Nearly four thousand years prior to 2012, Des was Derog, the son of a Celtic chieftain in what would one day be known as Wales. After a confrontation with his father about whether to meet invading Romans head-on, instead of migrating, he was cast out. After wandering for some time on his own, he felt compelled to return and make amends, only to find that his father's arrogance had brought the wrath of the Romans down on the entire village. While he was gone, every one of them had been slaughtered. Heartbroken, he performed funeral rites, and, realizing that being alone with Romans so thick on the ground would lead to him being killed or enslaved anyway, he decided to end his life on his own terms.

His suicide attempt was thwarted, however, by the presence of what his pagan mind assumed was a goddess with blonde hair. She cursed him with immortality, vowing that he would never die until he found something "worth dying for." And for the next four thousand years, he would be in agony, attempting to find a way to break the curse, growing more jaded and broken as time went on.

In 2012, while attempting to track down the Lazarus Talisman, an artifact he believed might be either a clue to undoing his curse or an item he needed to destroy, he met Eterna Jade, a woman caught up in the whole mess, and became her pseudo-bodyguard and protector while working alongside the Knights of the Silver Dragon. He and Jade's relationship became more intimate over the several months they were together, eventually leading to Des promising to stay with her when things began to settle down. Unfortunately, in July of 2013, Jade was killed during a concert, shot on accident by Rafael Giovanni, her former lover. Des was emotionally devastated by the event, having loved Jade deeply enough that he might have been able to break his curse, and set to do everything in his power to protect Rafael as a final request to her, and, hopefully, find a way to die so he can have peace.

After Rafael was released from prison, the two were confronted by Alexander Anderson, who gloated about Rafael's impending trial for the murder of Jade- Des, knowing that if Rafael were to be proven innocent that Iscariot would simply come after him again, cut a deal. If Rafael were let off, then Iscariot would have to leave him alone, but if he were convicted, then Des would offer himself to them, claiming that a man that can't die would be a sweet addition to the pot. The terms were agreed upon, and everyone began to work towards getting Rafael's innocence proven.

During some downtime, Des and Buffy, worried about Rafael, track him down to a bridge where he was prepared to end his own life. While Buffy coaxes him down, Des is, once again, brought face to face with the "goddess" who cursed him, who taunted him about the familiarity of the situation, and pointed out that he still doesn't understand anything, before warning him that he would see her again. Afterwards, three mysterious men all calling themselves Mr. Gray arrive, offering Rafael a deal and claiming that Des has been set up to be a pawn. One of them bestows on him the Sight, so he can "see through any illusions his enemies might spin around him." Des is less than pleased. He's even less pleased when they admit to knowing who his "goddess" is but won't reveal her identity, only saying she is no goddess, but a much more powerful being.

After learning how dangerous Iscariot really is, Des takes the matter seriously and begins trying to get more information. During his investigation, he is met by his not-a-goddess whom he dubs "Linda." She explains that there's more to the situation that he understands, and while he pigheadedly dodges her advances and her explanations, she points out that being willingly ignorant is a path to assured destruction. She also gives him her name- Azrael. Though Des rejects her and her suggestions, he's unable to deny that what she says makes sense.

In November 2013, Rafael's trial is in full swing, and Des, having cut a deal with Rafael's lawyer, lies on the stand and claims Jade was the true perpetrator of all of Rafael's crimes and that shooting her during the concert was a crime of passion made by someone not in his right mind. After giving his testimony, he leaves the courtroom, where he encounters Azrael again. Azrael points out Des's morally ambiguous nature and explains that he will never be able to be the sort of hero the team and the people who have their sights set on him want him to be. She offers him a chance at understanding the "most powerful lie of all time" that his life has been woven into, and not knowing what else to do, he agrees to go with her, so he can understand.

Azrael takes him to a roof over the city, where he's introduced to Lucifer, and the three of them go on a guided tour of the history of the universe. During all of this, Des learns a lot of unfortunate things, like Azrael's own history (and that "she" is really Brad Pitt) as an Archangel and how he fell in love with a human woman- Lilia- and all manner of things that start to humanize him in Des's eyes. As the story goes on, Des learns that the curse Azrael placed on him was ripped from his hands by Heaven, and that the act of cursing him was the final straw in getting him kicked out (Azrael goes as far as to admit that he would do it again). By the time, the story has finished, Des has committed to the Hell dogma, and has become an ally to the devils.

Azrael then takes Des on a tour of Hell, where Des proceeds to make friends and influence people, parading himself around as untouchable, and getting his ego fed by how everyone seems to know who he is. Along the way, Azrael shows a certain comfortable friendliness towards him, giving him advice, and even opening up to him a little bit about how he was betrayed by his previous consort. Once they arrive at the Seventh Hell, Azrael reveals that it's the Hell that suicides go to, prompting Des to realize that this would have been his Hell had he ever managed to die before now. The Lord of Maladomini, Triel, taunts Des, making observations about Azrael taking what belongs to him. Des gets angry enough to try and lash out and Triel... puts him in his place. Azrael heals him and carries him to their next location- his own Hell Cania, in a much more somber mood.

While in Cania, Des meets Antilia, Azrael's bard, who shows him around, and Des coaxes her into a dance. As they talk, Des realizes she's the spitting image of Lilia and inquires about her at Azrael later, who admits she's his daughter and all he has left of his first love. Afterwards, Des sleeps off the revelations of the last several hours, and he and Azrael make the trek to Nessus, where Des meets Lucifer's court, and then sees the Soul Fields where the souls are made worthy for Heaven. Afterwards, Des agrees to serve Lucifer and a ceremony and party are prepared in his honor. At the party, Des gets drunk and schmoozes with the denizens of Hell, though Az manages to drag him away. While out on the balcony getting some fresh air, Des drunkenly calls Az a "marshmallow" and confesses that he's worried about people attempting to hurt him by going through Des, himself, having developed genuine feelings for him over the course of their trip. He confesses that he "gets it now- it's always been you and me." Azrael sobers him up and sends him out to say goodbye to Antilia before they return to Earth. 

While talking to Antilia, she urges Des not to let things get too far with Iscariot, because they have the ability to kill angels. Leaving him with that thought, he meets up with Triel again and tries to get all their cards laid out on the table, and Triel tells him more about Baalphegor, Azrael's traitorous former consort. This attempt to try and outplay Triel leads to him conning Des into a deal that will help him deal with Iscariot when the time comes in exchange for the Mind Master. Des agrees and then as soon as he leaves the conversation realizes he's made a huge mistake, and confesses to Azrael. Des admits his shortcomings and tries to get Azrael to understand that he is prone to screwing up, which Azrael accepts willingly and the two embrace. And Des returns to Earth, knowing that Az has forgiven him something major with barely any fight over it.

And then walks right into a hotel room where he promptly gets his ass kicked by half of his friends for his stunt at the trial, with very little mercy or forgiveness.

A few days later, Des visits Rafael to literally try and save his soul. Afterwards, he is visited by one of the Grays (the archangel Raphael) and another angel Zerachiel, who give him the rundown on how fucked up his life choices are and how badly Azrael is going to fuck up his life. This is enough to make Des anxious enough that he shatters a bottle of whiskey, and takes a trip to Hell, using the seal that Azrael placed on his palm that allows him to enter Club Faust. He runs into Azrael and explains the situation, claiming that it's "lonely on the other side of the curtain" and that alienating some of his friends and all this knowledge he now has that he can't talk about has made everything difficult. He agrees to take a vacation for a few days in Cania, and while in the elevator he and Azrael play a really intense game of make-out chicken. 

Des sets up a strip poker game for the Canians and a few other visitors that goes well and provides him with some much needed relief. Afterwards, while heading to bed, Des and Az have an extremely intimate conversation where Des almost confesses how deeply connected he feels to Azrael, but decides against it.

Des and Azrael continue to see each other off and on throughout the next several months, all the way through Rafael being acquitted. The day of the opening of Burt's new club sometime in 2014, while Des is staying at his own apartment in New York, Azrael pays him a visit and gives him his car back, which had been destroyed the year previously. The two of them chill out for awhile and Des meanders around his own feelings by having a waffle conversation about Buffy and Rafael. He invites Azrael to come to the opening of the club as his guest, knowing that because everyone believes "Azrael" to be a woman, he can get away with pretending to be an old friend.

At the club, Azrael does, indeed, show up as "Zared Lorel." Des introduces him around, and Az goes off to dance with Elena, leaving Des, still struggling with his feelings to throw back drinks and try to deal with his own emotions and jealousy at Elena's openness to give into new experiences, feeling Azrael deserves someone who isn't so hung up on things. He drunkenly drags Az away after Elena has a run-in with Archer and a hooker, and the two of them share a private moment. Des finally, while drunk, decides he's kept Azrael waiting long enough and kisses him, promising to meet him later when he's sobered up, though mentioning that the kiss might have "shortened his lifespan." The moment turns out to not be so private as Finnick witnesses the kiss and eventually everyone knows about it.

After an encounter with Sehanine and seeing Jade again, both Des and Rafael receive some closure with their relationships with her, and Des retreats to the roof to have another conversation with Azrael. Des confesses his fears of losing someone else so soon after Jade, and Azrael assuages those fears by assuring him that he'll always be with him. They agree to see one another again, once Des has dealt with what he needs to do, and Azrael leaves him feeling sexually frustrated as a reminder that he best get done with it quickly.

After dealing with Keijen Blade's shenanigans, Des goes to Cania and he and Azrael have sex. It's fucking great.And also emotionally beautiful. It is a physical and emotional consummation. They spend a week togeher being all fucking gross in Cania.... Which is a grand total of fifteen minutes in Earth time. Once Des has to leave, the two of them go for a ride in his newly restored Corvette, and continue to be fucking gross and adorable. 

After some time in England with the Knights, Des and Azrael go to Club Faust, and after a lot of HOT SEX, he finally makes his first public appearance in Cania since he and Az started banging. He steals away with Antilia to get her blessing for banging her dad, and then the happy Canians decide to hold a brunch in Cania for some other devils and members of their court. An actual fucking brunch. Des schmoozes with people for awhile, and everyone has a great time, but Des is unable to shake the dark gloom that is Baalphegor hanging over the proceedings and pulls Azrael away to talk about her. Azrael tells him more about the situation and gives him some hope about not being anything like her, and the two return to the party.

Sometime later, Des and Buffy go on a demon hunt in England, where they are met by assassin demons. After they defeat them, Alucard appears and proposes that they were sent by someone, indicating that someone in Hell was intentionally trying to harm Des or Buffy. Azrael appears to Des at the castle (in lady form)  to discuss the attack and explains that it wasn't an assassination attempt, but rather someone in Hell trying to out Des in front of Buffy. She also tells him that Alucard is Lucifer's son. And then they have really wild sex.

After several months in the castle faced with both boredom and a lot of loneliness due to having a giant gaping void he can't cross with the rest of the team, Des goes for a drive and ends up in an empty field where he calls up Azrael. The two of them talk about Des's newfound honesty with his feelings in regards to his earthbound friends, even if he's being massively dishonest in other ways, and discuss the fact that Vi has insisted that "Zarad" comes to her wedding so she can meet him. After some intense necking, they decide to go for a drive in Des's horrible El Camino, though Az offers up his own ride instead. It is a great car. It is a sexy car. And Des is very happy to drive it and get amazing road head while doing so. 

Des and Azrael have another meeting on earth during a surprise London rainstorm (which is always connected, in Des's mind, to Jade being sad). Azrael admits that there's something going on that he can't speak about yet, and expresses concern about it causing Des to resent him when it comes out. Des assuages his worries and they make out in the rain in the back of the El Camino.

During Elena's knighting ceremony at the castle, a series of dramatic revelations occur, regarding the Doppelganger Kyp, who kidnapped Spike and Myri months earlier and sent them to Andres Isle to be tortured by Dimitris Sarandis. The two kidnapped knights and Jack Chessing crashed the party and called Kyp out, forcing him to reveal himself, and after a dramatic confrontation, Des storms out of the castle to visit Cania and quietly have a breakdown about failing to protect Myri and for putting her on the plane that allowed her to be taken, though he makes it clear to Azrael he isn't mad at him for withholding information, because he has to, and it's not fair to blame him for that. They discuss Des's complicated relationship with his friends on Earth, and then get really possessive and sexy. 

On the evening of June 6th, 2014, Violet Fiore and Luthir Reedhym get married, and Azrael (as "Zarad") attends as Des's date, much to the shock and delight of strangers and Des's friends, respectively. Vi gets a dance. Des and Azrael also get a gross and disgusting public display of affection, which is crashed by Spike and a game of gay chicken. "Zarad" also does some mingling with the locals, and gets to tell everyone how much he loves Des. Very publicly. With song cues. Buffy even gets a nat 20 on an archdevil about that. Vi and Myri also utterly fail to get "Zarad" to admit to his race. With the wedding winding down, Des and Azrael sneak off for some post-wedding sex and great pillow talk, because Azrael is a poet who can say things like "i was only imagining you pounding into me" and then quote Scripture ten tags later.

And then June 7th happens... Or 8th... Honestly, timezones are fucking weird, but it was June 7th when the Event Occurred. After being picked up at the hotel he and Azrael stayed at the night before by Buffy and Rafael, they are gassed and abducted to Rome, Italy by Anderson, who was tasked to bring them to the Vatican- Rafael and Buffy to be executed by the head of Iscariot, Enrico Maxwell, and Des to be tortured and brainwashed into an Iscariot tool. Des rightly freaks the FUCK out about this, knowing that Azrael will come and fetch him and might possibly be led into a trap since Anderson knows about his mark and his connection to Hell, WHICH IS REALLY CREEPY. Anderson manages to intimidate a sardonic confession out of Des re: his allegiance to Hell, but Buffy and Rafael miss the point. But, to be fair, everyone's kinda fucked up in this limo. They arrive at the Vatican, and Des is taken to the basement by Anderson. After failing to escape using his seal (because Des is an idiot), Azrael arrives (in lady form) sometime later having made ice sculptures out every Iscariot agent standing between her and Des. Des becomes desperate, especially when their hasty retreat is interrupted by an army of Iscariot angel-killers. Des makes a heroic stand before what he imagines will be both of their deaths as they try to fight their way out, but Triel intervenes by SOMEHOW HACKING DES'S BRAIN (????) and coaxing him into taking the deal he offered him ages ago. Des, not knowing what else to do, takes the deal and in an explosion of shit, Azrael is teleported away, the angel killers are dispatched, and he's allowed to flee to where Maxwell is tormenting Rafael and Buffy and help rescue them alongside Vittorio, Rafael's former friend that he killed once (I'm not writing the Buffael love story here- you can carry the baggage about that over there, thank you). 

Vittorio takes them to a church to recuperate from the ordeal, and Des tries to reach out to Buffy, but Azrael appears, makes some cryptic statements that, at least, makes Des believe for a hot second he isn't going to get broken up with because of what he did, and also solidly throws Buffy off the hell trail again. Best liar team...

Once Buffy, Des, and Rafael arrive at a hotel in Venice, following a lead Vittorio gave Rafael, Des contacts Azrael, and they have their very first couple fight about the ordeal. After chiding him in not having enough faith and turning to Triel, Azrael forgives him, claiming that his words in the basement had meant a great deal and that his actions came from a place of love and compassion. And then they have sex.

After arriving back in England, Des's exceedingly bad week gets worse when he learns that Dean Winchester (former Prospect) is staying in the castle as part of an ongoing investigation to find Elena (who freed Doppelganger Kyp and ran off after Vi's wedding), and with Dean's raging hateboner for Hell, things have suddenly gone from bad to worse. So Des does what he always does when he's stressed- he calls his boo. They talk shit about how insecure Heaven is and then they go and have an actual fucking sushi date like LOSERS.

Since Buffy has been on Des's ass since they left Italy about Azrael, Des finally snaps and tries to reach out the angels to find out what they've been telling her. He reaches Archangel Michael, and the two of them have an extremely volatile conversation that ends with Michael revealing that Des's curse broke while he and Azrael were trapped in the Vatican- meaning that Azrael broke the curse himself. Des is now mortal and his only options are to continue on as he is and be sent to Hell to be tormented by Triel when he dies, forsake Azrael and attempt to lead a life that would lead him into Heaven alongside Buffy and the others, or choose Hell fully and become a fiend. Des, faced with his own mortality, and the uncertainty of what he really wants is left broken, only to be comforted by Azrael who promises to make sure he isn't pressured into making a decision. 

Things become even more difficult for Des over the coming days, knowing that the Knights will be going to war with Dimitris Sarandis and that he will be going into that danger mortal for the first time in ages. With no one to turn to and feeling more and more vulnerable, Des spends as much time as he can with Azrael, and in a moment of weaknesses, discusses the prospect of becoming a fiend with him. After an intensely emotional conversation, Des promises that in a year he will commit to being a fiend- he just needs to get his affairs on Earth in order. And then Des makes the mistake of telling Azrael to rock him like a hurricane while he's a fragile mortal, and it's very painful for him later.

As time passes, Des's mounting stress causes him to put his foot in his mouth even more than usual and alienate people with increasing regularity, though, in his defense, everyone is being really, really dickish about this mortality thing. He says a little prayer to Azrael, and the two have a nice little stitch and bitch session, while Azrael, like a good boyfriend, assuages some of Des's insecurity. BECAUSE THEY ARE PERFECT.

During a mission to Andres on invitation by Dimitris Sarandis, Des sneaks away from the group to talk to Azrael, because this is apparently what he fucking does whenever he has a problem. I'm sensing a pattern here. They talk war stuff, and then HAVE SEX IN THE HALL. AZ ALMOST BREAKS THE FUCKING GLACIER. And then Des sits in on a meeting with some devils and princesses and gets to be a Real Hell Ally for a hot minute. Fierna is also really bad at mind games. Suck it, Fi.

As the war on Andres looms ever closer, Des finally confides in someone about his secret, in an act of desperation that will surely not bite him on the ass later. At least it makes him feel better for a hot minute. And then a few hours before heading out to Andres to GO TO WAR, he goes to Cania ONE MORE TIME... Mostly to lay it out there that he's a scared little girl going into war for the first time while mortal, and he's scared of being Az's undoing. Lord, they're gross. But once the fight is over, they have a great reunion, because NO ONE DIED.

Des is surprised by Elena, who needs someone to talk to about what's been happening with her over the last few months. Heartened by her story, Des explains his own to her, and finds that the two of them understand each other. Azrael appears and gives Elena a proper introduction, and she makes a deal with him to bring the currently deceased Doppelganger Kyp back to life. While she and Kyp get erm reacquainted.... Des and Az run off to Club Faust to discuss what just happened. Az shows Des the Complete History of Kyplena and encourages him to give Elena space and allow her to become a strong ally. This will be important later. Later, Des confides in her about how his curse broke. Somewhere in here, Az and Des take Elena out on the town.

GUESS WHAT DES CALLS AZ AGAIN AFTER HE HAS A PROBLEM. And then they go to the opera. Later on, Des and Azrael go demon hunting so Des can practice using his Sight and learn how to kill demons effectively, AND AZ MURDERS THE SHIT OUT OF A DEMON, and it's really hot. Guess what happens next. 


It is decided that Des should celebrate his first mortal birthday in thousands of years with two people he cares about, so naturally he, "Zarad," and Helen Magnus, who expressed some romantic interest in Des during Myri and Finnick's wedding, have a hot threesome. Afterwards, Des feels guilty about essentially tricking someone into a threesome with a fucking archdevil and confesses to her. She's pretty chill with it. This will not bite her or anyone else on the ass later.

Not long after those threesome adventures occur, Des decides to give in to a human indulgence and asks Azrael to marry him. Their ceremony is witnessed by a sleeping dragon, and afterwards Azrael gives Des a more thorough tour around Cania. He and Azrael inform Elena of their marriage and take her to Club Faust.

During the Grammy's in early 2015, Buffy and Spike are attacked by Alexander Anderson, and Des and Isabella come in at the tail end of the fight. Though Anderson is defeated, Des is haunted by his own inability to contribute to the fight, and after decapitating the dead priest, claims one of his holy blades as his own. By the time the smoke clears on the whole affair, Des, once again, finds himself retreating to Azrael, where he confesses that he's ready to become a fiend and stay in Hell- that life full-time on Earth is doing him no favors and he knows where he belongs now. They travel to Nessus to complete the ritual, using Anderson's bayonet as part of it, so it can be desecrated. When the ritual is over, Des is a fiend with dark blue feathered wings. He's actually pretty giddy about it. Later, Azrael gives him flying lessons and introduces him to his army. At some point in all these years of Hell time, he decides to become a Paladin.

Since Des wasn't the only one who took the ordeal at the Grammy's and what came after as a personal insult, Elena calls them to her so she can start taking some hits off devil blood, because the first thing you should do when you become consort to an archdevil is convince your impressionable human friends to start doing drugs. And then they take Elena to a beach party. 

Some nebulous time in 2015, because I have given up trying to commit to this timeline especially since it's a ton of years in hell time now, Elena agrees to join up with Hell and hears The Story from Lucifer and Azrael, and then Az and Des take her on a roadtrip through Hell. Afterwards, Elena settles in as a fiend in Cania, up until she decides to start courting Lucifer, which Des and Azrael HIGHLY SUPPORT.

Later on that year, Dimitris Sarandis attacks the castle while Des and Elena are both visiting. While en route to protect Lazarus, Des is waylaid by a demon that he tries to fight and ultimately has to planeshift into Hell. When he finally gets away from it, he arrives to a bloodbath in the library where the Mind Master just nearly murdered the fuck out of some people and Elena is missing. The Mind Master kills Lazarus, Des prevents Vi from being killed, and when they return to the library, Buffy arrives with Raphael who Des engages in a pissing contest with, leading to a very enlightening conversation. Or at least a civil one, anyway. Des returns to Cania where he is almost immediately summoned to Nessus at the behest Lucifer. He is verbally bitchslapped by Elena for withholding information about the Mind Master from her and basically put in his place for being a fucking idiot loser, to which he returns to Cania with his tail between his legs, and gives Azrael permission to start exerting some control over him, as both an act of trust and an act of necessity. 

Az and Des attend Elena's coronation and pay their respects to her. Des gets punched by Sam. Azrael is a very patient husband. And so on and so forth.

In other news, Des is a dork who celebrates his first anniversary of becoming a fiend.

Des and Elena begin to start mending their bridges after the mission to disrupt Sarandis's wedding, and sometime later Elena confesses the truth to Myri, while Des and Azrael look on and discuss the changes coming, making it very clear where their loyalties lie. This becomes even more clear when Des and Azrael learn from Helen that Dean and Rose are well aware of Des's allegiance to Hell. Elena and Lucifer are summoned to Cania so the four of them can discuss this and what's to be done.

Things don't quite go as planned, however, and Des and Elena are forced to go to Wynn to reveal themselves and their plans right before the team is expected to be shipped out to a concert as requested by Keijen Blade. Following this, they reveal the truth to the entire team, and they all awkwardly go to the concert together wherein shit gets super real, and because Dean is there, Azrael and Lucifer couldn't see any of it. Elena and Des return home safe but shellshocked. Des and Azrael have a tender moment back home, and Des and Elena later reconcile fully, clearing the air of any misconceptions between the two of them. For now, the two power couples of Hell are united again.

In the following years in Cania, Des has a conversation with Eslevor about the nature of consorts and their Devils, and calls back the song she played back before he realized he and Azrael could even possibly be a thing. He doesn't even get insecure once. He and Azrael also have a dorky conversation about divine inspiration, followed by a conversation about Lilia and the potential of them getting a kid.