Questions On A Fallen

Faber pads in barefeet to the Spires, a bit of duck down still floating in dark and iron streaked hair, half absentminded with thoughts.

He attracts the odd stare from angels or souls. Perhaps it's the jeans. But nobody stops him or questions him, and it is easy enough to find his way to Jordan's office.

Faber blinks mildly at finding the office without even much verbal questioning in Judgement, but then knocks on the door of Jordan's office on finding it. Maybe things have changed since his times Earthside...

Jordan calls, "Come in."

Faber opens the door, "Hey. Uhm... we can talk?"

Jordan's office is relatively spartan. Bookshelves full of books and recording crystals. A dark-wood desk, with an 'In' and 'Out' box. A 'Seraph seat' -- a shallow cup with a projecting stem to drape oneself on -- is behind the desk, and Jordan is, indeed, draped on the stem in serpent form. A folder is in the middle of the desk, and a recording crystal is in front of Jordan.

Jordan replies to Faber, "Yes, I believe we have time to do so."

<> Jordan notes that his recording crystal is the Heaven-relic version of a Newton or other "palm-computer" thing.

Faber smiles and pads in, closing the door behind him. "I wouldn'ta believed it, me coming to Judgement... hey, that's a cool chair."

Faber comes up pretty close, focused on the way the chair's made, how the stem attaches strongly with the cup.

Jordan shrugs. "It's standard issue for us. And it is well that you came."

<> Jordan thinks there is probably another chair in the room as well, but it's probably in a corner.

The stem attaches to the rim of the cup, and curves forward in a graceful arch. It forks at the end, providing a place for a Seraphic chest to rest.

Faber shrugs, "I want to know."

<> Faber says "The Seraph chair is behind the desk?"

Jordan fans a wingtip across the desk, flicking the folder. "I have arranged for some of the information on Caliah to be made available to you. The folder is yours."

<> Jordan nods.

<> Faber says "And the chair faces the door? Or out towards a window or something?"

<> Jordan says "Other chair is in a rear-corner, possibly behind the door."

<> Jordan faces the door.

<> Jordan has no windows. Distracting things.

Faber says "Cool."

Jordan pauses to let Faber flip through the folder, if the Malakite wishes.

Faber picks up the folder and perches on the edge of the desk, one leg folded under him, the other to the floor and he flips rapidly through the folder.

Jordan eyes this display of desk-sitting, then merely fluffs his wings in a minor shrug and moves his In box out of possible danger.

The folder gives brief details: Caliah, Elohite of Michael, Fallen during the Crimean War due to a Balseraph of Baal (Ashekai) later destroyed by two other Michaelites (Maher-shalal-hash-baz, Malakite, and Rigziel, Seraph).

Faber's wings move up a bit as he hits interesting highlights, down a bit if there are any details of punishments or known destructions.

The folder says that little has been known of her since, except for the Prohibition event (brief report enclosed). Believed present in Paris in 1952, taking part in attack on Destiny safehouse. Vessel killed.

The folder states that she has not been heard of since till now. There is a side-note that she has tattoos stating she is in Baal's service on her celestial form, which may be some form of punishment.

Faber growls softly to himself, "Doll, you die almost as much as a careful Virtue."

The report concludes: effective and skilled fighter, uses terrain sensibly, prefers to work from cover, believed (from current events) to be operating on Baal's direct orders. Caution advised.

Jordan tilts his head at Faber quietly.

Faber shakes his head. "Sorry. Misread a bit there."

Jordan nods and waits for Faber to get to the end.

Faber gets to the end and sighs, "So there is a bit of a gap between me and now. Internal detail? Punishments..." he frowns quietly.

Jordan nods. "Apparently. Punishments... seem likely. I touched on some small hints when Mazpatiel reported their... interactions."

<> Faber says "The recent stuff is in the report, too? or not at all?"

The report states, "Surfaced again in connection with the Kobal incident. Believed to possibly be tracking Daimonique. Motivation uncertain."

<> Faber says "No details of the tantalizing 'interactions'..."

<> Jordan says "Nope..."

Faber's attention rivets on Jordan. "Interaction*S*? There have been multiple?"

Jordan half-sighs, half-snorts. "Ah. Yes."

Faber just *looks* at Jordan.

Jordan thinks a moment. "These matters are somewhat sensitive. While I may tell you of them, I would prefer that they not become common gossip in the Glade. Is this acceptable to you?"

Faber says "Of course."

Jordan nods. "Thank you. Very well. A moment while I arrange my thoughts."

Faber flips through what there is in the folder as he waits without a fidget or frown at Jordan.

Jordan says, "Prince Kobal was arrested recently by the Game, and during that time, the Lilim in his service, Daimonique, was redeemed by Creation." He clears his throat unnecessarily and shifts a bit on his 'chair.' "While under Geas to the Most Just, trying to determine if the charges were, ah, appropriate. During this time, Caliah -- calling herself Cecilia -- surfaced, first at a destroyed Tether of Dark Humor, where she apparently was honorable enough for a Malakite of Fire to call truce for a time that she might deliver her message. Subsequently, she was spotted attempting to liberate certain information from a Tether of Nightmares -- under the pretense of an attack by Heaven. The information fell into the hands of Mazpatiel and Daimonique, and was passed to her after all, along with some other information Daimonique had retrieved from an initial scouting of that Tether. It is believed that the information provided a valid defense of Prince Kobal, and he was released."

Faber grins quietly, "I gotta meet that Malakite of Fire. She struck me that way, too," and then laughs aloud at the pretense and nods a bit about the information being passed back through Caliah.

Jordan says, "After this, Daimonique..." Jordan pauses and makes a face. "She was kidnapped by a former associate of hers, a Balseraph of the Media, along with a Cherub and two Kyriotates. Mazpatiel, Daimonique's Elohite mentor, was attempting to come to their rescue, and encountered Caliah near the scene."

Jordan pauses again, for a bit longer, then says, "She helped smuggle him into Hell with her, impersonating a Habbalite himself, and accompanied him in their search for Daimonique. When the search would have led into Hades, she insisted that he leave off while she went on alone. Her motives for this -- both assisting in the search for Daimonique, and urging Mazpatiel to leave -- are unknown. It is suspected that Baal had some interest in Daimonique."

Faber blinks at the last, a lot.

It is Jordan's turn to simply watch Faber patiently.

Faber blinks a lot, actually at the smuggling of an Elohite into Hell.

Jordan . o O (And now you see why this should really not be common gossip.)

Faber nods slowly at the telling Mazpatiel to leave and then thinks a bit.

Jordan waits, patient and calm.

Faber says "Hmm... I can see why you don't want... uhm... any of that known too widely."

<> Demiurge | Faber . o 0 ( Hmm... Can I get smuggled into Hell? )

<> Faber didn't SAY THAT!

<> Faber did think it.

Jordan nods. "It is not something that should be tried frequently. By anyone."

Faber says "No. Frequent would be bad. Any might be bad, given the circumstance, it doesn't seem to have worked out badly."

Jordan says "Mazpatiel was lucky. Unreasonably so."

Jordan . o O (It was a *miracle* Pat didn't get caught!)

Faber blinks mildly, "Or she was skilled enough to help pull it off well."

Faber says "As was Mazpatiel."

Faber says "Though luck would have some factor in it, I doubt it was all."

<> Pat can just play a convincing Habbalite.

Jordan tilts his head in a slight nod of acknowledgement. "There is likely truth to that. I was not there, and have not direct experience."

<> Jordan tells Pat to report for brainscrubbing.

Faber grins a little wryly, "She was g--... no... capable, in all ways."

<> Jordan rolls the d666 and gets 5 2 CHECK: 4.

<> Demiurge says "Caliah is very capable, yes. Very efficient."

<> Demiurge says "Faber believes it, and it is true."

<> Faber rolls his eyes as the Seraph gets not only that Caliah is... capable in battle, but also capable in bed??

<> Demiurge hmms. Oops. Okay, Jordan gets that too.

<> Faber says "Or just the uhm... adjective. Not the specific actions?"

<> Demiurge says "I think that Jordan gets, ah, the full range of capability."

<> Faber grins. "Thought so."

Jordan nods. "Yes, she is very capable." He eyes Faber slightly. "I am sure that you have already been, ah, lectured on the extent of her capability that you experienced?"

Faber blinks, "Lectured?"

Faber just mildly boggles at that sentence. "Uhm... what's good a lecture on something I've actually experienced, I've never had a lecture that was as good at teaching as the experience."

Jordan blinks his upper most pair of eyes. "I believe that is what those of Creation often say that we of Judgment do to them, regarding corporeal activities. Such as sex. Especially sex with those who are Fallen."

Faber says "Oh!"

Faber says "Oh."

Faber thinks about it, "Yes. I was lectured and it wasn't nearly as good as the experience."

<> Demiurge says "No, Jordan was not offering to lecture Pat about sex. ;)"

<> Jordan gets the Truth on that, one assumes.

<> Faber just falls over laughing.

<> Demiurge says "Yes. Definite Truth on that one. ;)"

Jordan blinks his middle pair of eyes. "Good. Then I do not have to lecture you about the dubious wisdom of such things."

Faber squints this time, for a bit, as he thinks that over. "Yes, you don't have to lecture me."

<> Faber says "And the truth behind it is that he knows it was stupid, knows it was taking a chance, but would do it anyway, as it might be one link for her back..."

<> Faber says "And the feeling was backed up by seeing her about to kill Aceris."

Jordan tilts his head, then sighs. "You may be safe enough, attempting to seduce her back, but it is not something that any non-Virtue should be attempting. Please, don't allow yourself to be a role-model for such ... probably ill-fated attempts."

Faber says "Well, no one else knows, I don't think."

Faber says "So I doubt I'm any kind of role-model."

Faber laughs.

Faber says "In any way."

Jordan relaxes a bit, relieved.

Faber says "Though I do wonder about the Michaelites that went after the Bal, if they knew her from before she Fell."

Jordan sighs and makes a scribbly note on his recording crystal. "Someone may look into that."

Jordan asks, "And may I now ask some questions of you, regarding her?"

Faber says "Certainly."

Jordan says, "It is possible that she will show up again, around Daimonique. Baal may still have some interest there. Could you expand on your impressions of her? Her loyalty to Baal? Her personal honor and chances of redemption?"

Jordan poses his tail-tip-held stylus above his recording crystal.

<> Faber says "My impressions, speedy girl."

Faber says "Back then? I can't say too much about now, as I'd suspect that her loyalty to Baal went up with whatever went on during the quiet time."

<> Jordan rolls the d666 and gets 6 4 CHECK: 5.

Faber says "Or fear, might be more appropriate."

Jordan settles himself with the attentive look of a Seraph who is listening both to the speaker and the Sympohony.

Faber says "Her personal honor was impeccable. It seems to still be, if she walked away from a Malakite of Fire."

Jordan takes notes.

Faber says "I think she has a chance at Redemption, but..."

Jordan takes notes, a bit more slowly.

Jordan murmurs, "It... is *possible.* The Symphony does not deny the possibility."

Faber pauses a bit, thinking, remembering. "I think when I met her, she wasn't close, in..." he closes his eyes, "... words... she was much further along a road I started walking down. So far I think I could only glimpse the country she'd gone to as a haze of distance, but she is... was... alone. Alone in her pride, in her... feeling of duty... of what needed her and only her to do."

Jordan murmurs, "True."

Faber says "It seems a Habbalite catch phrase, 'Punish the weak,' but to experience what it means..."

Faber says "... that is what makes me pause and go 'but'."

Faber says "So I can hope, but don't know. I don't know what would crack that shell of self-reliance. It took nearly dying by torture for me."

Jordan flinchs slightly.

<> Jordan gets way too *much* Truth sometimes.

<> Demiurge says "Indeed, yes."

<> Faber says "Actually that last isn't true... It was a girl, and that, and knowing that if he died, she'd be left, actually..."

<> Demiurge nods to Faber.

<> Jordan says "That counts."

<> Jordan says "Sort of."

<> Faber says "Caught between the oath to die rather than stay caught and helping her choose..."

Jordan eyes Faber slightly and makes notes.

Faber shrugs.

Faber says "I think her honor and going strictly by her own honor is part of that shell, so it's self-consistent."

Jordan sighs and looks momentarily sad.

Jordan . o O (Fallen, and we did not catch it in time.)

Jordan makes thoughtful notes, nodding slightly.

Jordan thinks. "Do you believe she would try to recruit Mazpatiel? He is, after all, Elohite. Or would her sense of honor... make her scorn to use her resonance to attempt to break him?"

Faber blinks mildly.

Faber says "I think the latter, though... if he proved weak in that regard, in confrontation she wouldn't stop from breaking him."

Jordan asks, "Only in confrontation, then? Not simply because he was there?"

Faber says "I don't think she would actively recruit from angels, but would destroy them if they got in the way."

Jordan nods. "Indeed. Yes." He quirks a wry smile for an instant. "And that is the lesser evil, from where I coil."

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

Jordan says "So you do not think that she would seek Daimonique's Fall, either, without orders?"

Faber says "No, she doesn't seem one to go out of her way for that kind of thing. With orders might be another thing entirely."

Faber says "If anything..."

Jordan listens.

Faber pauses a minute thinking, "She seems to be willing to go out of her way to destroy demons if they offend her... sense of honor or damage her people and places."

Faber says "Not Redeem. Simply kill in the manner of War."

Faber says "Honored opponents, I think, not trying to get anyone to turn their coat."

Jordan hmms thoughtfully, noting this down. "Do you know if she had any specific weaknesses, that might aid survival if having to confront her, or if she had orders to harm someone?"

Faber says "No."

Jordan asks, "Not even psychological ones?"

Faber says "I only happened to outpower her, that time, no weapons other than weapons that muscle could win with."

Faber says "Oh."

Jordan's eyes glaze just a moment, as he brushes against the Truth of the battle in the warehouse.

Faber grins very wryly, "Be strong," then shakes his head and *thinks*.

Faber says "The only tactic I can think of would be to throw other things at her. Throw other threats at her and her party, keep her off the scent as long as possible. Hide. Or kill her. That's damned simplistic."

<> Jordan hopes for Truths -- at least on the efficacy of those suggested tactics.

<> Demiurge says "It's true that throwing a lot of problems/trouble at Caliah might confuse her enough to escape, yes."

Faber frowns quietly at the last phrase, "Sorry, but I should have a more creative answer. I think... anything that could confuse her, make her doubt her self-reliance..."

Faber says "... that might make her pause."

<> Demiurge says "Ah. Better Truth coming through. There are certain things that would confuse Caliah enough to threaten her particular delusions."

Jordan makes notes on this. "Some information is better than none, usually. And you are correct -- those might confuse her enough to arrange an escape. And... there are some things that might actually threaten her delusions." His voice holds a note of mild wonder.

Faber says "Delusions... I wonder what got her to Fall?"

Faber says "Maybe it was something that is at the core of this shell, this in-wound self."

Jordan thinks... "The report was uncertain. It suggests long-term exposure to a Balseraph."

Jordan says "One of the War, Ashekai. I believe his demise was reported, in the folder there?"

Faber says "So it was lies of some sort."

Faber nods.

Jordan sighs. "At the heart of any Fall, there are lies..."

<> Jordan is a Seraph. He sees Falling in terms of lies.

Jordan looks up. "If given orders to try to cause an angel's Fall, would she obey utterly? Or would she attempt to twist troublesome orders to suit her sense of honor?"

Faber says "Probably the later."

Faber says "She'd obey to the letter."

Faber says "Maybe."

Faber sighs.

Faber says "I don't really know."

Faber says "That specific instance never came up when I was around, I don't think, but... that's my guess at it."

Faber says "Or maybe it's just my wish."

Jordan says, slowly, "Truth. She would obey to the letter. Such orders would, however, threaten her delusion, enough that she would have to... fit them in, find some way to view them that did not..."

Faber says "Ah."

Faber looks mildly relieved at that.

Jordan shakes his head and scribbles quickly on his crystal.

<> Jordan rolls the d666 and gets 4 2 CHECK: 1.

Jordan says, "I cannot think of anything further, at this time..." He fixes Faber with a six-eyed stare. "But I must ask that, if you are considering seeking her out, that you do so with care and planning, so as not to endanger yourself or others unnecessarily."

Faber looks startled at the last.

Faber then *grins*.

Faber says "Sure."

Jordan says, "Good. Do try not to neglect your own work, however, if you embark upon such actions."

<> Faber hadn't really believed he'd be let loose...

<> Jordan doesn't think he could *stop* Faber...

Faber chuckles.

Jordan adds, "And if you use Daimonique as bait, please tell her that you are doing so and make sure that this will not endanger her or Mazpatiel unduly."

Faber blinks a lot at that, "I hadn't even thought of that."

<> Daimon says "Because, dammit, we don't want you to hinder our efforts to endanger ourselves. This is an artform!"

Jordan eyes Faber. "Indeed?" He rolls his eyes. "I suspect you might have."

<> Jordan sighs. He is forstalling plans that the Malakite hadn't had yet. Drat.

Faber says "I was thinking of going down and watching around them, see if something popped out of the woodwork, but hadn't thought of deliberately *using* them as bait."

Jordan gives Faber a rather long-suffering look.

Faber squinches an eyebrow, "I don't usually use anyone. Choices, you know?"

<> Sarah | Jordan says "Please continue not to think of it."

Jordan nods, still with a rather, 'I gave him an idea, bad Judgmenter' expression. "That is good."

Faber thinks a bit.

Jordan makes notes.

Faber then just smiles, bows gently to Jordan. "Thanks."

Jordan . o O (Memo: inform Mazpatiel and Daimonique that Faber may be... in the woodwork, so to speak, stalking Caliah.)

Jordan twitches a wry smile. "And thank you for your information."

Jordan inclines his head in a return bow, graceful and Seraphic.

<> Faber says "Hey, Daimonique's a very cute doll and I would *tell* her if I were gonna be around."

<> Daimon says "Yay!"

<> Jordan says "But Daimon is usually a male, corporeally."

<> Daimon says "That can be changed."

Faber walks out the door.

Jordan goes back to his notes.

---

Fiat Justitia