Tribulation

"H-hello mother, it's been a while…"

Lucifer awkwardly looked between the two. He didn't expect Raphael to start crying. He slowly got up from the booth's couch and held his hands awkwardly. As he stood up neither Raphael or Charlotte looked up. Lucifer cleared his throat, "I'm gonna get a drink, either of you want one?" He said as he pointed towards the bar. Charlotte looked to him with a face full of disbelief at his 'betrayal' by leaving her alone with Raphael. Raphael payed him no notice with his actions and instead just politely declined while still staring at Charlotte with teary eyes. Lucifer left the two with haste to escape the situation.

Raphael slowly sat down, his eyes never strayed far from Charlotte incase she tried escaping or killing her vessel to go to hell. They sat in silence for a moment as Charlotte's fingers tapped on the table. She opened her mouth to speak, "w-why have you called me here Raphael?"

Raphael, who has long since stopped crying and wiped away his tears, said with a relieved smile "I want to punish you for your sins against humanity, against the angels, against me…" Charlotte gulped when imagining what the punishment may be, the Raphael she knew was a person capable of heinous acts though they are limited by his morality, if he believes this 'punishment' is just he could be a real sadist. Charlotte responded in a nervous and civil tone "but Lucifer already gave me a punishment I am currently doing, living on earth with these humans-" though she was cut off by Raphael.

"I don't see you repenting and I don't see you acknowledging your sins, in fact you seem to be enjoying your time on earth. This isn't really a punishment, it's an excuse to avoid it, you're as selfish as these humans you so despise" Raphael said with a serious expression that showed no emotion as though this was not his personal desire, as though he was an impartial and infallible judge of all her deeds.

Raphael was about to continue to talking about his thoughts on the type of punishment he would decree but quickly looked to the bar seeing Lucifer not there. 'So he ran, probably got uncomfortable' Raphael thought as he opened his mouth and began to talk. "So, do you truly believe that Lucifer's punishment is truly fitting for your sins? And before you answer that your time in hell didn't mean you payed your dues, you still need to serve your sentence". Raphael sat back as Charlotte's lips quivered wanting to disagree with what he said but knowing he would only dismiss it.

Raphael burst out laughing seeing her expression. He raised one of his hands to his mouth to stop his laughing. Charlotte looked down at the table and clenched her hands at this humiliation, she is a goddess, or was, she has never been so mocked with no way to resist. Her grip was so tight that her palms began to bleed, the moment she felt the blood she stopped feeling it, it wasn't there. She looked to Raphael as she felt a blood curdling sense of vulnerability, she was in a human body, meaning Raphael could use his power on her with no resistance. Her realisation was evident on her face.

Raphael just smiled at her and without saying a word stood up. Raphael said as he looked to Charlotte with a giddy smile, "I'm going to get a drink, you want anything?" Charlotte wordlessly shook her head. He leaned over the table to her and whispered "You know you better not run, there will be consequences to it, and in this situation the only one who can save you is god, but guess what? He won't stop me, and I doubt he will care, he has always been a big picture person, incapable of that whole empathy and sympathy thing. So stay put". He walked away towards the bar leaving Charlotte in the booth, she hardly moved and her eyes had lost what one could only assume was hope, her eyes looked empty as though she was drowning, being smothered by an unstoppable pressure.

"Mother"

She was forced out of her thoughts by a voice. She turned to look at the person and it appeared to be a tall and muscular man with dark skin. Her eyes flashed in realisation as she quickly looked to the bar for Raphael. Raphael was sitting at the bar with a drink in hand as a woman spoke to him, running her hands across his arms as she leaned into him. She turned back to the man near her and addressed him "hello Amenadiel, what are you doing in this hell hole?"

Amenadiel smiled and chuckled at the ironic insult for Lux. He stepped closer and sat down in Raphael's previous seat. "Well Lucifer called me here saying you could use some 'muscle', though I'm curious why he didn't stay himself, he usually loves being at the forefront of conflict" Amenadiel said with a light smile. Charlotte took a quick glance at the bar seeing Raphael now kissing the woman with his hands on her thigh and waist as she sat with her arms resting on his shoulders. She sighed a sigh of relief. Amenadiel noticed her actions and looked towards the bar seeing the passionate kiss. Amenadiel turned away and looked to his mother with a sympathetic look "I understand how you feel about humans, sometimes they are too expressive in public, but that's one of the things to love about humanity, they oneway or another show their thoughts and feelings".

Charlotte shot him a confused glance but then gained a look of realisation. "Oh, yes, the miserable cretins are so stubborn yet so malleable, no wonder they survived so long, the damned parasites". Amenadiel only sat with an exasperated look. "It's okay mother, it took me time to adjust to them but after that you can't help but adore them, I'm sure in due time you'll come to see them the way Luci and I do".

Charlotte looked to her son's expression and felt a little guilt for his trials and tribulations as she could have possibly done things differently. "I'm sorry Amenadiel for your suffering" Charlotte said with a guilt ridden face. Amenadiel struggled to hold back his laugh "we celestial are not too different to humans, even you, the goddess of all creation, can be fallible and feel guilt", Amenadiel began to laugh.

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Raphael was kissing a woman at the bar while running his hand along her body and dress tenderly. His attention slowly honed into something other than the kiss, a laugh. The laugh was familiar. It was a laugh he rarely heard when he was in heaven. The laugh belonged to his eldest brother Amenadiel, heavens supposed greatest warrior. He separated from the kiss as the girl continued to kiss, lick and bite his neck. He didn't mind her actions. He turned his head and looked to where the jovial laugh originated and he was not surprised that it came from the booth Charlotte was in. What did surprise him was that Amenadiel, a loyal warrior of heaven, was so merry in front of someone who directly opposed God.

Raphael held the woman's shoulder as he whispered about meeting up later tonight. He took his phone out of his pocket and they exchanged numbers.

After he was done dealing with her he looked back to the booth seeing that very little has changed. He wore a smile.

"Hello, Amenadiel" Raphael said appearing at the booth stand, looming over the goddess and angel. Amenadiel recoiled in shock at the appearance of a stranger. "Um, who are you? I don't recall your name…" Amenadiel asked.

"You can call me Raphael, and may I ask, why are you in my seat?" Raphael replied with an obviously fake smile. Amenadiel's face lit up with recollection as his eyes looked past Raphael for a moment, Amenadiel pointed to Raphael and asked "wait, weren't you the one kissing at the bar?"

"Yes, what of it?" Raphael answered seeing as there was no reason to lie.

"If this is your seat that means you came here with mo- I mean Charlotte, why were you kissing someone else?" Amenadiel responded feeling a little awkward.

Raphael chuckled at Amenadiel's insinuation, "while I may be here for Charlotte that does not mean we are romantically or physically involved". Amenadiel then looked between the two and asked the question on his mind "then why were you two here then?"

"Why?" Raphael echoed as he thought how to respond to the question. He smiled evilly as he thought of a response "she owes me…"

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Author

See you next time.