The demon twins gulped as their father looked down at them. His interest was quite obviously peaked by the cake the demon twins held. Satou grinned, finding it hilarious that they were greeting the 4th eldest of the demon brothers with a christmas cake.
"A cake celebrating the birth of Christ in the middle of the school year?" Satan mused, though he was obviously still captivated. Rin and Yukio were late to realize their repeated mistake, and cringed inwardly.
"Oh come on, Satan, it's a cake for Diavolo's sake." Satou reached out and poked the cake, lifting some of the frosting and shoving it into Satan's mouth. Satan's mouth watered as the buttercream frosting dissolved on his tongue. Giving in, he received the cake, and seated himself at the desk as he devoured it slowly. Satou turned to the boys and smiled sweetly. Yukio and Rin must have been sharing their thoughts, because at that exact moment the same idea ran through their minds; He's an angel.
"Well now, boys, I suppose it's time we got to know each other." Amaimon and Mephisto stared blankly at him.
"Satou, I'm not sure I understand..." Mephisto began, but a sharp glare from Satan shut him up.
"Well, two of you haven't met me yet!" Satou explained, gesturing grandly towards the two boys. Satou approached them, and they unconsciously took a step back. "I am Satou, and I am your father's fiancé! It is a pleasure to meet you both, and to see you two again." Satan choked on his cake but quickly returned to gobbling it up as if nothing happened. Yukio and Rin were dumbstruck, whereas Amaimon and Mephisto looked somewhat indifferent to the whole thing.
"Either way, that's not why we're here," Satou said, "we're here because it's family reunion time :D". The boys all tilted their heads.
"Is this not a reunion?" Amaimon asked, and suddenly Mephisto's eyes went wide.
"...You can't mean-" He was cut off by Amaimon's gasp of realization.
"You mean we're going to meet Father's brothers?" He yelled in lowercase. Satou nodded happily. Satan, finished with his cake, approached them again.
"As much as I wish you didn't have to meet Lucifer, I figured it'd be best if you got to see what home is really like. Not to mention, Asmo's little creations are also going to be running around, and you might as well get to know your cousins." Satan seemed reluctant but eager at the same time, and it wasn't as though those four had a choice.
"Alright, we'll go," Mephisto said reluctantly. Yukio and Rin were simply dragged on for the ride as Satou pulled all of them through a Gehenna gate.
------------------
Ambrose sat idly, her strawberry-caramel hair falling in waves around her pretty little face. Her clear skin and glassy eyes accented her beauty, and her slim but strong figure shouted power and elegance, demanding respect even as she sat observing. Her little sister Arden and Arden's twin brother Adriel played nearby. Their father, Asmodeus, was currently in the middle of working, and as the eldest she had been put in charge. They sat in a garden of beautiful pink, yellow, blue, and purple flowers, growing neatly and prettily, leaving space for the graceful marble benches on which she sat. She felt the rush of excitement that came with the Gehenna gate, and looked to the entrance of the garden. Out of the gate stepped Satan and Satou, a parade of unrecognizable kids behind him.
Ambrose stood elegantly, bowing slightly in greeting.
"Welcome home, Uncle Satan, Uncle Satou, and..." Ambrose glanced at the boys, who stared at her in either shock, awe, or confusion; or, in Rin's case, all three.
"I am-" Yukio was about to introduce himself, but Mephisto interrupted.
"Lady Ambrose, I take it?" It was the most polite they'd heard him, but they figured it was just a Gehenna thing.
"Yes. Sir Mephisto, I suppose. And Sir Amaimon. Who are these two children?" She nodded at Yukio and Rin. Yukio again moved to speak, but Mephisto spoke in his place.
"These are Yukio and Rin, my brothers. Pardon their impertinence, they have not learned the customs." Ambrose nodded, a look of pity in her clear pink eyes as she looked over the two.
"I suppose they shall learn, then. If I may be so bold as to guide you, I shall be your escort, seeing as your company has left." Ambrose gestured to where Satou and Satan had been but were no longer standing. Mephisto nodded gratefully as Arden and Adriel each latched on to one of Ambrose's arms and she began to walk. She led them inside, through large stone gates and across velvet carpeted marble floors. Embroidered curtains decorated in royal colours fluttered in the wind. As they reached a large door, she gently shoved it open. Inside were thrones; seven of them. Stairs led up to the thrones. Below the stairs lay a large banquet table adorned with silver embroidered tablecloths and decorated with vases and platters of food.
Ambrose sat at the table, her siblings sitting beside her, motioning for the boys to join, which they did. Despite their numbers, they only took up one side of the table.7 on each side, and 1 on each end...Rin wondered who would join them.
"So...can we speak..?" Yukio pondered. Mephisto nodded.
"Now you can."
"I take it that is some Gehenna rule where we can't speak?" Rin asked.
"Only in front of royalty that you've never met before." Mephisto raised a brow and Rin flinched.
"You're royalty???" he hissed at her. This time, she raised a brow.
"You are too, you know." Rin was taken aback.
"The seven demon brothers; Lucifer, Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, and Belphegor. Due to Lucifer's engagement with Lord Diavolo being announced, we're considered royalty." Ambrose explained. "Speak of the Devils." In order, the brothers marched in, heads held high. At one end of the table sat Diavolo, at the other, Satou. Lucifer took the seat closest to Diavolo, across from Adriel. Asmodeus sat next to Lucifer, across from Ambrose. Mammon sat next to Asmodeus, across from Arden. Satan sat next to Mammon, across from Mephisto. Beel sat beside Mammon, across from Amaimon. Belphegor sat beside Beel, across from Yukio, and at the end, Satan sat between Belphegor and Satou, across from Rin.
"Welcome to the Capital of the Devildom, I hope you will enjoy your stay," Diavolo greeted, and the boys awkwardly joined in bowing as everyone around stood and bowed.
"Not all of you are familiar with Devildom customs, so we will begin with Devildom introductions. Ambrose, if you would demonstrate." Lucifer said. Ambrose nodded and forced a beautiful smile as she stood, curtseying.
"I am Ambrose, daughter of Abel and Asmodeus." She sat. As if on cue, Arden stood and curtseyed.
"I am Arden, daughter of Laura and Asmodeus." She sat. Mephisto stood and bowed, removing his hat.
"I am Mephistopheles, son of an unknown and Satan." He sat. Amaimon stood and bowed.
"I am Amaimon, son of an unknown and Satan." Lucifer's eyes narrowed at two unknowns in a row. He sat. Yukio hesitantly let Rin stand before him, breaking the order. No one seemed to mind until Rin opened his mouth.
"I'm Rin, and I am-" Yukio clamped his hand over Rin's mouth. Satou smiled and perked up.
"These are Yukio and Rin, whom Yuri Egin volunteered to bare for Satan and I." Rin's eyes went wide, but no one argued. Satou, at the end of the table, stood and bowed.
"I am Satou, son of Feris and Leon, fiancé of Satan." Satou sat.
No longer going around the circle, the brothers were introduced in age order.
"I am Lucifer, Avatar of Pride."
"I'm Mammon, Avatar of Greed!"
"I am Leviathan, Avatar of Envy.."
"I am Satan, Avatar of Wrath."
"My name's Asmo, I'm the Avatar of Lust <3!"
"Asmodeus, please retry."
"Right, right, sorry Lucifer. I am Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust!"
"I am Beelzebub, I want cheeseburgers.."
"Beel."
"Sorry, Lucifer. I am the Avatar of Gluttony."
"I am Belphegor, Avatar of Sloth."
"I am Diavolo, king of the Devildom!" Rin and Yukio took note to be very afraid of the redheaded king.
"I am Adriel, son of Laura and Asmodeus.." Adriel whispered, barely audible.
Rin felt overwhelmed by the amount of powerful people in the room. As soon as festivities began, he let himself be dragged out by Ambrose, to return to the garden.
-----------------
"Not good with people?" she asked, setting him down on the bench where he crumpled into the seat.
"I usually am, but they're a bit...powerful." Ambrose smiled a not forced smile.
"Perhaps you could share quarters with our family; my fathers are much less uptight. Though, Uncle Satan was a lot more uptight than usual.."
"Really?" Rin asked, surprised.
"Mhm. On a normal day, he might've been very sarcastic, poking fun at Lucifer any chance he got. I suppose he was also intimidated by the new people, not to mention meeting his kids for the first time in forever."
"I didn't think someone as scary as Satan might be intimidated by kids." Ambrose chuckled.
"Well, for the most part, 'Satan' to humans is an entity of destruction and pure wrath. Just about any event happens and it is blamed on Satan. While it is true that Satan wields blue flames, it is not something limited to Satan's family." This came as quite a shock to Rin.
"Wait, that...What?!"
"Mn. There was a faux Satan in the human world recently; perhaps you thought he was your real father. Though I never met her, your mother was likely not a lover of Satan's; as Satou said earlier, she must've been a surrogate mother. Satan has been with Satou since long ago, long before you or maybe even your mother were born." She gave Rin a moment to let him think, but eventually gave up and decided to redirect the conversation.
"So, any questions?"
"Ah, that whole 'avatar' thingy earlier; does that mean anything?"
"Yes, it does. Although I don't know it's metaphorical meaning, I know how it effects them. It's their personalities, I guess. Like, my father Asmodeus is a narcissistic flirt who runs his own fan conventions for himself. He acts like a dog in heat sometimes." The last part was more of an insult than a description, though Rin could tell it was lighthearted.
"And...Why do you and your siblings have different parents..? If that isn't a hard question to answer, I mean-" Rin said, flustered. She chuckled again.
"As I mentioned earlier, my father is the avatar of lust." She offered him a casual shrug. "It is a concept that is rare and looked down upon in the human realm, but here, sleeping around isn't considered adultery. Especially if your name is Asmodeus. Laura and Abel were simply 'lucky' enough to bare us." She paused for a moment, noticing Rin's bewildered expression. "It's difficult, but It's fine. Besides, my little siblings are there to keep them busy, so I can escape my home life now and then." Rin was quiet, and Ambrose's expression loosened.
Rin's silence stretched out abnormally, and Ambrose could tell she had said too much. How did these things work in the human realm? She knew marriage was a much more binding contract there. Then again, she wasn't exactly an expert on happy marriages. Asmodeus was not one to settle down, and she'd only just learned of her cousins.
"Sorry, that got a bit awkward. I didn't mean it's a bad family, necessarily; it's just not the way most people think of relationships. You, for example, probably hadn't known your own mother had not loved Satan. You have two fathers, and you had no idea." Rin hadn't thought of that, yet, but he supposed it was true. For some reason, he felt a wave of homesickness. He wished he were back in the human world, at the school, not here surrounded by strangers. He was tense here, which was quite the foreign feeling for him.
"How sad." Ambrose said as she looked to the stars. "How sad I can't go home."