"You look well," Amari said, as Anna put on her seatbelt. "Thanks, Ame, so do you," she replied, turning to face her. Amari had stayed largely the same, her hazel eyes taking in Anna's tired appearance, her short brown hair kept back by a crocheted headband. The silence stretched between them. "Been a while," Amari said. "Yeah, it has," Anna replied.

Silence.

"Okay, are you going to tell me anything, or are you going to pretend like we're strangers?" Amari asked, her face betraying her anger and concern.

Anna slumped back. "I don't know what to tell you, Ame. Things didn't work out with James."

"Yeah, I heard about that, your mother was so devastated," Amari said, looking at Anna square in the face. Anna had trouble maintaining eye contact while Amari spoke. "She went on and on about how she just tried to talk to you, and how helpful and loving James was, and how you turned them down and would rather get a *divorce* than to talk to your own mother. You know that's what she's been saying, right? Not just to the church, but to everyone you knew, know, and will know."

Anna swallowed, uncomfortable with what Amari was implying.

"Look, I know your mom was...controlling, but tell me - was it worth it? Was walking away worth it?" she asked.

Anna looked at Amari's face - her friend's face, someone she confided with for years, and then cast aside in a desperate attempt to find something new.

"Yes," she found herself saying, and was surprised to realise that she truly believed it - despite the loneliness and the isolation. "Yes, it was."

"Huh," Amari said, sitting back. "Well, I'm glad you found the courage to do what's right for you," she said. She looked out of the window for a few moments, before turning back, a smile on her face. "I mean it, Anna. I'm glad you're doing okay, even though you look like shit."

Anna smiled at that. "You too, Ame."

The rest of the drive to the Apostolic Palace was calm, but eventful. Anna and Amari talked the entire time - how Amari's family was doing (they're doing well, Aaron is in university now, can you believe it), how Amari was doing (the church was stretching her thin, but she continued to find pleasure in her work), how Anna's family was doing (her mom, and now James, are still active in the church, still loudly praying for Anna's return), and how Anna herself was doing (getting by, still working on her writing).

The conversation soon moved to politics, Amari being far more active and politically aware than Anna. Having been sequestered after university for so long, Anna didn't realise how much she had missed out on. She knew that there was a growing body of those discontent with the preachings of those who were possessed, especially those who had lost homes, limbs, and lives in collateral damage. The phrase, "they're in Heaven now," rings hollow when a son has lost their parents in a car crash after an angel blows out a portion of the highway, while committing their angelic deeds.

As they got closer to the Palace, she saw graffitti on the walls, with the letters 'PAP' scrawled in various sizes. "What's PAP?" she asked. "People against Angelic Posession," Amari replied. "They've been getting really popular, lately. Apparently, the newest angelic possession wiped out half a mile in a village in Italy, and a lot of people - innocent people - lost their lives," she said, her face somber. She looked...upset. Like it was her fault, somehow. "Wouldn't that make it PAAP?" Anna replied, trying to keep the tone light in the car. "Yeah, but Pap sounds better," Amari said, looking out of the window.

The rest of the drive was silent - Amari was lost in her own thoughts, and Anna couldn't think of a tactful way of asking her about these groups.

The last few hundred meters to the palace was bursting with people - a large crowd was marching on the streets, many holding signs with phrases like: "Compensate the innocent", "rebuild Italy", and "I got possessed and all I got was this stupid sign". She was surprised to see other 'blessed' people within the crowd as well, demanding better compensation for innocent people caught in the cross-fire. Amari scooted closer to her. "Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Jake didn't get invited for this hoo-ha, since he joined one of the groups a few weeks ago." Anna stared at her, slack-jawed. "Which group?" she asked. Amari shrugged. "One of the Pap-like groups - their demands are so similar, but they're splintered for some reason. Honestly, that's why they're not as effective - you can't have multiple groups demanding different versions of the same thing, then no one gets anything," she said.

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Anna felt uncomfortable. She felt bad for not knowing what her friends were up to, or what they chose to believe in, and felt bad that they didn't think to include her, too. They never spoke about what they truly valued, after all - and Anna chose to walk away, as best she could for as long as she coud. Meanwhile, the driver said nothing, remaining a stoic professional to the end.

"Could I talk to Jake, after this?" Anna asked. Amari looked surprised. "He's difficult to get a hold of now, but we can try," she said. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I just realised I have missed out on a lot of things going on, and it would be nice to catch up," Anna replied. Amari frowned, and Anna knew she didn't do a good job. It was annoying, her lack of ability to bullshit, but hopefully Amari wouldn't press on this.

"What do you want to know, exactly? I can catch you up -" "We've arrived," the driver announced, pulling up to the gates. "Someone will guide you to the dining hall, ladies," he said, turning around to face them both. He smiled, a deadpan expression where nothing moved except his lips. "I hope you have a wonderful time here at the Apostolic Palace," he said.

A guide brought the two of them to the papal apartments - the group was small enough that a private dinner with the Pope could be arranged, in his private library. Amari and Anna joined the group of a few others, most of whom they did not know. The group was small; including the two of them, there were 6 people in total. An older woman, with frizzy hair and dark skin, and a sour look on her face; a middle-aged man with kind eyes and a tired face; and twin boys from Southeast Asia, who looked little older than 18, their faces still pudgy with baby fat, though they were tall and muscular.

The group was eclectic - the only common thread was that they were, at some point in their lives, vassals for angelic presences; apart from that, nothing tied them together. Not their history, country of origin, age, or gender, and though they were intimately aware of the challenges the others had faced as vassals, they were wary of each other, unsure of how to break the ice.

The dark-skinned older woman turned to Anna. "So, how old were you when it happened?" she asked. Anna was startled; very few people asked such a direct question upon meeting her. "Uh, when I was 12," she replied. "My name's Anna, by the way," she added, hoping to sound sincere and not snarky, but by Amari's smirk, she guessed it was the latter. "i'm Amari," Amari said, sticking her hand out to the other woman. The woman looked at her, but didn't move. "And you?" she asked, looking at Amari. "How old were you?"

"And what would your name be?" Amari replied. "That's how a conversation usually goes, when one person introduces themselves," she said. The other woman simply stared, and the others said nothing, unwilling to break the tension. They were clearly too intimidated by her. Amari refused to bend. "Why don't you go first?"

The silence was thick, and minutes passed before the other woman blinked. "I was 33," she said, her voice flat. "I was 15," Amari replied.

"I see," the woman replied. "I am the oldest one here, it seems."

This wasn't surprising, to Anna or the others. Most people were chosen to be vassals when they were younger, or in their peak physical prime. The ideal vassal is young enough for the body to be strong and flexible, and makes recovery much easier; there were very few who were possessed after the age of 30. Anna was surprised to see the other woman looked relatively untouched; she had no visible scars, limps, or other permanent injuries. She was one of the lucky ones.

She finally stuck her hand out to Amari. "My name is Aisha, by the way. I apologise for my earlier questions, but I find that one's response provides far more insights into their character than a simple introduction." Amari shook her hand, and so did Anna. "Don't worry about it," Amari replied.

The middle-aged man introduced himself as Ralfie, originally Raphael, though he grew up in the UK and preferred Ralfie instead. The twin boys were named Ichiro and Kai, and they were shy, unwilling to offer much more information. They spoke amongst themselves, quietly and quickly, and looked like they wanted to get this over with. Anna understood that - how many things was she forced into by her mom, when all she wanted was a quiet day at home?

Aisha and Amari managed to strike up a conversation, about the group of protesters outside. Anna stood near Ralfie, discussing innocent topics like the weather, and Ralfie's family back in the UK. Ralfie seemed like he had a stable life; he held a stable administrative job in Manchester, and seemed content enough with the cards he had been dealt. He and Anna spoke at length about the differences in evangelism in the southern US versus England, and Anna was happy to know that Ralfie wasn't sucked into the tedium of constant seminars and speeches, where words would eventually lose all meaning, and Anna felt little more than a puppet. They were standing outside for a while, and when the half-hour mark passed, the doors opened and a nuncio greeted them. "Apologies for the delay, everyone," he said. "There was a slight snafu this morning, but not to worry - everything has been resolved. Won't you come in?"