Who says that Cancers have to be kind and sensitive? Or that Scorpio’s are always twisty?

All I’m saying is there are too many generalizations humans make. Cold marble clicks under my feet, for many, many years it has withstood this routine. New souls drift in.

Some kick and scream, protesting that they were never meant to die.

Others waltz in peacefully, bags under their eyes as if they’ve been waiting their entire lives just for this moment in front of the courts.

Mortals believe that when you die you see your core memories. And you do- just not in the way you expect.

A man is dropped in, accompanied by a principality.

He’s more trouble than I am worth. Twisting and screaming, the person is dragged into the room.

I watch as the gold gates slam shut behind him and the clouds whisk back into place, covering whatever sins are revealed inside that room.

Perfection is all that matters.

Perfection is what I am.

A clipboard is whisked clear through the air when she arrives, hitting one of the juniors in the face so hard I nearly feel bad for them.

Nearly.

They open their mouths to yell some type of expletive but instead of words just air comes out. Sadly, no other junior goes to help, and I don’t blame them. They’re all either toying with their newfound wings, having an existential crisis, or too busy trying to make conversation with the stars to long dead family members. The newbie dusts themselves off and steps back into line.

Celeste steps off of the cloud she glided in on, sucking her clouds back into the small vile and tucking it into her belt.

”Sloppy form,” she calls out as she steps over to the victim of her clipboard. Her auburn hair sweeps gently into her face when she leans over the new angel. “You won’t get anywhere if you can’t even stand straight.”
While collecting souls I’ve heard men say angels are only sweet in appearance to tear you apart. That’s Celeste.

The newbies practically runs out of her sight after stuttering out an apology, tripping over their wings. I would be scared if a 9 foot ethereal being just walked up to me. If I was still human, that is.

Twelve golden pillars connect to a black opal dome, each with a sin or a kindness carved into them. I watch as the newbie skitters in. Front of their pillar for this round of testing: envy. Each pillar symbolizes an error in your personality, a Fault that not even being reincarnated into an angel can fix. Something that, once you overcome, can lead you to climbing the ranks to an archangel, like me.

Celeste strolls over to me, her white robe trailing behind her. Once she reaches the center of the room with me she summons that same clipboard back to her from the outskirts of the room.

”Nice seeing you again.” She gives an ear to ear grin.

”Don’t I see you everyday?” I realize I sound even less awake than I already am.

She has a thin veil draped over her face, you can see the sharp curves of her lips and the dip on the bridge of her nose- along with a smattering of freckles that bring out her forest eyes- but never her Fault.

”Don’t be such a downer!” I throw her a side eye.

After surveying the room to make sure they’re in the right place, we begin.

Celeste clears her throat before summoning a pointer from thin air, directing it to the first pillar with its matching Fault. The angel smooths her hands in front of her before speaking.

”Kindness.” Her voice projects itself across the room. Most would say she’s blessed to be one of the positive six. I say she’s not.

The main goal to climb the ranks is to maintain your balance of self, hone it until you’re truly perfect.

Celeste struts over to the angle, raising a short pillar straight out of the marble that holds a bowl of stardust.

What happens next is sacred and never to leave these walls.

The angel’s chin is tipped up by Celeste. She whispers something as she delves through the angel’s memories until both of their eyes go blank. To be truly sure they’ve changed she must see their whole life. After what feels like a few short moments for us but hours on end for them she pulls back and dips a finger into the stardust. The angel stands there motionless as she draws two ovals on her forehead, connecting them by a line.When she finishes only then do the now archangel’s pupils return to her eyes. Only after a second does she fade into a dim shadow of herself before appearing again, taller, brighter, and with a fuller halo. She makes her way over to me to recieve new instruction.

”Seek out those of your Fault, deliver them to the principality.”

The bowl of stardust gets swept up by Celeste as she does this for the other 11.

Greed, love, envy, passion, sloth, empathy, gluttony, lust, pride, wrath, and optimism.

When she gets to the last one, I could’ve sworn I saw the constellations shift a bit on the ceiling of the dome.