tramitem_net | You're my only hope

[ Anthony looked frazzled as he cast a careful glance over his shoulder before slipping back under what appeared to be a blanket fort so he could stare at his phone. ]

Ok look, bad week... shit happened. Lots of shit happened, most of it was my fault. Got engaged, broke it off the next day, had to spend most of the rest of the time at the hospital looking after a sick relative. The visit from the creepy alien hunting suit was incredibly spooky... But none of that compares to this!

[ He swallowed and hushed his tone so he wouldn't be overheard. ]

Mum is here. Actually here in my flat right now, cleaning everything and making dinner because she says I look unwell even though she has done the magic heat sensing mum hand trick three times already and I don't have a fever. What do I do!? I can't tell her about even half of this stuff without--...

[ A second voice, much sweeter and calmer broke in to ask... ]

What is this?

[ And Anthony paled as he and phone broke free of the covers to see his grey haired mom holding that conspiratorial message from the mysterious MMF. Never had a man shot so quickly from a blanket tent to snag the paper, crumbled it, and chuck it into the nearest bin. ]

Nothing! Just some chain letter, probably thinks he is being funny by sending weird notes... Nothing to worry about at all! I told you everything is fine!!

[ His mum merely gave her poor highly strung son a sympathetic look and once again set her hand to his forehead. ]

Honey, you really need to calm down. I know what will help!

[ She turned and dug through one of her many bags until she found a tattered old teddy bear wearing yellow wellingtons. This was pressed into Anthony's arms as he was ushered back to the blanket covered sofa. ]

Its Mr. Yellow Boots! Now you and he can sit here all cozy until dinner is ready.

[ Anthony was sulking but he sat back on the sofa and looked helplessly after his mom until she was well out of ear shot. ]

Send help. Anything... I need her to stop worrying.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Brightly] Could we?
...Oh, you were joking.

And yes, I did. I'm sorry, that was terribly invasive and nosy of me.

I could. She wouldn't think it awfully convenient, would she? Is she staying with you, or does she have a hotel room?

I mean... if you are really into the idea of name tags we could give it a try. No one is going to get your name right though, not even if you spell it phonetically. And don't worry about the spying thing. Its not like you slipped over and had a look while I was in the shower.

[ Just a smirk not a suggestion! ]

Mum is amazingly smart and able to spot a lie from across the room but with the phone call and the kid coming over, one of those has to work. It will be fine!
She will actually be staying at Lilith's penthouse as I don't have a spare bedroom for a guest. That... actually was the plan when I bought into the place. They can visit but then they have to go somewhere else to sleep. One of my best ideas.

I hadn't thought about my part of that. Well, your family can do as Alec does and call me Fell. [Even if that's just kind of Alec's thing.] It's alright. They aren't the kind to shorten it to something horrible, are they? Like Azi?

[A smile.] As for the shower, I don't have a key, so that would be quite the intrusion.

A very sensible idea, the whole one-room thing. And if you need to use me as an excuse, you're welcome to. Within reason. I wouldn't want them to get the wrong impression, of course.
I can be over shortly. Maybe we can go for a bite of something small, get you out of the house a little while.

[ Aziraphale was granted an apologetic grimace. ]

I can't say what my Uncle will do. He may give you a terrible nickname.

[ Azi sounded about right to him but maybe his Uncle would surprise them! ]

Yeaa, no key. Guess it's too soon to be considering that too.

[ Giving him a key that is. It might have been way too fast. ]

Uhhh...what would be the wrong impression? Just so we are on the same page. I like that idea. We can go for dessert some where after speaking to mum. I feel like something sinful!

...Lovely.

[He had no say in the matter, really, so he might as well accept that the uncle would name him and just...live with it. He was not going to be happy about it, however.]

Probably. It's, ah, been a while since that's been a consideration, so I don't know what's [He tries to think of a good phrase for it.] appropriate these days.

Well, ah. [A shrug. What would be the wrong impression? He'd said it purely on principle but now he's not sure. Frankly, some wrong impressions he wouldn't mind. Actually, he thinks with a smile, there are a lot of wrong impressions he wouldn't mind, in certain contexts.] I suppose a little bit of a wrong impression wouldn't be terrible. ...Might even explain this better than 'visions from past lives.' On that note, what did you tell them about how we met, and the like? In case they ask. I feel our stories should be somewhat consistent.

[He wiggles a little with delight. Something sinful.] I could go for that.

[ Anthony drew in a long breath over the phrasing, 'appropriate these days.' It was a tedious sort of word that more and more often he was beginning to feel bored of. This was shocking in a way as hadn't he used to give such conventions more weight? ]

Not the best thing to bring up really, but Grace and I didn't exchange keys until we have been dating for fours years. Reminds me I still have to return hers...

But I think, what's appropriate is what ever you and I decide. I'm not sure the rules really apply all that much to us anymore.

[ It was a relief to hear Fell was thinking along those same lines, ready to buck a few conventions and cause a stir with a 'wrong impression. You rebel! ]

I, uhm... didn't tell the family much about you at all. I took Alec's advice and tried to tell Grace the truth about what was going on. I didn't mention your memories beyond the fact I was in a few of them but the whole... my possibly being a demon thing, might have come up. She called mum so the family knows the telephone version of that. It's not going to be pretty...

Oh, and you should know Uncle Alistair, the one with the nicknames, he's under the impression you are a drop dead gorgeous blonde named Lisa.

Four years-- [Aziraphale made a face that he tried to not make obvious. Aziraphale had never been especially good at letting people--even lovers--into his life, but four years. Then again, he felt far too alright with the idea of giving Anthony a key for any sane person, so what did he know.] To each their own, of course, but that seems like an awfully long time.

In any case, we can sort out the matter of a key later.

[He frowns. Alec came up with that idea? And here he'd learned to trust Alec's instincts, but he supposed one couldn't have all good ideas all the time. There may be no saving the backstory if they knew Aziraphale claimed Anthony was in some of his memories--it suggested he had probably dragged Anthony into the delusions, which was somewhat in line with what Alec probably thought of him at the start. Planning for how to work around that, without outright suggesting Grace had it all wrong (that sounded cruel), was derailed when Anthony mentioned Lisa. He sputtered out his objections.]

Anthony! What in the-- HOW did he get THAT impression?! What have you been telling these people?

Yeah... I was dragging my feet about it. I guess part of me never really felt it was a right fit.

[ That was his fault entirely. Grace had been all too eager to start a life together, but it was a little too 'set', wasn't it? He still regretted how all this had played out but not the end result. If he had moved faster with Grace he might be married to her right now instead of dreaming up interesting ways to slip Fell his key.

Until that happened!]

It's not my fault! He asked about my beautiful fiancee and I described you... a white haired man with a Mona Lisa smile, I never expected him to think Mona Lisa was your name! I'm to blame for his not listening!?

Well, there's absolutely no rush in this case. Nor any obligation, should I eventually give you mine and you not want to return the gesture. Or if you don't want to accept it. Or anything.

And you didn't bother to clear it up? I'm not Lisa! He's expecting a woman, Anthony! Now what do I do?

Wait, you told him we were engaged?

[ There were a lot of words there and Anthony listened to each one before setting aside the more difficult question of to key or not to key, in favor of the much simpler... ]

Wear lipstick?

And I didn't! He must have heard about my engagement to Grace and missed the bit about my breaking it off with her. I wouldn't worry about it... I mean, he will figure out you're a man as soon as he sees you.

[Aziraphale rolls his eyes and exhales slowly.]

You are truly something else. I have half a mind to do so--the lipstick, I mean--except I won't, simply because I think the situation is complicated enough.

Well, I will see you in a bit.

Looking forward to it.

For the most part.

The seeing you bit anyway, the meeting mum bit is going to be a nightmare.

Oh, my dear. It will be fine.

You're my only hope

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