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Post by Youko on May 13, 2011 1:59:44 GMT -8
"Part of it," he replied before he went silent. Katsu wasn't sure what to think about the apology. Why would anyone apologize for someone else's choices? It didn't make sense. He watched as the angel picked up the pot and began outside. With nothing else better to do, the priest followed him. It was a beautiful day, if not a bit warm out. The brunette peered up at the sky as he stepped outside just behind the other. It had been a long time since he'd been around another person that he could just talk with. It was sort of nice.
His shielded gaze drifted back to the man before he gestured to the area he wanted the flowers. The spot was somewhat bare and he had been meaning to get some flowers for it. He just didn't have the time or funds yet. Katsu adverted his eyes to the ground as the angel continued. He wasn't all that surprised by the explanation. Or 'secret' as he put it. Somehow the priest knew that it was true regardless of if the other told him or not. Why else would people live the way they did? There was no fear of hell anymore, or not much anyway. He lifted his head and watched as the other began to dig and loosen the soil. Why was he doing that? Katsu decided not to ask.
The priest watched with a slightly entranced expression as the angel revealed his wings. Sure, he had seen them before, but not in so much light. Katsu felt the sudden urge to run his fingers though the soft, slightly dirty, looking feathers, but he restrained himself. It wouldn't be polite in the least. After a few moments, he offered the other a small smile, "I've noticed," he commented lightly before he approached the taller man and crouched down beside him to help, using his hands, "But it's what makes the world go 'round, I'm afraid. Thus my reason for living in such a secluded spot. I don't like watching people destroy themselves." He glanced up at the angel before turning his attention back to the task at hand, "Am I delusional?"
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Post by sofakingqueer on May 13, 2011 22:57:34 GMT -8
Dante scooped out the dirt from the hole he'd just dug and carefully removed the petunias from their plastic pot and gently massaged the hard dirt clumped around the roots. When it was loosened he set it into the flowerbed and packed the dirt around it, looking at Katsu and shrugging. "I don't think it's delusional. You're actually acutely aware of how much the world sucks." Dante smirked and finished patting down the dirt and paused before deciding to pull some of the small weeds beginning to pop up in the flowerbed, easily getting absorbed by the monotonous work. "The world is a shitty place, and seclusion isn't the worst possible thing you could do. It's not like I live my life much differently than you." Okay, Dante lived his life very differently. "As far as the whole avoiding society in general thing, I mean. Right now I live just in a rundown flat in the city. I don't go out, I don't socialize. I just do my job and go home..." and drink a small voice added but Dante stifled it. So what if he drank? He'd started drinking after Elijah died. Well, drinking heavily, becoming dependent on it to alter his reality and sometimes remove him from it completely. Dante looked over his shoulder at the forest, then up at the sun, shielding his eyes a little bit. "To be honest, people have been destroying themselves since the beginning of time. Trust me; I was there first hand. And I used to live like you. I used to live in monasteries with monks who did nothing but brew beer and create music. They were men of God, but they were happy. They didn't do mission work. They didn't exhaust themselves trying to save souls. They simply preserved their own happiness and lived their own Heaven on Earth and, in the end, live an eternal life in Heaven." Dante suddenly found himself taken back to those monasteries. They were much like this, up in the mountains, deep in forests and away from everything. He and Elijah would live with the monks who happily took them in. They were used to the ethereal sort, welcoming angels of all rankings within the holy legion to their home. They gave them beer, they gave them beds and food and water and a home on Earth. Those were good days. Those were happy memories. Dante felt a warm shudder and looked around, then at Katsu. He wondered... "Katsu...do you think...would it be possible if I stayed here, with you, for a while?" The words were out of his mouth before he'd fully thought them through, but once they were out he liked the sound of them even more. It sounded lovely, to be quite honest. There was something about being in the warm garden, outdoors and able to stretch his wings without fear of death or worse. He felt safe here, safer than he had in a very, very long time.
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Post by Youko on May 14, 2011 4:10:59 GMT -8
Katsu glanced at the angel thoughtfully, his hands paused in the movement of pulling up weeds. So the other didn't think he was delusional? The priest turned his attention back to the small weeds as his movements continued. He knew that there was no way to really compare their lives, no matter how much one wanted it to be different, they was no way that a human priest and an angel such as the one beside him, would live the same sort of life. Despite how much he enjoyed living in seclusion, he was so very lonely. It was difficult to be completely alone for the majority of the week, but it had been like this for years.
There seemed to be nothing more for him to do with the small flower bed without getting the tools needed, so he sat in the grass and peered at the angel with an expression that gave away his interest in whatever the other had to say. Katsu absently wondered how the angel had ended up at the church of all places, if he didn't go out other then work? Perhaps he had been on the job just before he nearly drowned in the pond? The brunette didn't really want to ask.
The thoughtful expression returned as the other continued. Katsu could sit there and listen to the angel speak for hours on end, though he couldn't exactly place what was so appealing about his voice. It was unusual for him to like things about people. Sure, he liked people, but he never noticed anything specific things to like. The young man shook his head mentally before he adverted his eyes once again. It was rude to stare, and that's what he had been doing. The words spoken seemed to melt into him like a deep truth of the past, one that he was already aware of. Truth be told, he fashioned his life more off of the monks of old then modern priests. He liked it better. He didn't need to try and impress anyone this way. Katsu was sure that no more then twenty people even knew he existed and he preferred it that way.
A light shiver went down his spine when the elder man spoke his name, it was the first time Katsu heard him say it. What an odd reaction. Pushing that to the back of his mind, he turned his attention to the angel. Amber eyes watched calmly though glaring lenses. The request caught the priest completely off guard. His eyes widened in shock as his mouth nearly dropped open. Shaking off the shock, Katsu considered. "I... suppose you can," he replied after a long while, "you would probably be more free to... be yourself here then in the city."
The priest stood calmly, "I suppose that I wouldn't mind the company either." He murmured as he turned to go back into the church. It was too hot to remain outside in the long, heavy, black priest's clothing. Maybe he should find something lighter?
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Post by sofakingqueer on May 14, 2011 12:58:49 GMT -8
"Yeah," Dante sighed. "It's...constricting in the city. I have to stay indoors for the most part. If people were to find an angel amongst them..." Dante had a flash back to the Sodom and Gommorah. God had burned the city, destroyed it with fire, wind and floods. An angel had been found, and the citizens of Sodom dragged him to be raped. People from both cities came for the sacrifice of the angel. It was then that God intervened, destroying the cities in rage to punish his children. Dante shuddered. "Sodom and Gommorah were not inherently evil cities. Any city would do the same these days." Dante snorted and shook his head, standing up and stretching, his wings snapping open and spreading wide, the feathers vibrating as his muscles shivered. "I think God would kill me himself if I was responsible for another breakdown in civilization." He almost laughed, but at the same time his eyes were dark with the memory. He'd been grabbed by his hair and dragged, kicking and screaming, his wings stomped and broken, one even torn from his body. He shivered at the memory of how the socket felt being broken and ripped from his skin. He unconsciously flexed his wings. Dante would never admit it, but he would enjoy the company, too. How long had it been since he'd talked this much? Years? Decades? Since Elijah died, definitely. He used to lay awake with Elijah, wrapped in each others arms and talking for hours. And Elijah could make him laugh, the most beautiful sound in the world. Dante felt a headache coming on and a small spell of dizziness, and without the slightest bit of shame knelt down and picked up his leather jacket and pulled out the metal flask of whiskey. He took a long hard pull of it and put it away and lit up another cigarette.
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Post by Youko on May 15, 2011 1:06:08 GMT -8
The brunette paused in the doorway to glance at the angel with a faint frown. For a moment he merely watched the elder man; he could almost see a dark shadow that surrounded the other, but that was merely a trick of the eye. There was nothing special about the priest. At least he didn't think so. Katsu knew very well what people would do if they found an angel amongst them. Humanity wasn't as it used to be. Suddenly the brunette knew that he was different. Katsu never once thought that anything was too out of place. It seemed just like a normal fact to him. Angels exist amongst humans. it was just obvious for him.
It was a moment later when the priest spoke softly, "You can stay as long as you like," he murmured, though he knew the other could hear him, "you wont be found out here." With that said, he re-entered the church. Katsu was well aware of what happened in Sodom and Gommorah. While he was studying to be a priest, he had momentarily become obsessed with what had happened in those cities. He hadn't really thought of why he had grown slightly obsessed with that, he merely assumed that he didn't want to repeat anything that had caused the cities destruction. Now he had a faint idea of why he was even interested, not that he would say this aloud.
When he returned, he was dressed in slightly lighter clothing. A plain white collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of black slacks. It was rare for anyone to see him dressed in anything other then the priests' garb, but he didn't seem to mind if the angel saw. It wasn't as if he were wearing anything specifically revealing.
"I have one favor to ask. If you must smoke, please don't do it inside the church." He said as he eyed the cigarette with a disapproving expression. He said nothing about the drinking, however. Yet.
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Post by sofakingqueer on May 15, 2011 12:36:53 GMT -8
Dante stayed outside, for the first time in a long time enjoying sunshine and fresh, clean air. He paused. He was actually enjoying something. Had that...I mean...had that every really happened? Since Elijah, what was the last thing he'd found pleasure in that wasn't death, alcohol, or drugs? He couldn't properly remember. Dante frowned and began to walk around slowly, smoking his cigarette and touring the garden. He saw a large rose bush and paused, snapping off a few dead leaves and caressing the deep crimson petals. He leaned in to capture their fragrant scent before he continued to walk. So he wasn't allowed to smoke inside, eh? Well...that sucked. Dante frowned a little but decided to let it go, instead finishing his cigarette and going inside. His wings were loose behind him, his long flight feathers brushing the ground as he walked around the sanctuary, chapel, and monastery. There were a couple extra bedrooms, including the one Dante had slept in the night before. He walked in and looked around, dropping his coat on the chair and taking in the simple surroundings. There was something...soothing about the simplicity. The silence that surrounded him allowed his nerves to settle, a balm for the wound that had been festering amongst the city smog and noise of screaming, talking, cars, horns, trains, and airplanes taking off over his apartment. He liked this silence. He liked this peace. He took another shot of whiskey and wiped his mouth before he walked out of the bedroom and began to explore. When he found himself in the sanctuary, surrounded by hundreds of candles, he closed his eyes and tilted his head back. There were few places on Earth, and few churches, he could truly feel were holy. This happened to be one of them. He was a little taken aback, but he took a moment to bask in the familiar feeling. He spread his wings and the room shivered before all of the candles lit simultaneously. Dante smiled and looked around, his expression softened and his eyes at last a little warm. Dante, he felt a commanding voice, one he recognized. His general. "Yes Michael?" he answered, raising an eyebrow. Instantly he was hit with an onslaught of images, terrible things, and a vision of the future. Find him, Dante. "Yes, sir," Dante answered. He left the sanctuary and the candles extinguished. "Katsu?" he called, looking around the open chapel. He went back to his room to grab his coat and walked outside, where he found Katsu in the garden. "Katsu, I have an assignment. I will return." With that, Dante disappeared from the spot.
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Post by Youko on May 16, 2011 5:39:25 GMT -8
Katsu watched calmly as the angel left the garden and began to explore the area. He couldn't help the small smile that formed on his lips at the sight. Inside, the priest was happy that the other asked if he could stay. Where as he enjoyed the solitude that came with living so far away from any city or town, it was terribly lonely. Not that he would ever admit that aloud. Not any time soon at least. There were several things about the brunette that the angel didn't know quite yet, as well as things that the priest didn't know about the angel. Like his name. Katsu figured he would have to ask for it eventually.
Hidden amber orbs turned to peer at the petunia's thoughtfully. A slightly warm feeling filled him as he knelt in front of them. Whatever had possessed the angel to get the flowers for him, Katsu silently thanked it. The soft smile returned as he gently caressed one of the petals. It would be nice to have company and even a little help with the tasks needed to keep the church in repair. There were some things that Katsu just couldn't do that needed to be done. And he never had the funds to hire someone to help him out. Maybe the other would be willing to? With a shrug, the priest stood to servery the work he had done earlier in the day. There was nothing left to be done for the time being.
The brunette jumped slightly the other's appearance, was he that deep in thought?, before he nodded in agreement. He watched as the angel disappeared, a slightly confused expression forming on his pale features. He could have just left, but instead he let the priest know that he was leaving. This somewhat touched Katsu.
As soon as he gathered himself, he made his way back into the living quarters. He needed to finish his laundry. And while he was at it, he would prepare a room for the angel to stay in. No one else had lived there in so long, all of the spare bedrooms were in severe need of cleaning. So after placing the laundry into the old dryer, he tied a plain white apron around his waist and set to work. It would take hours before he actually finished preparing the room. He silently hoped that the other wouldn't return until after he finished.
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Post by sofakingqueer on May 25, 2011 22:03:29 GMT -8
His name was Chris Turner. He was a man who seemed to think women were there for his taking. It didn't matter if they were married, had a job, kids, or had barely reached puberty. Actually, he preferred them that way. If he thought they were attractive he would find them and pin them to the bed, the floor, a wall, and force himself on them. Too many wombs he'd raped empty. Too many necks he'd left bruised. Too many souls broken. He was the lowest scum of the Earth. And quite frankly God and Michael had had enough of him. So they'd sent the order to Dante to do his job, which he did well. He found Chris wandering the streets of Portland. He hung around for a while, watching the man bar hop, crossing streets and standing around in alleyways, smoking cigarettes. Dante thought about it for a while, not usually one to make these deaths personal but this one...this one warranted it. It took a disgusting human being to elicit emotional reaction from Dante, but this one did. Maybe it was the image Michael gave him of this man forcing himself on his niece on her ninth birthday. Or the time he raped a single mother of two, already pregnant with her third child after being beaten and raped by her ex husband. Dante followed the man out of town as he followed a girl who was walking home from her shift at the local McDonalds. And then as he neared the train tracks he tripped, falling, unable to get up with his foot lodged firmly between two railroad tied. The ground started to vibrate as a train began to thunder down the tracks. The man was stranded, the curve of his back over the tracks. How fitting, Dante thought. Sever his weapon from his body for the rest of his life. Dante stood off to the side, standing there with his wings spread in full view of the man as he screamed for help, screaming at Dante as he watched the train barrel towards him and realized that nobody was going to help him. After his body had been strewn across the tracks and his body mangled beyond repair and his soul fled to Hell where it would pay penance for its wrong doings, Dante spread his wings and took flight. He flew for a while, safely camouflaged in the darkness of the night and able to fly as he wished. He soared slowly for a while before deciding he simply wanted to be home. Well, at the monastery. Odd how quickly he was able to associate the word home to that. Dante shook the thought out of his head and took two powerful downstrokes with his wings before he was simply gone, arriving late in the evening outside the monastery. The sky had long since gone black, lit only with a few stars, the moon hidden. Dante took a moment to light up, pacing back and forth in the garden, remember that Katsu wanted him to only smoke outside. What a pain in the ass.
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