poly_chromatic | [ 005 ]

Entry tags:

angel sanctuary - gabriel

[ 005 ]

Saturday

Voice:

Hello. This is Gabriel. If anyone is unable to find me today, do not fret. I am still here. For some definition of "here." The city has seen fit to put some of us on a boat, it seems. I cannot claim to be unhappy.

The ocean is kind to me here.

Filtered to everyone on the boat:

Who else received a letter?

I should hope you will not follow its instruction. I don't trust these deities to do as they say, and even if the promise they make is genuine... I do not think anything can be worth the cost of what they are asking.

Filtered to Carla:

Miss Carla? I would like a word.

Action (boat):

[For anyone who wants to find her before she gets into trouble, Gabriel can be found anywhere throughout the boat, but she's probably most likely to be found leaning slightly over the railing on the bow, staring at the blue waters sparkling beneath.]

Sunday morning:

Video:

[The screen of the device is slightly cracked and positioned at an odd angle, making the image it depicts lopsided. Gabriel is lying on the floor, in a pool of blood. Her own blood. There's a bullet wound in her side, which she clutches, the dark red fluid pouring through her dress and making her gasp and wince hard, staining her hand. She'd only meant to use the device to make a call for help, filtered only to those on the boat. There is no need to frighten anyone not there, even when she is dying. But the device is currently rolling, visible to everyone.

Gabriel tries to remain calm as she stares at it, gasping several times. Her body shakes all over.]

P-Please do not be alarmed. I am n-not afraid. H-However, I would like s-some assistance, if anyone is... if anyone is...

[She is cut off by the pain.]

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Gabriel! Is Raphael on there with you?! [He looks panicked, flying from above, looking for the ship, but, of course, he can't find it. And he's no healer, anyway.]

M-Messiah...! [Gabriel is wincing. She doesn't want him to see this, but it's hard to get to the device to turn it off. Even the foot or so she would have to crawl to reach it feels like it would take an eternity.] N-No. Raphael is not present here. But please don't worry about me.

Don't worry?! You're bleeding! And Raphael's not there. And I can't even get to you!

I will be alright. I have been told death is not permanent here. But there is one thing you may do for me.

But it still hurts. And you don't necessarily get your life back. You could stay cold, without a heartbeat, kinda like a zombie. That sucks!

What is it?

Gabriel!

[It's understandable if she doesn't recognize Jinora; the ten year-old was considerably older when they spoke.]

Is someone helping you?

[Gabriel doesn't recognize her as a matter of fact.]

H-How do you -- ?

[Oh, oh, oh, ow. She winces and curls in on herself. She doesn't want a child to see this.]

I think you should look away now.

You told me. I'm Jinora.

[She's trying not to look.]

But do you have help? Or is there water? Waterbenders can heal, sometimes.

[A look of surprise registers on her face. She had thought Jinora was older...]

I am afraid I cannot do what a waterbender can. [Deep gasping breath. She shakes a little.] I don't think anyone is coming.

[What to do, what to do, what to do...]

I could call some--no, no one I know is on the ship. I don't--I'm so sorry.

Don't be sorry. [Gabriel smiles at her.] It is not your fault.

I think you should set your device down now. I don't wish for you to witness this.

[She hesitates before answering very quietly.]

Okay.

[The feed ends.]

[She can't see it, but Gabriel could not be more grateful. She will have to find that girl and talk to her, when this is over.]

Gabriel?!

R-Raphael. Hello...

What--

[No. There's not much use in asking, just--]

I can't get to where you are. Is anyone else there?

I think you should look away, Raphael.

I am going to die.

You're not. There has to be someone on that boat who can help-- I'll send out a message, something.

[His voice is rattly, expression a little shaken.]

Hold on.

[Gabriel's breath is raspy. It's coming very slowly and hard now; her dignified shell is starting to melt away.]

No! No. Just... stay with me. Please. It won't - it won't be much longer. Just keep talking to me. Please.

[The pain is everywhere oh god it hurts it hurts it hurts - ]

I'm going to get you some help! Don't talk like that!

[No one is coming. She had hoped, putting out the video, that someone might attend to her. But that won't happen.

She has to reassure Raphael somehow. It hurts and she is frightened but it's worse to hear someone so anguished, crying out to her - she has to distract him somehow - ]

Do you remember when we were small, Raphael? [Her voice trembles a little.] I fell down and hurt myself, and I cried so much, and you - you told me not to. I'm not. I'm not crying right now.

I don't care if you cry!

[He's almost shouting. He remembers. Of course he remembers. His throat is tight, eyes watering up. He doesn't want to watch this anymore, doesn't want to see her--]

[Not like this.]

You're not going to die. You've got to hold on. Listen, you've got to!

[Gabriel's breathing is low, and labored, and it comes unevenly.

Until it stops entirely.]

Gabriel?

[He knows. He stares at her still form, willing something, anything--]

Gabriel!

You can't die this easily, damn it! Talk to me! Say something!

You can't leave.

They have gone to great lengths to gather so many from so many different places.

I am certain that they will revive. It would be nothing short of foolishness to kill so many at a time in this manner. We know that the Deities have power over life and death. We also know that true death is a very rare occurrence here. If it were not, my partner would not have wound up in that state.

You cannot decide its worth, Madame Gabriel. That decision belongs to those who are prepared to pay it.

They have. Do you think they would give up their possessions now, so easily? They are toying with you.

I am sure they will revive. That doesn't make it right. It doesn't undo the pain experienced by those dying.

You do not get to decide what the violation is worth to someone who is not you. You do not get to take their life from them, even temporarily.

This place houses many criminals as well. Do not paint them all as innocent victims. One who deals in something should expect to be dealt in like.

It might not be right, but with that principle in mind, it is just.

And if you see this as only a matter of personal justice, remember this: even when their their lives are temporarily taken from them, they are whole. They do not live half-lives. The fleeting pain of death does not compare to the constant ache for a bond you have never known a time without before this, one that cannot be forged or replicated no matter how hard you try, one that renders others too troublesome, weak, and incomplete, when you so keenly remember a time you did not know where you ended and he began.

I do not know who has given you the authority to decide our limits for us, but if you feel so strongly about it, you are free to judge us after the matter, should it not come to pass.

[Oh, good, so now he's rationalizing a bloodbath, rambling in specifics, and too emotionally invested to be reasonable!]

You are letting your emotions rule you and trying to justify things you know are unjustifiable.

[There's a delay before she sends a second message.]

Where are you right now?

A safe place.

[... relatively speaking, of course. There's quite the delay before he sends that brief message.]

I won't hurt you. My letter doesn't have your name. I could show it to you, if you want.

Tell me where you are before you do something stupid.

Do not show me.

Why do you ask when you are already here? You are the one behind the door. [Because she arrived faster than he could respond the last time, he thinks she's the one outside. He's either too trusting or too suspicious, but either way, he's wrong.]

[This can't be good.]

I could find you if I chose, that is true. But I was hoping you might tell me instead.

I am not outside your door. Don't open it. Be very quiet. I will come to help you.

[Not good at all, I'm afraid. It's a bit late for the warning and no response will come.]

[Oh noes. :(]

[Well. Fuck. He stares at the screen a long, long time. What on earth are you supposed to say? Sorry is as flimsy as paper. A time before he got a long string of apologies out of the person that was lying there, bleeding.

What did it mean to him then? What does it mean to him now? Owning up and being a man is tough shit.]

[Gabriel can feel life slipping away. She hates that; she always thought of herself as more of a fighter. She finally manages to at least shut off the device, so that she can die in peace, without rubberneckers. Her breathing is shallow. Even the pain is rapidly diminishing, floating away slowly, and now, alone (she thinks) and in silence, she can feel the fear of the unknown haze set in. At least she won't have to endure it for long.]

Excuse me?

[ She's a dark-eyed woman, like a feral cat. She always looks a little more wild when there's blood in the air. ]

[She looks a bit like Alexiel, but not very much. Not enough for the resemblance to feel all that striking.]

You should know that my note had your name on it, but you do not need to be afraid.

I do not intend to harm you.

[ She tilts her head, looking bored. ]

What, you don't want to get out?

[ Carla doesn't want to get out. So the one person on this boat safe from her is the name on her card. ]

I'm not in a particular hurry. [But that's not really the issue.]

More than that, I simply don't trust any of this. You can't tell me it doesn't seem fishy to you.

It doesn't matter.

[She's a liar. It would matter to her if she were killed.]

It's entertaining.

You would be unusual among humans if you truly felt that way.

I don't see how it's entertaining at all.

So I've been told.

Maybe I like watching other people lose their supposed decency.

What's to enjoy about something like that? We should strive to help other people be as decent as they can, not push them further into the realm of depravity.

[Oh. Well. Carla doesn't really try to suppress her laughter.]

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nothing...yet.... :(

;_;!!

and then vee was late

no worries!

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