Alastor waits until Charlie, Calli, and Vaggie have entered the portal to Heaven that opened up before sitting down across from Lucifer - who's currently trying not to have a full-blown panic attack, clutching at a vial of liquid labeled 'Angel-Strength Calming Draught' in Calli's looping handwriting, Hedwig sitting on his shoulder and rubbing her head against his every few moments. Hoping to get the short King's attention, Alastor says "Oh, relax, will you? Calla Lily would sooner take a dozen Angelic spears than see Charlotte come to harm. They'll be fine, and we both know it."
Lucifer runs a shaking hand over his face, but then snaps his head over to face Alastor asking "What did you just call her?" Alastor did not strike him as a flower kind of guy - or a nickname kind of guy! - but there's only one person he could possibly be referring to.
Alastor raises an eyebrow, asking "Who, exactly? Hm? I was merely making an observation, anyways, no need to get hung up over it."
Lucifer narrows his eyes, asking "What Angel Dust said while he was drunk...he was talking about you and Calliope, wasn't he?"
Alastor narrows his eyes, then says "I don't see how Angel Dust's drunken declarations are something to take as fact. Especially when he was drunk on an alcohol so potent two shot glasses puts him down altogether."
Alright, fair point. But... Lucifer smirks, saying "You're deflecting. Besides, given the number of times you referenced Calli in that song when we first met...I'd say there's something going on between you two."
Alastor hums, saying "Even if it were true, I don't see how it's any business of yours. You'd have to be there to be relevant, after all."
Lucifer flinches slightly, but doesn't react to the jab otherwise - still, it certainly kills the 'you hurt my sister, and I'll make you regret ever looking at her in the last few minutes of your life' speech he'd been about to give. "Like I said," he says somewhat evenly, "I lost her number. Twice. Before phones even came out down here in Hell. If you've got nothing else to do...?"
Alastor leans forward, and says "Well, I happen to be well-aware that your voicemail is completely full. Might as well clear it out. Something to do, no?" Calli asked him to keep Lucifer's mind off Charlie being in Heaven...this is the best way to do that he can think of that doesn't involve getting him blackout drunk in Dragon's-Breath Bourbon. Besides, he can't truthfully say he hasn't wanted to do this since Lucifer agreed to stay at the hotel.
And Calli would almost certainly interrupt when she found out, given the details of even the one voicemail he overheard her leave him.
Two birds, one stone!
Charlie, Vaggie, and Calli step out of Heaven's portal right in front of the Golden Gates - not pearly, like they so love everyone to think, but bright gold, the utter showoffs - and Charlie gasps before saying "Look at this place! It's so clean! Isn't that amazing?!"
Calli and Vaggie trade glances, and Calli says "There's spells for that, Charlie. I can guarantee nobody up here is spending hours at a time polishing all this stuff." Gods, does she not want to be here - she doesn't want any of them to be here. Heaven may look wonderful, but it's all so fake - the very air smells damn well sterile, to say nothing of all the gaudy, tacky gold everywhere, dammit! And all that's to say nothing of what it's actually like behind that gate, everybody all smiles and cheerfulness to cover up the Heaven Council's utter shittiness.
Charlie glances at her Aunt, noticing her black wings are folded over her chest to resemble a coat - she happened to overhear her father talking with Calli, and Calli saying 'they won't lay a finger on her, Luce, none of them. I won't fucking let them, I promise.' Seems her Aunt, despite her casual, semi-relaxed attitude about Heaven…is not so relaxed after all.
Between the way her wings keep shifting minutely over her body every few moments to how the very air around her aunt seems positively charged with her magic…she may actually be far more worried about this meeting than she let on.
Vaggie certainly isn't much better, body tensed like she's expecting an attack at every possible turn.
And then, all of a sudden, a golden head of hair pops up from what looks like an announcer's box, and the man underneath the hair overly-cheerfully says "Hiya! Welcome to Heaven! Can I get your name, please?"
Charlie clears her throat, and says "Charlie Morningstar!"
The blonde guy says he doesn't see her on his list, and Calli flatly says "We're not ex-mortal souls coming to Heaven for the first time. We've got a meeting with the High Seraphim. Charlotte Morningstar, Vaggie Morningstar, and Calliope Peverell. Lucifer Morningstar set it up three days ago. Did they not tell you this?"
The blonde guy loses his mile altogether, shock crossing his face, and says "Holy-" Clearing his throat, he says "Um, yikes, are you ladies sure you're in the right place? I think you might be a little-"
Calli bites out "We're not lost, we are on the wrong side of that gate since this is where the portal spit us out at. Now, I was right there when Lucifer got us the meeting with Sera. I don't particularly want to come off as a bitch, but-"
A new voice, one Calli hasn't heard in ten thousand years since the owner sentenced Lucifer and Lilith to Hell for eternity as punishment for creating it and still despises every single time she thinks of it and the owner, says "Saint Peter, we'll take it from here." A blinding light appears, and then two figures covered in eyes appear before reverting to slightly more human-like appearances.
Sera lands, saying "Greetings, Daughter of the Morning Star. I am Sera, High Seraphim of Heaven. You are gifted to be here."
Calli says "I remember. Been a while, Sera - what's it been, ten thousand years?"
Swallowing nervously at a familiar icy green gaze, Sera internally sighs in utter relief when Emily practically squeals in excitement - Emily is their secret weapon for keeping things from getting tense, not that she knows it. Emily brings joy and happiness to all of Heaven's denizens, so hopefully bringing her along to greet Charlotte Morningstar and those with her will keep things…at least calm. More specifically, keep Calliope somewhat calm.
"Hi! I'm Emily, the other Seraphim. Though, you can call me Em! Emmie! E- whatever you want!" Taking Charlie's hand in her own, she says "I'm really glad you're here. Welcome to Heaven!" That seems to be Saint Peter's cue, as he starts singing in what's clearly some kind of staged welcoming party of some sort if Sera's glances towards Calli are any indication.
Once the literal song and dance is done - though, Sera couldn't resist reminding them that it was a temporary visit more than once - Calli just says "Quite the welcoming party." Glancing towards Sera for a moment, and seeing her uneasy expression, she turns to Emily and says "So, can't say I recognize you, Emily. How long have you been up here?"
Emily grins, saying "About two hundred years, give or take."
Charlie gasps in delight, saying "Same! That's so cool!"
Calli chuckles under her breath, then says "You're cute, Emmie. C'mon, let's get this meeting going."
Emily blinks for a moment, then says "Oh, erm, the meeting isn't actually set until this afternoon. But, that just means I can show you guys around in the meantime! Follow me!" She's really not seeing why Sera and Gabriel were so worried about Calliope - sure, she seems a little curt, but they'd come for a really important meeting and were stuck outside the gate! Anyone would be a little short after that! She doesn't look particularly dangerous, either - only about her own height, no wings in sight, and no weapons or mystery-bird either. Perhaps everyone was just exaggerating?
Emily takes off at an excited sprint, Charlie quickly following as the bubbly Seraphim points things out, and Sera moves to follow when a cold, hard voice says "Sera."
Sera glances down at Calliope, who's gaze hasn't left Charlie's form, and asks "Yes, Calliope?"
"Anything happens to Charlotte Morningstar, and I'll make what happened to those Angels that were in my home ten thousand years ago look like kiddie time on the playground. Understand?"
Sera swallows, then says "So it was you, then."
Calliope finally moves her glittering green gaze up to Sera's, promises of pain and retribution clear for the Seraphim to see in its depths, and she bites out "Am I understood, Sera?"
Swallowing again, Sera nods and says "Perfectly."
"Good." What Sera took to be a black coat of some kind reveals itself to be Calli's wings, unfolding themselves from around her body and flapping to send her soaring through the air to catch up with Charlie, Vaggie, and Emily.
Emily gasps in surprise when Calli lands next to Charlie, and asks "Those are your…wings don't bend that way! Are you injured, should I take you to-"
Calli shakes her head, saying "You're adorable, kid. But, no, my wings are just like this, more akin to another set of arms sometimes than wings. Your concern is much appreciated, though."
Vaggie says "You know, everyone says the exact same thing when they first see your wings, Calli. Wings aren't supposed to work that way."
Calli snorts, saying "Neither are Runic Arrays or Wards, the way they work for me. Yet that hasn't stopped them from working nonetheless." At Emily's confused glance, one corner of Calli's lips tug upwards in a smirk, and she adds "I've got an interesting working relationship with magic, you might say. It'd take too long to explain it all right now, though."
Emily pokes at one of Calli's wings experimentally, pulling back rapidly when it suddenly shifts and almost spasms like it wants to lash out at the touch, and Calli jerks away from Emily before righting herself, saying "Please don't touch. We've only just met."
Emily nods, saying "Sorry! I just…how do they even fold over like that? Doesn't it hurt? My own wings are hurting just looking at yours!"
Calli shakes her head, saying "No, but people just randomly poking at them isn't something I enjoy. Especially when I don't know it's coming." Forcing her shoulders to relax, Calli pastes some approximation of a smirk on her face and adds "They didn't tell you much about me, did they?"
Emily shakes her head, saying "Just that you might be coming."
"Heaven and I have a…fairly dysfunctional history, if you can even call it that. I've no doubt you're the only person who's genuinely glad I'm here with my niece."
"Well," Emily says, clearing her throat, "Heaven's changed a lot since you were last here! I'll give you the grand tour!" They start walking again, passing two figures as Emily restarts her excited dialogue, and Calli glances back just as she sees a flash of bright white light out of the corner of her eye - the two figures, and likely Sera, are gone.
The group of four are just rounding a corner when Emily says "Oh! Sorry, Michael, didn't see you there!"
Calli gets to Charlie's side just as a deep voice says "It's quite alright, Emily. Who is…" Michael trails off at seeing who's with the young Seraphim, gaze seemingly locked onto Charlie as he goes about four shades paler than before.
Charlie shifts a little, running a hand down her hair, and says "Um…hi? I'm Charlotte, but everyone calls me Charlie…"
And then Calli breaks the moment thoroughly, yanking Charlie back a few steps behind her and into Vaggie's reach and says "Emily, you said you were going to show us around? Let's go!" Vaggie nods, pulling Charlie away by the wrist as Michael continues to stare as though he's just seen a ghost.
"Aunt Calli, do you know him? Who is he?"
"Nobody you need to worry about, Charlotte." Calli glances back as they round another corner, and sees the broad-shouldered Archangel looks absolutely stricken - she might actually believe that if he weren't the one that executed Lucifer's 'punishment' ten thousand years ago.
Like fuck is she leaving Charlie alone anywhere near Michael - at least, from Vaggie's expression, she feels the same.
Gabriel and Raphael look up in surprise when Michael Materializes into their shared quarters - they'd decided it might be best to hole themselves up until the meeting starts. Less chance of getting hurt by a certain temperamental red-head with crazy magic.
Michael had to leave for about an hour, though, and now…now he looks like it's the first week after Lucifer's Fall all over again.
"Mickey?" Raphael asks, "What happened?"
Michael sinks down into the couch, and says "I…I saw them. I saw her, Raph, and she…" She managed to completely guilt-trip him without even meaning to.
Gabriel warily asks "Calliope?"
Michael shakes his head, saying "No- well, yes, but not who I meant."
Raphael quietly says "Charlotte."
Michael nods, running shaking hands over his face and down his hair, and says "She…she looks almost exactly like Lucifer did. Same eye shape, same face shape…she's even got our cheek dots!" And she didn't have a clue who he was, he could see it in her expression even before she asked who he was.
She did, however, have Lucifer's innocence written all over her face. His curiosity, his wonder - his dreams, ideals. Everything that ended up leading to his Fall, thanks to Calliope Peverell.
Gabriel says "But Calliope was there."
Michael nods, saying "Pulled her away from me, didn't even acknowledge me…" Normally, that wouldn't affect him - normally, though, it's not the woman who hit him in the chest with a beam of magic both times they actually interacted with one another, rather than him glaring murder at her and thinking of ways to warn her away from Lucifer for good if Raphael found anything wrong with him and her seeming completely unfazed by his glare.
Gabriel frowns, asking "Why are they even here, the meeting isn't set until three in the afternoon." And it's currently…just after ten in the morning.
Raphael sits upright with a gasp, all six wings buzzing faster than a hummingbird's, saying "Maybe we could-"
"That's a terrible idea, Raph, you know she'll be there!" Raphael sends his second-older brother a pleading look, puppy-dog eyes and a wobbling lip making an appearance, but Gabriel doesn't budge an inch as he says "I'm not going to just burst in there and get something else broken or one of those beams of her magic in my own chest." Or, who knows, she might come up with something more creative than that!
Raphael slumps his shoulders, burying his face in his hands - he's the one that took Lucifer's Fall the hardest out of the three of them, and for Lucifer's daughter to be so close for even a short time…
Gabriel sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, and says "I suppose I could speak with the High Seraphim. See if she would agree to meet with Calliope for a short time before the meeting actually starts."
Raphael actually squeals, tackling Gabriel in a hug so strong he nearly strangles the slightly-older Archangel.