Our Lady of Fandom, Monday all day

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

Sunday had been quiet in the church, mostly. At least no services - a proper day of rest. Of course, Gabriel had been to that party, which had been a source of free food and some moderatly interesting conversation. Well, conversation wasn't really his thing. And Mary's suggestion that services would bring more people to the church had been a little disturbing.

Still, today was a new day. Another day without backpain.

[The church is open]

Comments

[the_merriest]

Monday morning, and Rikku still had a cat instead of a Jude. She hadn't slept much, so she set about wandering the island, Judekitty lodged safely in a messenger bag.

She stopped in front of the church, eyeing it with disdain. She hadn't noticed anyone in Fandom flocking here, tying themselves to a mindset based on greed and corruption and lies and ...

Rikku didn't know why she stepped into the church. She was just pushing open the doors and looking around, trying to understand if people really found comfort in empty rituals over hopelessness.

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

Gabriel sat perched on the backrest of a pew, caught up in the very last chapter of the crime novel. As the door opened he turned and frowned. He really didn't need this now.

[the_merriest]

Rikku glanced at the man uncertainly. He didn't look like a priest of Yevon. But then, he was in this place willingly, and that had to mean something.

"Why do people come here?" she asked brusquely.

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

Gabriel shot her a glare. "To annoy me," he said. "Hi, Rikku."

[the_merriest]

She jumped slightly. "Nice trick," she said, folding her arms. "Is that how you get people in here? 'Look, I know your name, so clearly I'm not making the rest of this up. Honest.'"

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Making what up?" Gabriel gave her an irritated look. "I only told you your name, and clearly that wasn't an invention."

[the_merriest]

"I know what you do here," she said sharply. "You package up lies and sell them to people who don't have anything else."

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

Gabriel looked insulted. "Hey! I just live here!"

[the_merriest]

Rikku blinked for a minute. "Oh." She shrugged lightly, her demeanor softening. "I'm sorry. I thought you were ... you know, a priest or something. Are you ... okay?"

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, fine," he muttered. "If you want to talk to God, go ahead," he added sarcastically, gesturing towards the altar. "If He replies ask him to please start returning my calls."

[the_merriest]

Rikku looked at him, and then the altar, and back again. "You really think this one's real?"

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Oh, He's real." Gabriel had got that question before, after all. "Just... not very chatty. Of course, you're welcome to try any of the others if you want. And a suggestion: If they talk back, ask yourself why?"

[the_merriest]

Rikku humphed. "I meant real as in ... I don't know. Not a showy trick or ... Yevon was real, I mean, he was really out there. Until we killed him."

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Killed who?" Gabriel looked amused. "Killing is bad, you know."

[the_merriest]

"Not him, it wasn't," she scowled. "Fake god evil sea demon monster fiend thing. Spent a thousand years killing people and oh, starting up a whole religion at the same time, and anybody that thinks it's a bunch of crap, let's kill them, too."

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Demons posing as gods, that's idolatry. Good riddance." Gabriel still looked amused.

[the_merriest]

"All of it was garbage! Here, you don't need to think. We'll hand down rules that tell you everything you should and shouldn't do. Don't bother to question it! Just follow along and sacrifice a few Summoners. Oh, the monster's not gone yet? Maybe you should kill off some more! Don't ask questions, or you're a heathen! We'll arrest you! Send you off to the Al Bhed!" She waved her hands. "It's a joke. Why is this one any different? Here, give us your money and trust and we'll screw you over. No doubting us or you can be executed, too!"

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"This one is just quiet. But he likes you guys, he really does." He used to love us above everything else. "Of course, you have to go knocking on his door, something like that. I suppose." Gabriel shrugged, not looking too pleased.

[the_merriest]

"He wouldn't like me," she said, making a face. "I'm an Al Bhed. They never like us."

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

Gabriel had never heard of the Al Bhed. "No objections to Al Bhed as far as I know," he said. "It's usually good deeds, predestination or faith that matters, depending on who you ask."

He could hardly believe he was doing this.

[the_merriest]

Rikku gave him an odd look. "You really believe this stuff? I mean. From all I've seen, it's just ... a big system designed for control. The carrot and stick."

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

Gabriel looked at her. "They're mutually exclusive?"

[the_merriest]

"Aren't they?" She shrugged. "If that's the whole point, controlling people with fear and empty promises ... there doesn't need to be anything else, you've got control and you can ... whatever. Take over and rip people off and have a grand old time while the whole world gets destroyed because hey, it won't be you, right?"

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"See, I think you're overestimating yourself. Human minds can never quite comprehend the ways of God." Nor could angelic minds, appearantly. "And if He created the world he might want to have some control mechanisms in place not to make it..." Gabriel shrugged, "...go boom."

[the_merriest]

"Yeah," she snorted softly. "'You can't understand the divine ways' usually just means 'we don't have a good excuse yet.' Why is technology bad? 'Cause Yevon said so. Why did Yevon say so? Hey, are you questioning Yevon!?"

Rikku folded her arms. "Why not just ... make people good? Make 'em so they don't kill each other."