Heaven's Garden

Gabriel: *is sitting quietly in his garden by a patch of forget-me-nots, lost in thought, a dove perched next to him, just keeping him company*

Myrael: *silently slips into the garden, looking around curiously before moving over to a patch of herbal plants. She's barefoot, wearing a plain white dress. Her long blonde hair almost seems to glow in comparison to the pure white fabric, and most of her minor injuries have healed. The only signs of battle left on her are the few burns on her wings, which are still covered by bandages. Her wings are folded close to her back, however, making it nearly impossible to see the bandages. She kneels down next to the patch of herbs and begins carefully gathering a few flowers from the betony plants, making sure not to take too many from a single plant*

Myrael: *tucks the purple flowers into the blue sash tied around her waist, then places both hands flat on the ground before slowly standing up. She winces as her left wing is jostled slightly, though the pain quickly disappears from her face. Her bright blue eyes scan her immediate surroundings, and after a moment, she moves over to another patch of herbs, and kneels down once again, beginning to gather yellow flowers from several of the mullein plants. Now that the angel is certain no one is around to hear her, she's quietly humming under her breath, her voice so soft that it's barely noticeable*

*The dove's head cocks slightly, picking up the faint sounds of Myrael's humming*

Myrael: *tucks the mullein into her sash as well, and starts to harvest some cloves from one of the shorter clove trees. She's now singing quietly, even though there is no discernible meaning to what she's vocalizing*

*The dove coos and flaps his wings to get Gabriel's attention*

Gabriel: *stirs from his thoughts and looks around at the dove, his brow furrowing slightly* Someone in the garden...? *pauses hearing Myrael singing*

*The dove coos and gently pecks at Gabriel*

Gabriel: What? No... I'll just go see what she needs from the garden. *stands and follows the sound of Myrael's voice to find her*

Gabriel: *on seeing her by the cloves hesitates slightly, just watching for a moment before stepping forward and saying* Are you collecting herbs for Raphael and Jehudiel?

Myrael: *freezes, immediately falling silent. After a moment, she hesitantly casts a slightly embarrassed glance his way before securing the cloves in her grasp and standing up. Her eyes flash with pain as her left wing is jostled once again, though it's barely perceptible* Yes, I was. My apologies, Gabriel. I did not mean to disturb you.

Gabriel: *tiny look of concern comes into his face* Is your wing still bothering you?

Myrael: *tucking the cloves into the small pouch hanging from her sash, she pauses and looks up at him* Hm? Oh no, it's perfectly fine. *a faint smile, though it quickly disappears as she returns to her current task* Well, as fine as can be expected, given the damage done to it during the battle.

Gabriel: Would you like me to help you gather the herbs? *his ears turn very, very faintly red as he says it*

Myrael: *faintly smiling once again, she shakes her head* No, it's fine. I've obviously distracted you from tending your garden...I think it would be best if I were to return to the infirmary, and leave you to your work.

Gabriel: Oh, no, it's quite alright. I was just thinking. I would be glad to help. It is not... not easy to be unable to help when those you care about are in danger.

Myrael: *tilts her head slightly* I suppose Raphael won't worry himself too much over my...disappearance. *she smiles somewhat sheepishly before stepping forward and taking Gabriel's hand. She maintains eye contact as she slips the cloves she was unable to fit inside her satchel into his hand* But I shall only accept your assistance if you tell me what is troubling you.

Gabriel: *flushes slightly, then seems to regain his composure a bit* I... have been worried about Spyder and Idan. And Alex as well, he is quite distraught. *is hesitating, wondering if he should actually tell her or not*

*wings beat softly overhead and the dove lands in a tree on a branch near Gabriel's head, a bunch of forget-me-nots clamped in its beak*

Gabriel: *closes his eyes and sighs*

*The dove coos around the flowers in its beak*

Myrael: *pulls away from Gabriel, laughing softly* It seems your friend knows of my favorite flower. *moving closer to the dove, she extends a hand for him to land on, while casting Gabriel an amused glance* I wonder who told him such a thing.

*The dove lands on her hand, cooing some more*

Gabriel: I do have a patch of forget-me-nots in the garden. I have... quite a lot of flowers here, most types, actually. *gives a tiny frown to the dove, as if saying "why?"*

*The dove drops the flowers in Myrael's hand, coos loudly and flies onto Gabriel's shoulder*

Myrael: *merely shakes her head and smiles before turning to face Gabriel. She reaches up and tucks the flowers into her hair, just above her ear* Sadly, these flowers are not as useful as some of the herbs that grow here. Gabriel, are you still willing to help me, or would you rather me leave you to your thoughts?

Gabriel: No, no. I would still like to help. I think you might find some of the herbs you will need over here. *gestures her back the way he came, and starts leading her to the patch of forget-me-nots, a part of him thinking* What am I doing?

Myrael: *her smile grows and she hesitates a moment before tucking her arm around his, as she used to do when they were younger, before the war tore them and the rest of Heaven apart* I believe you are guiding me through your garden. Why, did you think that we might do something else?

Gabriel: *actually turns red* No, I just... haven't shown many people this part of the garden. *brushes aside a curtain of lichen and enters the little grotto* But I have given the herbs from it to others many times.

*The grotto is filled to bursting with herbs of every kind, the most useful, the most beautiful, and forget-me-nots spill about and around all the other plants, and by their own flower bed is a small bench, where Gabriel has spent much time, lost in thought, and where he'd been sitting previously. Curtains of lichen screen the grotto from the rest of the garden, and a tiny stream winds through*

Myrael: *she pauses just inside the entrance, taking the time to observe the multitude of plants located within this hidden part of the garden. What catches her eyes the most, however, is the sheer multitude of forget-me-nots dotting the area. She's never seen so many of the blue flowers in one place, but she has a good idea as to why they've been planted in such large numbers. The angel slips away from Gabriel, taking a few steps further into the grotto, trying to get a grip on her suddenly racing thoughts so she can make some sort of semi-intelligent remark. Cursing her inability to think clearly, she turns to Gabriel and manages to get her head on straight in time to ask* When did you plant all of these? Was it...after...?

Gabriel: I... yes. *a little nervously* Do you like it? *runs a hand through his hair* I tried to find the best herbs... and of course, the forget-me-nots...

Myrael: *recognizing the signs of him becoming nervous, she smiles and shakes her head, as Gabriel has just proven her assumption correct. Stepping forward, she takes his hands in hers and says with complete honesty* I think it's beautiful, and not just because of the forget-me-nots. *now with a wry smile* Though I do have to wonder why there are so many of my favorite flowers scattered about this part of the garden.

Gabriel: *sighs slightly closing his eyes, whispers* I let them grow unchecked. I come here a lot. I wanted to tell you so many times, but... So much kept happening. The War, then the Battlefield, Alex, now Spyder and Idan... I never expected to become a father. And, before, you were happy. So I said nothing. I kept silent because I did not want to... *sighs* I know... you've fought many times, but I suppose I was trying to be as cautious as Matthew.

Myrael: *sighs, a tinge of sorrow now evident in her expression, though her voice is firm* Luke chose his path, and I chose mine. Whatever we may have been in the past... let it remain in the past. I only pity him...I do not hate him, and I will never love him as I once did. You... Matthew... everyone; they needn't worry about mentioning him. He is Lucifer's eldest son, and I once loved him. That does not mean I cannot face what he has become.

Myrael: I must admit, I am surprised...I should think you would not be able to bear keeping such a wondrous part of your garden a secret... *she smiles warmly at him* Though I suppose we all need a place to escape to when the world becomes too trying for us to manage.

Gabriel: *smiles a little* It is one of the most peaceful places I know. Myrael... *very quietly* I never doubted you would face the truth. I was only afraid that you still loved him.

Myrael: *is silent a moment, though she doesn't look away from him. Her voice is somewhat quieter when she finally speaks once again* Since my return...and even before that, I had my suspicions...by showing me this...well, you've certainly proved me correct in a way I never would have imagined.

Myrael: How on earth did you manage it? After the war...all that time before, and then both Luke and myself were gone... And yet, after all this time, over ten thousand years...how have your feelings remained unchanged?

Gabriel: *a faint smile of relief and love breaks through* I could never forget, and any time I thought I might, I would remember... and I would fall for you again. *tiny wry smile* Angels are blessed and cursed with a good memory.

Myrael: *her eyes widen, and it seems a thousand emotions fly through her in rapid succession: shock, awe, compassion (for she knows what it is like to love someone who is lost to you), sorrow - some she can't even put a name to. But the one that finally settles, the one that stays, despite all the other feelings whirling around in her heart and mind...it does not remind her of what she felt for Luke. No, this feeling...it's different, somehow. More pure... more... real, than what she felt with Luke. It's as if this love she's just found had been there all along, and she's only truly noticed its presence in this moment. Even though she knows how she feels, she can't manage to put the feeling into words... which frustrates her to no end, as she knows Gabriel deserves to know; that he's waiting for her response. She hesitates and closes her eyes, praying silently for a touch of courage, before meeting Gabriel's gaze once again. Steeling her nerve and pushing her fear aside, she steps forward, cups Gabriel's face with both her hands, and kisses him*

Gabriel: *actually freezes in shock for a moment before gently responding, holding her close*

Alex: *brushes aside the curtain of lichen on the other side of the garden and enters, looking around* Gabri... *trails away into nothing as he sees him kissing Myrael and his face turns bright red. He attempts to make a retreat, but trips backwards over the edge of a flowerbed and ends up sprawling flat on his back among the flowers, whispers* Ow...

Myrael: *freezes and pulls away after a few seconds hesitation, not really able to meet Gabriel's eyes as she lowers her head, hiding her flushed face with her long blonde hair*

Gabriel: *still holding her hand, looks over her shoulder to see what the crash was, then starts to hurry forward a bit* Alex? Are you alright?

Alex: *still cherry red, sits up slightly, manages* I'm fine...

Gabriel: *helps pull Alex out of the plants and brushes off some of the plant bits that stuck to him*

Myrael: *trails behind Gabriel, though she's recovered enough to look at Alex without feeling as though she might die of embarrassment* Are you sure? That sounded like quite a fall.

Alex: *color is not retreating from his face, and he knows it, and that makes him even more embarrassed* I think I just bruised my leg a bit on the edge of the barrier, that's all.

Gabriel: *sighs and hugs Alex* What are you doing here?

Alex: I just wanted to talk to you, and well... *his face appears to have a very bad sunburn* You're usually here, so...

Gabriel: *turns red a bit too even as he rubs Alex's back to comfort him* Ah.

Myrael: *sighs, now a bit frustrated, with herself mostly* Oh honestly, it was merely a kiss. Why should any of us feel embarrassed about what just happened?

Alex: *is unable to redden anymore* I just didn't mean to interrupt...

Gabriel: *smiles a little ruefully* Embarrassment has a habit of spreading sometimes.

Myrael: *places a hand on Alex's head and offers a warm smile. Her cheeks are still slightly pink, but she seems mostly recovered* Don't worry about it, alright?

Gabriel: *gives Alex a squeeze* There was no way you could have known what was happening.

---

This is, once again, an RP between my friend Jessica and myself. All three characters listed above are angels, though Alex is only on his way to becoming one.

Gabriel is a name many of you might be familiar with. Yes, he is the archangel you're probably thinking of, the one that told Mary she would give birth to Jesus.

Alex is the Devil's youngest son. He renounced Hell and his family, and thus Rose to the rank of... Novum Angeli, I think. (Psst, that makes him a Novus Angelus. Latin is weird.) Please, Jessica, when you read this, correct me if I'm wrong.

Myrael is the eldest daughter of Metatron, who is Lucifer's brother. Metatron refused to rebel against God with his brother - indeed, he never knew his brother intended to start a war.

Luke, who is only mentioned in passing, was Myrael's betrothed before the War. Luke is the Devil's eldest son - the only one born in Heaven. And, yes, sadly, he chose to follow his father, and so, he Fell, along with the rest of the rebels.

Backstory...I'll give you the short version. Myrael, Luke, and Gabriel were all close, before the War. Myrael and Luke fell in love, and Gabriel loved Myrael as well, but decided to graciously step aside, as he saw that his friends were happy together. Then, the War happened. In the night before the War officially broke out, Myrael and Luke met, and Luke attempted to convince her to join the rebels.

At least, that was his plan. Myrael knew his intentions, however, and because she loved him so much, she was afraid she might not be able to resist him. So, before Luke could say anything, Myrael stabbed him. As she gathered his dying form in her arms, his last act was retaliation. He stabbed Myrael, and they died in each others arms. This would be the last time they would ever be able to physically touch each other ever again. Tragically, Gabriel was left behind.

When angels and demons die in this fictional world, they remain "dead" for a thousand years. It's like...they basically fall asleep, and wake up a thousand years later. Then, they reconstitute, as they are purely spirit (but they can take on physical forms when they wish).

However, Myrael and Luke remained "dead" for...I think at this point, it's up to 11 millennia. They were thought to be lost forever. Then, one day, they simply reappeared in the Battlefield (the place where the War was first fought). Myrael appeared after Luke, however, and thus, they avoided a confrontation just after their "rebirth".

With that huge backstory out of the way, I shall cite my sources!

Myrael and Luke belong to me.

Gabriel and Alex belong to my friend, Jessica.