junia

Featuring every character, both open and closed, new and old! Feel free to reblog this in anticipation of bios being released within the upcoming days - and have fun! Once bios begin rolling out, those who plan on applying may also reblog and answer memes for the character of their choice! And of course, for new members, answers to these memes will not sway my decision-making process at all; it’s just for fun!

Abaddon - What do you think makes you great? Were you born this way?

Abel - How easy is it for you to say ‘I love you’? Have you ever said it without meaning it?

Abraham - What is your proudest memory?

Adam - What’s the worst lie you’ve ever told?

Adelaide - If you could change one thing about your past, what would it be?

Alistair - If you could kill anyone in the world without consequence, who would it be? And why?

Amon - If you could have three wishes granted, what would they be?

Asmodeus - Do you believe that pleasure and pain go hand in hand?

Arianna - Is personal gain more important than loyalty?

Azriel - Who would you consider your closest ally? Your worst enemy?

Barachiel - Do you have any unusual talents? 

Bianca - What do you think of the human resistance? 

Cain - Do you believe in predestination? Or do you believe we create our own fates?

Claire - Do you think your parents would be proud of you the way you are now?

Daniel - Do you believe that guilt and regret are wastes of time?

Delilah - Is love weakness? Or is it strength? 

Dominic - What are your vices? 

Elijah - Do you consider yourself a cynic or an idealist? 

Evangeline - If you could instantly learn any skill, with no lessons and no practice, what would it be? Why?

Eve - What would you like to be most well known for?

Gabriel - How easily is your loyalty swayed?

Gale - Is it better to be feared or loved? 

Holly - If you could bring any one of your dreams to life, what would it be?

Isaac - What do you do to quiet your inner turmoil? 

Isabella - What is your most prized possession?

Josephine - If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Judas - What is more powerful to you: power or camaraderie? 

Junia - Do you believe in love at first sight? 

Leo - What does family mean to you?

Leviathan - If you could speak with God one more time, what would you say?

Lilith - Are you happy with the way you have lived your life?

Lydia - Do you miss your childhood? 

Magdalene - Do you believe in the idea that behind every great man is an even greater woman?

Margot - Do you have any unorthodox interests? 

Michael - What do, or would, or did your wings look like?

Naomi - Do you believe that demons could be redeemed?

Oliver - Describe yourself in three words. 

Patrick - If you were made to wear a mask every day, what would it look like? Or, who would it look like?

Phoebe - How far would you go to exact revenge upon someone?

Raphael - Which of the seven heavenly virtues best fits you? Why?

Raziel - If you could run away to anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Rowan - How highly do you think of yourself? Do you believe you are above or below your deserved station in life?

Salome - Which of the seven deadly sins best fits you? Why?

Samson - How easily do you forgive?

Susanna - Is love worth dying for?

Una - What is your astrological sign? Do you believe in astrology at all? 

Wesley - If you could bring any one dead human being back to life, who would it be?

It wasn’t a surety, but Adelaide held her trust, and her loyalty. Still, she wasn’t sure it was going to work. Or even that it was a good idea. She wanted Stella back, so badly, but did two wrongs actually make a right? She wasn’t built for this. To compromise between what her instincts told her and what might actually gain them some headway in a war they barely had hope of winning. She grimaced at Junia’s back, following her into the room where she was meant to tie her up.

God, that was a scary thought. Tie her up? Lydia could barely have tied her own shoelaces in that moment. Junia’s smile eased her worry only a little, for she knew the angel to be someone who thought of others before herself, in most cases. Was she really okay with this? Or did she feel obligated to do it? How much had Adelaide’s gun factored into her decision? 

Her brows creased in the middle. “Are you – sure this is okay? Is it really? I don’t – maybe Adelaide should do it.” Panicking, and knowing she was, Lydia took a deep breath. In, out. In, out. “No, that’s selfish of me. If you’re really – if you’re really okay, then I’m okay enough to do it.” She refused to pull everyone else down. Junia had the hard part to do, since she had to face the possibility of being locked up again. All Lydia had to do was play accomplice.

Lydia considered that question, still frowning. It just didn’t seem right. That didn’t mean it wasn’t necessary, but she hated the idea that anything wrong would possibly be necessary. “I don’t think it matters so much. If you can run, after we get Stella, I don’t want you to be off balance. Would they be that suspicious if I put your hands in front of you?” It was a kind of logic, but really, Lydia didn’t want to hurt her. She didn’t want to strain her shoulders, anyway – the rope would probably chafe at her wrists, but she couldn’t avoid that. She did avoid taking out the supplies just yet. Just until she could stomach looking at them.

However, now that everything had been set in stone and all the roles had fallen into place, she felt there was nothing else she could do but play her part. Other people were depending on her, not only the angels, but the humans that were sneaking through the tunnels. She had to make this convincing or else more people would get hurt. That was what made it easy to put aside her personal doubts and the pain at being separated from Evangeline. 

Seeing Lydia’s discomfort though, Junia uncrossed her hands from behind her back and walked over to place them lightly on the girl’s shoulders. She gave her an encouraging smile, “Yes, I’m sure. This is what has to be done, and I am more than willing to do it.” She didn’t want Lydia to think that she in any way blamed her for whatever happened later on or that she had been coerced into this plan. Although she may have her doubts, as soon as Adelaide had laid it all out in the locked room, Junia had immediately seen why this had to be done. 

“It is not selfish to be afraid though. I think we all are, even Adelaide, believe it or not,” a note of humor entered her eyes, something that surprised even herself, for she had not thought she’d be able to muster it under the circumstances. “But we’re doing it all together.” That was the most important thing. As long as there were other lives on the line, Junia could not afford to be wrapped up in her own worries. There were others, like Lydia, that she needed to look out for. 

Junia thought about Lydia’s question, considering not her own comfort, but what would be most convenient when meeting the demons. Finally, she shook her head, giving Lydia rueful smile, “I think it may be best for my hands to be behind.” 

He’d brushed it aside in favor of persuading a certain Mr. Whitley that Junia’s safety was of the utmost importance, if not for the angel herself’s sake, then for Ms. Pryce’s, for a DEAD angel wouldn’t bide well for Stella. But though he’d used that logic to convince Patrick to return to Evangeline’s house with him instead of making a run for the mansion on the edge of town, it wasn’t logic he agreed with wholeheartedly.

Stella Pryce was the priority, but he had utterly no desire to see the angel hurt, either. It was a PITY they couldn’t save them both without risking them both (and others), because regardless of his personal feelings on God and his army, Wesley couldn’t quite crush the wave of dread that rose in his chest at the idea of the dark-haired angel suffering in any way.

In his profession, difficult decisions weren’t a rarity. He was used to making them, but unlike most things, it didn’t get much easier with practice.

Junia had a beautiful smile, made only more beautiful by the circumstances, and he did his best to return it — a physician’s smile, sympathetic and comforting, but offered with troubling things on the mind. She must’ve mistaken contemplation for exhaustion, or perhaps she was just mindful, because when she spoke, she apologized for waking him before the sun. “It’s no trouble. I’ve been up far earlier than this.” Sleeping late was a hard habit to break, so he’d made a point to never form it.

It’s all rather mad, isn’t it? She had no idea just how mad he thought it was, but he wasn’t about to tell her. “Just a bit.”

Perhaps that was why she slowed her steps, preferring to linger in the hallway with the kind doctor. She nodded at his response, guessing he’d most likely gotten emergency calls well into the night before, though she did feel like she was partially responsible for Adelaide’s actions and thus was partly to blame for rousing such a commotion. Although a smile remained on her lips, the light in her eyes dulled slightly, her gaze glancing over the smooth line of Wesley’s smile. It may have been her imagination, or the shadow cast by the slowly rising sun, but his expression was clinical, well-practiced. Junia could not help it but think it was the same placating smile he would deliver before offering bad news to a patient.

Small wrinkles appeared between her brows and she inquired, more brazenly than she would have if the situation was different, “What do you really think of this?” Although they did not know each other well, had not had the opportunity to, with her having to remain hidden at all times, she instinctively felt that he would be the most honest, most direct person in this house. He must be used to pleading looks and wary eyes, and he must be used to speaking the truth, whether it would bring joy or sadness. In a smaller voice, echoing the her most potent fear, she added, “Do you think it’ll work?”

It was all a blur: Adelaide, and a feeling of betrayal. The sick feeling in her stomach when Holly let her know that one of Adelaide’s guns was missing, the terrible image those words had conjured up—an image that she still can’t shake, of a woman she admires pointing a gun at the angel she loves. The plan had been formed without her input, she’d quickly bit her tongue on her half-formed protests when it became obvious that Junia was willing to go along.

How she hated the idea of letting Junia out of her sight, after knowing what it was like to have her close. She’d wanted so badly to go with Adelaide and Isabella and Junia, that way she’d know that her Angel had one person who valued her safety above all others, who would not see any harm befall her. But Evangeline’s small voice was lost among the human plotters, louder and more assertive than she, and so she went into the tunnels, but not without a lingering goodbye and a promise: she and Junia would meet up on the other side.

Evangeline would know that Junia had made it to safety, because she would bring her there herself. Yesterday, she would have said that she trusted Adelaide with the task, but after this morning’s event, she is no longer sure that’s true.

And so she waits. And as she waits, her stomach feels leaden, her heart heavy, as it has since she watched Junia bound and being lead away from her. The only thing that can lift her spirits is Junia’s safe arrival, and when the Angel wraps her arms around her Evangeline returns in kind and just stands there, wasting precious moments she’s unsure they have to spare, but unable to make herself step away.

“I’m okay,” she confirms, drawing strength from her Angel’s presence. Junia seems worried and uncertain, but that only means that Evangeline must be strong—stronger than she’s ever been, stronger than she could ever be, were she only being strong for herself. She grasps Junia’s hand, squeezing it once in both of hers before using it to tug her forwards, back towards the tunnels to Paradise. “We will,” she says, willing her voice to be steady, willing them both to believe it. “We’ll make it back, and I’ll hide you, and we’ll—we’ll be okay.”

As Evangeline tugged her towards the basement, where she knew the tunnels would lead them back to Paradise, it felt like layers of the warm, safe cocoon they had wrapped around themselves in the previous weeks were already falling back into place. Yet with every passing second came the harsh reminder that she could no longer be selfish. First Adelaide, then Stella’s words echoed in her mind, and though it caused her physical pain to do so, she tugged back on Evangeline’s hands, causing them to come to a halt.

“I--,” she paused, unsure how she was going to possibly say this. How she could possibly deny her love something that they both wanted so badly. “We can’t go until we’re sure Stella has gone.” The words were soft, coming out nearly broken; that was how everything in Junia felt at the moment, because she realized, no matter how much she wanted, she would not be able to leave. Even if Stella was safe, the demons would no doubt continue to torture Abel if she did not stay. 

Rather than being a comfort, Junia’s confession only stoke Stella’s anger.

A sharp, mirthless, cruel smile flitted over Stella’s face. “You were. And look where that landed us?” She gestured out to the other hallways, where they could clearly hear footsteps, wings. Shouting and begging. All because they had to stage a coup instead of having Junia walk back up to the prison willingly. “It’s been two weeks,” she pointed out.

That was all she said for a minute. Her search continued but there was nothing to help her. The halls were a maze. She had tried over and over to memorize a mental map of the layout, for when she got out, but it had been entirely impossible. Coming to the end of the current corridor, Stella let out a sound of frustration. She stopping, thinking for a second. Tried to place herself in relation to the outside world. With an uncertain glance, she chose the hall to the right. 

And as Stella moved around and Junia struggled to keep pace, she could not help but remember a very different hallway, opulent and dazzling. She remembered Stella’s refusal to leave everyone else behind, the subtle chastisement hidden in her words. It seemed every time they met, Stella managed to teach her something new. Junia was once again knocked out of her reverie when Stella spoke. It was just in time for Junia to see her turn the corner. Scrambling to catch up, still reeling over the guilt Stella’s last question had spiked, she gripped the woman’s elbow, “Wait! You shouldn’t go down there. It leads to Alastair’s ... chamber.” There would be no exit there, and she did not want to risk anyone finding them in that room with all the available options with which to hurt them.

Junia dropped her hand quickly from Stella’s elbow, and glanced behind her, back the way they came to make sure no one was near. “I didn’t, not really,” she answered, the guilt-coated words crawling up her throat, scraping against her tongue as they left her mouth. “but maybe I can do something now. The others would have used the tunnels to come here, which means it’s still open. If you can get to them, you’ll be much harder to catch, especially with all the commotion.” As she spoke, Junia got her first good look at Stella since running into her, and she felt her words stick, as she took in all the scars, some old and some too fresh. Each and every one of them was her fault. “I’m so sorry,” the words came of their own volition, expelled from the awful pain in her chest.

“Just – just fuckin’ stay there,” she pointed to the bed, gun in her back pocket giving a subtle shock against her bare skin, begging to be used despite Adelaide’s insistence otherwise. There was really very little that she could do to keep Junia in one place; despite her blustering, she wasn’t about to point a gun in an angel’s face. Despite her brusque exterior, she felt quite guilty for even cursing at her. Junia had been nothing but kind to the lot of them; she was, perhaps, the nicest angel she’d met thus far, and surely didn’t deserve to be held hostage by the worst human in the bunch. She was a sour apple where Junia was a flower amongst weeds; but she was an understanding angel, and surely she would see that this was the only way. 

“Evangeline’s fine,” Adelaide snapped, casting a nervous glance over her shoulder at the door, through which she could hear affronted voices and assorted curses – it seemed as if more and more of their neighbors were bing recruited to huff and puff and blow the door down, for the big bad Adelaide was surely bent on harming their dear angelic guest. Little did they know that she was desperate and had a gun; if they would not help her get Stella back, she would simply drag Junia to the fence herself. She could only hope that she would cooperate. “Just – she’s not hurt, she’s fine,” Adelaide shook her head, trying and failing to dissuade the guilt from settling atop her shoulders. 

“We’re getting Stella back. Today,” Adelaide began, abandoning the speech she’d practiced on the way over here, instead taking one step forward and another back again, “And I don’t know any other goddamn way to do it other than to use you. Aren’t all you angels supposed to be concerned for us humans? Does it not concern you that there’s a human over there, suffering while one of your own gets the shit beaten out of him every day because you’re over here? Hell, I get the merit of having an angel over here; it’s a real morale booster and all, but Stella’s my friend, and she’s a human, and I’m supposed to take care of her. It’s my job. She’s my responsibility.” Adelaide hadn’t the foggiest idea when she’d decided that it was her duty to care for Stella, but it suddenly felt right. Stella was her responsibility; every scar she earned on the wrong side of the fence would be on her. 

She froze, on the verge of rising from the bed, at Adelaide’s brusque words. Even just a month ago, the swear word would have caught Junia off guard, set off a slight flutter in her heart through it was nothing more than a word. However, weeks spent in the prison, overhearing the horrible, depraved things that came out of the demon’s mouths had largely desensitized her to anything as mild as fuckin’. Although the word itself did not startle her, the way they were spoken, like quickly flung knives into the shadow, gave her pause. There was a nervous energy to Adelaide’s movements and speech that also set Junia on edge. Feeling stifled in the comforter, she removed it gently from around her body, though she remained seated at the edge of the bed, as per Adelaide’s instructions.

Although Adelaide assured her that Evangeline was fine, the commotion that Junia began to hear outside the door made her uneasy. What was happening out there? She could hear raised voices, though she was not able to make out what they were saying, and it made her anxious to get back to Evangeline. Even after nearly a week of relative peace, if peace came with guilt and worry and fear, she was constantly anxious about Evangeline’s wellbeing. Many times over, Junia would reach out a hand to trace over the back of her hand or smooth her own over blonde locks, just to pacify the rising panic in her chest. Junia parted her lips, as if to insist that she let those in the hallway in, but before she could say anything, Adelaide continued on, and each word caused Junia to flinch back, as if each phrase was a physical blow.

Her barely contained guilt, pushed into the bottom of her heart and kept there by the bliss of being able to spend time with Evangeline, reared its head in the most horrible way. Junia could feel her pulse speeding through her veins, making her face hot while her hands grew colder. Everything Adelaide said was true, and that was what made it hard to face. Junia had thought she was doing the right thing, doing what Abel had asked of her, but in reality, she had only allowed his words to sway her decision because this was what she had wanted. And now, under the heavy fire of Adelaide’s accusations, her justifications for staying seemed feeble, transparent.

“I--yes, I understand,” she said softly, so softly that her voice was nearly drowned out by the noises from the hallway, more insistent and closer now. As soon as the words spilled from her lips though, Junia felt a slight slice of guilt ease away. It was instead replaced by gratitude. Adelaide was doing what she had been too selfish to do: thinking of everyone else. And how could Junia fault her for displaying the trait that she had liked most about her, for wasn’t she now looking after Stella the way she looked after Lydia? “And it is probably hard to believe, because I have certainly not done anything to convince you, but I am concerned, for both Stella and Abel. I think of them all the time. I pray for them daily.” She paused, a burning sensation behind her sternum momentarily halting her words. “But I see that is not enough anymore. It was most likely never enough.” She had just wanted to believe it so badly.

Although she had said that she understood, she still didn’t really. There was an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her the relief she had found these past few days in Evangeline’s home was coming to an end, but how, she still did not know. She had been so caught up with the thought of Stella and Abel and how she had veritably abandoned them that it was only when she thought back on Adelaide’s words did she realize she’d missed an important part. “W-what do you mean use me?” she asked, apprehension tinging her voice.

Her suspicions were confirmed as Junia’s fair skin, her lovely rosey cheeks finally formed out of the darkness. Susanna did feel a sob in her throat, a soft whimper leaving her as she rushed to her best friend and brought her close just as Junia wrapped her arms around her tightly. “Shhh, it’s alright - it’s alright. I’m here and oh I’m so glad you’re safe.” The angels stood there a moment, Susanna shushing her and holding her for as long as possible because she’d missed her so much, had feared for her life and now she was here and she was okay. 

        ( And honestly she had needed a hug for a long time - she’d needed her ray of sunlight )

Slowly she let go of her, taking her hand instead and holding it tightly between hers. “What happened to you? I’ve been so worried and- wait, if you’re here.. what’s going on?” 

Just as quickly though, her peaceful reverie was broken as Susanna let go to clutch her hands. She could se the confusion in her friend’s eyes, in her quiet voice. Hearing the door slam loudly, which felt like a jolt of reality through her spine, Junia followed Susanna into the side of the hallway, deeper into the shadows. “I’ve been in Paradise,” she said hastily, trying to think of the best way to explain Adelaide’s convoluted plot. “I’ve missed you so much,” she said,  unable to stop the words from falling past her lips. They were the truth. There was not much that made her miss this prison, only the companionship of her best friend and the affection she provided.

Junia felt her spine stiffen as the faraway sound of rustling feathers reached her ears--a demon. She hoped she’d only imagined it. “The humans are here,” she began to explain, her words running together, muted. “One of them came up with a plan this morning to exchange me for Stella. They are all here now.” The quiet sounds of footsteps made Junia clutch Susanna’s hands tighter: the wings had not been imaginary. “I ran from the main entrance, and there are a lot of demons there.” She didn’t think it would be a good idea to go back. However, she didn’t feel safe standing in the hallway for anyone to notice. Her eyes landed on the empty cells on the other side of the hallway. The demons surely wouldn’t not think to look there. Once opened, most of the angels would have fled. “What if we hide in there and leave the door open?” She asked, indicating the vacated cell. 

But no, it was an angel before her, one with a familiar voice. Junia. The cause of all this. The reason why she was still in a cell, why Abel was torn to shreds. Her eyes darkened and she tugged her arm from the other woman. “About time you started to care,” she spat out. The hall in front of her, though, was now a weave of thick, black wings. She wouldn’t be able to make it out that way. Scoffing out a noise of frustration, Stella turned on her heel, choice a hall at random. There had to be another way out, obviously. There had to be – and she was going to find it.

Stella’s words tugged at the not-so-dormant guilt that had been churning in her stomach for the past week, ever since she had visited Abel that windy morning. “Abel got whipped every day because of you. Every day.” It was as if the words bounced off the sturdy walls, echoing in Junia’s ears. The noise from the main section of the prison seemed to drift away, and it was as if Junia was no longer there. Instead she was standing at the fence, Abel’s bleeding and beaten body hanging limp from the pole before her.

Her chest was hurting for an entirely different reason now. It had been so easy, too easy, to forget the pain that Abel suffered every minute when she was listening to Evangeline’s laugh, sharing meals with her. Junia had allowed herself to pretend that her dreams could somehow become reality; she had been selfish and Abel and Stella had suffered immeasurably for it. As guilt seemed to overwhelm her mind, and the vision of Abel’s broken form still somehow transposed above the dark hallway she now traversed, Junia whispered, “You’re right.” She wanted to apologize, but knew words, at a time like this, were much too late. “I was only thinking of myself.” The first time she had admitted the fault of her actions out loud, and she knew, God, wherever he was, would be disappointed.

       “Thanks for teaching me how to LAUGH                            when I’d forgotten how to.”