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Isabella is generally referred to as: promising.
Angels in general are a breed apart. Of course they've all got lovely voices, they've all got classical music training and know the masses and prayers, they're all blessed winged creatures -
But that doesn't mean they're all smart, or all good, even (Isabella was taken to see Windy Point, once, or what's left of it, and of course she sees the scars on Galo Mountain every year at the Gloria; there stood angels who were not good). And Isabella is smart and good.
Isabella is always the first to volunteer for an intercession. She likes them. She'll call down weather, plead for seeds, pray a shower of medicine to fall from the sky, and she will get what she asks for, and she loves nothing more than to dive from hours aloft in prayer and clasp the hands of the people she helped and go home to the Eyrie to take on her next assignment. When there are none - when there is the right amount of rain and sun in the province, when there is no plague and no famine - she studies. She studies a bit of everything, but she fancies herself particularly a historian, investigating the accounts of Archangels' reigns past. From books, mostly, although once she wrangled herself a year in Cedar Hills to assist the Archangel Linus, and when she is in the Eyrie she closely follows the leader of the host there, the former term-lapsed Archangel Delilah.
She tried to get in with the other living former Archangel, too, Alleluia the oracle who served as Delilah's interim while the latter's wing recovered from an injury, but after a few hours' conversation Alleluia said that she could not accept Isabella as even a temporary acolyte and sent her to Peninnah instead. Isabella learned a lot from Peninnah, but she's confused about why Alleluia turned her down personally only to send her to another oracle, after such a prolonged interview. Particularly since Sinai is in her own province; what was the point in sending her all the way to Gaza?
But the instruction came from an oracle, and oracles' words more often than not come from Jovah. She went to Gaza, learned from Peninnah, and went home.
Now she is back at the Eyrie, and the first thing she wants to do is let Delilah know that she's back. Her wings aren't so tired that she can't immediately fly to the Corinnis or the outskirts of Semorrah or anywhere and accomplish something. Failing that, she'd love to sign up for harmonies again now that she's home and wants to know what she ought to schedule around.
Delilah is with her husband Noah, and a visitor. He doesn't seem like a petitioner, and he doesn't look like an Edori, although the fact that he and Noah are talking in Edori suggests that he might be an adopted one. (There are hardly any Edori of either sort left; most of them live in Ysral, now.) Isabella waits patiently outside the door for the host leader's attention.
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jovahs_heiress
"Okay," he says. "The Manderras stayed, but we don't all stick together. I wandered up this way, I found Noah, I liked Noah, I talked to Noah. I like you better, so now I'm talking to you."
jovahs_heiress
"You've only just met me," she points out. "Manderras... that sounds familiar - Oh, I remember now, the angelica Rachel was an adopted Manderra, too. I thought most of them were gone. Did they re-form after the Archangel Gabriel freed everyone?"
"Something like that," he agrees vaguely. "I'm not a historian. We have the most adoption out of all the tribes, though. I'm adopted," he adds, with an impish grin that suggests he knows she can tell.
jovahs_heiress
"How'd that happen? I'm not an expert on the language but your accent didn't sound substantially different from Noah's to me. You must've been young." She reaches the signup sheet, finds an open sunrise hour slot in two days' time, and knocks on Elisha's door.
"Oh, that's a nasty story," he says, still cheerful. "Lots of me getting hurt. Not in ways I like. Wanna hear it anyway?"
jovahs_heiress
"...Maybe not?" she says.
Elisha opens his door. He's an angel, too, blond and with tawny wings to Isabella's white-flecked-grey, and on seeing her he instantly gives her a hug. "You're home! For good this time?"
"Until something else comes up," laughs Isabella. "I wouldn't turn down another stint with the Archangel, but right now I have no plans to set up anywhere but here. Will you duet the Sunrise Chorus with me in two days? Delilah asked for it specially."
"Always," says Elisha, producing a fountain pen and scratching their names and the song onto the sheet. "It's good to have you back. Do you want to practice this before then?"
"Couldn't hurt," she says, and then she notices that there is someone it could hurt, and belatedly says, "Oh, Elisha, this is Micaiah. Micaiah, Elisha."
"Hello," says Elisha genially.
Elisha opens his door. He's an angel, too, blond and with tawny wings to Isabella's white-flecked-grey, and on seeing her he instantly gives her a hug. "You're home! For good this time?"
"Until something else comes up," laughs Isabella. "I wouldn't turn down another stint with the Archangel, but right now I have no plans to set up anywhere but here. Will you duet the Sunrise Chorus with me in two days? Delilah asked for it specially."
"Always," says Elisha, producing a fountain pen and scratching their names and the song onto the sheet. "It's good to have you back. Do you want to practice this before then?"
"Couldn't hurt," she says, and then she notices that there is someone it could hurt, and belatedly says, "Oh, Elisha, this is Micaiah. Micaiah, Elisha."
"Hello," says Elisha genially.
"Hello, Elisha!" says Micaiah with equal friendliness. "Your wings are pretty."
jovahs_heiress
Elisha's wings flutter slightly and he seems bemused at the compliment, but he replies, "Thank you."
"Do you want to practice now, or are you busy?" Isabella asks.
"Now works. Serah's down in Velora with Zipporah, won't be back for hours. Micaiah, are you coming?" Elisha asks.
"Do you want to practice now, or are you busy?" Isabella asks.
"Now works. Serah's down in Velora with Zipporah, won't be back for hours. Micaiah, are you coming?" Elisha asks.
"Yeeeeeee-es," he beams; the word tumbles down at least half an octave over the course of that elongated vowel and then skips back up at the end.
jovahs_heiress
Elisha is looking very quizzically at Micaiah now, but he says, "All right, let's go."
The three travel to the practice rooms, and find an unoccupied one. "You have this memorized still, right? You don't want to listen to the disc through once?" Elisha teases Isabella.
"I have it memorized backwards, forwards, and, impossibly enough, sideways," laughs Isabella. "On my mark. One - two - and -"
They begin at the same moment, a perfect fourth apart, and then she skips up and he skips down. There's a reason Elisha was her first choice: her soprano and his tenor are well-matched in timbre and there's a supportive, uplifting cast to his notes that keeps her more firmly on pitch. He doesn't overpower her, either, - which is good, because while her occasionally timid volume is probably her voice's worst feature, she's worth leaning in close to hear.
The three travel to the practice rooms, and find an unoccupied one. "You have this memorized still, right? You don't want to listen to the disc through once?" Elisha teases Isabella.
"I have it memorized backwards, forwards, and, impossibly enough, sideways," laughs Isabella. "On my mark. One - two - and -"
They begin at the same moment, a perfect fourth apart, and then she skips up and he skips down. There's a reason Elisha was her first choice: her soprano and his tenor are well-matched in timbre and there's a supportive, uplifting cast to his notes that keeps her more firmly on pitch. He doesn't overpower her, either, - which is good, because while her occasionally timid volume is probably her voice's worst feature, she's worth leaning in close to hear.
Micaiah leans close.
He doesn't—quite—lean too close. But he shuts his eyes and tilts his head and engages an absolute focus on the sound of their voices, and his Kiss glows like it's on fire.
He doesn't—quite—lean too close. But he shuts his eyes and tilts his head and engages an absolute focus on the sound of their voices, and his Kiss glows like it's on fire.
jovahs_heiress
Elisha keeps sneaking looks at the pair's arms, although he's too professional to miss a note due to distraction.
The chorus lasts just shy of one hour. They sing it straight through.
"Isabella," says Elisha pointedly, when the song ends and he's caught his breath, "you didn't tell me that Jovah already named you Archangel and picked you an angelico."
"Elisha!" exclaims Isabella. "No such thing happened!"
"Well, your Kisses are both glowing like little suns," Elisha says defensively. "I've never seen anything like it."
The chorus lasts just shy of one hour. They sing it straight through.
"Isabella," says Elisha pointedly, when the song ends and he's caught his breath, "you didn't tell me that Jovah already named you Archangel and picked you an angelico."
"Elisha!" exclaims Isabella. "No such thing happened!"
"Well, your Kisses are both glowing like little suns," Elisha says defensively. "I've never seen anything like it."
"I heard it means you've found your true love," Micaiah says, opening his eyes and smiling. "Am I supposed to make you lots of little angel babies? I wouldn't mind, especially if you sang first."
His Kiss is dimming a little now, though; apparently it thinks he's got the point.
His Kiss is dimming a little now, though; apparently it thinks he's got the point.
jovahs_heiress
"I - but - the -" Isabella splutters.
"It is supposed to mean that," says Elisha, eyes dancing with amusement. "Isabella never even takes a handsome angel-seeker with her. Doesn't want to be attached until she knows who's succeeding Linus because Jovah wants to pick angelicos for Archangels. I guess Jovah got impatient."
"Elisha!" exclaims Isabella, blushing hard.
"It is supposed to mean that," says Elisha, eyes dancing with amusement. "Isabella never even takes a handsome angel-seeker with her. Doesn't want to be attached until she knows who's succeeding Linus because Jovah wants to pick angelicos for Archangels. I guess Jovah got impatient."
"Elisha!" exclaims Isabella, blushing hard.
"Awwww, you're blushing," says Micaiah. "It's really cute. I think I do love you a little."
jovahs_heiress
"I - I - but - sweet Jovah singing," breathes Isabella. "I - think I need to go back to Peninnah. Or Alleluia, maybe she'll talk to me if I only want to ask her one thing."
"Where's those?" chirps Micaiah. "Can I come?"
jovahs_heiress
"Alleluia's at Sinai, Peninnah's all the way in Gaza - and - well, I suppose I can bring you, if you want," says Isabella, peering dubiously at Micaiah.
Elisha taps his finger to Isabella's nose. "I know what you're going to ask," he says.
"You have known me my entire life. I know you know what I'm going to ask," Isabella says.
"Micaiah doesn't!" Elisha turns to Micaiah and explains for his benefit, "She's not going to even think about angel babies with you until she at least knows if you would be angelico if she were Archangel. She's an ambitious one. In a good way," Elisha amends hastily at Isabella's halfhearted glare. "In the being-sincerely-smart-and-good-so-Jovah-will-love-her-best way."
Elisha taps his finger to Isabella's nose. "I know what you're going to ask," he says.
"You have known me my entire life. I know you know what I'm going to ask," Isabella says.
"Micaiah doesn't!" Elisha turns to Micaiah and explains for his benefit, "She's not going to even think about angel babies with you until she at least knows if you would be angelico if she were Archangel. She's an ambitious one. In a good way," Elisha amends hastily at Isabella's halfhearted glare. "In the being-sincerely-smart-and-good-so-Jovah-
"Good for her," Micaiah says blithely. "Okay."
jovahs_heiress
"It's not about who Jovah loves best," Isabella mumbles. "All right. You want to come with me to Sinai?" she asks Micaiah helplessly.
He grins. "Sure!"
jovahs_heiress
"Okay. Elisha, please tell Serah I'll be back tonight - tomorrow evening at the latest, and that's if I see a plague flag and have to go to Gaza," Isabella says. "And tell everyone else too, everyone who'd want to know. I'll see you to sing the chorus."
"Have fun," says Elisha in insinuating tones, and Isabella sighs at him and leads Micaiah away from the practice room.
"Have fun," says Elisha in insinuating tones, and Isabella sighs at him and leads Micaiah away from the practice room.
Micaiah giggles.
"I like him, he's funny."
"I like him, he's funny."
jovahs_heiress
"My best friend's brother," Isabella explains. "I like him too, when he's not being deliberately annoying. Do you want to leave right away? Are you hungry or anything?"