Video: Open: (CW: possible discussion of a mass death event and/or domestic violence)

[nothinglikea]

[much of Rose can be seen from the nose down where she's wrapped in a deep burgundy robe, a canary perched on her shoulder and singing sweetly to the audience]

This may sound terribly stupid, but let me preface that with the fact that I'm new. Still terribly new, despite all I have seen in the past several days.

What is the difference between an Arcane Scholar and simply a scholar? If I'm interested in the one, does it dictate that I be interested in the other? [a frustrated sigh] I realize this may all be rudimentary to those who have been here a while, but I'm still at less than a month, so please show me some measure of mercy?

Thank you.

Comments

[morningstud]

Not... normally, no.

But they kidnapped my nephew, threatened to raise him as a lord of Hell who wouldn't "abandon" them...

[He just sort of. Sighs sadly.]

I couldn't let something like that happen a second time.

[nothinglikea]

Your--pardon me. I simply never thought of you having a family of your own before. I'm sorry if that betrays...a lack of creativity on my part.

[but she's transfixed, nonetheless]

No. No, of course not. Your nephew was a child, was he not? Children should be allowed to determine their own fates.

[morningstud]

Oh, it's no bother. But I do have a family; quite an extensive one. And a Mum, though Father did what he could to erase that fact.

[But it's more than obvious he doesn't fault Rose for any of this.]

My brother Amenadiel had a son with a dear friend of mine, Linda.

[Depending on how well Rose knows her scripture, this name might stand out to her: there is no Amenadiel in the Bible, at least not one in her world.]

[nothinglikea]

I suppose such notions would get in the way of scripture. There may be slightly more room for outsiders in the New Testament, but that went for the son. His disciples weren't as open-minded as He.

[from what she knew of the Bible, at least. she hadn't actually read it cover to cover in years, other than rereading Revelations on occasion. it was thrilling, like a serial novel]

...Amenadiel? Am I saying that right? I don't recall him from what I do remember of the Bible. Not even where--where God made a wager, as was in the case of Job.

[morningstud]

Yes, that is a problem. Though knowledge of the divine has been known for as long as humanity has existed, my Father has always deigned to have His approach be entirely hands-off.

[At her question though, he nods.]

Not all of us engaged so heavily with humanity in the past, my brother is a perfectly good example of that. He's certainly changed now, though.

[nothinglikea]

Hands-off? So ever since Adam and Eve failed, we've been left alone to our own devices? [a pause] I likely shouldn't have been surprised.

Changed? May I ask what kind of change?

[morningstud]

Believe me when I say this: for all His faults, He does care deeply about humanity. To the point where it affected His family. Much of that involved allowing people to make their own choices.

[As for Adam and Eve...]

I'm afraid I will have to take credit for the "failure" of Adam and Eve, but it's not what you think. Before Eve, Adam had a first wife, Lilith. A woman who was equal to him in every way, and would not be controlled. Adam, being a lout, hated this. Eve was his second wife, quite literally made from one of his ribs. This affected her horribly, made her feel as though she was hardly a person at all.

I merely taught her how to love herself.

[He does smile at her question, though.]

He met Linda. The woman who would become the mother of his child.

[nothinglikea]

Free will. That's a very helpful thing to have. It saved me on more than one occasion.

[the description of what became of Adam and Lilith strikes close to home] Unfortunately, some men are incapable of tolerating a woman who is their equal or their superior. I know that from experience. And one shouldn't be surprised, I suppose, because didn't Adam blame the whole thing with the apple on Eve? Typical.

Good. Such a thing is entirely underrated.

[she smiles back]

I see! Love has a way of changing one's point of view.

[morningstud]

Something like that. It was quite a bizarre situation— though, there is one point that didn't make it into the Bible. Father eventually forgave them, and allowed them to ascend to Heaven.

Unfortunately, it didn't happen before their son made a mistake he paid for for thousands of years.

But, I suppose there was a "silver lining" of a sort. Eve did eventually leave him. Gave up her immortality for a chance at life once more.

[But... besides the rough history of the world of Celestials, things aren't all bad.]

They are quite the couple given the circumstances.

[nothinglikea]

Really? Of course that would be kept out of the Old Testament and it would be too difficult to work it into the New Testament somehow.

Ah. Cain, I assume?

Good. I hope she met some nice man who made Adam seem like chopped liver.

[not all bad is an improvement on bad?]

I'm glad. Everyone deserves the chance to be happy.