[video]

[scotch_egg]

[when he appears he looks more like an unmade bed than usual. His eyes are red rimmed and bloodshot. There's an obvious hotel room behind him and more than one empty bottle of something someone with a heart condition really shouldn't be drinking-- and it shows]

Congratulations,

You win. You've got it all. Magic, reincarnation, astral fucking projection for all I know. You don't really belong in this normal world, you're not just another bloody sheep, you're something better. Something more.

Good for you and I hope it doesn't blow up in your bloody face.

'Bye.

[and he hangs up. Or at least covers the phone with his hand which is the same thing]

Comments

[bearshermark]

...You are too, you know.

[scotch_egg]

[ugh this fucking kid]

Go to hell.

[bearshermark]

[Apparently he's been there once already- or something like it anyway]

What is it that you hate about this so much?

[scotch_egg]

If you can't see it then you never bloody will.

[bearshermark]

[He can't, only gets a vague sense that like Clarence, the man's memories may have been less than pleasant]

I'm sorry.

Video

[serpentinthegarden]

Alec what the Hell... what the actual Hell!?

[ Usually he could be more eloquent than that but not upon getting a look at this scene. ]

Where are you? I'm coming to get you right now.

Video

[scotch_egg]

M'fine.

[bugger off and go be happy. Leave him alone]

Video

[serpentinthegarden]

YOU are not fine! NONE of THIS is FINE!

Now stop being an ass and tell me where you are! It looks like a dive!

Video

[scotch_egg]

Mmf. [he's not going to tell you. There's a reason he's here after all. So sod off]

Video

[temptationaccomplished]

Crowley! Pick up this phone again and let's talk about this!

...Please.

Video

[scotch_egg]

Alec. [he doesn't want to hear him say that name any more. Easier to be called Alec since they're going to be family anyway. He doesn't doubt that. Everything is going to be hell for a while but then it will settle and they'll be happy until whatever is going on fucks them up again. But what can he do to stop it? Not a damn thing.]

[temptationaccomplished]

[That more than anything else tells him the weight of the mistakes made. Aziraphale swallows around a tightening in his throat and nods, repeating the name gently and with the utmost care.]

Alec.

[scotch_egg]

[no. that's even worse]

Don't you dare cry, Fell. [he can hear it.]

[darkenedmoon]

[She's not going to speak to most of that. Just ignore and sally on forth. Mostly because she didn't want to think about what it all meant--and if she thought too much about it, Yotsuyu might join him at the bottom of a bottle. It's too much. Even this life was too much, for all she tried to ignore it.]

As if with even all the supposed power and glory, the possibility isn't there to be mutton anyway. [Dry as dry.] You damn well know and so do I, that even if one imagines themselves to be atop the world, there's still a chance that there's a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode.

Where are you now? [Yotsuyu's not inclined to give pity, especially where it's not wanted, but someone she considers a peer doing something stupid? Well. She can't allow that.]

[scotch_egg]

Ughh. [it's ridiculous. He doesn't even believe it really. It's true but it feels so meaningless. Hopeless. Like beating himself against a brick wall. He has no weapons, no tools, no anything.]

I'm away. Taking a holiday.

Haven't you ever wanted to disappear? [that sounded more morbid than he'd intended]

[darkenedmoon]

Oh, yes! Dozens of times. Just not usually into the bottom of a bottle. [Despite the fact that a drink or seven sounded wonderful, so often of late. Yotsuyu can't entirely blame him, but of all the people she knows, he was the one she'd trusted to have more than a modicum of sense. Yotsuyu would never breathe a word, but she's shaken, just a bit.]

Not to mention I likely could have sent you to a better place than that shithole you've chosen to hole up in, if you're concerned about your budget. [There is a hint of pride there. No matter how low she may sink, there are some places she wouldn't want to go. Seems he's chosen one.]

I'd be worried someone might cosh you over the head for the change in your pockets!

[scotch_egg]

[he'd had sense his whole goddamn life and it hasn't sent him anywhere but down. Even knowing that, he knows he'll just keep digging until he cant any more.]

S'not abbout the place, s'bout the company. [a joke but it doesn't sound like one]

They won't get much.

[traceofeffort]

[When Lisa finally connects to say something, she's shaking, looking horrified and sounding worried bordering on "form a search party," not that he'll see any of that with his hand in the way.]

No! No, don't you dare, this isn't the way it's supposed to go! What the hell do you think you're doing!?

[scotch_egg]

[shit, he should have seen this coming. Shit, shit, shit. He tries to pull himself together]

Don't worry, M' fine, just drunk.

[traceofeffort]

[No one expects College Girl That Cares Too Much! ...which is a lot less dangerous than the Spanish Inquisition most of the time, mind, but she depends on that knowledge.]

You are not fine, you'd at least be home then, and not trying to leave what may as well be a damned farewell letter! What happened? Memories? Bureau morons? I will go kick someone's ass right now if I have to! Even if it's yours!

[scotch_egg]

I'm fine. Not everyone wants to stay at home all the time. [and he didn't want to get into this conversation. She was passionate and he could appreciate that but, God, was she loud.]

Nothing happened.

[less than nothing happened. He didn't want to think about it.]

[chenqing_player]

[He hasn't met this man..but the family resemblance is impressive.]

Are you are talking to someone in particular or just in general? But I think we are still sheep, just a group of black ones and our shepherd has changed.

[scotch_egg]

Doesn't matter. We're all lead like sheep to the slaughter anyway. [the voice is unfamiliar and he moves his hand to squint at the phone]

Do I know you?

[chenqing_player]

No but I think I may have met your..cousin? I'm kind of new to this whole past memory thing.

[scotch_egg]

Of course you have. [hasn't everyone.]

Maybe you'll develop "magic" powers to impress your friends and enemies.