Washing-Up

Marath knocks on Azalea's door.

Azalea opens it up, carefully, and looks outside.

Marath is the only person in the corridor.

Azalea steps aside to let her in.

Marath walks in, and closes the door. She runs a hand through her hair. "They've finished. He's gone."

Azalea says "Who he?"

Marath says, "The Balseraph." She looks unreasonably glum. "And he didn't even get the benefit of all the garlic I put in his food, damn it."

Azalea smiles, faint. "Why were you entertaining a Balseraph on the premises? It can't possibly be safe."

Marath chuckles, dryly. "Oh, he wasn't. Some of the angels round here wanted to try and get him to find out stuff for them - apparently he's of the Media - and prod him into running around with a camera. Looked as if it was working, too."

Azalea crosses her arms. "Strange tactics."

Marath says, "Strange goings-on. I've been catching up on the news." She leans against the wall by the door. "Apparently it's on the edge of civil war in Hell."

Azalea says "Really? I hadn't noticed."

Marath says, "It's recent. I don't know how much you've heard, but Asmodeus has arrested Kobal for treason and heresy, and half the Princes are taking sides."

Azalea says "I haven't heard anything. I don't pay attention to that sort of gossip, as a rule."

Marath nods. "Okay, okay. I'm not trying to pry or anything. It may actually make things easier for you, if all the higher-ups are preoccupied by that sort of stuff." She slaps the side of her forehead. "And now I've gone and lost the subject."

Azalea says "What was the subject?"

Marath says, "That the Balseraph's left, so you're free to go out and about. I've got the phone number of a couple of the angels from that group, if you want to contact them. Or if you want to stay and chat, that's fine, or if there's anything else.

Azalea says "I - " She takes a breath. "I suppose I should talk to someone. I don't know what to do next."

Marath considers, incongruous in plump Vessel and untidy hair. "Okay. Do you need one of those philosophical discussions about Redemption and stuff, or do you need practical talk about who to consider Serving, or what?"

Azalea says "I think I know who I wish to serve; I'm tired of philosophical discussions - I've been having them in my head for almost a century."

Marath nods. "Very well. So do you need me to put you in touch with a local Seneschal of someone's Tether, or do you just feel like hanging round with some angels and seeing if you can stand their company?"

Azalea says "What is - " Her mouth twists, "proper protocol, in these situations?"

Marath shrugs. "There isn't, really. You do precisely as you want, because it's against the whole purpose of the thing for us to force you. However, if you know who you want to go to, it probably helps to talk to Servitors of that Archangel."

Azalea says "It distresses me, somehow, in a subtle way, to be told 'do whatever I want'. It seems too - luxurious. Dissipated, even. I'd expected more a greater puritanism, I think."

Marath is clearly trying not to grin. She suppresses it with an expression of thought. "Well, some Archangels are like that. And I'm sure that when you do bind to one of them, you will end up with orders, and lists of things to do and not to do."

Marath shrugs. "But all of them give some sort of time off."

Azalea says "But until then, I float."

<> Arcangel says "Laurence gives time off? Dominic?"

<> Demiurge says "Sure. It's just their angels _want_ to spend it doing sword practice and stuff."

<> Demiurge says "Or reading up law cases."

<> Arcangel says "'How do you tell if the Sword Servitor is off-duty?' 'He's using a practice sword.'"

Marath smiles. "Want me to tell you to wash the dishes?" She adopts a pose. "It will purify your mind, my child, even as you sink your hands into the foamy water. Believe me, by cleansing the dishes, you serve God."

Azalea lifts a skeptical brow. "Uh-huh."

Azalea says "Cleanliness is next to godliness."

Marath waves a hand. "Well, depends on the situation. You know what they say about Eli, six glasses of water, and a bath-chair."

<> Daimon loves Eli. He rocks.

Azalea says "No, I don't."

Marath shrugs. "That's what you get for serving an Archangel who has consensual sex as a holy rite. Anyhow. May I ask who you're planning to appeal to serve, or is that a private matter?"

Azalea sounds contemplative. "Dream."

Marath nods. "Okay. Well, Aron has been called away - I don't know if he told you, all he did for me was to leave a bit of paper on his unmade bed - to do something for Eli, so God knows when he'll be back. Hopefully soon. Or I kick him."

Marath says, "I can put you in touch with the local Tether of Dreams, if you want."

Azalea says "That would be good."

Azalea says "You're very trusting."

Marath nods again. "It's the Lincoln Memorial. Look for the old caretaker who's usually round there: he's a Seraph of Dream, real name Phaleris."

Marath considers that. "I'm trusting my opinion of you, and Aron's judgement of you."

Marath picks through words. "Part of the concept of dream, or creation, is that sometimes you have to try without being certain of the outcome. To take a chance, to trust your materials or your imagination."

Azalea says "I'd rather gathered that."

Azalea says "It is, after all, what I am doing."

Marath nods.

Marath says, "So we're both trusting and someday someone will point us out as a bad example to the paranoid. Of course, by then you'll be a happy Servitor of Blandine, and I'll still be slicing garlic. And I'll salt their soup for them."

Azalea laughs, a bright and cool sound.

Marath smiles.

Marath says, "Do you have any needs for something to work with, by the way? Pens or papers or art supplies or whatever?"

Azalea says "I think - I think I do." She runs a hand through her hair, then smooths it, instinctive. "Maybe I'll come downstairs with you. I weary of this room."

Marath nods. She holds the door open. "Kitchen, or the general dining area?"

Azalea says "I can do dishes."

Azalea says "Did you know that some humans even like washing dishes? Soothing, they find it."

Marath laughs. She leads the way downstairs to the kitchen. There are steaming pots, and there is a sink at the end with a stack of dishes.

Marath says, "Some angels, too. I knew a Cherub of Laurence who used to love doing the dishes. He'd carefully scrub them, rinse them, dry them - and then get paranoid if anyone else touched them."

Azalea says "What is 'laurence'? Is there really an archangel named 'Larry' out there?"

Marath snickers, and tosses a teatowel towards Azalea. "He's the Archangel of the Sword, dear. He's the Commander of the Hosts of Heaven, though some people say it's really just Michael running the show still."

Marath says, "He and his Servitors are very big on honour and obedience and so on, which is fine in its place, but can sometimes make them a little - you know. Unworldly. They tend to look good, though. Noble and handsome."

Marath begins to chop some herbs, holding the point of the knife and taking tiny slices. "And they are genuinely good. They can just be such prigs. Dear sweet souls."

<> Arcangel says "Good views."

<> Daimon says "Very good views."

Marath says, thoughtfully, "And I think calling him "Larry" in their hearing, or his, is one of those really bad ideas."

Azalea says "I'll keep that in mind."

Marath nods. "Anyone else you want the gossip on?"

Azalea watches Marath's work. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

Marath sweeps the herbs into one of the saucepans, and moves on to check the next one. She says, over her shoulder, "I don't know. Perhaps you just need to meet more angels. We're not identical Barbie dolls, after all, whatever the propaganda says."

Azalea says "I don't listen much to the propaganda; I'm trying to make my own judgements, clear-headed-like. Still, I hit walls."

Marath scoops some stock into one dish. "Walls of their perceptions about you, or your perceptions about them, or simply not knowing the rules?"

Azalea says "Just - things I find difficult to understand."

Marath nods, and shovels rigatoni onto plates.

Marath says, "I'd probably find it strange if I were going in the opposite direction. It's a different worldview, different world."

Marath says, "Though that's not helping. I think you'd be happier out and doing something at the moment, really, truism though that is. Did that Ofanite give you her phone number?"

Liz breezes into Sistine's about an hour after she left last time, hauling along a briefcase.

Liz skips into the kitchen, looking for Marath.

Marath is busy chopping herbs. Azalea is doing the washing-up.

Marath gives Liz a grin. "Why, hello there. Hope the lunch was sufficient?"

Hitherby just watches, since she only has a single bug with Liz. (As she remembers things.)

Liz says "Hi. The food was great."

Liz says "The company...was a strain."

Liz says "Hi Azalea. I see Marath's recruited you for sous-chef."

Azalea looks back from the sink, offering a smile to Liz. "Indeed."

Marath spins a knife. "One of these days, he will have more from me than extra garlic. In the meantime, would you care to take Azalea out and about a bit? Being stuck in here isn't what she needs."

Liz says "Look, I need to do some errands, I could use someone to watch my back, but it'd be nice if that someone 'blended in'."

Liz says "So yeah, Azalea company would be good."

Liz says "I'm trying to find a certain Seneschal of Dark Comedy who escaped the destruction of his Tether. I want backup, and since Azalea's supposed to be following me around..."

Marath chuckles. "As long as it's not putting her in unreasonable danger."

Liz says "Well, it's what she's supposed to be doing."

Liz says "And I have two Kyrios along for the ride, but there's a limit to how much they can do in the hosts they're in."

Liz shows off Sepharmouse and Hitherbug. "Meet the Kyrios."

Azalea agrees, reasonably, "It is. I can't be said to 'blend in', but I am supposed to be there."

Liz says "Sephar you've met. The bug is Hitherby, Domination of Animals."

Marath nods. "Go freely, then. If there are any problems, I should be here." She waves to the mouse and the bug.

Liz says "Hitherby, this is Azalea, who is pondering changing sides."

Sephar twitches and squeaks.

Azalea says "I rather think I've gone beyond the point of merely pondering."

Liz grins. "Good."

Liz says "So, anyway. If it were me cooped up here, I'd be going nuts, so you might well be feeling the same. Let's go out."

Liz says "You have a ride?"

Azalea says "I can call a cab."

Hitherby buzzes her wings cheerfully.

Marath looks momentarily regretful. "I've got a junkheap out the back." She reaches into a pocket, and tosses a keyfob to Azalea.

Liz grins. "Thanks, Marath."

Liz says "If you like, after we get some free time, I'll take you for a flight in Amelia, my plane. You'll like her. Really *nice* bit of engineering."

Liz pages: So, Lust Hideouts...

Marath half smiles. "I don't go out that often as it is. Just bring it back eventually."

You paged Liz with 'Oh dear. ;)'.

Liz pages: Any likely candidates near the ex Comedy tether? I'd have been spending the past few hours tracking down info from the Organization.

You paged Liz with 'Unfortunately, there are too many thriving brothels, sex-shops, and the like for you to make any definite pinpoints.'.

Azalea says "I will. I should probably rent a car, really."

You paged Liz with 'Especially as the Organisation has to reluctantly admit that anything really exotic-taste and high-class might have managed to hide from their information-gatherers.'.

Liz pages: Ya think?

Marath nods, and hastily rescues a pan before it boils over. "Give my regards to the rest of your group.

You paged Liz with 'Well, you have a _big_ list of brothels and so on, but it may not be complete, and they can't pinpoint any as The Definite One.'.

Liz says "Thanks, Marath."

Azalea drains the sink, drying her hands carefully.

>From afar, Liz nods. "That's okay. We'll just do a driveby and have a listen."

Liz pulls out a few sheets of paper, hands them to Azalea.

Liz says "Here. This is 'The List'. I'm going to do a driveby and listen on all of these sites, hopefully pick up some Lust activity."

Liz says "If that doesn't work, I'll try some of the likelier looking ones."

<> Demiurge says "You know, that statement could be taken a different way. ;)"

<> Azalea snickers.

<> Demiurge says "Hm. Does America have laws against kerb-crawling? :)"

<> Arcangel says "Hm. Block traffic, and you'll get in trouble eventually, likely..."

Liz says "They're more or less in order of driving, so it should be efficient."

Liz says "Just follow along, and if you happen to pick up something and I don't look like I'm picking up on it, flash your lights at me, or call me on the cell, or something."

Liz says "If this doesn't work, hey, you can report it and maybe they'll tell you about some Lust tethers to watch out for us picking up on."

Liz grins.

Azalea smirks. "That's clever."

Liz says "Okay, off we go."

---

Fiat Justitia