dreary days /melisande

[JEDIAH]

i wear this crown of thorns; upon my liar's chair
FULL OF BROKEN THOUGHTS; I CANNOT REPAIR

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight. Rising up to the challenge of our rival; And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night. And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger. The ear buds hung snugly in his ears. He didn't really understand this century's music, most of what Sebastian had loaned Jediah was loud and sometimes not quite discernible. He found himself questioning lyrics most of the time and wondering why people sang about butts so often. The music was blaring into his ears but he didn't seem too bothered by the noise, in fact he rather enjoyed it. He didn't have to listen to the students who were rushing past him to get to their classes. And he didn't have to hear the scraping sound the broom made on the tile floor as he swept.

He did not lead a glamorous life, but he had been through worse. At one point he had been a Prince of his people, they had looked up to him as a leader and followed him where ever he led them. And that all changed as he went through the centuries without aging. He became a slave, forced to fight for kings and Gods he didn't believe in. Lived in squalor and was homeless for a very long time. But even if he didn't eat or drink, he couldn't die. And so he endured, he learned to live as a peasant, and eventually he grew his fortune to become a king again. And then he was recruited to Heaven and lost it all over again.

Being back on Earth was an adjustment for Jediah, and he was slow on the pick up. He still had his fortune, he could easily live the lavish life of a common day socialite if he wanted. But he wanted to be close to her, and to do that he had to work at the school. And since he didn't have degrees in anything, except for his first hand knowledge of history, he couldn't do much more than be a janitor. No, Jediah did not lead a glamorous life, but he lead the life he could manage right now.

Currently most of his funds went to Makyah and Sebastian so they could afford to live in Brookings, away from their absentee parents and in a place where Jed felt they were safe. At least with him there, they were. He got side-tracked by the music, accidentally sloshing a large amount of water out of the bucket and onto a young girl who was walking by. "Oh, sorry about that!" He ripped one of the ear buds out to apologize and forced himself not to roll his eyes. Like most of the young girls at the school she simply stared at him, too scared to speak anything and then she just slowly inched her way around him, not even breathing as she did so. "Sorry..." He tried again, but the girl squeaked and fled in the opposite direction, nearly tripping with her wet sandals as she did so.

He realized he wasn't terrible looking, but the reaction from most of the girls was starting to get awkward. He wondered which scared them more, his looks or his stature. Both were formidable, but he was more of a butterfly than he was a bear. Granted, when the time called for it, he could rip a man to shreds without much effort. With a sigh he turned back to his bucket and mop, taking the other ear bud out so he'd be able to hear when someone approached him and began his daily chore of cleaning the lobby floor.

Jediah did not lead a glamorous life.

beneath the stains of time; the feelings disappear
YOU ARE SOMEONE ELSE; I AM STILL RIGHT HERE

TAG @open WORDS 626

[MELISANDÉ]

[Googlefont="Seaweed Script"]

battle born, love torn

He was here, she could feel it. It was in her bones, in her heart and soul. It was in the way she carried her invisible wings on her back, trying to be the warrior she was day to day when all she wanted to do was run to him, reveal her feelings…but she knew he wouldn’t remember her. He wouldn’t remember anything of their deal, of her lifting his curse to free him, the wars they’d fought together and the friendship that had blossomed between them.

And the love she had hidden up until he Fell.

“All right class, I shall see you all on Monday,” she said to her classroom as the students packed up and headed out. She shifted in her heels, which were a bit more glamourous than the Academy allowed but she didn’t care. She wore a black pencil skirt that ended at her knees and hugged her lithe figure, a silk green blouse tucked into the skirt with her golden red hair flowing down to stop above the curve of her butt. Emeralds winked in her ears and all she wore around her neck was a beautiful locket that glittered with all the colors of the rainbow.

Picking up her papers, she made her way out into the hallway and spotted him apologizing to a student. Jediah. His tall frame made butterflies flutter in her stomach, his long hair and blue eyes making her heart race. She was a warrior of God; she did not swoon like a damsel! Even if her secret desire was to be dominated by a lover who saw beyond her looks, to the heart within, and loved her anyway. Heels clicking as she approached him, she watched the young girl run away in fright.

“I apologize for her, she should have apologized for startling you like that,” she said a bit softly, her husky voice echoing in the empty hallway. She gave him a small smile. “I’ve seen you around before, you must be Jediah. I’m Melisandé Sabriel,” she said as she offered her hand. “The staff calls me Mercy. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Her smile grew wider as she saw his full face; no matter that he was an angel, mortality suited him well. It gave him a glow in the skin that enhanced his natural handsomeness, made him even more beautiful in her eyes. It also made her heart hurt more, to know that he didn’t recognize her, didn’t even love her.

This may be harder than she thought.

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JEDIAH

429 words

redd of adoxography

[JEDIAH]

i wear this crown of thorns; upon my liar's chair
FULL OF BROKEN THOUGHTS; I CANNOT REPAIR

At first it didn't register that someone was talking to him. Though he was stared at by most people, not many actually approached him or tried to speak to him. He sometimes wondered if people were scared or if they didn't care for him because he had one of the lowest jobs at the school. He had thought for a brief moment to try teaching, but he wouldn't have been very good at it. Staring out at a sea of kids terrified him more than when he stared out over a battlefield. At least on the field he was more in control.

He glanced up at the person who had approached him, the first thing he noticed was her flash of red hair. For a moment he stood paralyzed, something was digging at the back of his mind but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. Jed set his broom down, his hands suddenly clammy with sweat as he continued to stare at her. There was something so familiar and yet, he couldn't place it.

"To be fair, I did soak her feet in dirty water." Jed realized he'd been staring for far too long and quickly averted his eyes to the floor. Which didn't help much as he skimmed her body on the way down and found himself groaning inwardly. There was no mistaking she was a beautiful woman. He cleared his throat, a hand raising to the back of his head to rub at the long blonde strands that hung loose from his pony tail. He hadn't bothered to re-tie his hair and now felt rather embarrassed about his appearance.

He didn't usually feel this way.

Her name sounded familiar as well, as though he had read it in a book a long time ago but couldn't remember which book it was. He offered her a smile, he wasn't surprised she knew her name. There were a few female teachers who gossiped about him behind his back. He was used to the attention, used to people knowing who he was. He was not used to being in dirty overalls when he spoke to people though. That thought made Jed feel uncomfortable and he shifted his weight from foot to foot as he pressed his hands down the length of his pants.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Sabriel. I haven't seen you around before." Jed couldn't remember much these days, but he definitely would have remembered her walking around here. "Oh, am I in your way?" He scooted the bucket of water behind him with his foot, a flush on his face as he tried to keep himself composed in her presence.

There weren't many people who could make him feel anything. Mak still held the same love and respect he always had for her, but never in his centuries of life had he felt anything beyond lust for another person. However, this woman here, caused him to feel flustered and confused. He felt like he knew her and yet, he'd never seen her before in his life.

beneath the stains of time; the feelings disappear
YOU ARE SOMEONE ELSE; I AM STILL RIGHT HERE

TAG MELISANDÉ WORDS 511

[MELISANDÉ]

[Googlefont="Seaweed Script"]

battle born, love torn

His eyes on her hair reminded her of the first time they had ever met, when she had taken him from that field of poppies to save his soul and lift the curse off him. He’d been starstruck by the angelglow that all angels had whenever they visited mortals, and when he’d gotten his wings and saw past her glamor, he’d had the same look, as if her hair color was the only one of its kind that he’d ever seen.

In a way, her hair was that unique.

“She was wearing tennis shoes, I think she’ll be okay,” Mercy said with a soft chuckle at his flustered face. His blonde hair fell into his handsome face and she fought every instinct she had to not tuck his hair back behind his ear, as she had often done when they were together in heaven. His smile warmed her even if she knew it wasn’t completely comfortable; in fact, he seemed very uncomfortable being in her presence. Was it her? The clothes she wore?

“I’m a bit new, that’s perhaps why,” she said with a gentle smile, her eyes almost glowing with her desire to heal his discomfort, to soothe his frayed nerves; she could feel them like the cut edges of steel wire. The bucket being pushed behind him made her giggle again. “You are perfectly fine, Jed. It wasn’t in my way, I was just walking down the hall to say hello to you,” she continued, laying a hand on his shoulder, unconsciously sending a healing pulse of empathic energy through his body.

“In fact, I may have a favor to ask of you,” she said as an idea dawned on her at the last moment. “My class is a bit of a mess right now and I could use some assistance cleaning it up. I’m a little too small to do it myself.” Liar, she was five foot nine; right above the average height of a fully grown woman, but she felt small compared to Jed and it made her feel that melting warmth in the pit of her belly again. “Would you be able to help me?”

Without waiting for his answer, she turned and began walking back to the classroom, her lithe and curvy body moving in a very feline manner that was actually quite characteristic of the flame-haired angel. Her back ached from her wings being folded for far too long and she wished to stretch them out. Tilting her head to the side, her neck revealed, she rubbed a surprisingly dainty hand over the freckled cream of her skin, wanting to ease the ache.

Hope you like this!

JEDIAH

446 words

redd of adoxography

[JEDIAH]

i wear this crown of thorns; upon my liar's chair
FULL OF BROKEN THOUGHTS; I CANNOT REPAIR

Something akin to fire seemed to pulse through him when Mercy touched his shoulder. He couldn't quite place the feelings it gave him but it was something he wasn't used to. Jed stared down at Mercy, possibly for too long as he tried to sort out why her touching him could cause him so much confusion. His eyes went back to her fiery red hair and he fought the urge to reach out and pet it, it looked soft and welcome to him, though he had only just met her he was having feelings that usually only Makyah could invoke in him.

"O-Oh, sure." He had barely registered her request, his eyes leaving her hair finally for the first time as he responded to her. He quirked an eye brow at her claim of being too small to clean something. She was just a few inches shorter than him and she was in heels. All in all she was probably nearing six feet normally and there wasn't much in the school that needed cleaning that was much higher than that. He couldn't help but offer a smile at the thoughts. He watched her start to walk away, his eyes trailing down her body before he averted his eyes in embarrassment. This wasn't how he usually acted around people.

"Give me one second." He called out to her, refusing to look at her again before he was in the classroom with her. He set the mop on the floor to soak up the puddle that had gathered under his bucket. Once it was cleaned up he set out a Caution: Wet Floor sign and moved his bucket and mop to the side of the hall. He cleaned up his hands on a rag that hung from his pocket and then took a deep breath. Mentally chastising himself for acting so strangely in front of Mercy and for getting himself worked up over someone he barely even knew.

Crossing the hall in only a few footsteps he entered the classroom behind Mercy and stood in the door way. It looked like all the others, the desks and chairs in the center of the room and her desk near the front. There were a few windows that let in light and he noticed that the walls were cluttered in different posters.

"What is it you teach, Miss Sabriel?" Jed moved a hand to the back of his head, tugging at his ponytail for a moment before shoving both hands into his pockets. He had always been interested in learning, but had never had the chance to learn anything aside from his first hand experience with war and politics.

beneath the stains of time; the feelings disappear
YOU ARE SOMEONE ELSE; I AM STILL RIGHT HERE

TAG MELISANDÉ WORDS 445

[MELISANDÉ]

[Googlefont="Seaweed Script"]

battle born, love torn

Mercy could see the gears turning in his head, almost like he was trying to remember her. It was a good start, or a good push towards recovering his memories, but Mercy didn’t know what would be the catalyst for his memories to come back, if they ever did. However, the fact that he was giving an indication of remembering was a good start and it lifted Mercy’s soul.

She could feel his eyes on her body as she had walked away and it made her giggle faintly. She knew Jed couldn’t resist a beautiful woman; he was very much the Viking warrior in that regard, and she knew he always preferred women with red or reddish hair. It made her finger her own silky strands, truly feeling blessed for the first time for her distinctive hair. Her neck ache eased for the moment, she turned to face him as he entered the classroom to see it for the first time.

“I teach astronomy and astrology,” she told him as she walked into her room and gestured to the ceiling, where the expense was a dark blue sparkling with glitter stars that made up the constellations that she’d “painted” with her magic. “I teach how the planets and the stars and the galaxies were born, and how they correlate with certain events or affairs of the human or natural world.”

Her voice transformed as she spoke, becoming softer and fonder with a smile on her face. She loved being a mentor, loved teaching whether it be children or soldiers or angels of God preparing for war. It was what she was born to do; she was a scholar at heart, marked by her wings, and it was her destiny to share her knowledge and have it move outward in a ripple effect through culture and time. “I was living in a big city before finding this job position open and I knew I had to move here.”

“What about you, Jediah?” She asked, looking at him curiously even though she already knew the answer. It hurt that they had to play this out, like they were truly meeting for the first time as she went around the classroom to pick up loose papers. “How did you end up in Brookings?”

Hope you like this!

JEDIAH

385 words

redd of adoxography

[JEDIAH]

i wear this crown of thorns; upon my liar's chair
FULL OF BROKEN THOUGHTS; I CANNOT REPAIR

Jed stared up at the ceiling. Even before he ascended he had always enjoyed gazing up at the stars and trying to figure out the constellations. When he was child his father had pointed out many to him, they had spent countless hours lying on their backs in fields and staring at the stars and clouds above them. Back then they could see everything so clearly. There wasn’t a multitude of florescent lights to obscure the vision of those trying to see the stars. Even in empty fields it was hard to see the stars and planets clearly. It made Jediah long for his younger days, before the curse, before Makyah and before he had lost everything that made him who he was.

The warrior in him cried out in anguish. There were many things that Jed wished he could go back and change. Never meeting Makyah would be the very top of that list. Had they never planned to marry, she would not have died and he would not have been cursed. He would have lived out his life a true Viking and died in battle. But instead he was left to live forever and be tortured by a God whose religion didn’t even exist anymore. Jediah let out a frustrated sigh, his eyes still locked on the ceiling above him. He had listened to every word Mercy said and was entranced by her voice. It was unlike anything he’d ever heard before and yet, he seemed to recognize it.

Finally he let his eyes glance down from the ceiling and they fell upon her frame. She was turned away from him. Her fiery red hair enveloping her in a glow he couldn’t quite describe. He felt himself smile, as though he was seeing an old friend for the first time in ages. “I clean and fix things.” He chuckled, suddenly feeling ashamed of his work and his clothes. He could afford to dress sharper, could afford a lot of things, but being in maintenance gave him a chance to see Mak every once in a while. It had never bothered him before, but around Mercy he felt the need to appear… Nicer.

Jed rolled his eyes at his thoughts, letting out another sigh as he tugged at his hair again. He was a Viking, they didn’t care about appearances, they cared about blood and battle and being the best warrior they could be. He stepped into the room and stopped besides one of the wooden desk, his fingers grazed the top of it lightly before he returned his attention back to her. “I, uh, happened upon this place while traveling. Seemed like a nice place to settle down. Job pays well.” He could feel himself blushing and he hated himself for it. “I guess it’s not a terribly interesting story. I’m pretty bland.” Jed chuckled and walked the length of the room, reaching the front where her desk and board were located.

“So what did you need me to clean, exactly?” He glanced around the room and didn’t notice anything out of place.

beneath the stains of time; the feelings disappear
YOU ARE SOMEONE ELSE; I AM STILL RIGHT HERE

TAG MELISANDÉ WORDS 523

[MELISANDÉ]

[Googlefont="Seaweed Script"]

battle born, love torn

The first thing that came through her empathy was his anguish. His regret of meeting Makyah, of the life choices he had made in his human years and his immortal ones, his feelings devoid of the time when he’d been an angel beside her. Next came the shame of his clothing and position at the school and how he felt being in her presence with it all.

Mercy knew his excuse was false. He’d come here to be with one of the gifted students, the reincarnation of his beloved Makyah. It was a sharp stabbing sensation that echoed in her chest and her gut to know that some mortal held such a sway over him that she couldn’t possibly achieve. She stopped at the last desk and glanced out the window as he spoke, feeling so lost and truly alone for the first time that it scared her.

And nothing scared Mercy.

“Just general cleaning I guess,” she said softly as she went to the window and opened it, the fresh breeze trailing inside to caress her cheeks and blow her hair back away from her face. “I truly brought you here because I wanted to talk to you,” she kept saying, the wind dancing around her as the forces of the wind responded to her aching hurt. “You just seemed so lost and alone.”

That last part was lost in the wind as it picked up slightly, blowing the papers magically back to her desk as she lost the control of her glamour and closed her eyes against the bright silver light that surrounded her. She knew that he would be able to see her wings, truly outstretched and visible, the blues and silvers echoing the ceiling. She knew he would see her white dress and golden boots, the shoulder guard and the various pieces of angelic jewelry she wore down her arms. Mercy knew he would see the refined, sharper planes of her angelic face and the fiery sunset of her hair, even more brighter and vibrant in its divine glory.

Once the wind died down, she turned to face him slowly, the emerald color of her eyes sharper and clearer than before. “Hello, Jediah,” Mercy spoke softly, but her voice echoed musically in the room with her angelic power as she stood before him.

Hope you like this!

JEDIAH

446 words

redd of adoxography

[JEDIAH]

i wear this crown of thorns; upon my liar's chair
FULL OF BROKEN THOUGHTS; I CANNOT REPAIR

Jediah flushed as she spoke, his hand going up to tug at his hair again as his eyes averted to different corners of the room. He had never really given any thought to how he appeared to most people who walked by him every day. He had thought he was more of a lumbering oaf since girls ran from him in terror and boys usually kicked his buckets of water and pulled at his overall straps. Though he was large and built he didn't try to look intimidated, but he also didn't think he looked as depressed as she seemed to think. His eyes caught a poster near the wall beside him, it featured a cat hanging from a tree branch with the words: "Hang In There" printed on it. He felt himself start to roll his eyes before he stopped.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught it. A bright light that he had witnessed once before in his life. His skin grew cold and he could hear his heart beating in his ears as he watched Mercy change from the teacher he just met into something completely different. He stood there, by her desk, his hands hanging loosely at his sides and his mouth hanging open in shock and confusion. He couldn't do much but just stare at her, taking in her attire and her wings.

A pang of jealousy and rage whipped through him and before he could control himself he lashed out at her. "You! What are you doing here!?" His face twisted into a scowl and his breathing came in quick, short gasps. Was he having a panic attack? Was he dying finally? Was he finally going to be rid of this damned curse and everything that went with it? "I-I can't even..." He closed his eyes, his fisted hands clenching and unclenching a few times as he slowed his breathing. He needed to calm himself before he did something he'd regret. Like punch an Angel.

When he opened his eyes again she was still there, but his rage was gone. Jed simply stared at her, his eyes filled with hatred which slowly turned to sadness. Her hair was a fire against the window, her piercing green eyes staring straight at him but all he could focus on were the wings that clung to her back. Jed was transfixed by the colors and the softness that he knew was there. In all his time back on Earth the only thing he missed about Heaven were his wings. They had been a symbol of his freedom from the curse, his freedom from the emotions that raged within him. Then Jed had lost them the moment he took his first step as a Fallen. And as the feathers fell from his back and turned to ash he cursed Heaven and he cursed God. He had never looked back, he had never opened his mind back to the Angels or to God, and that had caused him to lose his memories of everything he'd done and seen in Heaven.

"Who are you?" His voice was calmer now, firmer than he intended but he wasn't really asking for a response, he demanded one. Had he known her in Heaven? Had they been friends or enemies? Was she here to kill him? So many thoughts and questions rushed through his mind that he could feel a headache coming on. He went back to focusing on his breathing again. His eyes drifting from her wings back to her face, the urge to slap her wavering in the back of his mind.

beneath the stains of time; the feelings disappear
YOU ARE SOMEONE ELSE; I AM STILL RIGHT HERE

TAG MELISANDÉ WORDS 602

[MELISANDÉ]

T here. She’d finally done it. She had released her glamor so that he could see what she truly was. Part of her hoped that he’d be able to see past the glamor, past the divine presence that was her entire existence, and see her again…Mercy, his best friend, his sister in arms, the person who’d given him his wings and taken away his pain. Oh, how wrong she’d been. The force of his rage was enough to make her take a step back. She’d never been on the receiving end of it before, but she’d seen it. In his mortal life, as he’d fought his way against a god and countless other foolish mortals to get back to the woman he loved. She watched him with concern and sinking desperation as he clenched his fists and monitored his breathing. When his eyes opened, she felt her heart shatter into a thousand glittering pieces. He hated her. She could see it in his eyes, feel it in his soul. Her empathy never lied to her, never once shielded her from the truth in another’s heart. The hatred morphed into sadness but it stayed with her, making her heart close in on itself. She thought she’d come back, open his mind and help him regain his memories and possibly reunite him with Makyah, and now all she wanted to do was cry and go back to heaven. Wanted to forget she’d ever helped Jediah, taken his pain, fallen in love with him. She wanted to forget everything. “My name is Melisandé,” she said quietly, her voice devoid of emotion or inflection. “A daughter of God, as you were. I am a member of the Cadre, the inner Council of the Angels comprised mainly of archangels. I came to monitor the situation here on Earth with the demons and the Hunters confronting those who are Gifted.” Her eyes left his face to look outside, but not before tears had begun to gather in them. “I am also the one who took away your pain, your darkness. I am the one who gave you your wings,” she continued. “We fought side by side for centuries. Became best friends. Taught each other how to live and fight and become the best we could be. Then you Fell to be with Makyah, left behind the gift I’d given you…for her.” Her voice would have become bitter at the end, but it was calm…almost too calm even for her. She was tired; tired of the fighting, of the wrestling with her emotions, of putting her hope and faith in him and being let down again and again because of his love of Makyah. She lifted her gaze to look at him, the piercing emerald pools lacking emotion. “You could say I’m your guardian angel, but I know how you feel about Angels and Heaven, Jediah. You cannot stand me being here. I can feel it and Angels, Fallen or otherwise, cannot lie.” 546 words JEDIAH notes

♛