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( visiting Hadassah )
There's a long moment, entering Hadassah's apartment, when everything looks disarmingly normal. Richly furnished, yes—dark walls accented in gold and painted with murals that depict flowers and fruit (pomegranates, split figs, branches of olives) entwined with serpents; chaise lounges and deep-cushioned chairs upholstered in wine red velvet; a mantle over a vast fireplace, hung with actual branches of olives; the fireplace itself, in which sticks of incense are slowly burning, filling the room with the gentle haze of spiced smoke—but all of it is within the bounds of the real. From somewhere in another room comes the slightly staticky sound of an Édith Piaf record playing.
Step inside further, though, and there's a feeling of vertigo. The walls and ceiling seem to stretch away impossibly far—as though sinking down to a cavern at the center of the earth, gazing up at the too-too distant stars, vast and claustrophobic all at once—
Then the feeling ends, and the apartment is its original incense-and-velvet self once again.
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Is there a problem? Isn't the angel the key to getting into Heaven? Shouldn't you be happy, [ a pause. ] unless he's the one that got his hands on it. If I'm not mistaken that broadcast did come from inside his home.
In any case, Hadassah, I want to help.
I am your Oracle.
If Heaven is what you want, then it should be yours. As I mentioned very briefly I have plans of my own and they include usurping a different "throne".
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[ she paces around D.va, circling her in a way that could just as easily be thoughtful as predatory ]
Mm, come to think of it, there's so much more I could ask you, and ask of you, little Oracle. Like what you saw when you were within me. Perhaps we can share and share alike, no?
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[ she doesn't move her head, though she's definitely keeping tabs on hadassah, her eyes lifting to meet hers when she finally does come back into view. ]
Mm, that certainly sounds fair. [ she produces an angel feather from seemingly nowhere, tapping it against her own nose as she smirks from behind it. ] A small token of my appreciation and to what I hope is the first of many. As I said, I do hope Heaven becomes yours.
[ offers it to her. ] And if I tell you, then what will you tell me?
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[ She accepts the feather, twirling it between her fingers to appreciate how it shimmers in the low light, then holds it against her lips, where it half-conceals her coy smile. ]
And: of course I'll tell you everything I know about the angel's whereabouts. The inside scoop on the gossip.
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[ she shuts her eyes and falls silent for a moment as she recounts the vision. it’s been a while, but after a bit she can see it clear as day, and so she has no problems relaying it to hadassah, ]
Light pours through the cracks and she's gone, but not; whole pieces, still herself.
Shed skin held in her hands with the blood, then the serpent is two... both distinct.
Blood and flesh is the price paid, jewel like snake in the other's hand.
[ opening her eyes she looks to her, ] Have I told you I’m worried about you? [ she reaches out to her, trying to keep her expression neutral, through there’s the slightest hint of a frown. ] I don’t completely understand the implications of what this means, but... both you and her [ her being pythia. ] ...
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As she begins reciting the vision, though, Hadassah's silence is of a different quality: deliberate and intense.
When D.va opens her eyes once more, the Host is swaying slightly on her feet, as if to the lingering rhythm of the verse; her eyes are oddly unfocused. ]
B̸̞͚͝o̵̗̔̉̉t̵̡̠̋̇̿h̵̦͌͑͝ me and h̶e̸r̴...?
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[ d.va blinks and reaches for her in an attempt to steady her. ] Hadassah! [ it's hard to keep her expression neutral when she's legit concerned. ah well. ] ... [ oh. now... that's new. ]
I remember you saying that you and her go way back and... and that she wouldn't be her without you. Is she the second serpent split from the first, the original ...you?
/3
I—
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done.
Of course I've taught Pythia so very much, so it's natural that in these deep-earth metaphors we would seem quite similar!
[ conspiratorial ] I'm an excellent role model, you know.
Besides that, it seems a relatively straightforward telling of my incredibly impolite treatment by Apollo. But I think I pull off the burn scarring rather daringly, if I say so myself.
Re: done.
this is kind of alarming. ]
[ d.va's hands are on hadassah's shoulders as she brings her closer and tries to lead her to the tripod to sit... but then she manages to recover just as quick as she faltered, which, of course, she's thankful for, but hm. ]
...no doubt in my mind. [ smiles at the pat to her cheek. ] I read about that... and, if I'm being honest, [ she hums, thoughtful. ] was kinda of wondering why you'd help her out, since she's so absolutely enamored with him... though, I'm guessing you're going to be getting something good out of this. [ a smirk tugs at her lips. ] I mean, you did say you were an excellent role model, ne, so there must be several strings getting pulled from behind the scenes~ [ she leans towards her. ] Is there more than one production going on~? [ is pythia just another "talent" you discovered and acquired...? ]
Absolutely~, but you should know by now that you don't have to try very hard to look that good, Hadassah. [ she takes a step back and reclaims her seat on the tripod, one leg moving over the other as she folds her hands neatly in her lap. ] Some of us are just naturally radiant~
...i'm so sorry i disappeared on this
Truly, though—
All we need is Heaven. That is what Pythia serves now, not some irrelevant old god.
[ with sudden earnestness ] She will restore us. I believe it.
it's alright. it happens! and imeeji hasn't slowed down. i'm dying!!!
Restore? [ arches a brow. ] But, mm, believe in the cause is most important, so you have my belief too. I chose my side the moment I chose you.
Now can you tell me about the Angel, and what was up with that Broadcast, ..? It involved a unitmate of mine, as I'm sure you're aware, so I'm in the market for a little revenge.
aren't we all!!
Mm, your devotion is truly potent—what a treasure that is.
But yes, the exchange is made, and the truth is due:
The angel is no longer ours. That is the greatest secret of it: for all our work, still when Lucifer asks, we must provide.
[ she tuts ] Not even professional courtesy among the cold-blooded.
What what done to Hurricane and Nemesis was not by our hand, but by whomever was given the angel in turn. Someone undoubtedly very determined to deny us the divine blessing to which we have so devoted ourselves—which we have earned.
_(:3」∠)_
[ that is not an answer she's expecting. lucifer. she'd asked for the angel. but... why... ] He took it from you, handed it off to some... some asshole, and then they did... that... [ oh, now she's made for, like, a dozen reasons. ]
[ she takes a moment to get a hold of herself, so she can speak slow and even... ] Did he give it to Azzy & Co. Or do you think it was a third party? [ turns her head just a bit, gazing at hadassah out of the corner of her eyes and through her bangs. ] But, mm, it would seem so...
Are you and Thia working on a plan to get the angel back? If so, then I'd like to offer my assistance, especially in cutting down this mystery man. [ or, y'know, who/whatever it is. ]
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Well I think little Azzy must have cashed in quite a few favors, but... between you and me, darling, I'm not too good to admit when it's really just the personal venom talking.
[ something she's also not too good for: snake puns. no one is too good for snake puns. ]
But it's a very poorly kept secret indeed that the broadcast came to us all direct from the shithole—pardon my French—he calls a summer home.
For the time being, I have every intent of resolving this with a personal favorite game of mine: politics. And I'm not inclined to give those stick-up-their ass edgelords the victory they want by disillusioning our people with the news.
[ airily ] If you truly want to help, the first of all things is that I just know you won't disappoint me by making my job harder, hm?
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[ she bristles at the thought of the house™. bad time and bad memories. ] Yeah, even we recognized that. HSS started in the basement, so we came to know that place like the back of our hand... and, mm, it's definitely a shithole. [ crinkles her nose. ] I'm pretty sure it's gone now though, so at least there's that.
[ nods, humming along with her as she talks, but when she's spoken to she stops abruptly. oof. ] No, of course not. I don't want that at all. You already have enough on your plate.