video;

[expunger]

[Guten tag, Adstringendum. Today's daily dose of lineface angel starts off with fog, fog, and more fog, with Raphael's shape only just emerging through the haze. As muted as she normally is, there's something different today- almost constrained, wilted, a little too tight and a little too quiet. She's sitting on what appears to be the bottom of a set of steps- when the fog clears just a little it's obviously stone steps, like a pyramid or a very tall dais.]

There is a glut of idiocy this week.

[She gestures and the PCD rises, turning to face her at a slightly different angle. Behind her, it shows the stone dais- for that's exactly what it is, large steps of a massive grave, consisting of the huge dais leading to an enormous figure seated in a vast marble throne. The grave is impressive, to say the least. The carvings on it, just visible over her shoulder, are all in a mix of Enochian and Hebrew, including the Hebrew inscription of God's own name.]

It is astounding that any of you can survive on your own in this place, if this is how you handle anything new. [Then her expression tightens more, if possible, something dulling in her eyes slightly.] If you cannot learn for yourself, then know this: the graves should not be destroyed.

[Trust her. It isn't worth it. Her mouth presses into a thin, tense line before the feed cuts out altogether.]

[OOC: she's sitting at the base of fake-God's throne/grave in the middle of a ring of archangel graves, including her own, a destroyed Gabriel statue, a Lucifer mausoleum, and a smoking crater where Michael's used to be. Come bother her, bros.]

Comments

[expunger]

[As Raphael is certain the hand belongs to Michael, who Thomas has never met, she would be very surprised if he could see it.]

Gabriel was never in any garrison.

[The hand turns to an arm, turns to a dirt-streaked face emerging from the crater. Michael, climbing from the remnants of the grave, making grunts of effort and kicks only she can hear.]

He was a leader before abandoning his post to live with the pagans.

[emptynight]

[He loosens another clump of dirt. It's nerves more than anything. Fear of staying too long in one place lest Harry's tombstone pops up again along with its phantom gunshots. Or Justine's and the last words she would have said if he'd killed her that night. Fear masquerading as nerves. And bravado masking that fear.]

Think he got the better end of that deal, Buttercup.

[expunger]

[Normally she would get irritated by that comment, annoyed by his ignorance and idiocy regarding something he could never, ever understand. Normally, and the urge flashes through her briefly.

It isn't worth it.]

He was murdered by the only brother he had sympathies for.

[emptynight]

[The words hit Thomas far harder than anyone could have expected. They weren't exactly the same, no. Harry hadn't been the only brother he had sympathy for. He'd been his only brother, period. And while Thomas hadn't been the one to pull the trigger, he had sent Harry to the boat. Had ignored his brother for more than a year, hiding behind the monster when he was too ashamed of his own failures to face Harry's unwavering believe that he could be more than what blood made him. Hell, he'd even been purposefully late to meet Harry when Harry had wanted to tell him about Maggie.

Maggie his niece. Blood he didn't even care enough to ask after, to look out for after all was said and done. The niece named after their shared mother.

Some family.

But the words hit hard despite the inaccuracies. They were close enough, close enough to hurt when he'd already been worn down by the tombstones and their hallucinations. Thomas' eyes flickered to his left, to the edge of his field of vision, where he knew Harry's tombstone loomed, because it had been there for days. Silent and accusatory. When Thomas spoke, his voice was bitter, far more bitter than Raphael's comment warranted.]

Brothers are evil bastards that way.

[expunger]

[Disturbance. Emotional upset. Raphael can sense it, though she doesn't care to look any closer.]

Yes. Lucifer is my brother. He was once the most beautiful of us.

[Raphael's shoulders shifted infinitesimally, her wings rustling on a plane just under the physical, the poison in her veins and staining her wings like gangrene all the sharper for it.]

[emptynight]

[he laughs at that, and the sound is bitter, brittle, on the edge of hysteria. Being followed by the dying ghosts of a dead brother and a dead love wore on the nerves, and the mention of Lucifer only manages to make it worse. He manages to find some self control though, and gives Raphael a flawless, too-perfect smile]

Is the object lesson supposed to be that being pretty isn't all it's cracked up to be?

[expunger]

[Enjoy this poker face, Thomas, because she doesn't find this funny. Or anything, really.]

Do I look like I find this funny?

[emptynight]

Buttercup, you look like you couldn't find funny in a paper bag with a map.

[expunger]

[Just... eyebrow raise. Okay? Okay.]

You look like you think your wounding issues with family rival ours.

[emptynight]

[another shrug, and Thomas pointedly does not look to his left, where another tombstone has cropped up again, pure white marble with crisp letters and a golden pentacle. HERE LIES HARRY DRESDEN, HE DIED DOING THE RIGHT THING]

Doesn't everyone think their problems are the worst?

[expunger]

[She follows his gaze, looking long upon the headstone before staring back at the incubus.]

There is a kind of satisfaction that comes from knowing.

[emptynight]

[he chuckles]

Feeling megalomanic today, aren't we?

[expunger]

[Yes. But that's not the point.]

My brothers' fighting nearly ended the world.

[emptynight]

[he speaks before he thinks, because if he'd been thinking, he'd have still kept the relation close. It didn't matter that Harry was dead.]

Funny, mine's saved it a couple times.

[expunger]

This city is rife with those such as you.

Our family ruled the cosmos. It means nothing here, but in my world we are most important people in existence.

[emptynight]

[He laughs at that, a quiet chuckle that isn't quite his usual need to be irritating, but just deeply amused.]

I could say the same to you, darling. Not liking the bigger pond?

[expunger]

[She gives him a strange look at the question.]

Adstringéndum is smaller than my world. I had all of Heaven and Creation to spread my wings over.

[emptynight]

[he chuckles once.]

Just in case you haven't noticed, sweetheart, you're not in Kansas anymore. And like you said, none of that matters here, so why pretend like you're still special if the rest of us aren't?

[expunger]

[She grits her teeth slightly.]

Do you think that repeating inane observations that I already know will accomplish something?

[emptynight]

[All the smirking]

Do you? You still sound like you expect me to be afraid.

[expunger]

What you choose to hear has little to do with me.

[emptynight]

Tsk tsk, darling. You've got to take some responsibility. Can't let me have all the fun.

related: he should start figuring out she has real-people feelings

[expunger]

[She stalks closer to him, suddenly right in front of his face. It pisses her off, and would look better on the ground or down his shirt. In all fairness.]

If I think it wise for you to fear me, it is not because of the vastness of Heaven or a war at home.

Re: related: he should start figuring out she has real-people feelings

[emptynight]

[The sudden proximity is enough to rile the demon, already close to the surface, and Thomas can feel that edge of ice and fire, along with something else, something he can almost recognize. But that isn't what makes him lean backwards ever so slightly.]

Let me guess, it's because you've got strong fingers and will rip my tongue out of my head again.

[expunger]

No. [She leans forward very slightly.] Because I am strong and could find ways to hurt you that defy language and name.