Aziraphale (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
temptationaccomplished) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
diatu2019-08-06 12:09 am
temptationaccomplished) wrote in diatu2019-08-06 12:09 am
[OPEN]
Who: Aziraphale and [OPEN]
Where: Wandering, specifically checking out the temples
When: ~August 5th, and the days following
What: The Angel is new on campus and he's got to get the lay of the land, what the gods are, where you can feed ducks, check out the library...and most importantly: find out where the food is.
Warnings: I will avoid giving Good Omens spoilers. Feel free to tell me Y/N on spoilers on the intro post, but by default, if you notice him dancing away from a certain topic despite being pressed about it? It's probably delving into spoiler territory.
Campus
Aziraphale had been wandering around the campus and city for the better part of...well, he lost track of time. And that wasn't the only thing he had lost. He himself was incredibly lost. On top of that, he had absolutely not been able to locate his new residence "Living Quarters Suite 404," despite his best efforts and a few well-meaning inquiries. (They LAUGHED at him! Sadly, he was not aware of the joke! How rude!) All he had established was that it was not in the House Towers.
His House, according to his acceptance memo, indicated he belonged to a group called Ka, which resulted in his assigned clothing looking like something that could have come from Crowley's closet. (Ka even sounded snake-ish, a la Rudyard Kipling. He supposed it could have been worse.) Black and red and not a lick of tartan. THAT would not do. Miracles might not work here, but he was sure a little needle and thread could be made to save him from this if he didn't learn the appropriate magic before then. For now, however, he was content to wear his usual light colored coat and bow-tie; there was no sense to change clothing immediately on arrival. The weather was certainly amenable; when he had left it had been late summer as well. But his arms were getting a bit tired of carrying his new supplies, including the odd sword hilt he had been (oh, dear) assigned.
Temples
Wandering eventually lead him, no surprise, to the temples. The Temple of Raida drew him in first, because it was grandiose and yet had an air of benevolence. Inside, it reminded him of cathedrals and mosques and temples he had visited over the millennia. Beautiful. Imposing.
He expected his feet to burn. Perhaps expected a good smiting. Instead, he took a seat on one of the pews without interference and wondered if this new place was too far from his God that she might not even see him anymore.
Gloves At The Table
Peeking into the restaurant, he determined it seemed to be a teppanyaki-style preparation. How quaint! How he would pay for it, Aziraphale had no idea, but it looked enchanting enough, and he was feeling a bit peckish.
Where: Wandering, specifically checking out the temples
When: ~August 5th, and the days following
What: The Angel is new on campus and he's got to get the lay of the land, what the gods are, where you can feed ducks, check out the library...and most importantly: find out where the food is.
Warnings: I will avoid giving Good Omens spoilers. Feel free to tell me Y/N on spoilers on the intro post, but by default, if you notice him dancing away from a certain topic despite being pressed about it? It's probably delving into spoiler territory.
Campus
Aziraphale had been wandering around the campus and city for the better part of...well, he lost track of time. And that wasn't the only thing he had lost. He himself was incredibly lost. On top of that, he had absolutely not been able to locate his new residence "Living Quarters Suite 404," despite his best efforts and a few well-meaning inquiries. (They LAUGHED at him! Sadly, he was not aware of the joke! How rude!) All he had established was that it was not in the House Towers.
His House, according to his acceptance memo, indicated he belonged to a group called Ka, which resulted in his assigned clothing looking like something that could have come from Crowley's closet. (Ka even sounded snake-ish, a la Rudyard Kipling. He supposed it could have been worse.) Black and red and not a lick of tartan. THAT would not do. Miracles might not work here, but he was sure a little needle and thread could be made to save him from this if he didn't learn the appropriate magic before then. For now, however, he was content to wear his usual light colored coat and bow-tie; there was no sense to change clothing immediately on arrival. The weather was certainly amenable; when he had left it had been late summer as well. But his arms were getting a bit tired of carrying his new supplies, including the odd sword hilt he had been (oh, dear) assigned.
Temples
Wandering eventually lead him, no surprise, to the temples. The Temple of Raida drew him in first, because it was grandiose and yet had an air of benevolence. Inside, it reminded him of cathedrals and mosques and temples he had visited over the millennia. Beautiful. Imposing.
He expected his feet to burn. Perhaps expected a good smiting. Instead, he took a seat on one of the pews without interference and wondered if this new place was too far from his God that she might not even see him anymore.
Gloves At The Table
Peeking into the restaurant, he determined it seemed to be a teppanyaki-style preparation. How quaint! How he would pay for it, Aziraphale had no idea, but it looked enchanting enough, and he was feeling a bit peckish.
no subject
Earth had many religions, a variety of gods, but Aziraphale knew firsthand that there was really only one God and Her story was one Aziraphale had told and heard told many times.
"Well," he wiggled in his seat, smiling a small smile of a child called on in class who knew the lesson by rote, "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. She created light and darkness to make day and night, separated the seas and sky and ground, and produced vegetation. And then She turned to the heavens and gave us the sun and the moon and the stars. She manifested fish in the sea and birds in the sky and encouraged them to abundance, and did the same for the land. And at last She created mankind in Her own image, to rule over all the other creatures She had brought forth unto Her world, and She gave to them a garden of fruit-bearing plants and seeds so that they may find food."
And on the Seventh Day, She rested.
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"'Created mankind in Her own image..'" he repeated, intrigued. "And She created even darkness? I wonder why."
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"How arrogant," he muttered, shaking his head. "Surely they should have understood that She had a larger plan. It was their own failing to question Her, unable to have faith in the very power that created them."
The strength of his voice faded then, quieting to rueful silence. "..But I guess I'm guilty of that, too. Questioning Yggdrasil's plan for me, unsure if I could fulfill it." He smiled to himself. "Surely She knew something I don't."
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"In any case," and he shouldn't be saying this, either, but here he was tempting fate, "sometimes it is necessary to question orders, rather than accept them blindly."
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He breathed.
"Still, to question a Goddess that created you to the point of rebellion seems at the least unwise."
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"Yes," he grinned. "Though they aren't divine beings."
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If he was looking uncomfortable, its because he was, in part because he was used to being on Eleven's side of the debate.
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"..Well, humans have a more limited view of things," he said after a moment. "Worried about what they can and can't do- when and how they'll die."
He shifted, frowning. "The Gods must have a much wider view of their domain, and make decisions on a higher level we would have a difficult time comprehending. I can only imagine that Yggdrasil concerns Herself with the encroaching darkness in the world- of maintaining Light and Life in Erdrea."
Eleven slumped a bit in his seat. "..And a thousand other things that I'm sure I don't know anything about."
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But he supposed that was the question after all, and it led him down several meandering paths of thought. Were such things all the work of the Dark One's influence, or simply natural occurrences She hadn't been able to prevent? Or was it at all possible that She willed them to happen?
Eleven tipped his head back, eyes closing. The thoughts felt near-traitorous to the point of discomfort. But then, Yggdrasil took the form of a floating tree. How much of Her will acted upon the world directly? She only seemed to speak in birthmarks and visions.
And She had only one chosen champion to act on Her behalf.
He shuddered.
"I want to have faith in Her will," he said finally, sitting up properly. "I didn't realize it before today, but I've been questioning it for months. I likely should trust in Her more than I have been."
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He had faith, has faith really, in Her. Maybe not in everything associated, but he had to have faith. Aziraphale was an angel, and in spite of everything, he remained an angel. That was the final line between an angel and a Fallen angel, wasn't it? Faith? In Her? Oh, of all those for him to tempt to a crisis of faith, he had certainly not expected to succeed unintentionally and on himself.
"It's definitely a good trait for an acolyte. Admittedly," he says, sounding unsure, "it becomes easy to lose direction the greater the distance there is between you and someone or something. But that's part of keeping faith, isn't it? Maintaining devotion even when you question or have no direct connection."
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His fingers twitched in an aborted gesture, then curled into themselves. His faith in Her and in himself has been tested every day for the past six months.
Recognizing the weight of guilt and now-familiar spiral of his own thoughts, Eleven jumped to his feet and forced a smile.
"Anyway, I know it's difficult to be separated from your Goddess, but I hope you can find some solace here. Raida will always welcome you to Her temple."
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"Thank you." He appreciated it, though maybe he didn't need solace. Maybe he needed something to get under his skin and drive him to act again. Aziraphale wasn't sure anymore. Everything he knew had changed overnight and then it had changed again. He had no anchor; no Heaven, no God, no Crowley. No Armageddon to work against. He had classes he could take, people he could meet, and it all seemed rather directionless. "Admittedly, it would be nice to have someplace to belong."
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No more.
"If there is any way I can- or the Temple can be of assistance there, let us know. There are at least a few Sundered that have decided to make this world their home."
Was already in it, but gonna hit spoiler territory here
A quiet thank you, followed by: "I can't, I'm afraid. There is someone I can't possibly leave behind."
o/
"I understand. Then I will pray that you're able to find some solace here in the meanwhile."
He took a step back. "Well met, Mr. Fell."
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He had not heard 'well-met' for at least a couple centuries and wasn't sure if he recalled correctly the appropriate etiquette, so he stumbled out an awkward reply of "Well met," in response and held out his hand for a handshake.
"Until we meet again, Eleven."