The Conquest
Summary: Raphael came to Earth Realm to give us hope. And a cult of his humble persona.
Tumblr anon asked and inspired this. Behold! English is not my native, so forgive me my sins. No smut (눈‸눈)
Words: 1,567
AO3 here
In the beginning, you didn't pay much attention to all of this. A character from the computer game appeared in the middle of nowhere, right in front of you? Raphael. Wonderful. He lost his magical powers, and asked you for a shelter and care, he will make you his high position warlock in return, when he seizes power here, on Earth Realm. Sure. Why the hell not. You were too exhausted from your work. From your life. What used to be an average job, become a slow tightening noose around your neck without any chance to escape. The devil taking over this planet no longer seemed like something sinister. Did you see the damn news? Exactly. Go ahead, pookie.
You didn't understand how you could help him anyway. You had no money, no influence. In answer to your questions, Raphael only smiled gently, saying that it was his troubles to carry.
Everything started completely subtly and innocently. You came home from work, cooked dinner, chatted with your charming hallucination, and went to bed. Repeat. Day after day. But it turned out, the neighbors could see him too. Moreover, Raphael, with his soft, deep voice and polished manners, already managed to get to know everyone and gain their trust. Even Mrs. Thompson, the old bitch. She was Reagan's evil clone, you swore to God. She called Raphael a charming young man, and baked cookies (!) for his arrival. Jesus Christ.
One thing led to another. Raphael took up the task of gentrifying your neighborhood, persistently calling the local authorities and organizing neighbors to clean the street. You saw it with your own eyes, how he rolled up his sleeves and fixed the fence of Mr. Sonrborr, your retired doctor.
You expected Raphael to continue his work in the churches, but no. He gathered more and more people for “neighborhood civic meetings”, using libraries or school auditoriums, even your tiny park, but he didn't come near churches with a ten-foot pole. He rejected all offers of cooperation gently but firmly. “I respect all religions, but the issues we're solving here are no concern of theirs.”
He leaved your house for a long time, tirelessly flashing across the whole town, like a very busy ant chief.
Before long, you noticed changes. They fixed a break in the road that threatened to kill your car's suspension. The water in the faucet became clean. Mrs. Thompson spayed her cat. The last fact shook you to the core. Since childhood, you remembered how she got rid of newborn kittens, threw them hidden in a plastic bag into the trash can. You even tried to open the bag and save at least one, but she didn't drown them. She wrung their necks. Every season.
The neighbors began to communicate with each another. You started visiting too, but only with Raphael. You weren't very sociable. Raphael smiled for both of you and kept his arm around your shoulders. You were probably considered as a couple.
However, it didn't end with a late-night barbecue and gossip. Mr. Sonrborr wanted to start a private practice for locals without health insurance. He had old connections from the army, and it was possible to get cheap medicines that were about to expire - the army usually disposed them, but it was possible to buy them. Mr. Quinney, the lawyer, offered his help, and almost everyone agreed to donate some money. Raphael, proud as a peacock, presented mayor's signed permission to open a medical office and that solved everything.
You've been helped with a promotion at work. One day, your boss just asked if you would like to move to the big city, there was a perfect position. And you agreed. Raphael went with you. Nearly half of the town came to see you off. The devil kissed Mrs. Thompson's hand, shook hands with Mr. Sonrborr and your mayor, swearing to keep in touch with everyone.
And he did. While you were busy settling into your new work place, Raphael did the same thing, but this time he registered all the events as a civic initiative, “The Wings of Hope”. Your entire hometown immediately joined it. And your whole new street.
Raphael, as the leader, began to call your governor officially, then the senator, and publicly demand the city authorities to do their job. You asked, does he really expect the politicians to do something? “No, of course not, my dear. That's the point”. After receiving standard excuses and letters, Raphael agitated the entire “Wings” to simply do whatever the citizens needed. Six Handshakes Rule? How about hundreds?
“The Wings of Hope” became popular. From janitors to lecturers, it spread as a status symbol, that they can do something. The baker carried his bread to the carpenter, the carpenter helped repair the roof of the plumber, the plumber checked and tightened all the pipes on the street, including the baker’s.
There was a video, where the little kid was crying that he wanted to become a member, but he couldn't do anything. Raphael commented, if the little one knew the alphabet. “Yes”, his parents answered. “Then I immediately send him our badge and invite him to join the “Wings”. TikTok exploded. The pickmeishes rushed to bake cereals for charity.
The Salvation Army noted “The Wings of Hope” as their colleagues, to which Raphael sharply replied that the “Wings” would never be associated with money laundering and robbery of the poor. Tea was spilled EVERYWHERE.
Raphael was invited for a TV interview. They asked him why was he doing this at all, who was he and where did he come from? Raphael, in his shirt and sweater, looking like a third-generation English literature professor, was telling only the truth. That he was a refugee from a country waging an eternal war. That he refused all of this, and that he wants to change the world for the better. Why not just integrate directly into the political system? Raphael replied that he was tired of slogans and empty promises. We need action. Right now. Hope is an action. People are the hope.
The priest in the audience asked what kind of religion he belongs to. Raphael, almost shyly lowering his eyes, said that one day, when he was thinking about just killing himself, an image appeared to him. Angelical, but not an angel. Devilish, but not a devil. Something more. Something promising. Hope. And there was a name - Raphael. He accepted it as his own. “So you've created a cult?”. Raphael just laughed softly. “Oh, no, absolutely not. The gods do not visit me, and I cannot cure diseases by laying hands. Everything we do is done by people, for each another, for the future. For hope"
The interview crashed everyone as an avalanche. It was everywhere, on all TV channels. Politicians and churches talked and talked and talked, and people just did what they thought was right. When a cop arrested a member of the “Wings” for “illegally feeding the homeless”, 56 lawyers came to rescue him. Free hospitals began to open. The government was screaming about an epidemic of leftist communists. The young people began to imitate Raphael's manner in clothes and calm but authoritative speech. A new term appeared: “velvet dom”. The amount of fanfiction on AO3 impressed even you.
Well, that was good and everything. But it is far from a full-fledged conquest of the planet. That what you thought.
When you were returning home, the car stalled, and the battery on your phone was dead. You dropped your head on the steering wheel, just wishing you were home. With a heavy sigh, you raised your head, and suddenly straightened up from shock - you were in your driveway, nearby the garage. How?... No way...
You picked up your phone and wished it was fully charged. The screen lit up immediately. You were getting a little shaky. Raphael. He... He supposed to do the live stream... When you turned on YouTube, you saw him sitting in his small studio. He was attentively listening to some sobbing girl, nodding sympathetically at every word.
“And when…When I already wanted to... You know... Do it... I saw him! I swear to God I saw him! So beautiful! Like an angel! He hugged me, covered me with his wings, so warm, no feathers, something like cashmere... And then I woke up, fell asleep right in the bathtub! And everything became different... Him... He gave me hope, gave me a second chance... Raphael”
Raphael immediately hugged her.
Were there golden sparkles in his eyes? You must have imagined it... You checked out the comments. Many wrote the same thing: “I saw him too!”, “I dreamed about him!”, “Yes!”. You swallowed hard. People believed in him. He got his powers. Raphael gathered faith like a rich harvest. No, not a faith. Hope.
You sat back in disbelief, staring into the rearview mirror. The storm was coming. The first drops of rain hit the car, hardening and becoming a real downpour. He did it. No... We all did.
A sudden flash of lightning lit up your face. There was a bitter taste in your mouth. He never lied. He didn't promise anything. All these improvements were made by people, with their own hands. He just… He gave them the opportunity to do something. He gave us hope.
A loud clap of thunder felt like a falling curtain.
