Our Lady of Fandom, Tuesday all day

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

Gabriel and Cat stared at each other across the church. Her stubbornness sometimes intrigued Gabriel. Did she really think she could win?

[The church is open]

ETA: Content of conversation with Karal NFB, please.

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[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal paused at the bottom of the church steps, frowning as he glanced sideways.

What? "Altra, was there just a statue there?"

:Does it matter?: The Firecat was tense, fur bristled and tail flicking. He didn't want Karal to be here.

"No, I guess it doesn't." He swallowed once, nervous verging onto afraid, and put his foot on the bottom step. And stopped. Vkandis Sunlord.

:Let's get this over with.: Altra's tail lashed, and he pushed past Karal, preceding him into the church. :You stay behind me.:

Karal followed, calling Gabriel's name as they entered the church.

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Karal!" Gabriel smiled, but didn't break eye contact with the Cat. "What have you been doing?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"Hello, Gabriel," he said quietly while Altra paced forward, settling himself between Gabriel and Karal. "I've been doing work from home, mostly. Spending time with Evey." He glanced down at Altra, then back up at Gabriel. "And I spent most of last week as a horse."

Did you see me? Do you know what I heard? He wrapped his hands tightly around each other. What are you?

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"A horse?" Gabriel frowned. He has seen a horse trying to get in to the church...

Oh. "Did you... stop by to visit?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal nodded. "I heard you and that other--" He almost said man. "He was looking for you. I followed him here. I was," his voice trailed off until his voice was barely audible, "...worried."

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Oh, no need to worriy about him," Gabriel said, now looking at Karal. "He always liked to show off."

The Cat decided she had won the staring contest.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"I was worried for you." He swallowed again, then lifted his chin, meeting Gabriel's eyes. Altra crouched lower, still as a statue, unblinking. "Gabriel? What are you?" he asked in a near whisper.

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

Oh, no. "Not quite what I used to be," he muttered, looking away. Then his head turned and he fixed Karal with a gaze that was more inhuman, more angelic, than usual. "Tell me what you heard. Your interpretation."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal didn't step back, even though he wanted to, and he didn't look away, but every muscle was so tense it ached.

Altra's eyes narrowed.

"The-- Zophael. He said you failed. There was a war. You didn't kill who you were supposed to kill, he took your place, and now the consequences are being felt." Every word was etched on his memory; he could have repeated it verbatim. "There is a child, and someone dangerous is ascending to power."

Sunlord. "He said, he said that there would be genocide, a blood bath. That that had been your plan. That he is going to help a, a lunatic angel kill a young person." He shied away from hearts ripped out.

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"A Nephilim. God doesn't want them to live." He sounded a little defensive. "And I neve planned a genocide." That part had always been very vaguely planned.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal swallowed again, mouth gone dry. Altra moved backwards until he could press against his leg.

He had to ask. There was no choice. "Before you were sent here, who were you?"

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

There was a long pause. "I was an archangel." His gaze moved towards the altar. "Although there had been a long time since God had any need for messengers."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

His thoughts stuttered to a halt. "Oh." It was all he could find to say.

He fumbled his way to a pew and sat down, looking at his folded hands.

Altra stayed where he was, watchful and alert.

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Is that all you can think of?" Gabriel had actually hoped for a more elaborate reaction to this revelation.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"It is rather a shock." Karal almost, almost had to laugh at the understatement. "And I am only a human." He lifted his head. "I do have a question, if I may ask it."

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"You may," Gabriel said, wishing that Karal could bahve as usual. That was a lot easier, after all. And it didn't even strike him that he should be bothered about feeling that.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"You told me to be wary of angels," he said simply. "Does that include you?"

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Well..." Gabriel thought for a moment. "You're my friend. That should make a difference."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

That did make him smile, despite his confusion, despite his total bewilderment, despite how overwhelmed he was. "I am your friend. No matter what you are, you are still Gabriel."

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to settled himself. When he opened them, he stood and moved to a pew closer to Gabriel. Altra made a small noise of protest, but Karal shook his head. I trust him, Altra. I have to. "Can you tell me how you came to be here?"

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

There was a long silence. "Michael and I had a disagreement," he said finally. "Over the mother of the Nephilim. I lost. I was reduced to this and sent here." He turned his head and looked straight at Karal.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Altra crouched low again, ears flattening in something like sympathy.

"Oh." Sunlord. "That is why you don't know how to be human," he said softly. "What did you disagree about?"

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

The next silence was even longer, and finally Gabriel rose from the pew and began to pace up and down the aisle. "A Nephilim should not be allowed to live! God might not have been very talkative lately, but He was firm about that. Angels and mortals should not breed. And this one... He could stop the war."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal bit his lip while Altra moved to stand between Karal and Gabriel again. "Gabriel, I don't understand," he admitted quietly. "Who is at war?"

[no-archangel.livejournal.com]

"Angels against angels. A war in Heaven." Gabriel turned to look at Karal. "God created mankind and loved them more than us. Some accept this... others want things to return to what they used to be. When He loved us best."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Altra's eyes were beginning to glow faintly blue as he watched Gabriel.

Karal quailed slightly. "You--" He could feel it falling into place, his cursed memory replaying every word, mind finding the connections without his will. Genocidial angel, you were supposed to kill the mother...Vkandis Sunlord. "You were supposed to kill the woman who carried the half-angel baby. You..."

He swallowed hard and forced himself ask the question. It would be cowardice not to. "What side were you on?" He was afraid he knew the answer. God created mankind and loved them more than us...Supposed to kill the mother of the half-angel.