(Untitled)

[a_fell]

It's early autumn on Persephone, and around Southdown Abbey's somewhat remote landing strip, the trees are starting their slow transformation from green to vivid reds and golds. It's still warm, on the whole, but there's the slight suggestion of an edge to the breeze. Andronicus Crowley is wearing a scarf, Prior Fell isn't

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[gonna_live]

And when the door to the cargo bay opens...

It reveals a mechanic. Grinning. Also wearing a lovely green dress that Crowley might find familiar.

What Crowley might not find familiar, or at least not immediately so: getting hugged (vaguely violently, and eminently enthusiastically) by said mechanic.

[aj_crawley]

"Wè- oof."

...It's not precisely a regular occurrence, no - at least, not from people that can reach higher than his knee, in any case. Crowley's slightly startled, but not so much that he can't gather his wits enough to hug back.

"Wèi, Kaylee."

After a moment, pleased grin distorting the ragged scar on his right cheek, he leans back, looking her up and down.

"And don't you look xiù lì."

[gonna_live]

Kaylee ducks her head, grinning. "Xiexie. You're lookin' pretty handsome yourself." Her smile gets a little crooked. "Good to finally see you on somethin' other than a Cortex screen."

First time since Miranda.

Which means that when she turns to face Aziraphael with the same smile -- "And you, too." Beat. "Prior."

Crowley'd told her that Aziraphael had gone to Haven, after it was all over. Kaylee's glad about that. Very glad.

[a_fell]

"If it's any consolation," Aziraphael is smiling widely, quite obviously very pleased to see her, "it still feels rather odd calling myself that."

He bends to kiss her lightly on the cheek, tucking long blond hair neatly behind his ear.

"Wèi, Kaylee, my dear."

[gonna_live]

Kaylee beams at him. "Just so you know -- and I mean, I'll tell you this when I see you back at Milliways, but -- Simon loved the books. We started readin' The Tempest on the way here."

[a_fell]

He blinks, since he's not had the practice Crowley has at wrapping his mind around the strangeness of timeframes, then his smile widens.

"My language! heavens!
I am the best of them that speak this speech,
Were I but where 'tis spoken.

It's always been one of my favourites, you know. I'm always glad to know a book's gone to a genuinely appreciative home."

And he's most certainly not thinking about - oh goodness - it being (as far as he knows) the only other copy of the Riverside Shakespeare still in existence.

[gonna_live]

"Oh, it has," Kaylee assures him. "That's what Simon said, even -- that we got a great start on our -- household library."

The pause is for Kaylee's grin to widen, and get a little more private.

[aj_crawley]

"I think I'm insulted," comes the fluid interjection, as Crowley reaches out and, unable to resist temptation, (gently) pulls Aziraphael's untied hair. "I don't read you enough poetry?"

A joke, an exchange of wit, allowing Kaylee a moment to hold the thought close to herself.

Andronicus Crowley's laugh always comes easier, his associates and employees often remark, after spending a weekend on Persephone. And he comes back looking - not good, he always looks good, but well. Something at Southdown Abbey does wonders for him. The air perhaps.

[a_fell]

"I don't think there is such a thing as 'enough' poetry, Crowley." He smiles, head cocked to one side, head having followed the movement of hand in hair.

It's not a smile any of the Shepherds would recognise.

[gonna_live]

Kaylee might. Vaguely. Having worn one similar to it herself, and seen it on Simon.

She stifles a grin.

They're so cute.

[aj_crawley]

Crowley's PDA-sense is tingling, and so he shoves his hands in his pockets, balled slightly against the (to him) nippy breeze.

"So, 's it feel weird sharing a ship with two people who're technically on their honeymoon?"

[gonna_live]

"...seein' as 'Nara's shuttle is on the other side of the ship, we're not hearin' nothin', so...can't complain at all."

Pause.

"We're maybe not seein' much of 'em, though."

Poor Prior Fell.

[a_fell]

"Sound proofing," Aziraphael says wisely (with only the faintest traces of pink), "is a worthwhile investment."

Or, of course, thick stone walls.

[aj_crawley]

"Possibly they should take the gate-house," Crowley suggests, eyes flicking behind Kaylee, to where they can see Mal's legs, crossing one of the walkways above the cargo bay.

"Newly-weds, and all. I can have my stuff out of there in about five minutes."

[a_fell]

"I... yes, it would make sense I suppose."

He looks at Crowley, the look in his eyes approaching concern.

"You're sure?"

[aj_crawley]

"Pfff," he says eloquently, with an expressive, bony-shouldered shrug. "I have felled empires and laid the mighty low, and all that. I can handle a holy headache for a day or two."