Worship

"I'm just trying to help you. I don't want your big day being ruined by speculation about your brother, that'd suck for you. It's your special day, you only get to do this once, Apollyn. I won't sit idly by and allow your brother to selfishly ruin that for you. Besides, I have to try and get some brownie points on record, don't I? If you're going to be King, it sort of pays to have you actually like me. Not that I doubt you like me already, but I wonder sometimes. I'm needy, Apollyn. It'd help if you actually talked to me instead of sulking," she pointed out with a tired sigh, albeit with the sympathetic smile showing up not long later. She didn't know everything that had happened, her mother only filled in on the details she herself knew, but she knew enough to realise that things hadn't been easy since Elijah opted to break up and abandon everything he had planned with Apollyn. That said, a year had passed and she didn't think he needed to be sulking over some human a moment longer, especially not a day before the biggest event of his life.

"Besides, I'm clinging to the hope that you'll choose me when it comes to having an heir. I'd be thrilled to do that for 'ya. I know my mother would be proud of me-- and your Dad likes me a lot, that's a point in my favour over all those little sluts who are going to come crawling to you when the time arrives-- but we can talk about that another time. I'll go and get Darius as soon as I've had a nap. I don't think I should subject him to my crankiness, poor boy isn't ready for that."

One of Kayla's faults was her inability to plan accordingly. She had prepared to set out in the morning but eventually left towards what would be midday for humans. The ceremony was a few hours away, so every second was important - but she didn't think she'd take too long in forcing Darius to get his ass down to Hell. It didn't take too long to track him down to Brighton, and then finding the beach he and Agnes had set up on on what was the hottest day of the year. She observed for a little while, watching Darius head off for the next round of beers and ice cream, taking the moment to wander over to the girl. For all she knew, Agnes had no idea about demons and, wisely, Kayla wanted her out of the area to avoid her hearing any mention of them.

"...Would you perhaps mind going so I can talk to your friend Darius? It's really rather important, you see. I'm an old friend, I... well, he and I need to talk and it's really very vital I talk to him alone," she began as she pushed her heart-shaped, neon-pink glasses over her eyes, resting her hands on her hips with the friendliest smile she could muster. Her human form, she had been told, was intimidating in its beauty, but she was hardly going to apologise for being cute, was she? Her choice of an all-pink outfit hardly helped her fit in either. She wanted to be inconspicuous, but ended up standing out more than ever. "That was Darius, wasn't it? He looks different than when I last saw him and I'd like to avoid an embarrassing incident if it isn't him. Goodness, I'll be mortified if I have the wrong person..."
 
So far, Agnes had a pretty pleasant day. She had a lovely breakfast at a local restaurant and now was spending the warmest day of the year eagerly sprawled out on her towel, sunglasses on and her favorite large hat as she listened to the waves. Letting out a deep sigh in annoyance, she lowered her sunglasses to take in the woman, her eyebrows raising. The girl was cute, albeit a complete contrast to her all-black attire.

"Normal friend or demon friend?" She asked brazenly, pulling down her shades once again. "Look, I'm not even going to ask. He's at the ice cream stand getting us some treats, I don't know how long he'll be. Who are you, then? Some mysterious girlfriend he hasn't mentioned? You're certainly his type - though I guess he isn't picky," she drawled casually before grabbing her book, deciding to read. "I don't like to get involved with all that shit, I just want to enjoy my beach day."
 
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"...Well, that's mighty rude of you. If you must know, I'm a demon friend-- and even then, friend is a stretch. I'm surprised you know about him, though it makes sense. Apollyn did say that he had grown awfully close to humans here, I imagine you're who he was specifically alluding to. Oh well. I also take offence to the girlfriend remark, by the way. I find the idea repulsive of me even entertaining his company in a romantic way, it turns my stomach. I won't ask you for an apology, I assume I'd be wasting my time," she grimaced, her lips (that of which were coated in her favourite pink lipgloss) pouting in the spoilt manner she was known for. She was highly materialistic and, like many aristocratic demons, expected to be listened to with someone's undivided attention. To have this human regard her with such little attention immediately made her grimace in annoyance. If anything, it made her want to win the girl's attention all the more, and the only way she knew how to do that was through bragging.

"My mother is very dear friends with Lucifer, you know. He almost regards her as a sister of sorts. Apollyn was a dear friend of mine from the day I was born. A little recognition from you wouldn't go amiss, or even a glimmer of attention. I think I deserve it," she said without a hint of playfulness, being entirely serious in her demand for attention as she absently adjusted her large hat.

"...And by the way, Darius would love to be with me, I'm sure most people would. I'm a catch. But I have standards and Darius falls far below the minimum expectations I have in a lover so... so again, I'd like an apology for that, if you could be less rude and actually admit how hurtful you were. I'd be most grateful for that."
 
"How about instead of me apologizing, you get thicker skin," she replied without skipping a beat, her eyes never leaving her book, only setting it down when the timer on her phone went off to signal her to move to lay on her stomach. Unlike Mary and many others in their friend group, Agnes loved to tan and like hell was she going to have an uneven one. Adjusting herself, she rested her head on her arm dismissively.

"Oh, sweetheart. Do I look like I care that you're some 'elite demon' or whatever? You could be Lucifer himself and like hell and I going to let you ruin my only beach day, yeah? Now will you please move? You're blocking the sun. Not to mention that pink is hurting my eyes," she drawled.
 
"There's nothing wrong with it, it's a happy colour-- and it makes me happy. Your outfit is depressing, it's dark and gloomy and-- and you could do with a little more pink. I think I know more about fashion than a silly little human girl," she snapped back, even though her attempt at being insulting was somewhat undercut by the fact her voice was naturally high and had always had a sweet quality to it. For a demon, it was hardly intimidating to be yelled at by someone who sounded like they would break into giggles at any given moment.

"...Leave her alone, would you? We're sunbathing. I haven't got time to pop down to my brother's coronation-- that is why you're here, right? To convince me to head with 'ya? Nah. I've decided it won't be happening. I'd rather spend time with my buddy in the sun, drinking ice cold beer, than watch my brother get what ought to be mine. It's nice to see 'ya and all, but... not in the mood to deal with your bullshit right now, Kay," muttered Darius as he took a seat on his towel, placing the beers in the holes in the sand to keep them stable. To show how little he cared, he movd to lay on his stomach to get the all-over tan he and Agnes clearly both desired, propping his sunglasses down over his eyes. "She's here about the coronation, just ignore her. She'll go away in a minute."

"I can't go away, I promised Apollyn. You... your father will murder you if you don't come. I... I won't leave without you," she continued somewhat squeakily, glaring at the two in disgust at their disinterest. "I... I am not going to be ignored, that's so awfully rude! I-I'll have you know that just last year, I had 23 offers of marriage from 23 different men and women, so... so I'm clearly an important, desirable person, and I won't be ignored by a depressingly-dressed human and an obnoxious d-demon..."
 
"Depressingly dressed? Bitch, I'm dressed how I want to. Just because I don't flaunt around in 80's neon doesn't mean I'm depressed, Jesus," she snorted, taking in the demon girl once again. In contrast, Agnes' lips were painted black and pulled into a wide grin."Not to mention, I'm always ready for a funeral."

Amidst the admittedly a bit snotty chatter, Kayla received a soft 'ping' from her phone, that of which was Apollyn. Age had grown anxious as he was fitted into his coronation clothing, frowning as he was wrapped up neatly in the outfit he hated. Was he poised at Darius? Of course. Half of him wanted to make sure Darius was alive, of course... and the other half wanted to see him so he could rub it all in his brother's face.

'what's taking so long?! Does he not realize that his ass is going to be on a platter if he doesn't show up??'
 
"...Darius, please. Your brother doesn't want you to die and... and I don't want you to die, and I'm sure your lovely friend here doesn't want that either. Just come for the coronation and the ball and... and then you can return to your life here without a problem! We just need you to come today, that's all! Apollyn's even had an outfit put aside ready for you," she urged as she glanced down at her phone, the other's desperation only making her more desperate - and that only made her grow red and flustered.

"P-Please come! I... I won't even insult you, I promise. I'll be on my best behaviour; I'll even take you home later on if you get drunk, which you will, y-you always get drunk at these events--"

"...You don't wanna come, do you? I don't want to go alone," the man grunted as he glanced across at Agnes, already knowing the suggestion was useless but it was worth a try. The idea of spending the day watching Apollo receive everything he had ever wanted and flaunting it in his face was far from a fun one. If he could drag his best friend along, he could at least gather some fun from the day. It only took him a moment to realise how dumb the idea was, groaning as he climbed to his feet - though a smirk pulled at his lips when he realised he could still have some fun, however devious it was. "You know, I'll come along if you go and fetch my mate to come with me. He lives up there-- see that apartment? Go grab him and take him with us; he's covered in tattoos, goes by Eli. He'd love the event, and we can make sure nobody realises he's human, yeah? I'll go if he does."

"I... that's... I mean, I don't think it's wise to... to bring a human down there, but-- but okay! Okay, that's fine. If that's what it takes," she nodded, not able to put two and two together and realise that Eli was the very same Elijah who had caused Apollo to be so depressed all these months. She was ditsy and would be the first to admit she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and the desperation to get Darius down in Hell clouded her ability to think clearly. "...I think you need better friends, by the way. This one is very rude to me. I'm lovely."
 
"Ohh, aren't you a little bitch?" Agnes replied towards Darius, her grin remaining. It would be a great way to get back at Elijah for what he did, after all, and a small part of her was a bit jealous to miss out on such an interesting event. That being said, like hell we she giving up her first time off in awhile for some drama.

"Oi, don't do anything too dumb, yeah?" Agnes insisted as she adjusted herself a tad. "Maybe teach your friend here to lighten up a bit. Hopefully - what's your name? Kay? Hopefully you wear something less annoying on the eyes, eh, honey? I'd love to give you some proper fashion tips when you both aren't scrambling to get shit over with Apollo," she casually drawled before grabbing her book again, motioning Darius towards the back with the man's clothes in them.
 
Not that he would change his mind if Agnes was disapproving of the plan, but hearing her praise him for it came as a relief to him. If she was as eager as he was, he knew that it was a good plan, at least to get back at Elijah properly for having caused such distress a year ago. This revenge was a long time coming and if he could simultaneously distress him and cause drama for his brother's big day, it was definitely a plan he wasn't going to pass up on.

Elijah wasn't exactly prepared to be dragged to Hell against his will. He had spent the morning getting himself dressed and ready for exploring the town with his sister, wanting to make a proper day of it. He had only just finished getting ready when he spotted a girl he didn't know in his home, grabbing him and tossing him into a portal before he even recollected what was happening. By the time he wrapped his head around what the girl had done, he was stood at the front of what he assumed was a few thousand-strong crowd, if the cacophonous, raucous cheering was anything to go by. It was almost deafening, in fact. He would have sworn he was in some major city during a parade, if it wasn't for the overwhelming stench of fire, ash and, sickeningly, blood. The red sky and looming Gothic castle were also major giveaways, the human having to gulp hard and clench his fists tightly to avoid passing out.

"You should be grateful you're witnessing this, human. No human ever has before. If we weren't desperate for Darius to come here, you wouldn't experience this. It's amazing. I... I'm so emotional, this is fantastic for him," gushed Kayla, peering up at the exquisitely decorated stage. "Apollyn will be a wonderful King, I... I feel it in my bones."

"I can't be here, this is-- I can't fucking be here," panicked Elijah, though stayed rooted to the spot nonetheless. What was the point in running if he couldn't get back home without this demon's help? He knew Darius would want to go back, so sticking by him, however furious he was, was the only way to get back home to his boyfriend and his sister. "He... can't see me, this is insane-- Darius, I... I'll fucking k-kill you."
 
Apollyon was terrified, the cheers that were meant to be supporting only making him grow wary. His father had spent most of the time planning everything while he stayed back. Lucifer knew that his son wasn't going to just be perfect after that day and had explained to his son that he had full intentions to work like an adviser, making sure everything would run smoothly behind the scenes while his son adjusted to his new role. After all, he was about to become the youngest King in millions of years. Dressed in the proper clothing, he watched as his father stepped out onto the stage before meekly following behind, offering a smile to his citizens despite the clear fear in his eyes.

Fear only grew when, despite being in a crowd full of thousands of demons, he spotted Elijah out easily. Dread set in, leaving him to grow nauseous as he obediently stood still, his father's words blurring out and being replaced with static, his black eyes unwavering from Elijah. He was only brought back to the situation when he felt the crown placed upon his head and like clockwork, he feigned a smile towards the crowd and everyone involved.
 
When Apollo somehow managed to pick him out in the crowd, Elijah simultaneously wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow him up and, in a moment that confused him, wanted to be able to go up onto the stage and tell the other how proud he was. The latter feeling only lasted a brief moment, replaced with the fear of a demon noticing him and the general fear of being in Hell witnessing something this crazy, but it had been there nonetheless. Guilt inevitably hit him, realising that the plans they had made would have resulted in him being stood next to Apollo, helping him through the experience. Instead, he had backed out and was stood in a crowd, trying to desperately hide himself from view as subtly as he could.

The discomfort from Elijah and Apollo's clear surprise at seeing the human that had dumped him was precisely what Darius had wanted. In fact, witnessing it and knowing he was the cause was the only thing worth enjoying, his sulky grimace making way for a smirk as Eli all but panicked at his side concerned that he would be seen by Apollo's father and abruptly murdered. Darius would stop that, of course (he liked Mary enough to protect her brother for her) but the emotional pain was enough for him to enjoy; it was at least a timely payback for what Elijah had done first.

"Mm. This is really awful for a coronation. I imagined better. We don't have to stay for that celebratory ball, do we? I don't want to go. I mean, if there's proper alcohol and some girls, I guess I could make an appearance," he pondered absently as he tapped on his lips, smiling widely at Elijah. "You might enjoy it. Maybe we can find Apollyon and you former lovebirds can have a cute reunion?"
 
Apollo's need for vengeance left him months ago, his urge to personally kill the human himself simmering down. He didn't want Elijah to die... though that was because he didn't know Elijah had moved on. He had hoped that Elijah was just as miserable as he was, spending nights feeling lonely. Apparently, that was some wishful thinking that, if he knew, his sudden dread would have been replaced with pure anger. As he listened to his father continue, the cheers once again rising, he didn't even realize he was being led away to the second part of the coronation; the ball.

Once dressed for the ball, the new King was still clearly traumatized by seeing his ex. That being said, he wanted to talk to Elijah nonetheless. After the fusing of other lower demons, he hurried out of the room as soon as possible to search the large castle, his pure white skin growing pink. The best case scenario was that Elijah was back to apologize... though that was the best case. What was more likely was that he was just brought here by his brother.
 
To say Elijah was angry was an understatement. He was so angry, in fact, that he barely acknowledged that he was stood inside a castle; a fact that ordinarily would have astounded him, especially when this was supposed to be the place he would have lived in had the plans with Apollo went ahead. He only ceased shouting furiously at Darius when noticing Apollo's lingering presence, nervously glancing around to take in the sight of his ex-boyfriend properly. He would be lying if he said all he felt was apprehension and fear; there was a brief moment when a smile felt like it would break on his face, though Darius' stifled laughter put an end to that.

"You are such an a-asshole, you know that? I-I-- I didn't-- this wasn't my idea, obviously, I--"

"I thought it might be nice for you two to reconnect. How is that such a bad idea? I'm a doting older brother who wants my little sibling to be happy, and I thought to myself, hey, why not bring the love of his life back to see him? It's really thoughtful of me, actually," smiled Darius as he absently adjusted the outfit he had been forced to wear, grimacing to himself briefly at how obnoxiously decorative it was. He pinned all sorts of badges to his clothes, so he wasn't against decoration, but this was a far cry away from the usual fashion he now opted for. That didn't mean he wasn't jealous of Apollo in his fine outfit, taking it in with a faint frown. "...You know, Elijah really didn't want to come, he was all ready to spent the day with his nice new human boyfriend, Apollo. Last thing he wanted was to see you parading about like this; I think he even said this was a nightmare for him because he's back into his religion or somethin'. It's cute, though. Look, he's even got on one of those adorable little Christian crosses~"
 
Just the sight of the dainty cross made Apollo's hands press against his chest fearfully, afraid that it might touch him somehow and inevitably burn his skin. His father had plenty of burns across his body, but his father was also a masculine person so it fit better. Apollo being covered in scars would only give the impression of weakness in his mind.

The new king was hesitant to sompeak to either men, his black eyes taking them both in. Obviously a year didn't feel the same for a demon in Hell so their suddenly different appearances were startling to say the least... and only made him more upset to see Elijah just as handsome, if not moreso as he stood face-to-face.

"You.., have a boyfriend?" He quietly confirmed, trying to hide the disappointment from his expression. He couldn't held it from twisting into a grimace, though, as he took Darius in. "You're a bastard, you know that? I bring you here to save your life and you have the audacity to brim him here? I try to be kind and offer you the chance to express your higher ranking and... and you ruin my big day by sending the one person who could ruin it?! I aughta have you sent to the dungeon but... but I don't care anymore. Gosh, I.." he began, pausing to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Do you know how lovely I've felt, Elijah? I tried to move on like you said b-but I can't. I've thought about you almost every night because I'm weak garbage. To learn you're happy with someone else is fucking heartbreaking."
 
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"...Did you expect me to stay single over the year? I mean, god Apollo, that-- it wasn't likely, was it? I was in a mess and... and someone helped me with that, it... you can't be mad at me for moving on in a year. It wasn't like I'd jumped into bed with the guy a week after we broke up. Hell, I haven't jumped into bed with anyone, if you must know, so... quit assuming I got into a new relationship immediately, it wasn't like that," he protested awkwardly, already taking a strategic step back behind Darius. As much as he hated him, he surprisingly trusted him enough to make sure no harm came to him, assuming he meant every word he said about his friendship with Mary.

And, to his relief, Darius had no intention of letting him get hurt, watching the situation unfold before stepping in again.

"Apollo, do calm down before you burst a vein, hm? It's not that important. I didn't think you'd even see him in a crowd of fucking thousands of demons; it isn't my fault you spotted him," he grunted as he folded his arms, leaning on the wall with a faint grimace at the opulence. "This place is lovely, you know? Never stepped foot in the castle before; Dad wasn't fond of me coming in here. You're wasting time talking to a brother you hate and an ex who doesn't want to be here when you could be getting lavished with gifts and compliments-- go enjoy yourself so we can go home, alright? Elijah's boyfriend is lovely, I'd hate him to worry. Really, he's an absolute sweetheart~"
 
"He's human, how could I not spot him in a crowd? Don't be stupid," he replied with a scoff, his arms folding, grimacing at the dramatic plumage of his shirt. He missed the human world and being able to be in a form he preferred and in turn wear what he wanted but that freedom had been revoked the minute he was declared to be king. Shaking his head, he dared to step forward and let out a chuckle.

"What, do you honestly think I'm petty enough to hurt him?" He scoffed in disbelief, trying his best to follow in his father's footsteps and pretend that he wasn't as upset as he actually was. "I have more important things now, yeah? Unlike you two, I'm responsible for the well-being of every demon in Hell. Sure, I... I'm still feeling horrible because, evidently, time doesn't work the same way here as it does on Earth. You... I cannot explain how much you hurt me, both of you actually. I've never wished harm on you until you decided to be an asshole to me, Darius. I don't... I don't even want to be King. Do you know how much fucking stress that puts on me? I-I don't know what incident doing but here I am, yeah?"
 
"You look ridiculous in that, by the way. It's honestly dreadful, even I don't think I could pull it off. Mind you, I'm not into this fancy shit anymore, it's not me," he shrugged as he observed his brother calmly, deliberately changing the subject to avoid drawing attention to Apollo's remarks. He could make fun of him for admitting how hurt he was and ultimately poke fun at him for it, but doing so wouldn't feel satisfying. He felt a pang of guilt (however much he wished it wasn't there) so ignoring the subject altogether was much better, however immature that was. "Now, if it was black and had a few metal spikes glued onto it, maybe then it'd be adequate-- it's just so pretentious, isn't it?"

"...I think it's nice," began Elijah as he awkwardly smiled, his attempt at ignoring his guilt being to offer a compliment or two, especially when they were as genuine as they was. "I... I don't-- hate you, Apollo. I just can't do this, you know? I-- have a good life now; you have a good life down here, it's all good. No need to... be down about it. We don't even need to see each other again, I never planned on coming down here--just, uh... god, don't hate me, I won't hate you if you move on. It's normal, Apollo. I'm not going to fucking go through my life being alone, am I? That's unfair."
 
"Why shouldn't I hate you?" He countered easily, his lips pursing. "You broke my heart without - I mean, you didn't even have The curtesy to do it face - to - face. You just ran away and didn't expect me to be hurt? You made me feel like I wasn't even worth a proper goodbye. How can you do that to someone? How can you make someone feel like you're their everything for more than a year and just abandon them without even a formality goodbye? I wouldn't be this upset if you just had acted like an adult and broke up with me instead of running away. Not only did I lose you, but I also lost Cameron. I know you think that my followers were just mindless drones but they were my friends. Cameron - I thought he was my friend and I lost him, too," he continued, clearly growing more emotional as he adjusted his weight, his eyes beginning to anxiously drift.

"Look, just - leave, both of you. You don't want to be here and I don't want you here either. Just... you shouldn't have done this, Darius. I know you hate me but this was low, even for you. I'm just - you showed up, that's what matters."
 
"I could always go and fetch Cameron too if you wanted a nice catch up with him? For what it's worth, he's always said you were nice-- I think his words were that he felt 'sorry' for you. I'm sure out of everyone, he's the one who would be happy to see you?" Darius smiled, the expression suggesting that he was being untruthful, that it was some cruel joke. In reality, he was more than serious about it, having had to deal with Cameron muttering how "nicer" Apollo was than him, or how "successful" he was compared to Darius who was unemployed and more than happy with being so.

"I mean, I don't really like all this shit," he continued with a broad gesture to Apollo's outfit and crown, "but you're the only sibling I give attention to, which is fucking something, Apollyon. You can continue to think I hate you, yeah? I just think you're a brat sometimes and-- hey, I did think that this would be a good idea, bringing Elijah. His boyfriend's a total loser, by the way. He's sugary sweet and boring and-- and he fucking thought I was dating Agnes, he's so oblivious it's painful. I dunno. As funny as I thought this would be, I also sort of thought it would be good? For you to get closure or whatever-- or to hook up with him. Either one seems beneficial, yeah~?"
 
"You're just making me feel even shittier," he admitted, tears brimming in his black eyes as he awkwardly hugged himself. He was trying not to get too emotional in front of the two, especially since he was trying to act like an adult, but It obviously wasn't very easy for him. So much so that he began sniffling and rubbing his face with his hands.

"I'm not hooking up with him, Darius, that... would only make me feel horrible afterwards. Not to mention of this new guy is so perfect, I'm sure you wouldn't want him finding out. He sounds like the kind of guy who would blame himself because you decided to be a scumbag," Apollo murmured through his hands, giving a shaky sigh. He moved his hands once composing himself, mostly because he noticed that a few people were looking at them.

"You were right, Darius. I'm alone and I probably always will be. I'm sure that makes you giddy, huh? You get to spend time with friends - people who genuinely care about you. Do you know how many people have been sickeningly sweet to me? How fake it feels? I don't want to see Cameron if all he'll do is feel sorry for me."
 
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