This continues until there's a moment when the angel is momentarily between petitioners, and it looks at Lintalai with more puzzlement than it has at anything thus far.

"Hello! I'm not trying to send a message, I've just never met an angel before and I'm curious."

Its wings flutter slightly as it studies her appearance. Behind her, Lintalai can hear some of the petitioners whispering.

"This is not the product of magic," it says. "How is your hair as bright as the blood of blueberries? I am pleased to meet such a strange creature that is so familiar."

"My hair changes color depending on what I eat, and I keep it blue because where I'm from that means the right things about who I am in society! I don't know what species I am, though."

"Your hair is beautiful, as are you. Your soul is not beautiful, though. You have no soul."

This earns some shocked gasps from the surrounding petitioners. The angel ignores them, focusing its attention on Lintalai.

"My hair means nothing about who I am in society. Angels have physical forms that are beautiful to onlookers, but they mean nothing. Your species is not known to me. Why are you curious about angels?"

"I want to know what kinds of people there are around here so I can have that in mind when figuring out how people from my home can come here!"

"I could show you the kinds of people that there are, if you wished. Angels can carry passengers if necessary for our work."

"That might be cool another time but I think not on the spur of the moment. I'm here with a friend and have plans."

The angel's look of puzzlement has not left its face during this entire conversation, although there do seem to be nuances and variations.

"Of course. I am of the astral deva, of the deva, of the angels, of the celestials, of the khamotzo, of the people."

"What's that like?"

"It is important work. We take care of petitioners across the Outer Planes."

"Where do angels come from?"

"Angels come from the body of the good planes. We are born as light-"

The angel gestures towards the rainbow clouds of light that surround it.

"-and then we become deva."

"What do you do when you aren't carrying messages?"

"We rescue the lost, meek, stranded, vulnerable, and weak. We aid and guide the good beings of the planes, and we battle the evil ones. Sometimes we serve those with good causes."

"How do you decide if a cause is good?"

"It is evident. Although we do not read the intentions of every person we protect, we do before taking up their cause. And good causes make themselves known to us- if it helps more people in the planes than it hurts, we will know. A person's alignment itself can be known immediately."

"Ooh, what's mine?"

The angel peers at her.

"You do not have a soul, so you do not have a spiritual alignment. Your body is also unaligned, but you do have one. You could align your body with any of the neighboring planes, or Arcadia itself, after spending more time here."

"What would that do?"

"Mortals find it useful. They enjoy having magic."

The people waiting behind Lintalai are starting to sound a bit restless, judging by the tone of their muttering.

She looks over her shoulder, looks back. "I have a cause, do you want to hear about it?"