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[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

Time: July 27, 2000 -- after Mictain meets Uriel
Place: War's Room
Status: Private (Mictain, War) -- Complete
Summary: Sharing information.


Mictain knocked on War's door, wanting to share with someone just what he had discovered. He hadn't really believed Uriel would just use or cheat anybody like that -- no, she was too angelic to do that. Besides, she couldn't lie to save her life, so she couldn't have told Pestilence she cared about him if she didn't.

None of it made sense, though. It didn't seem probable Pestilence would leave her just like that, yet she claimed he had. After all that stuff about being ready to die for the angel, even. He suspected Uriel wasn't telling the exact truth. Or, rather, she was telling what she believed to be the truth, as she indeed couldn't lie, but there had to be more to it than just that. He suspected he'd have to know Pestilence's view on the matter also to understand the whole picture.

Two heads were usually better than one, though. Maybe sharing this new information with War would help.

Comments

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War uncoiled herself from her bed where she'd been lying, absent mindedly flexing her fingers and staring up at the camouflage netting, lost in thought. She reached the door in three strides, pushed her hair back, and opened the door.

"Mictain - what brings you here? Any news?"

She looked at the demon inquisitively, and gestured into her room. "Take a seat, if you like."

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

Mictain indeed took a seat. Not seeing the point in circling the subject, he went straight to the matter. "I just met Uriel in the corridor," he said. "She claims that Pestilence left both her and the Manor in early April, while she didn't get pregnant until Easter. From her reactions, however, I concluded she'd gone to him in a -- female, I presume -- disguise for 'one last time' and got pregnant by accident. She as good as confirmed this -- and she simply can't lie. It's just plain against her nature."

He ran a clawed hand through his hair, thinking. "So, if we assume she was telling the truth -- which I do believe -- Pestilence left her. However, I find that very unlikely, given his behaviour the last time I met him. Either something happened between them that made him leave her -- or there is a third person involved somewhere along the line."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War crossed back to the bed to lean against the rail at the foot of it, facing him.

"I think you're right - Uriel is telling the truth, or at least she thinks she is." She shook her head slowly. "I just can't believe Pestilence would have left her - I can't understand why. It doesn't ring true, somewhere. I know that, as far as he's concerned, he slept with an unknown woman fairly soon after he left - Uriel in dusguise - but that doesn't put him at fault...especially if he felt rejected..."

War was having trouble keeping up with her thoughts.

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

"Of course it doesn't put him at fault," Mictain said. "It's Uriel's own fault for using deception. What disturbs me most about this whole business is, just what made Pestilence leave? It must be something about Uriel, since if she had made him leave on purpose, she hardly would have sought him out afterwards."

He frowned in thought. "She apparently isn't about to tell him. Whether it's to keep the child from him or protect him, I don't know. She fears either herself or the kid's father will get punished for the situation, you see. Angels having children with non-angels has usually led to at least one of the parents getting killed for it."

A tiny smirk touched his lips and he said, mostly to himself, "I wonder if I'll have to actually keep my word."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"As I see it, it's one of two things," War said. "One, she went crazy - crazier - and really hurt him somehow - and maybe she doesn't remember, or doesn't see it like that. Two, she got scared and actually asked him to leave - and again, doesn't remember, or didn't think he's listen to her. The first of those could be just about anything, though."

"I can understand her being scared, given the situation, but if she's trying to protect him, not just herself, it could fit with her making him leave when she was being particularly crazy."

She idly twisted her hair round her fingers. "Or maybe someone else intervened, like you said - maybe she didn't actually do anything herself. But, who, and why?"

She saw the smirk, and her eyes narrowed. "Keep your word? What do you mean? What aren't you telling me?"

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

"Well, given that she's been fairly crazy even before, the first option seems rather probable," Mictain commented. "She's sometimes quite oblivious, even before arriving to the Manor, and after coming here she's only got worse. She could have very well done something to hurt Pestilence enough to make him leave and not eaven realized it before it was too late.

"Of course, a third person could also be involved, but in that case I really don't know who it could be. If anybody'd found out about them, I'd imagine the news would have been all around the Manor for ages."

His smirk only got broader as her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Oh, I just made a little offer," he said lightly. "I told her that if she ever needed a father to name for her child -- without telling the truth, of course -- I'd be more than happy to claim it. Of course, it's not mine, but it should shock the Host even more than if she told it's Pestilence's. At least he's technically neutral, but I'm probably the most hated entity aside from Lucifer in Heaven right now. It'd also explain why she tried to keep the father's identity a secret.

"Almost everybody would probably believe it, too," he said then. "Before my Fall I was the one person Uriel was closest to. Those who wouldn't believe she'd have anything to do with me voluntarily would more than readily believe that I'd forced myself on her. I'm not exactly the most loved person around here. After all, by the time she got pregnant I'd already been exiled from the Manor -- due to attempted rape."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War's eyes flashed wide open in surprise, then narrowed again. "It's believable, right enough. Did you really offer just so you can annoy the Host, or because you're trying to protect her?" The former made sense to her, and she was no more a fan of the Host than Mictain, but if he was trying to protect Uriel then she found it somewhat baffling, given everything that had been said.

She flexed her fingers slowly, mentally putting the pieces together. "I'd gathered you'd been exiled, but didn't know that was why. I assume it was Raphael?"

Her mouth quirked. "I'm not going to judge or react, if that's what you were looking for or expecting. For one, it's nothing to do with me, and for two, if the law thought that a woman could commit rape [1] then I'd probably be guilty after a few commanders needed a little extra...persuasion at various points in the past."

Returning to the subject at hand, she said, "It is possible a third person was involved, if it was someone with a reason not to want to tell people. We've all got our secrets round here, after all. Depends if there is anyone who'd have a reason, though. Any ideas?"

[1] Under British Law, both in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and in prevous legislation, a woman cannot commit rape, lacking the necessary body parts rqeuired in the legal definition

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

"Why, of course I did it to annoy the Host," Mictain said. "I've no reason to protect her just for the sake of it."

He was vaguely surprised at her rather calm acceptance of what he'd told her, but didn't let it show. "Yes, Raphael. Later on, he sought me out. And then left me, of course. Whatever I saw in him, I can't understand it now. Although," he added, smirking teasingly at her, "I do still like redheads."

As she asked him for any ideas, he frowned. "There aren't that many associated with Uriel," he said, "and even less those she'd let know about her relationship with Pestilence. Unless somebody found out accidentally, but..."

After a moment's thought, he said, "Well, one person who definitely wouldn't want those two to be together is Raphael. By the time I left the Manor, however, he didn't know about them, and I doubt Uriel would let him know. Of course, there are her 'brothers', as she calls them -- the two Norse gods, Odin and Loki. Loki wasn't here by the time I left, and I don't know whether he was here when Pestilence left, but Odin has definitely been here for a long time. I don't know why exactly he would want to drive those two apart, but he's the only one I can think of who is close to Uriel, able to find out about the relationship, and able to 'persuade' Pestilence to leave. Unless, of course, the one who interfered is an associate of Pestielnce's...

"As for reason, well, just think about it. Uriel's an angel, Pestilence is a horseperson. There are several people who would do just about anything to prevent them from getting together. As I said earlier, angels' relationships with not-angels aren't usually accepted."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"I'd gathered that he treated you badly, and already decided that whatever you did, ultimately what he did was worse, because it was almost certainly more calculated." War quirked an eyebrow at him, and replied in a lighter tone, "Redheads? Well, I'd hope you like them enough to raise a glass with them once they've finished a spot of sleuthing, at least." Tilting her head on one side so her hair fell over her shoulder, she added, "This one's better with a sword, mind you."

Turning serious again, she straightened and said, "Surely there are ways of annoying the Host that don't involve the side effect of helping out Uriel who, when I last checked, wasn't exactly top of your list of best buddies? Besides, I'd have thought that with everything else recently you'd have annoyed the Host enough to keep you going for a while. I can't imagine they were exactly pleased that their former Commander tried to rape Raphael."

She shook her head. "Like I say, I've never understood the Host and angelic - or demonic - politics. Never wanted to, either."

She clicked her fingernails together as she thought about what Mictain had said. "The other Horsepeople wouldn't have done anything. None of us hold any grudges against any angels or demons especially, at least not to the best of my knowledge. And besides - as we've established, Pestilence was clearly besotted, and if he was happy, we wouldn't want to change that. We may all be very different, but we do all stick together and look out for each other. As for it being someone else... Odin would have reason enough not to spread it around, if it were him, because if he broke them up then it would be because he was trying to protect Uriel, and I guess that would extend as far as trying to protect her from gossip. But then, I can't see why he'd want them to split up - I don't see him having the usual prejudice against angels having relationships with other beings."

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

"But that's exactly the point, my dear Ruby," Mictain said, smirking. "My mere existence annoys them to no end, and because of that, they ignore me. Whatever else I could do wouldn't annoy them as much, because they would just ignore it. Claiming Uriel's child as mine, however, would very probably force them to acknowledge my existence. And as far as protecting Uriel goes," he continued, "actually it would get her in a worse situation, if you think about it. As I already said, Pestilence is mostly regarded as neutral, but I'm the one the Host hates most at the moment. If anything, it would only make her more detested among her kind. She just might accept my offer, though, just to protect Pestilence. I guess we'll now see just how far her love for him goes, or whether she truly loved him at all."

At her statement about the Horsepeople's loyalty to each other, he just nodded. "That rules out the Horsepeople, then," he said. "So, if there is a third party involved, it's either Odin or somebody we don't know about. So, it now looks rather likely that one of the two, either Uriel or Pestilence, was the reason to their break-up." He smirked. "Of course, there is still the distant possibility that the child is actually not Pestilence's, but given Uriel's lying skills, I sincerely doubt that."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War nodded her head. "I really don't think the child is anyone's but Pestilence's - plus I can't see why she'd say it was if it wasn't. On the other hand, I can't see much reason in anything Uriel does."

She sighed. "That's why I'm inclined to think that it was something Uriel did in a moment of craziness. I'm not ruling out that it was Pestilence, but given all we know of Uriel it seems more likely it was her. It is still possible it was Odin interfering, but I can't quite see that, either. Obviously, I haven't seen him for a long time, but all the same, I wouldn't have thought he was one to judge on who people had relationships with, even if he does have a strong sense of family."

She rubbed the top of her nose in between her coppery eyebrows, then stretched her arms out. "I'm not sure we're really getting much further with this right anymore. We've opened up possibilities, but for now we're just speculating."

She rubbed at the fading bruise on her neck, then snatched her hand away, hoping he hadn't noticed. Though being teased by the demon was fun, on some levels, on others it was annoying to be reminded that it was a human girl who'd done it to her. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, wondering if he'd pick up on it.

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

"We could expect anything from Uriel -- she's just abot crazy enough. But you're right. We're not getting anywhere." Mictain sighed. "It irritates me quite a bit, though."

He did, in fact, notice her rubbing the bruise. At first he was about to tease her about it just like he had done before, but then thought of something else. Smirking, he said, "Do you want me to heal that for you? If it bothers you that much, that is."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"You think I'm at ease with the situation?" she half-joked.

War was surprised by the offer, and shifted her position slightly, leaning further back, and looked at Mictain speculatively. "It's not sore so much as stiff, and that makes it annoying - I can't turn my head or use my shoulder properly. Would you be able to heal it properly? I've never had an angel or demon heal me before."

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

"I'm not entirely sure," Mictain admitted. "I doubt I can make it any worse, though. And while I'm not exactly an expert on healing others -- myself, I can heal rather well, it's kind of necessary when you're fighting all the time -- I think I bloody well should be able to heal one bruise, however stubborn it may be."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

She shrugged lop-sidedly. "As you say, can't hurt, I suppose. What do I have to do? I can move off my perch on the end of the bed if you think it's a good idea?"

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

Mictain shrugged. "However you'd like it is fine with me," he replied. "It shouldn't take long, though, so I doubt you'll be cursing the discomfort of your seat during the healing even if you do not move."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

In answer, War swung her legs over the end of the bed then settled herself crosslegged.

"This way, even if you do manage to make it sting or anything, I'm not going to fall off and make a fool of myself."

She put her hands on her knees then, looking up at him, said, "Ready when you are."

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

"Always so very optimistic, I see." Mictain smirked, then walked closer to her. Wiping a stray lock of red hair away, he then investigated the bruise. "Yes, this I should be able to handle."

Placing the fingertips of one hand on the bruise -- having actually remembered to withdraw his claws first -- he concentrated on healing it. There didn't seem to be much pain, just like she had said. Thus, he focused on repairing any damage he could find. He was far from being an expert in healing -- although he was still lightyears ahead of Uriel, of course -- but there wasn't anything he couldn't fix here. Of course, he couldn't do it as quickly as somebody more experienced with healing, but he could do it, which was the most important thing.

At last, he removed his fingers from her skin. "Better now?" he asked.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War sighed. "I've had a few bad experiences with healers over the years, so now I prefer to be seated on something solid, is all."

As he brushed the hair away - not really necessary, part of her mind pointed out - she felt his fingertips suddenly warm against her skin. They were warm again when he laid them against the bruise, and held them there. The healing felt.. odd. Not painful, not anything she could name. Different, somehow. She sat quietly, oddly content at having the demon's fingers pressed against her skin.

He spoke as he drew them away, and not quite registering what his words, she said, "Hm?" Then she realised, and rolled her head from side to side, then rotated her shoulder.

"It all seems to be fine," she said, looking up at him with her warm orange eyes. "Thank you."

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

Mictain chuckled in a not-really-amused tone. "Oh, I know all about bad experiences with bloody healers," he muttered.

He was satisfied to see that his healing had apparently worked. "You're welcome, I guess," he said. "Just try not to get yourself beat up too badly. As I said, I'm not too good at healing, so there's a definite limit to what I can do."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"You seem proficient enough to me. Besides, I'm not planning to get into many more fights any time soon."

War smirked. "Apart from our test match, of course - unless you're chickening out of that one?"

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

"So you mean I should first beat you and then heal you? Doesn't sound very sensible if you ask me." Mictain smirked. "If you get hurt in that match -- which I am not about to back out of -- you'll have to heal yourself. I do have some morals, after all. Never fix what you break or you won't ever get anything done."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War choked back a laugh at the image she'd suddenly got in her head. She didn't think Mictain would appreciate knowing that his words had just given her an image of him being the demonic embodiment of fight-burn-kill then rushing out with bandages afterwards.

"I wasn't planning to get hurt in that match - like I said, it's a test match, with practice swords. The aim is to finally figure out which of us is more skilful or stronger - better, essentially - not to beat the stuffing out of each other. Or that was the impression I had, anyway," she finished, giving him a half-teasing, half-quizzical look.

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

"I never said we were going to beat each other badly," Mictain said, laughing. "It's just that, if a human girls gets you bruised, in what condition will you be after fighting with me, practice or not?" He then smirked, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. "Okay, okay, I'll forget about that... for now."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

The childish nature of the demon's teasing had made War feel childish too - so she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Another part of our test match will be that it's pre-arranged and we'll be focussed - something I definitely wasn't when I attacked her."

She stretched and stood up. "Unless you're particularly keen on hanging around my bedroom, how about we head down to the bar and find a drink, seeing as it seems we've had our dose of sleuthing for today?"

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

Mictain smirked and nodded. "Sounds like a plan," he said. Yes, he really could use a drink now.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"First one's on me," she said, as she walked over to the door and yanked it open, "As a thank you. But don't think I'm going to make a habit of it!"

She held the door open, waiting for him to cross the room so she could follow him down for that drink.

[demon-mictain.livejournal.com]

"Don't worry," Mictain replied, laughing. "I'm not quite that stupid yet."

With this, he headed out of the room, War following him.