Characters: Kokabiel (kochab) and Gabija (bringafirehome) Date/Time: 23th, May Location: The Arena Rating: Low Warnings: Sadness Summary: Mentions of death. Sadness.
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The roaring of the crowds around her was enough to make her scoot closer to Kokabiel. Not that she'd been really abiding to the rules of personal space before, but now she was particularly uninterested in anyone else except the two people fighting one another. Uriel she didn't know but if he was an angel, she didn't imagine this was easy for him. Still, her heartstrings were tugged on more by the sight of Samyaza. It could be said that she attached easily and it wouldn't be incorrect. Her angels were her family even if she hadn't legitimately met them all yet. She'd be doing this again for her- for Loki, Gabriel, and her brother. It would be just as uncomfortable and she had a feeling she'd be super glued to Kokabiel again.
Gabija took a moment to glance up at Kokabiel before wrapping her arms loosely around one of his like she did with Eddie...but Eddie wasn't here. She rested her head against his shoulder, staring back out at the fight. Please don't die.
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Surroundings had stopped mattering, the noise of the clashing weapons and muttering of people all around barely made a dent. Kokabiel was focused, frozen and serious as he never was. In that arena in front of him were his brothers. It didn’t matter that they were in different in their father’s eyes; they were the same in his, blood and family, more important than anything else under the sun. And even though one was the dutiful son, the other had been his companion and leader, the person who Kokabiel would follow till the end of the Earth and beyond.
The angel felt honestly sick. What was their father up to while this happened? Distracted with his mortal son? It just wasn’t fair, as many of the things considering God and its creatures were. Lost in the middle of these thoughts, he almost forgot he wasn’t alone. Gabija was new to the whole family but she felt right, fell right in. Or maybe it felt to him because she was the sort of person Kokabiel adored and, in her levity, he found a companion to his own.
He pulled her a bit closer, chancing the imitation of a smile in her direction – nothing like his usual grin – before turning his attention back to the show. Around them, everyone screamed for blood, begged for more strength behind blows and movements. Kokabiel felt like giving them what they requested, close and personal.
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Gabija went easily as she was pulled closer. She rarely ever complained about being close because she preferred it to anything else. Touch was one of her favorite things. Being alone never settled well. The smile was off and she knew it even if she hadn't known him for long. That being the case, she curled a little more against him. Maybe he'd be just the tiniest bit comforted by the action.
The crowd's chants for blood were unsettling because she didn't want any blood spilled, but it wasn't going to work out that way. She'd promised Eddie to be strong and to ask either Mary or Kokabiel whether it would be okay to stay with them...but now wasn't the time for the latter. Her heart was racing and she vaguely wished for some pottery to throw at some of the people. "I hate them," she muttered.
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Nothing short of a cataclysm would make Kokabiel look other than the two fighters. But he replied, steadily, in a manner unusually toneless, shaking slightly at the edges. “They’re human,” the angel said simply. “They’re human and they’re weak. They lead a hard life, toil about all of it and can only feel strong when they have someone else’s life on their palms.” And, like any Grigori, he loved humanity, almost as much as his father had told them to. At that moment though, he could have happily sat with Lucifer, scorning on all of them.
His hands closed into fists with that admission, teeth grinding against each other painfully. How he wished to jump down and stop this madness. Instead, words of prayer came unbidden to his mind, comforting latin against the background of weapons clashing. Samyaza was good, a strong fighter but Uriel, Uriel was one of the Archangels of the Lord. His throat clogged and his breathing was forcibly controlled. A flash of insight was making itself feel, bringing all sort of information to his mind.
His brother was going to die for a bloodthirsty crowd. And that knowledge was like a dagger turning in his stomach. “Samyaza’s going to lose.”
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Gabija listened quietly, doing her best not to say anything on her own. Right now she hated them just as she would hate them when it came to Gabriel and Eddie. Right now she wanted to set things on fire, but she couldn't. She was just as human as they were and she'd promised she would be strong and go on. Somehow she had a feeling that didn't involve setting everyone on fire.
As the words changed to Latin, she couldn't help but glance at Kokabiel quietly. She didn't understand Latin. Some French, yes. Latin, no. Her eyes were drawn back to the fight quickly after. She didn't want to be hurt the way she would be if Samyaza died. She didn't know much about the angels or their strengths. There was very little she could have been able to say on the matter of who would be better. Perhaps War was right about something. She knew very little about them. Still, she'd learn. She had to.
"What?" Her eyes widened as she shook her head. "He can't. He can't." Her voice shook and she didn't care if anyone knew. "Tell me it won't be forever."
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“I don’t know. I don’t. And.” And in that moment, it didn’t matter whether it would be forever or not. Kokabiel was watching as the blows came nearer, watching as his brother mouthed something, words he couldn’t catch over the crowd’s yelling. His brother was going to die. Sammy was going to die. He had a kid. If he didn’t come back, how could he tell he had watched her father die? Breathing was now painful, the burning sensation in his eyes struggling against the control he was forcing himself to have.
Make it quick, he whispered to Uriel, even though his brother would never hear, Make it painless. Father. Father, receive your son and grant him forgiveness and a place at your side. He has paid enough, father. He has given enough. Please, please, I beg you. Kokabiel had no idea if he was speaking out loud or not. But the sword raised and so did his free hand, resting over Gabija’s eyes in order to keep her from what was going to happen. “You don’t need nightmares, kid.”
His eyes remained open and locked with the scene bellow. Even when the sword pierced through Samyaza’s skin.
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Her chest ached and her throat hurt and she knew her pain was nothing compared to Kokabiel's, but it was still very much there. She didn't have the strength required for control. Eddie said it was okay to cry and that it wasn't weakness and so she didn't feel the need to try to stop herself. Gabija had caused death in her time, but it was usually due to anger and insult. This was so much different, so much more painful and she wasn't the one causing it.
Her hold on Kokabiel tightened, especially after he'd covered her eyes. As much as he was probably right, she didn't want to look away from it. She wanted to know how it ended. This was probably part of the 'protect my sister' pact.
As the crowd got louder, she could only assume that meant he was dead. She turned to bury her face against Kokabiel's shoulder, not entirely caring that he might not want some kid crying on his shoulder. "It's not weakness to cry."
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“It’s not manly,” he attempted to joke, even as his voice shook and faltered. “And Sammy’d kick my ass if I did. ‘Cause it’s our Fate and it’s part of life and all that jazz.” Kokabiel could honestly tell Fate, his father, life and everything related to go screw themselves at that moment. And he couldn’t even imagine what Uriel was feeling, standing on that field after killing their brother. The archangel wasn’t cruel. He wouldn’t enjoy it, he just couldn’t.
He maneuvered his hand to rest on her back, willing his chin to rest against her head, eyes closed. Kokabiel had done the only thing he had been able to. Watch till the end. He owed Samyaza that. And now he’d take the kid home, keep her company for a while and then go to his own and hug his fake kids until the ache was a bit bearable. The next day, he’d pretend to be fine – he’d be fine, he always was – and walk right back to the same spot to keep Gabija company as his next two brothers were forced to kill each other. He was strong, he could do it. Totally.