Eruv: Angel of the Line
"The Line must be drawn here! This far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!" -- Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: First Contact
"Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!" -- Claude McKay, "If We Must Die"
Every so often, a group of humans beings holds out against impossible odds.
Thermopylae. Masada. The Warsaw ghetto. Sometimes they survive. Sometimes, they even win.
The Line is there.
When people say "enough is enough," when they make a last stand against the Darkness, alone, outnumbered, outgunned, The Line is there.
When even one man faces his demons, real or imagined, and says "NO," all alone, in the dark, where no one will hear, or know... The Line is there.
He was a Cherub of Stone, once, in happier times, before the darkness came, and with it, wings as black as night. He has been doing what he does a long, long time now, and he's very good at it. His word is one of the most powerful in Stone's service.
And yet...
Eruv is tired. Oh, so very, very tired.
It's not often one sees a depressed angel, but a big part of being on The Line is the high odds of, at least corporeal, defeat and death. It's not common that humans survive being on The Line, and this fact eats at Eruv's original cherubic nature constantly. When The Line tests humans for Stone, "passing" and "dying" are often the same. Yes, they often meet their Destinies that way, but...
And then there's the fear. The fear that one day, the Celestial War will finally turn "hot" again, and he'll be asked to hold that Line. Eruv doesn't fear fighting. He doesn't even fear soul death. He fears the day that Heaven is in such dire straits that The Line will be called on to make its final stand...
Eruv's problems haven't gone unnoticed. Unfortunately, the only Archangel who has noticed isn't exactly on the best of terms with Eruv's superior. Not that that will stop her, if he stumbles.
Novalis used to be his choirmate, after all...
Attunements
Holdfast: Angels with this ability can plant their feet and become immovable, as per Stone's Malakim, attunement, but The Line grants the ability to move their upper bodies, forming a near-impenatrable Line of defense.
Line in the Sand: Angels with this ability can draw a literal line in the dirt. This line will function as a unidirectional Song of Shields, until it is crossed or rubbed out by the maker.
Barricade: Called "Gandalf's Shout" by younger angels, this song, similar to Line in the Sand, creates an instability where the very stone will revolt against one who tried to cross the barricade. Stone bridges will crumble. Landslides will bar mountain passes. Cracks will open in the very Earth to prevent an opponent from reaching a target.
Superior Opinions
Because who says Archangels are the only ones with opinions, about each other?
Blandine: Those who walk the Line do so because they Dream of something better.
It is true. Humans will fight, against all odds, for their dreams. As Blandine does.
David: He is a good and worthy servant, even if his methods are sometimes... lenient.
Stone forms the Line I hold. There can be no surrender, no retreat.
Dominic: I can question his reluctance to act - but never his loyalty to his word. Still, I know his word conflicts him, and thusly he bears watching.
History will be Judgement's judge. He, too, walks a Line. I think, sometimes, closer than he knows.
Eli: Eruv was a good kid before the Fall, and he's a good kid today. Poor guy.
Eli has abandoned his post. This makes no sense. What does he think he is doing?
Gabriel: Holding the line is good, but it is not enough. We must BURN the darkness.
Gabriel teeters on the edge. If any Line needs reinforced, it is hers. Something must be done. Soon.
Janus: Lines are barriers to motion. Still, they are sometimes a force for change.
On those rare occasions we work together, we are indeed effective.
Jean: We do not cross paths often. However, his actions do encourage creative use of one's resources.
A Soldier of the Line, plus tools of Lightning, equals an unpleasant evening for evil.
Jordi: More than a few of his servitors hold environmental lines. I can tolerate that.
Jordi's Line is a lonely one. I give him what help I can. Balance IS possible.
Khalid: The Line has proven most effective in the defense of Faith. However, I do not think Eruv properly appreciates this strength.
Ah. Faith. The one cause for which humans are most willing to stand the Line... and die defending.
Lawrence: He's a good soldier, but I try to use him sparingly. His strength is too valuable, and too fragile, to waste.
I appreciate Lawrence. He knows how to mete out his resources well.
Marc: Trade uses lines - but not his. I fear we rarely mix.
Marc doesn't understand that sometimes his projects play into the very thing the Line must stand against. I do not blame him, but it is frustrating.
Michael: He'd be a lot more effective if he'd be a bit more proactive. Take the fight to the enemy. You're a Malakite, after all.
And he thinks I'm pleased by that? Michael takes pride in his victories. I don't
Novalis: He is one of our greatest. But the price he pays... the terrible, terrible price...
...all love is unrequited...
Yves: He and his are needed more and more nowadays -- and they meet their Destinies with great, if sad, frequency.
I trust Yves. In all honesty, I couldn't not, and stay sane.
Zadkiel: I appreciate his goals... but not his means. Not at all.
She is... most honorable. *glances around* I wonder, sometimes, if I serve in the right place. Time will tell.