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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
jovahs_heiress
There's a set of tuning forks; Isabella has fine relative pitch but not enough of an approximation of perfect pitch to start on the right note out of nowhere. She finds the right one, strikes it, nods a beat, and starts.
Micaiah does know his part. More or less.
jovahs_heiress
Isabella pulls an old standard from her childhood music lessons - gestures to correct flats or sharps or overlong rests. He hasn't learned the library of signs, but she's only drawing on a handful and he seems conscious enough of what he's doing that he should be able to pick them up.
And indeed, it doesn't take him long to figure her out. He is visibly grateful for her help.
jovahs_heiress
She makes up her mind to teach him the rest explicitly when they've finished the mass.
And, after its runtime, they are done. "There's a bunch of those signs. You want to know the rest? They're really handy. Also, you can use them as rude gestures if you want to insult someone who's singing, although I don't recommend doing that to anyone sensitive or humorless. Or anyone who'd take you seriously. Serah sharped Moriah so much one time that poor Moriah wound up transposed, a full step down."
And, after its runtime, they are done. "There's a bunch of those signs. You want to know the rest? They're really handy. Also, you can use them as rude gestures if you want to insult someone who's singing, although I don't recommend doing that to anyone sensitive or humorless. Or anyone who'd take you seriously. Serah sharped Moriah so much one time that poor Moriah wound up transposed, a full step down."
He giggles.
"Sure, I'll learn 'em."
"Sure, I'll learn 'em."
jovahs_heiress
"This one means you're rushing the phrase - this one is for taking a breath at the wrong point -" She goes through the rest of the musical errors and the accompanying warning signs for instructors or friends to use, repeating as necessary.
Micaiah is very attentive.
Also cuddly.
Also cuddly.
jovahs_heiress
There aren't that many; a book on them would be very slender. She finishes up within a few minutes and then rests her head on his shoulder.
Snuggles!
Snuggle-hugs.
Snuggle-hug-kisses.
Snuggle-hugs.
Snuggle-hug-kisses.
If there is wingwrapping, there must be wing-cuddling. Mmm.
jovahs_heiress
It gets to be rather late. Eventually they migrate from the music room to Isabella's quarters and change for the night and go to bed, her left wing draped warmly over him.
He snuggles up under her wing and kisses her goodnight.
jovahs_heiress
The next morning, the first thing Isabella encounters after her breakfast is a petitioner from a farm settlement to the south who needs rain.
She doesn't have to go - she still has several days of the assignment-free week - but no one else is jumping on it. She gets a number of miles and an exact compass heading and then she hunts up Micaiah to see if he wants to come along. He doesn't know the prayers, but she could hold him and he could listen.
She doesn't have to go - she still has several days of the assignment-free week - but no one else is jumping on it. She gets a number of miles and an exact compass heading and then she hunts up Micaiah to see if he wants to come along. He doesn't know the prayers, but she could hold him and he could listen.
Micaiah would love to!
jovahs_heiress
It's just an hour and a half away. Isabella flies them there, lands, gets details about what exactly is the matter with the rain and what they want instead, and then scoops up Micaiah and goes aloft.
She sings. The air around them changes. She climbs higher, and clouds form below them. She sings, and the clouds open up and they rain.
She sings. The air around them changes. She climbs higher, and clouds form below them. She sings, and the clouds open up and they rain.
He snuggles into her arms and listens.
And when she's done, he murmurs, "I love you."
And when she's done, he murmurs, "I love you."
jovahs_heiress
She kisses his forehead.
She descends through the rain and lands in a patch of ground rocky enough to not yet be turning into mud. She accepts thanks and a quick lunch from the farmers, gives them a few days' worth of weather forecast, and then takes her leave, flies above the clouds again with Micaiah in her arms, and heads home.
She descends through the rain and lands in a patch of ground rocky enough to not yet be turning into mud. She accepts thanks and a quick lunch from the farmers, gives them a few days' worth of weather forecast, and then takes her leave, flies above the clouds again with Micaiah in her arms, and heads home.
Micaiah naps on the way back, curled up safe and warm in her arms.
jovahs_heiress
Awwww.
He really is very cute.
If he doesn't wake before she lands she'll tuck him into bed.
He really is very cute.
If he doesn't wake before she lands she'll tuck him into bed.
He doesn't.
jovahs_heiress
She tucks him in, kisses his temple, and goes to look for a blank spot on the harmonics sheet or two. Elisha, who coordinates all this, adds her to round out a quartet for some SATB classical selections the next evening and then pairs her with Serah for the following midafternoon.
Isabella goes back to her quarters, picks up one of her history books and a notebook in which to write musings, and reads, flopped on her stomach with one wing over Micaiah.
Isabella goes back to her quarters, picks up one of her history books and a notebook in which to write musings, and reads, flopped on her stomach with one wing over Micaiah.
He snuggles her wing in his sleep.
And then, eventually, he snuggles her wing while awake.
And then, eventually, he snuggles her wing while awake.
jovahs_heiress
Mmm, that's distracting. She doesn't mind. She closes her book and kisses him.