Christmas is not Christian (Rei no Kaado)

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Abel looked away as Cain said he needed to get over it and finally nodded after a moment of silence. Cain was right, as usual. He took his brother's hand and was pulled to his feet. Atsuro was a little stunned. He'd never heard Cain use that tone of voice around Abel since Abel had taken the throne. Maybe once or twice before, but not since Abel became king.

Abel had been about to say something when Seth spoke up. There were traces of fear on Abel's face as he turned away from Seth. "M-Marks? I don't... I don't know what you're talking about."

Atsuro looked toward Abel. Even now, in his human mind, K1 couldn't tell a lie. He always got all stuttery and jittery when it came to lying, and now he was getting that way when it came to some... markings? Wait, markings!? Was that what was making Abel sick?!

"Abel, what's going on?" Atsuro asked carefully. Abel didn't answer, and just continued looking away from the rest of the group.

[mugenginga]

There was a flicker in Cain's eyes as Seth asked the question. Abel wouldn't have told Seth that. Lucifer would know about that rare phenomenon. If Abel was outputting a different form of energy, it was entirely possible Lucifer had put the pieces together. It was likely that he had shown Seth those pieces. Cain didn't appreciate the group being used as playthings, but that was besides the point now. What mattered was how much Abel knew about them.

Seth looked down. Abel didn't want to talk about it, but... "Abel, I saw them. They were glowing. We're supposed to be your family and friends, why can't you tell us?"

"Abel, why did Lucifer attack you?"

Cain wasn't interested in what was going on besides the details he wanted to confirm. Abel was too hard to read lately, Cain couldn't be sure if he was going to dodge the question again like he once would have or come out with it. He did know Abel was going to have to force his way out of this situation if he didn't want to answer. Cain wasn't letting him get out of it easily. As it was, his resistance was putting the entire group at danger.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Abel had looked back toward the rest of the group, and he looked trapped. He kept glancing between Seth, Atsuro, and Cain. If he didn't say things now, they were going to get the answer out of him somehow. Cain wasn't going to let him get away without answering unless he forced his way out of this conversation, and even then he'd probably tell the others what was going on. He looked down and clenched his hands into fists as he finally answered Cain.

"I think he... wanted to see the markings on my stomach. I think he was trying to confirm something..." Abel said quietly. "He called me something strange then, too... He called me a 'demi-fiend.'"

Atsuro's eyes had widened when Seth confirmed that there had been markings on Abel's body. Glowing markings. And then Abel had finally come out with things. Lucifer had attacked him because he wanted to see those markings...

"Abel, when did this happen?" Atsuro asked quietly. Abel didn't answer him. "K1, come on! When did these things first show up?!"

Abel flinched as Atsuro used his human nickname. "...About three days ago."

[mugenginga]

"I suppose I underestimate how stubborn you can be, sometimes," Cain stated. He looked at Atsuro, "Abel discarded his humanity when he became the King of Bel," Cain gave a somewhat critical look at Abel as he continued, "His body should have started adjusting to it immediately. Its taken this long due to his own reluctance and subconscious suppression of his power. I should have known when he stopped dreaming."

Cain didn't like revealing this much, but it had been enough. It was clear no one in the group was going to come on that bright idea themselves, after all. In his own offhand way, Cain had removed any blame Abel might have put on Atsuro for the group knowing about the lack of dreaming. There was a lack of surprise as he said that, though. Seth just looked more worried... meaning someone had let that cat out of the bag.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Abel looked down as Cain mentioned his lack of dreaming. That offhand way he'd said it and the lack of reaction from the others... Atsuro must have told them... dammit, could none of his friends keep secrets? Even Yuugi had ended up letting that one about him being Abel out of the bag so many months ago.

"So why are they showing up now?" Abel asked quietly.

"Maybe it has something to do with that limiter you've been wearing?" Atsuro suggested. Abel gave a small nod. That might have had something to do with it, though hell if he knew what it was.

[mugenginga]

"Your power is growing, even suppressed."

Cain didn't go into details, but he knew them. The limiter seemed to be acting the way weights might on a runner. The power he was able to use with it on seemed to grow expodentially when he took it off. Abel had taken to training more than he had in the Demon Realm back home. It was so he wouldn't have to use the limiter, but it was actually working with the limiter to provide an increase in power. There was a very likely chance Abel was finally beginning to accept the duality as well. And he was getting into more life threatening fights here. Nyx, and the ever present Lucifer.

"Are you saying that's... that's normal...?" Seth asked.

Cain looked at Seth, "The body of a demon and the heart of a human. His body has to change for the power. The term 'Hito-Shura' represents this duality."

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Things seemed to be connecting in Abel's head, and he didn't like it one bit. So this was a natural effect of his body adjusting to his growing demonic power... that explained how sick he'd been feeling before. And the term Lucius had used earlier was referring to how he still had a human mind despite his demonic body.

"I... I see..." Abel said. "...I think I'm going to go lay down. I-If that's alright."

He felt a little overloaded by everything that had happened today. And after getting attacked by Lucifer right in front of their front door like that, he didn't feel safe wandering around town. In fact, it didn't look like Lucifer was going to leave them alone at this rate... He had a feeling if he wanted it to stop, he would have to defeat him first. Defeating Lucifer... that sounded like an almost impossible feat. But he knew he'd have to do more than that if he wanted to protect his court for good... He'd have to kill Lucifer.

"Abel..." Atsuro sighed.

[mugenginga]

Seth looked pained as Abel said he was going to lay down. It had been over three months. Had it gotten to four by this point? The days ran together. The teenager shook his head absentmindedly and looked down. No matter what he did, Abel was going to suffer. Cain would probably be annoyed at the sentamentality of it. The man in question had gone back to unreadable, losing what little trace of apparent care he'd seemed to have. He was smirking, though.

"Well, its to be expected with your attachment to your humanity," Cain stated.

"He'll kill you if he lets it go!" Seth shouted.

"Before you do despite having yours?"

....that was an exchange Abel hadn't been aware of. Cain was smiling right at Seth, who seemed to have replaced depression with anger. Seth was glaring at Cain. It left little doubt that at some point or another, a discussion about Seth taking Cain's life had come up.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Abel blinked as Seth suddenly started yelling at Cain. He'd expected the jab about his humanity, and Seth did always freak a bit when Cain said things like that, but this was different. Abel's expression became angered as Cain retorted. So there'd been an a discussion about killing Cain earlier?! He stepped in between Seth and Cain.

"Stop it! No one's killing anyone today," Abel snarled. "Cain, I'm not discarding my humanity just because of something like this. Seth, you know it's useless to kill Cain, and we still need him. I don't even know why that kind of discussion came up earlier, but I don't want to hear any of that. Got it?"

Atsuro had looked very worried as the topic of Seth killing Cain came up. They had gotten very close to that actually happening earlier. But then Abel had put himself between his two brothers. Sometimes Atsuro forgot how much of a leader Abel really was, and then he did things like this.

[mugenginga]

Cain's expression didn't change, but he didn't rebuke the action either. Seth had looked a bit surprised as Abel had forced a break in eye contact. He'd moved faster than most humans could, meaning he had drawn on some power possibly without realizing it. Seth didn't get Abel eye contact, but he nodded at the command.

"Understood, Your Majesty," Cain smirked at the same point Seth nodded, "Weren't you going to lay down?"

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Abel nodded and started walking toward the hotel. He wasn't even reacting to the "Your Majesty" taunt, which was a pretty good indicator he was as tired as the comment he'd implied. Atsuro sighed.

"I should probably go get those cakes before the stores all run out," Atsuro said. Abel had asked him to get one for Yuugi... Atsuro supposed even with all of the tension between them and Yuugi's group, Abel was still trying to be friends with Yuugi.

[mugenginga]

Cain's smirk faded to a more universally neutral expression as Abel walked off. He was angled so no one would see it. He turned back towards Seth and glanced at the bit of hardware sticking out of his pocket. Seth froze up as Cain reached over and pulled the COMP out of his pocket. The fact it wasn't in two fully seperate pieces spoke well for how durable the things were. Seth looked at it with a nervous expression.

"You'll be needing a new one," Cain stated. He was completely ignoring Atsuro, "Do you remember how to set up the program?"

Seth nodded. Cain had actually taught all of them how to set up the program. For how little he feared death, he knew how much of a possibility it was. At best, and genetics allowing, he'd be gone for around four years if he died. That would allow the nine months of pregnancy and a three year minimum for the mind to develop and his memories to return. It usually took closer to four. Seth gave an apologetic look towards Atsuro as Cain turned around, and the teenager was following right after.