It-666, the Beast
We meet ‘It’ at the start of the saga, aged 16, in an appalling state. Kept in a cage, starved, tortured, left in her own mess, the teenager has only one wish, the one of dying. Representing all we fear, the incarnated Beast, is a young distressed Being. She had far from the most enjoyable start in life.
Found by Walter Workmaster, she is surprised to see his human reaction to her. She is met with his heartbroken sympathy and his desire to help her out. His friendly humanity touches her deep down. Despite seeing her mark, the atheist rejects the fact that she could possibly be the Beast and treats her like an individual in great need of help. Despite her confessing to him that she is a freak, he takes her on board of his family life like a Super Being of some sort and pushes others to treat her like so.
Literally adopted by the human, the teenage Beast discovers hope but also that she may be allowed to have a future. It is hard for herself to comprehend that she may live for her hurting heart is casting repetitively death for her own self. The suicidal creature that she is, her tortured soul who has difficulties in coming to terms that she is the feared Beast, absolutely doesn’t want to hurt anyone nor be used to destroy humanity. She would rather pass away than letting that happen. Knowing that she is a living bundle of extreme powers which she doesn’t know how to control fully, she lives in fear of causing the worst. She contemplates her suicide as the kindest thing she could do to others.
However, saved by Workmaster, he drives her straight, unknowingly to her incarnated counterparts, Angels and Archangels, which have been walking the earth for an eternity, mixing with and protecting humans in a well kept secret. The first she meets Archangel Gabriel assesses her. Taken aback by her gentle character and pacific nature, he takes her under his wings, knowing that if others find out about her existence, she will either be slaughtered or used and abused to do evil. Despite his own best effort to keep the Beast only known, hidden and protected by him and Workmaster, the news inevitably reaches the leader of the incarnated Angels, his fearsome Uncle, Archangel Raphael.
From her encounter with Gabriel, It cannot help a strong bond forming between them which develops into the deepest love. The Beast simply falls for the Archangel irresistibly. Thought at first to be just a teenage crush, all watch helplessly the union establishing itself between the two Beings.
With her case being overwhelmingly pleaded by Walter Workmaster, but also because of her strong good self sacrificing heart, she wins over Raphael and his Angels. The Archangel gives her a chance and takes her in the midst of his Angelic Army as a soldier.
From a lost Being with no confidence about herself and others, she grows to accept herself but also learns that her powers can be used to do good. From training, participating in Angelic missions, and fighting with the Army against demons, she acquires a particular place among Beings.
She is allowed to live and grow in the safe knowledge that the day she turns evil, the Angels surrounding her, will give her the death she wants to protect humanity.
The Beast is a complex character, not only evolving, but growing in a lot of respect. Young, sweet sixteen, she has a lot to learn as a supernatural Being, as a teenager who was deprived of a proper childhood, who spent part of it feral in the Black Forest where a priest and a nun hid her after abducting her at birth, and the rest of it in a cage, regularly tortured, and as a powerful creature who finally meet some acceptance from others. She also grows on the other characters irresistibly. She doesn’t have to play the charm incentive to do so: she is just her natural self.
She is the antithesis of what or who she is supposed to be. Self-sacrificing soldier, she meets respect and admiration, the more she engages in missions, fights and battles. Throughout, there is the fear, the danger that she could be too good to be true, and that all are learning to trust pure evil in a sheep skin’s disguise. Is it a clever move to teach Angelic warfare to your possible enemy? Some could argue with a ‘keep your friends close and your enemy closer.’ Aren’t Her Angelic Watchers learning how the little Beast fights by training her? The question of trust is one of the main theme within the saga, investigated in many of its different aspect.
A dangerously restrained character, It has the potential to bring complete chaos yet she doesn’t do so when we encounter her. All (characters and readers alike) meet a rather sweet Being, brave, steadfast in her will to cause no hurt to others. As the Beast, however, a considerable amount of positively negative experiences are thrown at her, time and time again. How strong can a character be to not switch and explode once and for all?
The first instalment of her saga is all about her discovered self-destroying tender Being, adopted by a kind and open minded human, taken under the wings of a rather aloof yet inquisitive Archangel Gabriel but also her taking the potentially dangerous offer of being raised by the Angels in their Army.
I fear I have said too much and not enough about ‘It’. Let’s correct that a tad.
In the balance, on the too much side:
‘It-666’ has to be one of the most heavyweight characters, I ever created. When characters present themselves to my mind gradually or not, they rather feel like imaginary friends. I dwell upon them, see them acting and from a virtual director’s chair, ask them to repeat something once more with more passion. Disturbingly, I felt in It’s shoes. Now, she had dirty branded bare foot that she could not move from the layer of her own piss and shit she was sitting upon, cramped, dislocated in parts, bruised, with too many broken bones to be spoken of. From my nightmares, It felt deep down physically, like if I was within her, living her hardships. Writing her story helped me step away from ‘It’ all, like if I was removing her skin from my shoulders, breathing awake as normal. It was like releasing a white feathered dove from her cage and letting her fly to freedom: a relief.
On the not enough side:
Experiencing a character that way was a novelty as a creative mind: disturbing, definitely yes, enlightening just as much. However faced with the choice to carry a novel with the vision from the deep end, or else, I selected else: Else, the other characters that encounter the Beast and what they make of It. Let’s emphasise: What they are making of It, the teenage Being they decided to bring up together.
How will it turn out is the big question. I will let you read it in due course.
How would the Beast (well my It) look like on an identity card or passport:
Country of origin: UK.
Born in London the 06/06/1996 at 6:16 am.
Surname: 666.
First Name: It.
Given Names: Bambi, Blondie.
Nationality: Being of some kind. Gender: F Height: when humanly incarnated: 1,53m. In Beast’s shape: undisclosed.
Residence: The tree house of Doctor Gabriel Purallee. (Archangel Gabriel)
Colour of eyes: Aquamarine.
Under the Guardianship of: her three Angelic Masters and Watchers: Archangel Raphael, incarnated as Raphael Wrath; The Death Angel, incarnated as Azryel Mortimer; Archangel Gabriel, incarnated as Dr Gabriel Purallee.
Birth Father: Fallen Archangel Eremiel.
Birth Mother: Demonic Goddess Lilith.
Adoptive Father: Walter Workmaster.
Adoptive Mother: Caroline Workmaster, born Purallee.
The born Beast is a sensitive Being with feelings bursting at her every pore. She was not offered proper sympathy nor love of a filial kind until she meets the wonder of a human that is Walter Workmaster…
It-666 in quotes (from Book 1) and passages:
It-666 smiled and softly told, -I have no avenging thirst, Gabriel. Making sure they didn’t know that I had dangerous powers, implied either laying low or using them to destroy all who thought I had, and a carnage doing so. I prefer being destroyed than using my powers or being used and abused to do evil. Here I am all broken up for it, to preserve humanity from all I can do. And my vow not to harm anyone stands proud and tall, renewed for having seen only one man, Walter, opening his arms to me, with genuine kindness, taking me away from my hell spot upon Earth. I can swallow any pain given, as for kindness I want to give it back tenfold. I read that Walter was not a happy man, he is hurting. I want to help him if I can. Repay him for the hope he gave me.’
(verse 9: Of rats and men.)
Gabriel who broke the news of the abduction to a distraught Caroline and Workmaster, turned at the mention of his name. He walked forward to the group of Angels surrounding the young Beast, and knelt before Azryel Mortimer bowing his head down, -I accept. Help us forward. Help us retrieve young Michael. My failures are calling for guidance to correct my path. Only your intransigence Azryel can drive back a soldier to his best.
It-666 gave her solemn reply to Raphael and his Death Angel,
-My Master has spoken. I bow to you both, Azryel servant of Archangel Raphael. What is the plan to get back Archangel Michael? What can I do to help?
Raphael replied with glowing eyes,
-Just fight with Us Bambi, just fight.’
(verse 27: Greet & Meet/Great & Meat.)
Great light poured into the room, as Azryel and It-666 materialised within it. Raphael glanced at them worryingly yet before he could say one word, he saw the young teenage Beast walk to the bedside of Micky. She enclosed both of his wrists between her hands and whispered a reversed incantation. Before their eyes the child’s deep cuts sealed themselves closed. She kissed his forehead gently, saying, -You will sleep now and forget about it all, Micky, for it was all a bad, very bad dream. You are safe. It is all over like mummy said.
The child blinked a little then fell asleep, safe, sound, and healed up. Raphael picked up his little hand and checked his wrist thoroughly, assessing the child’s bodily functions doing so, he confirmed to Caroline,
-Micky is going to be more than fine. He will not remember what he lived and saw. Nothing happened but school today for him, now. He does not need any intervention from any healing Angels regarding his blood loss either, for right now it is fully re-established. Caro, your child has just been healed thoroughly by It.
Caroline fell inside her uncle’s arms and cried,
-Thank you, thank you all for bringing him back, for tending to him, for healing him, thank you so much. I am indebted to you.
Azryel came to check the child as Raphael did, but more thoroughly so. He nodded his confirmation to Raphael and Caroline. Micky was healed, safe and sound.
As he glanced back at It-666, she was far from alright. He could see both her wrists bleeding slowly. She had swallowed the pain and the ordeal of the child and took it upon her. ‘Swallowing Pain’ was one attribute of the Beast but a dangerous one. The digestion of pain was a process very much unknown to many Angels and the ultimate result could mean worse than what was absorbed. Death looked worryingly at Raphael and told,
-I have one soldier to tend to, I am afraid.’
(verse 30: Re-Cove-Ry.)
