demonicmiracle | (duplicity) ic contact

[He knows, he knows. Crowley can taste the words on his tongue, asking Aziraphale if he thought God had planned all of it, them included. But the last thing he wants to do is admit that. It doesn't make God less of an asshole, in the end.]

Don't see anything unnecessary about it.

[Part of what he's angry about, with the photos so close by, is the memory of smug satisfaction on Gabriel's face as he ordered 'Aziraphale' to his death. He's angry about falling, about Heaven, about Armageddon, but none of that really compares to his fury at how the other angels treated Aziraphale.]

You can go, priest. I can't imagine you want to spend your Christmas day around a demon.

[He runs his palm down his face before responding. God, give him the strength.]

I can't say some elements of this conversation have made that an appealing idea, but I ought to say something before we part.

[An angel is willing to have this demon in their corner, and God likely made them a key element in preventing the end of the world, and they have some distinctly un-demon like qualities, so they're not what Anderson initially assumed them to be. He should acknowledge that.]

How our first conversation went. It was not well navigated, on my part. Very poorly navigated, in fact. [He looks slightly exasperated.] I realise this is perhaps the most awkwardly worded apology you've ever heard despite your several millennia of life, but you're just going to have to accept it for what it is, because if I try again it'll undoubtedly be worse.

[Well, the surprise of the apology is enough to drain away some of his anger, or at least startle it out of him. He's quiet for a moment after Anderson finishes speaking, looking a little suspicious as he regards the man.]

Not the most awkward, actually, a bit confused about why you're bothering. Do you want something?

What? From you? Of course not. There's no ulterior motive. I'm just aware I can be an ass, at times. Or- what was it you called me? A sanctimonious prick?

[Half the city told him he was a colossal jackass at one point, so it's hard not to be aware. That made for a fun first month in Duplicity.]

Do people usually ask you for things? I wouldn't have thought that standard behaviour with a demon.

Won't argue that.

[It isn't like Crowley can claim to not be an ass, though he hasn't done much recently that's warranted any apologies. He's still not sure he wants to accept it, though.]

And everyone wants things, that's the business I was in, giving people what they want, or encouraging them to take it. Haven't you heard of Faust? Deals with the devil, all that sort of thing. Not quite how it works in reality, but some of the same principles apply.

Glad to see you're being so receptive to my apology.

[Can't quite stifle the sarcasm, but he made the apology and that's what matters.]

Right, yes. But I wouldn't have thought it so common that you would think a priest would want something from you. Resisting temptation is rather our shtick.

I haven't decided if I want it.

[It comes back to that word again; Crowley's gotten a handful of apologies since coming to the city, most of them for more unpleasant things than someone being a bit nasty and he waved those off, too.]

You think I've never tempted a priest before? [He almost laughs. Almost.] Priests are just as human as anyone else, if a bit more holier than thou.

You have it regardless of whether or not you want it, alas.

[Though he does understand what Crowley actually means.]

Outliers. I'm guessing by our last conversation that you don't get a lot of success with priests, and there's more than 'holier than thou' driving that. You certainly had no reason to think a priest like me would want anything from you.

--What did you think I might want from you, by the way? [He's a little curious.]

[Crowley rolls his eyes, over-emphasizing the gesture enough that it's clear what he's doing even with the sunglasses on, the dismissal meant both for that smart comment about the apology and the insistence that any easily tempted priests are outliers.

It's Christmas, though, so he's not going to get into this argument.]

Heaven if I know, s'why I was a bit confused. [He pauses for a moment, considering, and then adds:] Don't worry, I didn't think it was a sex thing.

[Now he's just being an ass.]

[It takes him a moment to actually think up a response to that. It's just so out of left field, and the implications.]

That should go without saying! Good Lord, was it usually a sex thing? [He can't imagine why else a demon would automatically jump to sex thing.] I'd extend my sympathies, but I suppose you might not require them.

[Demons seem to like that sort of thing, according to most sources.]

[It's probably a bad thing that upsetting a priest makes him so happy, but he's a demon, he can't help it.

That was like shooting fish in a barrel, too.]

Just figured you can never know with this place. I've had weirder requests.

[He hasn't, he's full of it.]

[He's gotten better at not letting the little things fluster him since arriving here, but he's still very easy, in that regard.]

I don't envy your job. Calling. Whatever you refer to it as. [A pause.] Which you won't be doing here, I assume, since you're no longer associated with the devil, and there's no reason for you to keep up appearances. You can keep that upward trajectory.

[You know. Being good. Angel things. ~~Ultimately being forgiven and turning back into an angel because that's how these stories should end!!!~~]

[Aw, there goes his amusement.]

You want to know a secret, father? I've been doing an angel's work for over a millennia, right alongside my own. Blessings, miracles, healing the sick, all that Godly business. Hasn't made a difference in my trajectory. No one up there cares.

[Not the angels, not God. Even if She's been watching, paying attention, planning all this, it doesn't change the fact of what he is and what he'll always be.]

[Oh, these revelations are tough to process. This isn't how these things are supposed to go.

He wipes a gloved hand over his face, then sighs.]

Forgive my ignorance, then. There'll be a day where things change, I'm sure of that, but perhaps you belong down here, with us, for the time being. Because it does matter to those people, and that angel friend of yours. And myself. Still an upward trajectory, just not a physical one.

[He drops his hand back to his side.]

You seem to like our theatre, anyway.

[He shouldn't have admitted that, really, but with those photos comes the realization that Heaven could have known all his secrets all along. They likely have proof of Aziraphale doing temptations on his behalf, so what does it matter?

His jaw works for a moment, as he bites down on things he definitely shouldn't say, when it comes to whether or not it matters to Aziraphale, what Crowley is. It strikes too close too home, too close to so many of his insecurities.]

Will was an alright sort, still can't stand the tragedies, though.

[It's the most benign thing he can say without starting another argument.]

[Priests are generally good at getting people to bare their soul.]

Moving on, are we? I'm partial to them, but to each their own.

[He clears his throat.]

You won't have many options for theatre here, unfortunately. Most of it seems to be propaganda for Duplicity's contract system.

Edited 2019-12-31 03:52 (UTC)

[Crowley gives him a flat look that's definitely some kind of warning. If Anderson wants to push the topic of forgiveness, it's at his own peril.]

The bloke that owns the Sinema mentioned wanting to put on a few works from Earth if he could get his hands on them, not sure if he's made anything of it yet, though.

[Anderson has never listened to a warning in his life and he's not about to start now. He responds with a slight tilt of his head.]

Sinema. The naming conventions of this place will never cease to exasperate me.

[But that aside:]

There's plenty of media here that's derived from Earth works, so he could just edit them to better resemble the original, or he might get lucky if he searches around bookshops and the like. I've managed to find some publications that haven't been screened while here.

[Judging by his wry expression, Crowley agrees with the sentiment on naming conventions. At least have some creativity, people.

More importantly, though, Anderson's apparently been doing the same thing that Crowley has, and now he has to make a decision about whether he wants to ask what he's about to ask.

He's going for it, though, because he misses having access to the bookshop whenever he wanted to (temporarily) pilfer something to read.]

Can't believe I'm about to ask this, but what would it take to get you to lend me some of those? I've started a bit of my own collection, would be willing to let you borrow them in return.

[He has so many books at this point that his house could pass for a library, so Crowley's in for a treat.]

You've been perusing the offerings of this place yourself, then? You're welcome to my collection. I have enough that I'm not likely to miss a few. They aren't all unscreened, but the ones that are aren't too heavy on the propaganda.

[He considers Crowley for a long moment.]

I won't ask anything in return, but if you're so inclined, you can send any children's books you come across my way.

[Might as well ask. An additional set of eyes would make gathering books for the children much easier.]

[That was almost too easy, and for a second he wonders if it's some kind of trap, but — if Anderson wanted to mess with him, he easily could've brought holy water along to this little meeting. And he did apologize, after all, so maybe it's a sincere offer.

He's definitely going to tell someone before he goes, lest he never returns, but it's worth it to get a chance to read something that isn't awful Duplicity propaganda.]

I've been looking for what I can, yeah, but uh — thanks. [It almost sounds like a question, that thanks, but he's trying.] You've got kids?

[Why else would someone want children's books?]

[Holy water is the least of his concerns, since Anderson is constantly carrying hundreds of consecrated blades. Teleportation isn't the only ability God has afforded him.

He seems vaguely amused by Crowley's attempt at gratitude.]

I'd be curious to see what you've managed to dig up. And your taste in literature. [He doesn't like tragedies, apparently, so perhaps he goes for lighthearted works?] I'm a Catholic priest, specifically, so not in that sense, no. There's just children's homes in the Down I try to attend to the needs of, and their libraries were so sparsely stocked and full of crap when I arrived here that I've spent the last several months collecting and editing books.

[The indoctrination starts early, so it's been a slow process of making the books more palatable.]

[Consecrated blades would be unpleasant, would likely discoporate him and hurt a hell of a lot, but holy water is the only thing that can make Crowley cease to exist. It's pretty much always the height of his concerns.]

Oh, it's rubbish, as the angel so often tells me. And I'd offer to let you come up for a browse, but I've a party to be at in a bit. [Some of his favourite books are the James Bond novels so..... that tracks. It isn't all he reads, but often does lean towards more lighthearted things. There's enough tragedy in daily life.] Right, well, I'll keep an eye out for anything that isn't awful and pass it along.

[Kids deserve not shitty books.]

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