<strong>Nick Ramirez -- Ambrosia Restaurant, Downtown -- Having a perfectly civil dinner with Izuriel</strong><br/><br/>"Izzy," he smiled, and no one could smile like a demon.  Perfect white teeth gleamed at her.  "How can I miss you when we run into each other all the damn time?"<br/><br/>He smirked at her warning about smoking, but nevertheless, in deference to her wishes, removed the cylinder from his lips and snuffed it out.  In deference to the fact that he was Nick Ramirez, however, he blew a last cloud of smoke directly into her face, the tobacco-laced cloud dissipating in her dress, in her hair.<br/><br/>Nevertheless, it wasn't a malign gesture, just a coy one.  His beringed hand reached across the table to seek out hers.  He found it interesting--and highly amusing--that, out of all the possible appearances, all the forms and features they could have selected, she had picked an Asian body, and he a Hispanic one.  Was there something to that?  Probably not.  But then again, you never knew...<br/><br/>"I've always wondered why you were merely put on Probation while I and the others were banished to the lake of fire," he murmured, thoughtfully.  "After all, we were part of the same host.  Sent to the Earth to watch over His beloved men, to guard them and teach them.  Ah, perhaps He has plans for you yet?  The Ineffability of the Most High, and all that."<br/><br/>He smirked.  "While I, and Samyaza, and the others were cast out of Heaven.  And for what?  Did He not say Himself that he loved these men, these creations of His?  'For God so loved the world,' and all that?  And what did we do?  What was our crime? We fell in love with them, too.  I'm beginning to think that God is nothing but a jealous prick."<br/><br/>His eyes rolled skyward, just in case a bolt of vengeful lightning was going to spear out of the sky and strike him dead.  When it did not, he smiled.<br/><br/>"But that is here nor there, Izzy.  I asked you here to talk about a Truce."