Underworld. A week later.
What could end William's series of successful and happy days? The days when he was able to release his first "animals" he had created for the future Project Mist in the test territory of Silence, with expanded space. A white six, deceptively transparent, wolf-cat mix, with a bias towards the former species, had proven itself beyond William's expectations. All the specimens were killed after only six days, instead of two as expected, taking with them a number of Sinners who had decided to profit at their expense, spreading new rumors about life in the Silence.
In between a small break in the rift of Hell space that wasn't specifically prepared and processed, William chatted with Charlie, who had decided with renewed vigor to take up the cause of the Atonement, deciding to come at it from a different angle that William approved of.
Charlie decided to do research on her subject area. She decided to first gather all the available information for the sake of future analysis and predictions, imitating William herself, even asking for a white coat, because she'd seen it on home TV when "genius scientists do their research thing. The process had taken all last week, surprising Charlie with how difficult and time-consuming it was to gather and select such a simple thing as information.
Charlie chuckled amusedly, quietly and to herself, of course, as she sorted through the natural mountains Lucifer had sent her when she'd written to him and asked him to find "something about redemption and second chances." William had later refined her request, changing and shortening it to "human redemption" to turn a roomful of books, notes, drawings and whatnot into a mere stack of papers, articles and books occupying the floor of the room.
On this day, William was also supposed to meet with Charlie, continuing their painstaking work of sorting and analyzing, but the latter had unexpectedly decided to spend the day with her father, and instead of the usual confirmation letter about the meeting, he found a note this morning.
"
Dear Zephyr, Lord of Silence.
I regret to inform you that my daughter will not be able to attend your friendly gatherings today, due to my husband's desire for private time with his daughter, and therefore, I, Lilith Morningstar, invite you to spend the day with the Queen of Hell.
I propose to meet at the Morning Dawn Mansion in an informal setting, at eleven o'clock in the afternoon.
You may use the seal that came with the messenger to move to the mansion.
Your Queen, Lilith.
"
William wasn't even surprised, having expected something like this to some degree. In Hell, this was bound to happen sooner or later, and William wouldn't even remember that it would be roughly the same on Earth. On God's creation, man goes through the trials of God, here - the soul suffers, a distinction visible even to a mere mind, not that of an Archangel.
William was also surprised by the informal context of the meeting. The very style of the letter, the address, and just the feel of the letter told him that Lilith herself was not averse to casual conversation. Even though Charlie had told him how demanding her mother was, that she made her daughter follow and observe every tone and type of meeting, punishing her if she came to an "almost businesslike but still free meeting of acquaintances" in a T-shirt and shorts, even though she had known her since childhood and was like an aunt to her, Lilith would still demand a dress that would be at least minimally in keeping with the spirit of the meeting.
And this is the Queen's behavior with her daughter, who is strict with Charlie, but clearly makes concessions, and what she does with other "offenders"... William did not want to test it on his soul, and so he wore something between a "royal reception" and a "meeting between a parent and a child's friend".
A black turtleneck with a high collar covering the entire neck and long sleeves, in that they went pants with no unnecessary details or elements, only strict, almost invisible pockets on the front and back side, black shoes in monolithic black. Completing his exit attire was a dark cloak, only a shade lighter than the rest of his clothes, that he threw over his shoulders, "donning" his "look of Silence", once again covering his gray shell skin with a white shell. No cylinder, or elegant vests and scarves, just a cane that no longer glowed with blue energy, but was still identical to his normal appearance.
So, William proceeded with the standard protocol in case of an invitation to the Mansion. He delegated all his tasks to the Constructs, adding to them the necessary Weaves for paperwork, their analysis and thinking, if it could be called that at all, would not allow them to identify complex or new machinations of the Sinners, but those that were fixed, or poorly thought out on a "just in case" level, his substitutes could take action.
The Replicants were once again ordered to work overtime, even though they knew no different, happily willing to work three days in a row. William himself was not averse to this type of work, but the Replicants still needed some rest, if only for their souls.
William recharged the Replicant Construct, a sort of intermediate between the two types, like the Twins, in the church, so that its replacement would continue to serve and listen to the sins and repentance of children, the elderly, and the faithful. There was still nothing to be done about the Warped Ones, but William wasn't discouraged.
Soon he would be able to show the first results, at least to himself. Soon he would be able to do something to correct his mistake, then he would be able to prove to himself that he could do something for people without hurting them.
It was with these thoughts in mind, purposely not thinking about the future meeting so as not to be nervous, that William traveled to the Morning Dawn Mansion. He enjoyed the views of the parody of Eden, Earth and Paradise combined, thought about plans and projects, ideas for Charlie, their relationship, looked at the big mushroom trees, waterfalls and streams, and thought about his future.
And William wasn't the least bit worried about meeting in person the one he had read so much about and never worked with in person! No fear of the one about whom he knew only from hearsay, having never had any personal contact before! One of his past girlfriends had already introduced him to her parents, and it ended well then, they even continued to communicate after their mutual breakup on good terms!
"And yet... If Lucifer truly loves his daughter, allowing and turning a blind eye to many things, if it's for the good of his Charlie, then Lilith...", William thought as he looked around the front doors of the mansion, stopping in front of them.
After all, couldn't the First Woman, the First Traitor and Traitor, just take the....
The doors opened, or rather, they were opened by goat servants, a more adult and creepy version of Razzle and Dazzle by their standard. They didn't say anything to him, just allowed him into the mansion and then helped him remove his cloak, leaving him in only a windbreaker and pants with shoes and a single cane, his white "suit" not considered clothing, now considered more of a far gone joke on himself.
The same solemn red and purple hall with slightly dimmed lights, the same well-kept carpets and banners, the same halls and huge doors with well-kept and austere furniture giving the place a "flavor" of antiquity. William is still trying to get used to the strangeness and "incomprehensibility" to his human mind of the abilities and sensations, somewhat confused in their description.
But still, every time he comes to the Mansion, every time he wanders through these halls, William cannot escape the feeling of... antiquity, instability, and some incompleteness... as if the place itself were unfinished, as if there were something missing... When you pass by a grandiose wall with many patterns and decorations, when you look closely, you feel somewhere on the edge of your consciousness similar "ripples" of something. Not Charlie, not Lilith, not the Von Eldritch children had said anything about it, even when William tried to lead them to the idea, they just looked at him puzzled at best, at other times just called him paranoid, who had gotten to the "madness of the Sinners".
Either way, William shook his head, dismissing the thoughts as he continued his measured stride towards one of the guest rooms where he felt Charlie's mother was. William continued on his way in the same pleasant silence, diluted only by the quiet, barely perceptible on the edge of his hearing, rustling of servants somewhere in the back of the mansion.
William reached the door he already knew, the one Lilith had used on their first official meeting when Charlie had first invited him to visit. The same purple and dark palette, the same beautiful and luxurious curtains, illuminated by the morning light, filling the room with a sense of freshness and extra tidiness, and the pleasant melody of the piano at which Queen Lilith sat, playing some tune unlike any William could hear on Earth or in Heaven.
William entered without knocking, well aware of the subtlety of Lilith's hearing, which indicated her knowledge of his presence with a brief twitch of her head, almost imperceptible to the average person. William's footsteps dissolved into the notes of the keyboard instrument, merging into a measured march of quiet music.
William's eyes lingered again on the seductive features of Lilith's figure. Again the tight clothes, again the purple tone of the garment. Dark pants that tightly encircled her lower body, highlighting her slender and wide hips, along with her graceful legs that went into long, high-heeled shoes. A corset with six gold buttons, three in a column, securing the corset around the waist, also exposing the First Woman's voluminous breasts. Dark gloves, the right one leaving her palm open while the other completely concealed a surprisingly delicate and pleasing looking palm. A long collar concealed the top of her bust, falling off in "spikes" at the end, completely hiding her neck.
Silky long golden hair that seemed to float through the air, deceiving the mind with its semblance of sublimity and divinity. Wrapping around the purple long horns stood out a golden hoop-crown in the shape of a purple flower and hoop, a whole crown stone made like this.
Her back was tall and slender, always straight, as far back as William could remember. Lilith was surrounded by the familiar aura of power, an aura of dominance and superiority. Anyone, even the most foolish peasant, would have recognized her position in their hierarchy at a glance.
But William knew the woman as a loving and caring mother when she shed that mask, revealing to him and Charlie her worries and anxieties. William knew her for nothing, but because of his experience with the ancient Seraphim and Archangels, as well as Adam, who was almost identical emotionally to Lilith, William could even now see behind all the "royal veil" of power, relaxation and peace.
The piano music continued to play, and William, not wanting to interrupt such exciting playing, allowed himself to take a seat on the purple couch, still as soft and pleasant as if he were back in the day. William listened to the music, allowing himself to gingerly dip into the 'voice of Lilith'.
Charlie had mentioned that it was Lilith who had instilled in her a love of music and singing, and the books of Paradise had mentioned the characteristics of Lilith's voice as those that had been able to raise three Rebellions against Heaven. Helsa boasted of a career that threatened to be identical to that of the Queen, when she performed her soul-stirring songs throughout the Rings, "bending them to her will," according to the same rumors and Helsa's words.
This composition also had its own enchantment, not what the still wary William might have expected, scrutinizing his mind and the effect of sound on his soul. There was indeed some influence in this music, but clearly not the "submission" type, more like... Lilith was simply expressing her emotions. Fatigue, acceptance, inspiration, reflection, timidity, intrigue and interest, just a few things that William could understand when he looked at this "ocean". It felt as if not only the piano was playing, but as if the soul itself was adding to the overall composition of the instruments, following the conductor's tone.
Lilith picked up the new notes, and William's eyes widened, not goosebumps, which he hadn't had in a long time, but a remarkably similar sensation. It was as if he were at a performance by a most talented artist. The tone of the music became more active, with notes of boldness, daring to act, and a willingness to change and... accept the past. It was as if Lilith was conducting her monologue to this room, to William himself, sharing a silent story and showing her emotions at the same time.
William didn't know what part of the music he was getting to, but just as it had taken over, just as abruptly it ended when Lilith finished her smooth finger movements on the keys with a final run across the keys, letting a moment of silence fill the room, lowering her hands and covering her eyes as if savoring the aftertaste of sweet wine.
- A beautiful rendition, my Queen. - clapped William quietly, allowing a small smile to be displayed on his mask. Lilith slowly turned her head, golden curls falling behind the movement of her head. White-black eyes met dark blue stars.
- Thank you, Zephyr. - Lilith smiled softly at him, whose voice no longer had such a strong effect on William, perhaps out of habit, perhaps from Lilith's own reluctance. - But still, I must apologize for not being able to meet the invited guest in person. - Lilith said with a touch of annoyance, averting her gaze. - I felt inspired and decided to pass the moments of waiting for your arrival by getting a little carried away. - Lilith's tone of voice and manner of speech were more like her daughter's now than ever, when she was experiencing some form of embarrassment, probably learned from Charlie herself rather than the reverse. Lilith's embarrassment, on the other hand, was as fleeting as a camera flash.
"Nothing, my Queen..." - William waved his hand, nodding.
"When we're not at a reception and alone, we can just go by Lilith." - With a chuckle in her voice Lilith interrupted him, getting up from the piano bench and taking a seat next to William on the sofa, where a set of light appetizers was already ready. - "I heard from my daughter that you prefer earth food?" - Lilith changed the subject, glancing at William, who was also looking down at the dishes.
"Charlie wasn't lying, and I really only use it." - William nodded again, placing his cane on the armrest of the sofa, gesturing to push it through the air. - "But still, not to be rude, but what's this all about?" - William allowed himself some impertinence. Lilith laughed softly.
"Well then, I confess that this meal is personally prepared by me from earthly ingredients mined by my husband. Being the wife of the most powerful entity in the Universe has its perks." - Lilith lifted the cup of coffee, her eyes "allowing the same" to William. He took the Queen's hint, also picking up the cup of tea and sipping it carefully.
Good black tea. Definitely earthy.
"...Do you believe Lucifer is the strongest in the Universe?" - William asked cautiously, wanting to test the boundaries of what was permissible in this conversation. The corners of Lilith's lips lifted slightly.
" I believe Lucifer is the most capable of his siblings." - Lilith closed her eyes, taking another sip of the hot liquid. - "Able to do alone what the others can do when they all come together. Creating this place, demons, earth magic, and a host of other things." - Lilith said with a smile that was both sad and wistful, but also soft and gentle, as if listening to what was being said and sinking into their inherent memories. - "I, from what I've heard, you're into magic too?" - Lilith asked, tilting her head slightly, turning her head toward William, looking into his eyes with white light.
"...That's right, I do consider myself a pretty good magician." - William hesitated for a moment, but quickly regained his firm and easy manner of speaking. - "I appreciate Lucifer's creation and his gifts to mankind, even if they have failed to appreciate them." - William said, gingerly snacking on a chocolate wafer, even though it was quite familiar to him from Earth.
"The tragedy of Ancient Babylon, when my husband wished to pave the way for humanity expelled from Eden to Paradise, do you not know?" - Lilith said in a tone incomprehensible to William, surprising the Fallen Archangel.
"...Only what was told in lessons at school, but without any details like the involvement of Lucifer and, presumably, you and Paradise." - Pausing to recall this almost-missed episode of history. Lilith's attentive gaze seemed to tell him to continue. - "The inhabitants of the unified city of Babylon decided to make their way to Paradise to reach Paradise on their own, but God divided them, creating many dialects and languages, thus explaining the vast number of cultures and dialects." - deduced a brief summary of what William was reading, watching as Lilith tiredly covered her eyes.
"I'm talking about the Babylon that was in 'my' time, the time of the Old World, when people hadn't spread out all over the world and there were only a few large cities on Earth with all the people living...before Babylon so to speak." - Lilith's eyes lowered to the table, and there was a wistfulness in her voice that was unusual for such a woman. - "Lucifer wanted to give the people what they had been deprived of, thought he could outsmart God and his brothers... He failed." - Lilith looked directly into William's eyes again, again silently asking.
"I suppose there were no wise men or past-life souls back then to offer advice, or at the very least those who could... bridge the gap between the two sides." - William had been given no explanation for this event that he had dared to skip even in Paradise, so he tried to speak as abstractly as possible, but to make his words still fit the situation. -" He can't be judged for the attempt itself, only for the result of it, but even here we can make allowances, wisdom and omniscience don't just appear." - William blurted out as Lilith looked him silently in the eyes. There was no malice or goodness in them, that look was not familiar to William.
It seemed to William sensibly that he had made a mistake somewhere, said something that could only offend a soul who knew that story, but Lilith did not comment on his words.
"Then, I apologize for my digression." - Lilith nodded, blinking slowly, regaining her former vigor and a certain predatory tone in her voice. - "Will you share my daughter's progress in your 'venture'?" - The corners of Lilith's lips lifted slightly in a smile hidden behind the coffee cup, while her eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Charlie's doing well and she's very happy to be doing what she's doing." - William nodded quickly, also changing his tone of voice to a more relaxed one. - "We're trying out a lot of things she's come up with, right now, for example, we're gathering information for Charlie's future projects, with Lucifer's active help." - William's words caused a brief twitch of Lilith's elegant eyebrows, but she did nothing more.
"Is that so? You won't bother to tell me what you're looking for and how my daughter...?" - Lilith hid it carefully behind her voice and manner of speech, but the very essence of her words spoke of a great interest in her daughter's activities. No matter how she tried to appear aloof and cold.
And so they conversed. William told various incidents of communication with Charlie, sometimes trying to change the subject to something that interested him, and Lilith pressed in a sweet voice, not allowing to ask or change the topic of conversation.
That said, Lilith would occasionally make odd clarifications, asking rather specific things, under the pretense of talking about Charlie .
"...And what do you think of the very idea of the Atonement? Doesn't the idea seem naive?" - asked Lilith, who, according to her own daughter, had been the most supportive of her actions, right after William had told her about his going with Charlie to the houses of Silence to advertise the Church of Silence, where Charlie had decided to lure sinners with the body of his Replicant.
"It's naive, you might even say stupid, but Charlie wants to try and bring it to life. I believe that such a thing deserves at least respect, and at most, if Charlie succeeds, the highest gratitude, for it will mean that I will be able to ascend to Heaven." - William answered promptly then. He was tired of answering such questions from Charlie's loved ones. They asked it all the time, only Lucifer did not suffer it, believing that they would inevitably fail.
"But, what if the Sinners themselves don't want to take that chance?" - Lilith continued to insist, looking intently at William, who couldn't help but sigh. The Queen of Hell was persistently taking the negative side of this dialog. William found it difficult to give a definite answer, leaning more towards entertaining the Hell Queen he had read so much about.
Though, William couldn't be sure of that either. He had seen and interacted with this type of behavior before, where ruse upon ruse, and there were two hidden in the plan. As Adam had said of those angels and Cherubim - "they're fucked up as fuck .
...And as much as William didn't want to admit it, at least in relation to the mother of a soul close to him, but Lilith had really started him off on...what was it Eina used to say? "nagging" or 'fucking with his brain,' William couldn't call this excessive opposition anything else, for he remembered her blessing for her and Charlie to go out on the Day of Extermination.
Lilith had more interesting things to say.
" ...But what if Charlie wanted to help not only Sinners, but demons as well?" - Lilith didn't change her calm tone in any way, letting neither irritation nor excitement enter her. - "What if she wanted to make it so that demons could go to Paradise as well?" - Lilith tilted her head then, exposing a purple flower to the falling light, making it appear brighter.
"Demons are a different story, Lilith." - William had discarded the remaining formalities at the beginning of the dialog, beginning to be careful to call the First Woman by her first name. - "They were born in Hell, so they have no sins before God, but their history, their very nature, dictates their dominance and personal superiority. From what I hear, they just don't want to change or adapt culturally, which makes them a threat to Heaven, where souls are much more naive and pure." - William sighed, recalling similar discussions with Sera and Adam. They had used the same arguments William was using now, while Lilith had asked similar questions to William's.
"...Can't they change, or do they not have the Rainbow in them?" - Lilith let a playfulness into her voice, and William couldn't hold back a tired groan. He had told Charlie more than once that calling the conditional "Good" that was in every soul "Rainbow" was not a good idea, due to the associations associated with it.
"Of course, even among them there must be exceptions and possible candidates, but even so, this is a very painstaking endeavor, requiring careful attention and thorough research, with loyal allies, and all of the above are only the minimum requirements for the task." - William sighed, leaning back on the back of the couch, setting aside his empty cup. They had almost finished their treats, and William drank a second cup of tea, while Lilith limited herself to the first.
" And what would you do if the demons or Sinners didn't appreciate your efforts, didn't accept them, or just used your kindness for their own good?" - Still the same strange tone, a mixture of many emotions and shades of tone.
" Then, I would deceive them by twisting my words in any way to make them take advantage of what was offered, and when they started the process, beginning to change, gradually reveal that veil of secrecy to them." - William's words made Lilith's eyes widen and she sighed dramatically. - "Either one would simply seek out isolated instances, gradually introducing them, or actively use brute force and manipulation, ring those would only understand such language." - William shrugged, gesturing to his cane, beginning to play with the stone.
"But what about your ideas and plan? Wouldn't you want to change their nature, from the beginning, without putting your truth in opposition to their lies?" - Lilith raised her voice slightly, squinting her eyes.
" I am not so proud or naive as to think I mean anything to them. I can be God to them, but if I can't offer something beneficial to them for demons or the worst Sinners, at least to begin our common work on their souls, then I'll just be wasting my time and resources." - William said, walking his eyes around the room. They had been chatting for about an hour or so, and William was beginning to tire of the conversation.
Lilith didn't answer, pausing in thought for a moment, and then she turned the subject back to Charlie, asking what she thought about what Lilith had said. William gave an honest answer that she was just forming her position on it, and then allowed himself to ask questions about Charlie herself. Lilith's demeanor didn't change, only her gaze occasionally drifted in the same direction.
"Now that the formalities are over, would you care to take a walk?" - Lilith stood up from the couch with elegance and precision in every detail, towering a head and a half above William. She didn't even turn around or wait for William's answer, she simply started her step, and the Fallen Archangel had no choice but to follow the First Woman.
" In that case, I would still like to ask..." - With a quick step, William approached the tall woman, drawing the gaze of silver-white eyes with vertical pupils. - "If you don't mind, please answer. What was Eden like? " - William's question elicited a sigh from Lilith, and the latter, as if out of habit, quickly ran her eyes over the corridors around them, and also, as if listening, nodded.
" ...A place of true creativity and ideas. The birthplace of everything known on Earth, the place of concept and the supposed first city of humanity. The supposed..." - Lilith spoke of Eden with a seemingly familiar note of longing and wistfulness, as if she struggled to remember these moments each time. - "A perfect golden cage, where even animals didn't behave the same way they do on present-day Earth, and angels were free to visit their friends." - Lilith lowered her eyelids slightly, gesturing with her hand to open the double doors leading out of the Morning Dawn Mansion.
" Did you have a friendship with any of the Seraphim or Athanim? Other than the obvious. " - the last part of the question elicited a mutual chuckle from the two souls. They walked down the manicured steps, surrounded by some purple flowers combined with some colors of red or purple...
"These flowers were invented and created by my husband, so their name is known only to our family." - Lilith smiled, looking at William's eyes as their shoes made their way over the hard stone and marble. - "As for the question... I didn't have a strong bond with any of the Elder Seraphim, not the one I had with my future husband. We may have been close or frank, but not like they were with Adam." - It wasn't until the end of her answer that Lilith allowed herself to let the extra emotion out of her voice. Irritation, longing, and resignation.
"What was life like in Eden?" - William asked, deciding to occupy their path with more personal but relatively safe questions about what Lilith herself might have expected. William was also interested in hearing Lilith's own version of what had happened, so he tried to gradually lead them to what he needed.
"To Utopia." - Lilith exhaled with a smile, running her fingers over the petals of the flowers they were passing. - "Day and night had not yet been invented, and so much was amenable to change..." - Lilith began to say, starting their conversation about Eden.
That... slightly disappointed William, who had expected Lilith to tell him nothing really personal and expensive during their first meeting, but the information the First Woman gave would be useful to a truly ignorant Sinner, but not to someone who had been in contact with Adam, the Elder Seraphim, the angel who had been in Eden, and the Fourth Man who had visited Eden.
Lilith told how Eden was a place for the first humans to help the Seraphim who created the Earth, how they performed "tasks", what Uriel, Gabriel, Michael, but often Lucifer, although he spent time personally with Lilith, intercepting messages from his brothers to communicate with the soul he was interested in.
William himself, as he listened to the stories of the animals he had invented, their creation and naming, paid attention to the changed garden... Or rather, Lilith's Garden, which seemed to have become a different place, abruptly changing from the morning sun to a dimmer sky and light. He kept the dialog going, but most of his streams of consciousness focused on the details of the garden that had opened up, or rather...
"Some mixture of Fantasy, probably even the first of the prototypes, and something obscure, probably the same thing the Morning Dawn Mansion is...", William thought, scrutinizing the wonder of Hell that had opened up to him.
Green crowns of trees of various sizes, from small to gigantic. Small waterfalls and streams flowing from large waterfalls. From some of the trees hung vines, either moss or long leaves, from their distance and constant movement it was hard to tell.
Lilith didn't change her tone of voice in any way, not even to comment on their new place, which even Charlie hadn't told him about. They walked along a wooden platform overlooking the river beneath them, surrounded by strange orange or purple butterflies, with glowing bodies and wings painted in strange patterns, but surprisingly pleasing to the eye. Their path took them through fields of purple flowers that seemed to grow everywhere. On rocks, beside the river, beside trees, some were lotus-like, dwelling on the water. Fireflies hovering nearby, added to the unusual evening atmosphere, smelling of the river, flowers, and night air.
" ...And yet, Zephyr." - Lilith's tone suddenly changed to a more... lively one, in which William could already clearly hear the tinges of emotion. - "What do you think of me?" - out of the blue, Lilith asked, turning to him, standing on the edge of their wooden path, looking into the reflection of the river. Hearing William's hesitation, she also complemented. - "This is my private Garden, created by my husband in such a way that it would be difficult for even him to overhear or track us without alerting me. He respects my private time, I return the favor." - Lilith said with a hint of amusement, glancing at a sharply exhaled William.
"Then, if we don't spread this conversation to anyone, I'll be completely frank." - William immediately exhaled, looking at the laughing Lilith with a kind of defiance.
"...I thought I was the one who was supposed to demand such a thing, especially in a place like this, Zephyr." - Lilith smiled her beautiful smile a little wider, slightly exposing her perfectly white and even teeth. - "But even so. I swear that everything voiced in this place will remain only with me, not passed on to anyone intentionally or unintentionally, as long as it doesn't harm my family."
William could even feel the faint bonds of the Oath that entangled a piece of Lilith's soul, so he also didn't stay away.
"I swear that all that I have heard will not leave my soul intentionally and I will do everything in my power to prevent the words of this place from being revealed beyond my will, until it threatens me and my loved ones, or I receive permission." - William literally felt his eyes flash, glowing blue Aether. Lilith smiled softly, looking expectantly at William, tilting her head slightly.
"As for the question itself... Should I speak directly or omit certain details?" - William asked, realizing with some surprise to himself that he wasn't even going to lie or lie in any way. He could blame Charlie, but now he even remembered this girl's approach with some gratitude, for Lilith herself had only chuckled softly as she inhaled the scent of the glowing flowers flying by.
"I'd love to hear what the new generation of souls thinks of this old legend." - Lilith covered her eyes, looking off into the distance at the trees and the colored clouds that now had a purple and magenta hue.
" Then... Lilith the First Woman isn't even remembered." - William's words caused Lilith's palm to squeeze sharply and her shoulders to twitch, but she did nothing more, so the Fallen Archangel continued. - "As far as I know, the original image of the First Woman was taken over by Eve, created for Adam as his wife and his continuation, and the image of the Temptress, what Lilith is associated with has become mixed and distorted. If I'm not mistaken, in only a few variations of the canon, Lilith appears as the First Woman, not as an equal, but as a proud one, wanting more, which is reviled in the texts." - William spoke softly, also looking out at the beautiful scenery. They stopped somewhere on the wooden bridge, in a silence that consisted of the chatter of unearthly insects, the sound of waterfalls and flowing water, and a pleasant cold wind.
"...They don't remember? As far as I know there is information about me and my deed preserved in the books." - Lilith's voice became cold, as if suppressed by rage, but suppressed by knowledge, for rage itself was the primary reaction.
"Or rather, society doesn't remember and doesn't want to know that Lilith the First Changer and Traitor could have any positive traits other than envy, lust for power and domination, and eating children and giving birth to monsters." - William's last words caused Lilith's shoulders to shiver, but she quickly suppressed that reaction, only her experience with Sera, who was small on emotions, allowed William to catch that moment.
" And what do you, Zephyr, yourself think of me?" - Lilith asked in the same tone, turning to face him. - "Please tell me the truth, I will do nothing for the truth."
"...That you are deception incarnate, just waiting to deceive a naive soul, using it for some agenda of your own." - William sighed, leaning on his cane with both hands. - "The public mind associates Lilith as an extremely negative character, and the texts of mages, people who have ever met or have written that they have met witnesses to the Mother of Monsters, have written of her guile, bloodlust, and desire to destroy all that her ex-husband has built." - William muttered heavily, lowering his head. Lilith also looked away.
"And with these thoughts you dared to meet me, only at my daughter's request, wanting to please her..." - Lilith stretched out, there was again something in her voice that William did not understand. Joy, disappointment? There were so many shades in her tone that it would be pure folly to try to solve the mystery. - "Despite such a fearsome image, you dared to face this monster... Hiding behind my daughter, or truly wanting to make a connection with the only soul in this cursed place that would wish you no harm." - Lilith's smile was just as puzzling to William. Lilith lowered her eyes to his mask once more.
"In that case, will you allow me to ask you a question already, Zephyr?" - Lilith put emphasis on the last word, which immediately displeased William. Would they really talk about it, about Leviathan in the room? - "I was terribly interested to hear it, but we just haven't had a chance to talk about it." - Lilith stretched her words slightly, somehow changing her smile again without doing anything for it.
"...What do you mean Lilith?" - William answered cautiously, preparing his teleportation weave just in case. Lilith grinned, either aware of his intentions or amused by the anticipated question.
"Since our very first meeting, my husband has had a rather interesting reaction to your soul, Zephyr, which is why I've made more than one attempt to learn about such a strange soul, supposed to be a simple Doomed, but yet causing such an unusual emotion in the Devil." - Lilith spoke with a note of joy and gloating, if not superiority, as if to assure herself of something. - "Why, after yet another refusal to clarify anything, I decided to find out for myself, making sure that the Sinner was indeed uncommon, carrying something he shouldn't have." - Lilith literally juggled the tones and shades of emotion in her voice, confusing a mind trying to grasp every detail, trying to unravel the many mysteries in just one sentence.
"Here comes the same Queen who spent ten thousand years in this viper, without convention pouring out only a drop and a pitiful shadow of all the possibilities of her language and talent...", William thought with an inner shudder, suppressing his shell's urges to express it to the outside world. He remembered the angels who had done the same, he remembered how much of a headache such dialogs were, and how tedious....
"Since your husband, who obviously knows more about the secret and forbidden than the two of us put together, chose not to entrust this secret to you, his wife and one of his closest souls, is it worth my while to say it, since he didn't?" - tried to refuse to tell the delicate information, already imagining what that one might
"Why would I even be afraid to tell the Queen of Hell about my nature? Suspicion of spying for Paradise, the dangers of nature, apprehension, common sense paranoia... yes, there are many reasons.", William mentally nodded to himself, hearing a dry chuckle from Lilith.
"My husband and I may have grown distant in this regard in recent centuries, but I will not tolerate withholding information as important as possibly important details about the soul our daughter often communicates with." - Lilith said firmly, leaving no shadow of mirth, only her mother's determination, in which sincere concern was clearly visible. William sighed.
He could use this as a "rehearsal" for Charlie, for even Lucifer had noticed how similar their daughter looked to the young Lilith. True, Lucifer had also noticed that she was much kinder and... gentler, whatever that meant. Probably, when he talked about the fact that Lilith in her younger years actively "brought order" in the emerging Hell that was rapidly rolling into the hole where it is now, plus the same rebellions were not organized from scratch, and knowing the nature of demons and their non-acceptance of simple words without confirming them by force....
William could understand why Lucifer, who had seen perhaps all the violence of Hell and Earth, might call Charlie overly gentle in his eagerness to interact with those who, in his opinion, understood only the language of violence.
"I assure you, nothing will change between you and Charlie. Your meetings won't stop, and everything you say will stay between us." - Lilith urged him on, immediately changing to a softer and more sympathetic tone of voice.
" Said the worried mother." - William exhaled, slumping his shoulders and looking tiredly at Lilith, who was still embarrassed, even though it was almost imperceptible.
" ...I can swear an oath on what I said." - Lilith said, so much like Charlie, embarrassed by her own actions, but in a more mature and confident version.
"No need, just give... give me a few minutes." - William rubbed the bridge of his nose, letting his thoughts gather and solve the little dilemma.
He was still surprised at his desire to be honest even in this situation, and it wasn't the influence of Lilith's music, earlier that William had followed closely. No, that was the impulse of William's soul, he himself wanted to speak the truth and...
Not try to deceive the girl's mother, the only soul that wouldn't want to do him the same thing he could do now. William found the situation painfully ironic, but still felt more joy and relief than irritation and misunderstanding himself.
" ...Eh... As you know, Sinner really can't know and be able to do as much as I show him, for it would take him much longer, certainly not on Earth, where such a thing would be limited to his human shell." - William began humbly, under the attentive gaze of Lilith, who was listening to his voice with interest. William gestured for them to continue walking and to his surprise Lilith followed William's lead.
"The soul that went to Hell after the confusion on Earth, where my husband disappeared to an 'important meeting' that lasted exactly a whole day, almost the entire time that this commotion in the human world lasted." - Lilith nodded, and William inwardly cringed. Lucifer had laid it on William, too, either thinking that a soul of his caliber would get to them sooner or later, and William would have to explain himself for Lucifer, or, even worse, he hadn't thought about it.
"Right... And so as not to pull the cat by the tail, I'd like to speak of my nature, for I have indeed fallen to Hyena," William sighed, inwardly preparing himself for all sorts of reactions. - "Fallen from Heaven, stripped of the dignity of Archangel." - William said and heard Lilith sigh. William did not turn around, continuing to look at the already stone road of the forest full of mythical trees, where there were many beautiful flowers everywhere. William made a note of such, memorizing the shapes and types of flowers, some of which even glowed.
" ...Still, an angel..." - Lilith whispered under her breath, nodding, her eyes asking him to continue.
"I died in one thousand eight hundred..." - William began a brief retelling of his life, not so much to make himself look positive as to show that he was fundamentally different from the Sinners, having grown accustomed to a different environment.
He told a story without too many details, like his affair with two Seraphim, one of them an Elder who knew her personally. He didn't talk about the Weave, letting Lilith guess the source of its powers, probably combining what her husband had told her about the Aether or magic. He told her that he had simply been an Angel turned Archangel, working in a high enough position that he might have crossed paths with Adam, whom he had befriended. William made no mention of his knowledge of the Extermination from Paradise, nor did he reveal close relationships with Adam's "coworkers," naming Divisions and Departments only superficially .
"...and then Michael's spear pierced my shell, allowing my consciousness to rest, only to face his Judgment, at which the Seraphim passed judgment on me for colluding with the demon worshippers and Lucifer himself." - William agreed, not including the part about saving Eve, just Lilith's knowledge of his participation in the event of "The Song" that would eventually be called "The Punishment". - "And then I Pal, waking up in Hell, near the Embassy, from where I went for a walk a little later and met a lonely girl on an empty street." - William shrugged, looking around a small clearing in the forest, enjoying the dim light and the blue glow of the magical butterflies.
A long tree, seemingly old and ancient, had many blue glowing insects flying out of its crown, usually butterflies, though there were purple, red, or violet ones among them. Next to the tree, under which there was a lonely bench, a small river flowed, reflecting the glowing crown of the tree under which they sat in silence.
Lilith remained silent, gazing thoughtfully at the sky, barely visible from beneath the crown and all the light surrounding them, or at the water, where winged fireflies flew by, or lowering her gaze to the trunk of the tree. She turned her head slowly, and in that light she seemed even more beautiful and inaccessible to mere mortals, like a work of art sculpted by the finest craftsman. Her bare feet, free from the heels set beside her, sank to the ground, next to the flowers surrounding them.
" In your story, you don't describe God as reverently and holy as the Bible and the Law of Heaven requires." - Lilith said thoughtfully, still not looking at William, who was leaning back against the tree trunk, and who had also put away his cane. - "Isn't a resident of Heaven supposed to be religious and believe in God?" - Lilith looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
" I know there is a God, I know there is a Heaven and a Hell and all things mystical." - William shrugged, remembering similar discussions in Heaven. Dante was indeed a good conversationalist. -I'm not religious, for I think it's more a style of thought that puts God and his postulates as the ultimate measure of man. A kind of modern mystical thinking of the man of the Middle Ages, weighed down by scientific progress and modern benefits." - William allowed irritation and faint disgust to be displayed on his mask.
"I, on the other hand, place man and science at the head of the universe, believing that it is man himself who can forge his own destiny and become something more than nature has given him, accompanied by science as one way of learning about the world and personal growth." - There was a familiar warmth in William's voice that appeared every time he allowed himself to return to such simple times on Earth.
"I do not seek to explain my life by fate or God, but I recognize their possible influence or existence, I am unwilling to close my eyes to the obvious, for it turns out I was wrong and God does exist, as does Adam, as does Eve, as does Lilith and Lucifer." - William smiled softly, remembering his first days and such naive questions. - "Especially in Paradise any faith is allowed, the main thing is that the soul should not disturb others or harm itself, nor lose its Holiness and Purity because of it." - William shrugged, catching Lilith's puzzled look. - "You can even swear there, as well as have sex and drink alcohol."
At these words Lilith laughed. Sincerely, heartily, and gleefully. As if she'd realized an old joke, or remembered one she'd told a long time ago, Lilith didn't hesitate to let William pour all his fun out.
" ... Now... Now I understand why Adam continued to be in Heaven, even though he swore worse than some demons." - Lilith soothed herself just as quickly, wiping away the droplets of tears. - "But, if it's not too much trouble, can you show... your Sanctity and Wings?" - Lilith used Lilith's words, looking at him askance, looking like Charlie again, the only thing missing was the red circles on her cheeks and porcelain skin.
Instead of answering, William just let himself relax. He stopped holding back, feeling the relief of removing the restraining Weaves and Patterns.
With a small pale blue light, above his black-haired head, the mask of Silence William had removed as he spoke, his damaged halo appeared, and behind his back with his quiet pride, his wings appeared.
His quiet triumph, the responsibility for which William even more quietly attributed to Adam, who had been carrying his medication with books and manuals from Raphael's Circle. His wings were no longer pathetic clots of Aether threads, no longer shameful patches on his back full of lines and meaningless runes.
William had regained, albeit not completely, his wings, returning them to their former size and power that now took up almost all of the foreseeable space enveloping him and Lilith.
The light blue light warmed William's soul, and the same black feathers, albeit without the usual runes, pleased the tired eyes of the Fallen Archangel. There was a silence between them, where each thought about his own. Lilith looked at his wings, his halo and skin, while William thought.
"And yet I'm curious about something... a question that has long plagued me about Charlie..." - William stretched out, breaking the silence, surrendering to his newly discovered feelings. - "Why would you even allow Charlie to socialize with some Sinner, knowing full well their modern nature?"
"Charlie has wanted a friend for a long time." - Lilith answered immediately, running her eyes over his halo. - "She stopped talking to us about it after calming Lucifer down, but I could clearly see her loneliness and sadness. She couldn't share her joy, her thoughts and aspirations with an equal, not with a mother who would always support her, not with a father who would fulfill her every whim, but with a soul who would believe in her." - Lilith wasn't looking at him, but her words conveyed a complex range of emotions. - "She has already tried to make friendships with Sinners, getting burned, why not try again, seeing as how this Sinner is different and my husband has such an entertaining reaction to her? After all, if he turns out to be the same Doomed, my husband will take care of him."
William nodded, knowing full well that she had definitely noticed his head movement, but also deciding to ask another question in a flash, taking full advantage of the moment as they fell back into the silence of the moment as Lilith allowed herself to consider the wings of the Fallen Archangel.
"By the way, may I ask a long time interest of mine? " - William remembered a long-standing desire, deciding to take advantage of Lilith's moment of weakness by examining William's unusual wings and halo with slightly dilated eyes. Lilith simply nodded, not noticing the sinister note in William's tone.
" Is it true that you 'wear the pants' in your relationship and are the man of your house?" - William used all the odd words of the Shield Sisters saying their jokes about Lilith and Lucifer, as well as adding a bit of Adam's own words, scolding Lilith in a drunken state.
Lilith's mask gave a crack. Her cheeks flushed and a strained smile appeared on her face. William smiled, carefully suppressing the grin, glad that Adam's joke had worked and at the same time regretting that he wouldn't be able to share this moment with William, so he carefully "recorded" this memory to show him at their next meeting.
Only Lilith's eyes were looking at him reproachfully, as if trying to press, to order something, but William seemed to be on a roll, probably having contracted the same thing from Adam.
"Sorry, another question then." - William summoned a small image, exactly what Lucifer had once shown him, bragging about his daughter. - "Is it true that you wore your armor that you went out to Rise Against Eden, to battle Michael and the Seraphim, to play children's games with Charlie and her husband, like the one where the knight-princess Lulu had to save the red-cheeked princess from the six-winged dragon?" - William grinned, holding up a photograph of Lilith in ancient armor that even in the photo reflected her power, playfully defeating Lucifer in the form of a lizard-snake, who was entangled in a mini-tower where little Charlie, thirty years old and dressed as a princess, was sitting.
" ...What a loon..." - Lilith whispered, looking at William with an embarrassed smile, covering her eyes. - "What you don't do to entertain a child, do you?"
" What about the first one...?" - William stretched out, resting his cheek on his fist, leaning over, still covering them with his wings.
"Why don't you fly around this beautiful place, William?" - Lilith raised her voice, the redness of her face slowly draining away. The fallen archangel told her his name, distinguishing between his three names, calling "Paradise", which he did not, the true one. - "I assure you that every time you gather here, you are free to use your wings, flying into the sky where we can continue our conversation." - To confirm her words, Lilith soared, folding her hands in signs unknown to William and rising above the bench.
William should definitely finish Project Mist, just so that he could have a private, manageable place where he could change at will, where he could soar and rest.
"Why not, Queen." - William grinned, removing the image with a flick of his fingers. - "What do you wish to talk about?" - William stood up, summoning his cane and stretching his wings and soared in a leap, a poorly concealed smile on his face.
" How about telling me how Adam is doing?" - Lilith said as she regained her composure and removed the redness from her face, floating elegantly up and holding herself close to William's broad wings.
" Oh, he's doing just fine, here, for example last year when Charlie and I..." - William began cheerfully, looking at the views with interest and soaring into the colorful clouds of this Garden, leading Lilith behind him.
They spent another two hours or so in the air, talking to each other as equal souls, like friends or a child's friend with a parent. William could have joked something about "getting to know his parents," but he and Charlie were long past that sort of stage, so it was a little late for that.
Later, as they walked back to the mansion for William to retrieve his cloak and sit over a cup of tea while eating earthy goodies, they agreed to arrange such a meeting periodically. Lilith reasoned that William was one of the few souls capable of maintaining an interesting dialog, as well as talking about Paradise with Adam.
William, wanting to gather data about Lilith's Garden, agreed, which ensured that he would have further meetings about the details of which he could tell no one, and Charlie, who later learned about his "walk with her mother," pouted sweetly, apparently trying to get the details from Lilith first and then from William, getting the same reaction.
William laughingly assured her that it was a private matter and that it would not be polite for her to interfere, so Charlie gave him an "hour-long boycott" and then, after an hour, apologized and began to talk about his trip to Lu-Lu Park with her father, inviting him to visit with her and her family.
William, taking notes and transcribing his thoughts of the meeting, shivered, feeling Lucifer's gaze on him, shivered and put his arm around Charlie, who happily hugged him, eating something cheerfully.
William had even forgotten that Lucifer might be peeking into his house, wordlessly telling Charlie about his outing with the Devil's wife....
William hoped that with Charlie gone, he wouldn't fly in, breaking out his windows to start torturing his soul, praying to God and believing Lilith's words that she would "take care" of her husband.
William hoped so, but just in case, immediately after seeing Charlie off, he went back to Earth to "go out" for the day, giving orders and instructions to the Replicants and Constructs.