Application: Algaliarept (Kim Harrisons' "Rachel Morgan" series)

[phobophilia]

Algaliarept wasn't typically into the business of traveling long distances - Cincinnati and the Hollows bred more than enough people willing to deal with him - but, he felt, desperate times called for desperate measures. 'Times', in this case, referred specifically to the growing lack of those willing to do deals with demons. They were getting

Comments

[totallyluminous]

'Don't tell me there's a bloody magnet attracting all your lot here,' Mel says, standing by the doorway (just in case.) 'In the past month, we've had about three or four apply, and they all said the same thing. Hell on earth, I can make you an offer you can't refuse, mere mortals cower before me, that sort of thing.'

The angel plants her hands squarely on her hips. 'You've all started to blur into one.'

[phobophilia]

The fact that this woman looked exactly like another he'd recently met didn't faze Algaliarept - after all, he tended to look like other people a lot of the time, too. Still, it was interesting.

As was her. "Now you are interesting, my girl," the demon cocked his head curiously, completely ignoring her 'greeting' and closing the distance between them. Hell on earth was a boring idea, anyway. There would be no goodness left to corrupt and pervert. "Purity is so rare these days."

[totallyluminous]

Mel forces herself to stand her ground, though she spreads her vibes around her so he'll halt.

'It's not where I come from,' she says. 'But I understand in Hell it never lasts for very long. Purity.' Her hands change position to fold just under her chest, and her expression does not change; her chin is jutted out, her nostrils pinched and white with apprehension and a little fear, her eyes steady and blazing with hate. Hate isn't so pure--but Mel supposes any sort of angel must be a step up from what he's used to.

[phobophilia]

"Hell? Oh, love, I don't come from there," Algaliarept smiled thinly, coming to a stop before he got too close. Whatever kind of aura she was putting out, he didn't want it touching him.

He'd never actually met any angels, and therefore had no idea exactly what this woman was, but it felt close enough to sanctified ground that he knew he wouldn't be able to get too close. Which was probably a good thing - he didn't want blood on his suit. "No, not Hell," he repeated. "Just a different side of reality. Although... Heaven and Hell, what wonderful ideas. Appropriated justice, and all that."

[totallyluminous]

Mel smiles for a flicker of a second. He can't get too close. Ner ner ner ner ner.

'They exist perfectly well in my world.' She doesn't bother to tell him to stop calling her 'love'. He won't. The best she can hope for is that he gets bored.

'Yes,' she continues. 'I'm from Heaven. We don't like demons coming in and trying to mess everything up.' Mel takes a step forwards. 'We deal pretty harshly with them when that happens.'

[phobophilia]

"I imagine you do," Algaliarept mockingly placated her, though he didn't back down when she took a step forward. The feeling of sanctification was highly irritating, but she wasn't close enough to warrant a shift of position. Yet.

The demon pursed his lips in thought, and smirked as he twisted a curse in his mind, shifting his form - the red mist of ley line magic gathering around him, and falling away to reveal that he had, in fact, shifted into a likeness of Mel. Or Maia. It was hard to tell the difference.

"I have no interest in trying to get into Heaven," he smiled. "Though I imagine people around here might be a good deal more responsive to me if I walked around like this."

[totallyluminous]

Mel stares at him, and then bursts into a peal of laughter. The angel is genuinely amused, though her laughter is not warm.

'That's already been tried!' she gasps. 'Maia tried that, at her application. Nobody fell for it.' Well, except--embarrassingly--her boyfriend. Men are ruled by their genitals, what can she say. 'No, they're really not that responsive.'

She suddenly feels bold, unafraid. What's the worst he could do? Kill her? She's already dead. Destroy her? She'd put up a good fight.

She takes another step forward, eyes shining and mouth twisting into a small smile. 'Turn back into yourself. I have absolutely no qualms about stabbing the image of myself in the stomach, babe.'

[phobophilia]

Tipping his head to the side in a dismissive manner, Algaliarept shrugged. "Perhaps it is your doppleganger with the fault, then. Fiery little tart, no doubt, but she seemed to have problems with trying to pose as anything more pure than herself. Pity."

Despite his calm appearance, Mel's approach made him flinch slightly - eugh, it was like being covered in oil - and the demon abruptly shifted back to his own form, turning intangible. A handy little trick, and unless she actually consecrated the ground she was walking on, she could get as close as she liked.

"How fascinating to see someone so bold," he approved, almost curious. "A quality that will no doubt be your downfall, but interesting nonetheless. Do they applaud that sort of foolish bravado in Heaven? Pride - isn't that a sin?"

Vote: Squib

[totallyluminous]

Mel's mouth twists. It nearly HAS led to her downfall, like the time she beamed away from her team against express orders to rescue a little girl and nearly got herself expelled from school and/or heaven.

'I don't pretend to be perfect, and I know the golden mean between arrogance and timidity,' she snaps, stopping the moment he turns back to normal. She's not so up on approaching middle-aged men that close. 'And you've met Maia? Oh, she can do pure. She just doesn't like to.'

It's weird how she's almost defending Maia against this man. Maia is HER dark side, dammnit!

'I'm in Gryffindor. You may not believe it, but bravery CAN be good! I know it's a shock concept. Now do me a favour and don't bother trying to corrupt anyone. I'll be watching.'