lt_safe_house | (no subject)

Current Location: the ballroom

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Date: April 20, 2003
Status: Public
Setting: The ballroom
Summary: Happy Easter, everyone!

Easter/Spring Equinox Party
Manor Ballroom
Refreshments Provided
Meet your housemates+

Aziraphale had posted the sign in the main entrance, right by Ms. Hodges' desk.

And now he was incredibly nervous. Would anyone show up? Would anyone who showed up actually enjoy themselves? He had spent all night cooking and was confident that if nothing else the food was good - deviled eggs, ham, cheese potatoes, pineapple casserole, vegetable mix - but the decorations were awfully... bright...

He crossed his fingers and chose to occupy himself by staring at the ballroom's music system, pondering what sort of music he ought to be playing.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Aziraphale winced. He knew, of course that Gabriel was looking after him - it did seem to be quite the trend lately, he was going to have to find some sort of younger angel to get interest off himself - but really, this was probably the worst thing that could happen.

"Ah, first of all, Gabriel, this is my, ah, associate, Mr. Anthony Crowley. Crowley, this is Gabriel, my supervisor." He gestured to both of them as he spoke of them. Then he quelled any sort of pointed response to Crowley, merely responding, "It's merely an Easter party, my dear, and as you've no doubt noticed, I'm quite safe here. Michael's fond of my cooking, after all."

Michael, mouth full of food, chimed in, "I am! You clearly didn't learn to cook from Gabriel." He winked at the other Archangel, hoping to help diffuse that "if you say the wrong thing I'm going to smite you" look.

Michael considered himself something of an expert at smiting demons, but even he recognized that if anything the one in danger here was the demon, not Aziraphael.

Besides, he was just here for the food.

Gabriel glanced at Michael impassively for a moment before turning back to Crowley and extending a hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you. I hear you were the one who brought Aziraphael here?"

Edited 2010-05-03 06:06 (UTC)

"Likewise," Crowley responded. He gave Aziraphale a pointed look even as he once again addressed Gabriel. "Seems like you've heard quite a bit."

Edited 2010-05-06 14:22 (UTC)

"Indeed. Your reasons for bringing Aziraphael here, for one." Gabriel wanted to trust Crowley. But he'd practically brought Aziraphale to Beelzebub under cover of protecting him; at the same time, Beelzebub couldn't attack here anyway.

What was going on here? Had Aziraphael really managed to get a demon to truly care for him?

Aziraphale winced at this. Oh, Gabriel. That was it; he was never telling Gabriel anything again. Who knew he was such a, a, a buttinski? And at an Easter Party?

"Come now," Aziraphale chided him gently. "This is neither the time nor the place for such talk. We're here to meet our housemates, not interrogate them. Why don't you have some punch? And there is plenty of food. I was up all night cooking."

Aziraphael had a point. It was, after all, a party, and this was hardly proper. "I apologise." Still, he'd have to find Crowley and talk to him soon.

Gabriel raised his cup of punch and the plate of food slightly. "The food is delicious. I'd have loved to offer my help, but," he grimaced lightly, shrugging. Kitchens and Gabriel did not go well together.

Mary entered the ballroom and looked around, blinking. It was very... bright. And cheery. She might have liked it if it had been toned down just a notch, but those colours really were a tad too bright, and were those bunnies being hung from the ceiling? Oh dear, she really would have to find out who had done the decorating so she could at least rein them in for future events, bunnies were all very well and good in their proper place but their proper place was not hanging from the ceiling...

Oh, how lovely, Mr Crowley was here, as well as various angels; she remembered seeing the darkhaired one with his wings out. And - oh, Loki was here too, and her hand automatically smoothed her dress nervously.

Loki sauntered over to where Mary Hodges had just entered. He gave her a bright smile that even widened as he saw her take in the decoration. He was far from being as partial to chaos as his strange counterpart, but he enjoyed a little prank or two as much as the next guy.

"Something wrong?" he inquired pleasantly.

"Oh, hello," she smiled brightly, willing herself not to blush. "Nothing's wrong, it's just that, well, don't you think the decorations are rather bright? And I know rabbits are associated with Easter but really, there's no need to hang the poor things."

"They haven't been hanged! They're on swings!" Aziraphale protested. "And they're happy there, thank you very much!"

The stuffed bunnies couldn't agree with him, but they did appear to be comfortable higher up.

He wasn't going to respond to the comments about the brightness. The decorations were cheery, and that was that.

(That being said, he was going to lock himself in his room for a week to avoid everyone and their snark.)

"Exactly!" Loki pointed out with a bright smile. "They're in their own comfy little baskets and able to watch all the partying down here. Imagine they had been put on the floor - people might have stepped on them. Now that would've been undignified for an easter bunny, don't you think?"

Behind Gabriel's scrutiny of Crowley, he slipped away. He returned with a glass of punch and standing on the periphery of the group. Barnaby may not have wanted to make idle smalltalk with the other demon, but he wasn't going to have his back to him, either. It was like having a wasp in the room: you didn't want it out of your sight.

Instead, catching the last thing Loki had said, "I don't know, they are a subterranean species. I imagine they have the most terrible acrophobia."

Crowley was not going to participate in a conversation where the subject matter had anything even remotely to do with rabbits, Easter or otherwise. In point of fact, he wasn't sure why he was there in the first place, what with the various angels around. And then there was the other demon.

Perhaps now would be a good time to have a chat. Crowley narrowed his eyes (under his dark shades, so no one but Aziraphale would know the gesture) and focused his attention on Barnaby. "Ssso. I'd like a short…private word with my...coworker."

Barnaby's heart dropped to somewhere in the lower mantle of the Earth: Ohfrickwhatdoeshewant.

"By all means," he said, putting the glass down and tucking his hands in his pockets. "Although surely whatever you have to say is fit for polite company?" He nodded his head at the others.

Crowley gave him a cool look in return. "Probably not."

Aziraphale pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping to stave off a migraine. "Be polite," he murmured to Crowley a little hopelessly.

Edited 2010-05-19 01:32 (UTC)

Michael miracled his plate of food into a bowl of popcorn and began munching happily, incredibly amused. That was the fun bit about demons; all the infighting made his job a lot easier. These two were rather equal in power, too, although the one in the suit was more experienced.

He hoped they fought it out right here. That would be the best Easter present ever.*

--
* Not quite true. Like ~~all~~ most angels, Michael is a huge fan of chocolate and squeals in joy when gifted with an enormous hunk of chocolate in his Easter basket.

"Ah. That's a pity. Very well, after you." He gave Aziraphale a perfectly guileless look. "Don't worry, this shouldn't take a moment."

The festivities had not escaped Trilby's notice; he had, in fact, intended on using this time to investigate the manor more thoroughly while the inhabitants were occupied. On the other hand, what better place to observe everyone?

He entered the ballroom just as two men (http://community.livejournal.com/lt_safe_house/25992.html) left. He glanced at their stiff backs, then at the faces of those still there.

"I assume I missed something?"

Aziraphale responded to the newcomer, "Only a good deal of posturing and proof that no matter how old you are, you can still act like a young boy who doesn't want to share a toy."

Of course Aziraphale was flattered that Crowley was being so possessive, but that didn't mean he could actually admit that out loud.

He beamed. "But welcome to the party, my name is Aziraphale and I'm something of the host, and feel free to help yourself to refreshments!"

"Ah," Trilby said dryly. "Boys will be boys?"

He cast a glance around the faces, unfamiliar but for Ms. Hodges and Loki. Ideally he would have idled in the background to get a feel for these people first, out of sight, but these rooms were so brightly lit he was surprised none of them was getting an indoor tan.

"My compliments to you, then, as the host," he said. "I've been led to expect such things, but that is an unusual name you have."

Gabriel watched the two demons leave, thoughtfully. Beelzebub, not surprisingly, hadn't showed up yet, and Gabriel wondered when he would make his move.

He nodded to the new arrival, and waited for him to introduce himself. The Angel of Birth knew perfectly well that his name was Malcolm, but humans tended to be unnerved by strangers knowing their names.

"I think you all have me at a disadvantage," he said. "I've been here about a week and I haven't met most of you. Jon Robie, I'm a writer."

Odd. He could understand women's last names changing, but this was strange. Still, it wasn't the first time, and the man must have his own reasons.

He held out his hand. "I'm Gabriel."