what's the matter? independent / selective lucifel of UTV-ignition's "el shaddai: ascension of the metatron." pan-fandom, multi-muse, and oc friendly. don't you as written by noir. blog formerly known as speeddialsgod ( x ). both mun & muse are over the age of twenty-one. trust me? please read rules & disclaimers prior to interaction. — thanks!
smol thank you to all my children & adopted star childs. you are all wonderful & mother light loves you all dearly. ( if you’re not on here i still lov u lots.. . tags are being a butt or i have yet to interact with you! ) ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
REGARDING CHARACTERIZATION & PORTRAYAL
- alternatively titled : things to keep in mind while writing lucifel.
- alternatively alternatively titled : why this prick is such a damn pain to rp.
Though I’ve taken up Lucifel’s mantel on numerous occasions, spread over a couple different online platforms over the years, this is perhaps his longest sustained run to date. In truth, Lucifel doesn’t write particularly easily for me -- he isn’t one of those characters into whose head space I can slip with relative ease and just “ boogie with, ” so to speak -- but I find his character and concept so appealing that I’ve always been dragged back, despite the struggle of adequately penning him.
The difficulty stems from a few different factors.
Let’s start with narration.
For one thing, it’s difficult to pin down Lucifel’s “ allegorical/metaphoric aesthetic, ” so to speak. Maybe there’s a proper literary term for this that I’m unaware of, but by “ allegorical ” or “ metaphoric ” aesthetic, I’m referring to the type of imagery and sort of ‘ mise en scene ’ set up by an author’s narration. For example, if you’re writing about, say, King Henry VIII, perhaps you’d find your narration chalk full of ornate prose or florid language; hyperbole might not be inappropriate, and most metaphors would likely relate to items/concepts befitting a ‘ classical ’ era ( i.e., idk -- her smile was milk and honey -- chaste, maidenly. it unfurled for him like an opening blossom, as if he were her sun. but in her eyes he perceived the predatory keenness of a hunting hawk. a dangerous woman, he thought. a woman like mulled wine. sweet, but meant to be taken in cautious, deliberate sips, lest ruin and a startling headache follow in the morning. )
On the other hand, if you’re writing about a struggling fry cook in modern America who deals a little blow on the side, your narration might turn out a little different. Elegant prose might be switched out for a blunter, more gritty or ‘ modern ’ style; hyperbole, for slang; ostentation, for immediacy -- and it seems unlikely you’ll be comparing anyone to ‘mulled wine’ and ‘hunting hawks.’ ( maybe -- she had the smile of a kansas hopeful in hollywood; a charm that was more ‘little sister’ than ‘girl next door.’ he found himself staring at her neat white teeth; the dimple that screwed the left corner of her mouth into something a little tomboyish, despite her popstar pink lip gloss. cute, he thought. real cute. but he knew the look in those eyes. this girl was trouble. she could layer on the popstar-pink as thick as she wanted, but trouble had a way of showing through. )
Different strokes for different folks; different styles for different characters. Because ultimately, your narrative style reflects upon your character’s personality. It’s just inevitable.
Lucifel poses the problem of being right in between a classical and modern character. On the one hand, he’s an ancient & divine being who has roamed the universe since time immemorial, enforced the will of God Himself, and feasted on the mysteries of the universe -- all traits that suggest a ‘classical’ bent. On the other hand, he’s a smooth talking spokesman in skinny jeans and spiked hair whose most prized possession is a cellphone, and who very consciously stands apart from the more classically portrayed angels in his series.
The dilemma this presents is how to maintain an air of divine power and ancient wisdom without sacrificing his modernity. The beauty of his character is that he is ancient and divine, but that he does think of things differently -- all that classical hyperbole and ‘ awe of god ’ filtered through a streamlined, modern prism. An angel who would choose sleek aerodynamics over mythic wings; clean LED-crisp purity over soft golden radiance. He’s an awe-inspiring, all powerful Angel of the Lord. He’s also just a ‘ kinda cool guy. ’ Hitting the right narrative tone to illustrate this unique dichotomy is perhaps my greatest challenge, but it’s also key to his best characteristics.
( Somewhere in this narrative melange, there’s also the concept of his divinity and the fact that I imagine many of his own thoughts/points of reference/general mindset/etc as not referring to human concepts at all. I mean, why would an angel think in terms of earthly metaphors, and not in terms of concepts far beyond mortal comprehension? But there’s not much more I can say about this at present. I mean, hey, I’m only human. )
There’s also the hurdle of differences in translation to address.
Though essentially the same, there are some fairly noteworthy differences between direct translations of Lucifel’s original Japanese dialogue and the official English dialogue. The localization team did an awesome job with Lucifel’s lines, and I fell in love with his English dialogue completely, but there are some fun traits the Japanese dialogue highlights more clearly, which would be a shame to lose.
Primarily, the Japanese Lucifel is a bit more mercurial and abstruse. He hems and haws, takes his time, seems to have a lot of ‘ well, how should i say this ... ’ and ‘ no, let me rephrase ’ and ‘ well, in a manner of speaking ... ’ thrown into his lines, and has a bit of a ‘ softer edge ’ than his slightly more brutal English counterpart. English Lucifel is a lot more blunt ( ‘ seven angels have fallen to earth. big mistake. we’re gonna rip out their souls and imprison them here for all eternity. ’ ), and highlights his moral ambiguity and the precarious edge of holiness on which he totters closer and closer to his own fall.
Blend, blend, blend is the key here, though it’s occasionally difficult to do so while maintaining dialogue that sounds ‘natural’ and ‘authentic.’ One of the best parts of Lucifel, after all, is that while he may occasionally lapse into angelic verse, he generally just sounds like your best pal shooting the breeze.
In any case, if you’ve read down this far, congratulations, you’ve won the grand prize ( reward pending ) ! But this is more or less just a long note to self to help facilitate my thoughts in approaching this character. Clarifying these sorts of things in writing helps me stay organized, so don’t be surprised if they spring up on the dash from time to time.
“ The water wheel, the slide-rule, the telescope, the pocket watch ... Heh. You got no idea how many Earthly inventions are the result of a little help from above. An angel whispering in a poet’s ear; a chance taste of God’s knowledge ... but you ... ” A low chuckle. “ I wonder. ” / @ignatiius
“ The first bullet’s gonna come through that window, rip right across the room, and bury itself, oh, I'd say ... right about there. ” Lucifel, a hip against the bureau, crosses his ankles and nods towards a weathered clock on the far wall. The second hand stands petrified; dust motes, frozen in the lamplight. A world without motion. “ ... Just thought you might like to know. ” / @wefight
i’m relatively new to the tumblr scene ! i was introduced by two close friends & long-time writing partners, one of which was kind enough to lend me one of their old logins ( i was mad abt the yahoo login .. he’s such a sport ksndjksh ) & here we are a couple months later. i couldn’t be happier ! i wish i’d brought my focus to tumblr rp sooner, it’s breathtaking how much talent there is here. i chose a challenging muse to kickstart my tumblr exp, one that barely conveys words. regardless, you have all been nothing but welcoming & supportive. i can’t tell you how much i appreciate you being here & expressing interest in writing with me. bc if there’s anything i identify with when it comes to kaonashi, it’s shyness. while you may not hear from us much, it doesn’t mean we love you any less ! ♥ thank you, love you lots, kait & kao xo.
“ Well, well, well ... so you’re the infamous Castiel I’ve heard so much about. Gotta say, you’re a little ... well ... different than word of mouth makes you out. ” The twinkle of humor in an otherwise languid smile. “ Nice coat. ” / @chosethem
Cal, as only very recently discovered, finds himself PATIENT to a fault ( or so he thinks ). To witness the agonizing sloth in a posture taking – as if moving a hip three inches to the a certain direction was an effort of great difficulty – & not CRACKING the face of the offending angel was a m i r a c l e. Or functioning self-restraint. The demon glares, openly, vexation written in the scowl which darkened pale features.
❛ How s h o c k i n g. Angels require vacations, after all. ❜ He replies, feigning nonchalance. ❛ I’m less than thrilled with is an ENTIRE list, I don’t think another number would make much of a difference. Why so concerned if I’ve got any beef with Him ? ❜
“ Hey, everyone could use a vacation once in a while. Even my boss -- though He never takes one. ” Something sly slips beneath the serenity of Lucifel’s smile and passes with an elusive glimmer, like a ripple of shadow beneath a white wing. “ But ... if you don’t like that answer, I can give you the straight one: ” -- affable, easy; an offhanded shrug -- “ ... you can wonder all you want, but why I’m out here’s none of your business. ”
He’s piqued. A stern muscle tightens in the man’s jaw. Lucifel eyes his scowl with a sort of breezy satisfaction. He enjoys the occasional anomaly with which to amuse himself, the occasional apostate crossing his path. Rough company makes a better story.
“ Yikes. That bad, huh? ... You must be quite a guy. Maybe you should think of taking some time off. Must be tiring, having so many enemies. ” He could feel the animosity from orbit. “ Consider it ... a little friendly curiosity. I mean, enforcing His will, checking in with the mortals -- it is kinda my thing ... ” He pauses, and the gaze he turns on him at last is keen, exacting, sharp above the congenial curve of his lips. “ But then, you’re not really mortal, are you? ”
“ Haha ... Don’t worry. Those urges you’re feeling – they’re just because you’re young. Give it a few years. You’ll get used to them, sooner or later … Still, what a thing to say … ! Then again, I guess lust is something of a ‘ necessary evil ’ when it comes to the human race … ”
– An offhanded shrug. “ What can I say? The Lord moves in mysterious ways. ”
lucifel is not incompatible with gods / deities / spirits / creatures / what have you of other faiths and cultures. i happen to love mythology of all sorts ( perhaps greek mythology, especially! ), and el shaddai is, by nature, somewhat nebulous in terms of its own foundation, considering that the ancient text upon which it was based is considered non-canonical. there are certainly beasts and creatures which appear in the book of enoch and virtually nowhere else in accepted western mythology.
that being said, lucifel does serve a single god, and will likely acknowledge deities from other cultures as powerful immortal beings, but certainly not gods. to do so would border upon the worship of ‘ false idols, ’ according to his mandate, which is not to be tolerated. he’d consider them unknowing cogs in a larger machine; players in a larger plan – the plan, of course, of his god – and naturally consider them inferior in scope and power to that of his own creator. though he might be surprised to discover their existence, he would most likely assume that they too were created by god and put in place to serve some undisclosed purpose -- whether they deny it, or not.
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