NEW GODS: The Awakening

Chaos In The Monastery

The theater was a wide, square room with a large stage and more chairs than he could count. A tall podium was situated in the middle of the stage, high enough so that the speaker towered over all else. It had no windows and the entire light came from headlights over the stage and the seats, something Damian personally found quite distasteful aesthetically.

Besides, it was a theater that was only ever used for announcements, never plays, and so in his eyes it might as well have been demolished.

"Hey," Torey waved at him to come closer.

Damian approached her, shoulders lowered, lips forming a worried frown. Just as he had been expecting, she had snuck out of her study group to sit in the corner, back leaned against the wall.

"What's up with the downer face?" she asked "Did your mom catch you sneaking out or something?"

"Gods forbid... This day is hard enough already," Damian winced.

Her eyes landed on the blue ribbon around his wrist and she arched a single eyebrow.

"What did sir Nice Hair tell you that was so upsetting?"

"It is not about what he told me. It is about what he didn't," he said, exasperated.

"Not even you were told about this mess. Wow. I can only imagine what trouble his Divinity must be in," Torey chortled.

He wished he could be as relaxed about this as she was.

"Exactly what I am thinking," he mumbled instead.

Torey eyed him questioningly and then shrugged.

"I know your crush is completely clouding your judgement right now, but I feel the need to remind you that he is a God. I am sure he will be fine,"

How much Damian despised that logic. When people simply assumed Leon was well because his magic was strong.

On the other hand, he had been the only one there when his parents had divorced and a twelve year old Leon had spent an entire week a crumbling mess with barely enough energy to get out of bed. It had been the only time in the entire decade they had lived beneath the same roof when madam Mochizuki asked him to spend time with him.

When Leon had left his bedroom at last, there was no way for anyone to know what he had made Damian promise the night before.

"Never leave me. Stay with me through everything, all the bad and the good, anything. And I... I will never leave you either. Promise me!" a stoic kid had begged him through gritted teeth, deep coal black eyes tearing up.

"He will be a God. Someday. Until then, he is never safe," he corrected her.

Sometimes he wondered if Leon would be safe even then.

Torey shifted uncomfortably. She had never been one to enjoy talking about emotions and sensitivities. Whereas that made up like half of the stuff Damian was interested in discussing.
Probably why them romantically had not worked out. He still remembered telling Leon that they had gotten together to which he blinked confusedly and asked and saying 'How did you even become friends again?'.

Well, they had only lasted a month.

Truth be told, they didn't have much in common. Even with the same uniform on, they looked about as similar as a canary and a bulldog.

Torey was pale enough to be mistaken for an Abyssal, tall and scrawny with the kind of physique that said she had never held a weapon in her hands and an aura that dared you to come and fight her anyway. Not exactly the vibe he gave off. Even Damian had thought she was going to punch him in the face first time they met. Didn't stop him from introducing himself but still...