Old Friends and New
1. Your Name:
2. Age:
3. Single or Taken:
4. Favorite Film:
5. Favorite Song or Album:
6. Favorite Band/Artist:
7. Dirty or Clean:
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings:
9. Do we know each other outside of the internet?
10. What's your philosophy on life?
11. Is the bottle half-full or half-empty?
12. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?
13. What is your favorite memory of us?
14. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:
16. You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the 'world peace etc' malarkey) - what are they?
17. Can we get together and make a cake?
18. Which country is your spiritual home?
19. What is your big weakness?
20. Do you think I'm a good person?
21. What was your best/favorite subject at school?
22. Describe your accent:
23. If you could change anything about me, would you?
24. What do you wear to sleep?
25. Trousers or skirts?
26. Cigarettes or alcohol?
27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
28. Will you repost this so I can fill it out for you?
I'm off to Leicester again tomorrow. Not till later on, though. Emma and I are going to have my famous stuffed aubergines and I'm going to make her watch Legion and then read my fic, because I think she'd like it. On Monday we have a few flat viewings, and then on Tuesday morning I'm going to pop over to the hospital and meet up with Faye, the youth group coordinator -- who is apparently now employed by TCT not the NHS!
Which reminds me! Leicester has FINALLY been given the go-ahead for a Teenage Cancer Trust unit of its own! I can't even express how happy this makes me. I'm giddy. :D
Anyway, I'm meeting up with Faye because she thinks she might know someone who may be able to help me out with my wiggly bags project -- you know, the fabric pouches for hickman lines I was going to make to raise money for TCT? And now with the fundraising having begun for a Leicester unit, what better reason? :)
The meeting, Audrey and Gabriel discovered, had been to plan a reconnaissance expedition. The ‘infected’ hadn’t attacked for over twenty-four hours now, and the cathedral’s lodgers grew restless and hungry. In light of the news that the epidemic was over, Sheriff Eli re-evaluated the operation.
“So you’re definitely sure it’s all over?” He asked Gabriel, who bowed his head in verification.
“There are bodies in the streets,” the archangel explained, “but they are no longer harmful.”
Audrey tuned out at the word ‘bodies’. She’d been trying frantically to block out the image of the dead, leering man that was burnt into her memory, and being close to Gabriel helped significantly, because he was a fantastically effective distraction, but she recognised that he had a lot of other people to look out for now, too. Quelling her discontent, she wandered off to explore.
Over the end of each of the pews, either side of the aisle, hung a brass candelabra bearing two tealights. Some were lit; some had died out in the night, but all of them held a bunch of dead, shrivelled, white gerbera daisies and baby’s breath in a little cone below.
The great pillars that lined the nave were modestly embellished with sculpted ivy, and every third one featured a pointed-arched alcove near the top, accommodating a statue of a saint. Their eyes followed Audrey along the carpeted aisle as she neared the chancel.
The same desiccated, white gerberas hung limply from the three-day-old arrangements that sat upon the pedestals she passed on the way up. She counted seven steps, leaning her head back to behold the pictures painted between the vaults above. Chubby, naked cherubs frolicked happily among iconic images of Christ and his disciples, laughing and chatting among themselves; Audrey wondered what they talked about. Jesus was listening attentively to a bearded man in an olive robe, whose hands were raised as he spoke animatedly about something evidently entertaining. Maybe the punchline of a joke, Audrey speculated, or a story he heard from a farmer’s wife.
The altar was bare besides the golden cross that stood in the centre on a mahogany base, matching the wood of the table. It was highly polished; the light from the massive window at the opposite end of the cathedral cast a white gleam across its glossy finish.
A rush of memories of Gabriel’s kiss hit her like a tsunami. He’d set her down upon the altar so carefully; his hands had warmed her night-chilled cheeks while his lips had numbed everything else.
As she stared at the crucifix, where a miniature Jesus hung from his palms, she wondered if He would have considered it disrespectful. She leaned the heels of her hands on the table, her thoughts ambling between her growing affection for Gabriel and her severely weakened faith in God. It was honest, she justified. There’s no justifiable reason.
Glancing absently around, she noticed the chancel, which was narrower than the nave, had a small, wooden door on both sides. They’d been hidden, until now, by the drop of the giant curtain that lined the back of an ornate, wood-carved screen running across the top of the steps, a large archway at its midpoint. She straightened up and made towards the one on the right.
The door was ajar, and the familiar, flickering, orange glow of candlelight leaked through the crack and across the carpet. Upon pushing it open, she was rooted to the spot.
The small, stone room was littered with sheets of paper. They lay in clusters in the corners, on the little desk at the far end, and was tacked to the pinboard above it. Every piece was sketched across in dark pencil, and they were all of the same thing: a large tree, not unlike a Willow, except its branches grew not leaves, but tiny keys of every size, shape and shade imaginable. Venturing inside, she picked up an unfinished one from the floor, sending a pencil rolling across the floorboards.
“I’m not crazy,” Jenny asserted from the doorway behind her, but when Audrey spun around in surprise, she didn’t look as sure as she sounded.
“You did these?” She held up the drawing incredulously, watching Jenny nod.
“I’ve had that image ingrained in my mind for... well, since all this started.” Audrey said nothing. “Don’t you think that’s weird?”
This time, she opened her mouth to answer, but Gabriel appeared in the doorway and she forgot what she was about to say. His lips parted in shock at the sight.
“Well, I think they’re beautiful,” Audrey declared. “What do the keys unlock?”
“Secrets,” Gabriel whispered, attracting the girls’ attention. His face was like poetry, telling of love, tragedy, hope and discovery.
Jenny looked from Gabriel to Audrey, her brow furrowed in perplexity, and moved towards the sketch.
“Do you know what this is?” She asked him, pointing to the swaying tree.
Gabriel was enraptured; he couldn’t tear his eyes away, as if it were the portrait of an old friend, long since forgotten.
“It’s the...” Remembering the story they’d wordlessly agreed upon, he stopped himself just in time. “It’s a foretelling of my arrival,” he told her, which wasn’t completely untrue. “You’re a prophet.”
Jenny took a moment to absorb his announcement, then laughed. It was short-lived, however, because she realised nobody was laughing with her. She could only stare at him in disbelief.
“You... wait, hold on - you’re telling me this image... came from God?”
Gabriel cocked his head to one side in consideration.
“Not exactly.”
“Not exactly?” Jenny repeated.
“I cannot tell you what I don’t know,” he answered truthfully.
“But you’re the Messenger of God... surely messages from God are like, your area of expertise?”
He would have smiled, had it not been for the sticky situation he found himself in. There was no way to tell her what he did know without letting on the lie. He looked to Audrey for help. She looked as confused as Jenny, but nodded in acceptance: she’d have to know.
“The people who attacked you were not victims of a pandemic,” he admitted, watching her face carefully. “They were victims of the Lord’s wrath.”
She didn’t speak, or even move.
“They were possessed by angels,” Audrey elaborated, “on God’s orders. They were sent to wipe us out.”
Jenny’s head whipped around to face her now. She didn’t look upset, but furious. Her attention snapped back to Gabriel as he spoke again.
“My brother, Michael, managed to convince him otherwise--”
“But don’t be angry at him,” Audrey interrupted, desperately hurrying to get everything out before she exploded. “I was the one who started the lie. I just couldn’t tell them... how do you break something like that?”
Her justification softened Jenny’s features a little, but she still didn’t look particularly pleased.
“So what’s the significance of the tree, really?” She asked evenly.
“It’s the tree of knowledge.”
2. Age:
3. Single or Taken:
4. Favorite Film:
5. Favorite Song or Album:
6. Favorite Band/Artist:
7. Dirty or Clean:
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings:
9. Do we know each other outside of the internet?
10. What's your philosophy on life?
11. Is the bottle half-full or half-empty?
12. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?
13. What is your favorite memory of us?
14. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:
16. You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the 'world peace etc' malarkey) - what are they?
17. Can we get together and make a cake?
18. Which country is your spiritual home?
19. What is your big weakness?
20. Do you think I'm a good person?
21. What was your best/favorite subject at school?
22. Describe your accent:
23. If you could change anything about me, would you?
24. What do you wear to sleep?
25. Trousers or skirts?
26. Cigarettes or alcohol?
27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
28. Will you repost this so I can fill it out for you?
I'm off to Leicester again tomorrow. Not till later on, though. Emma and I are going to have my famous stuffed aubergines and I'm going to make her watch Legion and then read my fic, because I think she'd like it. On Monday we have a few flat viewings, and then on Tuesday morning I'm going to pop over to the hospital and meet up with Faye, the youth group coordinator -- who is apparently now employed by TCT not the NHS!
Which reminds me! Leicester has FINALLY been given the go-ahead for a Teenage Cancer Trust unit of its own! I can't even express how happy this makes me. I'm giddy. :D
Anyway, I'm meeting up with Faye because she thinks she might know someone who may be able to help me out with my wiggly bags project -- you know, the fabric pouches for hickman lines I was going to make to raise money for TCT? And now with the fundraising having begun for a Leicester unit, what better reason? :)
The meeting, Audrey and Gabriel discovered, had been to plan a reconnaissance expedition. The ‘infected’ hadn’t attacked for over twenty-four hours now, and the cathedral’s lodgers grew restless and hungry. In light of the news that the epidemic was over, Sheriff Eli re-evaluated the operation.
“So you’re definitely sure it’s all over?” He asked Gabriel, who bowed his head in verification.
“There are bodies in the streets,” the archangel explained, “but they are no longer harmful.”
Audrey tuned out at the word ‘bodies’. She’d been trying frantically to block out the image of the dead, leering man that was burnt into her memory, and being close to Gabriel helped significantly, because he was a fantastically effective distraction, but she recognised that he had a lot of other people to look out for now, too. Quelling her discontent, she wandered off to explore.
Over the end of each of the pews, either side of the aisle, hung a brass candelabra bearing two tealights. Some were lit; some had died out in the night, but all of them held a bunch of dead, shrivelled, white gerbera daisies and baby’s breath in a little cone below.
The great pillars that lined the nave were modestly embellished with sculpted ivy, and every third one featured a pointed-arched alcove near the top, accommodating a statue of a saint. Their eyes followed Audrey along the carpeted aisle as she neared the chancel.
The same desiccated, white gerberas hung limply from the three-day-old arrangements that sat upon the pedestals she passed on the way up. She counted seven steps, leaning her head back to behold the pictures painted between the vaults above. Chubby, naked cherubs frolicked happily among iconic images of Christ and his disciples, laughing and chatting among themselves; Audrey wondered what they talked about. Jesus was listening attentively to a bearded man in an olive robe, whose hands were raised as he spoke animatedly about something evidently entertaining. Maybe the punchline of a joke, Audrey speculated, or a story he heard from a farmer’s wife.
The altar was bare besides the golden cross that stood in the centre on a mahogany base, matching the wood of the table. It was highly polished; the light from the massive window at the opposite end of the cathedral cast a white gleam across its glossy finish.
A rush of memories of Gabriel’s kiss hit her like a tsunami. He’d set her down upon the altar so carefully; his hands had warmed her night-chilled cheeks while his lips had numbed everything else.
As she stared at the crucifix, where a miniature Jesus hung from his palms, she wondered if He would have considered it disrespectful. She leaned the heels of her hands on the table, her thoughts ambling between her growing affection for Gabriel and her severely weakened faith in God. It was honest, she justified. There’s no justifiable reason.
Glancing absently around, she noticed the chancel, which was narrower than the nave, had a small, wooden door on both sides. They’d been hidden, until now, by the drop of the giant curtain that lined the back of an ornate, wood-carved screen running across the top of the steps, a large archway at its midpoint. She straightened up and made towards the one on the right.
The door was ajar, and the familiar, flickering, orange glow of candlelight leaked through the crack and across the carpet. Upon pushing it open, she was rooted to the spot.
The small, stone room was littered with sheets of paper. They lay in clusters in the corners, on the little desk at the far end, and was tacked to the pinboard above it. Every piece was sketched across in dark pencil, and they were all of the same thing: a large tree, not unlike a Willow, except its branches grew not leaves, but tiny keys of every size, shape and shade imaginable. Venturing inside, she picked up an unfinished one from the floor, sending a pencil rolling across the floorboards.
“I’m not crazy,” Jenny asserted from the doorway behind her, but when Audrey spun around in surprise, she didn’t look as sure as she sounded.
“You did these?” She held up the drawing incredulously, watching Jenny nod.
“I’ve had that image ingrained in my mind for... well, since all this started.” Audrey said nothing. “Don’t you think that’s weird?”
This time, she opened her mouth to answer, but Gabriel appeared in the doorway and she forgot what she was about to say. His lips parted in shock at the sight.
“Well, I think they’re beautiful,” Audrey declared. “What do the keys unlock?”
“Secrets,” Gabriel whispered, attracting the girls’ attention. His face was like poetry, telling of love, tragedy, hope and discovery.
Jenny looked from Gabriel to Audrey, her brow furrowed in perplexity, and moved towards the sketch.
“Do you know what this is?” She asked him, pointing to the swaying tree.
Gabriel was enraptured; he couldn’t tear his eyes away, as if it were the portrait of an old friend, long since forgotten.
“It’s the...” Remembering the story they’d wordlessly agreed upon, he stopped himself just in time. “It’s a foretelling of my arrival,” he told her, which wasn’t completely untrue. “You’re a prophet.”
Jenny took a moment to absorb his announcement, then laughed. It was short-lived, however, because she realised nobody was laughing with her. She could only stare at him in disbelief.
“You... wait, hold on - you’re telling me this image... came from God?”
Gabriel cocked his head to one side in consideration.
“Not exactly.”
“Not exactly?” Jenny repeated.
“I cannot tell you what I don’t know,” he answered truthfully.
“But you’re the Messenger of God... surely messages from God are like, your area of expertise?”
He would have smiled, had it not been for the sticky situation he found himself in. There was no way to tell her what he did know without letting on the lie. He looked to Audrey for help. She looked as confused as Jenny, but nodded in acceptance: she’d have to know.
“The people who attacked you were not victims of a pandemic,” he admitted, watching her face carefully. “They were victims of the Lord’s wrath.”
She didn’t speak, or even move.
“They were possessed by angels,” Audrey elaborated, “on God’s orders. They were sent to wipe us out.”
Jenny’s head whipped around to face her now. She didn’t look upset, but furious. Her attention snapped back to Gabriel as he spoke again.
“My brother, Michael, managed to convince him otherwise--”
“But don’t be angry at him,” Audrey interrupted, desperately hurrying to get everything out before she exploded. “I was the one who started the lie. I just couldn’t tell them... how do you break something like that?”
Her justification softened Jenny’s features a little, but she still didn’t look particularly pleased.
“So what’s the significance of the tree, really?” She asked evenly.
“It’s the tree of knowledge.”