Worse of Me [Mori]

[Moriel Sarid]

"Death is natural for their race," Moriel explained. "I try to view it no less harshly than birth. It's the absence that causes pain. Still, building this lighthouse, being able to stop that suffering, to allow this city to grow, I think it's my greatest accomplishment." His serious eyes returned from the sea to his guest's face. It was a sweet face, despite the torture in his eyes.

Mori listened to Chase's story with rapt attention, fully aware of how important it was that he was allowed to hear this story. He got the feeling that he was the first. His hand stayed in the demon's, gripping firmly. He saw the wetness welling in his eyes, the sunlight glistening off of the tears. Chase hadn't deserved that. No one did. A stab of anger rushed through the angel, a rare occurrence.

Knowing that his words could do little to help, Moriel simplly pulled Chase closer and wrapped his arms around him. He held him gently, but with a firmness that insisted he would stay there in support no matter how the demon might fall apart. "You deserve better," Mori told him, his voice a low rumble.

[chase michael jackson]

Chase felt the arms circle him and he didn't think there could be anything else on the Earth that would make him feel better than a hug. He let the tears fall quickly, trying not to think about the specific instances. One of the times he knew if he was human, he would have died. How he was left there to just heal slowly after feeling the pain the demon caused him. It was torture for Chase when he never did anything to cause the pain.

He held Mori close, burying his head into him as he stopped himself from crying. Mori was right though. It almost felt nice to let that out. To tell someone about what happened instead of holding it in for his entire life. The words that Mori mumbled echo'd in Chase's brain. No... he didn't deserve better. He deserved what happened to him just like he deserved his shitty apartment and having almost no friends. He didn't deserve a happy life. That much was obvious to him shortly after he fell from the Heavens. He couldn't go back though. As much as he wanted it. He couldn't go back to just feeling the pain from everyone's grief. He was forced to live his shitty life on Earth. "I wish I never fell from Heaven... I wish I just lived with the grief instead of trying to escape it. In the end it just caused me more pain."

[/b] Chase whispered the words slowly. He had never voiced that before either. It felt comforting to just say that aloud.

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[/b] Clicky! || Notes: [/b] --- || Tagged: [/b] Mori[/center][/font]

[Moriel Sarid]

His arms tightened when he heard the weeping begin. Mori's eyes slid shut and he focused on simply being there with him. One hand rubbed slow circles on Chase's back. It recalled a thousand hugs with loved ones - wives, lovers, children - working through their mortal grief. But Chase was no mortal, and if he lived this way, it was forever. Mori didn't think he could stand the idea of someone living with so much pain for eternity.

"Among the angels, your kind were given the most difficult job of all. Like I said, death is easy. It's those who stay behind that hurt the most." He really couldn't place blame on Chase for trying to escape that constant suffering. He himself had grieved more times than he liked to remember, but to feel the grief of the world? And to feel it all the time? He couldn't say that he wouldn't have run away as well.

When the crying stopped, Moriel pulled Chase back to a short arm's length, looking him in the face. "None of it was your fault, Chase. Not one moment of it." His voice was almost stern, leaving no room for argument. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the demon's forehead like he would when one of his children came to him in tears.

[chase michael jackson]

The circles being rubbed into his back, the feeling of this hug... Chase hadn't had this. Ever. He never had anyone that was there for him like he could feel Mori there. He just let Mori hold him close. Let him comfort him. Let him pull back and kiss him on the forehead. His eyes had fluttered shut for a minute on feeling the lips on his forehead. They felt good... they felt like they should be there. Chase nodded into them slightly. Small movements. He didn't believe it... He wanted to. But he didn't. Yet this guy was telling him it wasn't his fault. Should he listen?

"H-he told me I didn't belong on Earth, Mori... a-and he was right. There's been several times I wish Demons or angels could die. The worst part was that he hurt me the most with his power. He had that mind power thing... But. I have power negation, and I - I couldn't stop him."

[/b] Chase thought that overall that was the worst thought. The knowledge that he could have stopped it and saved himself from torture, but didn't because he wasn't strong enough. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't lay all this on you."[/b] Chase mumbled and sniffed miserably. It wasn't fair of Chase to put this all on Mori.

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[/b] Clicky! || Notes: [/b] --- || Tagged: [/b] Mori[/center][/font]

[Moriel Sarid]

Cupping one of Chase's cheeks in his palm, his thumb wiped at the wetness beneath his eyes. Perhaps it was that he'd gone so many years now without close personal interaction or perhaps it was just the beauty and sweetness he saw in this broken creature, but Moriel felt such a strong affection for him. It made his heart swell and ache in a way that it hadn't in quite a while.

His voice stayed soft and firm, not a hint of uncertainty. "If you weren't meant to be here, Chase, you wouldn't be. I truly believe that." It was moments like this that Moriel questioned his father's decisions. How could he allow such pain? But he reminded himself of the good, and of the new opportunity at hand - to make up for Chase's suffering with care and love.

Cradling the demon's face in his hands, Mori pushed a stray bit of hair back and stared into his eyes. It was a stare that intimidated many. He had been told he had a way of looking through a person that could be unnerving. But he wasn't looking through Chase, he was looking into him. "It wasn't your fault," he repeated. "It wasn't your fault."

[chase michael jackson]

Chase held onto Mori with both hands while the angels hand went to cup his face, his thumb wiping away the tears that had come from Chase's sadness. Mori was a good person. Chase was lucky to have met someone like him. Someone that was trying to help him instead of just put him down. He wanted this. He wanted to listen to what Mori was saying. He wanted to believe the man when he said it wasn't his fault. He wanted to more than anything. He wanted to nod his head and smile at the watcher and say thank you for making him feel better. He just... didn't know if he could fully believe it yet.

"I... thank you."

[/b] Chase mumbled again, unsure of what he was supposed to say or do when he didn't fully believe what the man was saying. Instead he did the next best thing. Without thinking, he leaned in and brushed their lips together, keeping them there even though they were barely touching now. His eyes were closed and he loved feeling this close to someone. It didn't bring the same feeling he had when he was with Brent, but it was still amazing. It was like he needed this.

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[/b] Clicky! || Notes: [/b] --- || Tagged: [/b] Mori[/center][/font]

[Moriel Sarid]

The kiss came as a surprise, though he supposed it shouldn't have. Their moment had become quite intimate quite quickly, and what with the closeness and affection and the way the sunlight was spilling over the demon's sweet face, Mori might have just taken it in that direction himself had chase not taken the initiative. His lips pressed back, a soft sort of caress. After five centuries, he had learned quite a few things about kissing. Still, he found that no one kissed quite the same.

Chase's lips felt tentative but needy. It was clear that this kiss was his way of holding on, an attempt at healing his broken mind. Mori was more than happy to fill that need. One hand still cupping Chase's jaw, the angel's other hand moved down to hold at his waist. His wings curled forward without his noticing, the tips of his feathers brushing the demon's hips.

It was chaste, never more than a lingering, sweet brush of lips against lips. Still, it felt as if so much had been communicated in that moment. Moriel pulled back and stared at Chase again, expression serene. "I'm very glad you came today."

[chase michael jackson]

Chase was glad Mori didn't pull back or anything like that. He wasn't sure he could deal with that one. He didn't know if he could deal with that kind of rejection after spilling out his darkest secret to the man. He didn't though, and that was good. One of his hands stayed on Chase's cheek and the other Chase felt on his waist. Shortly after Chase felt the angel's wings his hips. He missed his wings. It was one of the major things he missed about being a fallen. He was disappointed when his wings disappeared with his soul.

"I'm glad I came too."

[/b] Chase whispered back as his hands went up to rest around the mans neck. He was glad. No matter what he told Mori today, he didn't regret it. He didn't regret letting out his darkest secret to this man, no matter how long he had known him. It just felt good to get it out there, and it felt good to be this close with someone this intimately. Chase wanted this. Even needed it in a way. "Really, really glad."[/b]

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[/b] Clicky! || Notes: [/b] --- || Tagged: [/b] Mori[/center][/font]

[Moriel Sarid]

With a relieved-looking smile, Moriel leaned back down for another brief, chaste kiss and then pulled back again. He had seen modern movies, knew what often happened at this point these days, especially between two adult men. There would be passionate kissing, and then perhaps lovemaking. Though he tried to keep with the times, that still seemed too much to Mori. He looked from the still-moist eyes staring at him to the lips he had just felt on his own and back again. "I hope this doesn't sound to old-fashioned - things work differently these days, I know - but I would like to take you out sometime, if that's something you would be interested in. If not, I understand."

Mori felt trepidation for a moment, worried that he had overstepped somewhere, perhaps he was more out of touch with modern romance than he had thought. Perhaps a kiss no longer lent itself entirely to romantic interest. Perhaps a kiss was just a kiss. Still, Chase was kindhearted and they really did get along. Obviously.

[chase michael jackson]

Chase smiled as he felt Mori's lips meet his own again. It was short still. Sweet. Nothing like what him and Brent did the other night when they first met. Chase wasn't exactly proud of that. Maybe Brent would have actually accepted him if he wasn't a little whore or something. Either way, Chase smiled up at Mori, that smile only grew when Mori asked if he could take him out some time. He hadn't really ever truly been on a date before. He couldn't think of anyone, besides Brent but he wasn't thinking about him, that he'd rather go on a date with. "I'd love to, Mori. I think that sounds amazing."

[/b] Chase mumbled before leaning in to kiss him softly again.

It was one of the only times in a long while that Chase felt truly safe. He was not only in the arms of, but also the wings, a man that knew about what happened to him and still accepted who he was. Knew that he was a demon, and didn't let it change his opinion of Chase. They got along well. Chase couldn't find a valid reason to say no, nor did he want to.

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[/b] Clicky! || Notes: [/b] --- || Tagged: [/b] Mori[/center][/font]

[Moriel Sarid]

Moriel grinned an honest-to-God grin and let himself get caught up in another kiss. This one lasted a bit longer, delved a bit deeper, but stayed well on the innocent side. He would hate to do anything excessive, especially when Chase was in such an emotional state. He refused to take advantage of such a situation.

"Excellent," he agreed. "How about I pick you up after the library closes on Thursday? We can get some dinner." One of his absolute favorite thing about this new generation was that two men could walk down the street hand-in-hand without fear or shame. Most people thought nothing of it anymore, and the ones that did were typically kept in check by ideas of political corectness.

Moriel could easily have stood there, kissing Chase for a good long while, but he didn't want to get carried away. "Now," he said. "I really do want to show you those books. Let me go get them." He gave in to temptation and pressed another brief kiss to the demon's lips before pulling himself away and heading up the stairs to his study. He had set aside the ones he thought the librarian would be interested in after they had met before.

[chase michael jackson]

Chase kissed him back, his lips curled into a smile as he did so. He pulled back when Mori did. He wouldn't push it. He wasn't sure he could push it right now. Dinner sounded amazing though. "Dinner on Thursday sounds awesome."

[/b] Chase told him. He'd have to mark his calender, because he was sure Thursday wouldn't be able to come fast enough now.

With one last kiss, Mori was out of his arms and mentioning the books Chase had originally came for in the first place. He had kind of forgot about them for awhile. For obvious reasons. When Mori started walking away, Chase followed him, unsure of what else to do, exactly. He didn't want to just stay there and wait for the man to come back. So he followed the man into the study and looked around some more. Everything here was just so pretty to Chase. A beautiful house, a handsome guy, first edition books. Chase was in his own little Heaven right now. He wasn't sure Mori would be able to get him to leave, actually. Even though Chase knew he would have to go back to his own house soon.

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[/b] Clicky! || Notes: [/b] --- || Tagged: [/b] Mori[/center][/font]

[Moriel Sarid]

Mori set a stack of books on the desk for Chase to see. "I must admit, I hoard books. My daughter scolds me when she sees how many I have stashed away." He brushed the dust off of an old leather-bound tome. "I was rather enamored with Hugo when he was alive. I have all of his works in first editions - or, I did. I believe a copy or two succumbed to children over the years. I'm fairly sure my son Kenneth hit The Last Day of a Condemned Man with a bottle rocket." He rolled his eyes and laughed.

He set a few more books on the desk and then held up a hand, having just remembered something. "Oh! If you want to see the really old ones, I keep the pre-seventeenth century works in a case. Most of them are falling apart. I have a 1450's edition of One Thousand and One Nights. That one I keep very carefully." He opened the top on a large chest, revealing a glass top and open novels in Arabic script.

"I'm so glad to meet someone even half as interested in these things as I am. If I start to talking about them with others, I always worry I'll bore them."

[chase michael jackson]

Chase looked at the pile of books and instantly smiled, the trace of sadness almost completely out of his face now. Those were his drug. Chase loved books. He ran his hand over the books gently. They looked so beautiful."I wish the library had books like these. I don't think I'd ever be able to put them down."

[/b] Chase whispered lightly, smiling when Mori said he'd lost a few books from his kids.

When Mori mentioned something about even older books he wasn't sure it was possible. Then he brought books with cases over them out and Chase's draw literally dropped. He went over and touched the books through the glass. They were so amazing. "These are beautiful."[/b] Chase whispered before he turned to look at Mori with a huge smile on his face. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of talking about books. Each cover holds a different story, inspired by something we may never know. Each were used to tell the reader something."[/b] Chase mumbled with a smile as he reached over and grabbed one of Mori's hands, lacing their fingers together before turning back to the stack of books that was like gold to him.

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[/b] Clicky! || Notes: [/b] --- || Tagged: [/b] Mori[/center][/font]

[Moriel Sarid]

Moriel watched the wonderment on Chase's face with a soft smile. "Actually, it's funny you should say that..." he mused. "I've actually been thinking about making a donation." He waited for that to sink in. It was something he'd been wavering over for a while now, but seeing the enthusiasm on Chase's face made him suddenly certain that any books he donated would be in good hands.

"Like I said, I've been hoarding them. It seems wrong that all of this history should stay locked up in the tower with no one but myself to see them. I'm not sure about a total donation, but I've been meaning to ask you if you could arrange something...maybe a display in the library? I would, of course, fund whatever modifications needed to be made. Security would need to be increased. I understand if it would be too big a project." He leaned against his desk, wings nearly knocking over the lamp, but he caught it.

His smile broadened as Chase looked over the Arabic tomes. "That's an excellent way of looking at it. Not enough people look at things that way anymore." He pointed out one passage and read a bit in Arabic. "It's beautiful in the translation, but there are certain intricacies that you can only get from the original."