Semi-open RP: After the Dig

[bestdigger.livejournal.com]

((Mostly for Uriel and Sallah to talk, but others are welcome to chat with Sallah and try to cheer him up.))

For days after the dig, Sallah kept to himself, staring at the mysteriously-healed excavation site and attempting to write notes on what they'd found. But what was there to say, really? "Six feet down, encountered concrete that resisted all known tools." End of story.

Finally concluding that man could not live on water and pineapple spears alone, he pulled himself together and ventured out into the park. His peregrinations, mostly aimless, finally took him to Critter Country and the Hungry Bear Restaurant, where he prepared himself a vegetable sandwich. He took his meal out on to the deck and stared at the river, lost in thought.

Comments

[urielofearth.livejournal.com]

Uriel noticed Sallah on his daily stroll (which usually took most of the day). Remembering the dig and the events after it, he headed towards the man.

"Good evening," he said. "I don't think I have seen you around here before."

[bestdigger.livejournal.com]

"I had not yet visited this part of the park, so I thought I might..." Sallah shrugged. He turned to look at the visitor. "Mr Uriel, isn't it? How do you do?"

[urielofearth.livejournal.com]

"Very well, thank you. And how do you do?"

Uriel glanced at the river, than again at Sallah. "I hope it isn't a problem what I did at the excavation site," he said. "I can put things back to how they were if you'd prefer that, but I prefer to heal earth instead of tearing it."

[bestdigger.livejournal.com]

"You ... what?" Sallah blinked at the tall man and tried to make sense of what he said. After a moment, the penny dropped. "It was you, then? Who ... put everything back? I thought it was the park, but --" He paused. "Who are you? What are you?"

The latter would have seemed like an unreasonable question under other circumstances, but here, considering that one had already met a goddess, it was perhaps more or less logical.

[urielofearth.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I put everything back," Uriel said. "I didn't know whether the park would do it, so I wanted to be sure. I could probably open the hole again, should you want it, but I doubt it'd be of any use, really..."

He then tilted his head to the side. "What am I? I am an angel," he answered simply. Once again, he had no idea about subtlety. "The Angel of Earth, more specifically."

[bestdigger.livejournal.com]

"The planet earth?" Sallah asked. It was the first thing out of his mouth and the only response he could formulate.

He sighed a little. "I had hoped, in fact, that I might learn more about the park by seeing what it did with the excavation ... but no matter, I suppose. We are still unable to leave, no matter what."

[urielofearth.livejournal.com]

"No, the element earth," Uriel replied. "I control plants and the ground and the like. That's how I filled the excavation site, too. It was quite tiring, but I managed it faster than I had imagined I would."

He then shrugged. "I do think we'll find a way out eventually. It just might take time. Hopefully not too much for you mortals..."

[bestdigger.livejournal.com]

Sallah thought that the angel's bedside manner left something to be desired; the mention of you mortals gave him a bit of a chill there. "Indeed, I hope so as well." He chuckled, then. "Had I known who you were, sir, our dig might have gone much more quickly. It will take some getting used to, the presence of ... of such as yourself."

[urielofearth.livejournal.com]

Uriel couldn't help it, really. The few humans he usually dealt with were already dead, and thus he didn't know that such allusions to their mortality might not be too pleasant to humans.

"I suppose it would have been faster, yes," he said. "However, even though I hardly try to hide what I am, I thought it better not to shock everybody too badly. Besides, everybody seemed to be having such fun participating that it would have been a pity to interfere."

After a moment's thought, he added, "Not that it would have made any true difference, of course. There was nothing I could do about that substance we encountered. It was in the ground, yes, but it was... not ground."

[bestdigger.livejournal.com]

"Did you perhaps have any insight as to what it was?" Sallah inquired. "It was like no other surface I have ever seen." He shook his head, still disturbed by the sproinnng.

[urielofearth.livejournal.com]

Uriel shook his head regretfully. "As I said, it was not ground," he said. "All I can say is that it's nothing natural. I've never encountered anything like it, either. And, I'm afraid, we have no way of getting through it."

He was disturbed by it, too. He was supposed to understand earth. This not-earth was quite unsettling.

[bestdigger.livejournal.com]

Sallah sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Ah well. I daresay you are right, my friend." He looked up at the angel curiously. "If it is not too bold of me to ask, how did you come to this place?"

[urielofearth.livejournal.com]

"I'd like to know that, myself," Uriel sighed. "One day I was back home, peacefully walking around in Hades, and the next moment I found myself here. It is quite unsettling, to say the least."

[bestdigger.livejournal.com]

"Indeed." Sallah isn't sure whether to be comforted or dismayed by the fact that an angel is as put out over the situation as he, a mere mortal, is. "Well, my friend, I am glad that you told me of your role in, er, cleaning up the excavation. It is good to be in possession of all the facts, after all."

[urielofearth.livejournal.com]

"And I'm glad it didn't cause any trouble," Uriel replied. "I just didn't want to leave the ground wounded, as it were." He paused, then continued, "Well, I shall not disturb you any more, then. Have a pleasant day."

[bestdigger.livejournal.com]

Sallah doffed his hat. "And you, sir. I hope I shall see you again."