He sat on the little brick wall swinging his legs around as he waited, giving onlookers funny looks. Or maybe they were giving him funny looks. It was dark out, nearly 9pm, and he sat there with sunglasses on, not giving a shit about anything. He was waiting for something.
She walked out the front doors of the building and glanced around. It was a short walk to the car, but she was afraid nonetheless due to the dark. Anyone could be lurking about, and some areas were not well lit. She made it past the first building, past the bike racks, through the construction and past the coffee shop. And then there was the little brick wall.
It started out as a joke. A joke from an atheist based on a show based on a book spawned from a religion stolen from other religions. But it wasn’t a joke anymore. It took a few weeks for the message to reach him, and honestly he ignored it for another week. But the message kept coming, on repeat, every night. So there he sat. On the little brick wall swinging his legs around until she walked into view.
She glanced over at the strange person sitting on the little brick wall. A few more steps and another glance led to a good look, and a complete halt. He waved. She spoke his name as a question, to which he replied, “The one and only. You did call for me, after all.” She did. He slid off the little brick wall and walked over to her. It felt normal, the two of them being together. They spoke briefly but she was still processing his existence. His presence here in front of her. Him walking her to her car to ensure she was safe, cursing guys who gave them funny looks. His enjoyment of the K-pop she played in the car during the short drive home. The way he sauntered up the stairs behind her, into the apartment and to her room.
And then he laid on the floor, in the way, smirking. He watched her all night, making small conversation and eventually drinking. Drinking a lot, enough, to open up. She noticed.
“Why did you show up?”
“Nobody speaks kindly of us like you did. Wanted to know, if it was real.”
It was real, it was real because of an idea. He was real. And he would protect her, at all costs, as he did his Angel.
Writing Until Ragnarok 