Nakoma 

Colt walks behind Dica and I to probably keep an eye on Puella who is stumbling about and holding onto things we pass.

“Is she okay?” I whisper to Dica.

“She’s just drunk,” he responds.

“Okay…”

I look back to Puella and she looks… happy. There’s a smile on her face and she’s humming an unfamiliar tune to herself. I make a mental note to get her a glass of water once we return to the hotel room.

“Puella, you okay there?” Colt asks with concern.

“Haha, I’m fine Colty,” she grins broadly at him. Once we arrive at the room, I hold open the door for everyone, allowing them all in. As she walks pass me, Puella pats me lightly on the head which I try to take as a compliment. Once she enters the room, she flops down on a chair and releases a loud, quick burst of laughter. I shut the door behind me just as Colt pops open his bottle and begins chugging while Dica sophisticatedly pours himself a glass. I was glad at least one of them wasn’t a complete savage when it came to drinking.

Puella is suddenly silent and buries her head into her arms.

"Puella?" Colt asks, moving towards her. "Are you okay?"

She ignore him and continues to softly sob into her arms.

Dica turns to me. “So it begins,” he says taking a sip of his drink. Looks like he knew this was bound to happen.

Colt pats her back. "It's okay... It's okay..." he repeats softly to her. He flinches away as she suddenly cries louder.

“What’s wrong?” Colt asks her tenderly. “Do you want to talk about it?” Puella raises her head, tears glistening on her pale cheeks.

“Maybe…” she sniffles.

"We can talk about it," Colt says with gentleness lacing his voice.

“I miss father.”

Tears well up in Colt’s eyes. “I miss him too…”

Dica takes a big swig from his glass at the mention of his father.

"I miss father.. I miss Loki.. I.. I don't even want to live.." she rambles.

This peaks my interest. Did she mean Loki as in the god? I thought there was only one god.

“Loki?” I ask.

“He’s my ex,” Puella sniffles again.

“But like… the god?” I ask. Dica nods to me. My eyes widen and I grin ear to ear.

"The gods from mythology exist?"

“Yeah,” Dica smiles at me.

"That's amazing!” I exclaim. “My father read me a lot of legends and myths when I was younger, I really enjoyed them,but I never thought they were real, or at least around anymore." My chest tightens at the thought of my father. I could relate to the fatherly sorrow in the room to some extent, I just had no idea whether or not mine was alive.

"No, they are still around, kinda. They really don't have any power at all. Maybe you'll meet them someday," Dica explains, which cheers me up a little. To think I could meet Apollo, Thor, Artemis, any of them!

"I'd like that, maybe I could tell my father when I find him." I try to remain positive about my potentially dead father.

My excitement does little to cheer up Puella who had collapsed back into her arms sobbing.

Colt pats Puella's head. "What happened between you two?" He asks hesitantly.

Puella suddenly slams her fist on a small table beside her. "That bastard.. he hurt me.. he used me, manipulated me like a toy.."

“Oh jeez.” I blink at the accusation. “I’m so sorry Puella.” I always knew Loki was a trickster, but to think he was capable of causing such misery.

"That bastard! Why would anyone wanna hurt you?" Colt seems shocked.

"I thought he actually cared about me.. but he didn't.. and no one ever will.." Puella chokes back a sob. "He did it.. just to see if he could.. If he could 'put hell's baddest bitch on a leash'.” She makes air quotes.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I look at Puella. "But hey, I'm sure there are others that care about you." Dica laughs quietly at my comment, and I shoot him a dirty look.

"Noki.. I live in the desert.. I have no friends. I'm sure Dica would be happy to tell you my family hates me,” she laments.

“I don’t hate you,” Colt speaks up. Puella pauses for a moment and looks over at Colt. A grin breaks out on her face and she laughs softly.

"Colt.. you've only just met me, you haven't had a chance to hate me yet..."

“Nothing could ever make me hate you,” he vows.

"You barely know me, and you never know what could happen.. you shouldn't make promises you can't keep."

“But,” Colt looks like he wants to argue, but he decides not to and falls silent.

“Lord Lucifer never hated you,” Dica speaks up.

Puella freezes upon hearing her father's name. "... You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. I was his knight. It was my job to know who he hated," Dica continues.

"Ha…” Puella scoffs. “Well then, how did dad feel about me?"

"Lord Lucifer loved you," Dica says confidently, " I never once heard him speak ill of you. And by the way he spoke about you, I could tell he was proud of you."

Puella was left speechless. I suppose that she had never once thought the things Dica claimed were true. The thought of a child doubting their father’s love saddens me greatly.

She slowly gets up and goes to lie back on one of the beds. Colt continues to sniffle and wipe at his eyes. I get up to grab Puella a glass of water which I set down beside her bed on the nightstand.

“What’s wrong with you?” Dica asks Colt.

“Just… thinking about dad,” he responds.

“You must really miss him,” I say sadly, knowing the feeling all too well. Dica remains silent.

“Well... Yeah I miss him... I've always loved him no matter how scary he got." Colt fidgets nervously as he thinks back.

"I see... I understand though... I miss my father too,” I sigh.

“He was usually nice to me." Colt continues, staring off in the distance. "Except for when I was bad."

"Like you could ever be 'bad' in his eyes," Dica sneers," Lord Lucifer let you get away with everything."

"Not true!" Colt snaps. "Not when I snuck out of the tower."

“Oh?” I had heard about him being confined to a tower, but never of him sneaking out of it.

“Yeah,” Colt says. “When I was eight I learned how to teleport.”

“You can teleport?” I ask amazed.

“It’s an angel thing,” Dica explains. “Lord Lucifer could teleport too.”

Colt smiles briefly before it fades. "My father was pleased until I used it to sneak out to go play in the River Styx."

I sigh and nod. Only Colt would think playing in that particular river was a good idea.

"I mean I wouldn't be happy either, you almost fell in," Dica recalls. Suddenly Colt’s head snaps over to Dica, his eyes wide as if he were just remembering something.

“You were there,” he breathes accusingly.

"You mean I saved your ass from drowning." Dica smirks.

"That's why dad was freaking out when he found me…” Colt reminisces. “Because you were there." I remember Colt saying something about Dica being a threat to Colt’s life when he was a child. Colt shrinks back at the memory. "I had never seen him so angry before..."

“I have,” Dica shivers.

“Oh? And what made him so angry?” I ask. Did Lucifer have anger issues?

“Lord Lucifer hated me,” Dica says simply.

“Is that why so many people dislike you?” I ask.

“No, everyone hates him because he’s the King’s Whore,” Colt interrupts Dica’s budding response.

Dica flinches. “Shut up…”

“Make me!” Colt snaps. I was getting aggravated myself.

“Why do you call him that?” I demand an answer. King’s Whore… that would mean his father… I suddenly feel sick to my stomach.

Colt looks to me. "Because he was the King's Whore. Just a little fuck toy. It was all anyone used him for; all he was good for," Colt is obviously drunk. But still his behaviour was uncalled for.

“I was his knight!” Dica snaps almost desperately.

“Colty, that’s fucked up, and really mean,” I scold, but Colt ignores me.

“You fucked your way to knighthood!” Colt yells. “It’s true! Tell Noki, Dica. Tell her about all the people you slept with for power.”

Dica looks down, avoiding eye contact with everyone. "That's not true. I worked hard..."

"Colty stop being a jerk, I'm sure Dica did his best to get where he is,” I say.

"I'm just telling the truth, Noki," he defends. "Dica's a filthy whore. Ask anyone in Hell."

“I should have let you drown in the River Styx…” Dica mumbles.

“Maybe you should have,” Colt says with a yawn. “Can I share a bed with Puella tonight?”

"I guess.. I'm too tired for this right now..." I complain.

"Okay." Colt goes to lie next to Puella. I go into the bathroom to change into my pajamas and return to the other bed. Looks like Dica and I would be sharing.

"I can sleep on the floor," Dica remains where he is, and whispers to himself, " No one wants to share a bed with a filthy whore." My heart clenches at his words.

I shake my head. “No, you can sleep by me.”

"It's really fine Noki. I've slept on worse than a hotel floor."

“There’s plenty of room,” I offer in a gentle tone. He thinks it over then concedes.

“Fine…”

Dica walks over and lies on the bed and I flop down beside him. Despite Colt’s claims, I couldn’t help but feel safe around Dica. I cuddle up to him, and realize how warm he is, my cheeks heat up slightly at the sensation of touching him. I fall asleep to the sound of his breathing.