(Untitled)

[halosphere]

Date: May 29th, before sunset
Location: Outside the manor
Status: Public (Dustfinger?)
Summary: Raphael's pets welcome him home

Comments

[feuerschlucker]

Although going away from the manor was no longer the first priority for him, Dustfinger was still not very happy about that he was caught there.

Gwin did not mind though. At least not if he got enough food and space to run around, and time to be outside.

That last was why he went outside of the manor now. He did not want that Gwin ran around on his own. He had no trust for many of the people that lived there.

There was a bowl with water standing on the steps outside the door. Gwin ran down Dustfinger's arm and coat and over to the bowl to stick his nose in.

[halosphere]

Raphael looked up. "Oh, hello!" He raced over to his bowl, careful not to hurt the animal sniffing curiously at it. "This is my pet. His name is Filayo." Now grinning he knelt beside the creature. "Is this yours?" he asked.

[feuerschlucker]

"His name's Gwin", Dustfinger said. "Careful. He doesn't like to be tickled. He'd take off your finger."

He walked the some steps over to the other man. "He likes to eat fish."

[halosphere]

Raphael brought his hand back. Fair warning. He held his bowl protectively and rose to his feet. "My name is Raphael," he said with a nod. "Are you Dustfinger?"

[feuerschlucker]

Dustfinger nodded. "Yes." He said. "Why do you know?"

He looked at the man with suspicion.

[halosphere]

Oh! He motioned to Gwin. "I had seen you around, though I never stopped to introduce myself. I thought you had a pet and I was right." He beamed. "Well, I know he's mean but does he play well with other animals or is it just..." the angel shrugged a little. "Us two-legged types?"

[feuerschlucker]

"He plays well with other martens", Dustfinger said. "Other than that he's more a loner. And he's not a pet. He's a friend."

Well, he was a pet but some people in this world had strange ideas about what one does with pets. Dustfinger remembered that he had seen people who had coloured their white dogs pink, for example.

[halosphere]

"Aw. I was hoping they could play together," Raphael said, clearly disappointed. "My animals are my friends too! You and Gwin already met Filayo. That's Fella," here he pointed to the rabbit. "And that's Pudge." The owl came to land on his shoulder. "We're one big family!" the angel said, smiling.

[feuerschlucker]

"Gwin isn't my family", Dustfinger said darkly. "My wife and daughters are... not here."

He stretched out his hand and petted the rabbit's head.

[halosphere]

Raphael's cheeks colored in shame. "I apologize. I didn't..." His voice grew quiet. "You must really miss them."

[feuerschlucker]

"I do", Dustfinger said. "What about you? Do you have family?"

He moved his hand around the animals. "Other family than they."

[halosphere]

Raphael nodded. "Some of them are here, in fact. Gabriel and Michael are my older brothers. I thought I felt Uriel's presence here too but I've not seen him yet. Aziraphale is my mentee, but technically my little brother too." He chuckled fondly. "I love them all, even Lucifer. He Fell, but he's still my brother."

[feuerschlucker]

"Oh?" Dustfinger lifted his eyes and looked into those of Raphael. He looked a little worried.

"What fell he into? Or down from? Is he okay?"

[halosphere]

"He Fell from Grace," the angel said quietly. "He and all who followed him, which were a third of Heaven." It was amazing how something that happened so long ago could be remembered with such clarity. "Lucifer is our enemy, but... But he seemed okay when I saw him last." Raphael decided not to mention that he hoped to see him again. It had been... nice... to see him at dinner that day.

[feuerschlucker]

Dustfinger looked completely confused at Raphael.

"What did he do on a woman?" he asked. "Or were they... you know...?"

He put the pieces together so that they made something of sense to him. "Is he your enemy because of what he did to Grace? Is she a friend of yours?"

This is really fun, I just had to tell you that I'm really enjoying this!

[halosphere]

Raphael tilted his head a little. "Grace is not a woman," he explained to him. The bunny was sniffing at Dustfinger's hand, silently requesting to be picked up and properly cuddled. "Well, there are women named Grace, but in this case, Falling from Grace means he was ripped away from the very presence of God that sustains us."

The angel picked up his fish. "It would be like Filayo here. He is a fish that breathes water. But if I plucked him from the water and dropped him on the sidewalk, he would be without the water he needs to breathe. For an angel, the Presence is kinda like that. We can live without it or even being forced to survive on less, but it is very very difficult." It hurts... his mind added silently.