Lower Tadfield Safehouse

Gabriel was reminded of his distrust of Crowley, after what Aziraphael had told him. He'd been planning to meet the demon for a while; here was the opprtunity. How many demons risked themselves to protect angels, after all?

"Crowley, I presume?"

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Duncan waited a step away from the group around Aziraphale, watching them and listening.

Who was the newcomer? A thought that crossed his mind was that he might be thepoor boy's boyfriend. If so, maybe that was part of the reason why Michael had bullied Aziraphale so. Duncan had seen more than his share of fathers or trainers trying to make what they called 'a true man' out of people.

He in contrast had spent enough time in purely male company to know that a person's choice of bedpartner offered no information at all on their skills in a fight.

Not that he had ever tried it himself. But that was less due to finding such activities with a fellow male disgusting or unmanly, and more due to him not being terribly keen on loosing a lover on the battlefield. The other time when the opportunity would have presented itself was during some of his stays at assorted monestaries. There he had honored the rules of the place and refrained from such things completely, even though he knew others did not.

In any case, if the man with the sunglasses and Aziraphale were an item, he wished them all the best and would simply have to keep an eye out if they ever needed protection frmo that Michael.

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"You presume correctly," Crowley replied, giving Gabriel just enough attention so that he was not being downright rude, but hardly cordial either.*

After that he focused his attention back on Aziraphale, clearly waiting for a response to his prior dig.

*If the angel had been equivalent to him power wise, Crowley would have reaaally let himself loose and said something sarcastic or even just ignored the angel but as he could easily tell this one was a Higher-Upper, he refrained. **

**Just because he's a demon doesn't mean he's stupid, after all.

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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."

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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.

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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 Date: Monday, 3 May 2010 06:06 (UTC)

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"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 Date: Thursday, 6 May 2010 14:22 (UTC)

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"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?

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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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

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"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."

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"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.)

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"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?"

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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."

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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."

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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.

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

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

Edited Date: Wednesday, 19 May 2010 01:32 (UTC)

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angelofawesome.livejournal.com

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.*

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* 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.

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"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."

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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?"

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