the bathroom window

The shackles held firm, despite Rosabiel's unceasing assults against them. Clearly the were not metal - her powers would have destroyed them with the slightest of touches. They were a charmed creation, untouchable to her angelic magic.

Ancient curses poured from her crackled lips. The demon had the upper hand, she realized with sickening logic, and any effort she made to escape would be thorted.

From the other side of the bars, Hinnom watched and caculated. The angel had yet to be broken completely. To approach her now would be a walk to a certain death. Furious with anger and desperation, Rosabiel would kill mercilessly. From the darkness he saw her eyes glittering in the waning light of her halo. Though her prsion would hold her, Hinnom took a step back, warily eyeing her as he dialed a number on his phone.

The hours past with grueling slowness, but Rosabiel waited, sphinx-like, for the oppunity that had yet been dancing out of reach. When the bewitched door finally opened and a man with shattered wings stared down at her, she readied for war.

Thaumiel's cigarette was dropped to the ground and then crushed into the floor with a heavy heel. "Forgive this cruelty," he said as he walked toward his prsioner, "But I knew you wouldn't willingly come to me."

Rosabiel remained silent.

"You aren't usually so haughty," he complained. After another moment of silence, he waved his hand dismissively. "I'll grant you that this is less than ordinary. You have every right to be sullen."

Her wine red eyes stared through him to the open door. She had previously assumed that she was trapped with high demon magic, a cell possibly constructed by Belial himself. With the appearence of the Fallen, her assumption had been proven wrong. The Fallen survived on a twisted, atramentous version of angelic magic. Forced serenity blanked her stare and she turned a disinterested face on Thaumiel. "Disappointed," she corrected. "I was hoping that perhaps I could save you and reurn you to the Heavens. Pity that you've chosen to be my enemy rather than friend."

"And what," he was taunting now, cruel and sharp, "You think that your love will redeem me?"

She flinched, it was so crude when he put it like that. "No..." she said, uncertainly, "But-"

He swooped down, a hawk uponhis prey. He grabbed her small wrists in his hands and pinned her, hard, against the wall. Their bodies touched as he held her captive; thighs pushed against intimate places, chest crushed so hearts pounded together, lips that nearly kissed. ""Do you still want me?" His dark eyes narrowed and glittered in the remainly light; he could have passed as demon spawn, this fallen angel. He ground against her and she gasped as she felt his erection. "Are you human enough for that?"

Rosabiel stared up at him. She was so insignificant compared to him. Tiny, like a mouse fighting against a lion. She titled her head, her lavender hair falling unto her shoulder, and smiled. And then, with furious speed, drove her knee into his stomach.

Thaumiel gagged and stumbled back, his lungs desperate for air.

Thaumiel allowed the demon to nervously pace the office, waiting for the tardy fallen, for a full ten minutes. He watched, an amused smile on his narrow lips, as Hinnom attempted to patiently wait in the leather armchair, fail, and then trot around the room, poking and prodding the various displays. Finally Thaumiel made his appearence.

Hinnom had been examining a case of ancient Roman coins with interest when the office door swung open. Like a guilty child he jumped back, away from the glass, and lowered his head. His submissive pose invoked a chuckle from the Fallen Angel who walked forward to examine the Demon more closely.

"Head up, Demon," Thaumiel ordered gently, "There's no need to bow to me."

Hinnom complied with a scowl, annoyed that he had allowed himself to fall into the passive role. "I don't bow to you, Fallen. You merely surprised me."

Thaumiel laughed again and then breezed past the younger man to sit behind his massive mahagony desk. "Very well," he said as Hinnom again took a seat, "Then let us get directly to business. Excuse me for the frankness, but why are you here?"

Hinnom willed himself not to figet. "I saw you the other day and followed you back here. I knew that you were a fallen as soon as I laid eyes on you."

Thaumiel gathered some papers that had been spread aroung the desktop and placed them neatly in a drawer, unconcerned with the observation. "Indeed. And as soon as I saw you, I knew you were a demon. You're wasting my time. What is your point?"

Hinnom shifted in his chair but otherwise ignored the rude comment. "Which one are you?"

The Fallen Angel looked up slowly. "Thaumiel," he said as he stared at the demon. "And you?"

"Hinnom. Demon of Garbage." Hinnom recited quickly, more eager to learn more about the fallen then to make proper introductions. "Angel of the Crown, right? When did you fall? Have you always been in Tokyo?"

Jigane stood transfixed on her little deck, her eyes wide and watering in the cold. The most amazing thing was happening, snowflakes, little white stars, were falling from heaven! Never had she seen such a sight, first she feared that heaven had exploded and the small spots were the remnents of it crashing down to earth and then she hoped that maybe it was confetti that Seraph was throwing. Whatever it was, it was absotuely awesome. It only made sense, then, to call everyone she knew to tell them of this miracle.

Kimi's excitement was negative. "It's snow, Ji-san. It happens every winter."

Rumi was slightly more amazed, but significantly less than the angel. "Did you grow up in the tropics? The first snow is always the best... I'll be sick of it come February."

When Ro came on the line, Jigane found someone to share in her enthusiasm. "Bundle up," he commanded, "Let's go make snow angels."

It was this activity that perhaps intrigued her the most, even more than the falling snow. Snow angels? Her heart pitter-patted with a thrill unfamillar to her; had he found out her secret? Did he know other angels? Jigane worried and wondered as she dressed. First came the knee-high socks, then her thick green pants, then her comfy boots. She wore two teeshirts and layed those with a sweatshirt before zippering up her jacket. Gloves, kitty hat, rainbow scraf, and she was ready.

Ro laughed and poked at the puffy ball with legs. He could barely see her eyes peering out, but he praised her for dressing warmly. She could barely see, what with her hat pulled so far down, so he took her by the hand and led her out into winter.

It took a while to find a haven of undisturbed snow. The sidewalks and streets were continuously being plowed and people with lawns refused to let the two play in their private snow. Finally Ro and Ji found a spot and to celebrate Ro fell backwards onto it. Ji stared in confused awe.

First her splayed his legs. And then he pulled them together again. And then, this got stranger and stranger by the moment, he swooshed his arms back and forth. He jumped back up and pointed with pride. "Look how wellit turned out! Hold on, I need to make a halo."

The result was an indent shaped like a person wearing a dress with wide sleaves. This was it? Jigane raised an eyebrow. "It's... lovely."

"I've always liked making snow angels," Ro confessed shyly, "I guess I need to grow up." He looked at his masterpiece again and frowned, his cold, blue-tinted lips pouting. "It doesn't really look like an angel, but you get the picture."

Funny, two angels right in front of him and he only recognized the fake.