abraxaslogs

"You know what I mean," she says with the sort of eye-roll that only a friend could give. She continues to listen though, humming softly at his denial of jealousy, nodding when he explains more. When her brow is furrowed together it means she's thinking, and though she's quiet, that expression means she's mulling things over. When she takes a sip of her tea, she finally blinks a little and looks at Michael again.

"I know this is going to seem like a random question, possibly. But, if Adam were here, sitting right here, and you could say something to him, anything, what would you say? Would it even help to be able to say those things to him?"

She isn't sure it's just Adam, there are likely two or three others Michael would like to have his share of words with. "Or anyone, the one you have the most to get off your chest to."

He does know what she means, but issuing corrections is familiar territory. It makes him feel better.

There's no hurry here, nothing for them to get back to except cleaning up after the storm and dwelling on their miserable circumstances, so he doesn't rush her to an answer. Michael takes a silent minute of his own to consider his reply. Given there nature of the summoning ritual there are many clarifications he could ask for, like what time this theoretical Adam is pulled from—the before when he was terrified of Michael, or while they were still trying to work out their body-sharing arrangement—but he figures she means the future one, the one back to living his life without him.

"Apart from the usual warnings about this place? I suppose I'd ask him how he's been." If he's truly happy back where he is, if returning to the life of a mere human was a relief or a hardship. The simple conversational questions one would ask meeting an old friend they haven't seen in a long time.

"The people I have the most to say to wouldn't listen." His Father, Lucifer. Listening is not a strong skill among gods or archangels but those two in particular are unlikely to hear him. Michael considers the rest. Gabriel's always been a wildcard. He thinks even Gabriel himself wouldn't be able to answer if he'd be inclined to listen at any theoretical future point. He made his decisions in the moment. "I would owe Raphael certain apologies. For not finding a way to prevent him from being drawn here, for one, but also that he never got the reward he was due."

"You would be doing it for you, not for them. If they don't listen, that isn't your problem, but they could never say you didn't tell them how you feel or that they didn't know." Maybe that doesn't matter the way it might to a human, maybe it wouldn't help at all, but it's all she knows to suggest.

"Do you think anyone would actually look to you and blame you for being brought here?" She raises an eyebrow tilting her head. "Stop apologizing for things you have no control over."

Perhaps easier said than done, but no one needs to be apologizing for anything the Singularity does.

"Do I seem like the type of man that has trouble with apologizing too often?"

Michael's not exactly a man, but he's found he has that much in common with most of them so he'll wear the title today. He'd meant it as an expression of sympathy more than anything else.

(But there is part of him that believes that being an archangel makes him a protector, and inherently responsible for any ill that befalls his current vessel even if it wasn't his direct doing. Good luck curing him of that.)

"I don't believe speaking without being heard would improve my mood. My family are the type to use any weakness to their advantage, for that matter. Vulnerability is costly."

Like Claire, he finds himself in the miserable position of waiting for people and circumstances to change around him. There is nothing he can do to force that change. He recognizes that he presents a problem with no solution, though, and he doesn't expect her to have a miraculous answer. He points the conversation in another direction.

"Do you remember that plant we made? The one that moved as if it were an animal?"

"Not once in your existence."

She can recognize a subject change when she hears one, so she saves any lingering thoughts for another time—a real-time example of how much Claire's grown as a person, because she could've kept going. Instead, she gives a small snort of amusement.

"Are spiders animals? But yes, I do remember. We were out of control, Michael." She deadpans a joke, taking a sip of her tea. She's getting better at not cracking a smirk or a smile, learning from the best.

"Depends on the classification scheme you're following. They're within the taxonomic kingdom Animalia." Technically, yes. Technically correct is his favourite kind of right answer and though she might roll her eyes, he thinks Claire will appreciate it anyway.

He deadpans right back at her.

"Truly. At least we didn't create any rituals that involved human sacrifice.

"Drink your tea before it gets cold."

Open

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject