morbid humor

dead pan jokes, man gabriel, the revealer, lover of silly string and long walks on the beach.

[gvbrixls-blog]

astaroth

astaroth: have you ever falsely accused someone?

“Look, if I’m gonna be calling someone out, I’m not going to do it blindly. If I’m taking someone down, I’m gonna make sure they stay there.”

[gvbrixls-blog]

abaddonian:

NOTHING

location: B01 date: june 24th, ~10pm. @gvbrixls​

Abaddon laughs when the floor crumbles and the keys jingle in her hands upon her landing. It’s a bastard of a universal constant, a tenet upon which her world is built upon these days: the sound of her laughter as it echoes, playful and ever-present like God’s and Lucifer’s omniscience. She coughs as the dust rises in a frenzy, before settling at its own pace, and she presses the back of her hand into her mouth, breathing deeply to catch her breath. It comes away black, but she’s too caught up in the hotel’s spectacle to pay it much mind.

Fitting the key into the lock, still clearing the blood and dust and yes, joy, from her throat, she opens the door to her room. 

Keep reading

Gabriel sat outside of her room for what felt like hours. She remembered the sound of Adon’s voice, but it wasn’t him. And it hurt too much to dwell on what he’d really sounded like, what he’d really said. His lips on hers... Other people had filtered out and Gabriel had simply stared at her dark footprint on the door- Until she’d heard the screaming, anyway.

It wasn’t as if she and Abaddon had had all that much interaction through the years. An angel and a demon; not the best of friends.

“…and another thing,” a voice slurred from the dark reaches of a cave in the face of Mexico’s mountains. It was just barely heard from the outside, a whisper in the wind. “Another thing.” Fingers curled into claws, knuckles white from pressure and, y’know, lack of blood. She was still bleeding, wasn’t she? The metallic tang rested on her tongue like a candy might, except disgusting and bitter and not at all like a candy, dammit. Candy would be far preferable. A dead rat would be far preferable to this. “Laughed in my face- Who does that? Just laughs at someone as they fall from the sky? Should call me Icarus-” A choked laugh, a pained groan, and a fresh influx of the scent of blood followed the angel’s words as she carefully dragged herself even further back into the cave.

Abaddon’s screams reminded Gabriel of her laughter.

It roused her from the depths of memories, from the taste of Adon’s lips. She stood, slowly, and her bare feet, blackened from a sticky goo, carried her to B01. Gabriel’s head tilted, watching it, and her hand carefully curled around the knob. What waited inside? Would she be dragged into Abaddon’s nightmare too? But Abaddon was screaming, and then she was quiet.

“A life for a life. A wing for a wing. A tooth for a tooth. An eye for an eye. I’m coming for you, Abaddon, and I won’t stop. Here’s the thing you need to remember about me; I don’t give up.”

Her hand carefully turned the knob, and watched as everything bled into white.

[lunar-butch-deactivated20160510]

"ask me about my demons"

lilith: what was your biggest rebellion against authority? why did you do it? raum: do you have a tendency to hoard anything? if so, what? jezebel: talk about a time you used your sexuality to get your way mephistopheles: have you ever helped  a loved one destroy themselves? verrier: do you find yourself disobeying or obeying most authority? asmodeus: on whom do you want revenge and how would you take it? baal: if you were a god, how would you prefer to be worshipped? lamia: how do you feel about children? lucifer: what are you most proud of? sonneillon: do you hate anyone? batibat: talk about the worst nightmare you have ever had abaddon: what person, place, or thing have you most wanted to destroy? belias: do you gossip? abraxas: do you believe in any higher power? if so, what? ornias: talk about a time where you felt drained of energy lix tetrax: if you could travel by wind, where would you go? astaroth: have you ever falsely accused someone? carreau: do you consider yourself compassionate or harsh to others? why? leviathan: what do you believe lies in the unexplored areas of the ocean? belphigor: if you could pick 3 forms to shapeshift into, what would they be? azazel: talk about a time when you were falsely blamed for something mammon: when were you most greedy? for what? verrith: are you a patient or impatient person? pythius: out of all the lies you have ever told, which is your favorite? berith: do you often argue with others?

[gvbrixls-blog]

saltwaterkezia:

Kezia couldn’t help the giggle that parted her lips. “I don’t see nothing wrong with a little bump and grind,” she said, quoting of all people R. Kelly. Her eyes drifted from the crowd on the dance floor to the candy clacking against the other woman’s teeth. “No fair,” she said, pointing. “I didn’t know there was candy. Where did you get the lollipop?” She was already a few drinks in and the only thing that sounded better than more alcohol was candy. Her head was still spinning, a little, with memories of the last lavish event she had attended.

The offer made Kezia laugh a little, bobbing her head in pretend thought. “Oh, what the hell?” she decided finally, offering her hand for the other woman. “Let’s show ‘em how it’s done, huh?”

“One thing that you’ll need to remember about me is that I always have candy.” Gabriel grinned, and produced one (seemingly from thin air, but really from her surprisingly deep pockets). She passed it off to the stranger with another grin, and when her hand was offered, Gabriel took it up and guided her out into the big middle of everybody and everything. Her hands were careful and respectful, not falling below the other’s waist, but her smile was quick and flirtatious. She still didn’t know everyone in the human scope of things in her little LA world.

“So, what brings you to this party?”

[animations-daily]

[gvbrixls-blog]

catastrophically-aware:

Maria tended not to dance unless Zoe insisted, leaving that to her girlfriend and her sister who were both far more coordinated than she was. Instead she sat at the bar and sipped some sort of concoction the bartender had presented with a flourish. It wasn’t half bad, considering she hadn’t looked at the menu and had instead instructed the man to surprise her. She looked over when Gabriel spoke, recognizing the voice instantly. When had she sat down? Maria really needed to pay better attention, but she’d been focused on tracking Zoe’s progress to the restroom. 

“I don’t know,” she replied dryly. “Last time we hung out I ended up pregnant. With what may or may not have been my father’s kid. Who is also my brother. I’m not super eager to repeat that experience.”

Gabriel wrinkled her nose up slowly, wondering at Maria’s words. She held up a finger, opened her mouth, and then closed it all at once. “You’re... Entirely right.” Gabriel chuckled softly, shaking her head a little. She leaned back in her chair, looking back out towards the dance floor. “Well, I’ve only ever purposefully gotten one person pregnant, and that was your sister, and we’re just not gonna talk about that. I promise to keep my potency to myself, kiddo. Come dance with me, keep me company.” Gabriel offered Maria a hand with a small smile. Maria was the easiest of the Trinity to stomach for her in this life, the one who remembered her as explicitly as any of the angels.

[msmarvel]

[gvbrixls-blog]

Date: June 24th, 2017 (around 7:45) Location: Hotel California (near the ballroom) Availability: open

The music had changed (at last), from the strange cover of Hotel California. People were dancing and living it up, and not even necessarily just people on either side of the religious split. Gabriel couldn’t understand what it was that could warrant an invitation to this place, but with all the alcohol flowing, she found that she really didn’t care. A lollipop stick parted her lips at the corner, and her expression was considering, with a glint of mischief in her eyes. She let out a fake sigh, lifting one hand to her cheek and leaning into it. “Isn’t it just so romantic, all the drinking and grinding happening out there? It’s supposed to be a high society sort of party and yet, there they are, getting it on in the middle of the dance floor.”

Gabriel fluttered her lashes at the person beside her, not quite caring who it was at this point. “Wanna join me out there?”

[willowleyton]

On a Dark Desert Highway

[gvbrixls-blog]

theprodigal:

Location: Hotel California - Bar Time: June 24, 2017 8pm

Lazarus knew better than to trust the facade before him. In his experience the prettiest places had a tendency to cover the darkest deeds, especially if said place could be put up in a matter of days or hours. The 1920s style opulence around him seemed to dare everyone to party like there was no tomorrow and, for all he knew, that was the intention. This Ms. Thomas was a mystery this event’s purpose was unknown. He stood up straighter, scanning the crowd for Naomi and Zoe. Events had a way of going badly for the two of them and just because this one had nothing to do with the churches, supposedly, didn’t mean wasn’t wary. 

With a sigh, he made his way to the bar. Forgoing the elaborate drink menu, he just smiled at the bartender, teasing, “Can I just get a red wine for now, please? And if you tell me you haven’t had that spirit here since 1969 and offer me pink champagne on ice, I’m going to have to leave.”

Gabriel wasn’t particularly looking for the company of her fellow angels, but she certainly didn’t want to spend time with the demons around. This place was familiar in so many ways, an echo of times gone by, and Gabriel thought of parties she’d attended like this, carrying messages for Adon. Of course, most of what they were wearing would’ve gotten them shot back in the day, and she was no exception. The archangel huffed quietly to herself, adjusting the collar of her shirt as she approached the bar. She needed a drink, and then she was going to wander among the people and see what all this was about.

She approached just in time to hear the younger angel’s joke, and she groaned out loud. “Please leave, that was awful.” Gabriel rolled her eyes, asking the bartender for a simple shot of whiskey. She cast her eyes to Lazarus, grinning slowly. “You don’t have anything better than that?”

[gvbrixls-blog]

WHY ARE YOU LOOKING IN THAT GARBAGE CAN? (challenge 04, popular personality indicators)

Baelish: Clever, sharp-tongued. A deep understanding of people and their darkness rests in the hollow of her throat, and she can see them in herself. Chaotic Good: At the end of the day, Gabriel fights for people, fights for herself, and seeks freedom. Especially now, when she tries to play neutral and hang back, her truest colors are coming out. Sanguine: Love for life, vivacity, a joke on her tongue and a laugh on her lips. Burning, burning, burning. Dauntless: Fearless, an idiot, headfirst into everything. Live your life, don’t back down. ENFP: The free spirit, the life of the party, with a fierce need for independence and a cause. Type 8: Protective, resourceful, willful, confrontational, brutally honest. Sagittarius: Loves freedom and travel, great sense of humor, extroverted, enthusiastic, generous. Gryffindor: For reckless tendencies, for bravery, for daring, for idiotic and unthinking actions.

[gvbrixls-blog]

starofgrace:

location: main floor ( ballroom, jazz band ) time: June 24th, 7:30pm ( before part 2 )

She had been drawn to the music, knowing the buffet and bar were getting crowded around this hour. Usually, she didn’t mind crowds ( it was easy to fade into the background ) however, there was no point in staying around if she didn’t have an appetite for food or drinks. Her heels clacked against the floor as she maneuvered past several people, trying to find the source of the melody that seemed to hover through the rooms. To her delight, there had been a ballroom that was occupied with people either dancing to the music or watching in awe as the jazz band continued to entertain. 

“ – definitely not a night club,” she noted, smiling. It was almost better – for she could actually see people, and not have to worry about spilled drinks or flashing lights. 

Gabriel loved to people watch. Even after all this time, humans were some of the most interesting creatures she’d ever found. There was a small smile on her face as she watched them, the likes of which hadn’t been seen on her face in months now. She looked almost like the Gabriel of before, before Adon and the Horsemen and before her wings had been ripped from her. She slid a hand into one pocket of her slacks, taking another sip of the rum and coke in her hand. She was almost startled to be spoken to, and her head cocked to the side, hair falling back from her face.

“You’d be right with that assumption,” she responded, eyes finding who’d spoken at last. “Were you talking to me?”

[gvbrixls-blog]

dcadlynv:

Where: Hotel California Ballroom When: June 24 2017 Who: Open

“I know the song is a total classic, but I am literally done with it.” 

Isadora sighed, the faint scent of a sneaky e-cigarette drifting in the air around her. She was only bitching a little bit. There was a strange melancholy inherent to the melody that not even she was completely immune to, and it was compounded by the memory of someone she’d known in a previous life, struggling with a guitar he only played when he’d had a beer or two. What do you know about California? Isadora had said, often enough to make it an in-joke. You’ve never been further west than Staten Island.

“I mean, how do you even dance to this … ?” she asked, semi-rhetorically, to the person beside her. Isadora swept her gaze across the ballroom, looking for any nearby success stories.

What was it with people and rhetorical questions? Why did they turn to someone who was practically a stranger and just ask them something out of the blue? And the fact that she was ragging on Hotel California? The worst, the absolute worst. Gabriel swept her eyes slowly down the woman, arcing a brow up and snorting. “You weren’t even alive when this song came out, I don’t think you can talk about being done with it. And also, how do you dance to it? With gumption, obviously.”

A quick grin spread across her lips, and she tilted her head back slowly, finishing the shot of whiskey in her hand and passing it off to a waiter. “Wanna try it with me?”

[gvbrixls-blog]

Date: June 24th, 2017 Location: B08 Availability: the dead and the dying, a ghost and God, a woman who loved and lost a man

There was a single moment when Gabriel had given in. It was after Mary Magdalene, with the taste of the words nothing and no one bitter on her tongue, but faded. Mary hadn’t cried where Gabriel had seen, but she swore she could hear the sobs even as she flew away. It had been years, and Gabriel still felt that flame in her chest, still caught herself looking to the horizon and wondering if she could just go, fly until her feet touched Mary’s doorstep and she could act like nothing had ever changed. Gabriel had loved Adon before she’d ever loved Mary, but once Mary had shown her real love, it had changed. Gabriel hadn’t even realized the depth and the breadth of her feelings for God before she’d known Mary as intimately as she’d ever known herself.

Gabriel was in love with Adon.

Anyone who looked at her wouldn’t know it, but sometimes she’d catch a glimpse of his eyes before she’d leave his side and she’d know that he knew. It burned in her, like some kind of shame, like some kind of open wound. Loving Adon was like wanting to flee Baal’s side. It was a betrayal, wasn’t it? She had a job to do, and inter-work relationships never ended well. She’d wanted to swan dive down when Lucifer’s rebellion had come, and though they’d never been friends, she’d felt for him. She’d hesitated, for just a moment, when Baal had called upon her to fight, to kill. Destroy the rebellion. Crush them. Gabriel, I call to you now. I command you, come to me. And she had, but only after she’d looked at her wings, looked down to the earth below and strained to see further. She’d watched Raziel’s heart get broken that day, and when Baal had been killed, she’d cried, only a little, because she should’ve taken her chance when she had it. What was she to do now?

And Adon had risen, and it had been glorious, and Gabriel had known true devotion.

Gabriel was not weak. Gabriel was a fighter. Gabriel was fearless. Gabriel was stupid. A single moment, her fingertips to Adon’s cheek, his breath on her lips, the taste of him so close and so eternally far. Her mouth had been dry, her throat tight. And he hadn’t pushed her away, but for that single moment, Gabriel had thought that maybe, just maybe, her purpose could change.

Every single second she’d ever had with Adon flittered in front of her eyes as she looked up at Adon in the mirror, and a sob escaped her before she had a chance to stop it. Her hand clapped down over her mouth, trying to muffle the noise, and his smile was soft, it was gentle, it was everything she’d remembered and been aching for for nearly a year. It couldn’t be real. He couldn’t be real. When she turned, he was gone, and she thought oh, I’ve finally hit that moment when humans pass out drunk; I’m hallucinating. But her eyes rose to the mirror again, and he was there once more, and the mass of him was behind her, around her, so warm it felt like burning. The tears dripped down her cheeks silently, more welling up. Love was burning. Love was fire, warmth, passion. She hadn’t been warm in so long, had only felt a breath of it when faced with Magda in OMFG. This felt like sun, this felt like hellfire. Another sob bubbled up in her, and her hand pressed down harder over her mouth while the other flung back, reaching reaching reaching reaching-

She choked at the simple touch of skin, and her other hand flew back as well, reaching for him, straining for him. He felt so close, and she cried openly. Whatever this was, he was here. Her eyes focused on him, but she couldn’t help seeing her own reflection. Tears everywhere, her shirt unbuttoned to an indecent level so the shadows of her breasts were easily on display. She could smell the alcohol on her own breath, now. Gabriel swallowed, standing up a little taller. Emotions were nothing to be ashamed of, but she felt small as Adon’s eyes swept over her in the mirror. Her mouth opened to start to say something, to excuse herself, to explain her appearance, but his disappointment had always been so clear to her. It had just never been directed at her like this. Her toes curled against the tile, a chill running through her to fight off the heat that Adon had returned to her. A sense of hollowness was pressing down against the raging fire inside of her, smothering it. Slowly, Gabriel closed her mouth, and really looked at herself for a few moments.

Why had she ever thought that she was worth him?

“Adon, Adon- I’m so sorry-” She reached to him again, but now she couldn’t quite grasp him, and it was like he was pulling further and further away. She didn’t notice the heavy black goop that was bleeding from the walls at first, desperate to reach him. “Adon, I know I’m a mess but I’ve been around Abaddon all night, and you have no idea what she did to me- It’s just been- It’s been so rough since you di-” Died. Adon was dead. Gabriel dragged in a ragged breath, and the tears were starting up again.

Adon was dead Adon was dead he was dead dead dead dead dead dead DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEADDEADDEADDEADDEAD

“How are you here?” She whispered, and there was something touching her bare feet now but she couldn’t bear to look away. “You’re supposed to be dead. You’re gone- Why did you go, why did you leave me?” The ring of the phone was so sharp and sudden that she jumped, immediately jerking her head around to look, and Adon wasn’t behind her. The thick blackness was building, the smell reaching her nose now that she wasn’t locked into the image of Adon. The phone. The phone was ringing. If she went to the phone, he’d be there. If she went to the phone, she could hear him, she just knew it. And what she wouldn’t give for a chance to hear him again- To just hear him whisper her name-

“Adon, please,” she sobbed out. “Adon, why’d you leave me? I loved you- I love you-”

She looked back at the mirror, stepping closer, hands pressing to the image of his face, and she remembered it so clearly.

“Gabriel,” he’d called, so warm, so joyous. He was happy to see her. She was happy to see him. There was a grin on her lips, her hair thick and healthy and spilling around her shoulders like waves. There was no one else around, a quiet corner of heaven. Everyone had their jobs, and she’d just returned from hers; another message successfully delivered to the people. The warmth she felt around him made her smile grow, and there was such life in her. She was the fire itself, she was a beacon. She was bright and she was real, and she was burning.

“Adon,” she’d said, and it was barely a whisper as she’d approached his side. Her hand brushed against his, and the two of them stood shoulder to shoulder for a moment, staring down at the world below them.

Purpose. Duty. A reason to live as opposed to the reason she was alive.

“Adon, I love you,” and her voice was as clear as a bell. Her cheeks were warm, and her breath was coming faster. The fire was burning hotter.

“And I you, Gabriel,” Adon returned warmly.

“Not like that- You know what I mean, Adon.” She turned to face him, her hand coming up to touch his face and-

And he was gone and she was touching nothing and her nose burned and she hadn’t stopped crying. The phone kept ringing. The face in the mirror was not her Adon when she looked back. It was not the man who’d stood so still as she’d pressed her lips to his and then fled. Gabriel didn’t run, but she had that day. The Adon who looked back at her was tired, as tired as she felt. Broken and bitter and dead.

Dead. Dead. Dead. D e a d. A d o n  i s  d e a d.

Two ghosts stared at each other in the mirror, and Gabriel turned, feet sliding through the muck, and she went to her knees, scrambling. It hissed and popped at her, and she looked down at it in disgust, trying to wipe it away from her, spearing blackened handprints across her breasts and her perfect white shirt. It wouldn’t come off. She struggled to her feet, moving back out into the bedroom to where the phone was ringing. It was getting deeper, the smell stronger. Her heart was in her throat, and it slammed a staccato beat that she couldn’t control. It was almost to her knees now, and it seemed to pour faster from the walls the faster her heart beat. The phone kept screaming out, and Gabriel couldn’t break her eyes from it. When she looked back to the bathroom, Adon was still in the mirror, though blackness was starting to cover his face. If she went to the phone, the blackness couldn’t stop her from hearing his voice. She was losing his face now, and wasn’t the choice so much easier with that?

Her lips touched his as soft as a breath of wind, and his parted against hers for just a moment.

“Gabriel-”

She stopped short, eyes going wide, stumbling back. Fearless, stupid Gabriel, doing without thinking, chasing warmth and meaning and purpose through the eons. What was she meant for? Was this what her life would always be? How could she be so so so stupid? So stupid. She ran and-

Sliding across the bed was faster than trying to slog through the sludge at her feet, and her hand wrapped around the phone, pulling it to her ear.

“I’m so sorry, Adon. I love you. Please remember that, wherever you are. I’m so sorry- I fucked up, I keep fucking up- You’re dead, you’re gone and I’m lost- I miss you so much and I’m so sorry- I love you, I love you, you weren’t supposed to go without me-”

Choose choose choose choose

If you had to choose?

Death or life?

You will drown here, Gabriel.

You will die here, Gabriel.

Stay with me, Gabriel.

Breathe it in, Gabriel.

“I love you,” she breathed out, and slammed the phone off the table into the sludge. She watched in horror as started to sink and then rose right back up and starting to ring again. It placed itself back on the table, and she wanted to pick it up again. Blackness was up to her hips now. Her fingers wrapped around the key next to it, and it dug sharply into her hand, a quick flash of pain.

Burning. She was burning, and she didn’t ever want to stop.

Adon was dead. Adon was dead, and this wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. He couldn’t be real.

The door was still there, shining, careful, bright, and it took all of Gabriel’s strength to push herself towards it with the phone ringing even louder behind her. It slammed open when she reached it, the black sludge hovering in the door behind her before she kicked it shut with one bare foot. A black footprint was left behind, and Gabriel stared up at the door with wide eyes.

He was still in there. She could go back for him, drown with him-

No. She was burning.

Another sob started, and Gabriel didn’t stop crying for a long, long time as she remembered everything she’d ever shared with Adon.

Adon was dead, and so was she. She was empty and hollow without him, a shell of who she’d been. When he’d died, he should’ve taken her with him.

She was a failure. A disappointment.

Adon was dead, and she was still here.

He’d left her behind, and she still breathed.

She had to keep breathing for them both.

“I’m so sorry, Adon.”

consider listening to a few choice songs that helped inspire, fuel, and burn this writing piece.

Don’t Let Me Go by Raign, Cloud by Elias, Stand by Me by Bootstraps, Supercut by Lorde, C’est la mort by the Civil Wars, Wish That You Were Here by Florence and the Machine, and If We Could Just Pretend by Flatsound

[gvbrixls-blog]

byreticence:

Where: Hotel California Lobby When: 24 June 2017 Who: Open

The grandeur of the American twenties wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to Raziel. There hadn’t been similar experiences in Russia with the majority of its high society fleeing into Europe following the assassination of the Romanovs and the rise of socialism in the country. He’d always returned, a longtime constant, but Raziel had also taken the opportunity to travel far and wide across the globe. It remained one of the few times he had enjoyed himself while in France, but there’d been something about the way Americans did things that had impressed him.

This was, wholly speaking, a rather close impression. He wound through the noisy lobby in relative silence, pale fingers skimming along the rich velvet of the ropes that kept them all corralled here, though he hadn’t yet approached the desk to check in yet. He’d worry over that in a few minutes, or later. His gaze moved to the band, a keen eye paid to the details of their attire, before Raziel made his way over to the bar and ordered vodka, chilled and unspeakably plain compared to the other orders being given tonight. The theme for the night might have been opulence, but Raziel had opted for something quieter. Even down to his outfit, darkly subtle though the pieces themselves cost thousands upon thousands of dollars each. Drink in hand, Raziel stuffed a few bills into a clean glass on the counter before he turned back to the room. He’d half-made his mind up to go check in when he felt someone watching him and turned in that direction, one eyebrow ticking up. “Can I help you?”

Gabriel and Raziel hadn’t spoken much in the time since his Ascension. She was still adjusting to the world again, relearning it after her time in Mexico, isolated and broken. And maybe it was still too hard for her, to look at him and feel God when she could still taste Adon’s divinity if she tried hard enough. Maybe, for the first time in her life, she had no idea what to do with herself, no job, no duty. Maybe she wanted to change things. Maybe she wanted to run away.

Maybe she wanted a fucking drink.

Gabriel tried not to shove too hard through the crowd around her, ducking and weaving through people to the best of her ability. She already regretted coming; she wanted to be back in her apartment, far away from all of this. But it was an adventure, and there was alcohol, and she spotted a familiar face as she pushed her way towards the bar. Her eyes caught on him, lingering longer than she’d meant them to, and she grinned a little upon being caught. Gabriel rocked forward once on her heels, rolling her shoulders. “Buy me a drink?” She offered, brows raising. Gabriel didn’t want this awkwardness to last. She didn’t want to keep Raziel at arms’ length; after all, they were two of the only people who’d truly known Baal, who’d lived lives as long as theirs.

They were connected now, and she would honor that.

[gvbrixls-blog]

torchscng:

Fucking Tuesdays. By now, she really only came in on Tuesdays as a favour for Raziel. There was shit for money on Tuesdays and only when too many other girls had bailed, would Magda deign to show up on a fucking Tuesday. She hated Tuesday shifts almost as much as she hated Satan. She wondered which girl had done it, which dancer had been the straw to break the camel’s back: which one had the family emergency, the busted car, the hangover from the seventh circle of Hell, the one who couldn’t be arsed. Which girl had made Raziel pick up the phone and dial with his business-casual voice, asking Magda to fill in. That girl was owed a few choice words and french fries thrown at her. Magda had the right to say no… but she wouldn’t. Raziel was Raziel—and now God—and money was money.

To make it up to herself, Magda had slipped the DJ a $20 to play a few specific songs so she could at least use the time to practice some of her sets for better nights, when OMFG was less dead. Coeur de Pirate·’s seductive cover of Wicked Games filtered on loud through the speakers and Magda went to the stage, not overly dolled up for the night. Her hair was on point, as always, but she wore a less complicated, two-piece outfit, her comfy Bordello heels, and less makeup than usual. She was focused on her art, not the club around her, as she stood with her back to the majority view and began with some basic movement and floor work. Swayed her hips, worked through her stretches, and then took off from the ground. The lift, the inversion, the spin, and it felt like weight was lifted from her shoulders when she did it.

There was something about dancing that always did, and would always, release Magda into herself. Both separated her from the world as well as grounded her in it. It was the closest she ever felt to holy.

When she finished, she was finally in tune with the club around her, better prepared to read the energy, more honed and less pissed off than she had been when she entered. Stepping off the stage, she closed her eyes and sensed, the way she did when she wanted to find some money in a sea of no-chancers. What she felt wasn’t green, the way she felt when she tried to sense this way—no, instead there was a catch in her throat and a knot in her stomach that only came up a few times before in her life. Narrowing her eyes, Magda looked around, wondering who said the name, or if it mattered. Trying to shake it off, she paused her hunt to get a drink at the bar, sidled up and said, “St. Germaine and champagne,” only to raise her eyes and feel that same feeling, confusion crossing her features. Gabriel. Gabriel stayed after the Ascension. And she was working in her bar.

When Gabriel caught a glimpse of red hair on the stage, the song filtering in as if through static, her breath stuck in her throat like she’d swallowed a rock. A flame, burning in her chest. Fire, across her arms, rising into her eyes. The taste of ash in the back of her throat. Mary.

It had to be her. Whoever the woman on the stage was, in a past life, she’d been Mary Magdalene. Gabriel couldn’t look away, not until someone snapped their fingers in front of her face and repeated their drink order for what had to be the fifth time. Gabe looked to them sharply, her teeth clicking together once, and she made their drink quickly and efficiently with no show to it. They walked away muttering to themselves about the glare she’d leveled on them, and when Gabriel looked back up, the music had stopped and the woman was gone.

Nothing and no one. 

Gabriel threw back another shot because she needed it now. She’d thought it was residue, leftovers from the woman working here. But no, she was here tonight and Gabe wasn’t a coward, Gabriel didn’t run. She never had. She couldn’t run. She couldn’t.

And of course, that was when the woman decided to make her appearance right in front of Gabe. A ghost, a mirage, a silhouette in the flames. She was just as beautiful in this life as she had been in her last, and even the one before that. The Prophet. Gabriel’s mouth felt so dry, and she couldn’t have swallowed if she tried. When the woman requested a drink, Gabriel nodded, ducking her head so that her curls spilled across her face. Raziel had mentioned her name- Magda.

Nothing and no one.

Gabriel looked up at Magda, and their eyes met properly for the first time in hundreds of years. Gabriel forced herself to smile, cock a brow up, as she slid the drink across the bar. Maybe Magda wouldn’t know what they’d been in a previous life. Maybe Gabriel was the only one who was burning. “Enjoy.”

[gvbrixls-blog]

swordofcassiel:

An Ascension was a glorious thing. Was supposed to be a glorious thing. They could still vaguely recall, months ago, the blunt excitement they’d felt at the prospect of participating in an Ascension. Those who had witnessed Adon’s Ascension before were less impressed, perhaps, with this one; but for Cassiel and the others for whom this was their first, this was the most astonishing and emotional event to occur since their creation.

They only wished it was not this kind of emotional burden.

Raziel’s glow permeated the entire crowd, and Cassiel could only think to get away from it. Shibah was visible just on the other side of him–hiding her disappointment well, smiling as the infectious excitement of the event caught her. Cassiel stayed on the perimeter, observing. It was the best they could do right now. Taking part in the revelry was, at most, exhausting and Cassiel had not yet gauged Raziel’s willingness to allow them into his celebrations. He had hated them up until this point; they had no reason to assume that his role as God would alter his grudge.

Of all the guests to approach them in their current state, Cassiel was grateful it was Gabriel. Perhaps the only angel Cassiel respected above all the rest–even Raziel–and the one whose Heavenly role and illustrious history usually had Cassiel humbled. Gabriel was not celebrating with the others; she did not seemed pleased about Raziel’s Ascension, which made Cassiel feel slightly better about their own reticence.

Still, her assumption that Cassiel would do something reckless stung a bit. They were aware they had acquired something of a reputation these past few months for impulsive behaviors–and they had done their best to isolate the truly reckless decisions from the actions taken as a result of unconscious influence. “I was not planning on it,” they answered Gabriel, mirroring her defensive posture. “But most stupid actions are not intentional.” Cassiel breathed out carefully. “Why do you worry?”

Gabriel’s brows cocked up a little higher at the stance Cassiel took, and her eyes sharpened a little. “Don’t,” Gabe muttered, tone careful. “I’m a lot older than you, Cassiel, and I don’t need you getting all defensive over there. I’m worried because your girl just got shut down for God and I wanted to make sure that you didn’t have any ideas of some sort of revenge. Your track record isn’t the best; even I’ve heard of it.” Raziel had caught her up on just about everything, in all honesty, and he’d definitely highlighted over Cassiel and Shibah.

The messenger of God tilted her head, watching the knight of the almost God with quiet eyes. “I’m not here to start some sort of fight. I’m tired, and being back up here-” Gabriel sighed, and shook her head. Everywhere she looked she saw hints of Adon, of Baal. She remembered a hand on her shoulder, clenching too tight, a voice reminding her to just do her job. She remembered a hand gently clasping her own, eyes filled with a warm love reflected back at her. They pressed in on her, suffocating. She cocked her head back towards where the party was still going on. “I’m not much for celebrating right now. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back up here.”

A hand rubbed across the back of Gabriel’s neck, and she sighed. “You know what? Never mind. Wreak havoc. Set someone on fire. Stab Donato in the ass for all I care.It’s not my problem.”

[gvbrixls-blog]

prayhavoc:

Where: Hotel California - Bar When: June 24, 9pm Who: Open

The hotel was beautiful, Belial had to give the unknown benefactor that, but he didn’t quite understand the charm underneath the glamour. He’d checked in, found his rather tasteful hotel room, and rather immediately found his way down to the hotel bar where all of the fun seemed to be. It didn’t take him long to take up shop behind the bar, doling out drinks and advice to the occasional party-goer, while keeping an eye on his surroundings. Laughing softly, he caught sight of a somewhat familiar face and called out, “You look thirsty. Lucky for you, I’ve got just the thing.”

Gabriel wasn’t one for dressing up. For being among the humans as long as she had, she’d seen fashion rise, beautiful gowns and perfectly cut suits, and a side note for suspenders here, and she’d seen it fall, into women so skinny they should’ve been dead and things that made absolutely no sense. In any case, Gabriel hadn’t wanted to dress up, but it had certainly been implied that she had to. So, she’d found herself one of those very nice suits, set the jacket on fire, found a decently indecent level to leave her shirt unbuttoned too, and left her motorcycle boots on because heels were awful. Her hands were pressed into her pockets when she heard Belial’s familiar voice, and her eyes drifted to him with indifference. A lollipop was pulled out from between her lips, and Gabe scoffed softly. “Mm, Belly, what the hell makes you think I want any alcohol you make? Showboat.”