Mars + Venus:

Simone’s Notes:

For a valid reception of general absolution, the penitent must be contrite for all his mortal sins and have the resolution to confess at the next earliest opportunity each of those mortal sins that is forgiven in general absolution. Anyone receiving general absolution is also required to make a complete, individual confession to a priest as soon as possible before receiving general absolution again. A contemporary example of general absolution was the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, where general absolution was granted to all Catholics endangered by the incident. The French form absoute is used in English for the absolution in a prayer concluding the burial service

Derdra just couldn’t understand it. The nurse couldn’t sleep tonight. She stared up at the ceiling with so much on her mind. She knew what Edward had become. She wasn’t stupid about that at all. He was a monster. He was a cold-hearted murderer. The Fallen mark on his neck was living proof of what he had become. But yet, she still took him into her arms. He had once again come back for her “forgiveness.” There was something strange about their relationship. This wasn’t an ordinary love if it could be called that.. He seemed to see her as a goddess or a priestess. He had high respect for her as well. He never did try to control her at all. The alchemist always let her be free to date whomever she wanted. As long as the men treated her right, he didn’t interfere with the boys that flirted with Derdra. Edward never tried to hurt her at all. Even though he had admitted to killing strings of innocent women after he raped them and drank their blood, he was just so gentle to his beloved nurse. He even let her take control in the bedroom. But there was something that she didn’t understand about this whole situation.

The nurse looked down into her arms tonight. Edward was sound asleep up against her. He looked so peaceful sleeping there. It was just so hard to believe what a killing beast he had become. The only thing telling her otherwise was the Fallen mark on her neck. The nurse began to reflect on the nights he came to her in misery and desperation. It was always the same with her and him. Edward comes by her room, he taps on the window to come in, Derdra thinks it’s a bad idea, but does so anyway, he confesses his sins to her, she forgives him, he kisses or makes love to her after making a shield to protect her from himself, and he goes away into the night. That was always how their little cycle went. But tonight was a little different. Edward insisted on staying with her tonight.

“I really need you!” Edward insisted as he rolled over on top of her sweaty naked body after they had made love. “Just let me stay the night. No one will ever know!” She was a little hesitant, but she let him do so in the end. So now, here he was with her in bed sleeping soundly with in her arms.

Derdra lightly kissed him on the forehead. “Sweet dreams, Edward,” she whispered to him. The nurse sighed to herself quietly. Sure, Derdra did love Edward. But, he had gotten too disturbing for her taste. All of those confessions of his were just plain creepy. He wasn’t bragging about what he had done. It wasn’t a question about whether or not he meant that he was sorry when he told her such horrible sins. Edward was really sorry when he begged for her forgiveness. He was just so sincere about what he had done. All he just wanted was some after his violent sins. The alchemist never acted out on his violent impulses towards the nurse. He managed to keep them perfectly under control around her. She knew that too well. They both did. But it was just scary to think about when he wouldn’t be able to control himself and attack her out of the blue.

“I’m afraid I’ll end up killing you in the end,” Edward confessed to her tonight.

“I know,” Derdra whispered as she hugged him close to her chest near the window. “I know. I am scared too.” The alchemist looked deep into her sweet brown eyes.

“Derdra,” Ed said aloud to her. “If I give into my violent impulses with you, you have to promise that you will kill me!” The nurse looked at him in deep shock. She had never heard such a thing come out of his mouth before. He wasn’t joking either. He really meant it with his request. She could see it in his eyes. Edward just looked so desperate and helpless at her mercy. Derdra didn’t know what to say at that one. She didn’t even know if she could bring herself to kill him if the situation ever called for it. Edward kept staring deep into her eyes. The nurse then noticed something else strange about him. He was actually… crying. The incubus *actually* had tears in his eyes! Sure, she could see the black and red in his eyes, but the tears proved to be much stronger than all of the abuse and lust he felt in his heart. These weren’t fake tears either. Edward was really crying in misery for his sins. He really meant what he was begging her to do.

“Please!” he pleaded with her. “I’m begging you. I don’t want to end up killing you! I won’t be able to forgive myself if I do. So please say that you will kill me out of defense!” Derdra still couldn’t speak. She just held Edward to her chest again.

“Shhh!” she said whispered. “We’ll worry about that when we get to that point, okay?” Edward looked up at her with tears in his eyes and nodded. Derdra lightly kissed him on the forehead.

“It’ll be okay,” she said to him.

The nurse knew Edward too well now. He was just going to keep on with his violent sins. That was what always happened after he left her. It was always the same result with him after he received her forgiveness. It was tonight that Derdra realized the truth about her f**k buddy. He wasn’t really a monster. Edward was just sick and needed her to cure him of his illness. However, he didn’t seem to know how to help himself get cured. Thus, he always returning back to the nurse for the medicine. But yet, there was one thing she didn’t understand at all. She had ignored the question for quite some time now. Now however, the question had become too strong for her to ignore and it had to come out. It had become inevitable. Derdra just had to ask him or else she would go out of her mind without knowing the reason. “Edward,” she spoke up as he was falling asleep on her chest. “Why do you keep coming back to tell me all of your sins to me?”

The monster didn’t look up at her to answer at all. Instead, he just mumbled to her, “The best thing about life is knowing you put it all together. With you, I know I put it all together. You give me piece of mind. You won’t understand me at all, but one day you will see and understand.” Then he fell asleep on her chest. Derdra lightly ran her fingers through his long blonde hair. There was nothing to say to that response at all. She didn’t understand his answer at all. She didn’t really understand all of it at all. But, Derdra decided to be there for him. He needed her for his absolution to get into Heaven. Otherwise he would be a lost sheep in an eternal Hell forever in the blossoming Fallen World coming to all of them.