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Post by mugenginga on Jul 20, 2011 2:04:38 GMT -5
Seth looked genuinely startled as Abel reached for him with his spell, and the Diarahan might have actually missed had Abel not had his speed on his side. Seth grimaced a bit at the sounds his body made and pulled the wrist close once the pain began to fade, which was when Abel made his comment. He held it in his opposite hand and carefully rotated it. He was more grateful than he showed. The swift action had prevented details showing that he didn't yet want shared. He shook his head at Abel's apology.
"His Majesty has done worse," he muttered to himself. He paused, catching the words he'd used, and shook his head again, quickly. With luck it would come across as conditioning rather than a slip in his facade. He looked up towards Abel again, "I'd thought you'd know, though... Didn't anyone tell you? About our mom...?"
The word came out of his mouth sounding foreign. For the first time Seth realized he'd stopped thinking about her as such. A wave of geniune emotional pain washed over his face and he looked away. Was she alive? He... he hoped not. Not in the world Abel had made, not with her blind faith.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 20, 2011 18:40:02 GMT -5
Somehow Abel only looked more saddened by Seth's words. "His Majesty". So this other Abel was so cruel that he didn't even allow his own brother to refer to him as a sibling? And the King of Bel had done worse to Seth in the past... what kind of brother did those things to his own sibling?
Seth switched the subject to their mother. Abel gained a somewhat distant expression at the mention of her. The only mother he'd ever known in his human life was Kimura Mizuki, and she had never given any semblances to being anything but.
But that was a long time ago.
"...No," Keiichi said. "Mom and Dad never said anything. Naoya never did either, but he hid so many things from me..."
He jerked his head up, suddenly aware he'd gotten wistful. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that," Abel said.
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 21, 2011 18:23:46 GMT -5
Seth didn't say anything as Abel went distant, but he noted a change in how the other man held himself. It dropped from the regal air of a leader with the burden of the world on his shoulders to one eerily reminscent of... Seth furrowed his brow. Not even quite what he'd seen of his Abel. No, that wasn't right. He'd seen it some. Before Abel had defeated Belphegor, before he'd stopped trying to convince him to stop "straying". A very human reaction of pain, no matter how distant the eyes.
Seth was still holding his wrist, massaging it and occasionally rotating it as if still unsure about the lack of pain. His eyes widened as Abel apologized and he quickly shook his head, "I just thought you'd have been told... by someone..."
He hunched in towards himself, the unease at remaining having returned without the imminent desire to leave. He remained quiet after his slight push of doubt, his gaze averted, his eyebrows slanted in worry as he fidgeted. Abel wanted to ask more, his reactions earlier had indicated as such. The awkward seeming silence would open up more doors than any offered knowledge, and reduced the risk of letting slip something he didn't yet want the other man to know.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 22, 2011 9:00:49 GMT -5
No, he hadn't been told by anyone. And Abel had to wonder why now that Seth was here. He was the Messiah, wasn't he? What reason was there to hide things from him? Especially something this major... He would talk to the angels later about it. He could not believe that YHVH hadn't known about this. There had to be another explanation.
"...I was never informed of you," Abel said quietly, breaking the awkward silence that had formed. "I'm not even sure how it is possible that we're siblings."
He had so many questions he wanted to ask. Where had he been living all of this time, what had his life been like, how had they met... but he had a feeling that last one would be cruel to ask. Seth had not been given a choice to join the King of Bel's armies. That much was clear from the scars on his back. If that had been their first meeting... Then he had all the more reason to dispose of his alternate dimension counterpart.
"Why are you here now?"
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 22, 2011 14:52:45 GMT -5
Seth winced at the second half of Abel's muttered break of the silence. He drew in on himself more, indicating a hope that Abel wouldn't pry too much about it. He remained in that pose, looking down at his wrist, the trees, behind himself, anywhere but Abel. His eyes widened and he jerked around in seeming surprise as Abel asked his next question.
"I wanted..." Seth hesitated and looked like he wanted to take a step back. He shook his head and worked past it, "I wanted to ask for sanctuary, but..." He looked behind himself again, "I've already been gone too long."
He took a step back, and then back toawrds Abel quickly, pulling his arms close in an apparent attempt to prevent Abel from grabbing at him again. He hung his head and squeezed his eyes shut as if he was holding back tears, "I lied to you, before... Not about the brothers thing, but..."
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 22, 2011 19:11:26 GMT -5
He wanted sanctuary? Abel gained an almost kind smile, only tainted by the fact that he couldn't really express genuine emotions well. "Our Lord welcomes all who repent--"
He paused when Seth said he'd lied about something. What had he lied about? Seth was holding back tears so it had to be major...
"About what?" Abel asked cautiously. He didn't think there was much to lie about. There really hadn't been much said so far... and if he wasn't lying about the brothers thing, then what?
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 22, 2011 19:14:20 GMT -5
Seth's entire body tensed up at Abel's tone of voice about the fact he'd lied. He looked as if he very much wanted to take a step back. The reason why wasn't hard to guess. Abel had grabbed his wrist so quickly before. One of Seth's hands lifted up towards his back pocket, paused there, and then quickly came up front. If Abel had any sense he'd realize there was something there that Seth had decided against. Seth swallowed hard and winced as if expecting his words to get him attacked.
"H-His Majesty actually sent me here..."
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 22, 2011 19:17:42 GMT -5
Abel didn't react much. A small widening of the eyes, but not anything major. He did flick his eyes toward where Seth had reached. The way he'd been reaching... some kind of weapon, rather it be his COMP or something else. He didn't move forward. If Seth was going to try anything rash, he could easily catch him. And as regretful as it might be, he would kill him.
"Why?" Abel asked quietly. What purpose did the King of Bel have in sending his brother to his enemy? He had to know the thoughts his brother was having... or perhaps he'd sent him for that reason. To see if he would defect that easily.
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 22, 2011 19:23:16 GMT -5
It didn't seem possible, but Seth managed to tense up more as Abel's near emotionless but somehow still ice cold and hushed question came out. One word, nothing more. Seth stood there without responding for a few moments, taking another lump down his throat, and spoke in a very hushed voice. Abel would have some trouble hearing it, but it wouldn't be impossible.
"To... to make you stray..." he whispered out. He jerked his head up, which seemed to take quite a bit in the way of effort for the younger man, "H-He expects me back, too... And I want to come back here, but... I already lied once and..."
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 22, 2011 19:28:30 GMT -5
So that was it. The King of Bel was using his brother to try to lure him into the darkness and away from his Lord. He wasn't so easily swayed... no, not after how many generations had passed. He was not the same man he was when he first became the Messiah, scared of his power and his form.
"You need not worry." Abel held his hand out to Seth. "My Lord welcomes all who are repentant. If your king tries to reclaim you, as I am sure he will, I will protect you."
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 22, 2011 19:38:22 GMT -5
Seth jerked as Abel held out his hand, then slowly dropped some of his tense stance. Not of all of it, by any means. The man seemed comparable to a field mouse. He looked at the hand for a moment with anxiety plastered on his face and then looked up towards Abel. He opened his mouth, and then closed it as if he thought better of the words. Several times, each time looking more anxious. Finally he was able to get some words forced out.
"If you'll... just... just allow me to go back... once..." Seth went out. He seemed to be carefully picking each word. And he was speaking with more deference than before. There was a definite apparent fear of power there, "I think I can... hold it off..."
He swallowed hard and looked up at Abel, trying to hide his anxiety with a determined look. His voice shook, but the determination shone through in the lack of stuttering, "He thinks I'm cowed. Let me go back and convince him I'm still on his side. I want to be useful..."
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 22, 2011 21:01:28 GMT -5
Abel let Seth speak, despite how long it took him to. His brother was obviously nervous, and quite likely a bit scared too. Even the way he was speaking had changed again.
To allow Seth to go back? Abel wasn't sure how good of an idea that would be. To allow him to remain in demonic influences would be folly... but the situation Seth suggested could be beneficial, as well. He continued to smile as he spoke.
"If you think it would help..." Abel said. He lowered his hand. "And please, don't think of me like a king. I'm your brother, aren't I, Keiji?"
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 22, 2011 21:09:56 GMT -5
Seth looked relieved as Abel spoke, and a grimaced attempt at a grin spread on his face as Abel encouraged him to not think of him as a king, but as his brother. He tried to shake off the deference, but it didn't do much beyond make him look more vulnerable. He took another step back as if to gauge if Abel was going to follow, and made an attempt at relaxing more once it appeared he wouldn't. He gave a weak nod.
"I'll be back..." he said, he took another step and his grin came less forced. Traces of relief pulled at his face, and while his body tensed up, it seemed less anxious, "I promise."
He took another step back and broke into a run. It was when he was almost out of sight that he stopped to look back at Abel once more, most of his anxiety again, "I promise!"
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Jul 22, 2011 21:18:45 GMT -5
Abel watched Seth leave, weakly waving to him as he ran off. He hoped he'd be okay, but he obviously had his own plans. This was out of his hands now. But there was something else he needed to handle. He turned around and stormed up the stairs back into the church.
He stopped in front of the altar. The church was entirely cleaned out of people now, and it was silent except for Abel himself. He stomped down on the floor, snapping a tile in half in the process.
"Metatron!"
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Post by mugenginga on Jul 22, 2011 21:23:44 GMT -5
There was an extended silence to Abel's demand. The long-time connection meant Abel would be aware that he angel he had demanded the presence of had not simply not heard him. More likely he was biding his time. Just long enough that Abel would likely be ready to demand his presence as a conduit between YHVH and himself once more before the calm voice came. Calm and lacking emotion as usual.
"Are you intending to question His decisions once again?"
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