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Alright. So I borrowed a prompt list, because it caught my eye. I'm still up in the air about actually taking on the challenge, because I'm so bad at those things it's not even funny, but I did the first five drabbles off the list anyway. Just to see. Slightly out of order, too.
Um. Tell me if you think I should sign up for the full challenge, and try the full thirty?
Title(s): Tell, Inhale, Lurk, Scrub, Regret
Ratings: Nothing above PG-13, I think. 'Scrub' might be a little risque
Fandoms: Supernatural/Norse Myth
Continuity: In my head, these are more or less prequels to Weregild and Running Games
Characters/Pairings: Gabriel, Loki, Hel, Fenris, Jormungandr. Gabriel/Loki
Summary: Gabriel from immediately on leaving Heaven through the early years as a Trickster and part of Loki's family
Wordcount: 1073 for the five
Disclaimer: Not mine
Um. Tell me if you think I should sign up for the full challenge, and try the full thirty?
Title(s): Tell, Inhale, Lurk, Scrub, Regret
Ratings: Nothing above PG-13, I think. 'Scrub' might be a little risque
Fandoms: Supernatural/Norse Myth
Continuity: In my head, these are more or less prequels to Weregild and Running Games
Characters/Pairings: Gabriel, Loki, Hel, Fenris, Jormungandr. Gabriel/Loki
Summary: Gabriel from immediately on leaving Heaven through the early years as a Trickster and part of Loki's family
Wordcount: 1073 for the five
Disclaimer: Not mine
Tell (Gabriel, gen - 257 words)
Sometimes Gabriel wondered why no-one ever believed him when he told them things. Even as the Messenger for the Almighty Himself, even carrying the words from on high ... did anyone ever take him at face value? Anyone at all? Nope. Not a one.
That idiot Zacharias? Nope. Wouldn't have it. Angel or no angel, God or no God, he wasn't going to believe what he was told until someone gave him a manual detailing how. Preferably with numbered diagrams. Gabriel had rather enjoyed shutting that prophet up until he could listen to someone else for a change.
Mary? Nope. Though Gabriel did admit that in her case it had been somewhat more warranted. And diagrams might actually have been helpful. Thankfully, though, she'd gathered up some faith before he'd actually had to give them to her, a fact for which he would be eternally grateful.
And how many more besides? And those had been while he carried some seriously authority. If no-one listened to him then, he supposed he shouldn't be all that surprised that no-one listened to him on his own merits either. Michael? Raphael? The garrisons? Anyone? No.
When it came down to it, Gabriel had the utmost pity for the boy who cried wolf. He really did. And he hoped that someday, once they realised his wolf was real, and always had been ... they'd at least remember that he warned them. That he told them.
He was the Messenger. What he told always came to pass. Whether he wanted it to or not.
Sometimes Gabriel wondered why no-one ever believed him when he told them things. Even as the Messenger for the Almighty Himself, even carrying the words from on high ... did anyone ever take him at face value? Anyone at all? Nope. Not a one.
That idiot Zacharias? Nope. Wouldn't have it. Angel or no angel, God or no God, he wasn't going to believe what he was told until someone gave him a manual detailing how. Preferably with numbered diagrams. Gabriel had rather enjoyed shutting that prophet up until he could listen to someone else for a change.
Mary? Nope. Though Gabriel did admit that in her case it had been somewhat more warranted. And diagrams might actually have been helpful. Thankfully, though, she'd gathered up some faith before he'd actually had to give them to her, a fact for which he would be eternally grateful.
And how many more besides? And those had been while he carried some seriously authority. If no-one listened to him then, he supposed he shouldn't be all that surprised that no-one listened to him on his own merits either. Michael? Raphael? The garrisons? Anyone? No.
When it came down to it, Gabriel had the utmost pity for the boy who cried wolf. He really did. And he hoped that someday, once they realised his wolf was real, and always had been ... they'd at least remember that he warned them. That he told them.
He was the Messenger. What he told always came to pass. Whether he wanted it to or not.
Inhale (Gabriel/Loki - 177 words)
The first breath he takes is strange.
The first breath in his new life, new body, new world. The first breath of a physical creature, a creature of earth and water and blood. Of fire, too, and power, but those are familiar, those are easy. It's the earth, the muscle, the pull and stretch, the rush of air. His first breath as a pagan, an earthly thing. Tasting of air and water, iron and ice, the burn of poison and the sweetness of free air. Imprisonment and hope. His first breath, strange, dizzying, rich and dazzling.
There is a god in his breast, wrapped around his soul and through his Grace, joining him to this body, showing him how to breathe, tickling his lungs and his soul and pushing. There is a god inside his breast, and that god is laughing at him. Loki laughs at him as he breathes, and it's cruel, and sneering, and delighted, and almost gentle. As gentle as the god knows how to be. Gabriel doesn't really mind.
The first breath he takes is wonderful.
The first breath he takes is strange.
The first breath in his new life, new body, new world. The first breath of a physical creature, a creature of earth and water and blood. Of fire, too, and power, but those are familiar, those are easy. It's the earth, the muscle, the pull and stretch, the rush of air. His first breath as a pagan, an earthly thing. Tasting of air and water, iron and ice, the burn of poison and the sweetness of free air. Imprisonment and hope. His first breath, strange, dizzying, rich and dazzling.
There is a god in his breast, wrapped around his soul and through his Grace, joining him to this body, showing him how to breathe, tickling his lungs and his soul and pushing. There is a god inside his breast, and that god is laughing at him. Loki laughs at him as he breathes, and it's cruel, and sneering, and delighted, and almost gentle. As gentle as the god knows how to be. Gabriel doesn't really mind.
The first breath he takes is wonderful.
Lurk (Gabriel/Loki, Hel, Fenris, Jormungandr - 159 words)
They lurked behind him, sometimes. Not sneaking, exactly. Simply ... being there. Watching out for their father. The wolf in the shadows. The serpent in the waters. The woman in the graveyards and under the trees. Watching. Lurking. Lurking was a thing for monsters. They were good at it.
Gabriel didn't really mind, though. While he plied a Trickster's trade, while he wore their father's face and played their father's game, while he carried Loki within his breast and spun their father's freedom across new lands. He didn't mind their watching. He didn't mind their lurking.
Loki laughed at them for it. Raised their hand to wave, a flash of grin and gleeful challenge. But Gabriel could feel the tightening of their chest beneath the god's sneer. Could feel the strange contraction of their heart, the thrill of something deeper than challenge. A hard and savage joy.
Loki laughed while his children lurked. And in secret, Gabriel told them how he loved.
They lurked behind him, sometimes. Not sneaking, exactly. Simply ... being there. Watching out for their father. The wolf in the shadows. The serpent in the waters. The woman in the graveyards and under the trees. Watching. Lurking. Lurking was a thing for monsters. They were good at it.
Gabriel didn't really mind, though. While he plied a Trickster's trade, while he wore their father's face and played their father's game, while he carried Loki within his breast and spun their father's freedom across new lands. He didn't mind their watching. He didn't mind their lurking.
Loki laughed at them for it. Raised their hand to wave, a flash of grin and gleeful challenge. But Gabriel could feel the tightening of their chest beneath the god's sneer. Could feel the strange contraction of their heart, the thrill of something deeper than challenge. A hard and savage joy.
Loki laughed while his children lurked. And in secret, Gabriel told them how he loved.
Scrub (Gabriel/Loki - 192 words)
Technically speaking, Gabriel didn't need to bathe. Neither had Loki, when the body had been his alone, but that was a different thing. Loki didn't exactly ... believe in hygiene. Gabriel supposed he hadn't really either, back before he'd had a physical body. But now that he did ... Loki might be content with the occasional swim and count things done, Gabriel was just a little more fussy. These things came with ... squishy bits. These things needed cleaning.
Even still, even fussy, he still didn't technically need to bathe. Not to actually get physically wet. One quick snap and flash, done. Sorted. Fine.
But ...
Loki did funny things, when Gabriel got them wet. Sharing the body with a god of mischief, you got used to a lot of funny things. But get them wet, and you got tingly things. Interesting things. Things Gabriel was absolutely never going to let the kids know about. Things Gabriel was almost positive he wasn't meant to know about, but at this point, he was so very, very far from complaining.
So, technically speaking, Gabriel didn't need to bathe. Luckily, Gabriel had never been a very technical kinda guy.
Technically speaking, Gabriel didn't need to bathe. Neither had Loki, when the body had been his alone, but that was a different thing. Loki didn't exactly ... believe in hygiene. Gabriel supposed he hadn't really either, back before he'd had a physical body. But now that he did ... Loki might be content with the occasional swim and count things done, Gabriel was just a little more fussy. These things came with ... squishy bits. These things needed cleaning.
Even still, even fussy, he still didn't technically need to bathe. Not to actually get physically wet. One quick snap and flash, done. Sorted. Fine.
But ...
Loki did funny things, when Gabriel got them wet. Sharing the body with a god of mischief, you got used to a lot of funny things. But get them wet, and you got tingly things. Interesting things. Things Gabriel was absolutely never going to let the kids know about. Things Gabriel was almost positive he wasn't meant to know about, but at this point, he was so very, very far from complaining.
So, technically speaking, Gabriel didn't need to bathe. Luckily, Gabriel had never been a very technical kinda guy.
Regret (Gabriel/Loki, Hel, Fenris, Jormungandr - 288 words)
All in all, Gabriel didn't regret leaving Heaven. Not Heaven as it had been at the end, anyway. Not Heaven as it had become. He did miss his brothers, a little, but then ... Those last few centuries, he'd been missing his brothers as they were standing in front of him. He'd been missing his brothers as he looked right at them. So ... yeah.
He didn't regret going pagan, either. Pagans had all the fun, really. All the best parties, all the best jobs, all the best women ... Mind you, said women were usually more than capable of splattering even archangels across half of Creation if you rubbed them wrong. Just between him and Loki, though, that sort of added to the thrill. Which was perverse, yes, but so was everything he had left.
He didn't regret Loki. He thought he might, at the start. Through that rather rocky beginning. Feeling the god curl through him, feeling the threads around his soul and the hard edge of cruelty in them ... Oh, he had expected to regret. He'd expected to be made to regret. But then ... then there had been Hel. And Fenris, and Jormungandr, and the bright bubble of a god's happiness in their chest, and the strength of a terrible, monstrous family at his back. The strength, and the support. And something ... something close to love.
No. He didn't regret. He was a creature made for it, but he didn't regret. He was in his way as terrible. He was in his way as monstrous. And now ... he was in his way as free.
Loki stretched inside him, unfurling with a contented sigh and a dark little laugh, and Gabriel smiled. No. He didn't regret.
All in all, Gabriel didn't regret leaving Heaven. Not Heaven as it had been at the end, anyway. Not Heaven as it had become. He did miss his brothers, a little, but then ... Those last few centuries, he'd been missing his brothers as they were standing in front of him. He'd been missing his brothers as he looked right at them. So ... yeah.
He didn't regret going pagan, either. Pagans had all the fun, really. All the best parties, all the best jobs, all the best women ... Mind you, said women were usually more than capable of splattering even archangels across half of Creation if you rubbed them wrong. Just between him and Loki, though, that sort of added to the thrill. Which was perverse, yes, but so was everything he had left.
He didn't regret Loki. He thought he might, at the start. Through that rather rocky beginning. Feeling the god curl through him, feeling the threads around his soul and the hard edge of cruelty in them ... Oh, he had expected to regret. He'd expected to be made to regret. But then ... then there had been Hel. And Fenris, and Jormungandr, and the bright bubble of a god's happiness in their chest, and the strength of a terrible, monstrous family at his back. The strength, and the support. And something ... something close to love.
No. He didn't regret. He was a creature made for it, but he didn't regret. He was in his way as terrible. He was in his way as monstrous. And now ... he was in his way as free.
Loki stretched inside him, unfurling with a contented sigh and a dark little laugh, and Gabriel smiled. No. He didn't regret.
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