Mn. Quite the week indeed. [The tea is accepted and an absolutely indecent amount of sugar scooped in the cup.] I'll admit I'm looking forward to a nice stretch of quiet after this mess. Seems like both Home Offices are going to be a bit preoccupied for a time.
Oh, I do hope so. I could almost sympathize with my superiors, if they hadn't been such brutes about the whole thing. Demobilizing the entire Heavenly Host can't be a simple process.
[He might feel differently, if he knew the particulars of his--Crowley's, technically--Heavenly 'trial.' Or lack thereof. But so far, that topic hasn't come up; everything else they've done recently was brutish enough.]
Still, it's going to take some getting used to, this whole 'left alone' business. No more quarterly reports or performance reviews. No more clandestine meetings or trading duties.
[He pauses, teacup suspended, as the realization strikes.]
Oh that simply will not do. His mind races along for a moment as he sips his tea before setting it down with a vague crinkle of his nose.] Well. I mean there's still the normal work to be done. Temptation here, a minor miracle there? Who's to say we can't continue on as we have been?
[Clandestine meetings, specifically. Seems a bit pointless to go on lurking in shadows when one's cloak has already been lifted and one's dagger confiscated, so to speak. Still...] Well, yes, certainly. When you put it that way, I suppose there's no reason we couldn't...
[Aziraphale takes a thoughtful sip, then blinks and lowers his cup and saucer, smiling at Crowley like a sunrise.]
Why. Crowley, are you suggesting that we might carry on simply for the fun of it? [He appears to be quite enchanted by this notion.] As a...a friendly competition of sorts?
[Which would amount to much the same thing, in practical terms, but it sounds so much more enjoyable than ticking off items to fill endless quotas.] We could place a wager, perhaps.
[And with so much less at stake, cancel each other out more effectively than they ever have. Which is probably for the best, really.]
[Crowley hums into his cup as Aziraphale works out that they won't have to continue to meet in secret.] I suppose, although I'm sure the local waterfowl are going to miss the bread you miracled up for them at every one of our meetings.
And why not? I mean [A vague gesture between the two of them] you're still you and I'm still me. Why not carry on with what we've been doing?
[His smile has nothing to do with the delighted look on the angel's face. Nothing at all. He is still a demon and Aziraphale is still an angel, they can't completely fight their nature can they?] A wager hm? Loser buys lunch?
I'm sure the other visitors will see they don't go hungry. The Russian gentleman seems particularly fond of them. And there's no reason we couldn't visit the place, just not...on business. Looking over our shoulders every moment.
[How he's always hated that. So many memories of meeting in that lovely place he has carefully tucked away, but far too many of them are overshadowed with the necessity of stiff formality and furtive notes, arguments in undertones and carefully not looking at one another.]
Can't think of a single good reason, really.
[And in any case, if carrying on as before is what Crowley wants, then Crowley shall have it. Aziraphale may not know exactly what's prompting that rare smile, but he knows that he likes it very much and hasn't seen nearly enough of it in six thousand years.]
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timeasmymeasure
It's been so long I hadn't even grabbed my old LJ username yet O_O
Date: 2019-07-19 06:13 am (UTC)Quite an extraordinary week it's been, hasn't it, my dear?
LOL - I feel you there
Date: 2019-07-19 03:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-07-21 03:02 am (UTC)Oh, I do hope so. I could almost sympathize with my superiors, if they hadn't been such brutes about the whole thing. Demobilizing the entire Heavenly Host can't be a simple process.
[He might feel differently, if he knew the particulars of his--Crowley's, technically--Heavenly 'trial.' Or lack thereof. But so far, that topic hasn't come up; everything else they've done recently was brutish enough.]
Still, it's going to take some getting used to, this whole 'left alone' business. No more quarterly reports or performance reviews. No more clandestine meetings or trading duties.
[He pauses, teacup suspended, as the realization strikes.]
No more Arrangement, I suppose...
no subject
Date: 2019-07-22 03:40 pm (UTC)Oh that simply will not do. His mind races along for a moment as he sips his tea before setting it down with a vague crinkle of his nose.] Well. I mean there's still the normal work to be done. Temptation here, a minor miracle there? Who's to say we can't continue on as we have been?
After all, it's worked for this long hasn't it?
no subject
Date: 2019-07-24 04:39 am (UTC)[Aziraphale takes a thoughtful sip, then blinks and lowers his cup and saucer, smiling at Crowley like a sunrise.]
Why. Crowley, are you suggesting that we might carry on simply for the fun of it? [He appears to be quite enchanted by this notion.] As a...a friendly competition of sorts?
[Which would amount to much the same thing, in practical terms, but it sounds so much more enjoyable than ticking off items to fill endless quotas.] We could place a wager, perhaps.
[And with so much less at stake, cancel each other out more effectively than they ever have. Which is probably for the best, really.]
no subject
Date: 2019-07-25 05:58 pm (UTC)And why not? I mean [A vague gesture between the two of them] you're still you and I'm still me. Why not carry on with what we've been doing?
[His smile has nothing to do with the delighted look on the angel's face. Nothing at all. He is still a demon and Aziraphale is still an angel, they can't completely fight their nature can they?] A wager hm? Loser buys lunch?
We can even start with crepes.
no subject
Date: 2019-07-30 02:31 am (UTC)[How he's always hated that. So many memories of meeting in that lovely place he has carefully tucked away, but far too many of them are overshadowed with the necessity of stiff formality and furtive notes, arguments in undertones and carefully not looking at one another.]
Can't think of a single good reason, really.
[And in any case, if carrying on as before is what Crowley wants, then Crowley shall have it. Aziraphale may not know exactly what's prompting that rare smile, but he knows that he likes it very much and hasn't seen nearly enough of it in six thousand years.]
Crepes! Splendid. What shall we wager upon, then?