neutral_omens | Expectations

Date: August 13, 1999
Status: Public
Summary: Adam begins to meet the denizens of Tadfield Manor

Adam walked through the large entrance hall of Tadfield Manor looking around. He had only been here once before and just over nineteen years had passed since then, as well as a fire and a major redecoration, but the large building felt the same as it had when he was a newborn.

As he walked towards the welcome desk, his skin began to tingle and he was flooded with the knowledge of who was here and where they all were. Adam had always tried very hard not to use his powers but it seemed that in the sanctuary that he'd created, he may not have the choice. All around him, he felt angels, demons, ghosts, anthropomorphic personifications, witches, wizards, werewolves, and humans. Here and there he picked up flashes of pain, sickness, love, sadness, boredom, and ecstasy. These he couldn't trace as well, so he let them merge and recess to the back of his mind.

Once he had crossed the hall, he reached out and pressed the little, silver bell that was resting neatly on the desk. Idly he wondered who would be the first person to come out and speak with him.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Warlock recognised Adam Young. He hadn't changed much over the years. Still the same "Boys Own" aura about him. He knew Adam wouldn't recognise him – this mainly due to the fact that Adam and Warlock had never met - but Warlock knew of him and he knew of the Them (everyone in Tadfield had known of the Them).

He wondered if the others were near by. He swallowed hard. It wasn't that Warlock had really been jealous, as such. They had always just seemed to have it all. They had appeared to be such close friends growing up. All Warlocks childhood friends were just other spoiled rich kids.

Warlock mused to himself staring at the adult version of Adam Young... and then he suddenly realised that he must have looked like a right nob, gawking like that.

Adam heard footsteps echoing in the entrance hall behind him and he turned around.

"Hullo, Warlock. I haven't seen you in a very long time. You've grown."

Warlock looked a little stunned, so Adam continued, "Welcome back to Tadfield Manor. Did you come about a job? You'll be safe and happy here."

He held out his hand to the other blonde boy.

Sister Mary bustled in, once again wondering how that damn silver bell had come to be bolted on the Front Desk. She tried to remove it several times now... but the thing seemed to be permenantly on there at this point.

Sighing, she came around through the small office, just in time to see two young men shaking hands. Both of them were familiar... yes, she had a fond recollection of little toosie-woosies... both of those boys had had the cutest little feet.

This time when she sighed, it was because she knew that it was entirely inappropriate to gather them both into a hug.

Returning his attention to the desk, Adam noticed that someone else had arrived.

"Sister Mary. It's good to see you again." He held up one foot and gave a slight smile. "And I still have all ten toes." He wiggled them inside his dusty, old sneaker and lowered his foot again. "I just wanted to tell you that we are all really glad for what you do here."

He looked into her wide eyes.

"I know you're worried about the people who have come to visit and work at the Manor, but don't. They are my guests and nothing will happen."

With another small smile, he turned his attention as politely as possible back to the front door.

Gabriel had flown back to Tadfield, aching to stretch the wings that were so cramped in his mortal form, and eager to let the flight wash away the stench of Hellfire that seemed to cling to him since he’d visited Soho.

He landed a ways off from the Manor to avoid detection by any mortal eyes, and carefully tucked away his wings. Some of the messages he had to deliver called for an angelic presence: outstretched wings and shining eyes. But not this one, he thought grimly. His fingers were still wrapped so tightly around the singed book that they’d turned white.

He treaded wearily to the Manor, still with a heavy feeling somewhere in the pit of his stomach. No sooner had he opened the door than he was met with the most startling blue eyes he’d ever seen.

Adam walked towards the door, not breaking eye contact with the being who had just stepped in.

"Gabriel," he said.

It wasn't a question.

Adam had only ever met two angels before, if met is the proper term, and that was under rather trying circumstances, so it would be incorrect to say that Gabriel was the most discomposed angel he had ever seen. However, it was obvious, to Adam anyway, that Gabriel was upset and reeked of brimstone. He walked up to the angel with hand extended and brushed some soot off his collar.

"I'm glad you made it to the Manor, but I think it'd be best to leave the war outside."

With that, Adam smiled enigmatically and walked towards the bar.

He was a young man, no more than twenty, but from the instant he spoke the angel’s name, Gabriel could not move.

He had the aura of Hell, and yet no shivering sense of evil accompanied it. And his face... his shining eyes would not look out of place in Heaven. Gabriel wasn’t sure what held him frozen, but the eerie notion crept over him that he would not be able to move as long as that gaze pinned him there.

In six thousand years, Gabriel had never come across a being quite like this.

When the boy left with an unfathomable little smile, Gabriel had the presence of mind to nod politely to the other two in the room before making his way upstairs. He tried with little success to wrap his dizzying thoughts around the boy’s simple words. The war, he’d said, but what could he possibly know? Gabriel wasn’t even sure what was happening himself...

There was one thought that crept insistently into the back of his reeling mind, but he couldn’t fathom it. It was just too absurd for him to grasp.

He couldn’t have just met the Antichrist.

Warlock gingerly took the other boys hand and gave an awkward little, uncertain kind of smile.

There was something so strange about Adam, and Warlock felt slightly giddy, but before he could give it much thought Sister Mary had walked into the room, a look of happy recognition on her face.

Adam addressed her in his soothing tone... much older than his years. Warlock listened intently. He all of a sudden felt very at ease.

Expectations

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject