You had a husband, once upon a time ago.
A perfect gentleman some would say, and you were inclined to agree with them. He had been perfect in every way from his mannerisms to the way that he wooed you. Without him your short life would have been dull and filled with monotony, but when he came into your life all of the sudden there was color to your gray world.
He was a sight to see with his beautiful olive skin and mocha brown hair being complimented by his red overcoat and fitted suits. His voice was also perfect, a timbre meant for radio it seemed. He was tall, dark, and handsome, every girl's dream guy and you were lucky to call him yours.
You met him in your mid twenties and he just about to be thirty, and you didn't believe some lucky woman hadn't snatched him up. It was a whirlwind romance, love at first sight you would say.
He had met you in a speakeasy run by a close acquaintance of yours, Mimzy, and claimed to be dazzled by the way you danced with the other women. One moment you were dancing with your girlfriends and then next you were quite literally swept off your feet by the most dashing man you had ever seen! You had been startled for a moment but his beautiful smile charmed you and you matched his energy.
The night you met Alastor LeBlanc you fell in love, and were finally happy.
It was a shame that between meeting the love of your life and the day you died, you only got to spend a mere two years with him.
Those two years were the best of your life. Your whirlwind romance had lead to a quick marriage within just a year of knowing Alastor, and he brought you out on the town many times. Eager to show you the finer things in life as he called it, smothering you in new clothing and jewels despite your protests. Whenever he went on air at his radio job he would always dedicate a song to you, and you listened in on the radio he had given you.
Sometimes he would cook for you, going through the entire process from selecting the meats at the butchers to sautéing vegetables. Alastor never minded that you were a horrible cook and taught you how to make his late mother's recipes and you were more than happy to surprise him at the end of a long day broadcasting with etouffee or jambalaya. You even went out to libraries to learn new recipes or to your married friends' houses and begged them to teach you how to cook, which they always did.
On Sundays, he would walk you to church, and pick you up after mass ended, and while you wished he would join you you never bothered him since he was so busy with his job.
By the time you were married he moved you into his home, a lovely townhouse in the middle of New Orleans and you livened up the place as he would joke to you. As the new Mrs. LeBlanc you went about your days trying to emulate the grace and elegance Alastor had in spades, and you cared for your new home and husband. You never minded that he would come home late from work somedays, even though some days he came back in new outfits.
When you asked he would laugh it off, "Oh darling, the studio gets so stuffy and warm, especially during the summer that I've grown accustomed to having a change of clothes. Can't have others think I'm some sweaty animal walking around can I?"
He was right of course, New Orleans was humid and even you struggled with the wet heat most days.
Instead you merely sent him to work with an extra suit, freshly pressed and starched just the way he liked it. Your girl friends would try to comment that maybe he was cheating but your Alastor was a devoted man. He loved you with everything he had, and if he could he would move heaven and earth for you.
That's why when you fell ill with tuberculosis in the second year of knowing him you never questioned how increasingly stressed and unhinged he had become.
The medicines you were given by doctors made you feel worse and worse, he fretted over you constantly and had lost his temper at many of those doctors. He couldn't understand why you weren't feeling better and honestly you couldn't either. When they recommended surgery Alastor had denied it, worried that your body couldn't handle the complications from the procedure.
He would leave for hours at a time, and in his place he paid a nurse handsomely to watch over you.
Alastor would come home at night, tired and defeated, and would shush you when you tried to comfort him, "Oh my darling, I appreciate your concern but don't fret over me, it is you I worry about."
As your conditioned worsened, you had to force him to go into work, claiming that hearing him on the radio always made you feel better. Even though you weren't a fan of the emerging stories of some sort of serial killer that was haunting New Orleans. Alastor would warn the city of these gruesome killings with details given by police statements, and urged people to stay safe. When his stories and advertisements were done you would perk up a bit at how he would pledge a song to his 'darling wife fighting a horrid illness'.
You loved Alastor dearly, passing away with him by your side after fighting your illness for as long as you could. He held onto your hand, an ever present smile on his face as he comforted you in your final moments. Not once did he beg for you to stay, to fight your illness, he knew you were tired and wanted you to rest if it meant you were no longer in pain. Even if your death would cause him pain that you would never know.
You died with a smile on your face, the last thing you heard before darkness took you was Alastor crying softly. Even though you couldn't feel the warmth of his hand or see his beautiful face, you heard him finally break. It was heartbreaking to say the least.
Death was kind, you mused, bringing you to golden gates and a paradise you have never known.
You good deeds and actions in life rewarded you with angel wings and a bright halo above your head, and in Heaven you met with your family. You saw your dear parents and distant relatives, rejoicing in seeing their faces again. Alastor's mother had even introduced herself to you, and thanked you for loving her dear baby. You were happy and waited eagerly for Alastor to join you in Heaven.
For years you waited in Heaven, hoping that he was living a happy life after your death. And while you waited you worked, you became a helpful hand to those in Heaven and even gained a seat in the Heavenly Council by the Head Seraphim for your dedication to Heaven. You enjoyed being on the Council, working with others to ensure the peace in this paradise.
You earned another set of wings for your devotion and faith as well as a new title, Altruist.
Your family and friends had been so happy for you, it was practically unheard of for human souls to ascend so quickly or to higher statuses. Everything was perfect on paper but there was an Alastor shaped hole in your heart, waiting to be filled when your dear husband joined you in the afterlife.
But as more and more 'winners' join the Heavens you began to despair a bit, the years in which people were dying increased steadily towards the year 2000 but there was still no sign of Alastor. You were beginning to doubt that he was merely living into his elderly years, and feared that maybe he went to Hell instead.
Your family and friends told you not to worry and that he'll join you one day.
No one ever expected you to be the one to join him.
Though to be fair, no one expected the Princess of Hell getting an audience with the Heavenly Council to rehabilitate sinners. You remembered seeing her, a fine red suit and long beautiful hair. Her white skin was painted with the rosy cheeks you have seen on some angels in Heaven, a reminder that her father was indeed a fallen angel, the Morning Star, Lucifer.
She brought up good points, ones that you agreed with, and even showed proof of her 'patient', ironically named Angel Dust, slowly transforming into a virtuous soul. The Princess argued that he met the criteria Adam, the First Man, had given and that she could help these wayward souls. You did your best to follow the conversation but you couldn't help your attention being stolen momentarily.
Besides her a familiar looking figure sat, and you couldn't quite pin where you had seen the woman, the long hair seemed wrong on her, but your attention had been captured by Adam claiming he couldn't wait for an 'extermination' that was upcoming. All around you the Council went in an uproar, one of the Seraphim even siding with the Princess, saying that it wasn't fair to those souls.
And she was right, wasn't she?
Those were still human souls, and if they could redeem themselves why couldn't they join the others in Heaven?
"The Council has decided that human souls in Hell cannot be redeemed," Sera commanded, her tall figure standing and bringing quiet to the room.
You stared at her in shock, "What? We haven't decided anything!"
She seemed shocked that anyone, much less someone as virtuous as you spoke up against her, but Sera quickly pulled herself back together. "Careful there Altruist LeBlanc, it sounds as if you were disagreeing with your esteemed peers."
Below your balcony Adam crowed in, "Yeah bitch, what fucking gives? Shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down, you're being kind of a Karen right now!"
"Adam," you seethed through clenched teeth, "I'm merely stating that besides you and the Head Seraphim, no one else has voted on this matter."
Adam scoffed, "Uh yeah, that's because there's nothing to vote on dumbass."
Sera sighed as she flapped her wings and descended from her station to your balcony, "What he means to say is that this matter has already been resolved and that there will not be a vote to overturn this decision." She smiled at you, her teeth showing and hellfire raging in her eyes as if daring you to speak further.
You, never one to back down, flew up and met her face to face, "And why not? Is the evidence given by Princess Morningstar not sufficient enough? Has the matter ever been brought to this esteemed Council's attention before? Did you come to this resolution without consulting the rest of us?"
She brought her hands to grasp at yours, "Please Altruist, you must let this matter drop. This is the best way we can ensure the safety of the Heavens, you don't want to keep pressing the matter, else I'll be forced to settle this...disagreement."
"What disagreement?" you questioned, "There is no disagreement."
The Head Seraphim dropped your hands, relieved that it seemed like you dropped the matter, but you pushed away from her and flew down to the bottom floor of the court room. In front of you the Princess looked shocked that another angel was backing her up, "To this esteemed body! I implore you to remember your humanity! Remember that we are in charge of ensuring not only the welfare of Heaven, but also the betterment of human souls! Does this not include those that have strayed from the path of virtue?"
You looked up at the rest of the Heavenly Council and spread you arms and wings wide, "Are we not the virtuous? Are we not capable of empathy? There might be sinners that deserve their punishments in Hell, but what of the ones that seek redemption? Are we to turn our backs on them? Did we not pledge to help our fellow humans and their eternal souls?"
"Altruist LeBlanc that's enough-" Sera began, but you cut her off.
"If angels such as Lucifer can fall, what is stopping sinners from rising? Tell me Seraphim," you addressed Sera, "What makes someone worthy of Heaven?"
Near you Adam laughed, but you ignored him, never once taking your eyes off of Sera as her form changed. Eyes opened all over her person, on her wings and clothing, as her hair turned to feathers and her face became more bird like. Her halo changing as well in a flash of light. An all seeing eyes pierced through you, but you puffed up as well.
Your own halo brightened and elongated in the middle, opening into an eye, and your feathers glistened gold. Your clothing changed from the formless robes you typically wore to a white top, cutoff above your midsection with long billowing sleeves and revealing a large eye with a blue and golden iris. You had on a skirt that reached passed your feet and outlined in gold with dramatic slits up to your hips, showing the bangles of gold and unblinking eyes that all moved to stare at Sera. You held in your hands two rings of pure light, bright blue eyes peeking through the light in random intervals.
You were postured in such a way that it was clear that you would defend yourself if need be, and that you did not take her intimidation lightly. Behind you the Princess tried her best to calm everyone down, but the damage had already been done. You had sealed your fate the second you spoke up from your holy station.
Sera was unforgiving as she gently flew downwards towards you, "I believe we've heard enough heresy today Altruist LeBlanc." She waved her hands, behind you a portal of gold sparks could be seen between you and the Princess, but not where it lead. "You leave me no choice Altruist, if you wish to help these sinners so much then you may as well join them," Sera decreed. "Heaven have mercy on your soul."
An unknown force shoved you back and your wings flapped to fight against it, "You cannot damn me for speaking my mind!"
She shook her head, "I was given leave to protect Heaven as I see fit, and you have been deemed a threat to the balance of this Heavenly body. I am truly sorry, but I have to do what is required to keep us all safe."
You yelped as that force pushed you closer to the portal, you snarled and roared at her, "Emily was right, how I could have admired you is beyond me! Mark my words Sera you'll see the error of your ways!"
"For the love of fuck hurry up!" Adam yelled as his brought out his guitar and pointed it at you, "See ya later bitch!"
From it a beam of heavenly power slammed into you and finally forced you through the portal at such a speed that you crashed through it and into a hard surface. Your body singed and your wings burned as you tried to pull yourself from the rubble you were forced into. You gasped and groaned, your body finally falling from the hole you made in the wall to the ground.
All of your eyes closed, including the ones on your face, and you fought to stay awake through the pain.
Damn, you were sure that Adam managed to break your bones and damage your wings, but through all this you could feel the familiar holy warmth emanating from your halo. You smiled softly as warm blood dripped from your hairline to your face, you might have been ousted from Heaven by the very body you had served faithfully all these years but you were still worthy of your halo.
That was something that Sera and all the angels in Heaven could never take from you.
By the time you fell from the hole in the wall, you had finally fainted and didn't feel achingly familiar hands grab you and hold you close. Instead all you dreamt of were better times, times in which you were truly happy.
In your mind's eye you were back in that speakeasy dancing with Alastor, and for a little while all was well.