.:|A N G E L S of debauchery

[sofakingqueer]

He was drunk, again. He stumbled through the forest, a beer dangling precariously between thumb and forefinger as his feet clomped heavily through the foliage. He'd just come from a crime scene. There'd been a fire at an old warehouse on the edge of town, and Dante had stuck around for the sheriff to show up. The sheriff was a crooked cop, taking bribes left and right with no concern to anyone's well being but that of his back pocket. He'd also personally ordered the killing of over half a dozen eye witnesses, responsible for the fact that not a single motorcycle gang member had been brought to trial in the past eight years. And tonight that had changed. Dante had sat up in a tree, drinking one or five beers while he waited. When the sheriff showed up to poke his big fat nose around, Dante looked at the propane tank caught under some rubble and raised an eyebrow. Instantly the sheriff was blown fifty feet of the air and landed on the other side of the lot...at least, what was left of him.

After he'd finished with that endeavor, Dante had wandered off. He didn't know where he was going, and quite frankly he didn't care. He was doing his job, that was all Michael, Gabriel, or fuck--even God could ask of him. He reached into the pocket of his leather bomber jacket and pulled out his smokes, lighting up and taking a few hard drags as he walked, the smoke creeping out in a seductive plume around his delicate features. Eventually he came to sit beside a small pond. It was covered with lily pads and scum, and the water chirped with the trilling mating call of frogs in the evening. Dante sat down beside the pond and finished his beer before tossing the bottle off to the side.

It was times like this he missed Elijah. I mean, really missed him. But there was no bringing him back. He'd been torn limb from limb by the gargoyles--the guard dogs of Heaven's gate. He had been banished out of Gabriel's jealousy, and when he'd tried to return, return to take Dante with him, he'd been set loose on without a shred of compassion or mercy. Dante felt his stomach go cold at the thought and he threw his cigarette into the pond. Inside his jacket pocket was a metal flask and he opened it up, continuing to drink. This time it was much more biting than the beer. It was straight whiskey, 100 proof Southern Comfort. By the time he'd finished the flask which, let's face it, only took him a few minutes he was feeling past the point of drunk.

Dante stood up on unsteady legs. He should go home, back to his junky apartment where he could fall into bed and sleep for a few days before going on his next assignment. Yeah, that sounded good. However, as he stood there waiting for his balance his whole world tilted and he cried out, losing his balance completely and screwing his eyes shut, trying to find ground. He actually couldn't tell which way it was and ended up landing with a hearty splash into the nasty pond he'd been sitting next to. He writhed and thrashed, but not very much. He was helpless, too drunk to swim, too uncoordinated to pull himself up to breathe, and too apathetic to cry out for help. So, this is how it ends. In a dirty, scummy pond after a few too many beers and some whiskey. Well, glamour wasn't exactly something he had been going for in the first place.

[Youko]

Time was short, but then again, that was usually how it was where he was concerned. It wasn't that he didn't actually have time; it was that he didn't give himself the right amount of time needed to finish whatever tasks he needed to be done. That would explain why he was hurrying about in the early evening hours, attempting to get what remained of his errands finished. Katsu had always had trouble properly managing his time, but what could one do? He did what he did free of charge after all. Katsu was a priest, though it was obvious in his attire and the way he held himself. He hummed to himself as he carried a rather large brown paper bag in his arms, the contents most likely his monthly groceries.

The young priest was never able to purchase much more then he desperately needed. After all, the only money he received was what people were willing to give him, which really wasn't much. He was actually surprised he'd managed to survive so long on so little. It must be the will of God that he remained healthy. That his outlook on life remained the same: Untainted. Sure, when he was a child, he made some bad decisions. But once he changed, it was no longer difficult to see the good in everyone. Because of that, he has never once had to resort to begging for money or food. The good people provided such things for him. Though it also helped that he lived at the church in one of the back rooms.

Katsu smiled blissfully as he strolled down the road leading to the church, surely he would have plenty of time to prepare for that evenings mass. He never once showed irritation that only ten to twelve people ever showed up. In fact, he preferred it that way. The priest didn't think that he would be able to handle a large crowd, no matter what the subject. The brunette pushed his glasses back into place with his free hand before he paused. Was that a splash? Amber eyes turned to regard to pond curiously, only to see someone tip ungracefully into the pond.

Without a moment's hesitation, Katsu dropped the bag, it's contents spilling onto the dirt road, before he ran as fast as he could towards the scummy pond. Absently the man though he needed to clean it more often before it began to form into some unmanageable creature. Eyes searched frantically once he reached the edge of the water, brightening slightly when he spotted the person who had fallen in. With a slightly displeased expression, Katsu reached into the nasty water and groped around for something that would help him pull the other up. An arm, a leg, hair, anything.

A small sound of victory passed the man's lips as he grasped something he was sure was an arm. Once he was sure he had a good hold of the arm, he pulled as hard as he could. Katsu was not a very strong man, so this was rather difficult for him. After what seemed like an hour, though it was only a few seconds, he managed to pull the other, a man, from the water and back onto the bank. Panting faintly, Katsu instantly moved to make sure the other was breathing. He had better be alright. The priest was never very good at dealing with death. Hell, he couldn't even stand killing a bug that crawled into his hair. And he hated it when that happened.

Silently he waited for an answer. Silently he hoped that he wasn't too late to save this man.

[sofakingqueer]

He had just resigned himself to drown, not overly concerned with it because, let's face it, immortals can't exactly drown. Only an immortal can kill another immortal's soul--otherwise you were simply given a new flesh suit to wear. But once he did die--in the mortal sense, at least--his body would rot, his wings decomposing within minutes to just leave his corpse there. Dante didn't drown, though. Before he could even properly slip into unconsciousness somebody had grabbed his arm and was dragging him from the water. Dante didn't fight until he felt arms hook under his shoulders to drag him. Dante struggled a tiny bit and lay down on the bank, coughing up some water and rolling instinctively away from the hands that were trying to save his life. His back ached with the pressure of his weight on his folded wings, so he sat up, still dizzy, still drunk, gasping for air.

He could smell himself strongly, the strong smell of flowers, predominantly roses, or roses as they used to smell. The world was changing, fading, becoming more shallow and two-dimensional, too commercial. Dante used to love the way flowers smelled, or the way wine tasted. But nowadays the craft of it was lost. Granted, as a raging alcoholic he didn't care all that much, as long as it still got him intoxicated. He just no longer sat and sipped ale or wine to enjoy the complexity of flavors, he shotgunned pilsners and drank whiskey like water to get fucked up and stay that way.

When his vision cleared at least marginally he looked up at the person who had just saved his life, although that was a thankless venture. "I'm." Cough. Cough. "Fine." Cough. Cough. Cough. Dante wheezed heavily, eyes squeezed shut again as his chest tightened and burned with the weight of water in his lungs. He hacked a few more times before falling over onto his side, soaking wet, eyes closed as he panted for air. That was all it took before he passed out again, this time going completely limp, losing all of the muscle tension in his body, including his wings that he tucked so closely to his supple spine. A few long white flight feathers stuck out from under his black bomber jacket, the only shirt he ever wore. T-shirts never exactly worked out well for him, and he was used to being nude or nearly nude when he wasn't on Earth.

[Youko]

Katsu stared at the other man with a bland expression as he watched him struggle away, though still seemed as if he would fall over any second. He was not amused by this. It took a moment for the young priest to take in the other's rather wet appearance. He was seemingly flawless to the brunette, though he didn't feel the need to say that aloud. In fact, he didn't feel the need to talk much at all. At least not until the man seemed to insist that he was perfectly fine. Katsu didn't believe that for a second.

"Of course you are," he replied in a soft tone, "you only just swallowed half the pond." He wasn't usually so... sarcastic, but he just couldn't help it at that moment. The words just needed to be commented on. Suddenly, he seemed to notice something... off about the other. At first he thought that the floral scent was from flowers that he usually planted in the Church yard, but then he realized that roses weren't in season. And his never smelt so rich before. Katsu eyed the stranger curiously, but said nothing about it. Why should he? This man seemed very keen on being left alone.

Of course, Katsu couldn't do that. No matter how much he just wanted to get up and leave the other to his own devices, the priest couldn't do it. As he was about to ask if the other could walk, the man had fell to the side and lost consciousness. The brunette's displeased expression returned. Lovely. With slightly more hesitation then he had before, he reached out to make sure the other was breathing. He nodded once as he felt the faint breath on his fingers. This was not how he expected his evening to go. It was too late now, Katsu needed to help. Not that he could ever leave someone in need. With a faint sigh, he moved to attempt to carry the other to the Church not far away.

Amber eyes widened behind glasses when he finally noticed the pure white feathers. By this time, he had already pulled the other, who was freakishly light, up to lean slightly against him. suddenly there was a bit more urgency in his movements. He needed to get this man, this angel?, into the Church before someone walked by and saw them. Not that anyone wandered around the Church at night, but one can never be too careful.

It seemed like it was too easy to carry the obviously larger man into the awaiting building. At least for the ridiculously weak Katsu. He shouldn't have been able to carry the sweet smelling man. Without a word, the priest sat the other onto his bed and left the room to retrieve a towel and perhaps some dry clothing. If he had any that would fit the other.

The brown bag and it's spilled contents remained forgotten on the walkway.

[sofakingqueer]

Dante had no idea how long he was unconscious, but when he awoke it was dark out, the only light in the room from a small lamp on the bedside table. He groaned with a headache and moved to sit up, coughing heavily as he did. His lungs hurt, still, but other than that he felt fine. No different, really, than any other time he'd passed out drunk in his apartment or on a street corner. He realized he was naked and looked around very quickly, wings snapping open defensively as he crouched. He noticed a man he vaguely recognized sleeping in the corner. He quickly reached over and snapped off the light. Dante leaned back on his heels and took the room in, his vision perfect despite the darkness. He noted the crucifix on the wall and the blandness of the room.

A monastery? Dante crept quietly out of the room on all fours, more animal than human like as he did so. Yes, he was certainly in a church. He felt safer than he did before, but not terribly. The fact was, while priests were men of God they were still men. They were still mortal, subject to emotion and corruption. Dante poked around, exploring several different rooms until he found one that was clearly a laundry room. And there, folded nicely and cleaned were his clothes. Well, his jeans and jacket, the only clothing he owned. He perked up and walked over to his jacket, reaching in the pocket for his cigarettes and zippo. As soon as he had said items he did not hesitate in sliding a cigarette out of the pack and lighting up. Once he had that, he instantly felt more calm and strolled back down to the room he'd been staying in. If he was in a church then nobody would believe it if the priest starting going on about how he'd seen an angel. I mean, really, people expected that of holy men.

Dante sat down in his bed, back against the wall, wings spread loosely on either side of him and legs folded in lotus position. He smoked quietly, eyes half lidded as he ashed every now and again onto the tile floor. He looked at the clock on the bedside table and sighed. 3:30 AM. Really, Lucifer? Now he was just fucking with him. Dante kept smoking, watching the priest sleeping in the corner chair. How did he know him? Dante finished his cigarette and flicked the cherry off and tossed the filter on the floor. He silently slipped off the bed and went over to the corner, wings arched as he naked body crouched, examining the sleeping body like a wild animal would. He sniffed, leaned in, even prodded a little bit. Then it hit him.

This was the man he'd saved from the river. The one human life he had ever saved directly instead of taken. How...how did he? Was he meant to find him? Was this planned? Had God sent this man a message? Michael? The meddling fool, Gabriel?

[Youko]

The room, along with the rest of his small apartment-like home, was rather scarcely furnished. The bed that the angel had been left on was a simple twin bed with a worn mattress that wasn't very comfortable. The blanket was made of thin cotton, and appeared to have holes that were worn into the fabric that was draped over the man, though it didn't seem like more then a sheet in truth. Beside the bed sat a small aged table that held a simple lamp the gave off just enough light to illuminate the room if one wanted to read. Across the small room was a dresser that looked like chunks were literally chopped out with an ax, above resided a rather ornate crucifix that showed riches that the priest did not have.

Sitting in a chair against the wall closest to the bed was the very priest who fished the other man from the pond. His long brunette braid hanging loosely over his shoulder, his head bowed in sleep. He hadn't even managed to remove his glasses before he had fallen asleep. Katsu wasn't about to sleep in that small bed with a stranger, and he didn't really want to leave him alone. So he had decided he would watch over the other as he slept. That is before he fell asleep himself.

Before he had sat to watch over the angel, he had done what he needed to. He had preached at mass, though he was slightly distracted. He had washed the other man's clothing... what there was of it. He had carefully dried the stranger's hair and body with towels before he had calmly covered him with his only blanket. Katsu had smiled as he sat down, pleased with his progress despite the unforeseen complication.

The young brunette's face contorted into a displeased expression as the smell of smoke wafted at his nose before relaxing. Somehow, the strong scent of roses relaxed him enough to keep him from awakening just yet. It was a strange scent once the floral scent mixed with his own cinnamon and spring rain. Katsu was unused to close contact with others, though despite this, he didn't awaken. At least not until he was prodded by the other male.

Slowly, amber eyes opened sleepily. His expression was slightly dazed as he stared uncomprehendingly at the rather naked man crouching a little too close to him. As soon as the sleep faded enough, he was suddenly aware of the situation. Eyes widened as he made an alarmed sound and pressed himself against the back of the chair as far away from the other as he could possibly get.

"Uh... I'm glad you're okay." He murmured after a moment.

[sofakingqueer]

The priest woke up and Dante's expression didn't change, he merely shifted his weight backwards and stared up at him. When Katsu spoke, Dante stood up slowly, his body unfolding with more grace than somebody who lived on a diet of cigarettes and booze, and adjusted his wings to tuck neatly behind his back, the long flight feathers crossing just below the curve of his ass. Dante cupped Katsu's face and leaned in, examining him closely. Yes, yes this was the body he'd fished from the river. Interesting.

Dante turned around and turned the light back on, realizing Katsu might like to see. He grabbed his cigarettes and lighter from the bed and lit another one, standing with his weight pushed to one hip and one arm crossed over his chest to prop up the elbow of his right arm while he smoked, lazily blowing smoke rings as he studied Katsu. "Do you recognize me?" he asked slowly. Receiving a response in the negative, Dante took another long drag of his cigarette and ashed quietly.

"About ten years ago, I was sent on an assignment. There was this thug, the bad sort of guy, the one who would slit your throat if you owed him a dollar," he explained, taking another drag on his cigarette. "I was supposed to kill him. I was supposed to find him on the highway, hit him with a tire blowout. Didn't work that way though," Dante shook his head and smirked a little to himself. "I missed him. I was, well, to be honest I was too drunk to remember where I was supposed to be. So I followed him. I followed him into a forest where I saw him shove you into the river. I killed him first, making him fall in after you and hit a rock with his head. I dove in and swam after you and pulled you out of the river."

Dante paced a few steps and shook his head, muttering to himself in an ancient, holy tongue that none except the angels spoke. "My question is, why am I here with you, in nearly the same situation, a decade later? Was I sent to you, were you sent to me, or is this merely hysterical coincidence?" He stopped his pacing and looked up at Katsu, head tilted to the side as he stared with wide eyes.

[Youko]

Amber eyes widened slightly when the angel suddenly cupped his cheek. Did he need to be that close again? Katsu was perfectly fine with no contact what so ever. Then again, that was probably why he was still single. That wasn't the point, however. The point was that he didn't think this angel needed to touch him. Once he calmed his nerves a bit, his expression turned curious. Did he see recognition in the other's eyes? The was odd.

Luckily for the brunette, the angel took a few steps away and switched on the light. He made a displeased expression when the other man lit a cigarette and proceeded to smoke. The priest would have to talk with him about that later. Katsu couldn't understand why the other would think that he would recognize him. Should he? Have they met before he fished the angel out of the pond? Before he could ask, the other decided to explain. He was going to mention the other's stated of undress, but for now, he was keen on listening to what he had to say.

As the angel explained, Katsu's eyes got wider and his expression got a bit more disbelieving. So it was this angel that saved his life that day? There was no way he could be lying, as he knew details even Katsu didn't know. He hadn't know who pushed him or even how he was saved. His glasses had washed away in the river so he hadn't been able to see the one who saved his life. All he had seen was a blurred form that appeared to have wings. It was quite a bit to swallow out of no where, so all the priest could do was stare at the angel's features.

Once he finished his explanation, he spoke softly, "I.. suppose I should thank you. For saving my life I mean." He scratched the back of his head almost bashfully, "If you hadn't have pulled me out, I would have drown." Katsu never liked to admit to such things, but he felt he needed to at that point.

The muttered words puzzled the brunette, he somehow felt that he shouldn't be allowed to hear that language, but he did. After a moment, the words spoken in his own tongue registered. "I honestly don't know." He replied calmly, "I merely did was I thought was right. I couldn't very well have left you there to die, I don't care if you wouldn't have really died, it's the concept, so I had to pull you out."

[sofakingqueer]

Dante shook his head. So Katsu didn't recognize him. Then...why? Dante sighed and finished his cigarette, quickly lighting up another, taking the first long drag. "So it wasn't you who did this...but I do not feel as if this has Michael or Gabriel's doing." Dante stood there, face contorted in confusion as he stared down at Katsu. So, maybe this was one huge hysterical coincidence. They happened, from time to time, although less than people really expected. God didn't meddle in angel lives very often, and he didn't know why he was to have come to Katsu. He was given no message, no direction. Katsu was already a priest, did he need an angel in his life?

Giving up on trying to figure this out, at least for now, Dante went and plopped down on the bed, picking up the glass of water Katsu had so considerately left and swallowing half of it in one generous gulp. He sucked in a breath afterwards and wiped his mouth, staring down at his bare legs contemplatively. It occurred to him he was naked, but he really didn't care to take the time to put on clothes. That was one thing Dante didn't get; why humans were so damn uptight about nudity.

"You know," he drawled slowly, "You're the only life I've ever saved." He stared at Katsu, his blue eyes filled with an unreadable, mixed emotion. "I'm sent to kill people, you see. I do God's dirty work because he likes to turn a blind eye to what his children do. He doesn't like to see how they've gone astray. So it's my job to weed out the...unfavourables," he explained. "Saving people isn't something I do very often," he said with a small smirk. Sometimes he wished he was a guardian angel. They were God's lap dogs. They were favoured and got all of the glory. They were considered true angels, the sweet sort, the holy, pure, wonderful. Dante was...well, he was the junkyard dog, the one tied up with a huge chain who was expected to attack everyone, who was expected to be dangerous and short-tempered. It also meant nobody came near him. Elijah had been the only one ever to come near Dante, the only one ever to dare touch him, kiss him, make love with him. A cold shiver ran through his body and he lost all of his breath suddenly, but quickly recovered with a hard drag from his cigarette before falling into silence. "Sorry I'm not the angel you were expecting."

[Youko]

The priest mulled over this for a few moments. It was hard to imagine that he was the only one this angel had ever saved, but he knew the other wasn't lying about it. That sort of made him feel special in a way, though that only lasted for a moment. This angel had changed his life, even if he didn't know it. Katsu used to be a horrible person; the kind that would bully the weak and steal from others if he had wanted what they had. He was sure that before he almost drowned that he would end up in some gang. It was almost laughable that he could have been one of the ones that the other hunted. Such a curious string of actions caused him to become a priest.

"I wasn't expecting any angel, to be honest," he began easily, "I almost didn't believe that it was an angel that saved my life. All I saw was a blur that I thought looked like wings." Katsu paused for a moment as he considered explaining how big of a part the other actually played in his life, "You changed my life." He said instead, "Even if you aren't technically a guardian angel, you're mine. You could have just let me drown, but you didn't." He offered the other man a small smile, his amber eyes seeming to shine, "You merely do a job that no one else wants to. You are no less a guardian for that."

Katsu wasn't sure why he was trying to 'console' this angel. He only knew that he felt the need too. "Ah yes... My name is Katsu Yukinoshi, it's a pleasure to meet you." He said simply, though made no move to approach the other. He didn't even seem bothered by the angel's lack of dress. The priest merely assumed that it was normal for angels to roam without clothing in privacy. It wasn't as if there was anything wrong with it. At least not for an angel.

Perhaps Katsu is more accepting of the situation then he should be.

[sofakingqueer]

Dante's upper lip twitched into a small sort of a sneer. "I'm not your anything," he grumbled, by now repulsed at the thought of being compared to guardian angel. Dante's eyes flashed as he looked at Katsu. He almost rolled them. "I know what your name is," he stated with a tiny hint of disdain. Dante knew a lot. It sort of came with the whole all knowing being thing. He looked at the clock and cocked his head to the side. Without a word he left the bedroom and went to retrieve his clothes, pulling on his jeans that clung to his hips by little more than the grace of God, and shrugged on his leather jacket and tucked his wings very tightly to his back, disguising his true nature.

Dante opened the window and, throwing one look over his shoulder at Katsu, climbed out and simply dropped. He was gone before he hit the ground, opening his eyes again in his own apartment. He sighed and kicked off his jeans and tossed his jacket onto the floor, only pausing to grab his cigarettes. When he had he instantly lit up and walked into his bathroom, turning on the shower and smoking his cigarette over the sink as he examined his body in the mirror. He was fine, physically, of course, but his skin and hair was covered with dried pond water and scum. How attractive. He snorted and flicked his cigarette butt into the toilet and turned on the shower, stepping in to rinse himself with clean water and a bar of soap. He didn't need body gels, deodorant or shampoo. His ethereal essence naturally cleaned him and left him fresh smelling, like nature or an early summer morning. When he was clean he stumbled out of the shower and hardly dried off before he went to his bedroom and flopped, face down in his large bed with his dirty wings spread, and fell asleep. His wings needed grooming, but Angels, being inherently social creatures, needed help to do a good job. Unfortunately, Dante was never close to anyone after Elijah to let them help him groom. So he preened now and again, but not very thoroughly, leaving his white wings a dingy grey colour with a greasy pallor and dirty feathers protruding here and there. Too bad he didn't really give a shit.

After sleeping for nearly a full day, Dante woke up with a splitting headache and trembling hands. He stumbled into his kitchen and rifled through the cupboards until he finally found a bottle of whiskey. He unscrewed the cap and took one large pull before lighting up his first cigarette. As he sat on his counter top, staring out the window into the dirty, grungy city he lived in. He found himself thinking about Katsu, and realized he probably owed the man. Technically he owed him his life. Katsu had seen him drowning and tried to help, tried to save his worthless life. Dante knew from experience most people would simply let someone die. He supposed he should thank him.

Dante went out to the store, wandering around aimlessly, wondering what one got a priest as a thank you. Cards were tacky and anything else would be considered too indulgent for the pious life of a man of God. Finally, Dante decided on something practical that would remind him of Dante's gratitude. He picked out a lovely pot of Petunias that the priest could plant outside in the monastery garden. It was around that time of spring that flowers were supposed to get planted. This way there would be a wonderful, natural reminder for the priest that would make the whole yard look more colorful.

Dante didn't bother paying for the flowers and simply left, appearing mid afternoon outside the monastery. I walked into the church and through the sanctuary, going back into the actual living quarters. "Katsu?" he called, looking around.

[Youko]

Slightly startled by the angel's rather negative reaction to his words, Katsu said nothing more. Of course he would say the wrong thing. That was usually how it would work. The brunette held up his hands in a show of defeat, not even bothering to try and top the other when he stood and left the room. The priest didn't expect this angel to remain there anyway. In fact, he wouldn't have known what to do if he had decided to stay. Katsu just wasn't a very social person, despite seeing several people daily. He had lived alone since he was sixteen years old.

He watched the other leave though the window, there was a door, with a slightly dejected expression. Well, at least he got his bed back. Without a word, considering there was no one to talk to but himself, he changed into his white linen pajamas and crawled into bed. The scent of that angel clung to the bedding, though Katsu couldn't find himself to be irritated about this. It actually helped him drift off to sleep in the end. He would probably never seen the angel again, anyway.

The next day was spent in the usual way that he did in the beginning of the week. He carefully cleaned the chapel and confessionals along with anything else that needed his attention. He fixed the crucifix that had been threatening to fall for the past two weeks. Katsu had tended to the small garden that seemed to hug the outside of the church, a faint tune drifting into the air as he hummed. He had always enjoyed working in the gardens. It was almost as if he were giving life to something and caring for it. Once he had finished that, he had made his way back into the building and back to his own living quarters. By this time, the sun had begun to set. Still he had much work to do.

A faint sigh tumbled from his lips as he prepared to do laundry. He was washing his bedding. No matter how soothing it seemed, it was still slightly unsettling to have bedding that smelled of someone else. The priest stretched his arms above his head as he made his way into the bedroom. He was startled to see the angel looking for him in one of the rooms.

He paused for a moment, amber eyes widening slightly before he schooled his expression to something a bit less then surprise. "You came back?" he asked from behind the other, "Why?"

[sofakingqueer]

Dante heard Katsu approaching and turned around, flowers in hand, and for a brief moment he felt his lips twitch into the tiniest bit of a smile. Well...that was...disturbing. He hadn't smiled in decades. "I wanted to thank you," he said with an odd tone in his voice, not sure how he felt about saying those words. He extended the large pot of beautiful purple and white petunias towards Katsu. "I thought you'd like these for your garden, you know, as a token of my gratitude or whatever," he shrugged. Dante wasn't so good at this whole people thing.

Clearing his throat, Dante did what he always did to fill space and soothe himself. He took out a pack of cigarettes and began to smoke, lighting up and exhaling as he stared at Katsu. "So...why did you get into this whole priest thing?" he asked, studying Katsu closely. "I've met a lot of priests, and you're...different than the others. You remind me less of a stuffy priest and more of the monks I used to visit hundreds of years ago. They kept to themselves, tended their grounds, and enjoyed their solitary life devoted to themselves and God." Dante took a hit on his cigarette and smiled as he exhaled. "I think you might have been born in the wrong century."

[Youko]

Slender eyebrows rose in surprise at the sight of the angel standing with a rather large pot of breathtaking petunias. He couldn't help but think the sight was slightly humorous, but he didn't dare even crack a smile. He hadn't missed the slight upturn of lips though. Katsu tilted his head just slightly at the words, "...Thank you.." he murmured hesitantly as he reached out to take the pot, which he was shocked to find out was for him, and held it a bit closer then he was have normally. He hadn't expected anything from the angel, much less something he would actually enjoy.

With a distasteful look at the cigarettes, he turned to set the pot on a near by table. The brunette paused at the question, a small smile finally forming. He didn't answer, however, until the angel had finished speaking. During this time, he turned and studied the other with calm amber eyes. "Before you saved my life," he began softly, "I didn't believe there was a God. I did what I wanted, and when I wanted. I hurt people if I felt like it and I enjoyed it." He paused as he adverted his eyes, "I thought that if I were to die, then it would be fine. No one would miss someone like me." The smile widened slightly, "But I was wrong, of course. After I almost drown, I found out that my parents had been searching for me. I had left home, you see. They were in such a state of panic when they saw that I was completely soaked and barely conscious. I knew then that there actually was a God. And you were the one to actually show me that." The priest shook his head lightly, "I decided after my parents died that I would atone for all of the Sins I committed. The only way I could do that was to become a priest."

The young man leaned against the doorway with a thoughtful expression on his face, "Perhaps, subconsciously, I wanted to atone for my Sins so that I might one day meet that angel that saved my life." He chuckled lightly, "As for living in the wrong century. Maybe. I prefer things this way, it keeps me from being tempted."

[sofakingqueer]

"So...I'm the reason you're a priest?" Dante's eyebrow perked a little bit with some form of amusement. "I feel like I should apologize then," he chuckled, shaking his head. Dante sighed and took another drag from his cigarette. For a moment he wished Katsu would keep talking. He liked the man's voice. It was soft and delicate and, quite honestly, a little soothing to Dante's out of control nature. "I'll tell you a secret, though," Dante said, beginning to walk down the hallway to take the flowers outside so they could be moved from their pot into the flowerbed. "You didn't need to become a priest just to atone for your sins. Shit, you didn't even need to apologize." Dante smirked and opened up the door and stepped out into the warm sun.

"Where do you want these?" he asked, waiting for Katsu to tell him where to set them before he put them down. "I'll let you in on a secret. God is well, a big softy. You don't even have to apologize for what you did. You just have to change what you do and start treating people with a little respect and learn to love and you've got a one way ticket to Heaven." Dante grabbed a trowel and began to dig a little to break up the soil so he could transplant the petunias. He didn't know why he was doing it, maybe he felt like being creative as opposed to destructive for once. He paused and looked around. There were enough trees and they were far enough off any main road that he was comfortable sliding off his heavy, old leather jacket. It was warm in the sunshine, something he didn't experience often.

Dante rolled his neck and untucked his wings, stretching them out and flexing them a few times. It was hard, keeping them tucked so tightly all day, but he didn't really have a choice. He missed the days when cloaks or capes and tunics were common wear. It made life so much easier for him. A few dirty, dead feathers fell from his wings onto the grass but he ignored it, letting his wings fold into a looser, more comfortable and natural position against his back as he continued to dig in the soil. "Temptation is a powerful thing, I agree," he said quietly, thinking of his own temptations. Alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, sex..."Even angels can be tempted," he said, taking a side long glance at Katsu. He would never admit it, but Katsu was the first person he'd found attractive since Elijah had passed away. Maybe it was his soft, innocent demeanor that reminded him so much of Elijah. He wasn't sure. But there was definitely something there.