RP: Is this Heaven?

[rainbowmods]

There is a reception area, and at first glance, it looks to be like most reception areas: there is a front desk, a hallway that leads away, boasting a row of doors appearing to go on forever; there are two other doors immediately visible, one bearing the words Conference Room and the other Committee Chair, both etched in fine glass. All of the décor is elegant, if cold: everything is done up in blues and whites, and the chairs and couches provided look like they were chosen more for their appearance over their actual functionality.

If not for the sense of other in the room, it might seem like an ordinary office building.

It isn’t.

Welcome to heaven! Feel free to explore. A very freaked out Gabriel will probably greet you at some point.

Comments

[sarcasticsra]

"Not always," says Gabriel, and he's struck by the way Jack's face changes again. "You have a very fascinating face."

It occurs to him that is probably a strange thing to say, in human terms, and he rubs his temple. "My apologies. Today is... stressful, and I do not have as much practice interacting with humans as I think I should."

[bookblather]

Jack's eyebrows went up, but he smiled again, this time genuinely charmed. "No, no, that's fine, that's... actually, that's one of the nicer things I've had said to me. Thank you."

Then the second half sank in and he added, "Uh, don't mind me, but, humans?"

[sarcasticsra]

Gabriel blinks, realizing he's entirely forgotten to mention where they are. "My apologies again. I should have--this," he says, indicating the room, "is Heaven."

[bookblather]

"Oh. Huh." Jack took a look around-- it looked like an office building, like his sister's office, but not really. "Heaven. Now there's a place I thought I'd never see."

[sarcasticsra]

"I suppose a lot of humans think that," Gabriel says, thoughtful. "It's understandable, although regrettable. Of course, I have met a few of the ones who are certain they will see Heaven, and some of them can be... well, they are generally... much less pleasant than you."

[bookblather]

"Why thank you," Jack said, and winked at him. "Seriously though, I sleep with men and I'm an apostate. According to every sermon I've ever heard, I'm going somewhere quite a bit hotter than here." Not that he minded too much. All the interesting people were going to hell anyway.

Except this guy, which was kind of a shame.

[sarcasticsra]

Gabriel is both pleased and startled by the wink. Peculiar. It takes him a second to say, "Oh, yes, of course. It's unfortunate how often we're misrepresented in the name of fear. I wish that were different."

[bookblather]

"I'm not sure it's fear," Jack said, dryly. "I mean, what's scary about me? I'm harmless."

And that was a lie, though not exactly. He wasn't dangerous to the general populace, after all; just himself, and those he loved. But he shoved those thoughts away. "But yeah, it sucks. I probably wouldn't be an apostate if people didn't have such a problem with the whole bisexual thing."

[sarcasticsra]

"Humans are often baffling, I've found," Gabriel says, slightly apologetically. "Though like I said, I don't have much practice with them. I suppose that colors my perspective."

[bookblather]

"Nope," Jack said. "I am human and they baffle me most of the time. You're in... well, I won't say good company."

[sarcasticsra]

Gabriel's brows furrow, and he gives Jack a perplexed look. "Do you not consider yourself good company?"

[bookblather]

"Depends on how you define good, doesn't it?" Jack shrugged. "I'm always good for an interesting time, but I'm something of a bad influence. Or so I'm told."

Now there was an interesting philosophical quandry. Could one be a bad influence on an angel?

[sarcasticsra]

"Goodness, I think, is often more of a process than a strict definition," Gabriel says thoughtfully. He gives Jack a curious look. "Other humans consider you a bad influence? How so?"

[bookblather]

He shrugged again. "Well, like I said, I like to have a good time. Sometimes that means drinking and smoking a blunt. Sometimes it means kissing pretty girls, sometimes it means kissing pretty boys. I don't know, I think maybe they hate fun."

Oops, that last bit had come out a little bitter.

[sarcasticsra]

"I'm not sure I see how any of that objectively qualifies as 'bad' in human terms," Gabriel says, confused. "Angels have stricter rules--or, at least, I thought we were supposed to--but humanity has always been... freer. Perhaps that's..." He stops. His own personal dilemmas have no place here.

[bookblather]

Okay, it was official, Jack was upping his estimation of this guy from "enjoys company" to "would give blowjob if desired." Did angels have dicks? Something to ask Miranda when she was feeling particularly irritable. "Technically drugs are illegal," he said. "And nobody likes anyone with an interest in the same sex. Being against Leviticus and all. What's perhaps?"

[sarcasticsra]

"Oh. Leviticus." Gabriel says the word like most people would say congress. "Human laws are often arbitrary." But then again... aren't Heaven's? Doesn't today prove that, of all things? "I was going to say, perhaps that's why I haven't visited Earth as much as I ought. I think... I'm envious. My entire existence has been drawn up in rules, in order, and lately... well, it appears that humans may not be the only beings capable of arbitrariness. I suppose I just wonder what it might be like to experience humanity's brand of freedom."

[bookblather]

Jack gave that some serious thought before answering. It only seemed fair.

"Difficult," he said, eventually. "But fun. I mean, living without other people's rules is terrifying, because you have to make them all up for yourself, and sometimes you get them wrong. Like Leviticus, I guess--oh, does that mean the Bible doesn't come from Heaven? Because I have an argument to win."

[sarcasticsra]

"It was written by humans," Gabriel says. "Angels would have been much more confusing."

He smiles, sheepishly, at his own joke, but then he is out of practice.

[bookblather]

Jack laughed, and grinned at him. "Nice. And that's that argument put paid. Not that Carmen will believe me, but whatever, I'll know I'm right."

[sarcasticsra]

Gabriel smiles back at him, pleased that he got him to laugh. "Sometimes that's all you need," he says.

[bookblather]

"Definitely." Jack went on smiling at him. He kind of liked smiling at Gabriel. "So I guess you don't do a whole lot of annunciating anymore?"

[sarcasticsra]

"Not particularly," Gabriel says, a trifle dryly. "Most days I feel like--what's the human expression--a glorified babysitter?" He shakes his head, glancing around the room. "My apologies, it never occurred to me to ask--would you like to sit down?" Just in case, he waves his hand and a couple chairs appear, far more comfortable than the others in the room. Angels don't actually need them, but humans generally like comfort, he thinks.

[bookblather]

"Sure, why not," Jack said, and plopped down in one of them. "And glorified babysitter is close enough. I know my sister bitches about being one all the time--sorry, complains." He grinned again. "Didn't mean to swear."

[sarcasticsra]

"I probably should be more bothered by it," Gabriel admits, sitting down as well. "Although I'm finding it harder to justify all the things I should do or think, these days. There are a lot of things about the world that I haven't allowed myself to know or experience, out of what I think was misguided propriety, and I'm beginning to regret it."