abraxaslogs | [Closed]

"I have friends."

He says it lightly though just because he has to say something. He works his jaw back and forth, listening to Wanda's explanation and then trying to hear anything from Michael. But, considering he's an archangel, it's not like he's going to need to do things that humans do.

Does he? Had Abraxas changed that? Maybe it's best not to ask. Not great conversation topics. He frowns.

"And yeah, I'm a lawyer. Not that that means much right now because I'm not licensed in the Free Cities but it's something to work towards."

If he's important enough for Wanda to introduce him to her partner as an equal, what does that make them—family? Michael lets only a fraction of his surprise show, and only for a moment, but it's there. Wanda isn't one for open displays of sentiment any more than he is. He files the thought away for use in a teasing remark later. In the meantime, he drops some of the standoffish air he usually carries around strangers as he peers at Matt.

"I won't refuse the opportunity for an ally on the other side of a faction border, especially if Wanda is vouching for your character."

So maybe he doesn't have many friends out there. Thanks, Wanda. There's a face or two in the Free Cities that would greet him with a smile, but he's not sure how far any of them would be willing to go for him if he were truly in a bind.

Michael leans back in his chair, lacing his fingers and settling them on his lap. He doesn't seem relaxed so much as he looks like a tool set in its proper place.

"Regrettably, Solvunn has a limited job market outside of farming and childcare."

There's little work to be found for a lawyer in the commune, and even less for a general.

Edited 2023-02-10 07:00 (UTC)

Wanda can tell that Matt has questions of Michael's nature while being here in Abraxas—the slightest skim of his thoughts tells her so. She also catches on to something that Michael is thinking of keeping away for later. She knows she's put herself in a position of vulnerability as much as what Matt is exuding beside her.

"Michael might have a future in baking if he sets his mind to it." The comment is light, meant to bring some nuance to the conversation that doesn't flit towards the tense and the awkward. It's the elephant in the room, isn't it? "Matt's from the city. Might have never touched grass."

That—of course—is an exaggeration.

Her hand moves from Matt's wrist to his hand, proper, to afford him something of an anchor. Wanda has no idea how her next words will sit with him.

"We all know who Michael is," she starts, unwilling to further ignore the elephant in the room. "You don't have to ask him about the mysteries of the universe or God or — whatever—" excuse her nonchalance "—but you don't have to hold your breath around him either.

He might actually like all that deference, anyway."

"I'm not."

Holding his breath, that is. And while he does have questions because of course he does, he also doesn't know if he wants to ask them and hear the answers. All of this, it was supposed to be beyond him, to be something out of his reach, unattainable but completely out of reach if you lived your life a certain way.

And her he is, sitting down to have a conversation with an archangel. It's heady but he tries to breathe it off and not act like it was too big a deal.

"I don't think I want to know the mysteries of the universe or God. I think that's too much for me today."

Maybe another day.

"Trying to imagine you — farming though, it's a little comical. But a lot of what I hear about Solvunn from Wanda feels kind of strange."

There's his reminder that whatever wholesome fact he might try to embarrass Wanda with later, she has an equally sweet, out of character anecdote to share about him. Michael looks at her as if to say his baking habit was supposed to be a secret, but he's only half serious. This is what he gets for making friends: the threat of revenge.

"We receive quite enough reverence from the Solvunn natives as it is, don't you think?" he says to Wanda, then turns to Matt. "The part about them treating goats as appropriate 'thank you' gifts is true."

Not that anyone's tried to give Michael a live goat (yet) but he's received a truly outrageous variety of goat-related offerings. Some he's hidden away just in case, but most have been skillfully regifted to others in the commune.

Michael appreciates that Matt doesn't plan to dive straight into a theological line of inquiry. He nods.

"Good. I won't field any questions about my Father, so it's best that you don't ask."

He makes it sound like a personal matter—and well, it is—but for Wanda there is a loud surface thought that discussion of his Father is perhaps the most faith-shattering topic to engage him on. Mentions of God are unavoidable when he speaks of his past, but there is a reason Michael has not brought up his relationship with God in any great detail.

"Is it funny? I'll have to trust your judgment." Comical is not the first word that comes to mind when he thinks of being forced to adapt to life among humans. For a moment, Michael's gaze is sharp, every bit the rigid general no angel ever wanted to be dragged in front of; in the next, he's back to what passes for casual with him. He's willing to let the comment slide, for Wanda's sake.

She takes note of Michael's gaze, the way he exudes what she imagines would count as something terrifying to those angels he once had command over. Fortunately, Wanda suffers no such grievance from it, and Matt's as blind as a bat to notice it to begin with.

Wanda does shoot him a look—really?—and a raise of a brow.

"I think Matt's mostly familiar with those statues of angels," she says with a light shrug, not all too sure about what the Catholic faith consists in terms of angelic representations. "It might be funny to imagine those depictions busy with farming." She offers a description to Matt. "He looks like the most normal guy right now. American, even."

In any case—

"Try not to do any prayers directed at Michael—" she isn't sure if Matt ever does "—because he will hear them. Might be interesting to try if it works across factions, though, or if there's a distance limitation in Abraxas."

As most things, Wanda goes into technicalities of the magical and mystical.

"Don't worry, I tend to keep my prayers fairly mundane."

And private. Though, he's also curious if a prayer directed at Michael would reach across factions. He's not going to try it but he's curious. He doesn't really know what to say so he goes for the first thing that comes to mind —

"Does it concern you that a person...like yourself can be contained in a place like this?"

Michael looks back at her, expression unapologetic and even a hint self-satisfied. This is as good as his attitude gets around relative strangers. In fact, he thinks he's doing a pretty good job of treating Matt with something approaching respect. He hasn't made even one dismissive comment about his faith.

"I can hear prayers from across faction borders," he confirms. "At least those in the Free Cities. Thorne might be another story."

He'd certainly been able to hear Lucifer the last time his brother had tested the volume limit on angel radio, but prayers from humans and others were another matter. That might be a notion worth testing. Between them, he's sure they could come up with the name of a volunteer or two within Thorne. At times, it seems to Michael that Wanda knows just about everyone in Abraxas. Maybe that's merely proof of her point that he needs to work on making friends.

Michael turns his attention to Matt and his question.

"Foremost, I'd say it irritates me. That it's possible to contain an archangel doesn't surprise me, however—anything can be caged, no matter its power. My real concern is who's doing the caging. Solvunn's motives seem innocuous so far, but I'm given to understand that the relationship between natives and their Summoned isn't so congenial in other factions."

Let's not talk about Thorne, is what she thinks, lest they push further into territory that would force them to mention Lucifer. Not the favorite topic of neither Matt nor Michael, she is certain.

And it really did take less than ten minutes to jump into conspiracy conversation.

Suppose this is something Michael enjoys and is good at.

"Unfortunately the Summoning ritual's rituals are being kept a tight secret from those who employ it. I can tell it's a very powerful flux of magic whenever it's performed," she adds; hopefully Matt won't feel too lost with all this mystical talk. "And from what I understand, we enjoy more freedoms than those from the other factions do. Small comforts, right?"

She's only glad the Free Cities isn't as bad as Thorne. She knows Natasha and Stephen can handle themselves discreetly. The brawny men from her world in the Free Cities? Not so much.

"That's what I've gleaned. Summoned, which is just a strange classification I have to say, seem to have a little leeway in the Free Cities. I got questioned a little while ago and they let me go pretty easily."

But that might have also been because of his ability to talk himself out of trouble.

"I don't know if they'd do that for just everyone. Not that they had anything on me but still."

At least a distaste for the mention of Lucifer is something Matt and Michael could share. He's not too eager to get into the topic of the rest of his family any more than he is to talk about his Father, though, so Michael concedes to a shift in topics with something like a mental shrug.

He looks once again at Matt.

"Perhaps they feared you would sue if they held you without cause for too long," he says, then turns a question on Wanda. "You were pulled aside not long ago as well, weren't you?"

Obviously, they didn't hold her. Whether that's because Solvunn has a soft touch with its Summoned or because Wanda is equally good at charming her way into the locals' good graces, he can't say. Maybe a bit of both.

Wanda looks over at Matt suddenly, a pinched look on her face. He had not told her about being pulled aside and questioned. Maybe he thought it wasn't a big deal? He's fine, so that's fine, but—

Her attention shifts over to Michael.

"I was approached by the miller's wife," she says, easily. "She had asked me if I was happy in Solvunn, and if I was thinking of leaving because of the packages I'd send to the other factions.

I think it's fair for those in our factions to question about the Summoned loyalties. Especially after the attacks in Nocwich."

Which is what she thinks would have triggered anyone getting pulled to the side. Matt, however, doesn't get to slide away undetected that easily, though.

"What did they ask you?"

That's true, he hadn't told her about that because it hadn't been that big of a deal, really. Now though, when he gets an idea of what kind of face she's making by the tone of her voice, he guesses that maybe he should have said something.

"Nothing important," he says, brushing the question off. He shakes his head. He can tell her later. Maybe.

"But it definitely wasn't if I was thinking about leaving for other factions. I didn't even think that was possible."

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this is so old, no one @ me

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