i_watch Lucky Number Seven [Open]
OOC: Gratuitous Pulp Fiction/Bible quoting at the end.
Also there is "gore" at the end. Nothing horrible as I can't really write gore, but y'know, just incase...
He'd seen this in a movie once.
At the time he'd appreciated it for the cinematic effect. It'd been a good scene. Loki, on the other hand, had talked nonstop for about two years about reenacting it. Luckily for the sinners of the world, under Bartleby's watchful eye that had not happened. The other angel had been sated with a few action figures which did a perfectly good job at playing out the scene, just with less blood and real death.
Bartleby felt slightly guilty now. Here he was, standing in an alley, facing a wall with two cowering young men in front of him. All prepared to play out the scene which Loki had obsessed over for two years. His knife was in one hand and he tossed it up and down. His white wings were at their full span. They weren't necessary for the occasion, or for the scene which he wished to recreate, but the effect it was having on the mortals sure was fun.
"I suppose we should start with the basics." He caught the knife from the air by the blade and squeezed, grinning as it bit into his skin. "Do you know why you're here?"
Ah. A terrified twitch of the head. Bartleby smiled and decided to take that as a no.
"Right then, why you're here..." He paused, just for dramatic effect, and tossed his knife once more. "Luxuria. Luxuriae actually. Both of you are guilty of it. It's one of the Seven. Now... don't feel bad, you shouldn't. My hands are practically tied today because this entire city has descended into some sort of recreation of Sodom and Gomorrah..." Bartleby trailed off, glancing at the men's faces when he mentioned the cities. "Don't tell me you've never heard of Sodom and Gomorrah. Well... you'll learn. Wherever you end up after this, you'll learn.
"But. Back to the point. Luxuria. Lust. Not to mention avaritia and superbia. I won't mention them at least, but She will. She or the Morningstar will," Bartleby said with a grim smile. "And it's my duty to send you to either one."
He held the knife by the hilt now, getting a good grip on it. He didn't think that these two were going to fight. Smelled like one of them had pissed their pants already. Bartleby shook his head. Didn't people have any sort of honor anymore? That was one thing he'd finally respected about the Scion and her friends, they hadn't shit themselves as soon as he'd pulled out a knife.
There was no need to anyway. Death was a better place if you believed.
Bartleby hope that the two overly lustful men in front of him believed. She didn't like the non believers. You didn't have to believe in Her, but you had to have faith in something. That was what was important. He hoped for their sakes, because, as genial a guy as the Morningstar could be sometimes? Hell was not going to be ranking on the top ten vacation spots anytime soon. Top ten thousand, even.
"The one who usually carries out such punishments is not with us at the moment, so it falls to me to dole out the repercussions." He smiled again, but this time it was more wistful than grim as he remembered Loki's enthusiasm for his job. "The punishment for Lust is Brimstone. Brimstone and Fire." Loki had loved that part. "Unfortunately, brimstone and fire are not in my repertoire. That's alright though, I always have a backup plan. It's tribute this time. A tribute, of sorts, to him. To honor his memory I feel that it's necessary that I proceed, as such."
His grin turned positively wicked now, thinking about exactly how this scene would go. "Don't stop me if you've heard this one." The wings on his back shifted once before folding in slightly, just making it easier for Bartleby to take deliberate steps forward towards the men.
Lust. What a stupid thing to die for. Especially lusting after a woman in a wheelchair. The least the boys could have done was die for a supermodel.
Bartleby stopped over the first man and pulled him up by the collar of his shirt. His knife raised in his other hand and his wings reopened to their full span. He did a rather good impression of the Angel of Death, as well he should. They'd been best friends for years.
He took a breath. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men... that would be you, mon ami." Contrary to some belief, stabbing someone actually took some effort, as did dragging the knife through the skin once you'd gotten it in there. It was like ripping through a tough piece of fabric. But going from the top of the first man's chest, down to his pelvis was worth it. Bartleby was willing to put in the effort.
Blood wasted no time in seeping out, hitting his own chest and neck. He ignored it, and went on with his work. "Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children... that? Is not you. Though, you could have used a Shepard at some point. We possibly wouldn't be in this situation right now." He dropped the first man back to the ground. There was blood everywhere, but he wasn't quite dead yet. That would be remedied at the appropriate moment.
"And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers... that's me. Vengeance and furious anger." The second man was awarded nearly the same treatment as his friend, except, now completely in the mood, Bartleby let the knife slide a little lower than his pelvis and relished the screams he received when various necessities were severed and left hanging by sinew.
Had to make up for the lack of Fire and Brimstone somehow after all.
Now... was it to be a big finish, or something simple. Loki had been right in telling him that his job was exhausting. Especially for one who'd never really practiced it professionally before. Bartleby made note to come in with a plan next time. There were only so many creative ways to kill people that you could think of on the spot.
He dropped his last victim and stared for a moment. Simple. Simple would probably be best. A big finish could see them here all afternoon. Bartleby tossed the bloody knife once more in his hands, caught it, and the smiled down at the two bleeding men. Lust was just so... such a stupid sin to die for. People really needed to realise this.
He squatted down next to them, his voice lowered to a whisper and he touched the knife to the first's throat. "And you will know my name is the Lord," The knife slid across his throat quickly, cutting in swiftly and professionally. "When I lay my vengeance upon thee."
They were no longer men. Just lifeless sacks of partially put together skin laying on the ground. Bartleby smiled, looked up towards the sky. "You taught me something, old friend."
It didn't matter to him that he was completely covered in blood when he stepped out of the alley, or that he still had an obvious murder weapon in hand. He was a creature of God Herself and with the city descending into a lusting frenzy he knew that he would be being kept busy for the rest of the day.
From: i_amjustme Date: 04/29/2006 08:28:55
'What the hell was THAT all about?' asked one of the recently dead.
'Dude... I think we just got killed by a Quentin Tarantino wanna-be.'
Fuck! You let him fucking KILL me, man?'
'Hey, ASS. He killed me too!'
"Boys, if you're quite finished..." Death raised an eyebrow, and smiled.
The dead men calmed down. It wasn't difficult. In fact, it was harder now to stay angry, now that they were seperated from the bodies and chemical processes that had caused emotion.
'You know,' one said. 'I've always wondered what comes after death.'
Death smiled. "Now is when you get to find out."
There was a rush of wind, the sound of wings beating on the air, and then Death stood alone with the sacks of skin and meat.
From: i_watch Date: 04/30/2006 18:20:31
"So it's this Quentin man who I should be thanking for that, then?" Bartleby asked idley, as if the spirts of two men he'd just killed hadn't just had a conversation. As if some woman hadn't somehow just vanished the two spirits with a sound of wings. "Loki was obsessed with that scene you know. I got so fucking tired of hearing it, I almost wanted to kill the director. But, it all turned out for the best."
He turned around, facing back towards the alley and the darkhaired woman in front of him. He considered her for a moment. Not human, he decided quickly. "I'd call you a Muse, but... you don't look much you're related to Serendipity."
From: i_amjustme Date: 04/30/2006 19:02:40
Death shook her head and chuckled. "No, I'm not a Muse. I'm just doing my job."
She considered the angel. It took a moment, but she remembered hs name after he mentioned his friend. Bartleby. Loki. It was making sense. After his Creator had made him, she'd been called upon to breath life into him. That's how it went with all living things.
That had been a very long time ago. His kind usually was durable.
"You seem to have fallen astray of yours."
From: i_watch Date: 04/30/2006 19:15:23
"Fallen astray, no. Just fallen." A smirk crossed his lips. "Loki left some loose ends, I'm just tying them up."
Everything sounded rather justified when he put it like that. Not that it wasn't justified in his mind already, of course.
Bartleby wiped the bloody knife on his shirt, cleaning off the blade a bit. "You're the one who meets them, aren't you? Makes everything all nice and comfy on the way to Limbo? She loves you."
From: i_amjustme Date: 04/30/2006 19:26:53
Death shook her head. "You aren't Fallen, Bartleby. Just a little askew."
When he questioned her, Death merely shrugged. "Whether your Creator loves me or hates me isn't a concern. I just do what I do, as does She."
From: i_watch Date: 04/30/2006 19:34:25
"You know my name and I don't know yours --unless you like going by Death-- it's hardly fair." She wasn't the 'Angel of'. That had been Loki. So she was something else, some sort of unknown. He'd heard of her, but had never had the pleasure of meeting her or any who had.
From: i_amjustme Date: 04/30/2006 19:37:24
"I am Death. It's not a matter of going by anything. It's simply my name, and my function."
She let out a light sigh. "But if that makes you uncomfortable, I have a friend who calls me Didi. You can call me that."
From: i_watch Date: 04/30/2006 19:53:10
Bartleby nodded. That did sound better than Death, which reminded him too much of his dead friend. "Didi, then."
He sheathed the knife and wiped his hands on his pants. It did little good besides spread the bloody mess. "So, were you watching me or did the stench of death and sin call you?"
From: i_amjustme Date: 04/30/2006 20:11:39
She shook her head. "No, you didn't call me. And whatever they did had nothing to do with it. It was their time, you were the vessel." She shrugged. Mortals rarely seemed to understand that. She hoped something ethereal would have less trouble comprehending the concept.
From: i_watch Date: 04/30/2006 20:17:28
"As it should be," Bartleby said. "Though, I'm not sure they would have agreed." He gestured to the bodies behind Didi and grinned. She could probably understand. He'd found that mortals rarely actually thought it was their time.
"Well," he continued, very conversationally. "I'll be keeping you busy today. I hope so anyway. City's ripe with sin. Lust."
From: i_amjustme Date: 05/01/2006 08:45:09
"Have you paused to consider your own sins, I wonder?" Death asked him. "There's no church here that will cleanse your sins simply by passing through an archway. If that's still your intent."
She shrugged. "But, if you're sure."
It wasn't really her place to tell him not to kill anyone. She had no say in the matter. It was just her.
From: i_watch Date: 05/01/2006 09:54:34
"You really do know everything," Bartleby said, raising an eyebrow. "There may not be a church, but no one's coming after me either. And... I only do this in memory of my friend. He was good at his job, I can only hope to do it half to justice."
He didn't want to discuss his own ultimate sin, though... if she really did know everything, then she would know that. He'd killed Loki, but at least he was trying to make up for it.
From: i_amjustme Date: 05/01/2006 10:12:47
"Not everything," she said, shaking her head. "Only enough. My youngest sister bears the burden of knowing everything, and all at once."
But of course she knew what had happened there. Loki wasn't Death, only the Angel of Death. He had killed, but after he had swept through Egypt, Sodom, Gomorrah, the flood waters in the time of Noah, Death herself had been there to collect the souls left in his wake. The massacre at Saint Michael's Church had hardly been something to forget.
"So you honor the dead by killing," she added quietly. "It seems a poor tribute, for such a friend."
From: i_watch Date: 05/01/2006 10:23:37
Bartleby shook his head, his hand reaching down to touch the hilt of the knife sheathed on his side. "No. You didn't know Loki. He loved his job. He'd most likely have enjoyed that." He gestured to the bodies again. "I'm going to just guess you were there after we visited the idolators at Mooby. You would have seen how much he enjoyed his job then."
He took a breath and looked up. "It's fitting until I can think of something better. Besides, only the deserving receive death. As it always has been."
From: i_amjustme Date: 05/01/2006 10:30:04
"Only the deserving," she repeated. "Only the deserving?" She raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Well. I've met gods before who weren't as confident as you. Certainly, the decision must now be yours to make."
She turned, as though to leave, and paused, as if a thought had just occured to her. "I would assume you might take the gravest of the sinners first, yes? Those most offensive to the eyes of your Crea-- No, my apologies. I mean, to your eyes?"
From: i_watch Date: 05/01/2006 10:38:20
"Yes," he nodded, thinking that maybe she understood. At least partially. "But no, not just in my eyes. God's eyes. If their sins are to be forgiven they will be, but in front of her on their way to either Heaven or Hell." Playing God was the same as impersonating her, after all. Bartleby didn't see himself as doing either.
From: i_amjustme Date: 05/01/2006 10:45:32
Didi nodded, as though she did understand. Which, to be honest, she did. She simply didn't agree with it.
"If I have my Inferno right," she said, referencing the author, even though she'd been to the place herself enough to know the truth behind the work, "the centermost circle of Hell is reserved for betrayers and traitors. Betrayers to kin, country, guests, and friends."
Her dark eyes flickered to his, and there was a note of sympathy in them.
"If you plan to keep this up long, you may want to work in reverse order."
From: i_watch Date: 05/01/2006 10:55:59
A familiar guilt rose inside of him at those words. He had to turn from her eyes and did so quickly, not caring how cowardly it looked. He was aware that it did.
"I didn't..." What? He didn't kill him? Well, that would have been a complete lie. The knife at his side still had flecks of Loki's blood dried in the crevices of the intricately carved hilt. Bartleby had left them there on purpose to remind himself of what he'd done. What he was trying to deny now.
He looked at the ground. There was no excuse he could present that would actually help his case. They both knew that. "I... that's why I repent. It's why I honor him. What's done is done, and there's no way I can change it. But I'm not going to spend eternity with just the Morningstar for company either."
A brief thought crossed his mind, causing him to look up at her again. He couldn't yet meet her eye. "Were you there?" He didn't have to say when.
From: i_amjustme Date: 05/01/2006 11:03:36
"I was."
She turned back to face him, walked closer, and placed a gentle hand on his cheek.
"Redemption isn't taken, Bartleby. It's granted. And with your Creator, all you need to do is ask."
With that, she pressed a light kiss on his cheek.
From: i_watch Date: 05/01/2006 11:10:38
That startled him, both her words and her actions. Especially since she'd been there and seen what happened.
And she still thought that he could ask Her for redemption? Bartleby frowned and almost sighed as he shook his head. "If I really believed that were possible, I might try, but... I don't. Like you said, it's the worst part of hell that's reserved for people who kill their best friends. I'd known him since Creation."
From: i_amjustme Date: 05/01/2006 11:20:02
"No sin is unforvivable for those who truly seek repentence. Brutus, Cassius, Judas... they never asked for forgiveness. Mostly because they couldn't forgive themselves."
She stepped back, and regarded him with those ancient and ageless black eyes. "Are you killing to honor his memory, Bartleby? Or just because you don't think you deserve a chance at redemption?"
From: i_watch Date: 05/01/2006 12:24:31
Great, he was being compated to Brutus. To Judas.
He'd fucked up beyond belief in putting that knife through Loki. Not that it hadn't been obvious to him before, but it was thrown at him again full force now.
"I don't deserve it. Not from Her. Not yet," Bartleby said finally. He wouldn't look at Death. "Right now I just work to keep him alive. Somewhere." Did his voice break slightly there? He stopped, gathering himself.
"Them," he pointed a finger at the men he'd killed. His next question would do little to soothe him, but he wanted to know. "They spoke to you before you helped them on. Did Loki?"
From: i_amjustme Date: 05/01/2006 13:26:34
The answer wouldn't help him, either. There had been a good bit of swearing, some rather humorous (if obscene) remarks about the others - along with some amusing anecdotes about the Muse that had arrived - before the blonde angel had begun to accept his fate. He'd lingered longer than souls usually did, but Didi had stayed with him the entire time.
Death smiled, that soft and sweet smile that seemed to remind you that she was your first, oldest, and dearest friend. "There are some things even Watchers aren't meant to know, Bartleby. Don't you think?"
From: i_watch Date: 05/01/2006 13:36:05
Normally, he would have agreed with her. He knew privacy, and before being expelled, he'd usually respected it unless otherwise ordered by God.
But this... he couldn't leave it alone now that the thought had pushed and nudged its way into her mind. It was stuck there. Death spoke to the newly dead souls and a week or so ago, Loki had been such.
"I would, but..." There was a lot the Bartleby wanted to ask. Had he caused his friend much pain? Was he back in Heaven where he rightly belonged? After all, it was he who'd come to his senses in the end. Had Loki been forgiven in the end?
Did Loki forgive him? Bartleby choked on the question. It wouldn't pass his lips. The simpler question would have to sufice. "What did he say?"
From: i_amjustme Date: 05/01/2006 13:55:55
Didi let out a breath. It wasn't much of a sigh, more an exasperated release of breath. This was what happened when so many people could see her. What was it about the City that made them pay attention to her whereabouts?
"He joked, at first. Swore for a while. Very colorful vocabulary. Made a few references to Serendipity's breasts. And then, when they started fighting with you..."
"Eh, this is getting boring," the once-angel said, turning away from the scene. Death suspected he'd lost his taste for the gore, but kept her thoughts to herself. Loki scowled a bit, and then turned to look at her. "You think I'll get to see him again?"
Death shrugged lightly. "That depends on a lot of things. Mostly whether or not he succeeds."
Loki nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Still. We've been through a lot of shit over the past few thousands of years. I'd like to see him again. Somewhere." His form was starting to fade. "Guess I can hope, right? Though I feel bad rooting against him."
"It's never wrong to hope." She waved. "It was fun working with you, Loki."
Loki cracked a grin. "Yeah. Good times." Like the Cheshire Cat, his grin was the last thing to fade away.
The light smile lingered back on her lips. "He hoped he would see you again. Somewhere."
From: i_watch Date: 05/01/2006 14:09:56
If he thought about it the right way, then that was very comforting. Loki wanted to see him again. That meant (could mean) that he forgave him. Maybe Loki understood what had happened in that moment. If he did then he'd understand more than Bartleby, for he wasn't even sure anymore of where his mind had been during that moment.
Of course, it could have also meant that Loki simply wanted to see him to enact some sort of revenge. Anything was possible.
He was staring at the ground now, trying to keep the emotion from his face. He didn't want to seem hopeful or distressed in front of Death. Not when she was so good at keeping her emotion in check, if she even had any to keep in check in the first place.
"He always liked Serendipity. Couldn't really do anything about it, but he liked her," Bartleby said, still looking down. He bit his lip and took in a shakey breath. "He's the only one I know who'd still be joking around after his best friend had killed him. He was..." He trailed off, shaking his head.
A few moments passed and Bartleby tried to banish Loki's grinning face from his mind. "Thanks. Don't know how I'm supposed to take him wanting to see me again, but... could be a good thing. I want it to bed. I'd give anything to see him again. He... deserves a shitload more than an appology."
From: i_amjustme Date: 05/01/2006 18:34:28
Death only smiled, and shrugged her shoulders. She'd heard this a lot. Sometimes she wondered where the souls went. But a long, long time ago she'd realized that no matter what, they got what they thought they deserved. Even the ones who knew they were evil, and delighted in their evil acts knew, down in the center of their very souls, that they would be punished for their sins one day. Those who truly believed they were doing good, got their rewards.
Bartleby and Loki were oddities in that respect. They had been banned from Heaven. But it was where they felt they belonged. Didi didn't think any alternative would suit them, but withint their Creator's word, they'd never reach their rightful place. She thought that perhaps, in a few more centuries, they might have been allowed. Or perhaps even after these events. But instead, Bartleby had ended up here, and Loki...
They'd be seeing a lot of each other, yes. Bartleby was just going to hope that it was over the souls of others and not his own.
He found it a little odd that she'd want to talk to him again, but didn't say anything to that effect. Her wave was responded to with a nod of the head. And then once she was gone, Bartleby touched the knife at his side before spreading his wings and taking off towards the sky.