InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Not the gum-drop buttons!"

It hardly mattered that the Venial Sin had been rented out for the party, as it was packed. Though the ‘quality’ of that night’s clientele was not exactly the typical for an establishment that was so bent on maintaining a more posh atmosphere. Every citizen of Gehenna had been invited and that meant trainers, hoodies, shorts and every other kind of article of clothing that would have given the proprietor a heart attack. The city council were clearly doing their best to generate a little good will, opening up the ‘snootiest’ bar in Gehenna to the general public, of course the first drink being on their coin didn’t hurt either.

Maybe people were far more interested in that free drink and taking in the fancy surroundings than they were meeting the archangel of the hour, who happened to be just as indifferent. But the bar was packed and the city representatives who didn’t spend their time trying to disappear into the rich décor were already marking it down as a win.

Eventually the new, possibly temporary, mayor couldn’t ignore the calls for a speech and was half pushed toward the small stage not far from the bar. It may have earned a glare from the oldest of the archangels, but he did make a show of adjusting his green jacket and clearing his throat before addressing the crowd.

“I am aware that you all expect a few words. Promises for the future or an outline of my plans. Perhaps even some false sense of humility while trying to hide how pleased I am to be pressed into a position of governing. Instead, I will give you something novel for Gehenna, namely honesty: I am utterly horrified to not only find myself here but also by the thought that I might be in some sense responsible for the lot of you. I will say plainly that you are all damned regardless of how you may try to change your miserable lives. You are all detestable but unfortunately you cannot be left to sort yourselves out and would do unspeakable things to one another given the chance. That being the case, I reluctantly accept this position that I did not pursue, nor desire, for the sake of keeping some semblance of order.” He paused a moment, smiling to himself when he saw the horrified expressions of the few BAA members in the crowd. “But, so we do not start off on the wrong foot, feel free to charge the rest of the night’s drinks to the City of Gehenna. Good evening.”

Michael bowed his head then stepped down from the stage, quickly retreating to what he hoped was a quiet corner.