There was a reason Azrael was mostly a hermit, a reason angels were not supposed to form attachments with humans. The rules had been in place for a reason and had she followed them she could have been protected. Instead, she lowered her guard, allowed someone to get close to her. For a moment there she felt seen and though maybe perhaps she had finally discovered that feeling that so many had written songs and poems about. He made her want more, made her picture a world in which they could actually make it work. And then he had taken it all away from her, his attention now belonging to another.
How fickle the human heart was and how fragile her own. She had tried to be brave, to smile and feign happiness for him. If she truly cared she would have been happy that he was happy would she not? And yet she couldn’t escape that feeling in the pit of her stomach. That feeling that threatened to consume her in despair. It was ugly and awful the way it made her want to curl up into herself and question everything. Was it because she was an angel? Was she lacking in something that he needed and she was unable to give him? All her other siblings seemed to have no issues with humans, they all adored Michael and Lucifer. What was wrong with her?
She couldn’t stop them, the feelings. She tried to distance herself from him hoping it would help but it didn’t lessen how she felt about herself. Maybe the problem wasn’t him and it was her. Maybe she was broken. That was how she ended up on Gabriel’s doorstep in the pouring rain at five a.m.. “Help me Gabe I think I’m broken…” she whispered softly before launching herself into her sister’s arms allowing the soft sobs to escape from her.
Azazel’s eyes followed her sister intensely as she slowly peeled herself away from the chair and did as Azazel demanded. If she wasn’t so wound up, she probably would have been somewhat more appreciative of her sister’s appearance. Deep down, somewhere; she missed it. She missed the warm embrace of pure love which radiated from all of her siblings towards her. She missed her innocence. She missed being able to love. To show affection and remorse to everything. Heaven was her paradise; once which had faded from her mind overtime until it was nothing more than a bitter taste in her mouth. Or was that her vessel becoming accustomed to alcohol?
Azazel gave a singular nod over to Gabriel as she left the scroll on the table; narrowed gaze darting to it as curiosity took over.
“Until next time.” The blonde fallen muttered quietly as shook her head. Good riddance. As much as she’d give Gabriel a thumbs up for trying, Azazel was fed up of hearing the same pleas. She refused to return home unless she was faced by Father himself. She would not respond to messengers. She’d rather be vanquished than succumbing to any of her siblings. She was too proud; a sin she held close to her heart.
Heading over to the bar, she nodded again; this time towards the bar tender who was quick to scramble in his pockets and hand her a packet of cigarettes. It was as if she had been here before. He happened to know exactly what the moody angel wanted.
Placing the butt between her lips, she ignited the lighter and burn the end until the embers glowed from her inhale. Attention moving back onto the scroll, Azazel wandered over to the table and took the cigarette between her fingers. Slowly exhaling the toxic fumes, she aimed the cigarette down and rested the end against the divine parchment. Expecting to burn the paper and whatever was inside, Azazel’s eyes furrowed even more to find that it seemed to be immune to the direct heat which should of engulfed the scroll in seconds. Pressing the cigarette further down, all she did was cause the toxic stick to fall quiet; free from its fire as the glow became nothing more than a gut-wrenching stench that was a stubbed out cigarette.
“F***ing scrolls!” Azazel hissed, swiftly grabbing hold of the only glass in tack on the table and launching it at the wall in fury. She wasn’t bothered about the cigarette. But the audacity in bringing a Holy scroll onto Earth – onto her domain. It was blasphemy and Azazel were to be the one to smite those who did wrong.
As the glass collided with the dark paintwork and shattered into paper thin crystals, Azazel sighed in frustration; the bar tender flinching in the background at the sudden noise.
“Put it on my tab. I’ll be back later.” Azazel called back in a stern tone. Shaking her head, she snatched the scroll from the table and headed out of the pokey little bar; crumpling the paper in her enraged grasp. She had no intentions of reading the contents. She had no reason to. She wasn’t interested in whatever Gabriel was after; even if she did know exactly who was behind the consistent deaths; even more so that she was involved also. But as the tall blonde stropped out and into the street, she was quick to teleport. For the safety of the humans who wandered the street. Her fury was getting too much; she needed to contain herself now. So back into her apartment across the City; Azazel appeared. Teleportation was a blessing she had only recently mastered. That, and shadow bending. But it worked well enough for Azazel to appear in her apartment in one state.
It wasn't anything glorious. Her OCD was obvious though. The open plan kitchen and living space was bare. No white appliances graced the kitchen and apart from the sofa and mounted tv on the white washed walls, the living room was obsolete. But she didn't spend much time at home. She found this is where she lost her mind.
Why did she do this? Get so rattled? Every other day was the same. It was getting to the point where her history was beginning to catch up on her again. She had spent so long trying to fight with her distant memories which made her such a bitter soul. But things were getting harder. They always were when the seasons changed. With the nights getting shorter and the days getting longer and more pleasant, it was a constant reminder of the content humidity which existed back home. Back at her real home. The one where she had everything - including an innocent mind. Heaven. But it had been centuries since she had been banished now. She had come to terms with the fact that she would genuinely be on the earth forever. But a wave of guilt continued to linger in Azazel's mind recently. The guilt of which reminded her of her actions many moons ago which landed her exiled.
Throwing the scrunched up scroll on the side of the kitchen counter, Azazel sighed as her wings twitched behind her. Them crying to be released in their full glory. They had a mind of their own. Like taking two petulant children out all the time; they were needed and craved attention. Now was not the time though. With a head shake as she came to terms with the brief encounter with her sister, Azazel shuffled over and slumped down on the sofa.
Azazel rose her hand, placing her slender digits on either side the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes. Was she seriously here trying to reason with her? After so many eons away from each other, this was all she wanted from the deviant fallen.
The Devil’s sister had no place in this world. Azazel was not created to walk the earth. She was created to be intelligent. The become a guardian one day. She was a creation of love and compassion, which was obvious from the warmth in her golden hair. Her glassy blue eyes could captivate the darkest of souls; made to offer redemption. But during her creation of her curious mind, the naivety which naturally came from such a personality was not considered. It was the reason for her fall; daring to trust so easily. Realistically, there was nothing wrong with this. Trusting your celestial siblings would be a standard procedure. But daring to say a word about a newfound understanding of Gluttony – that naivety caused her fall.
Azazel fell far before her time. Still only a fletchling when she hit Mount Hermon, Azazel was left unsupervised. Left to her own devices with no guidance or words of wisdom. But being created to teach wisdom herself, she utilised this time to learn more about the cardinal sin what caused her fall. And with Gluttony came Envy. Then came Pride. Lust, sloth and Greed. But lastly, she came face to face with Wrath. The wrath was what twisted her. Ruined her innocence and began to rot her pure, celestial core.
Azazel was not to be. This was evident with the fact her wings had not discoloured from betrayal; still gleaming ivory and velvet. She was bound to limbo to await the great flood which was sent for her. For her and her fallen siblings to perish. But; she still was. In a cruel twist of fate, Raphael had saved her. The very Arch Angel who had chained her to the desert in the first place. Guilt shrouded her brother. He couldn’t let his little sister die in such a manner. After all, she was still far before her maturity. She didn’t truly understand how her actions were twisting the human race. Turning them from children of God to worshippers of her existence. She just didn’t understand.
Fast forward eons and she found herself face to face with her older sister, talking about death and destruction which she was clearly involved with. Status was heavily influenced by age. The oldest were the wisest. Or so they were led to believe. The young blonde knew otherwise. She had spent her time wandering as a deceitful heathen. Did Gabriel thing she was going to crack so easily?
“Nothing to do with me. You spend all day f***in’ watching me from your sparkly little palace. Alongside the rest of them.” Azazel growled. The tension in the air rose again as Azazel’s mood bounced back. It was far from controllable now. Her bipolar was out of control which was obvious by her actions on Earth. From her first exposure to wrath when she slit the man’s throat whom she laid with; she had a taste for Death. And she loved everything about it. Feeling a body fall cold in her grasp, the crimson glisten which came from fresh blood and the feeling of ultimate dominance.
Azazel slid herself forward off of the stool, pushing it back and away from her by the power from her calves. The lights in the bar flickered as she did so, clenching her jaw to reframe herself from verbally attacking her sister again. She had some restraint within her. But even if she did know what and who was behind the trouble, she wasn’t going to tell her. Azazel held grudges for eternity. Especially when it came to her family. Every celestial who unintentionally played a part in her falling was to blame in her eyes. She would never take full responsibility for her actions.
“You insult me, sister.” Azazel muttered, inhaling on the musky air of the bar which was a mix between the spilt alcohol and stale cigarettes. A scent she had become accustomed to. It was a scent which wouldn’t budge from establishments for another few decades. Smoking and drinking in bars across the planet was standard. For those most impulsive, easily corrupted humans just couldn’t help themselves from mixing the two whilst in the comfort of being contained within 4 walls.
Stretching her fingers out and flexing them, Azazel exhaled heavily.
“You will find out no such intelligence from me.” She coldly hissed. Loyalty was the only thing she prided herself on. It took a very long time for her to even get to the point where anyone meant any relevance to her. And survived long enough to get there. But in return for the long slog someone would endure, she would trade her life for them. Whether it was another being, or a celestial relative had managed to influence her enough for her not to give them up for a greater good or evil.
“I think it’s best if you leave now, Gabriel. I have said all which is needed.” Azazel warned. She remained placid. Yet, in her dark blue gaze, there was an underlying evil which cried out to be released on her sister. But not now. Not today.
Azazel couldn’t help but grin against the rim of her glass. Was dear Gabriel that deluded? Was she really being underestimated again? She had spent her entire time in Heaven looked down upon because of her age compared to the rest. But she fell a long time before most. She remembered watching her siblings fall. Like screaming meteorites which hit Mount Hermon the same way she had years before. It was a beautiful sight to watch. And it was even more beautiful to the twisted angel to slaughter them in the great war. Was her lack of emotion towards her perished siblings not apparent enough when she was wielding angel blades and bows? Azazel shrugged off her comment as she lightly tapped the glass against her pearly white teeth, her intense glare watching her sister with simmered amusement.
“I mean, that was nothing. I was just saying hello!” She mused, her devious grin coming back to her lips which were damp from the cloudy alcohol. Dad help Gabriel if she thought that was Azazel doing her worst. That was a simple stamp of her dominance. She wasn’t going to let her siblings dare to walk the earth she had riddled with sin and start demanding Godly requests at her.
However, her smile died down again slowly as yet again, she probed at her underlying mental state. Not directly. But the thought of home was a trigger that not even she could control. Her dainty fingers slowly tightened their grasp on the thin mantle of the glass as she could feel herself shaking on the inside. A volcano about to erupt at any moment.
“I am not going home, Gabriel.” Azazel said, her jaw beginning to clench at the thought of doing so. She wanted it. Her purpose for eons had been to get home. But now? She wasn’t ready. She was engrossed in far too many important ‘errands’ to allow herself to be selfish. She had too many loose ends on earth which her presence was required to tie.
She often forgot her strength; her grasp had been continuing its constriction around the stem to the point that the half-filled martini glass shattered in her hand. Shards falling onto the table along with the flood of liquid, her eyes slowly lowered. Most people would have flinched. Shocked at such a sight. But she seemed to take her time; gaze watching in amusement as the alcohol swamped the table. A deranged grin came back to her lips.
“Feel free to enlighten me with what you wish me to listen to though. I’m intrigued, dear Sister.” Her voice hummed over the crackling sound of the music playing. Eurythmics were in their prime – it was obvious by their cassette clearly being on repeat. There was no bass to the basic speakers, so it sounded more like a crackly shopping mall voice over or a fuel-station radio rather than a bar.
But what did she expect? It was the 80’s, after all.
“F***. Gabe!” Azazel groaned as her cranium collided with Gabriel’s with a chilling cracking sound. The force they both held meant such a blow could have caved a skull in. But they both seemed fairly subdued to the pain. Azazel inhaled sharply as she stumbled back, her hand raising and holding her contoured eyebrow which had split in the process whilst the other hand moved back to stop her fall against the wall behind her. Silken feathers crushed against her weight which was like rubbing salt in her wounds.
“That isn’t how you f***ing talk to someone down here. You actually have to use that mouth of yours..” Azazel growled as she took her hand from her golden brow to look at the small amount of crimson which formed a puddle in her hand. An expression of dissatisfaction came to her face as her frenzied gaze locked back with her sister’s.
“I missed you too. You f***.” She inhaled slowly, doing everything in her power to stop the embers inside of her to ignite and become a raging blaze of blind anger. Yet, in some strange twist of fate, Azazel managed to remain in control. Even with her mind taunting her to slaughter her sister there and then, she withdrew her thoughts as her bottom lip reeled in under her teeth; chewing on her plump flesh. Her eyelids had sunk. She was still understandably frustrated. Who did she think she was? Coming down to walk amongst her and then dare and place a hand on her being? To break skin and to push her into an epiphany of irritation. Azazel was in her ideal element before Gabriel had showed up and instantly started preaching.
Azazel rolled her eyes at her snide remark. She knew Gabriel meant no harm but her words were like draggers released from her tongue. Targeting her chest and driving themselves into her skin with a bittersweet song. At least God’s messengers who were coming for her were slowly raising in status. Perhaps he would show his face after the next few rejections and finally address his daughter who was drawn to throwing a tantrum or ten.
“Not here.” Azazel stated sternly as her head snapped to the entrance of the alley as she stepped away from the red brickwork and straightened up her posture. She couldn’t help herself. It was time to prove a point that she wasn’t just the youngest anymore. She wasn’t to be disregarded. To be misunderstood or to be overlooked as powerless. Her bloodied hand extended upwards, stained palm pointing upwards as her fingers uncurled. Balancing her arm upwards, Azazel’s pink lips coaxed a malicious grin as the shadows around them moved in. Her fingers slowly danced in the breeze which swept through the alley; the atmosphere growing bitter and tense as she began bending the shadows to her will. Her eyes glowed blue; as deep and vivid as the ocean which consumed her infant which never was. And just like the ocean, the shadows consumed the alley like a wild wave.
With a blind of an eye as darkness shrouded the angels, the two celestials would find themselves in one of the bars in the centre of town. They hadn’t travelled in time, but simply teleported to a more .. fitting atmosphere. The bar was fairly quiet. After all, it was barely midday. Anyone apart from Azazel would have said it was far too early to drink. But as she dragged one of the chairs from the booths which lined the wall across the wooden floor which a ghastly screech, Azazel sat herself down on the regal leather. One of her slender legs crossed over the other as she sat back. After all, she’d need to make herself comfortable for such a discussion which was to come.
“A martini, Salou! And .. “ Azazel rose an eyebrow, curious to what her sister’s chosen poison would be. How could she be so daft. She doubted Gabriel had ever consumed a toxic liquor in her life. “~make it two. And hold them f***ing olives!” She called out to the bar tender who grinned over at the demanding beauty who rested her arms out over the backing of the chair. She was hardly going to remain lady-like all of the time. How could she? She was a murderous asshole.
"Of course! Of course! ...." Holding up a single finger. "...but first.." Steps behind her, both his large hands over her shoulder blades and continues ushering her forward towards this apartment complex with the pool.
