[You want me to do it in the deific voice of majesty thing? "Oracle Alleluia, attend closely, for I have chosen a successor to the Archangel Linus, to begin tenure when his ends!"]

"Is she even using the interface much these days? I suppose she must, to keep appearances with the acolytes, just as she did before it was you and not Jehovah per se she was talking to. Use whatever voice is typical for the interface."

[You got it, Cap'n!] says Jane flippantly.

Micaiah giggles.

"That was the plan, my love," Micaiah observes.

"Yes, I know. But his parents didn't know that," she says. "And it is around the time when they will notice that they are less than fully informed."

"...aha," says Micaiah. "Well, fuck. So what do we do?"

"I believe the standing plan is to simply keep Nathaniel until one or both of them appear to make nuisances of themselves, and then inform them that Nathaniel prefers to stay and that the leader of the host and the Archangel-elect are backing his claim." She pauses. "It's up to you whether the fact that Nathaniel is the Archangel-elect's brother-in-law is permitted to come up during this conversation."

"Well, as far as I know they are not on their way up the stairs to the Eyrie as we speak, so you have time to think about it," Isabella says.

"Okay," he says, and he hugs his angel.

"Yeah, do that."

He is in his room, reading a book.

"Hello, Nathaniel. Do you have a minute?"

"Yes, angela."

She steps into the room and shuts the door behind her and lets her aura unfold a little more; Nathaniel has seen Milliways, after all, even if he doesn't know the whole story. "It's been a while since the Gloria, and sooner or later your parents are going to notice that I am not returning you, since that isn't going to happen. I just wanted to make sure you know - they can show up and make a fuss, but you don't have to talk to them, or see them, or do anything at all but let me and Delilah tell them that you're staying here. I don't think you tend to leave the Eyrie much, so most likely there will be no possibility of you running into them at all."

"But just in case, so you won't be scared," Isabella says after a moment, "- how would you like to learn a little bit of magic, so that you can call for me any time you need me? Just in case."

"...I think I would like that, angela," he murmurs hesitantly.

She nods. [It's simple,] she says, adding him to the brainphone network. [All you have to do is think at me, and I'll hear you from any distance, like this. You can also send in writing,] she adds, demonstrating, [if you'd rather. It won't work if one of us is somewhere entirely else, like Milliways, and the other isn't, but as long as we're in Samaria it will always work.]

Nathaniel nods.

"It works for Micaiah, too," she says. "And the oracle Alleluia and her husband, although I don't imagine they'd be as important to be able to speak to, for you."

"Thank you, angela," he murmurs.

Nathaniel blinks hesitantly at her.

Isabella scoops him into a hug. "Oh sweetheart. Oh you poor thing."

He snuggles up as close as it is possible to snuggle and cries some more.

He is thoroughly and warmly and angelically hugged.

Eventually his sobs quiet to sniffles, and then to mere shivering.

Isabella pets his hair. "I won't let anyone hurt you," she tells him.

He nods, and shivers again, and hugs her some more.

Isabella will pretty much hold him as long as he likes.

She's not going to make him let go.

"You're welcome," Isabella says, and she releases him and relaxes her aura to its normal unflared-but-strong state.

He smiles shyly.

"Is there anything else you need from me?" she asks.

Nathaniel shakes his head.

Isabella kisses his hair. "You may always let me know if something comes up," she tells him, and she leaves him be and goes back to Micaiah.

"How is he?"

"...He seems to like my aura," says Isabella after a moment. "I let it out, and when I flared it he - leapt on me and cried. But by the time he let go he seemed fine."

"...fuck, of course he does," says Micaiah. "It makes you not scary."

"It didn't seem to do anything for Voice, so it isn't an absolute effect," Isabella points out. "But I would imagine it would help. Yes. Yours might help too, in a similar way."

"Well, it makes you not scary to Nathaniel. I don't know what Voice thought of it."

Isabella nods.

It is now hug time. The time is now hug.

Some time later - a few days, long enough for word of the new Archangel-elect to spread among the angels but not enough for it to reach the general populace - the Eyrie receives a disgruntled visitor.

"Canaan of Semorrah," he says. "I've come to collect my son."

"Hmmm," says Charlie. "I'm not supposed to admit you to the Eyrie. Perhaps if your son decides to come out you can talk to him then."

"And why," he inquires, "are you not supposed to admit me to the Eyrie?"

"Archangel-elect says so," says Charlie promptly. And unhelpfully.

"I wasn't aware that one had been named," says Canaan. "And I don't believe he has the authority to prevent me from collecting my child."

"One has. She does," says Charlie mildly.

Canaan gives him a look of disbelieving contempt.

"Maybe you want to talk to her yourself?"

"That might be best," Canaan agrees.

"Hello," says Canaan, unimpressed. "I'm here for my son."

"You can't have them," repeats Isabella calmly.

"Why not," he snarls.

He scowls thunderously.

"I would say you're never going to see them again, but I suppose if you wait fourteen years you will be able to see my husband lead the Gloria with me, from a distance, if you appear at the Plain of Sharon at the correct time," Isabella says thoughtfully, "so that is not quite true. But certainly you will not have the opportunity to attempt to make them change their minds."

Isabella stands there quite calmly.

"...I see," he says finally.

"So, no, you cannot have my husband or my brother-in-law, and it would be best if you went home now," Isabella says.

He looks displeased!

Isabella looks serene!

"Is your host leader aware of your habit of kidnapping children?"

"Delilah knows that Nathaniel is here. And she knows," Isabella adds after a pause, "why."

He scowls some more.

"I recommend that you count yourself lucky that all I have chosen to do about this situation is remove Nathaniel from your home. It would have been only a little difficult to convince Delilah to have you undedicated and fined and publicly shamed for your behavior. I recommend that you go home, have no more children, and congratulate yourself on your narrow escape."

Isabella tilts her head. "It is not so common as it once was, but it is on the books, and I do not think the Archangel would gainsay Delilah - or I - if we decided it was called for."

"Don't worry, Isabella," Charlie mutters, maybe too low for Canaan to hear, but then again maybe not. "I'll personally make sure the baby'll have one satisfactory grandfather."

Isabella hugs her father and goes back into the Eyrie to find her husband.

Music rooms!

Oh, he loves it when she does that.

He turns and hugs her as soon as this one finishes.

Hugs. Hugs, hugs.

Then he doesn't have to. She set out to bar Canaan from entry. He has been successfully barred. There is no reason Micaiah has to hear a word more than he'd like to.