(no subject)

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

In the bar, an angel is moving.

He might have been sitting, still as a statue and pale as one, in the corner.

Or he might have come in by the door.

Xas has learned to blend, after so long a time wingless.

He stops by the bar, laying one hand on the surface lightly, almost wonderingly. And then he orders a glass of wine, white, and tasting delicately of fruit.

And then he finds an empty booth and sits, sipping his drink lazily and watching the people go by.

Xas has made quite a study of them, over the years, after all. Humans, that is. Possibly it's time for him to broaden his horizons.

Comments

[samael-diablo.livejournal.com]

There's a very short - smoothly covered - moment of hesitation before Lucifer walks over and slides into the booth, setting his coffee down.

"You found it again, I see. Or did you never leave?"

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

Xas startles, as evidenced by the slight widening of his eyes, and the tightening of his hand on the stem of his glass.

There is a moment where he merely looks at Lucifer, open and slightly confused. He looks down at the wine for a moment, then back up. The confusion is gone, for the most part.

"I left. And then I came back. It is--"

He pauses for a moment, reflectively.

"--not so open here. I like that."

[samael-diablo.livejournal.com]

"Open in what way?"

Relaxed, this time. Oh so casual. If you looked very, very closely you'd see to what extent the casualness is forced, but not many could see that far.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

"It's hard to see distance, here."

He pauses, biting his lip.

"Some of it is doubtless because of the walls. But some of it is because of that."

And he gestures to the window, outside of which the universe is ending in vast explosions of color.

"It's an interesting kind of certainty."

[samael-diablo.livejournal.com]

"Certainty in destruction?"

Lucifer smiles a little and looks at the window.

"Most here have become immune to it. All will end. Not the kind of damning fatalism that one wants to keep close."

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

"Wanting has little to do with things, on occasion."

He traces the bottom of his glass with his pinky.

"Though it might disprove your theory."

Xas is apparently still having trouble keeping this Lucifer separate from his.

[samael-diablo.livejournal.com]

"You're right. But denial is a wonderful human trait."

Solely human? Of course not.

"Theory?" he asks patiently, prepared for this conversation to be little more than a game of question-and-answer. Unavoidable, considering everything.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

"Yes. You are, if I remember right, very fond of theories. They are usually interesting."

There is another pause.

"Earth is a distillery, you said. And Purgatory, too. Because God is collecting elements to use to create his own world."

He takes another sip of his wine, watching Lucifer curiously as he does so.

[samael-diablo.livejournal.com]

Lucifer puts down the cup, holding Xas' gaze.

Almost half a minute goes by.

"Because the current one is such a success," he says finally. His voice is like the wine he sometimes drinks; smooth, with bitterness dancing on the edge of the tongue. Xas would know the taste.

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

"Good evening"

From the guy in black with Tea.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

"Hello."

Xas looks at him, and takes a sip of wine.

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

"New here?"

A curious boy, our Tim.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

"New enough, possibly."

He holds out his hand.

"Niall Cayley."

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

"Tim."

And Tim shakes said hand.

"You're one of the Host?"

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

Xas merely looks curious.

"The host? Like the body of Christ?"

[timsbooks.livejournal.com]

"As in Heavenly."

But there's a grin.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

"Wouldn't that require wings?"

Xas does not flinch.

[buriedmybrother.livejournal.com]

Antigone, who is well-accustomed to watching people go by, smiles faintly at him as she passes.

Call it fellow-feeling.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

He nods in return, smile growing just slightly broader.

"Join me? I like company."

[buriedmybrother.livejournal.com]

She halts, a puzzled frown on her face.

Odd sort of request.

"All right," she says after a moment, slowly taking a seat opposite him.

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

"Do you know this place very well? I confess I've had many hints as to what it is, but few straight answers."

[buriedmybrother.livejournal.com]

That seems to explain some things to her.

"I've been here for some time," she replies quietly.

"What have they told you?"

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

"I've seen the window."

He gestures, but doesn't look at it.

"And I've been told a predisposition to violence and exhibitionism are not the most useful traits, here."

[buriedmybrother.livejournal.com]

"Funny way to put it," she says wryly, glancing where his eyes don't go.

It sort of ... stops her, sometimes, that view. Only when she pays attention, as she does now, but still ...

"It's the end."

[shall-go-free.livejournal.com]

"It is. And it is very beautiful. And I don't want to watch it precisely because of that."

His whole body has gone very still.