#Tree disease consultant

[stptreeservice]

Tree service

STP Tree services is a tree company serving Binghamton NY and the surrounding Southern Tier area. Whether you just need a few trees trimmed or you have a major tree removal job, we can help. We do stump grinding, land clearing, commercial tree work, and emergency tree services as well. Trust the best tree contractor in the Binghamton area. Call today for a free quote!

STP Tree Services Address: 1412 Drexel Drive, Vestal NY, 13850 Phone: (607) 300-5199 Email: info@stptreeservices.com Read more

[toronto-tree-removal]

Tree Removal North York: When & Why You Should Take Action

🌳 Why Tree Removal in North York Is More Common Than You Think

North York is home to thousands of mature trees — lining residential streets, filling quiet backyards, and growing on commercial lots. While trees are essential to the neighborhood’s character and ecosystem, there are situations where removing a tree in North York is not only necessary — it’s the safest, most responsible thing to do. Below is your full guide to Tree Removal North York.

From structural issues to bylaw concerns, this guide breaks down the top reasons trees need to go — and what you need to know before calling an arborist.

⚠️ Top Signs It’s Time to Remove a Tree

Some tree problems can be resolved with pruning or cabling, but other cases call for full removal:

1. The Tree is Dead or Dying

If a tree has stopped producing leaves, is covered in fungi, or has hollow branches, it’s no longer safe.

2. Root Systems Are Damaging Property

In areas like Bayview Village or Willowdale, root systems can buckle driveways, lift foundations, or invade plumbing.

3. The Tree is Leaning

Especially after storms, trees may begin to lean dangerously toward homes, fences, or public walkways.

4. Disease or Pests

Invasive species like emerald ash borer can destroy trees from the inside out — making them brittle and prone to collapse.

5. The Tree is Too Close to Structures

Urban trees in Downsview or York Mills often outgrow their planting space, threatening roofs, windows, or electrical lines.

In any of these cases, it’s time to consult with a certified arborist in North York.

Full Article here > Tree removal company Toronto

[burningcheese-merchant]

Hanahaki burningcheese. Cheese lives in denial long-term while Burning Spice lives in denial short-term. Like.

BS suddenly coughing up a storm , spits out flowers like yellow peonies and thinks " must be the spices " ( the spice has never bothered him ) . impromptu beast meeting , he consults the guy that holds knowledge and first thing the guy says is "that's definitely hanahaki my guy " "oh that's what i thought then , do i go for her" and he goes for her anyways ( happy ending , woohoo ) ( or is it )

GC however , i think , will be extremely petrified that she even has this illness , how does the almighty one even fall in love ? Burdocks or daffodils ( im not truly well-versed in flowers meanings... ) sitting silently on her jam filled hands... It'll probably take a looong time before she accept who it is , the process of elimination is easy. As for whether or not she'll go for him... I think that'll depends on whatever happens

Hold on... You are cooking something... Something delightful...

BS spits up a few petals the very first time he sees GC, from afar, when he's stuck inside the tree still. Each glance he steals of her after that, he coughs up more and more. When they meet, and fight, and she defeats him, THEN he starts choking on and vomiting whole flowers. He never understood what it was, but tried to brush it off, like you said- until it became too uncomfortable, too painful, even for him. He goes to Shadow Milk for answers; thankfully, he has one on hand. A curse/disease brought by unrequited love, huh? And the cure is to confess and have it be reciprocated? Alright, then. Easy.

... Except it's not. He's not that foolish. Golden Cheese would rather strike him dead than even acknowledge his love for her, never mind return it. So he tries to be clever, and outwit the disease by pursuing her without ever directly stating his feelings; this way, they can grow closer and she can overcome her negativity towards him and fall in love with him naturally. Then, when her heart is well and truly in his possession, he'll confess for real. She'll reciprocate, and the curse will be broken. Sure, it hurts, and it hurts a bit more each day. But he's no stranger to pain; he's got a masochistic streak in him, anyway, especially in relation to his little bird. He can handle it. He'll just wipe his face and hands so he isn't covered in blood all the time. He's immortal, he has time to woo her, the disease can't REALLY hurt or kill him... Right?

You're right, Golden Cheese is in denial. Just like Burning Spice, she has no knowledge of this mystery affliction; but UNLIKE him, she seeks help immediately. Pure Vanilla delivers the same catastrophic news (to her, anyway) as Shadow Milk did to Burning Spice. But he doesn't know who it's for/about, and neither does she... or she tries to pretend she doesn't know. So desperate is she to avoid the truth that she makes a complete fool of herself and confesses to everyone she knows EXCEPT the actual object of her affection and affliction. It gets worse every day - when they meet, it worsens almost tenfold - but the hand her pride has wrapped around her heart is simply too strong. She can't admit something like that to HIM. It's preposterous! It's blasphemy! What would it do to her reputation? What would her subjects, her friends, the world think of her for loving a Beast? What would it do to her self-image? Her self-esteem? (... What if he says no? What if he rejects her? What if he takes her heart and grinds it to dust in his hands, cackling and cruelly mocking her as she cries her tears of heartbreak? She... She can't handle that. And she won't.

She won't say anything. She never will. Even if it hurts her. Even if it kills her...

[rainforestakiie]

Hello! Please ignore this if you wish. I promise it will be the last time I ever bug you.

I was wondering about a story in which Adam is first orchestrated to be human’s representative in Heaven. Mutely translating to Adam picking up all the work Heaven rather not bother with. First, orchestrating the residence and basic necessities that would make humans comfortable. Emily helps but angels can only understand humans to an extent.

Adam is mentally exhausted and muffed that his afterlife has been inundated into a full time job. What made it worse was Heaven never acknowledges anything he’s done. The inventions. The farming. Parenting, etc. all of it is simply expected since he’s Adam. The one that ate the apple and nothing else.

He’s already tired by the time Sera gives him another job. Consulting with Hell. The population has basically tripled in hell after the flood and it’s beginning to be a problem. Adam, has only ever been reminded about how much of a fuck up he is. How much his descendants are sinners. How Lucifer tricked him. Or when Lilith left him. It’s all that’s ever spoken to the man that, on earth, as moved passed it. He’s had a life. The worse and the best of it. He’s suffered through his own hells of diseases, injury, disasters, child death. Winters. Bad harvest. Near starvation. All of it. And his reward has been to never stop hearing about that stupid apple, Lucifer. Lilith and Eve.

Now. He has to go and talk to them once a month. Because Heaven wouldn’t want to dirty their hands even a little.

So he goes. And the moment either of them even looks at him, Adam just mentally shuts down.

And pretends not to know them. At all. Greets them like he would any representative. Never calls them by name. Never raises his voice above monotone. And if asked about anything beyond the work, he just plays dumb. He’s just Adam. Just here to do a job. Eden? What Eden? Who’s wife? Oh, apples? Nah. I prefer pears.

If Lucifer gets annoyed and tries to get a raise, Adam just treats him like a stranger. Business. Ignoring them most of the time. Till Lucifer just snaps.

Anyway! That’s my idea. Had it for a whole year. Please ignore it. I was just happy to get it off my chest.

I’ll leave you be now. Thank you!

hello! i love this idea! i think i might have gone a little crazy? i hope you like this! i worked hard on it. i really loved how it came out~

Shut Down

Part 01 - Part 02

hope you enjoy it! and so so sorry for the wait!

The golden haze of Heaven shimmered faintly, eternal daylight casting soft halos on everything, but Adam’s heart was heavy with a darkness that could not be gilded. He stood at the edge of a celestial orchard, one he had designed—by necessity, not desire—watching humans wander the perfect rows of fruit trees. They laughed, basked in a perfection he had painstakingly carved from nothingness. Each fruit held just the right amount of sweetness. Each pathway was wide enough for families to stroll hand in hand. This place wasn’t handed to them; he had built it, from the dirt up.

But none of them knew that. No one knew, or worse, no one cared.

Emily was the only one who ever said thank you. She was small for an angel, slender and fragile looking, with eyes like quiet storms. She tried to understand humanity, tried to help Adam navigate the impossible demands Heaven had placed upon him. But angels were built for praise and worship, not empathy.

“I think the fountain by the entrance could use a little lighter,” she said one day, perched on the edge of the pristine marble basin.

Her voice was tentative, the kind of careful tone you use when you know the person you’re speaking to might break if you push too hard.

Adam wiped sweat from his brow—a pointless habit in Heaven, where no one sweated, but old habits die hard. He stared at her, his exhaustion a dull roar behind his eyes.

“Do you think that’ll make anyone notice it?” he asked bitterly. “Or me?”

Emily didn’t answer. She never did when he spiralled like this. She just stayed close, her silence a quiet balm he didn’t know he needed.

Heaven, for all its glory, had become Adam’s eternal workplace. He was its reluctant architect, its farmer, its mediator. He had planted the first seeds of the orchard. He had taught the humans how to tend them, how to live in this unnatural perfection. He had invented games for the children and written laws to keep peace. And yet, the angels looked right through him, their faces serene and empty, as though all of this had simply sprung into existence the moment humanity arrived.

And why wouldn’t they? He was Adam. The Adam. The man who had eaten the apple, ruined Eden, and dragged humanity down with him. That was the only story anyone cared about.

So when Sera appeared with another task, her wings glowing with soft, celestial light, Adam felt the last thread of his patience snap.

“You’ll need to consult with Hell,” she said, her voice dripping with divine authority.

Adam blinked at her, incredulous. “Consult? With Hell?”

“They’re experiencing… issues,” she said vaguely, as though the words burned her holy tongue. “Human souls. Integration. Something about inefficiencies.”

Adam laughed, the sound sharp and humourless. “Of course. Because when there’s a problem no one wants to deal with, it’s my problem.”

Tilting her head, Sera’s expression as blank as polished stone. “You were the first human. It is your role.”

“My role,” Adam repeated, his voice cracking under the weight of his frustration. “My role was to live, to love, to die. That was supposed to be it. I didn’t ask to be some… some cosmic janitor cleaning up Heaven’s messes!”

Emily reached for his arm, but he pulled away, the movement sharp and unkind. He regretted it immediately, but he couldn’t stop the words tumbling from his mouth.

“I gave up everything for this,” he said, his voice breaking. “My rest. My peace. My soul. And for what? So I can spend eternity fixing problems no one else wants to touch?”

Sera’s serene expression didn’t waver, and that only made his anger burn hotter.

“Why don’t you send an angel?” he demanded.

“They lack the… context,” she said, as though that explained everything.

Laughing again, hollow and bitter. Adam weakly smiled, “Of course. Because understanding humanity only matters when it’s inconvenient for you.”

Sera disappeared in a shimmer of light, leaving Adam alone with Emily and his fury. He sank onto the edge of the fountain, his head in his hands.

“Adam,” Emily began, her voice soft.

“Don’t,” he said, his voice muffled by his hands. “Just… don’t.”

But she didn’t leave. She never left. Instead, she knelt beside him, her presence steady and warm.

“They’ll never thank you,” she said quietly.

He looked at her, startled by the raw honesty in her voice.

“They’ll never thank you,” she repeated. “But that doesn’t mean what you’ve done doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t feel like it matters,” he said, his voice trembling.

“It matters to me,” she said, and for the first time, her voice cracked.

Adam looked at her, really looked at her, and saw the truth in her eyes. She cared—not because it was her duty, not because she was an angel, but because she had seen his struggle and chosen to stay.

The weight of her gaze was almost too much to bear. But in it, he found the faintest flicker of hope.

Maybe this wasn’t the eternity he had wanted. Maybe it was thankless and exhausting and infuriating. But as long as Emily was there, as long as someone saw him, maybe it wasn’t entirely unbearable.

And so, when the gates of Heaven opened, revealing the dark, twisting paths that led to Hell, Adam took a deep breath and stepped forward. Emily followed, her presence a quiet promise at his side.

Hell was nothing like Adam had imagined. It wasn’t the fiery pit artists had painted or the grotesque chaos preachers had warned of. No, Hell was a kingdom. Cold, sprawling, and alive. Its skies were the colour of bruised steel, its rivers slick with an oily shimmer that reflected the low, glowing embers scattered across its barren expanse. The weight of despair was heavy in the air, like the static before a storm.

Stepping through the gates; Adam’s footsteps silent on the cracked obsidian ground. He had been here so many times now that the surreal horror of it barely registered. Heaven’s emissary to Hell. What a joke. A cosmic errand boy for a celestial bureaucracy that couldn’t be bothered to handle its own messes. Hell’s population had tripled after the flood, and, naturally, it fell to Adam to negotiate solutions. Heaven didn’t want to “dirty their hands,” and Hell… Hell just enjoyed the game.

“Adam,” came the silken voice that made his stomach churn.

Lucifer sat on a throne of jagged iron, lounging with the kind of ease that only someone who ruled Hell could manage. Beside him, Lilith perched like a shadow come to life, her dark eyes gleaming with something between amusement and malice.

“Your Majesty. Your Highness,” Adam said flatly, bowing just enough to be polite but not enough to seem subservient.

Smiling wider, a wolfish grin that would have once made Adam’s heart race—not in fear, but in something he didn’t care to name anymore. “Majesty? Highness? Come now, Adam. When did we become so… formal?”

Adam didn’t answer. He placed his satchel on the obsidian table before the throne, pulling out scrolls and ledgers.

“The population problem is worse than Heaven anticipated,” he said, his tone devoid of inflection. “I’ve outlined potential solutions. We can start with increased partitioning of—”

“Adam,” Lilith interrupted, her voice a purr. “Don’t you even want to ask how we’ve been? It’s been, what… a century? We missed you.”

His hands stilled for the briefest of moments before continuing to unfurl the scroll. “This isn’t a social visit,” he said without looking up. “I’m here to work.”

Lucifer leaned forward, resting his chin on a hand adorned with rings that glinted like fresh blood. “Work. Is that what they’re calling slavery these days?”

Adam didn’t respond.

“You always were good at taking orders,” Lilith murmured, her tone cutting but light, like a blade wrapped in silk.

He ignored her, pointing to the first chart. “Here is where the population density is highest. If we redistribute—”

“Don’t tell me you’re still sour about what happened in Eden,” Lucifer said suddenly, his voice a low hum.

Adam didn’t flinch, didn’t even glance up.

“Eden?” he repeated, as if the word were foreign to him. “What Eden?”

Tilting his head, Lucifer studied Adam like a predator watching wounded prey. “You know. The garden. Paradise.”

“Oh,” Adam said, his tone as dry as ash. “That Eden. No, I don’t think I recall.”

Lilith smirked, but there was a flicker of something—uncertainty, perhaps—in her eyes.

“Come now,” Lucifer said, leaning back lazily. “You don’t remember the apples? The tree?”

“Apples?” Adam asked, arching an eyebrow as though the word itself was laughable. “I’m more of a pear person.”

Laughing, sharp and short, but it didn’t have the bite she’d hoped for.

Lucifer’s grin faltered, just slightly. He straightened in his seat, his golden eyes narrowing.

“And Eve?” he asked, his voice soft and dangerous.

“Who?” Adam asked, tilting his head in mock confusion.

Lucifer’s expression darkened. “Your wife, Adam. The one who bit the fruit and became the mother of humanity? Surely you remember her.”

Adam stared at the chart in front of him as though it were the most fascinating thing in the world.

“Can’t say I do,” he said. “Must not have made much of an impression.”

Lilith’s smile twisted, her irritation starting to show. “You’re not very good at pretending, Adam.”

“Oh, I don’t need to pretend,” he said, finally looking up, his eyes flat and lifeless. “I don’t remember because I don’t care. Now, can we move on to the overpopulation issue, or are we going to sit here dredging up meaningless trivia all day?”

For a moment, the room was silent. Lucifer and Lilith exchanged a glance, their confidence shaken by Adam’s complete detachment.

Leaning forward again, Lucifer’s grin returning, but it was forced now.

“You’ve changed,” he said, his tone laced with faux amusement.

Adam met his gaze, and for the first time, there was a flicker of something in his eyes—something cold and unyielding.

“No,” he said quietly. “I just stopped caring.”

The words hung in the air like a blade poised to strike. Lucifer leaned back, his smile fading into something more thoughtful, and Lilith shifted in her seat, her sharp edges dulled by unease.

Adam turned back to his charts, his hands steady and sure. He felt nothing. Not anger, not sadness, not even relief. Just a hollow calm that carried him through the motions.

They could jab at him all they wanted. They could bring up Eden, the apple, Eve, all the failures they thought defined him. None of it mattered.

He was just Adam. Just here to do a job.

~#~

The grand hall of Hell was colder than usual, its vast expanse of jagged obsidian and molten gold eerily quiet as Adam stepped through the iron doors. His footfalls echoed, but the absence of Lilith’s pointed laughter or biting remarks gave the space an unfamiliar hollowness.

Adam’s gaze swept the room, pausing briefly on the empty throne beside Lucifer’s. His eyebrows twitched upward for a fleeting second before settling back into their usual indifference. He made a soft hum of acknowledgment, then casually unfurled the scroll of contracts in his hand.

“Well, Your Majesty,” Adam began, his voice as flat as ever. “If we could start—”

“Are you going to ask about her?” Lucifer’s voice was a low growl, the words cutting through the silence like the scrape of a blade.

Adam paused, glancing up at the fallen angel’s sharp, smouldering gaze. “Ask about who?”

Teeth clenching, the muscles in Lucifer’s jaw tightening.

“Lilith,” he hissed. “Aren’t you even the least bit curious?”

Adam blinked; his expression impassive. “No.”

He shrugged, setting the scroll on the obsidian table between them. “I don’t care enough to ask.”

The casual dismissal hit Lucifer like a slap. He rose from his throne, his wings flaring slightly, casting long, jagged shadows against the flickering walls. “You insufferable, self-righteous—”

“Are we doing this or not?” Adam interrupted, his voice carrying the faintest edge of impatience. He gestured to the paperwork. “I’ve got things to do. If this isn’t a good time, we can reschedule.”

Lucifer’s fingers curled into the armrests of his throne, his claws scraping the iron. His golden eyes narrowed, burning with a fury Adam didn’t bother to acknowledge. Finally, with a sharp click of his tongue, Lucifer hissed, “You’re really pissing me off, Adam.”

Adam didn’t even flinch. “Then perhaps we should—”

Before he could finish, Lucifer disappeared in a flash of golden flames, the heat licking at the edges of Adam’s sleeves. Adam sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Dramatic as always,” he muttered under his breath. He gathered his papers, turned on his heel, and left.

The next meeting was quieter. No jabs. No sharp comments. Lucifer lounged on his throne, his usual smirk absent, his posture uncharacteristically tense. Adam wasted no time getting to work, spreading the golden parchment Sera had drafted across the table.

“The contract outlines an extermination of souls to ease overcrowding,” Adam began, his tone monotone. “Heaven has already approved—”

“She left,” Lucifer said suddenly, his voice soft but strained.

Adam didn’t stop, his eyes scanning the contract as if he hadn’t heard.

“Lilith,” Lucifer continued. “She’s gone. Just got bored of me, I suppose.”

His tone was bitter, but there was an undercurrent of something raw beneath it. “She didn’t say much. Just… left.”

Stiffening, the faintest twitch betraying the crack in Adam’s mask, but he kept talking. “The terms are standard. A simple signature will—”

“She said I wasn’t enough,” Lucifer said, his voice quieter now, almost a whisper. His golden eyes were fixed on Adam, searching, waiting for something—anything—to flicker across his face.

Adam sighed, setting the parchment down. He finally met Lucifer’s gaze; his expression still as unreadable as stone.

“What does this have to do with the contract?” he asked, his voice flat. “The quicker you sign it, the quicker this is over.”

Eyes flickering with anger and something else—hurt, maybe. Lucifer stared at the golden parchment, his lip curling in disdain. “I won’t sign it.”

Adam’s patience was thinning. “Neither of us wants to be here, so—”

Lucifer’s bitter laugh cut him off. “That’s funny. Because I do want to be here.”

Raising an eyebrow at that, genuinely surprised for the first time in a long while. But Adam recovered quickly, his tone slipping back into its formal detachment. “Very well, Your Majesty—”

Chair screeching as Lucifer shot to his hooves, fire erupting around him.

“Call me by my name!” he roared, his voice echoing through the chamber like thunder.

Adam stared up at him, unimpressed. “You are the King of Hell,” he said flatly.

Slamming a fist against the table, the impact sending cracks spidering through the obsidian.

“Don’t play this game with me, Adam!” Lucifer snarled. “You know who I am! I’m Lucifer! Lu-ci-fer!”

Adam didn’t flinch. His expression remained blank, disinterested, even as Lucifer’s fury blazed hotter.

“You were my friend once!” Lucifer bellowed, his eyes flaring blood-red, his horns curling upward as if they were reaching for the heavens. “Do you even remember what that means? Do you remember us? Do you remember Eden?”

Folding his arms, Lucifer’s gaze cold and unmoved.

“Eden?” he repeated, his voice like a dagger wrapped in frost. “Never heard of it.”

Lucifer’s wings flared wide, and his voice rose to a near scream. “It was our home! Our home! You and I—we in it together! We were supposed to be everything!”

Meeting his blood-red gaze without a hint of fear, Adam’s tone colder than Lucifer’s fire was hot. “And yet here we are.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Lucifer’s chest heaved, his fiery aura flickering, but Adam remained still, a glacier unmoved by the storm.

Lucifer sank back into his throne, his horns receding, his eyes dimming. For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Adam picked up the parchment, holding it out. “The contract, Your Majesty.”

Glaring at him but said nothing. The fire in Lucifer’s eyes burned low, smouldering with something heavier than anger.

He didn’t sign it that day.

~#~

The air in Hell’s grand hall was heavy with tension as Adam entered again, his steps slow and deliberate. Lucifer was already lounging on his throne, one leg crossed lazily over the other, his golden goblet glinting in the dim light. The contract lay untouched on the obsidian table between them, just as it had been at every other meeting. Adam’s eyes barely flicked toward it before he set his jaw and approached.

“Your Majesty,” Adam began, placing another copy of the parchment before Lucifer. “The extermination initiative—”

Waving a dismissive hand, cutting him off. Lucifer sighed. “Let’s not start with all that boring drivel, Adam. I’ve got time today. Do you?”

Exhaling quietly through his nose, a faint tick betraying his irritation, but Adam maintained his calm façade. “The contract—”

“Do you really not care about Eden anymore?” Lucifer asked, his voice softer now, almost wistful.

Pausing, Adam’s fingers twitching as they hovered over the document. Slowly, he looked up. “Eden is… irrelevant to the matter at hand.”

Laughing softly, the sound carrying a strange mixture of bitterness and fondness. Lucifer smirked, “Irrelevant? You loved Eden, Adam. I remember how your eyes would light up when you showed me your latest discoveries. Every new flower, every creature, every little thing—it was like seeing the world through your eyes for the first time.”

Adam’s expression didn’t waver, though his grip on the parchment tightened ever so slightly. “If you’re not going to sign the contract, we can—”

“You used to drag me all over that garden,” Lucifer continued, ignoring him entirely. His eyes glimmered with distant memories, glowing red and gold as he stared through Adam like he was looking at a ghost. “You’d get so excited whenever I came to visit. Remember? You’d grab my hand and pull me to show off some ridiculous little plant or how you’d taught a bird to sit on your shoulder.”

Adam’s voice was as flat as stone. “I don’t recall.”

Lucifer grinned faintly, his eyes narrowing with amusement, though there was a flicker of frustration behind them. “Don’t recall? I spent days with you at the beginning—night and day, making sure you didn’t poison yourself or drown yourself.”

He leaned forward, his voice warming. “You were so innocent. So sweet. So… human.”

“I’m still human,” Adam replied coolly, adjusting the golden feathered quill in his hand. “And this is still a waste of time. If you won’t—”

Gaze sharpened, Lucifer’s grin growing wolfish. “I taught you how to care for wings, remember? You surely used my technique on your wings?”

His tone turned teasing. “You couldn’t stop touching mine, asking a million questions. You were obsessed with the way they shimmered in the sun.”

Adam’s golden wings shifted slightly behind him, but his expression remained frozen.

“Sera taught me to care for my wings,” he said curtly. “I don’t remember an angel in Eden. Certainly not one who would let me touch their wings.”

The shift in Lucifer’s demeanour was immediate. His face darkened, his lips twisting into a sour frown. His gaze bore into Adam, intense and almost pleading, but Adam didn’t flinch.

“I was in Eden,” Lucifer snapped, his voice low and sharp. “I was your archangel. Your guardian. How can you pretend I wasn’t there?”

Shrugging, Adam’s tone dismissive. “Because you weren’t?” He said it like he was explaining something to a particularly slow child.

Lucifer bristled, his wings flaring slightly as the temperature in the room spiked. His claws tapped rhythmically against the armrest of his throne.

“Then how,” he hissed, his voice dangerously quiet, “Did you get that scar on your thigh?”

Adam’s composure faltered, just for a fraction of a second. His eyes flicked to Lucifer, then down to the table, before settling back on the contract. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Inching forward, Lucifer’s fiery gaze locking onto Adam like a predator cornering its prey.

“Yes, you do,” he said, his voice low and insistent. “You fell down a cliff. Scraped your leg open on a jagged rock. I was the one who healed you.”

His voice rose slightly, tinged with anger. “Do you remember that, Adam? Your first taste of pain?”

Adam’s jaw tightened, but he kept his tone neutral. “I don’t remember falling,” he said simply.

Lucifer’s wings flared wider, his patience fraying.

“You cried for hours!” he snapped. “You couldn’t understand what had happened to you, why you were bleeding, why it hurt. I carried you back to the spring and healed you myself.”

His voice softened slightly, almost pleading. “You trusted me, Adam. Do you really not remember?”

Adam finally looked up, his face impassive but his eyes faintly cold.

“I remember plenty,” he said flatly. “But not you.”

Recoiling slightly as if the words had struck him. Lucifer’s lips pressed into a thin line, his jaw clenching as his fiery gaze bore into Adam’s unflinching mask.

For a long moment, the hall was silent, the tension thick enough to choke on. Then Lucifer leaned back in his throne, his expression twisting into something bitter and raw.

“Of course,” he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Why would you?”

Adam picked up the quill again, his focus returning to the contract. “If you’re done reminiscing, perhaps we can proceed with the matter at hand.”

Lucifer didn’t respond. His wings folded tightly against his back, and he stared at the parchment with a glare that could melt stone.

He didn’t sign it. Again.

~#~

The grand hall was eerily silent when Adam entered, his footsteps echoing against the marble floor. Lucifer was already there, sprawled across his throne with a confidence that felt exaggerated, almost theatrical. The obsidian table between them bore the familiar contract, but Adam didn’t bother expecting progress. He strode forward, his demeanour calm and professional, placing the golden quill beside the parchment before sitting down.

“Your Majesty,” Adam began, his tone flat and businesslike, “the extermination contract. Heaven’s representatives are still awaiting—”

Lucifer cut him off with a gleeful chuckle, leaning forward, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Oh, Adam, must you be so boring every time? We have centuries together, yet you insist on skipping the pleasantries.”

Adam blinked slowly, unimpressed. “Pleasantries won’t sign the contract.”

Ignoring the quip, Lucifer’s grin widening like a Cheshire cat’s. “Let’s talk about something more interesting—like Lilith.”

Adam’s expression didn’t flicker, though he adjusted his posture slightly, folding his hands in his lap. Lucifer took the silence as an invitation to continue, his voice practically dripping with smugness.

“You do remember Lilith, don’t you?” Lucifer asked, his grin sharp and mocking. “The first woman? Your first wife?”

Adam tilted his head, a faint crease forming between his brows as though he were searching his memory.

“I remember… another woman,” he said slowly, his tone detached. “But I can’t say what her name was or why she left. If she did leave, though, I suppose it was for the best.”

Freezing, Lucifer’s smirk faltering. “For the best?” he echoed, his voice incredulous.

Adam shrugged. “I don’t even remember her, so she mustn’t have been very important.”

The words struck Lucifer like a slap, and his smugness dissolved into irritation. His wings twitched, his claws tapping against the armrest.

“She was important,” he snapped. “She left because of you. You were cruel to her, dismissive, demanding—don’t you remember what you put her through?”

Adam looked at him evenly, his face an unmoving mask of neutrality. He waited for Lucifer’s rant to burn itself out before cocking his head slightly, as though observing a child mid-tantrum.

“Are you finished?”

Lucifer blinked, his eyes wide and uncharacteristically unsure. He slumped back into his throne, glaring at Adam. “Do you really not feel anything for Lilith?”

Adam shrugged again; his expression unreadable. “Obviously not. I don’t even remember her.” He paused, tilting his head. “You mean the queen, right?”

Lucifer nodded stiffly, his lips pressed into a thin line.

“Then no,” Adam continued smoothly, “I don’t remember meeting the queen before these meetings.”

Lucifer let out a frustrated huff, but his eyes betrayed something deeper—a flicker of desperation, perhaps. He leaned forward again, his voice softening as he pressed on.

“Lilith and I… we spent so much time together in Eden. Sneaking around, giggling, learning, experiencing everything for the first time.” His tone turned smug again, though there was a nervous edge to it. “We had so much fun, Adam. You… must remember that?”

Adam sighed, shifting his weight slightly. “I really don’t care what the king did with his queen. It’s not my concern.”

Lucifer bristled, his wings flaring slightly. “Of course it’s your concern! She was your wife!”

Adam frowned, his brows knitting together as though trying to make sense of the words.

“Are you even listening to yourself?” he asked, his tone flat and almost bored. “If what you’re saying is true, then you haven’t been much of a friend.”

Lucifer stiffened, his smug demeanour cracking. “What do you mean?”

Adam rolled his eyes slightly, twirling a finger in the air as if outlining the obvious. “Let’s say, for your sake, that your story is true. You just admitted to me that you—my supposed best friend—went out of your way to teach me betrayal. To show me what it felt like to be cheated on.”

He paused, his tone utterly devoid of emotion. “Imagine. My wife and my best friend.”

Lucifer sat in stunned silence, the words visibly sinking in. His claws dug into his knees, his wings trembling slightly as he stared at Adam with wide eyes.

“That’s… the truth,” he murmured finally, his voice quiet and almost hollow. “I’m a terrible friend.”

Adam’s gaze didn’t waver. “But hey,” he said dryly, “None of that actually happened, so who cares?”

Lucifer’s head snapped up, his golden eyes blazing. “It did happen!” he hissed. “And it should matter!”

Adam shook his head, his expression calm and disinterested.

“Not to me.” He pushed the contract forward again. “Now, about the extermination initiative—”

Lucifer ignored the parchment entirely, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and something else—something fragile.

“Did you… really hurt her?” he asked softly. “Like she claims?”

Adam looked at him sharply, his brows raising in faint disbelief.

“You know,” he said slowly, “for someone who claims to be my best friend once, to have known everything about me, you should already know the answer to that, shouldn’t you?”

The words hit Lucifer like a physical blow. He stiffened, his claws digging deeper into his knees, his wings shuddering as the weight of Adam’s words sank in. For a moment, he looked almost small, his fiery arrogance dimming.

Adam waited a beat, then tilted his head, his tone turning brisk and professional again. “Are you ready to focus on the contract now, Your Majesty?”

Lucifer didn’t respond, his wide eyes fixed on Adam as though searching for something—anything—beneath his impenetrable mask. But Adam simply stared back, calm and unmoved, until Lucifer finally slumped back into his throne, defeated and silent.

He doesn’t sign the contract then either.

~#~

Adam sat across from Sera in Heaven’s towering council chamber, his face calm but his wings faintly drooping with frustration. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the table, her eyes sharp as they bore into him.

"Adam," Sera began, her voice firm. "Why is this taking so long? The extermination contract should’ve been signed weeks ago."

Adam sighed, running a hand through his golden hair. "The King is being... difficult."

Sera raised an eyebrow, motioning for him to elaborate.

"He keeps wanting to go down memory lane," Adam said, his tone flat. "It’s always something about Eden, or Lilith, or Eve. He’s fixated on the past, and it has nothing to do with the task at hand."

Sera leaned forward, her tone clipped and impatient. "Then give him what he wants. Humour him. Anything to get this over with."

Adam frowned, crossing his arms. "I’m not going to play his games, Sera. This is about Heaven’s decree, not indulging the King of Hell’s nostalgia."

Sera huffed, but didn’t press further. She dismissed him with a wave, muttering something about how things always became messy when the traitor was involved. Adam left the chamber with his shoulders squared, but the weight of her impatience still lingered as he prepared for yet another meeting.

The grand hall was quieter than usual when Adam entered for his next session with Lucifer. The atmosphere felt heavier, and it immediately struck him that Lucifer wasn’t his usual smug self. Instead, the King of Hell sat slumped on his throne, his golden eyes dim, his expression unreadable.

Adam hesitated briefly before walking to the table and unfurling the parchment.

"Your Majesty," he began in his usual calm tone, "I’ve revised the extermination proposal to address—"

Lucifer raised a hand, cutting him off. For a moment, he simply stared at Adam, his cheek resting on his palm, his expression weary. Then he spoke, his voice soft and almost sorrowful.

"Do you know about Eve? About what I did?"

Adam’s pen paused mid-motion, but he didn’t look up.

"It doesn’t matter," he said simply, returning his attention to the parchment. "Let’s focus on the contract."

Lucifer exhaled sharply through his nose, sitting up straighter.

"I’m worse than a bad friend," he said bitterly. "I’m a scumbag."

Adam finally looked at him, his brows knitting in faint confusion. "What are you talking about now?"

Lucifer’s claws tapped against the armrest of his throne, his gaze hardening. "The apple…The apple of knowledge. I gave it to Eve. And afterward… I had sex with her."

Adam’s lips pressed into a thin line, and he clicked his tongue. "This means nothing to me. Why are you so keen to tell me these stories?"

"They’re not stories," Lucifer snapped, leaning forward. "They happened. And they should matter to you!"

Adam shrugged helplessly. "They don’t. I only care about the contract."

Lucifer ignored him, his voice growing louder, more desperate. "I lured Eve to the tree. Told her about the world outside Eden. Told her she was Heaven’s puppet. I offered her freedom. I offered her the apple, and she was so eager to take it. And after—"

"Your Majesty," Adam interrupted, his wings shifting as he let out a deep, weary sigh. "Please. Can we just get back to—"

Lucifer slammed his fist on the armrest, his voice trembling. "I betrayed you, Adam. I betrayed you in every way possible."

He rubbed his face, his claws dragging over his skin. His voice cracked as he went on. "I didn’t just betray you with Eve. I betrayed you with Lilith, too. I helped her cheat on you—with me. Your best friend. Your guardian angel."

Adam’s expression didn’t waver, but his chest tightened painfully at the words. He kept his face blank, refusing to let any emotion show.

Lucifer laughed bitterly, his hands trembling as he looked down at them. "I should’ve known it was all lies. The moment Lilith told me you were hurting her, bossing her around—I should’ve known. You wouldn’t even know how to do that. You were pure, untouched by sin. There were no sins in Eden."

He looked up at Adam, his golden eyes glassy. "And I failed you. I failed as your friend, as your guardian angel. I believed her lies because of my own pride. I didn’t question her. I didn’t think. I just… gave in."

Lucifer’s voice dropped to a whisper, filled with shame. "I stained you with Lilith. I stained you with Eve. I stained everything I touched. I’m a terrible friend, Adam. A terrible guardian. And I’m so sorry."

Adam’s throat tightened, but he forced himself to remain still. He wanted to cry, wanted to scream, but he wouldn’t allow himself to break. He cleared his throat softly and said, "If I accept your apology, will you be serious?"

Frowning, Lucifer’s wings shifting uneasily. "I am being serious."

Shaking his head, Adam gestured to the parchment between them. "Then sign the contract."

Lucifer’s expression darkened, his sharp teeth bared as he hissed, "Is the contract all you care about?"

"Obviously." Adam snorted softly.

Lucifer let out a growl, his claws digging into the table. "I’ve had enough of this game, Adam! I get it, okay? I’m a shitty angel. A shitty friend. Just… shitty in general. But come on!"

His voice cracked, and his wings drooped. "Enough’s enough!"

Adam didn’t react to Lucifer’s outburst, his face calm and dull. He leaned back in his chair, waiting for the storm to pass.

Once Lucifer’s anger burned itself out, he slumped in his throne, staring at Adam with wide, almost pleading eyes. Neither of them spoke for several minutes. Finally, Lucifer’s voice broke the silence, quiet and trembling.

"Do you seriously not care about anything?"

Adam looked at him steadily. "I care about one thing."

Lucifer’s face fell, his shoulders slumping further.

"It’s not the contract," he muttered bitterly. "You don’t care about the contract."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "What do you want, then?"

Lucifer’s golden eyes glistened as he stared at Adam, his voice breaking. "I want you, Adam. I want my Adam back."

Adam rolled his eyes, his tone flat. "You are acting childish."

Lucifer shook his head, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I know I’ve fucked up. I know I have a lot to make up for. But please… please, Adam, stop this game. It’s killing me."

Adam said nothing, only pushing the contract forward again. Lucifer stared at him for a long moment before golden flames erupted around him, and he disappeared without another word.

Adam sat alone in the grand hall, his chest tight, his wings heavy. He closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply. Then, with a shake of his head, he rose and left the room.

Adam barely made it to the quiet sanctuary of his chamber before the dam broke. As soon as the heavy door shut behind him, sealing him off from the endless corridors of Heaven and the prying eyes of the angels, he crumpled to his knees. His wings drooped low, their golden feathers dragging against the pristine floor.

The first sob escaped his throat before he could stop it. It was raw, ugly, and filled with years of pain he thought he’d buried deep enough to forget. But Lucifer’s words from their meeting echoed endlessly in his mind.

"I failed you."

"I betrayed you."

"I stained everything I touched."

Adam clutched at his chest, his fingers curling into the fabric of his robes as though trying to dig out the ache that burned there. It hurt—a deep, soul-crushing hurt that he couldn’t suppress anymore.

Lucifer’s confessions had ripped open old wounds Adam hadn’t even realized were still there. He didn’t want to care, didn’t want to feel anything for the King of Hell. But hearing Lucifer lay himself bare like that—seeing the raw guilt and sorrow in his golden eyes—it was unbearable.

Memories flooded his mind, unbidden and sharp. He remembered Lilith’s laughter, her soft voice, the way she used to press her hand to his chest as though she could feel his heartbeat. He remembered the warmth of Lucifer’s wings as they shielded him from Eden’s rains, the way the archangel had always been there to steady him when he stumbled.

And then, he remembered the betrayals. Lilith’s coldness as she left him for Lucifer. Lucifer’s smug grin the first time he had bragged about it. Eve’s wide, curious eyes as she stepped closer to the forbidden tree, her hand reaching for the apple.

Adam’s sobs grew louder, shaking his entire body. His wings twitched and trembled, the golden feathers ruffling as though they shared his pain. It wasn’t just the betrayals that hurt. It was the weight of it all. The weight of knowing he was supposed to be the first, the purest, the perfect creation. And yet, all he’d ever was a pawn in someone else’s games.

His fists slammed against the floor, the impact sending dull echoes through the room.

"Why?" he choked out, his voice thick with tears. "Why couldn’t you just leave me alone?"

He hated Lucifer in that moment. Hated him for dredging up the past, for forcing Adam to remember things he didn’t want to remember. But more than that, he hated himself for still caring.

“Why couldn’t you have just gone alone with the game?”

The tears wouldn’t stop. They poured down his face, soaking the floor beneath him as his sobs wracked his body. He felt raw, exposed, as though every part of him had been torn open and left to bleed.

How much longer could he take this? How many more meetings could he endure before he shattered completely?

He pressed his forehead to the cool floor, his wings splayed out around him in a mess of gold and white.

"It’s too much," he whispered brokenly. "I can’t… I can’t do this anymore."

But he had to.

Sera was counting on him. Heaven was counting on him. And no matter how much it hurt—no matter how much Lucifer’s words ripped him apart—Adam couldn’t let them see him falter.

After what felt like hours, his sobs began to quiet, though the ache in his chest remained. He wiped at his face with shaking hands, his movements slow and deliberate as he tried to compose himself.

Finally, he pushed himself to his feet, his legs weak and unsteady beneath him. His wings twitched, and he forced them to fold neatly behind his back, though the effort made his muscles ache.

He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror across the room. His eyes were red, his face pale, and his hair dishevelled. He looked like a man on the brink of breaking.

But he couldn’t break. Not yet.

Straightening his robes, Adam took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. He wiped the lingering tears from his face, forcing his expression back into the calm, stoic mask he’d worn for so long.

The pain was still there, sharp and suffocating, but he shoved it down. He had a job to do.

His pain could wait.

~#~

The moment Adam stepped into the throne room, he knew something was…off. Lucifer was sprawled sideways across his throne, one leg dangling over the armrest, and a half-empty bottle clutched loosely in his hand. His grin was wide and childlike, eyes half-lidded and gleaming with a mischievous light.

"Adam!" Lucifer exclaimed, his voice slurring slightly as he waved the bottle in greeting. "It's been forever!"

Adam stopped in his tracks, his wings twitching behind him.

"It’s been three days," he said, frowning.

Lucifer cackled, the sound rich and full, echoing in the cavernous space. "Forever!" he insisted, dragging out the word as he swung his legs around to sit upright—barely. He swayed dangerously and only just caught himself on the arm of the throne.

Adam’s eyes narrowed. "Are you… drunk?"

Lucifer gasped theatrically, clutching his chest like Adam had just stabbed him. "Me? Drunk? How dare you insinuate such a thing, Adam!"

He tried to look offended but immediately broke into a wide grin. "Okay, maybe just a little."

He held up his fingers, barely an inch apart.

Adam stared at him, baffled. He’d never seen anyone drunk before, let alone Lucifer in such a state. Heaven didn’t have alcohol—there was no reason for it. And yet, here was the King of Hell, giggling like a child and swinging a bottle of what smelled suspiciously like something sweet and fermented.

"Your majesty," Adam began cautiously, "We have business to discuss. This contract—"

"Business, business, business!" Lucifer interrupted, waving his hand dramatically as if to physically push Adam’s words away. He sat up straighter—or tried to—and pointed at Adam with the neck of the bottle. "You’ve got to read it to me! I wanna hear your angel voice say all those long, boring words. It’s so cute!"

Adam blinked. "You want me to read—?"

"Yes! Read it! Read it!" Lucifer chanted, giggling uncontrollably.

Sighing, Adam unrolled the parchment and began to read aloud, his voice even and measured. But every time he said something particularly formal or legal-sounding, Lucifer erupted into giggles, his hand covering his mouth like a mischievous child.

"Clause thirty-two subsection B states—"

"Pfft! Subsection!" Lucifer wheezed, doubling over and nearly toppling off his throne.

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose, his patience fraying.

"You’re drunk," he said flatly.

Lucifer gasped again, this time more dramatically than before.

"I am not!" he declared, though his lopsided grin and glassy eyes betrayed him. He leaned forward, his face inches from Adam’s.

"Okay, maybe I am. Just a little," he admitted, his grin turning sheepish. "But that’s only because it makes me feel better."

Adam’s brows furrowed. "Feel better about what?"

Lucifer didn’t answer. Instead, he reached behind his throne and, with a flourish, produced another bottle. He held it out to Adam. "Here. You should try it!"

Adam raised an eyebrow and pushed the bottle away. "No, thank you."

Lucifer huffed, setting the bottle aside and slumping forward onto the table between them. He rested his chin in his hands, staring up at Adam with a dreamy smile.

"You’re so serious all the time now," he said, his voice softer but still tinged with that drunken lilt. "It’s not fair."

Adam crossed his arms. "What’s not fair?"

Lucifer sat up suddenly, pointing at him with a pout. "Before, we used to snuggle! Under the sun, under the moon! You used to play with my wings and my hair! You loved my hair!"

Adam froze, his wings twitching nervously.

"That… never happened," he said stiffly.

"It did!" Lucifer insisted, his voice rising in pitch as he nearly climbed onto the table. "You’d brush my feathers and laugh at my stupid jokes and—oh!"

His attention shifted abruptly to Adam’s golden wings, his eyes lighting up with childlike wonder.

Before Adam could react, Lucifer was reaching out, his fingers tangling gently in the soft, shimmering feathers.

"Your wings," Lucifer murmured, his voice filled with awe. He ran his fingers through them, his touch light and teasing. "So beautiful. Are they as sensitive as mine?"

Adam jerked away, his wings folding tightly against his back.

"Your majesty," he said warningly.

But Lucifer only pouted, ducking under Adam’s arm and pushing himself into his lap. Adam stiffened, completely frozen as Lucifer wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug.

"You don’t love me anymore," Lucifer mumbled, his voice muffled against Adam’s chest.

Adam blinked, utterly at a loss.

"Your breath stinks," he said flatly, his tone the only defence he had against the absurdity of the situation.

Lucifer pulled back just enough to grin up at him, his face far too close.

"You used to like my hugs," he said, his tone playful but tinged with sadness.

Adam opened his mouth to retort but snapped it shut when Lucifer began to purr—a soft, rumbling sound that was entirely unexpected. Adam stared down at him, his mind racing for a way to handle the drunk, overly affectionate King of Hell currently snuggled against him.

Lucifer’s grin widened as he nuzzled closer, his purring growing louder.

"Missed this," he murmured, his voice thick with drunken sincerity.

Adam sighed deeply, his wings twitching with barely restrained frustration. "Your Majesty, you’re drunk. And ridiculous."

"And adorable," Lucifer added, giggling.

Adam didn’t respond, his mind spinning as he tried to figure out how to extract himself from the situation. But as Lucifer’s purring softened and his grip around Adam loosened, Adam realized the King had fallen asleep.

For a moment, Adam just sat there, staring down at Lucifer’s peaceful face. His heart ached, but he shoved the feeling aside.

"Ridiculous," he muttered again, carefully shifting Lucifer off his lap and onto the table. Lucifer barely stirred, mumbling something unintelligible before snuggling into the smooth surface.

Adam stood, straightening his robes and wings with a sigh. This was going to be a long negotiation.

Clearly, Lucifer did not sign the fucking contract that day either.

~#~

The tension in the air was thick as Adam entered the meeting room, his steps slow and deliberate. His golden wings drooped slightly, betraying his exhaustion. He had endured over a year of these tiresome meetings with Lucifer, each one feeling more like a test of his patience than a genuine negotiation. The King of Hell refused to take anything seriously, flitting between drunken antics and cryptic ramblings. Adam’s patience was wearing thin, and Sera’s growing frustration with him only added to his burden.

This time, however, as Adam stepped into the room, the sight that greeted him was unexpectedly… mundane.

Lucifer sat at the table, two steaming cups of tea before him, his demeanour oddly calm. His piercing eyes lit up when he spotted Adam, and he gestured grandly to the tea.

"Adam!" Lucifer chirped. "Perfect timing. I’ve prepared tea!"

Adam froze mid-step, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at the setup.

"Tea?" he repeated, his voice flat.

"Green tea, to be specific," Lucifer said cheerfully, lifting his own cup and inhaling the fragrant steam with exaggerated delight.

Adam stared at him, his exhaustion mingling with disbelief. "Are you drunk again?"

Lucifer gasped, clutching his chest as though Adam had insulted his very existence.

"Drunk? Me? No, no, no! I’m as sober as a judge," he declared, then winked. "Well, maybe not one of Hell’s judges, but you get the idea. It’s tea, Adam. Harmless, non-poisoned, entirely respectable tea."

Adam’s sceptical gaze shifted to the cups. "Non-poisoned," he echoed.

Lucifer leaned forward, grinning like a cat. "One little tea with me isn’t going to hurt anyone, angel."

Adam sighed, the weight of the past year pressing down on him. Against his better judgment, he sat down and picked up the tea. He took a cautious sip, and though he refused to acknowledge it aloud, the tea was… surprisingly good.

Lucifer beamed, watching Adam drink as though it was the most fascinating thing in the world. "See? No explosions, no hexes, no sneaky curses. Just good tea and good company."

Adam set the cup down with a soft clink and straightened his posture.

"Enough distractions," he said, his tone firm. "Let’s discuss the contract."

Lucifer hummed thoughtfully, leaning back in his chair and cradling his tea.

"Actually," he said, interrupting Adam before he could dive into the terms, "I want to add something."

Adam blinked, his wings twitching.

"You want to add something?" he repeated, his disbelief evident.

Lucifer nodded, his smile warm and genuine, catching Adam off guard. "Yep. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now."

For a moment, Adam was at a loss for words. In over a year of meetings, Lucifer had never once shown interest in altering or even acknowledging the contract’s terms. His sudden change of heart was… unexpected.

"Like what?" Adam asked, his tone cautious.

Lucifer took a leisurely sip of his tea, his eyes never leaving Adam. The intensity of his gaze made Adam grunt softly and take another sip of his own tea, as if the act might shield him from the King’s scrutiny.

This seemed to please Lucifer, who chuckled softly before finally answering. "I want to add a clause that states Heaven isn’t allowed to touch the Hellborns during the Extermination."

Adam frowned, his brows knitting together. "The Hellborns?"

Lucifer nodded, his expression unusually serious. "They have no part in this war between Heaven and Hell. They’re innocents, Adam. This mess between us is our fault, not theirs."

Adam stared at him, waiting for the punchline, the sly smirk, or the teasing remark that would reveal Lucifer’s true intent. But none came. The King of Hell seemed completely sincere.

After a moment, Adam nodded slowly. "I’ll run it past Sera…But I can’t imagine her rejecting the condition."

Lucifer’s face lit up, and he clapped his hands together.

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, his cheerfulness returning in full force.

As Adam made a note of the amendment, Lucifer leaned forward on his elbows, resting his chin in his hands as he watched Adam with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"You know," Lucifer began, his tone light and teasing, "This tea really suits you. The golden glow of your wings, the calm, regal way you sip it… you’re practically a painting come to life."

Adam glanced at him, unimpressed.

"You’re being ridiculous," he said, returning his focus to the parchment.

Lucifer grinned. "Am I? Or am I just appreciating the finer things in life?"

Adam didn’t respond, his attention firmly on the contract.

Undeterred, Lucifer continued, his voice softening. "You know, back in Eden, I always thought you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot, Adam, I’d truly like to have a closer look someday.”

The words went straight over Adam’s head, as they always did, and he simply hummed in acknowledgment without looking up.

Lucifer’s grin widened, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He knew Adam wouldn’t catch on immediately, but the anticipation of Adam eventually realizing the meaning behind his words was a delight in itself.

"One day, you’ll figure it out," Lucifer murmured, more to himself than to Adam. He leaned back in his chair, sipping his tea with a contented sigh.

For now, he was happy to play the long game.

~#~

The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of candles casting warm shadows on the ornate table set with a spread of fruits, bread, and cheeses. It was absurd, and Adam knew it. Meetings with Lucifer had become increasingly ridiculous, but this one took the prize. Candles? Food? Was this some kind of prank?

Lucifer sat across from Adam, lounging with a lazy grin on his face, looking far too pleased with himself. He reached for a grape, popping it into his mouth as his crimson eyes glimmered with mischief.

"Are we really doing this?" Adam muttered, his golden wings shifting as he glanced at the table in exasperation.

Lucifer leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "Why not? You’re always so stiff, Adam. Meetings don’t have to be boring. Relax for once."

Adam frowned, the corner of his mouth twitching as he struggled to keep his composure. "I’m here for business, not… whatever this is."

Lucifer sighed dramatically, pressing a hand to his chest. "You wound me. I go through all this trouble, and you call it whatever this is?"

He gestured at the table, his fingers trailing dramatically through the candlelight.

Adam rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to protest, but Lucifer cut him off.

"Wait, wait," the King said, his grin widening. "I have an idea. Let’s play a game."

"A game?" Adam echoed, sceptical.

"Twenty questions!" Lucifer declared, clapping his hands together. "I ask a question, then you, and so on. Simple, harmless, and you might even have fun."

Adam’s brow furrowed, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Or, we could finish the contract."

Lucifer whined, reaching across the table to grab Adam’s hand. His touch was warm, his claws tracing light circles over Adam’s skin.

"Please," he whispered, his voice soft and pleading.

Adam’s frown deepened, his golden eyes narrowing at the King’s unrelenting smile. Despite himself, he sighed deeply and sank back into his chair.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But only to get this over with."

Lucifer purred, his grin so wide it almost looked innocent.

"Wonderful!" He leaned forward, practically buzzing with excitement. "I’ll start. What’s your favourite colour?"

Adam blinked, caught off guard by the simplicity of the question. After a moment, he muttered, "Blue."

Lucifer’s smile softened. "I thought so," he murmured. "It suits you."

Adam cleared his throat awkwardly. "Your turn, then. What’s your favourite colour?"

Lucifer laughed, the sound rich and warm. "Green," he said without hesitation.

"Oh," Adam said, blinking.

The game continued, the questions starting out sweet and innocent. Lucifer asked Adam about his favourite flowers (he didn’t have one, he loved them all) and favourite food (he didn’t really eat). Adam, in turn, simply repeated Lucifer’s questions back to him, unsure of how else to participate.

Lucifer didn’t seem to mind. If anything, he seemed delighted by Adam’s awkwardness, his grin never faltering.

But then, the questions shifted.

"Have you been in a relationship since Eve?" Lucifer asked, his tone light, but his eyes watching Adam closely.

Adam frowned slightly, the question catching him off guard.

"No," he said honestly. "I haven’t been in a relationship ever."

Lucifer tilted his head, a soft, almost sad sound escaping his lips.

Adam, feeling obligated, asked, "Have you been in a relationship since the Queen left?"

Lucifer’s eyes sparkled with amusement, his grin turning sly.

"Nope," he said, popping the "p" for emphasis. "I don’t want any repeats."

Adam blinked, confused. "Repeats?" he asked.

Lucifer shifted closer, his fingers tracing faint lines over Adam’s arm, the touch sending an odd shiver through the angel’s body. His voice dropped into a low, teasing tone.

"I’m only interested in one of a kind," he said, his eyes locking onto Adam’s, “The first, you could say.”

Adam leaned away, his frown deepening. "You’re the weirdest king ever," he said flatly.

Lucifer laughed, his grin nothing short of radiant. "Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment."

The two sat in silence for a moment, the flickering candlelight dancing between them. Then, Lucifer’s expression softened, his gaze turning almost wistful.

"You know, Adam," he said quietly, "it’s been almost two years. And you still won’t call me by my name."

Adam frowned, confused. "You’re the King of Hell. Why would I—"

Lucifer pouted, the expression oddly endearing.

"I miss the way you used to say my name," he murmured, his voice so soft it was almost a whisper.

Adam shook his head, unsure how to respond. He felt an odd tightness in his chest, but he quickly shoved the feeling aside.

"You’re impossible," he muttered, reaching for his tea again.

Lucifer only smiled, his gaze lingering on Adam as though he were the only thing in the room that mattered.

“Let’s eat Adam, I made ribs for you~”

“I don’t eat meat,” Adam grunted.

Lucifer paused in thought. He didn’t know that. It made sense.

So, Adam’s a vegetarian?

~#~

The next meeting caught Adam off guard the moment he stepped into the chamber. The table was spread with an elaborate feast, a stunning array of vegetarian dishes carefully plated like works of art. Brightly coloured fruits shimmered like jewels, crisp salads were adorned with edible flowers, and warm loaves of bread sat beside steaming bowls of soup. The centrepiece was a towering platter of roasted vegetables, perfectly seasoned and garnished with herbs.

Adam stopped in his tracks, his golden wings twitching slightly as he stared at the display. His eyebrows shot up in disbelief, and he turned his gaze to Lucifer, who stood nearby, beaming like a proud artist unveiling his masterpiece.

"As a vegetarian," Lucifer announced with a flourish, "I’ve prepared the best for you~"

His crimson eyes twinkled with mischief, and his voice was thick with pride.

Adam tilted his head, staring at Lucifer as if trying to decipher some grand puzzle.

"You’re a vegetarian?" he asked slowly.

Lucifer chuckled, shrugging with mock modesty. "Of course! I couldn’t possibly harm a single creature. It would ruin my delicate charm." He winked.

Adam didn’t even try to hide his scepticism. "I’m beginning to see these meetings are becoming... weird," he muttered, folding his arms.

Lucifer snickered, crossing the room to stand beside Adam. "Weird?”

“Weird in what way?" His voice was light, teasing, but there was a softness in his gaze.

Adam didn’t answer immediately. He stared at the food, his stomach betraying him with a low growl. It did look good. More than good. The spread reminded him of the vibrant, abundant meals he and Eve used to share in Eden before… before everything fell apart.

Lucifer, ever perceptive, leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a playful purr. "Please, Addie~" The nickname rolled off his tongue so effortlessly, it made Adam’s wings twitch. "Please try my cooking! I’m sure you’ll like it. And I’ve made some beautiful pancakes for dessert."

He gestured dramatically toward the corner of the table, where a stack of golden-brown pancakes rested, dripping with syrup and adorned with fresh berries.

Adam sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "First of all, stop calling me that," he grumbled. But when he glanced up at Lucifer, the King’s wide, hopeful grin made it hard to hold onto his irritation.

Lucifer clasped his hands together, swaying slightly. "But it suits you so well! Addie sounds so sweet, just like you~"

Adam rolled his eyes, his face heating slightly despite himself.

"Second," he said, attempting to steer the conversation back on track, "We’re supposed to be discussing the contract, not… indulging in whatever this is."

Lucifer waved a dismissive hand. "Business can wait. You look like you haven’t eaten in centuries. Come on, Adam. Just a bite?"

He stepped closer, grabbing a plate and holding it out like an offering. His grin softened into something gentler, almost pleading. "For me?"

Adam hesitated, his golden eyes narrowing. But the aroma wafting from the table was too tempting, and his stomach protested loudly again. Finally, with a reluctant sigh, he grabbed the plate from Lucifer’s hands.

"Fine," he muttered. "But only because you won’t shut up about it."

Lucifer’s entire face lit up as he watched Adam sit down and reach for the nearest dish. The angel piled his plate with roasted vegetables and fruit, poking at the food with his fork as if expecting a trap. Lucifer sat across from him, chin resting on his hands, watching with an almost childlike anticipation.

Adam raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you going to stare at me the entire time?"

Lucifer smirked, not even trying to deny it. "Maybe. You’re adorable when you’re flustered."

Adam ignored him, taking a bite of the roasted vegetables. The flavours hit his tongue like a revelation—perfectly balanced, rich yet light, with just the right amount of seasoning. He blinked, caught off guard by how good it tasted.

Lucifer’s grin widened. "Well? What do you think?"

Adam chewed slowly, swallowing before muttering, "It’s… fine."

Lucifer gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. "Fine? Just fine? That’s the best you can do?"

"It’s food," Adam said flatly, though he couldn’t hide the slight twitch of his lips. He reached for more vegetables, trying to focus on his plate and not on the way Lucifer’s eyes sparkled with delight.

As the meal continued, Lucifer chatted away, his voice light and teasing. He asked Adam about his favourite foods, about his memories of Eden, about anything that came to mind. Adam, still wary, answered in clipped sentences, but Lucifer didn’t seem to mind.

When they reached dessert, Lucifer slid the plate of pancakes toward Adam with a flourish.

"And now," he declared, "the pièce de résistance."

Adam eyed the pancakes warily before cutting into them with his fork. He took a small bite, and his eyes widened slightly. They were… perfect. Fluffy, sweet, and melt-in-your-mouth good.

Lucifer leaned forward, his chin resting on his hand as he watched Adam.

"You like them," he said softly, his tone more serious now.

Adam paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. He looked at Lucifer, who was gazing at him with an intensity that made his chest tighten. "They’re… good," he admitted.

Lucifer’s smile softened, a rare flicker of vulnerability crossing his features. "I’m glad," he said quietly.

For a moment, there was silence between them, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air. Adam shifted uncomfortably, his golden wings twitching as he focused on his plate.

"Next time, I’ll make something even better. Maybe I’ll teach you how to cook!" Lucifer’s voice broke the silence, light and teasing again

Adam groaned, shaking his head. "There isn’t going to be a next time."

Lucifer just laughed, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "We’ll see, Addie. We’ll see."

Later, Adam stood in the grand chamber of Heaven’s council, his golden wings folded tightly against his back as he faced Sera, whose cold, steely gaze seemed to pierce through him. The light of Heaven filtered in through the crystalline windows, casting shimmering reflections across the marble floors, but the warmth of it was lost on Adam. Sera’s displeasure was tangible, and the weight of it pressed heavily on his shoulders.

“It has been three years, Adam,” Sera said, her voice sharp and unyielding. She stood behind a towering desk, her silver wings spread wide, a sign of both her authority and her frustration. “Three years, and we have seen no progress on this matter.”

Adam shifted uncomfortably; his hands clasped in front of him as he tried to maintain his composure.

“Sera,” he began, his tone measured but tinged with weariness, “Lucifer is being… unreasonable. Every meeting is—”

Sera cut him off with a raised hand, her icy glare silencing him instantly. “Do not make excuses, Adam. It is your duty to secure his agreement. You were chosen for this task because of your… connection to him.”

Adam’s jaw tightened. “That connection doesn’t exist anymore,” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Then rebuild it,” Sera snapped, her tone cutting through the air like a blade. She stepped around the desk, her robes billowing as she moved closer to him. “You are an angel of Heaven, Adam. You were created for a purpose, and you will fulfil it. That traitor’s antics are no excuse for your failure. He may be the King of Hell, but he is not above persuasion. You simply aren’t trying hard enough.”

Adam’s wings twitched, and he glanced away, his frustration bubbling beneath the surface. “You don’t understand,” he said, his voice low but firm. “He’s not just being difficult—he’s acting… strange. These meetings aren’t about the contract to him. He doesn’t take it seriously. He cooks meals, he laughs and talks with me, he—”

“Flirts?” Sera’s eyebrow arched, her tone laced with disbelief and disapproval.

Adam felt his face heat slightly, and he cleared his throat. “That’s not the point. The point is, he’s using these meetings to… distract me. To toy with me. He’s not acting like a king or a ruler—he’s acting…”

“Like the Angel you once knew?” Sera interjected, her voice quieter now but no less pointed.

Adam froze, his golden eyes snapping to hers.

Sera’s gaze softened slightly, but her voice remained firm. “Whatever game that traitor is playing, it is your responsibility to rise above it. He is trying to delay, to manipulate you. You cannot allow yourself to be swayed by his charm or his tricks.”

“I’m not,” Adam said quickly, though the words felt hollow even to him.

Sera sighed deeply, turning away from him and gazing out the window at the endless expanse of Heaven. “This contract is not just a document, Adam. It is a pact that will shape the balance between Heaven and Hell for eternity. Every moment you delay, more souls are lost. Do you understand the gravity of this task?”

Adam lowered his head, his shoulders slumping under the weight of her words.

“I understand,” he murmured.

“Then act like it,” Sera said sharply, turning back to him. “You cannot let your history with the traitor cloud your judgment. If he won’t cooperate, find a way to make him. Do whatever it takes to secure his signature, or I will find someone who can.”

The threat hung heavily in the air, and Adam’s heart sank. He wanted to argue, to defend himself, to explain that Lucifer wasn’t just being stubborn—he was being Lucifer, the infuriating, unpredictable being who had once been his friend. But Sera wouldn’t care about that. All she cared about was the contract.

“Yes, Sera,” Adam said finally, his voice flat.

Sera studied him for a long moment before nodding curtly. “You are dismissed.”

Adam bowed slightly, turning on his heel and leaving the chamber. As he walked down the golden corridors, his mind churned with frustration and exhaustion. He had tried everything to get Lucifer to take the contract seriously, but the King of Hell was impossible to pin down. And now, with Sera breathing down his neck, the pressure was unbearable.

When he finally reached the quiet solitude of his own chamber, Adam sank into a chair, burying his face in his hands. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep this up. Lucifer was breaking him in ways he hadn’t thought possible, and now Sera’s expectations were threatening to crush what little resolve he had left.

For the first time in centuries, Adam felt truly lost.

The silence pressing in on him as Sera’s words replayed in his mind. His wings drooped, and his golden eyes stared blankly at the polished table in front of him. The phrase “He is flirting with you” hit him like a thunderclap, louder with each repetition in his head.

Lucifer. Flirting.

“What?” Adam said aloud, his voice echoing faintly in the room.

He frowned, sitting up straighter as if the realization itself had physically jolted him. His mind began rifling through the past few years of meetings, replaying Lucifer’s behaviour, his words, the touches, the ridiculous closeness…

Adam’s heart sank.

“No…” he muttered, shaking his head as if trying to dismiss the thought. “He wasn’t… he couldn’t have been…”

But the memories refused to be ignored.

Lucifer leaning across the table, his sharp grin teasing and playful. “Addie~ You’re so serious all the time! Relax a little—this is our meeting, isn’t it?”

Lucifer tracing his claws over Adam’s arm, the sly purr in his voice as he murmured, “Only interested in one of a kind…”

Lucifer cooking extravagant meals, beaming as Adam reluctantly tried them, his eyes sparkling like he’d won some kind of game.

Lucifer crawling onto his lap during that drunken meeting, clinging to him with a pout and whispering, “Why don’t you love me anymore?”

Adam’s wings twitched, feathers ruffling uncomfortably as the memories piled up. Each one felt like another punch to the gut. He had been so focused on getting the contract signed, so focused on enduring Lucifer’s antics without letting them get to him, that he had completely overlooked… that.

Lucifer had been flirting.

Adam felt heat rise to his cheeks, his jaw clenching as a mix of emotions churned inside him. Confusion, disbelief, and a faint undercurrent of horror all warred for dominance. He buried his face in his hands, groaning loudly.

“Why?” he muttered, his voice muffled by his palms. “Why is he doing this? What kind of game is this?”

He sat back, running a hand through his hair as he tried to make sense of it all. Lucifer was the King of Hell, the former Morning Star, the fallen archangel. And yet… he had spent the last three years acting like—like—Adam groaned again, this time louder.

“He’s messing with me,” Adam concluded, his voice firm despite the uncertainty swirling in his chest. “That’s what this is. He’s trying to distract me, trying to throw me off so I can’t finish the contract. Typical Lucifer. It has to be that.”

But even as he said it, the memory of Lucifer’s soft smiles, his gentle touches, and the way he had looked at Adam—like Adam was the only thing in the room that mattered—gnawed at the edges of his reasoning.

“No,” Adam said firmly, standing up and pacing the room. His wings fluttered slightly as his frustration grew. “It’s manipulation. That’s all it is. He doesn’t mean any of it. He’s just trying to get under my skin.”

The idea of Lucifer genuinely… liking him in that way felt impossible. It was absurd. It was—

Adam stopped pacing, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. His chest tightened, and for a moment, he felt completely overwhelmed. Why now? Why after everything? Why would Lucifer even—

“Ugh,” Adam groaned, flopping back into the chair with his head tilted toward the ceiling. “This is ridiculous.”

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He needed to focus. Sera was right about one thing—he had a duty to fulfil. He couldn’t let himself get distracted by Lucifer’s games, no matter how confusing or disarming they were.

And yet, as much as Adam tried to push the thought away, the lingering question gnawed at the back of his mind.

What if Lucifer wasn’t playing a game?

~#~

Adam stormed into the meeting room, his golden wings spread wide, their shimmering feathers casting an almost blinding glow across the dark marble floors of the hall. His eyes were sharp, jaw tight, and his steps echoed with determination. Lucifer, of course, was already lounging at the table, leaning back in his chair with an amused smile as he rested his chin on his hand.

“Addie! You’re so tense again,” Lucifer greeted, his voice lilting and sweet like honey. The tiny crown perched on his head caught the candlelight as he waved toward the spread he’d prepared—a small table with tea, pastries, and some fresh-cut flowers.

Adam didn’t falter. “Enough games, your Majesty. Sign the contract.”

Lucifer’s smile widened, his eyes twinkling with that mischievous glint that Adam had come to both dread and anticipate.

“You’ve come to see me after all these weeks, and this is how you greet me? No hello? No ‘how are you, Lucifer?’” He sat up, folding his hands under his chin as his tail curled lazily around the chair’s leg.

“I don’t have time for this,” Adam snapped, pulling out the rolled parchment and slamming it onto the table. His frustration poured out in the furrow of his brow and the tension in his voice. “Three years. Three years of these meetings, and you still haven’t signed it.”

Lucifer tilted his head, a faux pout playing on his lips.

“Three years, indeed,” he murmured, his voice soft, almost wistful. “Imagine how much time we’ve spent together, Addie. Doesn’t it make you wonder?”

“Stop calling me that,” Adam growled.

Lucifer ignored him, leaning forward with a playful grin. “It’s sweet, don’t you think? All this time you could have sent anyone else, but you didn’t. You kept coming back to me. Why is that, hmm?”

Adam blinked, caught off guard by the way Lucifer’s voice dipped into something almost intimate. His sharp response caught in his throat, and he quickly shook his head, scowling as he tried to refocus.

“Stop trying to distract me,” Adam barked, glaring down at Lucifer. “Sign the contract. Now.”

But Lucifer only chuckled, low and warm.

“Distract you?” he echoed, his lips curling into a sly smirk. “Darling, if I’m distracting you, that’s entirely your problem, isn’t it?”

Adam opened his mouth to retort, but his mind snagged on that word—darling. His wings bristled slightly, and for the first time, his voice faltered.

“Y-you—don’t call me that,” he managed, though his tone lacked its usual bite.

Lucifer froze for a second before breaking into a delighted laugh, the sound rich and melodic as he clapped his hands together.

“Oh, Addie,” he purred, practically glowing with glee. “Was that… did you just stutter?”

His crimson eyes gleamed, and his tail flicked behind him with excitement. “You did! You’re so cute when you’re flustered.”

“I—what?!” Adam’s face flushed, and he instinctively stepped back, his wings twitching as he tried to compose himself. “I am not—this is absurd—sign the damn contract!”

Lucifer leaned back in his chair, beaming at Adam like he’d just won a prize.

“Oh, this is wonderful,” he mused, his voice thick with satisfaction. “I’ve been waiting years to see you crack just a little. And now? Oh, Addie, I’ve barely even started.”

Adam clenched his jaw, glaring at Lucifer with a heat that should have been enough to make him stop, but the King of Hell was unbothered, basking in Adam’s attention like it was the sun.

Lucifer reached out, gently tugging at the edge of Adam’s golden sleeve with his clawed fingers.

“You really are magnificent when you’re angry,” he murmured, his tone dipping lower, warmer, enough to make Adam’s chest tighten. “Do you know that? The glow of your wings, the fire in your eyes—it’s breathtaking.”

Adam swatted Lucifer’s hand away, stepping back as he struggled to steady his breathing. “That’s enough!” he barked, though his voice cracked slightly at the end.

Lucifer grinned wider, leaning forward again, his head propped on his hands.

“Tell me, Addie,” he began, his tone dripping with playful curiosity, “When was the last time someone complimented you like that? Or touched you? Or…”

He trailed off, his grin turning sly as he let the words hang between them.

Adam’s face burned, and he felt a lump forming in his throat. His mouth opened, but no words came out—just an unintelligible sound of frustration as his wings flared out behind him.

Lucifer’s laughter filled the room again, but this time it was softer, more indulgent. He rested his chin on his palm, looking at Adam with a gaze that was almost fond.

“You’re precious, Addie,” he said softly, his smile turning gentle.

Adam exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair as he turned his back to Lucifer, needing a moment to breathe. His heart was racing, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why.

“Sign. The. Contract,” Adam said through gritted teeth, his back still to Lucifer.

Lucifer didn’t respond right away, and when Adam glanced over his shoulder, he found the King of Hell watching him intently, his expression unreadable for once.

“Maybe,” Lucifer said finally, his voice quiet but firm, “But only if you promise me one thing, Addie.”

Adam frowned, narrowing his eyes. “What now?”

Lucifer smiled, a softer, more vulnerable one than Adam had seen in a long time. “Promise me you’ll stop pretending you hate being here.”

Adam froze, his breath catching in his throat as the words sank in. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the weight of the silence settling heavily between them.

Then, as always, Lucifer broke it with a playful grin and a wink.

“After all,” he added lightly, “You wouldn’t keep coming back if you really hated me, would you?”

Adam’s face burned again, and he turned away, muttering under his breath as he tried desperately to refocus on the contract. But Lucifer’s words lingered, far longer than Adam wanted them to.

“I keep coming back because I have to!” Adam snapped, his voice sharp and laced with frustration.

Lucifer, lounging lazily in his chair, only grinned, his devilish tail swaying behind him like a satisfied cat. The glow of the candlelight danced in his ruby and gold-flecked eyes as he leaned forward slightly, his chin resting in his palm.

“Come now, Addie,” he purred, his voice dripping with teasing sweetness, “we both know that if you really didn’t want to come here, you wouldn’t.”

Adam’s golden eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. “I don’t have a choice. Sera says—”

Lucifer interrupted him with a soft laugh, the sound smooth and amused. “Oh, please.”

He waved a hand dismissively, his long claws catching the light. “You and I both know that if you really put your foot down, even dear Sera couldn’t force you into this room. Admit it.”

His grin widened as he leaned back, his posture infuriatingly relaxed. “You like coming here. You like spending time with little old me.”

Adam stiffened, the muscles in his jaw twitching as he clenched his teeth. He didn’t respond, refusing to dignify Lucifer’s claim with a rebuttal.

Lucifer took full advantage of the silence, his grin softening into something almost tender.

“And, if I’m being honest…” He stood, his movements slow and deliberate as he closed the distance between them.

“I keep coming back too, Addie.” His voice dropped into a low, velvety murmur. “Because I like spending time with you.”

Lucifer’s hand brushed lightly against Adam’s arm, his claws grazing just enough to send a shiver up the angel’s spine. He slid his palm upward, his fingers tracing a deliberate path before settling gently against Adam’s cheek.

“It reminds me of Eden,” he whispered, his voice warm and nostalgic. “When it was just you and me, under the sun, without the weight of Heaven and Hell between us.”

Adam stared at him, frozen in place, his heart pounding.

“I—I don’t remember that,” he managed weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lucifer let out a soft snort, his smile turning mischievous.

“Now, now,” he said, his voice a playful hum. “Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not—” Adam started to protest, his tone sharper this time, but before he could finish, Lucifer silenced him in a way that stole his breath.

Lucifer leaned in, his lips brushing softly against Adam’s. The kiss was gentle at first, testing, but quickly grew firmer, more sure of itself. Lucifer’s lips moved with practiced ease, coaxing a response, though Adam remained stiff, his mind spinning. The warmth of the kiss, the weight of it, felt impossibly familiar, like a memory long buried yet suddenly unearthed.

For a fleeting moment, it was perfect.

But then, just as Lucifer began to deepen the kiss, tilting his head and brushing his claws softly against Adam’s jawline, Adam snapped back to reality. With a sharp shove, he pushed Lucifer away, his movements quick and forceful.

Lucifer stumbled, letting out a startled yelp as he grabbed the edge of the table to steady himself. His wings flared slightly behind him, his golden and ruby eyes wide with shock as he looked up at Adam. “Adam—” he began, his voice soft, almost pleading.

But Adam was already turning away, his golden wings twitching with barely contained energy as he bolted for the door.

Lucifer remained frozen in place, staring after him as the sound of Adam’s footsteps faded into the distance. The door swung shut with a heavy thud, and the room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.

Lucifer’s shoulders slumped, the tension draining from his body as he lowered himself slowly back into his chair. His fingers drifted to his lips, tracing over the place where Adam’s had been moments before. The warmth lingered, but it wasn’t enough to mask the sting of rejection.

His heart, the thing he thought he’d buried deep and locked away, thudded anxiously in his chest. His claws curled into his palm as he stared at the door, half-expecting Adam to come back, to burst in with an apology, to say something—anything.

But the door didn’t open.

With a heavy sigh, Lucifer leaned back in his chair, his gaze distant as he wrestled with the ache in his chest. After a moment, he stood, his movements slower, less confident than usual. A swirl of dark energy enveloped him, and he disappeared from the room, leaving nothing behind but the faint scent of brimstone.

When he reappeared in his chambers in Hell, the oppressive silence of the space wrapped around him like a cloak. The usual comfort of his lair—the flickering flames, the plush velvet, the distant echo of infernal laughter—felt hollow. Lucifer made his way to his massive, intricately carved bed and collapsed face-first onto the mattress.

Lucifer lay sprawled across his luxurious bed, his face buried in the cool silk of his pillows. The room around him was grand, as befitting the King of Hell—a chamber of dark velvet, glowing embers, and twisted beauty��but it felt emptier than ever. His claws dug into the fabric beneath him as his chest heaved with frustration and longing. He couldn’t stop replaying the moment in his mind: the soft press of Adam’s lips against his, the way the golden-winged angel froze beneath him, and then—the shove.

The harsh, rejecting shove.

His lips still tingled; his cheeks still flushed from the contact. Lucifer groaned, flipping onto his back as his tail thrashed against the edge of the bed. He stared up at the intricately carved ceiling, the glow of the fiery sconces casting shadows that twisted and danced, mirroring the chaos in his chest.

“Fuck me,” he muttered, dragging a hand over his face. His other hand—traitorous thing—lingered near his lips, brushing them softly as if trying to relive that fleeting, perfect moment.

It hurt. It really hurt.

Lucifer wasn’t accustomed to rejection. He was the King of Hell, the first of the fallen, the Morning Star. He could have anyone he wanted with a snap of his fingers. And yet, here he was, sprawled out and sulking because one stubborn, infuriatingly beautiful angel had pushed him away.

But it wasn’t just anyone, was it?

It was Adam.

Lucifer let out another groan, throwing an arm over his face as if to shield himself from his own thoughts. His mind raced, thoughts colliding and tangling into a mess of emotions he wasn’t used to feeling. He’d thought—no, hoped—that they’d been making progress. The past year, things had felt… different. Warmer. Adam didn’t hate him anymore, or so he’d thought. They’d shared conversations, tea, even quiet moments where Lucifer could pretend, just for a little while, that things were as they once were.

He had been so sure that Adam was softening, that the walls Adam had built between them were finally starting to crumble. And then today… that kiss.

Lucifer’s heart clenched at the memory. It had been everything he’d imagined and more. Adam’s lips were warm, soft, and for one blissful moment, it felt as if the universe had aligned. But then the push came, and it was like being cast down from Heaven all over again.

His clawed hand clenched into a fist against his chest, his tail curling tightly around his leg as he let out a shaky breath. He didn’t blame Adam. He’d hurt him in the past—so deeply that it was a wonder Adam even tolerated his presence now. The betrayal in Eden, the way he’d let Lilith manipulate him, the way he’d turned away from Adam when Adam needed him most…

He deserved the rejection.

But it didn’t make it hurt any less.

Lucifer sat up abruptly, his crimson eyes glowing faintly in the dim light as he stared across the room. The purple curtains swayed gently, and for a moment, he thought he could see Adam standing there, his golden wings catching the light just so. His heart ached, and he pressed a hand to his chest as if he could physically calm its frantic beating.

“This isn’t a game,” he whispered to himself, the words tasting foreign on his tongue.

It wasn’t. Not this time. Lucifer had played plenty of games in the past, but this? This was different. He didn’t just want Adam to fall for him, to become another conquest, another trophy. He wanted… everything.

He wanted Adam’s love, his trust, his companionship. He wanted to see those radiant golden wings spread out beneath him, trembling with pleasure as Lucifer showed him the depths of his devotion. He wanted to hear Adam laugh—really laugh—without the weight of Heaven’s expectations on his shoulders. He wanted Adam to stay by his side, to rule with him, to build something new together.

He wanted Adam to be his.

Lucifer’s cheeks burned at the thought, his hand flying to his mouth as he whispered, “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

He hadn’t felt like this with Lilith. Or Eve. Or anyone. It was overwhelming, all-consuming, and it terrified him as much as it thrilled him.

Lucifer’s tail flicked against the bed again as a determined smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He’d messed up in the past—royally, catastrophically—but he was determined to fix it. Adam might not realize it yet, but they were meant to be together. Lucifer could feel it in every fibre of his being.

“It’s not over,” he said aloud, his voice firm as he pushed himself off the bed. His reflection in the dark mirror across the room stared back at him, and he straightened his crown, his crimson eyes burning with resolve.

Adam might not have been ready for him yet, but Lucifer was nothing if not patient. He’d waited centuries to fix what he’d broken; what was a little longer?

Sooner or later, Adam would come to see things his way. He would come to Hell, where he belonged. By the time the year was up, Adam would be his—mind, body, and soul. Lucifer grinned, his tail swishing with anticipation.

And if Lucifer had his way? Adam would be carrying his child, golden wings shimmering as they ruled together.

“Soon,” Lucifer whispered, his grin widening as he disappeared into the shadows of his chamber, his mind already spinning with plans for their next meeting.

“Oh Addie. Our wedding will be memorable~”

With a purring moan, Lucifer slipped a hand down his front. He slid his hand between his legs, his eyes sliding half-lidded. His long snake-like tongue slithered out from his lips as his mind immediately filled up with Adam.

Oh. He bet Adam would make the cutest sounds~

Lucifer lay back on the plush velvet sheets, fully spent and not quite satisfied, his golden hair was a mess. He gazed up at the ceiling, his mind swirling with memories. His golden and ruby eyes, normally so steady and unshakable, flickered with confusion and regret as they focused on the ceiling above him. His clawed fingers dug into the fabric beneath him, grounding him, though it did nothing to quell the tumultuous thoughts swirling in his mind.

He had been so sure of himself, once. The King of Hell, the master of his domain. He had everything he could ever want—power, wealth, respect—yet he had never felt emptier. And it had taken him far too long to realize why.

Adam.

The thought of him, always lingering just out of reach, was what fuelled his every action now. His feelings for Adam had been growing for years, unnoticed at first, perhaps even unrecognized by himself. It had all started with the first time he was drunk, that one fateful meeting when his guard was down, and Adam had been there. He’d been so gentle, so calm, so… unwilling to yield to Lucifer’s charm. It had irritated him at first, that resistance, but as the weeks passed, Lucifer found it… endearing.

And then it grew into something more.

He hadn’t meant to feel this way. At first, it was just loneliness. Lilith had left him, disappeared without a word, and he had no idea where she had gone. She had been everything to him, once. But then, she’d betrayed him, just as he had betrayed her. When she’d left, he’d been swallowed by the void she’d left behind, unsure how to fill it. And when he saw Adam—saw his golden wings and unshakable resolve—he realized he could use that. He could use Adam to fill that void.

But that wasn’t what it had become, was it?

Lucifer rolled onto his side, staring out at the darkened room, his thoughts racing. His feelings for Adam went beyond loneliness now. They were something rawer, deeper, more real. Something that terrified him. At first, it had just been a distraction, a passing fancy. But the more time he spent with Adam, the more he realized how much he needed him.

Needed him. Not just for companionship, but for something more. For Adam’s forgiveness, for his love. For something Lucifer had long since forgotten: peace.

The King of Hell chuckled bitterly to himself. He had been a fool. A scumbag. He had let Lilith manipulate him, cloud his mind, make him think the only thing that mattered was control and power. He had seduced Lilith, used Eve—he had ruined everything. The shame burned inside him, a constant reminder of how wrong he had been. He hated himself for it. He hated himself for letting his pride and desire control him. He hated himself for being a blind fool who couldn’t see what was right in front of him.

Adam had always been right there, in front of him, and Lucifer had never appreciated him the way he should have. He had taken him for granted. He had acted rashly. He had been disgusting.

Trash.

No. Worse than trash. He had been a monster, and monsters didn’t deserve love. He didn’t deserve Adam’s forgiveness. Hell, he didn’t deserve to even be in the same room as him. But Lucifer couldn’t stop himself. He couldn’t stop thinking about Adam.

The way Adam’s wings fluttered when he was nervous. The way his eyes softened when they spoke about things they both cared about. The way Adam would stare at him, like he didn’t understand why Lucifer couldn’t just leave him alone.

But Lucifer couldn’t leave him alone. He couldn’t.

At first, Lucifer had convinced himself it was all just a result of his loneliness, that Adam was nothing more than a temporary distraction. But then the dreams had started. He would wake up in the middle of the night, sweating, his heart racing, because Adam had been there. In his dreams, Adam had been everything he wanted. He had kissed him, had held him, had loved him. And when Lucifer had woken, his body aching, he realized he didn’t want it to end.

When Lilith returned, Lucifer had been so thrown off by his own emotions that he couldn’t even think straight. She had tried to speak to him, tried to rekindle their relationship, but all he could think about was Adam. He hadn’t even heard what Lilith had said—only that she was standing there, in front of him, demanding his attention. But all he could see was Adam. He couldn’t think of anything but the golden-winged angel who had captured his heart without even realizing it.

And when Lilith had left again, Lucifer had made his choice. He told her, without hesitation, to fuck off. He had no more use for her, no more desire for her. He had finally seen it for what it was. Lilith had never been what he truly wanted.

What he truly wanted, Lucifer realized with a bitter smile, was Adam.

The realization had hit him like a freight train. He had wanted Adam for years—he had just been too blind to see it. Too caught up in his own pride and his desire for control. Adam had always been the one, the one he had pushed away, the one he had hurt.

But that wasn’t going to happen anymore.

Lucifer sat up, running his claws through his hair as his chest tightened. He wanted Adam. And not just for a night. He wanted him forever. He wanted to make him his partner, his lover, his equal. He wanted Adam to carry his children. He wanted Adam to be by his side, forever.

But Adam didn’t remember him, did he? Adam didn’t even call him by his name. After all this time, after everything they had been through, Adam still didn’t see him the way he saw Adam. He still thought of him as just the King of Hell.

That hurt more than anything.

But Lucifer wasn’t going to give up. He couldn’t. He had made mistakes, yes. But he would make them right. Adam would come around. Lucifer would make sure of it. Because no matter what, Adam belonged to him.

And Lucifer was going to have him, even if it took everything.

[the-mortuary-witch]

APOLLO

WHO IS HE?

Apollo is the god of the sun, prophecy, oracles, light, music, the arts, song, poetry, healing, medicine, plague, disease, protection of the youth, knowledge, and herds. He is the son of the god Zeus and the goddess Leto, and the twin brother of the goddess Artemis. Apollo is depicted as a handsome and radiant god who is skilled in many areas, including music, archery, and medicine. He was also known for his intelligence and foresight, and was often consulted for advice and prophecies. Apollo was often depicted holding a lyre, the instrument that he played and used to soothe the worries of mortals.

BASIC INFO: 

Appearance: Apollo is usually depicted as a handsome young man with golden hair and a radiant complexion. He often wears a laurel wreath, which is a symbol of victory and excellence, on his head. He is also often depicted holding a bow, a lyre, or both, and wearing a flowing robe that is sometimes adorned with intricate patterns. Apollo is often portrayed as a youthful and attractive god, with a strong build and a confident, almost arrogant demeanor.

Personality: he is known for being a warm and affectionate deity who is fond of his devotees and enjoys their company. He is often depicted as being charismatic and charming, and is known for his quick wit and intelligence. He is also known for his appreciation of art and culture, and is often depicted engaged in music, poetry, and other artistic pursuits. With his devotees, Apollo is often portrayed as being generous and responsive to their prayers and supplications, and is often called upon for favors and blessings related to health, creativity, and success.

Symbols: lyre, laurel wreath, silver bow and arrows, tripod, the Sun, and Sunday

God of: the sun, prophecy, oracles, light, music, the arts, song, poetry, healing, medicine, plague, disease, protection of the youth, knowledge, and herds

Culture: Greek

Plants: sunflowers, laurel, larkspur, cypress, apple trees, palm trees, and hyacinthus

Crystals: sunstone, citrine, yellow sapphires, carnelian, heliodor, golden healer, peridot, anorthoclase, anglesite, swiss blue topaz, calcite, star sapphire, aurichalcite, cherry opal, white topaz, brewsterite, silver topaz, bristol diamond, ceylon sapphire, pecos diamond, blue amber, blue kunzite, bony amber, inderite, binghamite, Arkansas diamond, ajoite, baltic amber, trolleite, cacoxenite, mystic topaz, diamond, ulexite, corundum, milky quartz, boulder opal, goldstone, Ethiopian opal, black obsidian, and topaz

Animals: swan, raven, tortoise, serpent, wolf, dolphin, and mouse

Incense: orange, lemon, clove, myrrh, frankincense, cypress, vanilla, and cinnamon

Practices: music magick, healing, art magick, protection, divination, and medicine magick

Colours: gold, yellow, orange, silver, blue, and white

Number: 7

Zodiacs: Leo, Gemini, and Capricorn

Tarot: The Sun, The Chariot, Strength, and Temperance

Planets: Sun and Mercury 

Days: Sunday, Apollonos, Hyakinthia, Apellai, Thargelia, Litha, and Yule

Parents: Zeus and Leto

Siblings: Artemis (twin) and many paternal half-siblings 

Partners: Cyrene, Rhetia, Daphne, Coronis, Hyacinth, Terpsichore, Rhoeo, Parthenope, Psamathe, Areia, Hecuba, and Melia

Children: Asclepius, Aristaeus, The Korybantes, Hymen, Anius, Cycnus, Linus of Thrace, Lycomedes, Melite, Miletus, Oaxes, Oncius, Orpheus, Troilus, Phemonoe, Philammon, Tenerus, Trophonius, and various others

MISC:

Sun: Apollo is associated with the sun because he was the god of the sun and the personification of the sun's light and warmth. The sun was seen as a powerful force that brought life and growth to the earth, and Apollo was believed to control the movements of the sun across the sky and regulate its heat and light. As the god of the sun, Apollo was also associated with purity, truth, and the passage of time, and his presence was often invoked in rituals and ceremonies related to the sun and the changing of the seasons.

Music: he was believed to be the inventor of the lyre and to have a deep understanding of music theory and composition. Apollo was often depicted playing the lyre, and his music was said to have the power to soothe the emotions and inspire the soul. Apollo was also the patron of musicians and singers, and was often called upon during musical competitions and festivals to judge contests and offer inspiration.

Poetry: his name is said to be derived from the Greek word "apo," which means "away" or "back," and the word "poiein," which means "to make" or "to create." As the patron of poetry and the arts, Apollo was said to have invented the art of writing and the alphabet, and he was often depicted holding a golden lyre, which he used to play music that inspired poets and bards.

Snakes: Apollo is associated with snakes because he was said to have control over snakes and could charm them with his music. One of the most famous myths involving Apollo and snakes is the story of the Python, a massive serpent that lived on Mount Parnassus and terrorized the people of the region. Apollo was said to have slain the Python and made the snake sacred to himself. 

Bow and arrows: as the god of archery, Apollo was said to have unparalleled skill with the bow and could hit targets at great distances with accuracy and precision. Apollo's skill with the bow was legendary, and he is often depicted as using his bow to hunt, protect, and defend. The bow and arrow were also symbols of power and authority, and Apollo was often depicted holding them in statues and frescoes.

Laurel wreath: the laurel wreath is also associated with Apollo's role as the god of poetry and the patron of the arts, as the laurel plant was believed to have healing properties that could cure madness and inspire creativity. The Laurel wreath worn by Apollo is a symbol of his victory over the Python and his mastery of the arts.

Ravens: they are often associated with Apollo because they are believed to be his sacred birds. The raven is a bird that is closely associated with prophecy and foresight, and Apollo was often depicted accompanied by a group of ravens that are said to have provided him with information and wisdom. One of the most famous stories involving Apollo and ravens is the myth of the Oracle at Delphi, where the god Apollo would receive prophecies from the priestess, and the ravens were believed to be his messengers.

FACTS ABOUT APOLLO:

His oracles were often consulted for guidance in various matters. He was in general seen as the god who affords help and wards off evil. 

Medicine and healing are associated with Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated through his son Asclepius. Apollo delivered people from epidemics, yet he is also a god who could bring ill health and deadly plague with his arrows. 

Apollo presides over all music, songs, dance, and poetry. He is the inventor of string-music and the frequent companion of the Muses, functioning as their chorus leader in celebrations. 

He  is an important pastoral deity, and he was the patron of herdsmen and shepherds. Protection of herds, flocks and crops from diseases, pests and predators were his primary rustic duties. On the other hand, Apollo also encouraged the founding of new towns and the establishment of civil constitutions, is associated with dominion over colonists, and was the giver of laws. 

HOW TO INVOKE APOLLO:

If you can afford it, get a statue of Apollo. If you can't, print out a picture, get whatever picture frame you can afford, and put the picture in the frame.

Next, on a bright sunny day, find a place (preferably outside) where you will be surrounded by sunlight and undisturbed. Try to pick a time of day when the sun is directly above you. Bring some water with you. If you cast circles, cast a circle, and feel free to enhance this ritual in any way that makes sense to you. Hold your figure of Apollo up into the sunlight, and chant. What you chant should be relatively short and easy to say. It helps if it contains a rhyme or rhythm to it, but neither is required. It should be in your native language and should say something like, "Apollo, mighty Sun God, fill this vessel with your presence". (Come up with your own words.) Chant them over and over. When your arms get tired, you can lower them, just keep the image in the sunlight and keep your hands on the image.

While you are chanting, make eye contact with the image. You should eventually start to feel that the image is looking back at you. He is. Keep chanting the same words, but let them strengthen the sense of presence and awareness you feel in the image.

Chant as long as you can. Make the god's presence in your image as strong as possible. It's okay to take a drink--your throat will need it--but when drinking keep the chant going mentally until you're done drinking.

When you're done, take the image home and put it on an altar. At least once a day, place some food and drink on the altar for the god. "As above, so below" means (in part) that all items on this earth have an equivalent in the energy/spirit world, and you are giving this food energy to Apollo to enjoy and strengthen his presence. Do not eat/drink the offerings, throw them away or leave them outside for wildlife.

From time to time, also burn incense or do other things that strike you as probably pleasing to the god.

Once you have an altar set up with Apollo, pray to him daily. Make eye contact; part of Apollo's presence resides in your statue/picture. Be open and receptive to impressions, feelings and urges in reply.

Always express gratitude whenever you are done interacting with Apollo.

When you feel you have established a strong bond with Apollo, pray mentally to him, and then pause, waiting for a reply. Keep your head quiet but don't impose quiet in your mind, let it be like clay ready for Apollo's touch. If you keep making progress you will eventually feel thoughts form in your head that you didn't put there. That's Apollo, talking back to you.

PRAYER FOR APOLLO:

Apollo, shining son of great Zeus and blessed Leto, twin to Artemis,

Bright-faced god, ever present, ever distant,

We greet you with reverence and awe. 

Clear-eyes Apollo, far-seeing one, sharp-sighted archer, always true of aim, true of vision, true of perception,

Constant guide of poets and musicians, of those who seek beauty, of its creation,

You grant to us the tools of artistry—words drawn from the heart, laid with care, tales told with skill and vigour, prayer and song to honour the gods, melody and harmony,

All the joy and sorrow of our lives transformed. 

Apollo, fire and form of inspiration, I honour you. 

SIGNS THAT APOLLO IS CALLING YOU:

Feeling a strong connection to sunsets and sunrises. 

A connection to music on a deeper level than you ever have before, and randomly hearing or writing songs that include his sacred symbols in some way, can also be a sign that he is close by. 

Idly doodling or drawing his sacred signs and symbols, or suddenly feeling more creative, artistic, and confident than ever before, you can assume that Apollo might be trying to influence you at least a little bit. 

Seeing his sacred animals in unusual places or in synchronistic ways can be a sign that Apollo is near or is trying to get your attention. His sacred animals include but are not limited to ravens, crows, hawks, swans, cicadas, mice, and snakes. 

Sudden interest in divination, such as oracle, tarot, scrying, or charm casting can be a sign that Apollo is wanting to connect with you. 

Wanting to suddenly learn poetry. 

OFFERINGS:

Sun water. 

Music (all kinds).

Foods and drinks: wine diluted with pure water, milk, herbal teas, honey and honey cakes, orange or lemon pastries, lamb or goat meat, fruits (mainly citrus fruit), cheeses, wheat, breads, chocolates with orange or lemon flavours, bay leaves, sunflower seeds, and almonds. 

Olive oil. 

Golden objects such as gold bowls, gold wine cups, flakes of gold, etc.

Bows and arrows, toys, or art. 

Images or art of the sun. 

All musical instruments, especially stringed instruments. 

Wolf and/or dolphin imagery. 

Any images of birds, especially crows and swans. 

Yellow, gold, and white candles. 

Incense such as frankincense or myrrh. 

Laurel wreaths, tree branches or leaves. 

Gems such as amber, sunstone, and yellow sapphires. 

Aloe vera. 

Bandaids. 

Poetry you’ve written. 

Music you’ve written. 

Art you’ve drawn. 

Flowers such as lily of the valley, anise, and sunflowers. 

Photos you’ve taken. 

Concert tickets. 

Golden jewelry or jewelry of the sun or arrows. 

LGBTQ+ flags. 

Divination items (tarot cards, pendulums, etc).

Wolf and/or dolphin art, toys, or photos. 

Sunscreen. 

All bird feathers, but especially swan and crow feathers. 

Dance (all kinds).

DEVOTIONAL ACTS:

Support up-and-coming/indie artists and musicians. 

Sing to Him. 

Play musical instruments for Him. 

Hold dance parties. 

Try and wake up early and watch the sun rise. 

Make a playlist for Him and listen to it daily. 

Read poetry to Him

Take care of your mental health and remember to take your medicine, if you have any. 

Try different types of divination. 

Go for a walk and feel the warmth from the sun. 

Let more sunlight into your home/room. 

Learn a musical instrument or how to sing. 

Sunbathe. 

Learn simple medical care, like CPR. 

Learn about His history, His mother’s history, and His sister’s history. 

Try archery. 

Learn about His lovers. 

Attend pride. 

Support LGBTQ+ rights. 

Wear yellow or orange clothing. 

Honour Leto and Artemis. 

Pray to Him and speak to Him often, things to consider praying for are guidance, healing/good health, inspiration, a prophecy or truth. 

Exercising. 

Get vaccinated. 

[tinesleftnipple]

JITD Episode 23 (non-final) Script Synopsis

Episode 20

Episode 21

Episode 22

"Herding Sheep"

At the Beehive, the consultant realizes besides the birthday party footage being tampered, the police are likely onto them because of the black car that picked up Du guosheng. The Beehive consultant makes a call to Yizhiyan (One Eye), telling him to "clean the diseased sheep that's been exposed".

Outside the ecological park where the dorms are hidden, Pei su, LWZ and Du jia watch, through drone footage, Yizhiyan delivering food to someone locked inside a factory-like building.

Du jia receives a call from Weiwei telling them that the Beehive people know about Longyuncheng. LWZ and Du jia decide to head in to find Du guosheng. Pei su grabs LWZ and tells him to be careful.

In the basement, Du guosheng is chained up. Yizhiyan brings him food and suddenly the electricity goes out. There is no phone signal either. Yizhiyan leaves. Outside, Pei su is flying the drone and signaling to LWZ and Du jia where to go. LWZ and Du jia race to see who catches Du guosheng first - the winner gets a reward from Pei su. LWZ sneaks into the building and Pei su can only hear grunts and fighting. Pei su calls out shixiong anxiously and LWZ replies he's okay, and tells Pei su to keep an eye out for the "Shepherd Dog". LWZ finds Du guosheng in the basement. He wins the race

Pei su discovers through the drone camera a half hidden gas station in the distance, and is shocked to see a man with binoculars staring straight at his drone. The man, who is the Shepherd Dog, calls the Beehive consultant and asks for permission to destroy the base - they've been exposed.

In the basement, LWZ unchains an unconscious Du guosheng and is about to leave with him when Du guosheng suddenly attacks. Du jia arrives and knocks him unconscious.

The Shepherd Dog lights a fire at the gas station and nonchalantly inserts batteries into a remote controller. In the boiler room, a bomb countdown is set at 10:00. The Shepherd Dog gets in his car and is ready to leave when suddenly another car hits his into a tree. Pei su steps out but before he is able to drag an unconscious Shepherd Dog out from the car, he realizes something and quickly steps back into his car and whips out his phone. The bomb countdown has begun.

Pei su tells the other 2 there is a bomb, which he guesses is placed beneath the dorms. LWZ decides to head to the boiler room to defuse the bomb, while Du jia carries Du guosheng out.

Backup arrives (headed by LWZ's father Luo cheng) and all the escaped criminals are under control. In the boiler room, LWZ stares at the 00:06:08 on the counter and sweats. He video calls a colleague for help on how to diffuse the bomb, showing him there's 4 minutes left.

A montage of scenes: Pei su speeding in his car, LWZ diffusing the bomb, police backup escorting the criminals out. Tao ze and Du ju arrive just in time to see Pei su's car zoom past them into the ecological park. A police yells for Du ju to hide for cover - there's a bomb inside the park. Tao ze looks back at the direction Pei su went in.

2 minutes left on the counter. LWZ doesn't have x-ray with him so the last step is a 50/50 chance. He cuts the right wire. Suddenly, a loud screech of tires outside and Pei su bursts in ready to berate him, but the counter starts up again. They run outside into the car. There is 40 seconds left.

Pei su's car is enveloped in fire. A huge noise, and the entire area is bombed. Outside the park, the police watch on. Tao ze is terrified.

A rumble breaks the silence. Everyone turns around to see a familiar car approaching. Pei su and LWZ step out. LWZ asks for help with dealing with the bunch from Longyuncheng. Everyone gathers around him in relief. LWZ and Pei su lock eyes across the crowd and smile at each other.

The Shepherd Dog regains consciousness, sees the explosion aftermath, and happily sends a "mission accomplished" text. LWZ approaches with gun in hand and introduces himself as a police dog and asks Shepherd Dog to come back to the station with him.

At the Beehive, the consultant smiles upon receiving the Shepherd Dog's text. But before they are able to leave the building, Xiao wu and a crowd of police capture them.

In the bathroom, XHY and Lan qiao are still trying to figure out what to do with an unconscious WZH. XHY receives a call from LWZ telling him that they caught Du guosheng. Now they can make their arrests. XHY shakily takes out a pair of handcuffs and Lan qiao cuffs WZH.

Du jia standing by a tree, smoking, watching the police take Du guosheng away. Pei su walks over and stands beside him. Du jia was thinking about the day he found out his older brother was killed. Flashback: Du jia telling Pei su that "they" said if he crashes and kills Pei chengyu, they will hand over Du guosheng to him. Pei su knows Du jia won't do it. Pei su tells Du jia he knows Du jia is different from them. Like what happened today, Du jia saved Du guosheng's life because there are other victims waiting to see Du guosheng in court. Pei su reassures Du jia that Du guosheng will receive the proper punishment, and looks towards LWZ.

It's dusk. LWZ is sitting in the ambulance. Tao ze finds him. LWZ asks if the old higher ups are mad about LWZ not reporting to them before acting. He will have to write reports all night.

Back at SID, the team is crowded together. Du ju stands alone, watching them. Pei su arrives last, thoughtfully watching Du ju.

The next day in the interrogation room. Du guosheng seems very relaxed and easily admits he killed Feng bin, and that it was "the Planner" who told him to do so. Du guosheng explains there are 3 VIP membership types in the Beehive. The real customers who hold the "black card" can consult a "Planner" and hire people like Du guosheng to do the job. Du guosheng reveals that he was told XXN was one of them, but she looked so inexperienced that he took away the phone with tracker in case she makes a mistake. The planner he communicated with is A13.

Du guosheng tells the police that he was not worried about being seen in Longyuncheng's security footage. Longyuncheng belongs to the Wei family - they would certainly have deleted any evidence of WWC meeting with him right away. Outside the interrogation room, Pei su texts Du jia for him to investigate who switched out the security tapes twice.

There are 2 types of jobs for the clients: life and death. The death kind are suicide missions - car crashes that look like accidents, for example. Life ones are more complicated - the person taking on the job must have some level of fame. Once they do the job, they must do it in a way that the police won't suspect there is a client behind it. The newspaper the next day should say something like "escaped convict kills for money" to divert attention away from the client.

LWZ asks about the fingerprint at the Louvre from 10 years ago. Du guosheng recalls after 327, he was almost caught, but was approached by the Shepherd Dog who offered him a fake identity. At the time, they lived and hid at the Louvre. He often went out to drink and once ended up killing someone in a fight, and left his fingerprint at the scene. The organization acted fast and set the Louvre on fire, then blamed the death on Huo xiao.

LWZ rewords what Du guosheng said, and sums up: Huo xiao was wronged. There is an uproar in the meeting room as all the higher ups are wrapping their heads around this news.

In the hallway, XHY stands facing the wall. After a long moment, his shoulders shake ever so slightly, and he breaks down and cries like a child.

[l-u-c-i-i-e]

Apples, Apple tree. [French Folks Traditions]

General :

At the beginning of the 17th century H. Boguet speaks of cases of witchcraft in which demons are hidden in apples.

In the Norman Bocage, it is said that witches are able to make apple juice come out of an apple tree just by sticking their knife in it.

Some farmers in Brittany carefully keep in a box the twin apples they found during the year, with the link that unites them on the branch. When the storm approaches, observing these two fruits (whether or not they move, and in what way) will help determine the outcome of the storm and whether conjuring rites should be performed.

Love Divinations :

Eating an apple in front of your mirror allows you to get married within the year if you see a star the following morning around 9 or 10am.

If you manage to peel your apple in one piece, without breaking the skin, and to turn it 7 times without breaking it above your head, the peel then thrown on the ground will give the first letter of the first name of the chosen one.

We consult fate by throwing pips into the air to see how they fall. The pointed end of the pip will always give the ​​direction.

Many rites in which it involves eating half of an apple in the evening before going to bed, while saying out loud something like : "Apple! Widow!", then placing the other half under her pillow and we sleep on it. The next day will give us the name of our future husband.

Magic Medicine :

Apples are often very helpful with atopic dermatitis (eczema, warts, hives, etc.) In Marseille we put a pippin apple and some meat in a bag which we throw into the port without being seen.

We can also (Dauphiné) bury an apple under a walnut tree, asking it to take away evil from us.

In Normandy we rub 1/2 apple on the sore then throw it in a pile of manure.

Elsewhere, you will have to cut the apple while it is still on the tree and ask it for healing.

In Provence you have to rub the apple quarter in coarse salt, then rub on the diseased skin until there is no fruit left and only the skin.

To avoid toothache, you should have an apple in your pocket during Christmas midnight mass and eat it when you get home.

It is said that if we attach a circle of previously blessed apples around the cross of a cemetery, for a whole night, each apple will then have the virtue of preventing fever.

--

[Extracts compiled by Delmas and arranged by me. Pics @lamontagne.fr]

[crypto-circle]

explain how yo ucan choose to be corrupted, please i did not understand the first time pleas.e..i do not understand..can you change back one you choose to be corrupted? is there societal differences between coorupted and those woh arnt?. what is society/daily life like for everyone? oh golly.,

I waaas going to answer this with some doodles included but I don't feel like it. I'll just have this set a precedent for my blog that asks for General Lore get a Text dump and asks for Specific Characters get Art. Woohoo!

CRACKS KNUCKLES. LORE RAMBLE TIME for Loyalty Paradox AU BELOW THE CUT!!!

1. How does Corruption work?

To answer how one can choose to be corrupted, we must first explain how corruption works in Loyalty Paradox.Corruption occurs when the hue of a shape (or otherwise colorful thing) is changed via consuming the power of the Tree of Life. For the host, this usually presents itself as a brighter, harsher version of the original color— and the newfound ability to spread it to other things. Some shapes do not take this well and become mindless zombies. However, they can be controlled, and thus reversed, by the host. If a shape does not become mindless, they may experience a subtle power boost. In some cases, their personality changes, but most are fine. The corruption is easily reversed using a weak shard, or by consulting someone more connected to the Tree. (i.e. a Hero, in extreme cases.) Therefore, corruption is almost entirely optional.Other than mindless corrupts, there is one other downside to corruption, and that is unstable corrupts. Unstable corrupts are extremely violent, but unlike mindless, cannot be controlled by the host. Only reversed, and only using the help of a shard.

2. Differences between corrupts and pures

Societal differences between corrupts and pures do exist, yes. The Heroes have perpetuated the idea that corrupts are inherently evil; though some pures came to that conclusion on their own due to the panic caused by the country randomly turning pink, not to mention the country's religious symbol being stolen and/or destroyed.Pures are likely to be fearful or aggressive towards corrupts. Attempted murder has been documented on several occasions. Corrupts try their best to hide from pures unless in a corrupt safe space such as the Tower or Bari's Cafe. Really, the pures are all just following the Heroes' lead.

3. Shape society

The society of Pinaceae largely revolves around nature, namely the Tree of Life. The citizens worship it as the creator of the universe. It's quite peaceful at first glance. Most houses are built open to nature or with flora somehow included in the architecture. Towns are closely knit with bustling centres and happy faces. Commerce is usually done by trade or coins engraved with a triangle.Below the surface it's really not that great. Those in need are often ignored and cast aside, even shunned in some cases. A big issue in particular is Colorloss, a cancer-like disease without cure nor treatment. Shapes showing symptoms are usually left to rot.

[boopsloop363]

also one time my friend (the convert to christianity) was like "damn jewish women are so ugly lol" and i was like "that's your family" and he was like "i can see why a middle eastern person would not understand why you can find your own family members unattractive, since you guys like cousin marriage and incest so much" and i couldn't even come back from that

Sadiq... Jews are the most insular group of people on the planet. They've inbred with each other so much that they have to consult family trees before having babies just in case they aren't accidentally related lol. Its so bad they have a predisposition to a ton of genetic diseases like tay sachs and schizophrenia lmao

[fr-wiwiw]

Pet Update 🪦🥀

Unfortunately, my baby 🐢 didn't make it. he passed away yesterday.. I consulted the vet yesterday morning and the doctor said he had internal bleeding bcs his poop was brown. he suggested to me to use antibiotics, i had to pried open Meep's mouth to give him 1 drop of diluted antibiotics.

he was still moving, sometimes alert, then immediately slept again. i put him in a separate container so he was much warmer.

I finished making sure he was at least okay around noon then i took a nap, when i woke up he was looking at me then i laid down on bed for a few minutes again. by the time i came out again, he looked as if he was asleep but it felt weird. at first i didn't want to startle him bcs he slept soundly & finally not heaving. but then i saw his mouth was slack, i moved the container a bit (he usually noticed even just a shadow moving near him). he didn't move.. that's when i knew he was gone.

sigh

well.. i knew he wasn't going to make it bcs it's unlikely for hatchling 🐢 to survive this disease, also lack of knowledge & preparation on my end. could be lack of proper environment for a sick 🐢 too.. but i tried. he tried to survived too, so i didn't give up. but alas.. i have to say goodbye to this tiny baby Meep. I only had him for a month, he was only the size of a coin (3cm/1inch) but he sits right there in my heart, always.

i buried Meep under my late father's mango tree, next to Angel (my late Pomeranian). i will keep a turtle pet again, i promised myself i will have a turtle or two again but not now. at least now i know better just because my first turtles was so so easy to take care of, doesn't mean the next will be the same. and i do know i always love animals so i know i will want them to live happily in the best way i can provide for them.

i miss Meep already. usually, when i go out of my room at night there's his basking lamp turned on in the corner. now it's back to a shadowed corner. it takes time ofcourse to get used to again, even if I only had Meep for 1 month.

here's some pictures of Meep.. thankyou all who have loved him & support me

here are my faves

[arboristmemorial]

Expert Tree Service for Safe & Healthy Trees

Looking for professional tree service that ensures the health and safety of your trees? At Arborist Memorial, we provide expert tree care solutions, including tree removal, trimming, pruning, stump grinding, and emergency services. Whether you're dealing with an overgrown tree, storm damage, or simply want to enhance the beauty of your landscape, our certified arborists are here to help.

Why Choose Arborist Memorial for Your Tree Service Needs?

✅ Certified Arborists: Our experienced professionals use advanced techniques to care for your trees. ✅ Comprehensive Tree Care: From pruning and trimming to full tree removal and stump grinding. ✅ Safety First Approach: We ensure every job is completed safely and efficiently. ✅ Eco-Friendly Solutions: Sustainable tree care to protect the environment. ✅ 24/7 Emergency Services: Rapid response for storm-damaged or hazardous trees.

Our Professional Tree Services

🔹 Tree Trimming & Pruning – Maintain tree health, promote growth, and enhance aesthetics. 🔹 Tree Removal – Safe removal of dead, diseased, or unwanted trees. 🔹 Stump Grinding & Removal – Eliminate unsightly stumps and reclaim your yard space. 🔹 Emergency Tree Services – Quick assistance for fallen or hazardous trees. 🔹 Tree Health Assessments – Expert diagnosis and treatment of tree diseases.

Protect Your Property & Enhance Curb Appeal

Healthy trees add beauty, shade, and value to your property. However, neglected trees can become a safety hazard. Our tree service ensures your trees remain strong, vibrant, and free from disease. Whether you need routine maintenance or urgent tree removal, Arborist Memorial is your trusted partner in expert tree care.

Get a Free Tree Service Estimate Today!

Don’t let tree problems compromise your property’s safety and aesthetics. Contact Arborist Memorial today for professional tree service you can rely on. Call us now or request a free consultation online!

[arboristmagnolia]

Expert Tree Care Services – Healthy Trees, Stunning Yards!

Looking for professional tree care services to keep your landscape healthy and beautiful? 🌳 Arborist Magnolia offers expert tree trimming, pruning, removal, and disease management to ensure the safety and longevity of your trees. Our certified arborists use advanced techniques to enhance tree health, prevent hazards, and improve curb appeal. Whether you need emergency tree removal, deep root fertilization, or seasonal maintenance, we provide reliable and eco-friendly solutions tailored to your needs. Protect your trees, boost property value, and enjoy a greener, safer environment. Contact Arborist Magnolia today for a free consultation!

[toronto-tree-removal]

Leslieville Tree Removal Services – Safe & Reliable Arborist Solutions

Leslieville is one of Toronto’s trendiest and fastest-growing neighborhoods, known for its charming homes, lush tree-lined streets, and growing demand for professional tree services. Whether you need a tree removed due to safety concerns, disease, or property expansion, Toronto Tree Removal is here to provide expert arborist solutions in this guide you will know everything when it comes to Leslieville Tree Removal.

Expert Tree Removal & Care in Leslieville, Toronto

Why Choose Our Leslieville Tree Removal Services?

✔ Experienced Arborists – Certified professionals ensuring safe and precise removals ✔ Emergency Tree Removal – Available 24/7 for urgent cases ✔ Stump Grinding & Removal – Full cleanup to restore your yard ✔ Tree Trimming & Pruning – Promote healthy growth and aesthetics ✔ Permits & Bylaws Compliance – Assistance with City of Toronto tree removal regulations

Common Tree Issues in Leslieville

Leslieville’s urban landscape presents unique challenges when it comes to tree removal:

🌳 Tight Urban Spaces – Limited access areas requiring specialized removal techniques 🏡 Heritage Properties – Preserving the integrity of older homes while safely removing trees 🌀 Storm-Damaged Trees – Fast response to hazardous leaning or fallen trees 🌱 Invasive Roots – Trees causing foundation or plumbing damage

How Much Does Tree Removal Cost in Leslieville?

The cost of tree removal varies based on factors like tree size, accessibility, and location. On average, homeowners in Leslieville can expect to pay between $500 and $3,000 depending on the complexity of the job.

📌 Read Our Full Cost Guide Here

Tree Removal Permits & Regulations in Toronto

If your tree is over 30 cm (12 inches) in diameter, you may need a tree removal permit from the City of Toronto. Our team can assist in navigating the application process to ensure a smooth removal experience.

📜 Toronto Tree Protection Bylaws

Our Tree Services in Leslieville

🔹 Tree Removal & Disposal 🔹 Stump Grinding & Root Removal 🔹 Arborist Reports & Consultation 🔹 Hedge & Shrub Trimming 🔹 Lot & Land Clearing

Book Your Tree Removal in Leslieville Today!

Whether you need a full tree removal or seasonal maintenance, our expert team is ready to help.

📞 Call Us: 647-558-1366 📍 Service Area: Leslieville, Toronto 🌍 Visit Our Website

More Toronto Areas We Serve

➡ Cabbagetown Tree Removal ➡ Kensington Market Tree Services ➡ Danforth Village Arborists

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do I Need a Permit for Tree Removal in Leslieville?

How Much Does Tree Removal Cost in Leslieville?

Will You Remove the Stump Too?

Our Tree Removal & Arborist Services in Leslieville

🌲 Tree Removal & Cutting – Whether you have a dying tree or one that poses a risk, we safely remove it using specialized equipment.

✂️ Tree Trimming & Pruning – Keep your trees healthy and well-shaped with expert pruning to prevent hazardous overgrowth.

🪵 Stump Removal & Grinding – After cutting down a tree, we grind the stump below ground level for a seamless finish.

🏡 Emergency Tree Services – If a tree falls unexpectedly due to storms or decay, we offer 24/7 emergency tree removal in Leslieville.

🌿 Tree Health Assessments – Our arborists can evaluate your tree’s condition and recommend the best course of action as well as facilitate arborist reports and tree removal permits on your behalf.

[tmackneyandsonstreeservices]

The Importance of Regular Tree Maintenance: Insights from T.Mackney & Sons Tree Services

Trees are a stunning addition to any property, offering shade, beauty, and a habitat for wildlife. However, without regular maintenance, they can become hazardous. At T.Mackney & Sons Tree Services, we specialize in providing expert tree care to ensure your trees stay healthy, safe, and visually appealing.

Why Regular Tree Maintenance Matters

Routine tree care, such as pruning, dead wood removal, and hedging, is essential for:

Enhancing Tree Health: Removing dead or diseased branches encourages growth and prevents pests from spreading.

Maintaining Aesthetic Appeal: Proper pruning and shaping improve the overall look of your landscape.

Safety: Overgrown or weak branches can pose risks to your home and family, especially during storms.

Our team of certified arborists ensures your trees are maintained to the highest standards, giving you peace of mind and a safer environment.

Comprehensive Services for Every Need

No matter the size or complexity of the job, T.Mackney & Sons offers a wide range of services to keep your trees in top condition, including:

Tree Lopping and Removal

Crane-Assisted Tree Removal

Stump Grinding

Hedging

Mulch Services

Whether you need a single tree pruned or an entire block cleared, we have the tools and expertise to get the job done efficiently.

Serving Communities Across the Hills District and Beyond

Our services are available in numerous locations, including Castle Hill, Hornsby, Parramatta, and coastal suburbs like Swansea Heads and Lake Munmorah. No matter where you are, we are ready to assist with your tree care needs.

Contact the Tree Care Experts Today

At T.Mackney & Sons Tree Services, your satisfaction is our priority. With years of experience and a commitment to excellence, we guarantee results that exceed expectations. Call us today on 0418 444 386 for a free consultation and let us help you maintain the beauty and safety of your property.

Contact US

T.Mackney & Sons Tree Services

Telephone: 02 9688 1713

Mobile: 0418 444 386 / 0427 769 708 (24 Hours)

Website: http://tmackneyandsonstreeservices.com.au/

Working Hours: Monday - Sunday: 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM

External Links

Zazzle.com Audiomack.com 500px.com Unsplash.com Indiegogo.com

[archivist-crow]

Sarah Tillinghast (d. 1796) - Alleged vampire of South County, Rhode Island.

Sarah Tillinghast was the oldest child of a well-to-do orchard farmer of pears and apples named Stuckley (also given as Stukelely), nicknamed Snuffy because of the tobacco color of his coat.

Stuckley and his wife, Honour, had 14 children, most of whom worked in the orchards. One night during the harvest season in 1796, Stuckley began to suffer a horrible and recurring nightmare, in which he would witness half of his orchard wither and die before his eyes. According to lore, his account of the dream, which he relayed to his wife, was recorded as follows:

I was working among the trees, when I heard our daughter Sarah calling to me. As I turned to look for her, a cold wind picked up, blowing the leaves all around me, so that I was nearly blinded. When the wind died down, I looked to find Sarah, but she was nowhere in sight. I turned back to the trees to continue working, and saw that the leaves had all turned brown, and the fruit was rotting on the branches. A smell of decay washed over me, and I was nearly ill. Stepping back, I saw that fully half of the orchard was dead!

The repeating nightmare so disturbed Stuckley that he consulted his pastor, who opined that he was only worried about his harvest.

The harvest was good, but later on in the winter, Sarah became ill and died; the doctor attributed the cause of death to tuberculosis. Then five more children sickened and died, one by one, of the same wasting illness. The first to go were James, the youngest, followed by Andris, 14, and Ruth, the second oldest after Sarah, and then Mary. In 1798 Hannah died and Ezra became ill. Hannah, 26, did not live at home, but was married and lived in West Greenwich. She visited often at the Stuckley farm.

Stuckley was convinced that his dream was a prophecy of tragedy. The deaths were made even more ominous when the children complained that the dead Sarah visited them at night and sat upon them, causing great pain and misery. Even Honour complained of nocturnal visits from Sarah, and then fell ill. Stuckley consulted his neighbors, and learned from Jeremiah Dandridge about the returning dead and how to put them to rest.

The six children then were dug up. Five were in stages of decomposition, but Sarah was incorrupt, and her wooden casket was intact. She exhibited what witnesses believed were the classic signs of vampirism: Her eyes were open and fixed, her hair and nails seemed to have grown, and there was evidence that fresh blood still flowed in her veins. Horrified, Stuckley cut out her heart and burned it on a rock.

Ezra died, but Honour recovered and was no longer bothered by nighttime visits of her dead daughter. The rest of the family remained untouched by disease and death.

The Tillinghast family cemetery is in the township of Exeter. The exact location of Sarah's reburial is not known, but perhaps may be one of several unmarked graves nearby.

Text from The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters (Checkmark Books, 2005) by Rosemary Guiley

[arboristnear733]

Arborists Near Me

Arborists Near Me: Consulting Services, Tree Law, Assessments, and Insurance

When searching for “Arborists Near Me,” many people assume they're simply looking for tree-cutting or trimming services. However, arborists play a much more complex and valuable role in tree management and consulting. In addition to pruning or removing trees, professional arborists often work in the realms of tree law, expert assessment, and insurance. For property owners and managers, understanding these specialized consulting services can be a game-changer, helping them make informed decisions, reduce liability, and protect their property investments.

In this article, we’ll explore the breadth of services that consulting arborists offer, from assisting in legal disputes to assessing tree health and managing risk. Here’s why you may want to find the right “Arborists Near Me” who can provide expert advice on tree-related issues.

The Broader Role of Arborists Beyond Tree Pruning and Removal

While tree maintenance is essential, arborists' consulting services can extend well beyond physical work. Many arborists specialize in assessing tree health, evaluating risk, and providing reports for legal and insurance purposes. Consulting arborists can help resolve disputes, guide compliance with local laws, and assess trees' health and structural integrity to prevent costly incidents.

If you’re searching for “Arborists Near Me” with an eye toward consulting, it’s important to understand how their expertise in tree law, risk assessment, and environmental regulation can benefit property owners, developers, and legal professionals.

Arborists and Tree Law

Understanding Tree Law Basics

Tree law refers to the various legal issues surrounding tree ownership, rights, and liability. Disputes often arise when trees are located near property boundaries or when they cause damage to neighboring properties. Consulting arborists are instrumental in these cases, as they can assess a tree's health, structural integrity, and potential risks. This information can be vital in determining who holds responsibility in cases of property damage or disputes between neighbors.

Expert Testimony in Legal Disputes

In legal cases involving trees—such as property damage, injury, or boundary disputes—arborists may be called upon to provide expert testimony. Arborists can evaluate whether a tree was properly maintained, if any foreseeable risks were ignored, and whether damage could have been prevented. A detailed assessment and report from a qualified arborist can be crucial evidence in court cases, helping to clarify liability and support the case for either party involved.

Boundary and Ownership Disputes

Ownership issues arise when a tree grows along a property line. If a tree straddles two properties, ownership is often shared, which can complicate decisions about cutting, trimming, or altering the tree. Arborists can help clarify these issues by assessing the tree's position, health, and potential impact on each property. Their expertise can be invaluable in resolving disputes in a way that respects property rights and considers the tree’s health.

Tree Assessments and Risk Management

Importance of Health Assessments for Trees

One of the primary consulting services that arborists offer is tree health assessment. When searching for “Arborists Near Me,” look for someone who specializes in evaluating a tree’s overall condition. Arborists can identify signs of decay, disease, or structural weaknesses that may not be apparent to the untrained eye. Routine assessments are especially valuable after storms or extreme weather events, as damaged trees can pose significant risks to people and property.

Risk Assessment to Prevent Liability

Tree risk assessment is a critical consulting service that helps property owners manage safety and liability concerns. Arborists evaluate a range of factors, including tree species, age, and environmental conditions, to assess the likelihood of a tree falling or causing damage. By identifying and addressing potential risks—through methods like cabling, bracing, or, in extreme cases, removal—arborists help prevent accidents and protect property owners from costly liability claims.

Detailed Documentation and Reporting

Arborists also provide detailed reports that document a tree’s health, structure, and any recommended actions. These assessments are valuable for homeowners, property managers, and municipalities. Proper documentation not only aids in risk management but can also be used as evidence in legal cases or for insurance purposes. This proactive approach to tree care demonstrates a commitment to safety and can be essential in cases involving property damage or injury.

Insurance and Arborists: Mitigating Risk and Supporting Claims

Tree Damage and Insurance Claims

Storms and other natural events can lead to tree-related damage to homes, vehicles, and other structures. When this happens, insurance claims often require an assessment by a professional arborist. Arborists can examine the condition of a damaged tree, determine if it was a foreseeable risk, and provide expert insights on whether the damage could have been prevented. Their assessment can help support an insurance claim and ensure the necessary repairs are covered.

Reducing Risk and Insurance Premiums

Insurance companies consider tree-related risks when calculating property insurance premiums. Arborists can help property owners identify potential risks and take proactive steps to reduce them, such as trimming overhanging branches or removing diseased trees. Following these recommendations can lower the likelihood of tree-related incidents, potentially reducing insurance premiums for property owners.

Collaborating with Insurers and Adjusters

In complex cases, arborists can serve as intermediaries with insurance companies, working directly with adjusters to support a claim. Arborists provide evidence-based documentation on the condition and risk level of a tree, which can expedite the claims process and strengthen a policyholder's case. Having a qualified arborist’s report can help ensure that the insurance payout is fair and covers the necessary repairs or tree work.

Environmental Consulting and Compliance with Regulations

Local Regulations and Permits

Many jurisdictions have regulations governing tree removal, especially for mature or protected species. Before altering or removing trees, property owners often need permits or must comply with local ordinances. Consulting arborists are knowledgeable about these laws and can guide property owners on how to proceed legally. They can help secure the necessary documentation and permits to ensure compliance, avoiding fines or other penalties.

Sustainable Land Development and Tree Preservation

When planning new construction, consulting an arborist early in the process can help preserve valuable trees and meet regulatory requirements. Arborists can assess which trees can be retained, advise on how construction might affect them, and help integrate preservation into development plans. Not only does tree preservation support environmental sustainability, but it can also add aesthetic and property value to a development. Arborists can help developers comply with regulations and promote sustainable land use.

Conclusion: Why You Should Look for “Arborists Near Me” for Consulting Services

The next time you search for “Arborists Near Me,” consider that arborists do far more than tree pruning and removal. Consulting arborists offer critical expertise in tree law, risk assessment, insurance support, and environmental compliance. These specialized services are essential for property owners, developers, and anyone facing legal or risk-related challenges involving trees.

Whether you’re managing a tree-related legal dispute, evaluating your property’s safety, or ensuring compliance with local laws, a consulting arborist provides the insight and support needed to make informed, responsible decisions. By choosing the right arborist for consulting services, property owners can protect their investments, support community safety, and promote environmental sustainability.