Who: Gabriel and Raziel Mephistopheles, Later, Ariel What: Reunited & then PROGRESS! Where: Nemo's Rare Books and then possibly elsewhere. When: Today! Warnings: Swearing angels. What else!
[10:28] Meph: ARIEL? Did you summon someone I should be aware of?
[10:28] Ariel: Hm?
[10:29] Meph: My little brother is here. He wasn't yesterday. Of all the people on the planet, there's only one I know with the talent of summoning archangels.
[10:29] Ariel: *blinks* I assure you, you're the only archangel I've ever summoned. ... Which brother?
[10:30] Meph: *obviously less upset by that, he believes him* Gabriel *pronounces it properly*
[10:31] Ariel: By the Virgin. How very novel. No, I've not even done much work since yesterday. I believe I've isolated the components of a one-soul separation spell. Today, I pack.
[10:32] Meph: *decides, rather than to put Gabriel through the half-hell of Radek, to summon him into the shop instead* Novel indeed, he's on his way.
[10:32] Ariel: *blinks hard*
[10:32] Meph: Would you prefer I bring him to my kingdom? I certainly wouldn't. He's pure.
[10:33] Ariel: I don't even know what a pure archangel would make of your castle. I assume it wouldn't stay standing long.
[10:35] Meph: It would vibrate with furious clashing of energy until one of them was destroyed, and Gabriel is stronger than bedrock. *takes a seat and picks up a book* But you've isolated a spell for our little experiment? Good.
[10:35] Ariel: So really, this is saving your work. And I believe I have, yes. I must test it; there's a way to do so without spoiling a living soul.
[10:38] Meph: I'll oversee the test. *pauses* And it's not the saving of work, really, so much as the saving of lives. They may be damned, but they're allowed their full life, and to put Gabriel among them would surely doom them to a quick, uncomfortable fate. By the LIGHT, Gabriel, fashionably late does not look good on you. *more to himself than anything*
[10:39] Ariel: ... I'm assuming I should either leave or that he isn't the sort to smite sinners upon sight. *dryly*
[10:40] Meph: He won't ever strike first, that is not the way of our kind.
[10:41] Ariel: I suppose that makes sense. Angels fight in self-defense.
[10:42] Meph: *murmurs* and in the defense of the Creator, yes. Only one, so far as I know, is allowed to strike first, and that's Michael.
[10:43] Ariel: *nods* Well, to them, defense of the Creator is basically self defense, so I understand.
[10:44] Meph: Michael's a dick, by the way.
[10:44] Ariel: This one isn't?
[10:45] Meph: He's... peaceful.
[10:45] Ariel: That's unusual. *would make a crack about flower children if he knew what one was*
[10:46] Meph: He is most like humanity. Which apparently means humanity must always be stoned.
[10:47] Gabe: I fucking heard that, and how many times do I have to tell you I haven't been stoned since the 1620s ... huh. *inclines his head to Ariel, who awkwardly returns the gesture*
[10:48] Meph: *chuckles* You smoked enough to be stoned to this day, however, and Ariel, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce Gabriel. Gabriel, this is Ariel Gagne, he is a friend with an interest in... well, just about everything, really.
[10:50] Gabe: *is smrt* *human friend?* I hope you realize just how unique you are. *shakes Ariel's hand*
Ariel: I have been told so. *does the same, still with the awkward*
[10:52] Meph: Stop gaping, Ariel, you'll catch flies. *grins* I brought you to his shop, Gabriel, because it's a neutral ground which feels comfortable to me. That and, of course, Ariel is helping me in my latest experiments.
[10:53] Gabriel: Fair enough. And seriously, whatever anyone's told you, I'm not allowed to strike until you start casting something on me, alchemist, so you don't have to be afraid. Really. I mean, I look after mothers and writers. I'm sure Raz thinks I'm a giant pussy. *grins*
Ariel: *has to laugh*
[10:54] Meph: *chuckles as well* Gabriel, you're amazing in how defensive you can be. I only told him the truth.
[10:55] Gabriel: And you told him I'm a stoner, which I'm not. *amused, not angry*
[10:56] Meph: Picking nits, and that's a little white lie if a lie at all. *pats Gabriel on the back* I knew you were going to hear it.
[11:02] Gabriel: You've been a dick since the beginning of time, nice to see nothing's changed. *still with friendly abuse* But seriously. You look good, for the most part. I'm glad ... you don't look worse. *etc etc demonic scars*
[11:07] Meph: I was worse off than the claws and eyes, but with Ariel's help, I've found a way to claw my way back to some shred of purity.
[11:11] Gabe: ... That's really impressive, I have to say.
[11:13] Meph: *proud of Ariel* Indeed it is. And now our next experiment's going to be more complex. As you know, the fallen cannot transubstantiate, and aren't allowed true human form.
[11:15] Gabe: Yeah ...
[11:15] Meph: So I'm going to.
[11:16] Gabe: *eyes bug* You're going to be human?
[11:16] Meph: Temporarily, yes.
[11:16] Gabe: How in the hell can you do that temporarily!
[11:17] Meph: *face Ariel* Well, if the alchemist is not a complete fool, through the use of golems.
[11:17] Ariel: *bitchface*
[11:17] Meph: *murmurs to Gabriel* Is he making that face?
[11:18] Gabe: .... Oh. Oh, like that human in Prague a while back. That's about the only way that wouldn't send me running straight to Mom, Raziel ... and yeah.
[11:18] Ariel: *throws up hands*
[11:20] Meph: *grins* All by the book, I assure you. But just remember who WROTE that book. *claps Gabriel on the back* In four days, I'll start my brief life as a human. It will allow me the experiences I would not otherwise gain, in understanding them. If I'm to live amongst them for eternity, I may as well understand them as completely as I can.
[11:21] Gabe: I can't decide if you're brilliant or you've finally gone round the fucking bend.
[11:22] Meph: Or if I weren't always mad, from the beginning.
[11:22] Gabe: You weren't.
[11:23] Meph: *smiles faintly* There's always a little madness in brilliance, Gabriel.
[11:25] Gabe: You forget, brother, I look after writers. I know that pretty well. *grins*
[11:26] Meph: At no point in all of creation, has one had an original thought that another didn't find completely mad. I gave my book to humanity, and not only did you pry it from their hands, but you called it madness that I even thought they deserve it. The ONE time the Creator sided with me, it was when you accused me of being mad.
[11:27] Gabe: *now does get defensive* I'm allowed to err. it was a fucking error.
[11:27] Ariel: *quietly slips out of the room, lol*
[11:28] Meph: An error that you were not punished for, might I add.
[11:28] Meph: I'm HAPPY you can make mistakes. And admit to them.
[11:29] Gabe: Of course I fucking admit it. Angels are not meant to be perfect creatures. Whoever started that lie better be getting some accounting in the pits.
[11:30] Meph: *shakes his head quietly* You've never been there, Gabriel. Don't wish that on anyone.
[11:31] Gabe: I hope his misdeeds are dealt with competently. Put it that fucking way. And Raziel, you're my brother, but if you're going to tell me just how sad I am for toeing God's fucking line, I'll be heading out that door. I help people and I like helping people, and I'm willing to pay the price she asks.
[11:32] Meph: We're united under a common front in that way alone, apparently.
[11:33] Gabe: What common front?
[11:34] Meph: Helping them. That is all I've ever wanted to do. To help them, to understand them. Punishing them was NOT in my plan. I admit that my corruption was my fault alone, but to be cast down was not. Either time.
[11:35] Meph: I refuse to be treated as a pariah for my desire to give them what they need or want.
[11:37] Gabe: Raz, I don't know, maybe I am a pussy. But I couldn't do what you did, okay? I don't know how you pulled yourself up from where you landed. I couldn't do it. I'd still be sitting there in all my shit and misery. It was easy for me to love humans, easier than for you, I guess. I mean ... at the beginning, fuck, they were like retarded puppies. Stupid and running around in circles but ... so lovable. Most of them. And look at 'em now. Maybe I'm just a big love junkie, but it was easier for me.
[11:42] Meph: I couldn't bow to them as I bowed to Her. I could not love them as I loved her. But where did that love get me? *shakes his head* I'm done loving a being that has said one thing to me and shown me the opposite in its actions. I'm staying with humanity, I'm looking over them. And I'm happy that you never had to suffer as I have. You are strong, brother, but I know you'd have broken worse than I did. You would have wound up like Asmode--... Well, not like him, but you see where I'm going with that. Eternal bleeding and whatnot.
[11:43] Gabe: *is not too proud to shudder noticeably at the mention of Asmodeus*
[11:43] Meph: He's dead now.
[11:44] Gabe: Like, void dead? That is good to hear.
[11:44] Meph: No, not like Void dead.
[11:44] Gabe: Then he could come back?
[11:44] Meph: No.
[11:44] Gabe: What'd you do?
[11:44] Meph: I struck him from Azrael's book.
[11:45] Gabe: ... wow. *makes that kind of 'whuff' noise*
[11:46] Meph: He was going to wind up near the head of a major, MAJOR corporation that has the ability to crush the world, and I wouldn't let that happen. Not to mention, nobody fucks with a Wartooth.
[11:47] Gabe: Heard of them. Songwriters aren't my province, but I know the name. There've been a couple babies in that crazy house.
[11:50] Meph: *nods* They were warriors before they were guitarists. I've got connections to the North Gods, they asked me to look over their lines if there aren't any to stand guard. *shrugs a shoulder* In any case, your counterpart is dead, Lucifer is pure, I'm clawing my way up back to something better than demonic, and She's gone fucking crazy. Did I miss anything?
[11:51] Gabe: Can't think of anything. Uzza's still the same old horny bastard. I met a pretty human who gave me turkey bacon. *grins*
[11:52] Meph: I'm assuming she was Uzza's doing. I shouldn't have bothered dragging him off his mountain, I forgot how annoying he can be in trying to play matchmaker.
[11:56] Gabe: Pretty lady who gave me turkey bacon. I'm ok with that.
Mephisto couldn't help but feel at ease, despite the fact that his completely pure brother was likely seeing him as a darker being than he'd remembered. He wasn't sure how dark he'd been the last time Gabriel had seen him, but he was certain it was before his hair had gone black as midnight, and before his wings had followed suit. He knew Gabriel didn't judge him based on his appearance, because appearance changed. It was more his actions that he'd care about. "I keep hearing such amazing things about food, and I'm willing to admit that it is one of the very most important reasons for my decisions in living as a human." That said, his brow furrowed, and realized that they were probably putting Ariel out of his comfort zone. "We should find somewhere else to go, Ariel's feeling... unnerved by our bickering."