Hindsight

Mazpatiel and Jordan make their way through the Halls of Creation, heading for the exit.

Jordan slinks along, all his wings furled around him.

Mazpatiel peers quietly at its Seraphic counterpart.

Mazpatiel says "Do you care to speak, Jordan?"

Jordan sighs. "On what, Power?"

Mazpatiel says "Whatever causes the guilt you feel."

Jordan hangs his head more. "I... had not meant to distress Daimonique further. It seems I did."

Mazpatiel says "Daimonique has just had a very clear demonstration made of how far she is from the last centuries of her life. Distress is to be expected."

Jordan's wings are hunched up over his head. He seemes to be unconsciously trying to make a cloak of them, like Dominic's own. "Still... I did not know how to help."

Mazpatiel says "Jordan. You're an Inquisitor. Not a counselor."

Jordan sighs. "Not even a distincted Inquisitor yet."

Mazpatiel says "Precisely."

Jordan slithers along, morosely.

Mazpatiel says "You're letting it affect you, Jordan."

Jordan nods. "I know."

Mazpatiel says "There's no reason to."

<> Jordan rolls the d666 and gets 1 5 CHECK: 1.

Jordan says, "You believe that."

Mazpatiel says "Of course I do."

Jordan says, "But I'm not an Elohite."

Mazpatiel says "That's no excuse to let an unjustified emotion effect your performance."

Jordan says, dully, "I am not on duty right now, and will not be until I deliver my report. Until then..." He fluffs his feathers in a shrug.

<> Liz says "Is there a heavenly right to sulk? Hmm."

Mazpatiel says "Until then, you feel you can mope."

Jordan actually quirks a smile, closeing his uppermost pair of eyes. "Indeed, Power."

Mazpatiel says "Mm."

<> Jordan . o O (Manipulative little critters!)

<> Mazpatiel says "Yep."

Jordan slithers along, feathertips trailing along the ground.

Mazpatiel says "She'll be fine. She just needs time, Jordan, and other beings besides us."

Jordan closes all but his least pair of eyes, and slits them. "Indeed," he murmurs.

Jordan shakes his head, opening his other eyes again. "I wish I could have been there, somehow rescued her. The new-redeemed should not be forced to confront such evil, so soon after their redemption."

Mazpatiel says "Jordan. You did not want to be there."

Mazpatiel says this with every conviction of Truth.

Jordan says, "Want to be in Hell? No. Want to be in that... 'asylum' place where she was held? No. Want to have been able to rescue her, no matter where that led me? Yes."

Mazpatiel says "Before Maasiai and I left to pursue her, we were cautioned very strongly to know when to let her go."

Jordan tilts his head at Mazpatiel. "And you followed her down, or so I heard."

Mazpatiel says "Maasiai followed her down. She can be...impulsive."

Jordan chuckles faintly. "She was an attuned Cherub."

Mazpatiel says "Of course. I've seen the phenomenon at work. The presence of the Mad One was also likely to have contributed to the lack of full rationality."

Jordan nods. "It is only to be expected that there would be leakage."

Mazpatiel says "Quite."

Jordan sighs once again. "I should have forbidden Daimonique to speak to her Balseraph associate, or had the Seneschal do it. I knew it was a wrong association, and though I told her so, I wanted to ease her away -- I assumed she would realize the wrongness and move away herself. And because I was lax, she was caught."

<> Jordan *guilts*!

Mazpatiel says "You, or I, or anyone in our organization. You have no place to bear it alone."

Jordan eyes Mazpatiel. "Does that mean that the guilt should rest more lightly upon me? Or that there is simply 'more to go around'?"

Mazpatiel says "It means that it is not your fault in specific, and it should be accepted as one of the sweeping injustices that spring from the Infernal, and that we are created to combat in the abstract sense."

<> Mazpatiel says "Read as: Quit guilting. You're giving me the creeps. :)"

Jordan says, quietly, "But it was a failing of my judgment. Because I wished to be kind, Daimonique suffered more."

Mazpatiel says "And you assisted in coordinating her rescue. You of all people should know the immutability of the past."

Jordan nods. In a small voice, he says, "Truth."

Mazpatiel nods. "You did all you could. To have done more would have risked too much."

Jordan nods, slowly. "And I will not make such mistakes in the future."

Mazpatiel says "You and I both."

Jordan half-sighs, half-snorts. Without looking at the Elohite, he adds, "I cannot deny, though, that I would like to find that Balseraph who took her and... distress him personally."

Mazpatiel says "I believe that could be arranged in the future."

Jordan smiles, perking up slightly. "That would be enjoyable." He fluffs and relaxes his wings, then looks at the Elohite, in a neutral-curious voice, he asks, "And you, Mazpatiel -- you went to Hell, again, I believe?"

Mazpatiel says "Yes."

Jordan asks, "And you found it... still repellent?"

Mazpatiel says "Moreso, the more familiar I became with it."

Jordan says "Good."

Mazpatiel says "I think I unsettled Maasiai, though."

Jordan tilts his head again, wings loosening about him so that he is not so tightly cloaked in them. "Oh? Why? In what way?"

Mazpatiel says "I do not think she was entirely comfortable with my behaviour there."

Jordan chuckles. "I suspect she was uncomfortable that any of you were there, and that you were not leaving. Or was your behavior justifiably distressing?"

<> Jordan rolls the d666 and gets 1 6 CHECK: 4.

Mazpatiel says "Quite likely. I was speaking the tongue of the damned and dealing with the encountered demons rather curtly."

Jordan tilts his head to the other side in a serpentine curve. "And were you saying anything that would endanger your nature?"

Mazpatiel says "I was deliberately careful not to."

Jordan dips his head in a graceful nod. "That is well." He pauses thoughtfully.

<> Jordan wonders if he got the Truth of Pat's endangerment or lack thereof, with that TRUTH roll?

<> Demiurge says "I think you got that Pat might have been endangered, though he did his best to avoid it. But that he is safe."

Jordan says, carefully, "I trust that you are not overly unstabilized, from recent events?"

Mazpatiel says "Not at all, to the best of my knowledge."

<> Jordan figures that's close enough to Truth for Judgment work?

<> Demiurge says "Accurate, yes."

Jordan smiles at Mazpatiel. "Good."

Mazpatiel says "A report is probably in order. I was forced to use the Sword while in the Marches."

Jordan blinks from his bottom eyes up and flicks a notecrystal from his feathers, suddenly in the form of his vessel, with six wings about him.

Mazpatiel says "That caught your interest quickly."

Jordan nods absently, scribbling something in his notepad.

Mazpatiel says "Maasiai and I encountered a group of Malakim."

Jordan scribbles faster.

Mazpatiel says "They stated that they were servitors of Purity, and upon identifying ourselves as Judgment, sought to confess to us."

Jordan murmurs, "Not quite sane. Rogue Servitors of Pruity."

Jordan's stylus moves over his notecrystal with smooth speed.

Mazpatiel says "That was what was determined, yes. Their confession included several murders. Two Malakim and a Seraph, if I remember correctly."

Jordan nods a bit absently, his eyes widening as he takes this down.

Mazpatiel says "Maasiai and I attempted to extricate ourselves, at which point we were informed that we were to be the next to be...purified."

Jordan swallows and writes. "Go on," he says softly.

Mazpatiel says "After it became apparent that rational discussion was quite impossible, I brought summary judgment to bear, by means of the Sword."

Jordan nods. "As was just, Power. It is our function..." He writes.

Mazpatiel says "I am unsure how many survived. Maasiai and I felt it would be safer to leave once the judgment had begun."

Jordan murmurs, "Three of them, two of you -- leaving was very likely, ah, optimal."

Mazpatiel says "Quite."

Jordan asks, "Did you note anything further about them? Were you pursued at all?"

Mazpatiel says "No."

Jordan nods, writes this down.

Jordan finishes scribbling down all the notes, including what the Symphony whispered to him of Truth, and finally looks up, tucking the notecrystal tablet back into his shoulderfeathers and morphing back to only his Seraphic state.

The Spires are close now, the gold and ivory towers rising against the clear sky.

Mazpatiel looks up at the Spires. "Shall we?"

Jordan nods. "I will report about the rogue Malakim in the Marches, if you wish. I believe you will have a more important interview."

Mazpatiel says "Oh?"

Jordan gives Mazpatiel a sidelong glance. "I believe it likely, yes."

Mazpatiel nods. "Maasiai may have further information. If I am needed, you know how to reach me."

Jordan smiles. "I can Sing a message to you, at a minimum. You should check in with the Most Just's secretary."

Mazpatiel nods.

Mazpatiel says "Walk evenly, Jordan."

Jordan looks down at his tail, then quirks three pair of eyebrows. "Go in Justice, Mazpatiel."

Mazpatiel nods, and takes to the air, headed for the Spires.

Jordan spreads his wings and heads off in a flurry of tawny feathers and tiger's-eye scales, heading off to find Maasiai.

The Spires are comforting in their stability and familiarity and *truth*.

Mazpatiel sees no reason to stop at its office, and as such heads directly to Saffron.

Saffron appears to be managing the paperwork with as much efficiency as ever. She looks up, and nods. "Mazpatiel."

Mazpatiel dips its head. "Saffron. I was asked to report."

Saffron nods. "Please go in."

Mazpatiel shows no obvious surprise at the lack of delay, simply nods and enters.

Inside, Dominic murmurs to another Elohite with deep amethyst eyes. The Elohite bows its head to the dark-cloaked Archangel, then turns to leave.

<> Mazpatiel says "Augh! It's my twin!"

<> Mazpatiel says "Oh wait. We already all look alike."

The Elohite dips its head slightly as it passes Mazpatiel.

Dominic sings, a deep viola-tone, "Mazpatiel."

Mazpatiel tips its head to its sibling in passing, and approaches its Archangel, waiting a respectful distance.

Mazpatiel says "Most Just."

Dominic sings, "Assess your performance."

Mazpatiel says "Under which parameters, Lord?"

Dominic tilts its head, a ripple of movement under the hood. "Did you accomplish what you sought?"

Mazpatiel says "We did not. Daimonique returned to Heaven under her own power. The presence of Maasiai and myself was extraneous to recent events."

Dominic sings, "What, then, did you accomplish?"

Mazpatiel says "Primarily survival, Lord. Secondarily, the identification of rogue Urielites active in the Far Marches."

Dominic is still for a moment, considering.

Mazpatiel waits silently.

Dominic says, "Your presence, though not in the end necessary, was of use."

Dominic's tone deepens to bass organ. "The Archangel of Fire came to the call of her Servitor?"

Mazpatiel says "She did, yes. It was at her hands that the construct in the Marches was destroyed."

Dominic corrects, tones growing more involved as a second theme joins the harmony of his voice, "The Archangel of War also."

Dominic sings, "Tell me of her. What did you see? What were your thoughts?"

Mazpatiel blinks. "Then he was beyond my perception, Lord. As to Fire..."

Mazpatiel considers, remembering.

Mazpatiel says "She came at the call of Edward, Lord. She came in the aspect of wrath, pronouncing her destruction of Kronos' construction. She was focused, Lord. In the face of Fate and damnation, she stood over the three of us and spoke her sentence."

Dominic inclines his head, slowly.

Mazpatiel says "It was by her will that we were sent in pursuit of Daimonique."

Dominic sings, "I hear it in your words, Power."

Dominic sings, "Have you any wishes, after what has passed?"

Mazpatiel says "I wish advice, Most Just. It is my estimation that the forces arrayed against us are perhaps beyond the ability of me and mine to confront effectively. It is my wish that I have overlooked something, and your wisdom is able to guide me in the way to best succeed."

<> Mazpatiel says "Some people ask for attunements. Some people ask for essence. I just want to know what to do next. :)"

Dominic's eyes flash like star-rubies as the Archangel shifts position.

Dominic sings, "You do well to be cautious. It is true that you and your associates have become known among the powerful of Hell."

Mazpatiel nods.

Dominic sings, "However, to separate you now would be to risk the loss of useful skills, and to assign you all to Heaven would require the agreement of all Archangels concerned."

Dominic sings, dryly, "And it would be a less than complete use of your talents.

Mazpatiel says "If I may, Lord. The dynamic extant within the circle would be difficult at best to duplicate deliberately."

Dominic sings, "I will consider assigning you elsewhere upon the Corporeal plane. In the meantime, take this gift lest you should need it."

Dominic unfurls his wings for a moment, a flash of crystal within the darkness of the cloak, and that same shadow seems to hurtle towards Mazpatiel for a moment, a shadow briefly falling across him, brushing against his mind.

<> Demiurge says "And Pat gets the Song of Cel Tongues/4."

<> Mazpatiel says "oooh."

Mazpatiel lowers its head. "Thank you."

Dominic sings, "What of your attachment to Maasiai?"

Mazpatiel blinks. "I had not thought to analyze it, Lord. I am fond of her."

Dominic sings, "You have been under the influence of a Punisher. Continue to maintain your equilibrium."

Dominic sings, "I will send to Daimonique, and bid her come here to report."

Dominic sings, "Walk in justice, Mazpatiel."

Mazpatiel nods. "Always, Lord."

Mazpatiel steps backwards for a respectful distance, then turns and leaves.

---

Fiat Justitia