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thirtyforthree again, this time for Kira Sakuya/Mudo Setsuna/Mudo Sara from Kaori Yuki's Angel Sanctuary. There will be spoilers in nearly every theme -- given the characters, it's nearly impossible to avoid them! -- and a lot of potentially objectionable content. This is because the source manga has a lot of potentially objectionable content. If incest squicks you, or you know you'll be bothered by some extremely strange and often negative interpretations of Judeo-Christian theology, you're probably better off not reading these stories.
With that said...
Theme: #14 - Forbidden
Warnings: spoilers
Note: Set way, way far pre-manga, so the name that looks like a typographic error? Is actually not, at least at this point in the canon timeline.
Also, I am making some speculations that, while not wild, are perhaps a bit of a stretch. There's no hard evidence against what I'm proposing, and there is canon evidence that at some point Jibril came to conclusions not terribly out of line with what I've written here, but the time at which she reached those conclusions, and exactly how far she traveled along certain lines of thought, is very much up in the air. So... work with me here, okay? *hopeful smile*
---------------------------------------------
The Transient and the Eternal: Forbidden
---------------------------------------------
Nobody precisely sent out search parties, but after Michael's grumbling reached epic levels, the other elemental guardians quietly directed their subordinates to keep an eye out for Lucifel: in the practice grounds, the slums, or some isolated wilderness, most likely. The last place Jibril expected to find him was in her private gardens a bare hour past dawn. He sat in one of the willows, a splash of shadow against pastel colors, staring at a small marble fountain.
Jibril stepped off the path, her skirts dragging through the dew-drenched grass, and rested her hand against the tree. "Hello," she said. "It's been a while since you visited -- do you like what I've done with the landscaping?"
Lucifel nodded, apparently lost in thought. His gray eyes were narrowed and his hands clenched tightly against the branch on which he sat.
"I hear that God summoned you to his presence recently," Jibril said, trying not to sound too curious.
He frowned as he studied her, faint and chill -- Jibril did her best to meet his eyes steadily -- and then his mouth twisted wryly. "Rumors are the penalty of fame. Yes, I was summoned."
"And?"
Lucifel turned away. "And I will have to think closely about what I learned, as well as... other things."
Something in his voice, nearly hidden by his habitual indifference, caught Jibril's attention. If she didn't know better, she'd swear Lucifel was interested in someone -- but surely not. If he had ever felt emotions beyond well-concealed anger and contempt, she would... she would confess undying love to Michael, that's what she'd do.
"Jibril?" Lucifel was looking at her again, his gray eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"What do you think of love?" she asked abruptly. They played this game sometimes, tossing philosophy back and forth, fighting with words since she had no skill with swords and Lucifel only noticed people who offered a challenge. If she could drain some of his aggression now, he would be less likely to hurt Michael when he went home. And there was something thrilling about being the focus of Lucifel's attention.
He was silent for a long moment, and then said, slowly, "God has proclaimed love among angels a sin -- we must care equally for all and specially for none. Yet he made us capable of particular love, while dispassionate love hardly seems worthy of the name 'love' at all." He tilted his head. "What do you suppose Michael feels for me?"
Jibril shrugged, mimicking his indifference. "Awe. Jealousy. Hatred. Love."
"Does God punish Michael for that?"
"Michael punishes himself," Jibril said dryly. She changed her approach. "Lucifel. What did God say to you, and who else did you see in Atziluth?"
Lucifel leapt down from the tree, four wings snapping open and sweeping forward to wrap Jibril in a cloak of feathers. "You're too clever for your own good. What God told me will remain my secret for now, but as for the other... What do you know of Alexiel?"
Jibril took a steadying breath, all too conscious of his power and the sword at his side, but determined not to show fear before Michael's unpredictable brother. "She's Rosiel's twin, her title is Organic Angel, she has three wings, and she lives in the Garden of Eden and speaks to no one. I saw her once when I was very young, when we brought you and Michael out of Atziluth. She seemed sad." She looked up and caught Lucifel's eyes. "What is she like?"
"When I left God's presence," Lucifel said, his expression gone distant again, "I flew over the garden and saw her eating fruit. I thought to kill her as repayment for God's orders, but she snatched my sword from my hand. She could have killed me in a heartbeat. Instead, she let me live. She's a tempered blade, lightning made flesh, yet she wears her hair long and loose, and something in her eyes is so..." He shuddered. "Heaven is rotten. Heaven has been rotting since its creation, and nobody is willing to face the truth."
Jibril touched Lucifel's arm, lightly, trying to draw him back. "What did God tell you, Lucifel?" She was afraid of the answer.
"Michael is not the dark enemy," Lucifel said, his voice hard and ice-cold. "I am. God made me to be evil, so that humans and angels will have a perfect example of both their eternal choices. I am to be lawless, base, and incapable of love by either definition. I am to lead a rebellion against God, fight Michael, and be cast down into hell." His wings tightened around Jibril and his power sang through the air, electric against her skin. "I would fight anyway, knowing that he planned this, that he created heaven to be corrupt and gave us laws we cannot follow -- but he wants me to fight. How can I rebel when rebellion only follows his plan?"
Abruptly, Lucifel seemed to realize the magnitude of what he had confessed; he seized Jibril's hands. "Tell no one." The consequences of disobedience were implicit in his voice and eyes; he would destroy her if she tried to fight. Her position as water guardian might save her life for a few hours while he found a replacement to take stewardship of her element, but she had no illusions about their relative strengths or his nonexistent mercy.
"I'll keep silent," Jibril promised.
Lucifel studied her, and then nodded. "Good. Will you join me?"
She hesitated. God was the creator, all-knowing, benevolent. It was her duty and glory to serve him. But this plan, to tear away Lucifel's free will on a whim...
"I can't," Jibril said, bowing her head. "I have responsibilities here, and--"
"--and it might be useful for a rebel to have a friend among the high angels," Lucifel finished for her, releasing her hands.
Jibril looked up, wondering why he hadn't jumped to the opposite conclusion. Lucifel smiled, the chill, faint twitch of his lips that seemed as close as he could come to affection. "Why are you surprised? We fence with words often enough that I know the flow of your thoughts. Besides, someone will have to keep my brother in line once I'm gone. Baal will be no use -- the fool is infatuated with me -- but if you, Raphael, and Uriel work together, you may stop Michael from doing anything too rash.
"Perhaps this is part of God's plan as well, but even so, even if I'm doomed before I start, I swear that someday I'll pull him down from his throne and kill him." Lucifel's hand drifted to the hilt of his sword and he smiled again, nothing but hatred and ice. God had named him the dark enemy; this smile was a declaration of war.
Jibril shivered.
"Afraid, Jibril? The world won't end with God's death. He wouldn't take such pains binding us if he had nothing to fear." Lucifel pulled back his wings; the sudden rush of sunlight blinded Jibril for a moment. "Until I find a way to reach him, though, I'll settle for dramatic gestures. He wants a rebellion and a battle. I'll give him one, but set to my own script. Then I'll open his doors and let his prisoners free. None of us have reason to love him: not you, not I, nor yet Alexiel."
Alexiel again. Jibril had never seen anyone linger this way in Lucifel's thoughts, let alone affect his decisions. Was their meeting in Eden part of God's plan, to distract his chosen enemy? Did God know Lucifel that well? If he did, any rebellion was doomed from conception.
"I'll help where I can," Jibril said, "but please be careful. If you die, who else has the power to challenge heaven?" Her fingers twitched; with anyone else, she would have laid a friendly hand on a shoulder or offered a hug, but Lucifel repelled touch and empathy. No one pierced his walls, not even his twin.
"Your concern is misplaced," Lucifel told her. "I have nothing to fear; God wants me alive, and he'll restrain his servants. You, however, will have to tread a narrow, treacherous path if you mean to be my agent. I wouldn't trust anyone else in that position."
Jibril bowed her head again. "Lucifel..."
"Thank you. And stay alive."
As Lucifel turned and took flight, Jibril thought she saw a spark of warmth in his pale, ice-gray eyes -- warmth, where there should have been nothing but anger and pride. He had thanked her. He had acknowledged her. Something in him had changed.
Was that Alexiel? Perhaps she hadn't been wrong when she'd thought Lucifel might be interested in someone. Perhaps Rosiel's mysterious twin had managed to chip a crack through the ice around Lucifel's heart. And if God intended Lucifel to be incapable of love, then perhaps his plan was not as perfect a trap as he thought.
Treacherous hope blossomed in Jibril's soul.
---------------------------------------------
End
---------------------------------------------
A rough draft of this ficlet is posted here onthirtyforthree. (This version is the beta draft; I revised it to clarify character motivations.)
---------------------------------------------
Am very tired and really wish I could take a two week vacation from my life. This is not a good sign. Therefore, I must make an extra effort to be cheerful and smile and talk to people over the next few days.
I can head off depressive episodes without medication (am very, VERY lucky that way, and I know it!) but only if I'm paying attention and I'm willing to work at it.
Fortunately, both conditions apply. :-D
thirtyforthree again, this time for Kira Sakuya/Mudo Setsuna/Mudo Sara from Kaori Yuki's Angel Sanctuary. There will be spoilers in nearly every theme -- given the characters, it's nearly impossible to avoid them! -- and a lot of potentially objectionable content. This is because the source manga has a lot of potentially objectionable content. If incest squicks you, or you know you'll be bothered by some extremely strange and often negative interpretations of Judeo-Christian theology, you're probably better off not reading these stories.With that said...
Theme: #14 - Forbidden
Warnings: spoilers
Note: Set way, way far pre-manga, so the name that looks like a typographic error? Is actually not, at least at this point in the canon timeline.
Also, I am making some speculations that, while not wild, are perhaps a bit of a stretch. There's no hard evidence against what I'm proposing, and there is canon evidence that at some point Jibril came to conclusions not terribly out of line with what I've written here, but the time at which she reached those conclusions, and exactly how far she traveled along certain lines of thought, is very much up in the air. So... work with me here, okay? *hopeful smile*
---------------------------------------------
The Transient and the Eternal: Forbidden
---------------------------------------------
Nobody precisely sent out search parties, but after Michael's grumbling reached epic levels, the other elemental guardians quietly directed their subordinates to keep an eye out for Lucifel: in the practice grounds, the slums, or some isolated wilderness, most likely. The last place Jibril expected to find him was in her private gardens a bare hour past dawn. He sat in one of the willows, a splash of shadow against pastel colors, staring at a small marble fountain.
Jibril stepped off the path, her skirts dragging through the dew-drenched grass, and rested her hand against the tree. "Hello," she said. "It's been a while since you visited -- do you like what I've done with the landscaping?"
Lucifel nodded, apparently lost in thought. His gray eyes were narrowed and his hands clenched tightly against the branch on which he sat.
"I hear that God summoned you to his presence recently," Jibril said, trying not to sound too curious.
He frowned as he studied her, faint and chill -- Jibril did her best to meet his eyes steadily -- and then his mouth twisted wryly. "Rumors are the penalty of fame. Yes, I was summoned."
"And?"
Lucifel turned away. "And I will have to think closely about what I learned, as well as... other things."
Something in his voice, nearly hidden by his habitual indifference, caught Jibril's attention. If she didn't know better, she'd swear Lucifel was interested in someone -- but surely not. If he had ever felt emotions beyond well-concealed anger and contempt, she would... she would confess undying love to Michael, that's what she'd do.
"Jibril?" Lucifel was looking at her again, his gray eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"What do you think of love?" she asked abruptly. They played this game sometimes, tossing philosophy back and forth, fighting with words since she had no skill with swords and Lucifel only noticed people who offered a challenge. If she could drain some of his aggression now, he would be less likely to hurt Michael when he went home. And there was something thrilling about being the focus of Lucifel's attention.
He was silent for a long moment, and then said, slowly, "God has proclaimed love among angels a sin -- we must care equally for all and specially for none. Yet he made us capable of particular love, while dispassionate love hardly seems worthy of the name 'love' at all." He tilted his head. "What do you suppose Michael feels for me?"
Jibril shrugged, mimicking his indifference. "Awe. Jealousy. Hatred. Love."
"Does God punish Michael for that?"
"Michael punishes himself," Jibril said dryly. She changed her approach. "Lucifel. What did God say to you, and who else did you see in Atziluth?"
Lucifel leapt down from the tree, four wings snapping open and sweeping forward to wrap Jibril in a cloak of feathers. "You're too clever for your own good. What God told me will remain my secret for now, but as for the other... What do you know of Alexiel?"
Jibril took a steadying breath, all too conscious of his power and the sword at his side, but determined not to show fear before Michael's unpredictable brother. "She's Rosiel's twin, her title is Organic Angel, she has three wings, and she lives in the Garden of Eden and speaks to no one. I saw her once when I was very young, when we brought you and Michael out of Atziluth. She seemed sad." She looked up and caught Lucifel's eyes. "What is she like?"
"When I left God's presence," Lucifel said, his expression gone distant again, "I flew over the garden and saw her eating fruit. I thought to kill her as repayment for God's orders, but she snatched my sword from my hand. She could have killed me in a heartbeat. Instead, she let me live. She's a tempered blade, lightning made flesh, yet she wears her hair long and loose, and something in her eyes is so..." He shuddered. "Heaven is rotten. Heaven has been rotting since its creation, and nobody is willing to face the truth."
Jibril touched Lucifel's arm, lightly, trying to draw him back. "What did God tell you, Lucifel?" She was afraid of the answer.
"Michael is not the dark enemy," Lucifel said, his voice hard and ice-cold. "I am. God made me to be evil, so that humans and angels will have a perfect example of both their eternal choices. I am to be lawless, base, and incapable of love by either definition. I am to lead a rebellion against God, fight Michael, and be cast down into hell." His wings tightened around Jibril and his power sang through the air, electric against her skin. "I would fight anyway, knowing that he planned this, that he created heaven to be corrupt and gave us laws we cannot follow -- but he wants me to fight. How can I rebel when rebellion only follows his plan?"
Abruptly, Lucifel seemed to realize the magnitude of what he had confessed; he seized Jibril's hands. "Tell no one." The consequences of disobedience were implicit in his voice and eyes; he would destroy her if she tried to fight. Her position as water guardian might save her life for a few hours while he found a replacement to take stewardship of her element, but she had no illusions about their relative strengths or his nonexistent mercy.
"I'll keep silent," Jibril promised.
Lucifel studied her, and then nodded. "Good. Will you join me?"
She hesitated. God was the creator, all-knowing, benevolent. It was her duty and glory to serve him. But this plan, to tear away Lucifel's free will on a whim...
"I can't," Jibril said, bowing her head. "I have responsibilities here, and--"
"--and it might be useful for a rebel to have a friend among the high angels," Lucifel finished for her, releasing her hands.
Jibril looked up, wondering why he hadn't jumped to the opposite conclusion. Lucifel smiled, the chill, faint twitch of his lips that seemed as close as he could come to affection. "Why are you surprised? We fence with words often enough that I know the flow of your thoughts. Besides, someone will have to keep my brother in line once I'm gone. Baal will be no use -- the fool is infatuated with me -- but if you, Raphael, and Uriel work together, you may stop Michael from doing anything too rash.
"Perhaps this is part of God's plan as well, but even so, even if I'm doomed before I start, I swear that someday I'll pull him down from his throne and kill him." Lucifel's hand drifted to the hilt of his sword and he smiled again, nothing but hatred and ice. God had named him the dark enemy; this smile was a declaration of war.
Jibril shivered.
"Afraid, Jibril? The world won't end with God's death. He wouldn't take such pains binding us if he had nothing to fear." Lucifel pulled back his wings; the sudden rush of sunlight blinded Jibril for a moment. "Until I find a way to reach him, though, I'll settle for dramatic gestures. He wants a rebellion and a battle. I'll give him one, but set to my own script. Then I'll open his doors and let his prisoners free. None of us have reason to love him: not you, not I, nor yet Alexiel."
Alexiel again. Jibril had never seen anyone linger this way in Lucifel's thoughts, let alone affect his decisions. Was their meeting in Eden part of God's plan, to distract his chosen enemy? Did God know Lucifel that well? If he did, any rebellion was doomed from conception.
"I'll help where I can," Jibril said, "but please be careful. If you die, who else has the power to challenge heaven?" Her fingers twitched; with anyone else, she would have laid a friendly hand on a shoulder or offered a hug, but Lucifel repelled touch and empathy. No one pierced his walls, not even his twin.
"Your concern is misplaced," Lucifel told her. "I have nothing to fear; God wants me alive, and he'll restrain his servants. You, however, will have to tread a narrow, treacherous path if you mean to be my agent. I wouldn't trust anyone else in that position."
Jibril bowed her head again. "Lucifel..."
"Thank you. And stay alive."
As Lucifel turned and took flight, Jibril thought she saw a spark of warmth in his pale, ice-gray eyes -- warmth, where there should have been nothing but anger and pride. He had thanked her. He had acknowledged her. Something in him had changed.
Was that Alexiel? Perhaps she hadn't been wrong when she'd thought Lucifel might be interested in someone. Perhaps Rosiel's mysterious twin had managed to chip a crack through the ice around Lucifel's heart. And if God intended Lucifel to be incapable of love, then perhaps his plan was not as perfect a trap as he thought.
Treacherous hope blossomed in Jibril's soul.
---------------------------------------------
End
---------------------------------------------
A rough draft of this ficlet is posted here on
thirtyforthree. (This version is the beta draft; I revised it to clarify character motivations.)---------------------------------------------
Am very tired and really wish I could take a two week vacation from my life. This is not a good sign. Therefore, I must make an extra effort to be cheerful and smile and talk to people over the next few days.
I can head off depressive episodes without medication (am very, VERY lucky that way, and I know it!) but only if I'm paying attention and I'm willing to work at it.
Fortunately, both conditions apply. :-D
