A/N: Watchers Speedrun begin! But some of the angel titles are made up by me.
._._._.
Eve ran her hands along Adam's long brown locks, helping him wash away the excess oil and dirt. It was different from her red hair that had become so dry that it coiled to the point where her hair became an afro. Adam would generously apply oil and butter to her hair and gently detangle her locks with a wide-tooth comb. Then they would both wrap their hairs in a silk fabric before they went to bed.
It just felt so nice to be clean and smell fresh. Bathing was usually a relaxing time. However that changed once they had company.
SPLASH! SPLASH!
"I AM THE RULER OF THIS BATH WATER! FEAR ME!" Turiel, the angel of mountains, declared in his cherub form.
The pool was large enough to fit more than 20 people since Adam and Eve liked swimming in the fresh warm water. But the angels remained in their smaller form to have more room to play around.
"WE THE SKY GROUP WILL NEVER FALL TO YOU!"
"YOU DARE GO AGAINST ME RAMIEL, ANGEL OF THUNDER?! YOU'RE JUST A LOUD RUNT COMPARED TO YOUR BROTHER, BARAQEL, ANGEL OF LIGHTNING!"
The thunder angel had deep violet hair, no eye pupils, a wide mouth and a round body in a skirt and top sewn with bells! She also wore silver bracelets on her wrists and ankles that rattled with each movement! With each word she said, she danced robustly. She let out a song-like battle cry and the others would mimic her! Adam couldn't help doing the same from the side!
The lightning angel was the thinnest of the Watchers with not a single hair or jewelry on his body. He only wore a skirt which left his visible veins throughout his body exposed. His eyes were small with no black pupils in the pebble-sized violet irises. He honestly looked like he could burst at any moment with the way he only spoke in tongue clicks and lip smacks.
"CLICK! POP! CLICK!"
"THAT'S RIGHT BROTHA!" Ramiel let out another song-like battle cry!
"TAKE MY SPLASH ATTACK!"
The three began a splash fight with minimal power.
"ARAKIEL! SISTER! JOIN ME!" Turiel called out to her.
Arakiel shook her shell and a pair of sticks fell out. "I fear that it would not suit you if I join."
"THAT'S NOT HOW YOUR POWER WORKS! YOU'RE THE ANGEL OF GEOMANCY! YOUR POWERS CENTER AROUND HISTORY AND PICKING THE BEST SPOTS! NOT DECIDING WHETHER YOU SHOULD JOIN A GAME!"
"You still have much to learn brother."
"JUST TELL ME YOU DON'T WANT TO JOIN INSTEAD OF ALWAYS SPEAKING IN A ROUND-ABOUT WAY!"
Arakiel descended deep into the water with her multiple small hair knots. She was still wearing her shawl cape with a white skirt and jewelry which should've been uncomfortable, but the clothes on the angels were practically a part of their skin.
Ramiel looked to their other siblings, "CHAZAQIEL! ANANIEL! JOIN US! WE ARE SURE NOT TO LOSE!"
Chazakiel, the angel of clouds, had created a bed for herself with the steam and was enjoying her nap with Tamiel. She had white afro hair similar to Eve's own and a chubby figure clothed in a lovely sleeveless v-neck gown. Tamiel, the angel of the unseen, had a translucent female body that only wore a veil that would become different shades that the angels have said was her own version of language and expressing her moods.
Ananiel, the angel of Storm, snapped their fingers, causing a whirlpool to suck the three troublemakers in and spit them onto the ceiling with such force that they stuck there. They reminded them, "The storm never chooses sides. They are ruthless to anyone."
This angel, much like Yeqon, had androgynous features, but where Yeqon was thin and soft, Ananiel was muscular with a face that was strong yet feminine. Their skin was a dark grey and their long fluffy hair was a light grey. Their round eyes had dark grey irises and sky blue pupils. They wore a long sleeved tunic that only gave a hint of the form underneath when the wind blew.
Sariel, the angel of the moon, helped her siblings down by manipulating the water into a tall wave. She asked her brother, "How about you join them, Kokabel? Shamsiel?"
"Kokabel is busy studying a meteorite flying past our atmosphere, dear sister." The angel of stars replied with a far-off starry look.
"The angel of the sun doesn't choose favorites either, sista! Besides, I am busy keeping this room warm and lit!" Shamsiel had brown skin that would appear golden when any source of light touched him. His hair were short blonde dreadlocks, his eyes were amber, and like his sister, on his head held a red disc and he was dressed in a translucent long skirt.
Azazel, the angel of forge, clicked her tongue, "The new automatic stove is doing its job well enough."
"And these planks help ease the heat!" Gadreel, the angel of battle, multiplied himself and began smacking the water with large wooden planks.
"TOO SOON!" Azazel speared the duplicates into glitters of light, and smacked the real Gadreel down into the water.
Eve wondered if they should create a larger bath house or create a separate room for her and Adam. Then again Yeqon, the angel of strategy, did put up an invisible force field around the humans so they weren't affected by their shenanigans. She looked over to the angel who was playing a board game that Adam and Eve created with Asbeel, the angel of inquiries.
"Eve."
She looked to the side to see the twin enchanters of magic and counter-magic, Amazarak and Armaros, push two bowls towards them. The twins wore animal masks that changed every day, and they wore cloaks that dragged on the ground but even if they flew, there was nothing but darkness underneath. Their arms that stretched out looked normal though.
Amazarak said, "We created a new concoction to help make your hair even softer."
Armaros added, "This concoction is to be used if the concoction is too strong."
"Thank you." Eve gave each sister a kiss on the cheek and used only a small amount on Adam's hair. Her husband seemed to have fallen asleep by how softly he breathed. She carefully covered his eyes as she poured water down from her water scooper.
After the bath, Gadreel helped carry Adam to the lovers' home. On the way, Eve spotted Samyaza, the angel of the Watchers, dutifully waiting for the archangels to arrive. Beside him was Bezaliel, the angel of shadows.
At home, Sathariel, the angel of deception, wanted to tell her a story. She allowed it since not all of the angel's stories came true as long as he started the story with vague words like 'There may have' or 'If I can recall'. She was amused by his stories of strange concepts that flew over her head yet the enthusiasm of his voice kept her intrigued until her dreams claimed her.
In them, she found herself in a cave, but this time there was light and she wasn't alone. There were children with brown and orange hair drawing on the walls. Their skins were different shades and their eyes were different shapes and colors. Their hair was either free of any restraint or heavily decorated like the angels. Some wore makeup and others had on costumes.
Yet all the details were a blur.
Still the feeling of happiness swelled up in her chest.
"Mother! Mother!" The kids would cry out with a high pitched voice that Adam and her would play around with. "Look at what we drew!"
Eve smiled and lightly teased, "Now who said you children could draw on the walls. It'll be a bad habit if you'll draw anywhere besides a good piece of paper."
The children's little mouths pouted. "But father does it all the time!"
She held back her laugh. "He actually knows how to make good use of stone! You're hundreds of years too young to think you can mark these walls!"
"And father is hundreds of years too old to hog it all to himself!"
"Now who is calling me too old?" Adam walked into the cave with Canine by his side, yet his appearance was not masked by the shade.
The children scattered away from the cave. Canine followed them out and sat at the entrance, meaning that the children were still nearby to spy on what was gonna happen. The parents giggled at their cuteness.
Adam then laid those loving deep brown eyes on her person. He held her in his arms and asked, "Dare to tease our children, my wife, the mother of our children, my true love?"
She playfully replied, "I dare tease the little naughty rascals who prefer to play around instead of doing their chores."
"Oh how dare they."
"Yes. How dare they. They need to be put in the lion's den for a while."
The children gasped and ran off with Canine on their tail. The parents laughed and shared a kiss.
"Let's leave this place." Adam swept her off her feet.
Eve laid against him; the happiness in her chest soaring, "Yes."
Once they stepped into the light, Eve woke up to reality that was still just as warm and bright, but without the sounds of children.
Well…real children.
Once the couple had freshened up and had breakfast, they were greeted by the sight of the same 20 angels from last night in their tiny forms either wreaking havoc among themselves, doing the chores, or maybe doing both. It was hard to tell with the chaos, but Canine seemed to be happy from his resting place.
Rahab had also been visiting often to provide fish to study and eat. At first, the couple had been hesitant, but as a form of friendship with Rahab who did consume fish to be part of the ocean's life cycle, they did it. And honestly…the taste of fish was absolutely delicious! Whether it be raw or cooked, they tasted amazing!
Eve had grown something of an addiction to eat fish every dinner before bath time since the smell was not pleasant afterwards. However her favorite was octopus, especially since they can regrow their tentacles, so they didn't have to kill the animal. Adam preferred tuna.
As for eating meat, Adam was still not comfortable eating the land animals since he helped raise them. Asbeel suggested bugs since he didn't raise them at all. Certainly, bugs were even more alien than fish despite being part of the land due to their mysterious nature. But weirdly enough, Adam discovered he liked eating bugs. His favorite were grasshoppers. Eve preferred cicadas.
With all this added protein and extra vitamins and minerals, their muscles grew. Adam compared himself to a gorilla while Eve compared herself to Canine.
"Adam! Adam!" Gadreel flew over to him, "I watered and fed the animals so we can brawl right now!"
"Wow! Thanks Gadreel! But what about-"
"We took care of the gardens!" Shamsiel announced for their sky group.
Eve spoke, "Thank you. But everyone, you need to understand that Adam and I do these chores to form connections. The animals and plants are well-fed and gardened but have you given them affection? Have you spoken with them?"
The other watchers stopped playing around and crowded the humans. They understood what affection was, but affection was always present in Heaven.
Adam pulled out his lute and Eve pulled out her flute. The couple began singing about how affection took more effort on Earth. They explained the proper do's and don'ts in showing affection among different species, and the benefits that come with it.
The angels sang a bit for dialogue, and then Yeqon inquired with the tune slowing down, "What about humans? How should we show affection?"
Adam and Eve sang about how there were different types of love. May it be an act of service like Adam or words of affirmation like Eve, but the best way is clear communication. It would feel gratifying to be understood without a word, but true love was listening and being listened to.
Yeqon challenged, "But if Father wanted you to sacrifice the other, could you do it?"
Adam and Eve sang about how they sacrificed the sheep to feed the meat-eaters in order to keep the world of limitations in check. If They asked for one of their sacrifices, they would be deeply saddened, but they must do their duty.
"Yet you defied Sera."
Eve responded, "And she couldn't just make me the second woman because…? I bet God would've."
"Fair point."
And so, the morning was spent with the angels trying out new forms of affection. Yeqon suggested doing the carnal deed that Adam and Eve does, but the humans and Samyaza were VEHEMENTLY against that. Azazel pointed out that Rahab was probably already doing that, and the killer whale humanoid angel confirmed it. Turiel told them that he found himself immensely attracted to the snow leopards in their research books.
Samyaza yelled over them, "An angel should not be copulating with the Earth species at all! Rahab gets a pass because he has become one with the sea, but the rest of you are leaders! What would your squads think of this?!"
Turiel puffed his chest up with a mighty declaration on his tongue, but was cut off by Azazel, "None of us besides Yeqon and Rahab saw what doing the deed is really like, so this shouldn't even be a debate. We're not sexual creatures by nature."
Yeqon suavely said, "Oh but dear sister, you just haven't met the right person or species. If Samael can form an attraction to humans, Rahab with killer whales and Turiel with snow leopards, then it's only a matter of time before most of us will."
Gadreel asked, "Who's the exception?"
"Who indeed?"
The angels looked among each other innocently. Most of them looked back to Adam and Eve, but Eve quickly pointed out that although she referred to herself as a woman, she was still in the body of a man, so she lacked the much needed uterus.
Amazarak proposed, "Should I try to put one in you?"
Armaros pointed out, "That's beyond our power, sister."
Arakiel asked, "Wait, if that's the case, then doesn't that mean Samael is able to have children since he has both women?"
Samyaza replied, "It may be since Samael may have been relieved of his archangel duties, he is still powerful enough as the lightbringer to do such a feat. It was of no concern when he took Lilith from the garden since Lilith did not prove to be able to become the mother of humanity, so she was not gifted with the ability to give birth despite having a uterus. For Phé, on the other hand, Sera gave her the ability during the design process and had blessed Adam upon his return."
"THAT'S BLASPHEMOUS!" Azazel cried out. "WHO IN THE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN UNIVERSE WOULD DARE IGNORE PREREQUISITES TO BE BLESSED WITH SUCH AN ABILITY!"
Yeqon inquired, "How do you know all this, Samyaza?"
"I had Bezaliel do some research in Heaven when Sera would visit Eden. The reason was because it may have been subtle, but I knew Phé had an odd nature by how it negatively affected Adam. You always seemed happier with the plants and animals but never with her. Yet even with that sort of knowledge, it wasn't enough to ask for Big Brother Raphael's help on the matter."
"Explains why you were more than agreeable with our plot." Azazel said. "So basically, Samael has the woman with the uterus, and for all we know, he already has a ton of half-human-half-angels flying around in the known universe."
Adam said, "I think nephilim would be a nice name for them." Azazel patted his head, agreeing with him.
Rahab said, "I don't think that would be the case. I have mated with several female and male killer whales, but the ability to give or hold a child has proven difficult. I theorize that even if I change my form down into a regular whale, I can't completely subdue my heavenly aura, so it completely overwhelms the earthly species' mating organs. Samael is far more powerful, so it must be far more difficult for him."
Adam said under his breath, "I'm glad."
Eve silently mouthed, "Me too."
"I STILL WISH TO MATE WITH THE SNOW LEOPARDS!" Turiel announced! "I SHALL FOLLOW RAHAB'S PATH AND ABANDON HEAVY FOR THE MOUNTAINS!"
Arakiel calmly reminded, "You don't know what mating is."
"EVEN IF I DON'T KNOW WHAT MATING IS! GUH!" Turiel was struck in the head by one of Arakiel's sticks.
Adam and Eve laughed, feeling better from all this heavy talk. Eve then told Adam, "I need some Eve-time."
"I'll hold down the fort until you get back. Arakiel thinks we should make another building."
"Another one? We've already extended our home to add a dining room separate from our kitchen, renovated the bathhouse and smithy, built a library-slash-observatory for our research and paved roads. What more do we need?"
"I don't know, but the twins wanted to create an 'earth magic smithy' to see if they could create more earthly concoctions. My hair does feel extra fluffy today."
"If you do, be sure to build it far from our home and wildlife if possible. Better yet, let's have Turiel and Arakiel create a mini island for them."
"Gotcha." They shared a kiss before Eve went on her merry way.
Unlike Adam who fed off of socializing, Eve felt more comfortable being alone at times with her thoughts. Her time in the cave gave her way too much of that, that her thoughts have darkened. Her cannibal question and Adam's reaction made her realize how tolerable she became of them.
Adam reassured her that it was nothing to be ashamed about. They've both grown so much since they left Eden. She just grew a little faster than him. They've discussed the topic of pride, wrath, gluttony, greed, lust, envy and sloth during their travels. Yet looking back at their conversations, even after witnessing the callous handling of life by other animals, they were still filled with so much faith that they could avoid all that. But now, they weighed the punishments for each sin and tried not to cross the silver line of torture for their children.
She took out her book, remembering:
"If possible, I don't want to resort to physical violence." Adam said while he was skinning the goat meat. "To kill a murderer only furthers the act of the sin, and whose hand should be bloodied to make that happen?"
"Yet to banish them, the murderer would not rectify their sinful nature or their behavior because we would be letting such influence corrupt the rest of the world." Eve looked down at her lists of different types of murder. "I considered slowly starving them since completely denying them food would be an act of negligence. We don't want our children to think that starvation is acceptable on any accounts."
"It really is hard to think of punishments without dirtying those who must judge. Yet to let such sinful behavior be not punished would loosen the morality that God wants us to learn. But there's so many ways to remove life from Earth, and not all of them are done with wrath in mind. But even then, someone may cover up such wrathful nature if we separate them."
"I am tempted to ask the Watchers, but they weren't supposed to interfere with our lives in the first place. God wanted us to figure this out for ourselves, but I don't think we've seen enough logical justice conducted throughout our journey since animals have become tolerable of violent punishments against each other."
"I thought the fear of God would prevent Lilith or Phé from eating the apple of forbidden knowledge, but even that didn't stop them from following such a simple rule."
Eve looked up at the sky, and then considered, "I understand why Phé would do it since she hadn't met God, but you and Lilith did. You always described Them as being very powerful, but also Someone reliable, safe and warm. A very loving Being who's a bit funny. You never wanted to eat the apple because you didn't want to disrespect such Love. It makes me wonder if Lilith didn't have that perspective, which was why she did it."
"I honestly don't know. At first we were both just curious people discovering Eden. You would call us friends. And she would talk about big concepts like you and Phé but she wasn't demeaning like Phé but neither was she patient like you. It was all fun until those big concepts she talked about began interfering with work, and I have an inkling that Samael had something to do with it."
Eve has heard this before, but it was always interesting to hear and asked, "And you never met Samael."
"Nope. Angels weren't supposed to be seen by us. They were supposed to act as a guardian angel who would help us in secret if we got into an accident in Eden like if I accidentally fell off a cliff. They would save me by a gust of wind softening my landing. The Watchers told me that my guardian angel was Uriel, the archangel of Nature and Wisdom. Lilith's angel was Samael. His twin brother is Michael, the archangel of Justice and Protection, so in kind, Samael was the archangel of Light and Truth. Apparently if you talk to him, he would never tell a lie."
"Yet there are ways where the truth can corrupt a person…But do you think you could forgive Phé if she found love in God as you did. Could you forgive her if she did that after killing me?"
Adam considered the heavy question and answered, "Yes. Because if one truly found love in God, they would realize the value your life had."
"I don't care for her opinion."
"Yet it's the start of them treating others more delicately. Probably even more delicately than those who are free to choose to be blissfully ignorant. The guilt of taking you away could never give them peace until they meet you face-to-face in purgatory and beg for forgiveness."
"Guilt…Perhaps that's the solution. I was stuck in a cave where my thoughts turned darker. But perhaps that can do the opposite for someone already there. There should be confinement in a special place where they can try to connect to God. Only the necessities are provided and the people they speak with are scholars in the matters of morality. If I were to be killed by Phé, I'd honestly want her away from you to give you a peace of mind, yet be put under better watch than Samael and Lilith. She'd probably be too stupid to realize her mistake, so let her speak with people who would only reject her mentality with a push-and-pull method."
"So we're correcting the behavior in a non-violent yet mentally exhausting and morally straining process. And those involved are only having an intellectual debate. I worry if they might be the ones persuaded. A community may form."
"We can't agree on what type of animal family a platypus belongs to. Itsaduck. Pride is a sin, but in a controlled environment where the fun is the debate, the community would shatter before it could even get off the ground."
"We'll have to give them something soft to whack each other -Itsabeaver- with if they get physical. We should place guards for if there is skin-to-skin contact. It might break into fractions though and an all out battle may pursue."
Eve giggled at the thought, but tried to harden herself. They are trying to build the foundation of their society. She cleared her throat, "Then a mediator should be placed who is a good person with a lack of worldly needs but isn't that passionate about the Word of God. Duck."
"It definitely has to be someone who knows how to have a good time since even with our most -Beaver- passionate arguments, we learned to agree to disagree after some wine and mud wrestling."
"Right. Duck."
"Beaver."
"Duck."
"Beaver."
"DUCK!"
"BEAVER!" Adam ducked when the book lunged at his head. He threw his butcher knife, but Eve caught it.
The two got into position, but then heard Canine bark at them in annoyance. The platypus doesn't even taste good, so he didn't care. Adam and Eve paused to properly pray for the goat's sacrifice, and fed them to the carnivores and omnivores.
Afterwards, they prepared the mud wrestling ring. Adam was clearly stronger, but he let Eve get some grapples in since he oddly found her trying to murder him over a debate cute.
Eve smiled even when she walked over to the cave where she had been locked in. Adam had already chipped away at the side of the mountain for the whole decade she was recovering so the cave no longer existed. Turiel had only helped make sure he didn't injure himself doing it, whether it was rain or shine.
Now, it had been replaced by orchids that had putty roots which they used to restore broken potteries. Eve wasn't sure to feel annoyed or laugh at the symbolism, yet because it was planted by Adam, she felt affection for the garden.
"Was this where you were trapped?"
Eve was surprised to hear such a light voice and looked over to see Asbeel in his humanoid form. Yet his own form was much shorter and skinnier with less hair and smaller features yet had large eyes.
She answered with a comforting smile, "Yes."
The angel walked over to her with eyes that seemed tired and a bit fearful but curious. "You were stuck in there for 3 years. And it took you 5 times as long for you to recover. After all you have suffered, you still speak of Father fondly. Your real creator is Sera, but it was Father who created her. How can you not remain or be even more furious?"
Eve thoughtfully answered, "I suppose 15 years of rage does not seem like enough years compared to your life span. Then again, those 15 years of rage were more from the insanity of loneliness and hunger and not vengeance."
The two sat on the ground as Asbeel asked, "Why not?"
"It's because it was a risk we knew may come eventually before Adam and I left Eden. So once I was locked in that cave, I didn't feel regret or ill will because I knew I made that decision. Now if it had happened while I was in Eden, then I may have turned out differently."
Asbeel processed this answer before pointing out, "But what you went through was torture. Not punishment. Don't you still feel wronged?"
"I do, but reparations are being made. Sera has been removed from our lives and the Watchers have been a huge help with my recovery. Now that wouldn't have happened if God hadn't made you." She kissed his cheek. "I don't want to hold onto negative feelings when I could be happy with my husband and all of you."
"But you asked such a strange question to Big Sister Haniel which showed how both you and your husband still suffer from what had been inflicted on you."
Eve frankly answered, "That's true. We have been through so much pain and suffering during our travels, but it couldn't compare to when we were apart. Adam has been completely open with me and doesn't draw away from the touch of others, but he's become more fearful of imbalanced power dynamics and the consequences it holds." She caressed an orchid. "As for me. I'm afraid of the dark and what I've become tolerable of. When you're left alone in that cave with only your thoughts for years, you begin conjuring darker possibilities. Like If I were a snake, would I be willing to eat my own children to survive?"
"Would you?"
Eve sighed, "Not at all... At least not the children. Even in my own insanity, I cried at such a possibility because for the children I dream to have with Adam, I would want more than anything for them to prosper. But to even consider doing it was still a shock to me."
Asbeel fell silent again and then said, "I'm sorry for asking so many questions. I've been told that my inquisitive nature is off-putting."
"I did not mind your questions at all. You have a great sense of timing and atmosphere to ask me all of that now. "
Asbeel's onyx eyes opened slightly with a bit more awareness around him. "Really? You did not mind that I have spoken of Father in such a negative light?"
"Was it in a negative light? I think it's more in the twilight range because if anything is possible, it's only right to inquire to get your facts straight."
"Twilight range?"
"Ah, right. That's a concept Adam and I created after seeing many questionable things on our travels that cannot be goodness but granted the situation, we could not see it as evil."
Eve took out her notebook and flipped over to the page about snakes. Asbeel observed the notes and was fascinated by the plentiful questions, especially those that have yet to be answered.
The woman explained, "The snake eating its own egg has become a negative saying between Adam and I when we describe someone willing to sacrifice others violently for their own sake. But the truth was that the snake was under a lot of pressure to decide whether she could allow more children to enter the world when resources were scarce. Snakes are actually attentive parents by nature, so it's safe to believe that the snake did what they believed was necessary. But it was such a devastating and horrific thing to witness as future parents."
"So the act was seen as evil, but the intent was out of goodness."
"Exactly. Whether it was wrong or right felt like it was not our right to judge, hence we called it 'Twilight Range' since it's in between day and night."
"Then what is the truly evil version?"
Eve turned the pages to an ape, "We did witness a male chimpanzee steal a mother chimpanzee's child, claiming that it was not theirs without proof and he cannibalized the child as a result. So if you hear us say that person is making a male chimpanzee's accusation, then it would mean that the person is justifying their evil actions under false accusations."
"Then…the difference is that the snake did what she did to secure the survival of her and her other offspring. The chimpanzee did it to satisfy only his own hunger at the expense of others. But what if he was also only trying to control the population because of the resources?"
"Context is very important. For male chimpanzees, they have this instinct to be the dominant one in their groups that they actually have male leaders. Part of their reign was controlling mating rights with the females, so if they only wanted their offspring to exist, they enforced it. However, you'll quickly learn that power among mere people like us is easy to take if the group thinks you are not fit to be its leader. So in order to keep control of that power, there are two ways we know so far to contain it. One is to build trust among your peers and have them rely on you. The second is to control them with fear through violent aggression."
Asbeel caught on, "The male chimpanzee who ate that child was the latter. He killed the child not because resources were scarce but so he could inflict fear on his people and fill his own hunger at the same time."
"Do you understand the difference now?"
Asbeel nodded, "Everything is circumstantial. The world isn't just evil and good. It's also twilight. But…if Father…" He clamped his mouth shut.
"Yes?"
The angel remembered how they entered this conversation about chimpanzees so he confessed, "Back Home, everyone praises Father and thinks fondly of Them, but I am extremely bothered by Their absence. If They were so perfect, why would They have let this happen? Isn't that cruel? Am I evil for asking such questions when I should always be thankful?"
"Not at all."
Asbeel was shocked by such an immediate answer.
Eve explained, "I am not saying you should stop being thankful. That would be the equivalent of no longer wanting to exist. I simply don't see your questions as being evil. You genuinely want to understand why what may seem like such easy fixes for God could exist in the first place. I believe Yeqon has similar questions along that line."
"Do you have the answers?"
"As long as it's not spoken by God Themselves, then all I have are theories that Adam and I have come to believe in throughout our lifetime. We considered it to be a job to give the angels purpose. We considered that all of this was created out of curiosity for what it means to have a world filled with limitations unlike that of Heaven. We considered that perhaps this is one huge concept to showcase what it means to have a pursuit against the odds. And we considered that all of this could be true all at once since the possibilities are limitless but are limited by what we are capable of comprehending in the world."
Asbeel, who had a far greater understanding of the galaxy they took place in, still felt seen for the limitations he believed he had. Yet all of his questions were still not answered, "If that is the case, then for you personally, do you think Father has needlessly left such cruelty?"
"I mean suffering is terrible, but so far the rewards have been eye-opening. Because if God had not set limitations, then perhaps we could still be limited from within. I mean Azazel, the angel of forge, never considered making a telescope because of her great eyesight. Rahab abandoned Heaven because it lacked unpredictability. Samyaza and Yeqon want to hear our stories that you can't possibly get from such a perfect place like Heaven. If Adam and I had stayed in Eden, we would have never discovered new emotions, sensations and a greater appreciation for the love we have. But you know what I am even more appreciative of?"
"What is it?"
"That it was all my choice and I was chosen, and he still chooses me." Eve smiled at the garden, feeling a deeper appreciation for its existence.
Asbeel didn't quite understand the importance of her words, yet he felt charmed nevertheless.
It was about to be lunch time and as they were heading home, they found the Watchers tearing the pages off of one of Adam's books, using the new glass and frame Azazel made, and hung the drawings in a stone building filled with windows made at precise measurements so the sunlight did not touch the paintings.
"Guys! Stop it! That's embarrassing!" Adam tried to catch them, only to end up landing on the dirt or clashing onto a wall.
Eve helped her husband up, "What is happening here?"
Adam sniffled, "The Watchers are bullying me."
"We're not bullying you." Yeqon explained, "We found hidden paintings of you under your home's floor. We thought you'd love it if you got to see them. We added some paintings from his research book to complement your beauty."
Eve took a good look. She knew Adam had drawn her many times before, but she was surprised to find drawings of herself when she was sickly and pale. But the way Adam used his colors to express her healing was mesmerizing. The paintings of her before and the her now held different impressions yet she could see the similarities where one drawing made her eyes the sole focus. While one seemed more guarded, the need to pursue was evident in both.
She knew Adam adored her, but to see it in full display made her heart flutter and tears spill forth. She laughed when she saw small ugly sketches of her after a gruelly absurd event on their travels.
Adam's embarrassment waned in favor of basking in their love. He hugged her from behind and shyly said, "I must look like an obsessed maniac for having these many drawings."
Eve pointed out as she wiped her tears away, "You had even more when we were in Eden, but they must have been destroyed when they had you return."
"Yeah…Except for the one drawing you made of us on that stone brick on the wall. Your plan back then was to have each brick have a drawing of my descendants. But hopefully going forward, we could leave records upon records of our descendants."
It was such a delusional dream, but a bitter-sweet one they clung to as an expression of true love.
"I hope so too." She caressed his cheek. "For in my eyes, you are worthy of being a father."
The two shared a kiss, ignoring the curious stares from the angels.
Yet Turiel wasn't shy, "I WANT KISSES!"
The couple snorted and laughed, and told them that only kisses on other places on the face except for the lips were allowed. They all lined up, receiving both their kisses at the same time.
Asbeel was the last one to receive them, and made no reaction.
._._._.
"Yeqon." Asbeel approached the taller angel who was with the two other leaders at night.
"Asbeel? This is a surprise for you to approach me with company."
Yeqon was in the middle of drinking the human wine that would make the couple become dumb to the point that they forgot everything. It didn't affect them but the bitter-sweet taste was intriguing on their divine palettes.
"I have a favor to ask of the three of you."
"It must be an important one." Samyaza said, "Let us hear it."
"I would like for us to petition for the archangels to transform Eve into a woman."
Azazel sighed, placing the cup on the glass table, "So someone finally said it. I think our greatest act of atonement would be if we did this for the couple. Uriel was already on their side, so it shouldn't be hard to request this for them."
Yeqon inquired, "Why do you wish this for them, Asbeel?" They held their hand out to help them get on one of the two unoccupied chairs.
"I have spoken with Eve since she seems to be the more level-headed of the two, and I like her philosophy. I want to see it evolve with further challenges going forward."
"Being able to produce life is one of the gifts that Father did not give us except for Sera." Yeqon pointed out, "Seeing how she fumbled by her inability to adapt, she may have been set as an example for us angels."
Samyaza said, "Surely Father was not mistaken to put her in charge in the first place. Perhaps it was Their plan all along to make sure Adam did indeed have a choice in who would become the mother of his descendants. Certainly, Sera should come to that realization soon."
"I don't think so. At least not in a few thousand years." Yeqon looked down at their wine, "I can't help but feel that Sera may still be plotting."
Azazel said, "A beloved creation does reflect on the creator."
Samyaza reassured, "Big Brother Michael will not allow that to happen. Certainly he must have spoken with Father."
Asbeel asked, "Do you think Father would not allow it? Their own creation had eaten the apple. It would be hypocritical if They reprimanded Sera."
Samyaza and Azazel glanced at Yeqon who did not mind the blasphemous statement that they were all thinking. They replied, "Father has preached about free will, which was why Samael was not punished for convincing Lilith to eat the apple. Simply banished as was the punishment per usual. However, Sera had infringed on Adam's free will with her memory wipe. She even lied to us, so she knew that what she was doing was wrong, but did it anyway to force her own idea of success."
Asbeel replied, "I see. I apologize for my rudeness."
Yeqon replied, "All is well, Asbeel. I'm guessing the philosophy that you like about Eve is her ability to see the beauty even in pain and word it in her own charming way. It's why I like Adam. But instead of words, he expresses it through action. Those paintings were indeed beautiful, weren't they?"
Samyaza full-heartedly agreed while Azazel was a bit more opinionated on the lack of expansion on his skills.
Yeqon surmised, "I think they would make wonderful parents. Right, Asbeel?"
Asbeel didn't know why his humanoid cheeks felt warm as he answered, "Yes."
._._._.
A/N: In the bible, Adam and Eve and their descendants were vegans before the flood, but after leaving Eden, I just can't see that being the case, especially when winters or droughts roll around. I mean people are willing to resort to cannibalism at their most desperate, so it's not a stretch.
My version got this far since they're still immortal. Canine is blessed by Uriel.
Still though, I made them ento-pescatarians (Mix entovegan and pescatarian) since I can't see Adam ever being comfortable eating his livestock since he cares for them. Normal farmers do, but since it's still a new concept, Adam can't bring himself to. Eve probably can but doesn't like to upset Adam.