"Owwww..." The pained groan was shared and vocalised by Eve and I both, again awaking before dawn.
"What even happened?" Eve continued, voice coarse and barely audible. "We went to the hot tub for a round, then came back in and you took the chance to refuel, then we swapped... Then nothing."
"You decided to get competitive... You thought "oh, I know I can maybe use physical enhancement a little bit" and that was when the divinity came out." I groaned blindly fumbling for some water without having to move.
"Oh yeah... Ok, that one was my fault... At least the rules kept us on task. "Make a baby" is definitely the first time divinity has pulled that one." She mused as I downed as much water as I could before passing the rest to her.
"I hate to say it, but I don't think we're gonna live to see if you get pregnant at this point."
"You have nine hours to refuel and get a spine." Her tone was cold and cutting in a way that made me chuckle. "We did not do this to ourselves for nothing and you have to want it, so you better take a second to rethink the pessimism." She said as she pulled me over to her.
"By the way... I've been thinking. I think the lube made you a bit too gluttonous."
"Maybe, it certainly hurt a bit more this morning, but I think I have improved my regeneration. I'm already feeling better."
"True, but we shouldn't be so rough, with us going back to square one each time. Damage down there might hurt your chances of conceiving."
"Oh no... Your'e right, but it did feel kinda good... Adam, I love you and I feel terrible for even asking thi-"
"You want me to alter myself don't you... Something less damaging."
"I know, I feel horrible, but I ju-"
"I know, when desires get involved, we are hardly in control and the rules don't seem to go easy on us. I was actually going to ask you if I could, I won't lie, I don't particularly like the idea myself, but practically it's a good choice."
"Not too much though, I still want it to feel like you and only if you can return exactly the same after."
With that in mind, and a way to make sure I returned exactly the same, I finished the alterations. With that done we sanitised everything, cleaned up, then went to have breakfast with everyone.
When we got to the cabin, we were surprised to see no one about, almost tempted to go check in at the main house in case we cooked food for people not present. We realised quickly though that wasting food would not be an issue, we were ravenous and had finished one plate and began dishing up our second before anyone joined us.
"Morning Mum, Morning Dad..." Cosmael yawned as she slumped over us in a lazy hug. "Can I have double please, Astrael kept us out most of the night... We will be having us three plus five total just so you know."
"Five?" I asked, wondering who was making up the dining list.
"Me, Quatal, Astrael, Layaera, Fala, the new girl who wants to introduce herself and the bestest parents." She yawned, still falling to grogginess.
"Ah! So I take it Quatal was upset without us and Layaera bribed her with Fala. Oh, and no need for the flattery little one, you can double it without it... Why sleepy though, deva don't need to sleep do they?"
"No, but I thought I would get into the habit in case I end up an insomniac when I'm reborn."
Soon after her arrival, the girls walked in hand and hand, rubbing sleep from their eyes and joined the ill placed family hug. "Girl's if I die from joy, no one gets breakfast, table... Someone prep the juice Eve if you can make my coff-"
"No, Astrael told me that was bad for current objectives. You can have water and lots."
"My love, coffee or you drain what you need out of my corpse, you don't want me drinking it keep the divinity to yourself."
"Can you two stop please, I recently just figured out some stuff Ever once said and know what you're talking about." Fala yawned, making us shut up immediately.
The next to join us was Astrael, looking malevolently chipper given the fact she had apparently spent most of the night torturing someone. "I needed last night!.." She declared shamelessly whilst stretching. "With people like that, a touch of creativity makes it a fun lesson to teach."
"I hope it gives her at least a little peace. Just do me a favour and don't keep Little one up so late. Were there any other issues afterw-"
"After the entire guild and garrison manned the streets to chastise those that tried harming the princess and their friends... Funnily enough, no and some of the rejected have asked to stay. The display of solidarity moved them beyond words. The only other one to pass was the boy you met at the guild."
"Is it true he made you laugh after that... No magic?" Cosmael asked from her seat at the table.
"It is, Little one, your dad may have found a way to make Leeson's role as comedy relief easier."
"That's good... We needed someone like that to come with us."
At that point Layaera entered with the new girl in tow. "Morning Adam, hope you're feeling better, it was faint but I could sense a bit of divinity leaking out of your room at the hot spring."
"Morning Layaera, fine and that was something else... You and I need to have a chat at some point, but first why don't we get introductions and breakfast out of the way." I replied as I added some chopped tomatoes and mushrooms to the pan. "My name is Adam, I-"
"Sorry... I need to go first." She began to tear up. "First, thank you, Astrael and Cosmael. I heard what you did last night. Second, thank you for asking it of them, your highness, your majesty and third, I want to say thank you again for passing me and offering me this, Layaera explained what this place means to you two and I won't imp-"
"Girl, I would have done things that make you pitied them if they were within reach... And I would have made Astrael's creativity seem uninspired. With everything the world has done to you, how could I not offer you a reprieve from it if it is within my power? Now, I am Adam, not your majesty, Lord, sire, or anything the grinning deva told you to call me."
"I'm not as opposed to it as him, but please call me Eve, I may be used to titles, but I won't tolerate it from my family. We girls will be going to the hot spring after and you will join us... I may invite the demon queen to since I need to ask her some questions." She apologised for rambling at the end as the others giggled at her acting like me.
"Adam, Eve, it's my pleasure. my name is Babylon..." The name made me think, a name I had heard before, or rather read in my original era.
"Interesting name... May I ask where it comes from?" Eve eyed me, not suspicious of my interest, but of its roots.
"I mean it comes from my parents... Sorry that sounded sarcastic, but I don't know how else to answer."
"Sorry, I heard that name in my original era, the name of a city that opposed the rule of heaven, built a tower to reach it and prove not superiority but equality." The retelling seemed to make her blush for some reason that was beyond me. "You should be proud, in your short years you achieved what they could not and stood equal with gods. You're name is unusually fitting, but I would love to know where it comes from in this time."
"When we start travelling, I can introduce you all to my parents." She said, strangely animated all of a sudden.
"I would appreciate that, it may actually be a clue to our journey itself. Now, more importantly, I have no desire to upset you but I have to know how far away you would like me to stay so I don't."
"I should be ok, just don't touch me please. Though if you do it to protect me, I will apologise in advance for any ingratitude. Also... Please don't call me Baby' I know my name is awkward but B is preferred if anything."
"Of course Babylon, I don't like calling people by pet names as a rule anyway, barring my wife and daughters."
We then sat down and had breakfast, no one had just one plate, though Fala took her extra in a box I conjured to keep it warm so she wasn't late for work. Eve and I both had three plates more under the grin and knowing gaze of Astrael.
Babylon simply couldn't believe the food, she had been surprised by the quality of what had been prepared by the girls the night before, but now she was tasting their teacher's talent she couldn't believe it.
"I may not like touching men, but I could hug you right now... Wait, Eve, I didn't mean..." Her words made Eve laugh.
"Don't worry, relatives hug each other, hell even if you tried to seduce him I'd only say that if it seems like it's working you should remove his head, because that would most certainly be an impostor."
"I was only joking regardless, but I'll remember that. How did you two get so close so quickly? You seem like you have known each other for years but I heard the story and its only been months."
"We ask ourselves everyday... Don't mistake us, we love each other with everything, but we are as prone to doubt as anyone and ask if the other will really want us for the eternity they promised."...
"Whilst they talk about that, you and I can chat Layaera. come help me with clean up duty." Layaera nodded, then stacked up plates and helped as requested. "Are you ok after yesterday?"
"I'm fine, it was actually good, it helped me fully accept what I am now."
"I'm glad, of course, surprised, but glad. I need to apologise for the distance, I neglected you and I'm sorry for that."
"Actually I needed that space the most. You are clearly, somewhat disdainful of humans and a small part of me wondered if you simply refused to turn me back. Yesterday helped me understand though, you help humans every chance you get and they turn on you and hurt you and those you love. I experienced that myself at the test and I realised that this was a chance to be something better."
"Don't hate them Layaera, your life will be long and memory good, if you ever need to retreat for however long, use The Garden as Eve and I intend to and when we inherit it, maybe even the black so you can see that it isn't only mortals that can be that way. Don't limit yourself to one perspective. Now, if you ladies are happy to finish cleaning, I will go grab our demonic bath buddies."
"You're grabbing Tyrland to?"
"I need to talk to him about something troubling me, their archive is immense and older than most, I want to know if Babylon means anything to him."