towerofanimus | The Healer Awakes..

Entry tags:

[ou] raphael

The Healer Awakes..

Characters: Raphael and you!
Setting: Around the Tower.
Format: I'll start in prose, but I'll match you!
Summary: Raphael wakes up in the Tower and explores, all while wondering why he can't connect to God.

Technically, Raphael couldn't sleep or feel tired. He was the angel of healing-it would be weird if he had to rest or felt exhausted. So, the fact that he woke up in a bed in an unknown place was troubling, especially with the fact that he couldn't feel a connection to God here. For some reason, somehow, it was cut off. Not one to panic, Raphael looked at the notes that were lying in front of him. The first contained some useful information about this place..but the other..it couldn't have been. He didn't remember God ordering Michael or Lucifel to start the end of the world..but this severed connection to God..could it be that the world had ended? But if so..then why was he here? Puzzled, Raphael got out of bed, not bothered by the fact that he was wearing a white jumpsuit. As long as he was wearing something, that was fine by him. The collar puzzled him though. He wandered out of his dorm floor and onto the hall, looking for other people and some answers. Maybe the other angels had been brought here, even if he couldn't sense them.

While the fact that he couldn't sense any souls from the people wearing red collars, the infirmary was a familiar environment. While there may not have been any sick people here, they may have been a few who knew what was going on, so Raphael will be here, healing whoever he can and trying to find some answers.

The books Enoch had written in Heaven were useful, as they provided quite a bit of information, so if you wander in here, you'll be able to find Raphael, looking over the shelves, trying to find something to explain his arrival here..and his severed connection to God.

Raphael wandered in here and, curious about the viewfinders, looked through one..only to feel a terrible, horrid pain and..sadness overwhelm him. Was the world over? If God had ordered the end of the world, that was fine..but he couldn't feel the connection to God or his other angels..he could only feel the loss of those connections, and..the pain of that loss. It was a new emotion, and not one that Raphael wanted to explore in-depth. He quickly looked away, trying to get control again, trying to calm down a little.

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Raphael was still trying to be calm when he heard and sensed Enoch approaching. It helped, knowing that Enoch had somehow been put into this place as well. It was one connection that he knew wasn't severed..even if that wasn't as important as the connection to God he had. However, even though he still felt the pain of the viewfinder and the fear-was this fear? It felt like something akin to it, as it had been described in Enoch's books, and Enoch himself had shown it-of being cut off from God, he tried to look calm, as to not put Enoch into a similar state.

"Enoch..it is good to see you. Tell me..what is this place? What has happened?"

Yes, the angel was questioning Enoch. But who else could he question when there was no connection to God, when Earth was probably destroyed?

It was a bit too late for that. Especially with a question like that. Enoch didn't know what to feel. Was he happy to see someone from home? Was he saddened by his inevitable torture here? There was a weight settling in his gut at the realization this meant Earth was certainly gone. Raphael hadn't been with him in Meridian, after all.

"This tower is called Animus. We're here because...something has destroyed our worlds."

Raphael nodded, taking in the name, and trying to make sense of the whole thing. If Enoch didn't know of what destroyed Earth..then who here did? He couldn't sense any of the other angels here..and his connection to God was just severed. He wasn't sure exactly what to do, but..he had to find out what had happened, since he couldn't remember. Enoch was a good start.

"That is what the note said..and I cannot sense God in this place. I cannot connect to him. Did He put us here? And if so..where are the other angels? I do not sense them either."

"He did not. We're here through the magic-...'psionics' of a boy named Zo. This place couldn't be farther from Him."

Enoch's fists clench and unclench, trembling. "I had hoped...that He had been able to save Earth."

Even though he was an Archangel, there were still terms that even Raphael didn't know. Psionics was one of those terms. Even though Lucifel traveled through time quite a bit, he had never told Raphael about such a term, assuming it existed there..or had. Raphael noticed Enoch clenching his fists, but didn't do anything just yet. He was still recovering from the viewfinder..and he didn't ever think he'd get used to the fact that his connection was severed.

"'Psionics'? And...if He did not put us here, then who managed to pull us here?"

It couldn't have been Belial or another creature of the Vileness..Raphael didn't sense that to be part of this place.

"Enoch..if God did not destroy Earth, than who did? And..how long have you been hoping for?"

Yes, Raphael is thinking about you a little bit, Enoch. After everything that happened in the Tower, he had realized that he hadn't lived up to his name or his task and knew that he had to get better, even if the workings of the human mind were almost foreign to him.

Edited 2013-01-12 05:39 (UTC)

To complicate matters, Enoch himself didn't know what it meant. It was just the word they used.

"It's the word the natives use for their powers here. As I said, it...was a boy named Zo. He also protects this tower. The one who leads the administrators here, Ruana, said it's a "power" of some kind."

It was "power", wasn't it? Yes, that's right. Right? He remembers using "pressure" before, but where had he heard that if not in Ruana's description of what destroys worlds? Without being able to go back and check those conversations like he can the other conversations they'd had with the administrators, he doesn't remember. He must make sure to transcribe conversations he sees next time.

"...Raphael, do you think God would destroy Earth if He allowed me to go on this mission to save it?" Enoch just shakes his head in response to the last part, his mind hitting the memory of Meridian, freezing in panic, and then skipping right on over it like a scratch on a DVD.

"If He couldn't save it...then..."

Was God all right? What did that "power" do to him? Raphael should have the answer to that question, if that feeling from the viewfinders is to be believed.

When Enoch described Zo, Raphael tried to find a boy like that with his senses..and found that he couldn't. He couldn't sense where Zo was, and if Enoch hadn't told him of the boy, he wouldn't have even known he existed.

"A power of some kind?"

That wasn't too descriptive, and even though Enoch probably didn't know much more than that, it was probably better to ask. However..Raphael paused for a moment at that question, puzzled.

"Enoch, there is an ending point for everything that exists..but you have completed your mission. Why do you still speak as though you haven't?"

Raphael knew you didn't have any powers over time, so you couldn't have gotten so confused as to muddle up points in history.

"If He couldn't save it, then it was part of His will. I know that concept must be hard to understand..and even painful. But as long as it is part of His will then it is fine."

Raphael was more worried about God at the moment, to be honest. The viewfinder was still working on him, and he had felt the pain of God, of Heaven and the other angels being..dead. Destroyed. Even though Raphael might have looked calm-or was trying to, at the very least-he was..frightened, worried..and shocked. Angels dying was odd..but he could handle the concept. God and Heaven dying and vanishing? That was impossible for him. That couldn't happen..so how? How could it have happened here?

Edited 2013-01-12 06:27 (UTC)

"She said it-..." but Raphael was still speaking. And the last sentence...no. God's will was still a will, and could a will contradict itself so?

Enoch shook his head. Whatever was sweeping across the worlds, draining all the life out of the very land...it could not be of God or His will. The thought of it made his stomach turn. "He wouldn't do such a thing. I'd think he might well fight..."

"If fighting would be a worse alternative, then He would not choose it. But.."

Raphael paused for a moment, trying to get the words out. There was no way anything could be more powerful than God, so that must have meant that he allowed Raphael and Enoch to come here..but since the connection here was severed..and God dead-which should have been impossible and it was something that Raphael wasn't sure how to handle. He was still in shock and pain over that, even if his face was trying to look calm-was that the truth? There was no way Raphael would have even had and uncertain thought before..but this place was just starting to create them, and they were just..wrong. They should not have been there. And yet, here they were, forming.

"Why were we pulled to this place?.."

"It was originally rescue. They could save people from the worlds before they died, since this place is outside of time as we know it. I've no doubt it was once benign. But this tower is a twisted place, and...so is its leader a twisted woman."

Enoch folded his arms, not sure how he could break the news of the experiments here to Raphael.

"Rescue..from what? And..how is this place outside of time?"

That concept alone sounded odd..and how could these people and the tower intervene in God's matters without God's approval? The answer was that He did approve..but how could He let Himself die and Heaven be destroyed? Nothing should be so dangerous that it could kill God..so how was this possible? How?!

That calm face was looking more and more worried with each passing minute.

"..How is this place and it's leader twisted?"

From the destruction of their worlds - but he'd said it before! This wasn't right, and the longer he watched Raphael's face, the more he realized it was because Raphael himself was still in shock from whatever he saw. Enoch approached and raised his hands, hesitating a moment before attempting to put them on Raphael's shoulders. He wasn't used to being able to touch the angel that traveled with him, so it was a little odd to try so deliberately on another.

"From the power that destroyed our worlds. It can take people from multiple times in the same world. It's why you remember the completion of my mission while I...I was in Armaros's level when I was first taken, though not to here."

For now, he avoids the second question, wanting Raphael to learn the basics without worrying about the worst of it. Not wanting Raphael to know the worst at all, but knowing it was better to explain to him now than to have him find out the hard way.

Raphael didn't shake Enoch off..but the physical touch did puzzle him a little bit. The two had not actually touched like this for awhile, but it wasn't unwelcome..even if whatever comfort it brought was small compared to everything else.

What power could have destroyed Heaven and killed God? That was supposed to be impossible..but here it was, even though it didn't make any sense at all.

"..What power is this then? What exists that could do this?"

..And then Raphael let the fact that this was an Enoch who had already been taken to some other place before being put here, an Enoch who hadn't jumped in to save Nanna and, as a consequence, had so much doubt and pain hit him in the face. He had clammed up during that time, as the fact that Enoch could be dealing with so much pain and doubt was foreign to him..but he had realized that he hadn't been living up to his name and role as an Archangel-to heal. He, of all of them, should have been able to sense that..and yet he didn't.

While Raphael knew that Enoch wouldn't know exactly why, he hugged the man. He had to make up for that time, for his shortcomings.

"..I am so sorry then. I didn't realize what you were going through when I should have been. You may not know why I am apologizing, but I still shall."

The question of what place he had been tossed into before and how could be dealt with later. Right now, this was more important.

Edited 2013-01-12 19:36 (UTC)

"I don't know. Ruana described as 'power', something that 'pushes'."

Like pressure, he was sure he'd heard that somewhere! Was that where he'd gotten the mistaken description or had she said it somewhere else?

But then Raphael was hugging him, and apologizing. It was unexpected enough to derail that train of thought. He...didn't know what he was going through? Was this about what Armaros had told him about what happened to him?

A bit awkwardly, he hugged the archangel in return. "Is this about Armaros falling to the mercy of a demon prince?"

Something that pushes..that wasn't too descriptive, and it didn't help explain why God was dead and how Heaven was destroyed. If Enoch didn't know more, then he would have to find a way to talk to Ruana..even if he couldn't sense where the woman was, for some reason. However, that could come later. Right now..something more important had to be dealt with.

Normally, Raphael wouldn't have hugged him at all, but he remembered that humans had done this to each other sometimes, and it seemed to calm them down when they were distressed. He had seen some of human behavior while he was with Enoch on his quest, and was hoping that this would help.

However..if this Enoch was from the past, then how did he know about Armaros's fate?

"..It is about the loneliness, pain, and doubt you went through. I should have noticed..and yet I did not. Forgive me. However..how do you know about that?"

"I didn't say anything about it. I didn't want Lucifel...or any of you...to doubt my ability to continue." His surprise certainly wasn't a complaint, at least. The contact was worth more than Enoch ever let on.

"...Before I came here, I was originally taken from Earth by a natural rift to a city called Meridian. Armaros was, as well, but...from after I completed my mission, like you. He told me that Belial had imprisoned him, but that I would save him."

His arms slipped from around the angel and he stepped back at least far enough to reach into his pocket and pull out a card in a protective clear plastic sleeve that read "My hero".

"...I couldn't save him from Meridian's destruction."

Raphael thought for a moment before replying. "I do not believe that any of us would have doubted you if you had spoken up. We are angels..but that does not mean we cannot make mistakes."

As Enoch explained what had happened to him, Raphael let go of him to better listen and understand. This cleared up some things, but it also raised further questions. Raphael read the card before looking back at Enoch, concerned.

"Enoch..I am sorry that you could not save Armaros from Meridian. It must have been a terrible loss..but..how were you pulled into Meridian? And how was it destroyed?"

At first, Enoch didn't seem to hear him, his eyes on the card. But after a moment, he heaved a weary sigh. "A natural 'rift', as Meridian's ruler called it. I suppose a rift between worlds. It was destroyed by whatever has been destroying the worlds...one of our hosts has said the force moves between linked worlds..."

Which made him the link from Meridian to Earth. They were right. It was because he was in Meridian...

"A 'rift'..I wonder what caused such a thing?"

Raphael asked the question, but he didn't expect an answer back-at least, not a good one. If Enoch had one, he would have given it awhile ago. However, Raphael didn't let the words miss him, or the long glance and sigh.

"The force moves between linked worlds..but you are not to blame for this, Enoch. Whatever exactly has happened, none of it is your fault."

"If Armaros and I hadn't been in Meridian, Earth wouldn't have been in danger from this force at all."

Enoch looked up at Raphael. "And you wouldn't be here..." He wasn't sure what he'd seen through that viewfinder, but whatever it was unnerved him, that much he knew. It shouldn't have happened.

But if he and Armaros had never been in Meridian...they wouldn't have...oh, he didn't know what to think.

"But it was not your own choice. You did not willingly get pulled to Meridian and nor were you able to find a way back. Whatever..has happened to Earth, God, and Heaven is not your fault."

Raphael put a hand on Enoch's shoulder, trying to help both Enoch..and himself, to be honest. The fact that God was dead and Heaven was destroyed..it was almost unbelievable..but if it had happened like this..then there was only one thing he could keep doing to serve the Lord, even if he..might have been dead..and that was to obey his name.

"So do not blame yourself. I believe that, thanks to your meeting in Meridian, you were able to keep being friends for awhile longer..and I can help you here."

"We were." It was barely a whisper. He raised a hand to cover Raphael's reassuringly, the card held loosely in the other. They were both grieving, and for losses that should never have happened.

"Then..despite everything..some good has come of this..even if we have lost everything.."

Raphael didn't think he would ever get over the fact that the viewfinder had planted in his head or forget the pain, sorrow, and loss it had caused..but all he could do now was help Enoch and others. Live up to his name..even if Heaven was destroyed and God dead, but some odd happenstance.

Enoch recalled that moment on that frightful search for the elusive prize pods, fighting for a mere meal...that moment when he'd heard a phantom call to him in Raphael's voice - though he'd heard Lucifel and Armaros more than he'd ever heard anyone else. But now one more of those phantom voices was here, truly here.

"...I'm glad to see you, Raphael."

Everything else hurt. They'd...they'd lost everything. It was just like Raphael said. Unless Dax or Zo managed to come up with something. If Zo could attempt to bring a large number of people here at once, then surely...it was possible, wasn't it? To rescue more than one person from a world...

Raphael didn't know enough about the situation in the Tower yet to even hope for Zo to be able to do anything, and he didn't even know about Dax yet. For him, there was no hope of returning, no hope of things going back to the way they were.

However..he did grow a little calmer at those words. Or at least looked a little calmer.

"It is nice to have a familiar face in a place like this.."

Raphael may have been a healer..but he was also good with information. Even though it was pointless now and pretty much futile in his mind, it was hard to change ones way of life-impossible for him.

"..What else do you know about this place?"

Floor 5

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Said I'd go to bed but the spyware scan isn't done yet. ^^;

Ah, that's alright! Hopefully it'll get done soon so that you cna get some rest! ^^

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