fandomtownies | Our Lady of Fandom, Monday all day

After the whole getting-attacked-by-a-demon thing, Sam had been a little apprehensive about going back into the church. But he had some free time after being in the library, and it really had been too long since he'd gone in and properly prayed. So, he made his way to the church, and went to the area with the candles, lighting one for his mother before kneeling down and starting to murmur a Hail Mary.

Gabriel had been lying on his back on one of the pews, lost in thought. Now he heard the murmuring of a prayer and he sat up, staring at the boy in front of the candlelit altar.

Sam was lost enough in his thoughts that he didn't notice that anyone else was in the church, and continued with his prayers, English blending into Latin when he switched to the Our Father.

Gabriel cleared this throat. "You really think He listens?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Sam turned around, appropriately startled, and gave the other man a skeptical look. "No, I'm just talking to myself here because I think it's fun," he said sarcastically. "Of course He listens."

"And he replies a lot, does he?" Gabriel replied, looking even more amused.

"He does to some people," Sam said uneasily.

"Oh, and who might they be?" Gabriel leaned back in the pew.

Sam couldn't help but scowl a little. "The faithful. He doesn't answer out loud or anything, but if you pray and really believe, the answer will come in whether or not you get what you're asking for."

It was so naive and almost endearing, if it wasn't for the the fact Gabriel didn't like humans. He chuckled to himself. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, really," Sam insisted stubbornly. "Whenever my dad and my brother travel, I pray that they come back safely, and they do." At least, they always came back alive, which was what mattered to him the most. "Whenever they get hurt or sick, I pray that they get better, and they do. Do you think God doesn't listen to you?" he asked.

Gabriel shrugged. "He's been quiet lately," he replied. "And your family's safety isn't the reulst of their own actions?" As if God would bother with them.

"Maybe," Sam admitted, sounding a little uneasy again. "But I'd like to think that I'm helping. I mean, I can't imagine that God exists but doesn't bother listening to anyone."

"Sam, Sam." Gabriel shook his head. "You don't think he has better things to worry about than your family's health?"

"I think he can worry about--" And that would be when Sam backed up a little. "How did you know my name?"

"Just an old habit," Gabriel replied. "You come here often to pray?"

"I...sometimes. I haven't been here in a while, 'cause of a thing that happened with the nun that used to live here. But...I like to come as often as I can."

"A nun used to live here? So I guess I was lucky she'd moved out. Nuns can be so annoying." Gabriel laughed. "So you have faith, have you?"

"You say that like faith is a bad thing," Sam said, glaring. "I don't suppose you have a name? Since you know mine and all."

The glaring was amusing. "I'm Gabriel," he replied. "And faith... No, it's not a bad thing. Just... misinformed."

Sam scoffed. "With a name like Gabriel, you should have more faith than I do. And I'm not misinformed."

"I should?" Gabriel obviously found that highly amusing. "Or maybe I'm just better informed."

"What makes you think you're better informed?" Sam asked, feeling genuinely curious and trying not to get too weirded out.

Gabriel leaned forward. "Because I know Him. He used to speak to me. Loved us most, before your kind came along. And now, because of that, you're like little children, thinking daddy cares about all your little woes," he hissed.

Sam's eyes widened a little. "Loved you before my kind..." He trailed off, staring. "You're not an angel, are you?" That would certainly explain how he knew Sam's name, but Sam didn't know if Fandom could be that weird.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Depends on your definition," he said. He'd been one until about two weeks ago after all.

"Uh, someone who...you know, works for God?" Sam said. "And can know people's names before they introduce themselves?"

"Work for, well, that's tricky." Despite being a little naive, the human wasn stupid, after all, so Gabriel shrugged. "Yea, yeah, I admit I'm that Gabriel."

If anything, that made Sam stare more. "You...seriously? What are you doing here? Am...am I allowed to ask?"

At least he had the decency to ask. "Can't tell you that, kid." Because he didn't know, but he wasn't going to tell him that. "But I'm stuck for now. In human form." Best to mention that or he might get asked about the wings.

"Oh, wow. Um, I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "Are you staying here now? In the church?"

"Yeah, well, it was empty apart from squirrels," Gabriel replied. "You're one of the students at the school?" The kid seemed to be of the right age for that.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, my whole family's at the school. My brother and I are students and my dad's a teacher."

"And they share your trust in God?" Gabriel asked, suddenly a little worried that a whole family should show up in the church. Private worship was a lot easier to deal with.

"No," Sam said, shaking his head. "I think my dad lost a lot of his trust years ago, and I don't think Dean has much faith at all."

Silently relieved, Gabriel gave a nod. "So what made you different from them?" He did find that intriguing; how some humans lost their faith due to certain experiences and other clung to theirs while epxeriencing the same thing. Still, who would expect them to be logical.

"Well, I think part of it is that they lost a lot of their faith when my mom died. I was just a baby when that happened, so it didn't hit me as hard," Sam explained. "They look at the world like...because there's so much evil, then there can't be anything like God. But I look at it like you can't have one without the other. And maybe if I try hard, I can believe enough for all three of us."

Yes, not stupid, this one. No point in telling him that though. Monkeys were so prone to hubris. "Still doesn't answer the question about whether God cares about the petty things that makes up most lives though. Good is a principle, needing to be put into action, but while you might consider things important He has quite a different perspective, don't you think?"

Sam had to admit, that did make some kind of sense. "I guess you have a point there," he said. "And I'm sure I'm not the only one who asks for those kinds of things."

That actually made Gabriel smile, but not in a very friendly way. "Hardly," he said.

"I shouldn't stop praying altogether though, should I?" Sam asked. "Or should I do something different or...?"

Gabriel waved a hand. "Keep doing it if you feel like it. I'm sure God turns a deaf ear if He's not interested." After all that was what He'd done to Gabriel for quite a long time now.

That certainly wasn't the answer Sam had been expecting, and he looked back at the candles to try to hide his disappointment. "Oh. Okay, uh. Thanks," he said. If that was the case, he was just going to have to make sure God wanted to listen to him.

"Good boy," Gabriel replied. "And don't believe what other angels around here might have to say on the matter."

After her earlier conversation with the admiral, and contemplating the upcoming operation, Laura decided that offering up a few prayers to the Gods might not be out of order. Approaching the altar, she kneeled and withdrew a small slip of paper. She watched as the flame from a candle leapt and began consuming the written prayer. Her lips moved in whispered accompanyment.

"Ares and Artemis, hear my prayers. The day approaches when we'll need your guidance and your favor... To Aphrodite and Athena, I thank you for your blessings and ask that you grant me the wisdom to know what to do next. And Hermes, please offer him protection as he travels. Watch over your people; keep them safe.

"Through my patron, Hera, I offer these prayers, and this small sacrifice."

The slip of paper reduced to ash, and Laura watched as the gray matter fell onto the small tray, designed to collect the mess. A light smile tugged at her lips as she whispered, "So say we all."

Gabriel looked up. He hadn't heard those names in a long time.

[*Kicks timezones*]

Rising, Laura lowered the scarf that had been covering her head, wearing it draped around her neck. She gave a taut smile to the ~~creepy~~ unusual looking man seated in one of the pews. Something about him set her on edge, though she couldn't be sure what, exactly, it was. His piercing gaze was a good start. ~~And the fact that he's played by Christopher Walken probably didn't help.~~

[Yes, timezones do suck. But that's what SP is for. =) ]

Gabriel repeated his thoughts out loud, while smiling cooly. "I haven't heard those names in a long time. Come here often? It's interesting, worship seems to be a very private affair around here."

Our Lady of Fandom, Monday all day

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject