A Strange Afterlife

[ginger_firebird]

 It had to be impossible. He could feel his skin. A pulse beat under his neck. He stood in front of a store window and regarded his reflection in the glass. Same black leather outfit. Same brown trench-coat. The fabric weight down on him and he rubbed his arms as he tried to figure out what was going on. A wandering spirit had doors to enter and exit when it came to the world of the living, but he'd never achieved something like this. It was alien and wrong and he had no idea where anyone was.

Mantis sighed, marveling quietly at the way his chest rose and fell with his breathing. It didn't matter. He'd keep moving and hope for the best. If this was some punishment for a misstep, he knew exactly who to take it up with.

"Sorrow!" Even his voice carried an echo. Mantis pointed himself into a new direction and began to walk. "What did I do this time, old man?"

Comments

[ginger_firebird]

"It might have been fun. My last real chance of ever coming back in a meaningful way is a girl who's part of the current generation of a massive extended family. I keep away, out of respect to her fathers and her mother, but she's constantly toeing the line many others fell over."

He laughs quietly imagining the kinds of personalities that presented straight away. "From the way you talk of your kin, it sounds as though you have done well over the years to learn who is best left alone. Personalities clash when lives are as short as mine. Angels would have a lot more time to figure out who really ought to spend time around each other."

[hellsadvisor]

It's a very rare thing for Belial to laugh, really laugh from humor, but Mantis has managed to get one from him. The laugh is deep but short. "I see you haven't met Lucifer yet. He, for valid reasons, goes out of his way to mess with everything that should be left alone and clashes with him."

[ginger_firebird]

"I would hope I'd remember someone like him." He doesn't mind the laugh at all. It's always easy to tell when you've touched on something deeper and older than you. "One in every family. Can't imagine what a reunion would look like if that's his truest instinct."

[hellsadvisor]

"He would make sure you did." Belial knew full well that Lucifer made a first impression that no one ever forgot.

"There are three million with similar views, much to God's dismay. It does make for endlessly amusing stories around the dinner table."

[ginger_firebird]

"Three million?" Even with a human's natural inability to process a number of such magnitude, Mantis is keenly aware that is a hell of a lot. "God bless God, if that's appropriate to say. I've never had anything close to that many people to keep an eye on all at once."

[hellsadvisor]

"A third of heaven's angels were cast out during the fall." Belial cracks a smile. "God cursed himself when he cursed us."

[ginger_firebird]

"Does he ever complain about that?" The idea of divine complaining is an amusing one. "He has to at least be able to admit it's a problem of his own making."

[hellsadvisor]

"He comes to scold Lucifer." Which was infinitely amusing to Belial because it was like screaming into an abyss. Lucifer probably enjoyed it even.

"God does not make a point of taking blame for anything. I'm sure he blames Lucifer for it."

[ginger_firebird]

Mantis has been the subject to such scolding. It's quite easy to tune out the angry one when you have no remorse.

"There's enough of you that you could go up to Him and talk His ear off. I don't know what it would accomplish, but numbers have to mean something."

[hellsadvisor]

"There are twice as many angels, in heaven still, as there are among the Fallen." Belial considers and then shrugs. "In the end, I believe charisma is what will be the undermining of God."

[ginger_firebird]

"I wouldn't doubt that. I'd sooner follow your Lucifer than the nameless one with the angelic entourage." Mantis has relaxed considerably, body and vocal tone. "People are more willing to follow those who act like them, even if that person turns out to be a good actor."

[hellsadvisor]

"He has a name. Lucifer knows it from the time before the universe existed." Belial knew it existed but Lucifer hadn't even shared it with him. That alone spoke to some importance.

"Actors can be uncovered. True charisma is getting people to follow even if you don't agree by the act of taking off the mask." Belial had seen all forms of charisma in his time and those who truly lead without manipulation had the truest following and usually created the best leaders.