(no subject)
It was a perfectly normal day with the sun shining and the sky blue, until an owl came and rapped on his back-room store window.
Aziraphale sighed and debated not answering it. He drank the rest of his tea in contemplation, and just as he swallowed the last sip, humming a pleasant tune to drive off the stirring feelings of guilt and resentment - Heaven had a new tactic, and this barn owl was clearly one of the archangels, probably one near the top of the Bureaucracy Up There - the barn owl was stunned to see the window's glass vanish momentarily.
It had seen odder things, however, and dove inside, dropping the parchment with its shining ink on Aziraphale's back room desk. It perched on the mantel and waited. It knew Aziraphale, and it knew biscuits would be forthcoming.
The angel sighed and reached over to pick it up, unrolling it to find exactly what he expected.
The owl hooted softly as the curly-haired being read it over and looked thoughtful.
"Well done, Mercury," Aziraphale told it, smiling. The owl hooted again and found a pile of treats at his clawed feet.
Aziraphale turned back to the scroll as Mercury, affectionately called "Hg" by some of the more acclimatized angels, regurgitated something that may or may not have been mouse bones and fur, and left. "I'm sure it did something to deserve that," the angel told himself with an amused smile. "Scared a few humans into swearing over the Ineffable, perhaps."
He studied the orders once again. Scotland. Oh dear. He'd have to tell Crowley he wouldn't be at their - Crowley's - flat for a bit.
((Go ahead and comment, he's in the back room.))
Aziraphale sighed and debated not answering it. He drank the rest of his tea in contemplation, and just as he swallowed the last sip, humming a pleasant tune to drive off the stirring feelings of guilt and resentment - Heaven had a new tactic, and this barn owl was clearly one of the archangels, probably one near the top of the Bureaucracy Up There - the barn owl was stunned to see the window's glass vanish momentarily.
It had seen odder things, however, and dove inside, dropping the parchment with its shining ink on Aziraphale's back room desk. It perched on the mantel and waited. It knew Aziraphale, and it knew biscuits would be forthcoming.
The angel sighed and reached over to pick it up, unrolling it to find exactly what he expected.
The owl hooted softly as the curly-haired being read it over and looked thoughtful.
"Well done, Mercury," Aziraphale told it, smiling. The owl hooted again and found a pile of treats at his clawed feet.
Aziraphale turned back to the scroll as Mercury, affectionately called "Hg" by some of the more acclimatized angels, regurgitated something that may or may not have been mouse bones and fur, and left. "I'm sure it did something to deserve that," the angel told himself with an amused smile. "Scared a few humans into swearing over the Ineffable, perhaps."
He studied the orders once again. Scotland. Oh dear. He'd have to tell Crowley he wouldn't be at their - Crowley's - flat for a bit.
((Go ahead and comment, he's in the back room.))