(no subject)
It’s bright. Although there are no windows, and no doors, once Loki has shuffled inside, it’s blindingly bright. The light seems to be coming from the air itself, and from the three figures ranged in front of him, naked, genderless, and beautiful. The one at the centre speaks. Its voice is as clear as a bell.
‘Loki.’
‘Yes?’
‘We presume thou art aware of why thou art here.’
He doesn’t answer.
‘Thou hast sinned, Loki.’
Loki stares at his feet, suddenly horribly aware of the meaty, heavy feel of the human body he wears, especially since it chooses that moment to flush hotly.
‘Thou art here to face Judgment, thee who was once the Angel of Death. Let us hear thy defence.’
He looks up at that, uncertain which of the angels before him had spoken, unsure to whom to address his reply. He opens his mouth, licks his lips nervously.
‘It wasn’t - it wasn’t my fault. I. It wasn’t me. It was because I changed him - because he was a vampire. It - his blood - it… messed with my head. I didn’t… It wasn’t my fault.’ As Loki looks between the three perfect faces, whose gazes rest upon him with an absolute unreadability, there’s the horrible sinking feeling in his stomach that these angels don’t quite believe his story.
‘Thou art clad in a human body, Loki.’ The central angel again.
‘Yes.’
‘Wholly human.’
‘Yes.’ And as he replies, he can’t help but notice that the angels’ faces crease ever so slightly in distaste.
‘Why?’
‘I… Well, I…’ Loki grasps for words.
‘For physical gratification. For carnal gratification.’
He looks down again, shamefacedly, the blush now burning its way across his cheeks, staining them a deep red. He bites his lip, until a thought occurs to him, and he raises his head again, defiant.
‘Yeah, so? So what? There’s an angel, back there, he fucks a demon and hasn’t Fallen. David, David’s just a human. Sex with humans is allowed.’
‘We are aware -‘ it’s the right-hand angel speaking now ‘- of the rules, Loki. And,’ it scowls, ‘of the exceptions. Thou might lay with as many of thy troupe of humans as is thy wish, Loki, rest assured. However. Dost thou agree that, had thee been clad in thy more perfect, thine angelic body, thy defences would not have been so weak as to allow this tainted blood to harm thee?’
Loki looks around at the other two angels, almost as if expecting help. When none is forthcoming, he nods sullenly.
‘And dost thou agree that, had thee been clad in thine angelic form, thou wouldst not have raped thy David?’
Another nod, although he can’t help but flinch slightly at the word ‘rape’.
‘Yes, Loki. Rape. We are aware of the rules, and whatever else, as thou sayest, is allowed, rape is not.’
Loki can feel his hands start to shake, despite his best efforts. This is it, he thinks I’m done, I’m screwed, they’re going to have me Cast Out, I’m going to Fall -
‘And yet…’ the voice of the third angel, the one on the left, breaks in on his thoughts, and Loki looks up sharply. ‘And yet there is still hope for thee. This David - as thou hast said thyself - had once been a vampire. Vampires, Loki, are of the Dark.’ The right-hand angel opens its mouth at this, as though to interrupt, but the left-hand angel raises a hand, forestalling it. ‘There are those that would argue that, human as David was at the time of thy transgression, this is irrelevant. However, it is also the belief of many that the taint of the Dark would remain on such a creature.’ It pauses, seemingly looking to Loki for some sort of reaction.
‘Yeah, and…?’
‘And,’ it continues patiently, ‘if this was also thy belief, and if thou, in thine actions, wert smiting a creature of the Dark, then there is no cause to have thee Cast Out.’ It turns its head and gives a smile that is very nearly smug to the right-hand angel, before returning its gaze to Loki. ‘Was such thy belief, Loki, that David was tainted with the Dark?’
Loki does his best to conceal the relieved grin threatening to break out across his face, and lunges for this lifeline, this hope. He nods his head fervently.
‘Yeah. Uh, I mean. Yes, such was my belief.’
‘And didst thou smite him well?’
‘I, uh, smote him well.’
A silence spreads in what Loki supposes should be called the courtroom, all three of the angels studying him carefully, scrutinizing his face, his carriage, his hopeful half-smile. It draws out, and the angels do not move, and Loki starts to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. Suddenly, the angel at the centre speaks, and Loki snaps hurriedly to attention.
‘We are resolved.’
Loki swallows.
‘Thine actions were not sinful, Loki, but thy… methods, and thine incaution in their execution is reprehensible. Thou shalt not Fall, but neither shalt thou remain in Heaven. Thou art Exiled, Loki, as once before thou wert, until such a time as is seen fit to call thee home.’
Loki fights down a hysterical giggle. Getting off with Exile - as if he’d come back here more than he could help it. The giggle is cut off, however, when he realizes that the angel is not finished.
‘Thy human form was thy weakness - it shall be taken from thee - but also shalt thou be denied thine angelic form.’ It waves a hand, and Loki, to his horror, feels his body… change. ‘And with thine angelic body is taken from thee thy wings, and no powers shalt thou have beyond that of humans, excepting this; thou shalt not age and thou shalt not die - these things do we leave to thee.’
‘Loki.’
‘Yes?’
‘We presume thou art aware of why thou art here.’
He doesn’t answer.
‘Thou hast sinned, Loki.’
Loki stares at his feet, suddenly horribly aware of the meaty, heavy feel of the human body he wears, especially since it chooses that moment to flush hotly.
‘Thou art here to face Judgment, thee who was once the Angel of Death. Let us hear thy defence.’
He looks up at that, uncertain which of the angels before him had spoken, unsure to whom to address his reply. He opens his mouth, licks his lips nervously.
‘It wasn’t - it wasn’t my fault. I. It wasn’t me. It was because I changed him - because he was a vampire. It - his blood - it… messed with my head. I didn’t… It wasn’t my fault.’ As Loki looks between the three perfect faces, whose gazes rest upon him with an absolute unreadability, there’s the horrible sinking feeling in his stomach that these angels don’t quite believe his story.
‘Thou art clad in a human body, Loki.’ The central angel again.
‘Yes.’
‘Wholly human.’
‘Yes.’ And as he replies, he can’t help but notice that the angels’ faces crease ever so slightly in distaste.
‘Why?’
‘I… Well, I…’ Loki grasps for words.
‘For physical gratification. For carnal gratification.’
He looks down again, shamefacedly, the blush now burning its way across his cheeks, staining them a deep red. He bites his lip, until a thought occurs to him, and he raises his head again, defiant.
‘Yeah, so? So what? There’s an angel, back there, he fucks a demon and hasn’t Fallen. David, David’s just a human. Sex with humans is allowed.’
‘We are aware -‘ it’s the right-hand angel speaking now ‘- of the rules, Loki. And,’ it scowls, ‘of the exceptions. Thou might lay with as many of thy troupe of humans as is thy wish, Loki, rest assured. However. Dost thou agree that, had thee been clad in thy more perfect, thine angelic body, thy defences would not have been so weak as to allow this tainted blood to harm thee?’
Loki looks around at the other two angels, almost as if expecting help. When none is forthcoming, he nods sullenly.
‘And dost thou agree that, had thee been clad in thine angelic form, thou wouldst not have raped thy David?’
Another nod, although he can’t help but flinch slightly at the word ‘rape’.
‘Yes, Loki. Rape. We are aware of the rules, and whatever else, as thou sayest, is allowed, rape is not.’
Loki can feel his hands start to shake, despite his best efforts. This is it, he thinks I’m done, I’m screwed, they’re going to have me Cast Out, I’m going to Fall -
‘And yet…’ the voice of the third angel, the one on the left, breaks in on his thoughts, and Loki looks up sharply. ‘And yet there is still hope for thee. This David - as thou hast said thyself - had once been a vampire. Vampires, Loki, are of the Dark.’ The right-hand angel opens its mouth at this, as though to interrupt, but the left-hand angel raises a hand, forestalling it. ‘There are those that would argue that, human as David was at the time of thy transgression, this is irrelevant. However, it is also the belief of many that the taint of the Dark would remain on such a creature.’ It pauses, seemingly looking to Loki for some sort of reaction.
‘Yeah, and…?’
‘And,’ it continues patiently, ‘if this was also thy belief, and if thou, in thine actions, wert smiting a creature of the Dark, then there is no cause to have thee Cast Out.’ It turns its head and gives a smile that is very nearly smug to the right-hand angel, before returning its gaze to Loki. ‘Was such thy belief, Loki, that David was tainted with the Dark?’
Loki does his best to conceal the relieved grin threatening to break out across his face, and lunges for this lifeline, this hope. He nods his head fervently.
‘Yeah. Uh, I mean. Yes, such was my belief.’
‘And didst thou smite him well?’
‘I, uh, smote him well.’
A silence spreads in what Loki supposes should be called the courtroom, all three of the angels studying him carefully, scrutinizing his face, his carriage, his hopeful half-smile. It draws out, and the angels do not move, and Loki starts to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. Suddenly, the angel at the centre speaks, and Loki snaps hurriedly to attention.
‘We are resolved.’
Loki swallows.
‘Thine actions were not sinful, Loki, but thy… methods, and thine incaution in their execution is reprehensible. Thou shalt not Fall, but neither shalt thou remain in Heaven. Thou art Exiled, Loki, as once before thou wert, until such a time as is seen fit to call thee home.’
Loki fights down a hysterical giggle. Getting off with Exile - as if he’d come back here more than he could help it. The giggle is cut off, however, when he realizes that the angel is not finished.
‘Thy human form was thy weakness - it shall be taken from thee - but also shalt thou be denied thine angelic form.’ It waves a hand, and Loki, to his horror, feels his body… change. ‘And with thine angelic body is taken from thee thy wings, and no powers shalt thou have beyond that of humans, excepting this; thou shalt not age and thou shalt not die - these things do we leave to thee.’