And here's a new fic for Gabriel. Since I'm still getting to know him and his personality seems rather changeable I thought I'd share our first meeting with you
Spoiler:
Mastery Over One's Fears
It wasn't that his ego wasn't massaged by the offer - any Wraith would be pleased to have a female offer herself as their worshipper - but suspicion was always at the back of his mind. He knew she already worshipped two other Wraith who happened to live with her on Earth, and that they had accepted her quite readily, yet this was not so much the case with Gabriel.
His treatment at the hands of the humans on Earth, in the alternate universe he originally came from, had given him reason to mistrust and be suspicious of this 'PA' and her motives. Perhaps she was trying to lure him into some sort of trap.
I will not allow that to happen. I would rather die than face such humiliation and subjection again! No, he wouldn't be taken in; she would have to earn his trust, and would comply if she truly wished to be his worshipper.
Later that evening he sensed the presence of a new female aboard the hive, not one of the usual visitors. He felt her searching him out, and slowly made his way to the briefing room. Observing her for a few moments he found her physical form pleasing enough, but it was the feeling of her aura that made the bigger impression.
Pushing past her obvious nervousness he found a quiet confidence, a soul who appreciated the arts, the higher questions in life and, most importantly, had a respect for the Wraith and their way of life. So at least she conformed to some of his criteria - but he mustn't allow a fair face to distract him.
The feeling of a Wraith searching her mind was nothing new, but PA knew this one wasn't like Aurora or Craig. As she turned around she saw Gabriel standing in the doorway - the Todd from an alternate universe. Her legs turned to jelly.
"Er, I know you probably don't even want a worshipper... I mean, why would you want a human-"
He held up his hand to stop her and said simply, "You are indeed a strange creature, but I can sense you have a poetic nature. Perhaps we should continue our conversation somewhere more private."
PA managed to nod in reply and followed him to his private quarters. He had clearly been traumatised by his ordeal on AU Earth, and in a way his aloofness made her feel a little uneasy; but he had recognised she could appreciate his rather unique brand of poetry, so at least that was a start.
-----
Gabriel's quarters were much like any other in their structure, but were sparsely decorated, with only a few throws on the bed, a chest of drawers in one corner and an old wooden chest in another. It felt very impersonal, like he was prepared to leave at a moment's notice if he had to, like he wouldn't permit himself to truly make this place his home.
Picking up on her thoughts he decided to speak out.
"I was a Commander once, and now I am resigned to my current position. Do not underestimate me, I... appreciate what 'Boris', as you call him, has done for me in giving me a purpose here... but I had all that was mine, all I had earned, taken from me by those humans.
"I was kept like a caged animal, burning with hunger because they would not allow me to feed. I became delirious with the fire, it burned to the very core of my being." He paused and added quietly, "Some of that has remained with me, become a part of me; a wound that festers and will not heal."
He looked to PA, who was sat on his bed, visibly pained that such a once-magnificent Wraith had been reduced to this by her own race. Noting this Gabriel continued, "Do not think it will be easy. I know that you are a 'healer' of sorts, and perhaps that is one reason why you chose to offer yourself as my worshipper, but this will be no simple matter for you.
"I warn you, the wounds inflicted upon me run deep, and my moods can change like the winds. At times I am calm and collected, the remnants of the Commander I once was... and at others the fire returns and it cannot be quenched. For all of your inner strength, your compassion for others means that this will upset you greatly. You know what I once was because he is still here; 'Todd' is what I once was, and still would be, had I not been tortured as I was.
"So, Little One, would you still take a broken Wraith as your master? For I would recommend that you get out of this now, while you still can, if you feel you cannot."
PA took a deep breath. She knew Gabriel had suffered at the hands of humans, but seeing how he changed between personalities, like there were two of him completely at odds with each other in one body, filled her with sadness - and anger. It made her more determined to do all she could to ease his tortured his soul. Perhaps with taking small steps to earn his trust she could eventually help him.
"I haven't changed my mind," she told him, staring him straight in the eye.
Nodding in acceptance he was mildly impressed by this physically fragile creature's perseverance. Perhaps compassion wasn't such a weakness after all, for when faced with such a challenge she remained steadfast.
Feeling that one of 'her' Wraith was waiting outside, Gabriel informed her and accompanied her to the hallway.
"Perhaps we can continue our discussion another time."
PA nodded and said goodbye, walking with Craig back to the dart bay. As he watched their closeness Gabriel frowned, not knowing what to make of it. True, worshippers had become favoured ones when he was a Commander, but they weren't more than merely a warmth on a cool night, or for tending to certain needs and urges - and 'Craig' wasn't even the one she was closest to.
-----
Back home with Aurora and Craig, PA knew she had to find a way to get through to Gabriel. Even if he wouldn't accept her as a worshipper in the full sense to begin with, perhaps he would accept a companion - someone to listen, someone to encourage him to find an outlet for all he was holding in. Maybe her appreciation of his poetry could be used as a starting point.
As she drifted to sleep that night these words came to her, echoing from afar:
Calm and tranquil waters lap at my feet,
But I am tied to this spot.
Who now will bring the water to me,
Quench my thirst when the desert is hot?
Take me far away,
Far away from this place
That has become my prison.
Take me to another world,
One where the sun has set
And the stars have risen.
In his own way Gabriel was reaching out to her, asking her to be the water that could calm the fire, the one to release him from his prison of inner turmoil. He may not fully trust her yet, but he recognised she was willing, and pride was not as important as becoming one's true self again. Mastery over one's fears made the soul stronger.
It wasn't that his ego wasn't massaged by the offer - any Wraith would be pleased to have a female offer herself as their worshipper - but suspicion was always at the back of his mind. He knew she already worshipped two other Wraith who happened to live with her on Earth, and that they had accepted her quite readily, yet this was not so much the case with Gabriel.
His treatment at the hands of the humans on Earth, in the alternate universe he originally came from, had given him reason to mistrust and be suspicious of this 'PA' and her motives. Perhaps she was trying to lure him into some sort of trap.
I will not allow that to happen. I would rather die than face such humiliation and subjection again! No, he wouldn't be taken in; she would have to earn his trust, and would comply if she truly wished to be his worshipper.
Later that evening he sensed the presence of a new female aboard the hive, not one of the usual visitors. He felt her searching him out, and slowly made his way to the briefing room. Observing her for a few moments he found her physical form pleasing enough, but it was the feeling of her aura that made the bigger impression.
Pushing past her obvious nervousness he found a quiet confidence, a soul who appreciated the arts, the higher questions in life and, most importantly, had a respect for the Wraith and their way of life. So at least she conformed to some of his criteria - but he mustn't allow a fair face to distract him.
The feeling of a Wraith searching her mind was nothing new, but PA knew this one wasn't like Aurora or Craig. As she turned around she saw Gabriel standing in the doorway - the Todd from an alternate universe. Her legs turned to jelly.
"Er, I know you probably don't even want a worshipper... I mean, why would you want a human-"
He held up his hand to stop her and said simply, "You are indeed a strange creature, but I can sense you have a poetic nature. Perhaps we should continue our conversation somewhere more private."
PA managed to nod in reply and followed him to his private quarters. He had clearly been traumatised by his ordeal on AU Earth, and in a way his aloofness made her feel a little uneasy; but he had recognised she could appreciate his rather unique brand of poetry, so at least that was a start.
-----
Gabriel's quarters were much like any other in their structure, but were sparsely decorated, with only a few throws on the bed, a chest of drawers in one corner and an old wooden chest in another. It felt very impersonal, like he was prepared to leave at a moment's notice if he had to, like he wouldn't permit himself to truly make this place his home.
Picking up on her thoughts he decided to speak out.
"I was a Commander once, and now I am resigned to my current position. Do not underestimate me, I... appreciate what 'Boris', as you call him, has done for me in giving me a purpose here... but I had all that was mine, all I had earned, taken from me by those humans.
"I was kept like a caged animal, burning with hunger because they would not allow me to feed. I became delirious with the fire, it burned to the very core of my being." He paused and added quietly, "Some of that has remained with me, become a part of me; a wound that festers and will not heal."
He looked to PA, who was sat on his bed, visibly pained that such a once-magnificent Wraith had been reduced to this by her own race. Noting this Gabriel continued, "Do not think it will be easy. I know that you are a 'healer' of sorts, and perhaps that is one reason why you chose to offer yourself as my worshipper, but this will be no simple matter for you.
"I warn you, the wounds inflicted upon me run deep, and my moods can change like the winds. At times I am calm and collected, the remnants of the Commander I once was... and at others the fire returns and it cannot be quenched. For all of your inner strength, your compassion for others means that this will upset you greatly. You know what I once was because he is still here; 'Todd' is what I once was, and still would be, had I not been tortured as I was.
"So, Little One, would you still take a broken Wraith as your master? For I would recommend that you get out of this now, while you still can, if you feel you cannot."
PA took a deep breath. She knew Gabriel had suffered at the hands of humans, but seeing how he changed between personalities, like there were two of him completely at odds with each other in one body, filled her with sadness - and anger. It made her more determined to do all she could to ease his tortured his soul. Perhaps with taking small steps to earn his trust she could eventually help him.
"I haven't changed my mind," she told him, staring him straight in the eye.
Nodding in acceptance he was mildly impressed by this physically fragile creature's perseverance. Perhaps compassion wasn't such a weakness after all, for when faced with such a challenge she remained steadfast.
Feeling that one of 'her' Wraith was waiting outside, Gabriel informed her and accompanied her to the hallway.
"Perhaps we can continue our discussion another time."
PA nodded and said goodbye, walking with Craig back to the dart bay. As he watched their closeness Gabriel frowned, not knowing what to make of it. True, worshippers had become favoured ones when he was a Commander, but they weren't more than merely a warmth on a cool night, or for tending to certain needs and urges - and 'Craig' wasn't even the one she was closest to.
-----
Back home with Aurora and Craig, PA knew she had to find a way to get through to Gabriel. Even if he wouldn't accept her as a worshipper in the full sense to begin with, perhaps he would accept a companion - someone to listen, someone to encourage him to find an outlet for all he was holding in. Maybe her appreciation of his poetry could be used as a starting point.
As she drifted to sleep that night these words came to her, echoing from afar:
Calm and tranquil waters lap at my feet,
But I am tied to this spot.
Who now will bring the water to me,
Quench my thirst when the desert is hot?
Take me far away,
Far away from this place
That has become my prison.
Take me to another world,
One where the sun has set
And the stars have risen.
In his own way Gabriel was reaching out to her, asking her to be the water that could calm the fire, the one to release him from his prison of inner turmoil. He may not fully trust her yet, but he recognised she was willing, and pride was not as important as becoming one's true self again. Mastery over one's fears made the soul stronger.
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