(no subject)

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

Time: April 27, the evening
Place: Library
Status: Public
Summary: Rose needs to return a certan book

Rose held the book in one hand, her fingers covering the teeth marks. Really, she didn't need a guest passing her noticing the marks and asking about them. It would be hard enough to explain things to Gabriel, the librarian.

Especially as I can't say 'sorry, I transformed and then the wind blew the book from the branch I had placed it on and I had to catch it and well...'.

The piece of red feather was still in her hair above her right ear. She didn't need a bookmark at the moment as she was done with this book and seriously doubted the librarian would ever hand her a book again, but she wanted to keep the beautiful feather.

Far too soon for Rose's liking she reached the library door. She inhaled deeply, knocked on the door and entered, her body language nearly as telling as if she had walked in as Cloud with drooping ears and her tail between her legs...

Comments

[cattygabriel]

Gabriel was seated at his desk, fingers absentmindedly tapping out a staccato rhythm against the wood as he tried to focus on Victorian Demonology. His thoughts kept turning to his brother, though; he wanted to return to Room 110 to check on Raphael, but he had a job.

He looked up at Rose's entrance. "Good evening, Rose." He tilted his head curiously at her posture. "Are you alright? Is something wrong?"

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

Rose couldn't help swallowing once before she held the book out to Gabriel with a trembling hand. He was much, much stronger than herself after all, and if he got the wrong idea... Or the right one, depending on who you ask...

"I... I'm through with the book. But there was an accident and now it's damaged. I'll pay for the repair, just tell me how much it'll be and I'll pay it as soon as I have that much."

She knew she was babbling but she couldn't help it.

[cattygabriel]

"Calm down," Gabriel smiled, taking the book curiously. "You can't have ripped it apart - oh my. Did you get into a fight with a dog?" He grinned at her, then frowned, looking at her closely; he had thought the red thing in her hair had been a bow of some sort, but it was clearly a feather from Raphael's wings. He'd have known that colour anywhere.

"Where did you get that feather?" he asked quietly.

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

Calming down was easier said than done when you weren't sure how a very powerful being would react next. Thankfully the librarian thought of an explanation himself and before Rose could think of a wording that wouldn't be too much of a lie - this angel was a nice guy after all - he'd already found something else to concentrate on.

Not that that would have made Rose any more comfortable. She hadn't even thought about how the angels might react to her having the feather of an angel. Could it be forbidden?

"Um... I was there this morning when the injured angel arrived. We got him to room 110 and when the others didn't need me anymore I started to clean up the blood and the bits of feather he'd left everywhere. I dumped all of those bits in the trash can save for this one. The colour's just so beautiful and I'm using the feather as a bookmark now."

Rose now wondered if maybe she shouldn't have just deposited the bits of feathers in the trash can. Maybe that was considered rude, those beings being angels and all...

[cattygabriel]

Gabriel winced. "Blood and bits of feather? Just how bad was his condition?"

She had simply tossed the feathers in the trash? Still, it sounded like they hadn't been in good condition; on the other hand, Raphael was already weakened because a demon had taken advantage of him.

He studied her face for a moment. "Our feathers are... well, it's not like, say, a strand of hair for humans. Sometimes residual powers still linger in them, and they can be traced back to the individual angel. You should probably ask Raphael if he minds you keeping it. Meanwhile, would you mind if I bless it? I don't want it to fall into the wrong hands and be used to harm him; my power should mask his. I promise you, it won't do any harm."

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

"Very bad. He lost a lot of blood and the others didn't seem to be sure he'd survive. And he didn't seem that coherent to me, always worried more about his bunny than about himself."

Rose unconsciously rubbed her forearms where said bunny had left bloody scratches this morning, trying to escape the werewolf. The scratches were healing nicely but sometimes they itched a bit.

"And I'm sorry, I didn't know that."

She took the feather out of her hair and held it out to Gabriel.

"I'll go see him when he's had some time to recover. And I don't want him to be harmed, so please, do whatever you have to do to it."

Then she thought of something else.

"What about those bits of feathers? Should I show you which trash can I put them in?"

[cattygabriel]

"That sounds like Raphael." He gave her a wry grin, taking the feather and concentrating on it. It glowed blue-white for a moment before he handed it back to Rose, satisfied that his power masked any lingering traces of Raphael's aura. With Beelzebub around, he wasn't taking chances.

What could he do about a rubbish bin full of bits of Raphael's feathers, though? Bless them all?

"Yes, please."

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

Rose took the feather and put it back in her hair. She shook her head once to make sure the feather wouldn't simply drop down and then smiled at Gabriel.

"Thank you. Do you have time right now for me to show you the trash can or would you prefer me to come by again later?"

[cattygabriel]

"I think I have time now," Gabriel left the book on the desk and moved towards the door, holding it open for her. "I apologise for the bother, but you saw Raphael when he arrived; he's stil not very strong and I don't dare run the risk of any demon taking advantage."

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

"I don't mind, really."

Rose walked out the door, waiting for Gabriel to follow, before she made her way to the stairs, to lead him downstairs and out towards the trash cans.

"I hope he'll get better soon. But wouldn't Adam protect him if he were attacked here?"

[cattygabriel]

"I think so," Gabriel said, following her. "Michael and I certainly would. But that's if it's a direct attack; I'm worried that a powerful demon could find his feather and somehow use it to harm or weaken him. And even if we were able to be next to Raphael at all times, I doubt he'd allow it."

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

"I'm sorry. I didn't know leaving the feathers around could endanger him. I would have gone fetch you or Michael if I'd known."

Rose really hadn't wanted to endanger the red-haired angel. He hadn't harmed her and she wished him well.

"Why wouldn't he want you there with him? Aren't you his p... family? And shouldn't family be where you go when you're in need of help?"

Unless you're too proud or want to proove something.

She hoped Gabriel hadn't noticed her slight stumble with the words. She'd very nearly said 'pack', probably because she missed her own so much.

[cattygabriel]

"It's alright," Gabriel smiled, lifting the lid of a trash can and making a face at the smell. He had good senses, after all.

"He is like a brother, yes, and he knows we'll help him. It's just that everyone needs a few moments to themself every now and then, no matter how close you are to someone."

He glanced at her curiously. She'd nearly said something else before catching herself and saying 'family', and family seemed to be important to her.

it got a bit squashed

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

"Well, I was in the woods, reading. I like being outside and I just went looking for a nice, quiet, shaded place. So it didn't happen very close to the manor. So your cats stray far?"

Rose knew never to attack cats. Most cats were someone's pet. She preferred hunting rabbits. She would have to be careful baout that now, though, as Raphael had a bunny.

[cattygabriel]

"Earl Grey doesn't, but Ta-Miu might. She can usually take care of herself, but judging by the bite radius I'd say it's quite a large dog." Gabriel bit his lip worriedly.

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

"It is, but I think your cat could always climb up a tree to get away."

Rose would have liked to ease Gabriel's worries, but she just couldn't betray her people's secret.

[cattygabriel]

Gabriel laughed. "I did find her in a tree. She was wet and shivering, the poor thing."

She did seem to be hiding something...

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

"That sounds as if climbing down again might be a problem..."

Rose knew that Gabriel would probably still worry. Internally she sighed. Why did it have to be so complicated?

[cattygabriel]

"She was scared," Gabriel shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "I can only hope the stray is adopted by someone."

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

Rose nearly choked on her on saliva as she heard Gabriel muse about someone adopting the 'stray'. What if someone really tried to do so? Would anyone be mad enough to try to adopt such a large 'dog'?

I wouldn't put it past one of the angels...

She'd have to be very careful when she next roamed the woods in fur form.

[cattygabriel]

Gabriel stopped and turned to face her, concerned. "Are you sure you're alright?"

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

"Yes, yes I'm alright."

Rose smiled at Gabriel.

"I didn't even think about the possibility that someone would adopt such a large stray. I mean, don't most people want cute little dogs?"

[cattygabriel]

Gabriel shrugged. "I think large dogs would be better, personally, but I'm more of a cat person anyway. How large was it?"

[roseheerkens.livejournal.com]

"Well, shoulder height like this I'd say."

Rose indicated Cloud's shoulder height with her hand. She couldn't tell Gabriel about the truth behind that 'stray' but she didn't want to lie about its size as well. Besides, she couldn't make the 'stray' too small because the angel had seen the teeth marks.

[cattygabriel]

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "He could be dangerous; that almost sounds like a wolf, but I thought they were far from common here. I'll keep an eye out, he could be rabid."