livingaslazarus-blog

[livingaslazarus-blog]

“I’m sorry but there’s nothing I can do about the prices of our drinks, I understand your frustration but I’m just doing my job.” The angel breathes out in his calmest possible tone, being sure to keep an eye on his other patrons as he did so. One peeved customer couldn’t hinder him from keeping the flow for everyone. “Look I’ll throw a drink at you on the house if you just stop calling me a son of a bitch. Otherwise I have to get security to escort you out of the building.”

[livingaslazarus-blog]

princeoflures:

“Oh come on. If there’s anything I’ve learned in my very, very long existence. Once you’re a part of the dark side? You’re always part of the dark side. Doesn’t matter how many pretty white feathers that peek out of your back, it’s just a matter of finding out what makes you tick.” Belial’s grin turned a little wicked as his head tilted to the side, “I don’t need you to regale me with the sordid affairs of your past, I’ve got plenty of my own, what I am interested in though, is how someone so delightfully sinful, won himself a set of feathery white wings in the first place. That story, I’d love to hear.”

“Hm.” The angel looked to Belial with intrigue written in bright blue eyes, arms folded across his chest as he did so. “Just like a demon, to question the ways of redemption. I suppose it must be a curious thing to you to know that even some of your most promising sinners slip away to God’s grasp.” Lazarus replied with a subtle shrug, his facial features shifted to more of a thoughtful state as he pondered how exactly to boil down the clusterfuck that was his life to a cliff notes version. “Fine,  I mean I am spiritually called to share the gospel after all.” A laugh escapes him quietly. “As deeply fulfilling as hearing about your bedroom etiquette is though, you’ve hardly spoken a word about yourself -- so If I’m laying all my cards on the table there’s gotta be some reciprocity.”

[livingaslazarus-blog]

princeoflures:

Belial couldn’t help the delighted laugh that bubbled up from his chest, “Baby angel’s got a dark side. What a surprise.” It always baffled Belial how the angels preached beauty, and grace, and everything holy under the sun–yet fell into the same vices their precious humans managed to stumble into. And demons were seen as vile, vice filled creatures. There was a reason he was able to tempt an angel once from Heaven, and now that he knew how–it wasn’t hard to imagine he could do it again. “Tell me, what else have you gotten up to while watching your humans? Have you stolen a car? Beaten up a homeless person? Jaywalked!?. Come come, you show me yours, I’ll show you mine.”

One eyebrow quirked at Belial’s amusement to his statement, it made him wonder if all demons were this cheeky. “Correction: Baby angel had a dark side.” Perhaps the word dark wasn’t even enough to cover the countless sins and misdeeds that surrounded the man’s past, the wretched things he’d done in his human life. But, he wouldn’t give this demon the satisfaction of knowing such things about him. Lazarus may be a young angel but he’s not so coy as to let Belial lure him into reminiscing over his past sin, for that was the first step to repeating the offenses. “I hate to disappoint, but if you want juicy stories of debauchery and shameful acts you might want to try someone else.” He winks. “I’m not that easy.”

[livingaslazarus-blog]

thisfracturedsoul:

When: February 2017

Where: OMFG

Who: @livingaslazarus

It was odd, how you could be triggered by things that didn’t make sense. Her fear had been born in silence, it had been eerily quiet around them until Satan had spoke and Christopher’s voice had come out of him instead. Outside her skin had been silent as her insides had shivered and crackled and screamed. OMFG was loud … loud and busy and she should have been fine, she was going to be fine. But every time someone brushed against her she almost jumped out of her skin, and occasionally the room would spin, colors bleeding together and the world going silent again till she thought she might cry right there in the middle of the floor.

Naomi’s eyes went wide as she half knocked into the bar, her tray clattering loudly. She hadn’t even remembered taking the customer’s order, let alone navigating her way back through the throng of people. “Shit,” she murmured wildly under her breath, erratic fingers pulling through her hair. “Shit shit shit shitfuuuuck.” His eyes were on her and she didn’t want to look up. The bartender made her nervous, his gaze was too kind and she didn’t trust it, had decided she was not going to like him from their very first shift together. That first night she’d wanted to snort when she saw his nametag. Lazarus, what a weird name. Now though, now that she’d been fed light snippets of the truth, names like that made her instantly on edge. She made it a point to speak to him as little as possible, but right now she was helpless, picking the empty glass off her tray and sniffing it as if she could divine what she was supposed to be getting a refill of. “Can you tell what drink this was? The guy at table 15 wants a refill and I can’t … “ I can’t pay attention, I can’t stay present, I can’t stop feeling like I’m going to vomit and or tear myself free of my own skin. Were her thoughts always so goddamn dramatic? She settled for a coarsely muttered “I couldn’t hear him over the music. I don’t want to go back there and ask again and look like an idiot.” There was also a chance that if she moved from the stability of her lean against the bar she was going to pass out, but she was too proud to let such words cross her lips.

Being a guardian angel, having the role of being personally responsible for watching over humanity and guiding souls, was a lot more than a sense of duty, it’s your reason for being reborn amongst the many souls who pass on to the afterlife. In essence the role is your existence. However, this job is unlike many that exist in the human world because of how incredibly ambiguous it is. There’s no angel orientation where you’re given instructions on how to operate your wings, given the rule book, and assigned your charges. Instead you simply exist once again as a new being with an inherent sense of what you’re to do. When you have a calling, you just know, it’s as if your soul wants to leave your skin and go to whatever it is that is calling you. 

This sensation was precisely what was occurring within Lazarus as he tended the bar as per usual. Except unlike a normal day, he really didn’t speak much and he wasn’t that focused on the drinks. Instead blue eyes steadily surveyed the environment to see if he could get a reading on who it was that needed his aid. This was of course useless as the club was filled to the brim with dancers and clients and any number of people whose soul needed a bit of guidance. An annoyed grunt is given as he takes on the next ridiculous round of drink orders, trying to resist the urge within him to hop from the bar and find the source for this calling in him. Glass after glass was prepared in a delicate yet quick fashion before a moment took place that made everything clear. Well, clear enough. Blue eyes leave the view of the bartop for a moment only to see one of the waitresses drop her orders , fumbling and nervously swearing to herself as she tried to clean the mess she made and get back to her job. 

In that moment, Lazarus within his being that she was someone he needed to pay attention to. As the woman made her way to the bar, it was one of the few times they’d exchanged words since first starting to work together -- perhaps that’s why it took this long to learn that he was meant to watch over her. “Table 15? That’s a whiskey sour for Allen.” The angel says aloud, though mostly to himself, as he finishes the drink he was currently making to prepare this one that the girl needed. “Well for starters he’s already 3 deep and he won’t even remember ordering it, so don’t worry.” He attempts to comfort her while still speaking over the music and voices, handing her the drink shortly after. “Hey, look. Naomi right? If you need someone to cover some of your tables just so you can take a breather just say the word. You need a break.” As a bartender, Lazarus remained in one area, which allowed him to observe everyone else -- which is how he noticed that she’d been working longer hours lately. She was holding on by a thin thread, he could tell, but why was a mystery. “Are you alright?” 

Blurred

[livingaslazarus-blog]

byreticence:

It never ceased to intrigue Raziel how angels knew, at once, so much and so little of Baal. But, granted, they had never lived under the God. He was great and terrible and there was much of what he did that had terrified even Raziel, things done that Raziel had never quite understood the method behind the madness for. But there were things that he could make sense of, just by virtue of having existed at the time. “All of which is entirely understandable. After all, Baal wasn’t entirely fond of his creations straying from the divine plan. But…” He drummed fingertips along the surface of the bar top, gaze remaining on the younger creature before him. “It wasn’t all black and white with him. He gave chances, more than most would credit him for. Besides… he had a soft spot of sorts for someone who falls to their knees and begs of his mercy.” As you did. “That doesn’t, however, excuse the majority of the things he did. We all lived in fear of him, at one time or another, but everything was different back then. Still… I am content with where he is now, if not with what the world has become.”

Lazarus looked upon Raziel with slight intimidation as he spoke of the days of Baal’s rule over humanity, his green irises were filled with a subtle intensity. It spoke to just the things he’d seen and endured that he himself probably wouldn’t speak of aloud. The young angel nodded slowly as he took in his superior’s words about the late god’s rule and some common misconceptions about his character. “Well, with that being said, as fearful as I may be of the man it’s important to note that I understand the necessity of his existence. I’ve struggled with some of my own charges as a guardian, so I can speak nothing to what it must be like to try and watch over the entirety of human existence.” Lazarus speaks candidly, leaning against the bar as he did so. His bias for Adon was there in an almost inherent fashion, but it didn’t cloud his judgement so much that he couldn’t see other perspectives. “So, if I may ask, what do yu in short believe it takes to be a good god?”

[livingaslazarus-blog]

princeoflures:

Belial had heard the spiel falling from the angel’s lips, time and time again, from many of his brethren, but no matter how much they preached, he always won in the end. Belial had learned much over the years, but most of all he’d learned patience when times called for it the most. And certainly listening to an angel spout the same rhetoric over and over called for it. Belial had to admit he was amused, though, and couldn’t help himself. “You’re right, Satan’s lackeys are into more of the whips and chains, but don’t worry, darling–” Belial couldn’t stop himself from giving Lazarus a lascivious wink and grin if he tried, “I’ve got a lighter touch.”

It was a simple truth that, as compared to his celestial brethren, Lazarus was all but a toddler when it came to experience. A few decades under his wings paled in comparison to the centuries that others had lived -- but that did not detract from his competency or usefulness as an angel. The man still just had much to learn. Letting a demon lure him into getting worked up? That was a rookie move, but it was hard not to be passionate in the face of all the shit going on. Lazarus couldn’t deny that part of him was intrigued by Belial’s calm sassiness, even if the more righteous part of himself was offended by his words. “You assume that I’m somehow intimidated by whips and chains.” He states simply, making no effort to hide the grin that hid on the side of his lips. There were few things that Lazarus hadn’t done in his human years, exploring the darker pretenses of sexuality was a given. “Having white wings doesn’t make you inherently fragile, contrary to popular belief.”

[livingaslazarus-blog]

desideriiium:

Date: February 23, 2017 Location: Leo Carrillo State Park Availability: Open

In the aftermath of Adele’s failed potluck and the… odd text he had received that sent mind to War in a miniature fashion, (for aside from physical violence what was more bellicose than forcing him into a position where he was forced to do what he never would to serve his responsibility, while being barred by questionably ominous threat not to do so?), Donato retreated to the stars as soon as he was able. Opting to let wings loose and fly, he eventually found himself at one of LA’s beaches, simply because it was a darker area with less light pollution. From there, he spread out a towel, the only thing he had brought with him, knowing that he’d likely end up somewhere he would want one, and sat himself upon it.

“Caro Lucrezia,” he said first, words leaving his lips entirely wistful. “Forse è tempo per una storia.” Perhaps its time for a story. Head tilted back then, eyes scanning the stars, before they settled on one. From there, he shifted, from sitting to laying, shifting until comfortable. “C'era una volta.” Once upon a time. Was there any other way for a story to start? Still, he didn’t get farther than that before a sudden sound behind him - someone’s breath, perhaps, or the sound of feet against sand, destroyed the ambiance created by the ebb and flow of the ocean’s tide, the twinkle of the stars and his own voice. Still, he didn’t bother to move, instead only letting voice slip into the air once more, this time addressing someone corporeal. “Any interest in a story?”

Quiet. Amongst the cacophony of busy bodies and the endless blaring of music within the club, the angel only wanted one thing tonight. Quiet. So, when the opportunity arose, Lazarus wasted no time in fleeing four walls of OMFG in search of a more tranquil place to spend his time. Once inside his vehicle, the man pressed vehemently on the gas pedal and made his way to the highway, he knew of a place that could offer just what he was searching for. 

The ambience of the night sky and the open road offered lazarus a small relief from the busy nature of his mind as he drove, so when he’d arrived upon the sands of Leo Carillo, it felt like no time at all had passed. Discarding his shoes in the vehicle, the angel walked upon the soft shores of the beach with his bare feet, taking in the crisp night air and the rhythmic lullaby of ocean water rolling onto the shore and receding. It was perfect. So perfect, in fact, that Lazarus would wish in selfishness that he was the only one who’d come to this place for an escape. But of course, this was not the case. After walking for a few minutes, the timbre of another man’s voice could be heard speaking in a tongue he was unfamiliar with. He could turn around, but the curiosity would get the best of Lazarus a he continued on toward this other person. With each step, he could see the man more clearly until at last he was a few feet away and knew who he was hearing. Donato. 

“A story would actually be perfect right about now.” Lazarus replies with a nod before taking a seat in the sand beside his fellow angel. He paid no mind to the sand that would inevitably get all over his clothes as he laid upon his back to stargaze and listen to Donato. “But honestly you could talk about your favorite pair of socks and I’d be all ears at this point. I just need to clear my mind.” 

[livingaslazarus-blog]

byreticence:

“You haven’t been around to witness that sort of thing for as long as I have. Granted, you’re also a different class. No one tends to mischaracterize guardian angels.” In truth, the comparisons were minor annoyances to deal with, rather than something that actually rubbed Raziel’s skin the wrong way. His arms crossed, draping loosely across his chest, as the older angel watched Lazarus. “So is demonizing the first God, but he did that to himself. Agree or disagree?”

“That’s fair enough. I mean comparatively speaking, against you and the others I’m like a fetus with wings so forgive me if I project onto cupid a bit.” A small laugh resounds from his lips at the mental picture of what he’d just said.  “I mean there’s still so much I can learn about our kind, so I can only imagine how far off humanity is.” Lazarus speaks rather ambiguously, not making a point for or against the issue, but rather dancing somewhere between both ends -- a force of habit as a guardian. With Raziel’s next statement, blue eyes find their way to the ground momentarily as the angel takes a moment to gather his thoughts. “I wouldn’t insult your intelligence by lying and pretending I am not completely biased on the matter and glad that Baal isn’t holding the throne of god anymore. So, I agree with the fact that the demonizing of his name is but a consequence of the free will he’s given to humanity and his methods of ruling over them. I mean the fact stands that if I wouldn’t be an angel now if he were to still be he one in charge, I wouldn’t have had a chance at redemption because I was disobedient and self-centered and....” A murderous fuck up. “I was just overall a good example of the plight of humanity, so as a man reborn in Adon’s era, I can’t feel anything but fear at the thought of the first God.”

[livingaslazarus-blog]

princeoflures:

“Bartending and guarding, my my you have been busy. What’s it like, watching over so many different humans, only to have them still slip from your grasp at the very last second?” Belial had been the cause of so many humans shift to the darker side of things, that it was inevitable that he’d managed to snatch one of Lazarus’ humans. Belial played up a gasp, and pressed a hand to his chest, “’Not my type’? Now that’s just a blatant lie, you know I have a thing for the glowy-white feathers. I already bagged one angel, why not make it two-for-two.”

“Angels are good for more than just reciting scriptures from the bible you know, don’t sound so surprised by how busy I keep myself.” The grin that had been resting on his features quickly turned into a solemn frown as he looked to the demon with a raised brow. “It feels like the battle I fight is worthwhile, sure plenty of souls fall into sin and damnation that’s just how the world works. But, that’s child’s play -- swaying people to acts of darkness and self-obsession is like lifting on the lowest possible weight setting, especially in times like now when desperation is rampant. However, getting a mortal soul to see the bigger picture and act out of righteousness is a true gift, and it may be much more difficult and time consuming, but believing in something greater than yourself can bring more peace and satisfaction than an eternity of trying to keep yourself satisfied.” Lazarus then clears his throat, he’d let this person gauge a reaction out of him which was beneath his typical demeanor of patience and strong will. But, he was tired of biting his tongue at those who spat on Adon’s grave (metaphorically speaking). “Maybe I should re-word the statement, Satan himself couldn’t touch this -- much less one of his lackeys.” 

[livingaslazarus-blog]

byreticence:

Raziel’s blue eyes rolled, though faint amusement flickered across his expression. Lazarus was harmless, and not Shibah or Cassiel, which was one of the few reasons Raziel’s mood hadn’t soured. “It’s the incorrect association between Cupid and Cherubim that bothers me, more so when plucky little upstarts think that it’s fine to plaster fat cartoon babies in diapers across my office.”

“I never figured you to be the type to take it personally how the minds of men imagine them, they’re so wrong about so many things as it is.” Lazarus was intrigued by Raziel, if not only for the fact that despite practically being family they hardly knew one another. So, this conversation offered the opportunity to rectify that. “Though, belittling God’s works is offensive no matter how you slice it.”

[livingaslazarus-blog]

byreticence:

“I’ve never really been the romantic type,” Raziel shrugged, gaze cutting sideways to Lazarus. “And I’m not overly fond of Cupid.”

“Your charming scowl and heartwarming tone of voice could’ve fooled me.” The man chuckles, enjoying the opportunity to poke fun at his superior. “You’re telling me you hate a baby that flies around shooting people in the ass and doesn’t even exist?”

[livingaslazarus-blog]

noahjackson:

That’s the easy part, man. It’s the bitter Singles Awareness crowd that I can’t deal with.

“You do have a point there, although I can never tell which is more annoying the mopey singles or the obnoxiously affectionate couples.” Lazarus shrugs, his stomach turning just thinking of what the night would hold. “I’m Lazarus by the way, and before you ask. That is my real name.”

[livingaslazarus-blog]

noahjackson:

“There’s too much mental preparation needed for Valentine’s Day shifts.”

“Holidays are always painful at a bar, but I’ll take Valentine’s day over St.Patrick’s. At least on Valentines people are more likely to tip and hit on me in hopes of not spending the night alone.”

[livingaslazarus-blog]

byreticence:

“Is it Wednesday yet?”

“Nope, still Monday.” Lazarus responds with a subtle sarcasm as he looks to his watch playfully. “I take it you’re not feeling very romantic.”

[livingaslazarus-blog]

attemptingascension:

It was a mark of a decent job when one could enjoy a drink or a meal there even on your day off. Shibah had worked her fair share of dirty jobs in her life, and Absolution was far from unpleasant. That the staff was stocked with man of her peers from The Church certainly helped in this regard. So when Lazarus had suggested Absolution for dinner Shibah had happily agreed. 

“Good evening, Lazarus.” She smiled in greeting as she slipped into the chair across from him at the table. With a graceful ease, Shibah reached her hand across the dinner setting and squeezed Lazarus’ hand with her own, a smile warming her face before withdrawing to place it back in her lap. “I think we all have been busy as of late, I’m simply pleased we can take an evening to talk it all over.” She sighed softly, her mind churning over the events of the week previous.

“It seems we have a problem of literal, biblical proportions on our hand. With one horseman… horse-woman? Person?” Shibah paused for just a moment to consider her word choice. “…no matter. With pestilence on the loose I’m certain her siblings are not far off in our future.”

“Good evening.” Right foot tapping quietly on the floor, Lazarus attempts to calm his nerves while greeting Shibah. It wasn’t just the fact that she was next in line to ascend to the throne, but the fact that being in contact with the fellow angel was reminiscent of the days when Adon still yet lived and presided over the world. Even the way she spoke and some of her small mannerisms mirrored that of their former heavenly father. Lazarus certainly understood a little bit more why Adon had chosen her as his successor. “Certainly. In times like now, I’m definitely grateful to live in an age of call phones and text messaging.” He adds with a nervous chuckle, already aware of where this conversation was going. A little filler chat never hurt.

“Yeah, tell me about it. It’s hard to watch over humanity when there’s nothing you can do to protect them from this oncoming catastrophe, it’s hard to have faith when even celestial beings are dropping like flies.” No doubt, Lazarus still had much to learn in his rather young age as an angel but that wasn’t to say he wasn’t good at what he did. This oncoming rapture just served to make his divine duty even more challenging than it already was. How do you comfort people in the face of something that you know little to nothing about? “So, now we have to anticipate the arrival of the other horseman and we have no idea who or where they could be.” A sigh is released as the man straightens his posture in the seat, thinking to the book of revelations --which was a sight he didn’t expect to witness so soon. “Which means we need another god as soon as possible. Right?” 

Brothers in Arms + Wings

[livingaslazarus-blog]

princeoflures:

“How very…poignant. And here I’d gotten used to your kind trying to brush it off, or sing kumbayah in prayer circles to an absent God. Where have you been hiding lately?” Belial grinned, buoyed by the angel’s willingness to play, when he’d gotten so used to them shutting him down, or ignoring him. “You found out my master plan. And here I’d already planned out a romantic evening for us and everything. Spoilsport.”

“Well let’s just say I’m not exactly like my divine kin. I haven’t been hiding, you know just busy between bartending and guarding the souls of the innocent and all.” Lazarus didn’t inherently hate his darker counterparts, a small trait he’d learned from Adon -- so he had no shame in engaging Belial in a little playful conversation. So long as there was no one in danger of harm because of his demonic nature. “Something gives me the feeling I’m not quite your type, flattered as I am.” The angel adds with a wink, lust was one of the sacrifices he made in becoming a guardian angel -- especially now when there was too much at stake to be bothered with his own desires.

[livingaslazarus-blog]