor,” she says brightly, brushing at one of her bullet holes. Death knows it doesn't hurt, but the boys squirm, looking away.
“What, uh, happened to you?” Valentine asks.
“I was shot a few days ago. It was an accident.”
“Oh. I'm sorry.”
“I don't mind.” Death guides Sadie to a chair, then moves to stand beside her. “It'll be like we're room mates,” Sadie says excitedly, looking at the wall over Valentine's head. The boys smile uncertainly, trying to catch her eye.
“Uh...”
“She's blind,” Death says softly. “It's common among prophets.”
“Oh.”
“I can see when I've got a prophecy. I saw you, Balor, and your snakes, and a video game you were playing. I think we'll get along fine, by the way.”
“That's...that's good.”
“You know, I didn't know any of this existed until I met Death, but now I know everything and it's kind of terrifying but also really cool.” Sadie settles herself between Valentine and Balor, not noticing the way they flinch away from her. She just smiles.
“She smells wrong,” Death can hear Valentine say later, when Sadie is sleeping.
“I'm pretty sure she's dead, but...not,” Balor whispers, casually shifting closer. Valentine smiles at him, softer than usual.
“Like a zombie?”
“No. I've met zombies before, and she's not one.”
“She's nice, though.”
“Yeah.” Valentine puts his head on Balor's shoulder. Balor catches a drift of his thoughts, happy and warm, a little pleased. Valentine doesn't make him nervous anymore. The feel of his mind is quickly becoming familiar. Balor falls asleep, wakes up beneath him, their legs tangled.