Anthony J. Crowley

Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus), male, family Anatidae, order Anseriformes, Iceland

It was easier to run off than it was to lie to his new found demon. So he moved to a quaint little town where he was a single father. It was all good until he heard movement in the house. His first thought was to check on his baby Audrey. He rushed into the room to find a dark shape standing over the crib.

His fall hadn't been too long ago, and no matter how hard he tried to remember how it even got this far, it never ended in anything productive. His only proper recollection was of a meeting with Gabriel... something hot burning on his cheek. A declaration, no, a scream, and then solemn acceptance, right before the fire and brimstone greeted him down below.

Now, he spent his time alone, doing a job about as thankless as any other, and yet... he'd hoped to find some sort of hope when he laid eyes on another lonely demon. They were an odd one, that was for sure, cat like, always on their toes, skittish even, yet so eerily familiar that the snake demon couldn't help but feel drawn to them. Like a moth to the flame, he had followed their scent all throughout hell and up to Earth.

He wasn't supposed to be here, no, but the day Crowley took orders without his own agenda, would be the day he died. And so, Crowley had followed the demon to a small town near the sea. The air here was thinner than most places he had been, but it was nice.

Nice.

What a strange word.

It meant so much, yet so little at the same time. So did the little movement in the crib the demon was staring down at. He'd been watching the tiny thing wriggle inside of it for hours now. It was weird how enamoured he found himself by the miracle of life. It shouldn't really be all that wondrous to him any more, should it? How many lives had he seen born, how many created, how many snuffed out?

But it was confusing to see Crowley stood there in the moonlight like a memory flickering in the back of his mind. His demon watching the baby like a... Well.. A new father looking at their child for the very first time.. Because that was exactly what it was.

Of course, he'd come here to see them, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to run into Odd, but somehow... the actual sight of them took him out for just long enough to lose any thought he could have had.

Golden-yellow eyes wandered from the crib all the way to the blonde demon in the door frame. Something about the way they looked like in the fading light of dusk made the snake demon take a sharp breath. He could feel his heart skip a beat ever so fervently, before finally finding his voice.

"Sorry, no warning this time." was all he managed to say at first, his hands still curled around the crib.

"Who is she?" he asked quietly, his gaze once more focusing on the child. He'd never been sure why the innocence of newborn life drew him in so much. Especially now, as a demon, he really shouldn't care all that much, should he? It would definitely for the better if he didn't, but... looking at her, Crowley couldn't help but feel a strange sense of... responsibility.

It felt wrong to lie to Crowley about this. Even if that was the only option he was allowed to do.

The demon's voice faltered ever so slightly as he spoke. Finding the right words to say had never been this strangely complicated.

Why?

There was no reason to be upset. Nothing would justify being emotional at all. Not that Crowley was emotional often, at least not outwardly. Some could call this a flaw, considering the depiction of many demons being so full of rage and spite all the time. But at this moment, Crowley did not feel any rage, no, if anything... it was melancholy that drowned the thoughts inside his head and pulled his gaze away from the other demon and out the window.

"It's beautiful here." he said quietly, observing the waves crashing against rock and sand. He could smell the salt water even from here, a distinct smell he'd experienced many times before... but today, it felt especially overpowering, spreading a sense of déjà vu that made him sick to the stomach.

"A nice place to raise a child. Even if it's... a life on the run. It might be better than whatever life she could have had somewhere else."

There was an intense desire to question the other demon. To ask them who this child belonged to beside him. But something held him back, a deep, uncomfortable feeling that sunk to his stomach and twisted it into knots.

Fear.

That's what it was.

Intense fear.

What a word. Awful, really, to have it used so much when it wasn't ever supposed to leave his lips. No. It really shouldn't, but looking at Odd like this, seeing the child... seeing them together like this... it... it hurt.

So, when they extended their arms to give him the child to hold, Crowley took a deep breath, which was immediately pushed out of his chest in a desperate attempt to suppress the surprise that hit him like a truck.

Him? Hold this child? Why would he entrust something like this to him? He shouldn't. No. This was wrong... so wrong.

So why did he readily hold up his hands to receive the tiny child?

"I... yes. I would."

Why did he say that? Why? WHY? He shouldn't. No. Stop.

"I'm.... sure her father wouldn't... appreciate this. Letting a stranger hold onto her. But. I've always liked children. Can't really put my finger on why. Got to be somethin' stupid, haha."

Crowley hoisted the child up into his arms and stepped toward the window.

Odd tried to shake the thoughts from his head, no point worrying over the impossible. Crowley as he knew him was dead. Raphael was dead. At least, he might as well have been.

What else was he supposed to do after all? He couldn't make the thoughts go away, nor could he tame the anxiety in his chest. It was painful, but nothing was more painful than hearing Odd's voice at this moment.

Something had always pulled Crowley toward them, like an irresistible push and pull, a magnetic field he could not escape from, no... the gravity of a crashing, beautiful star, endlessly dragging him closer toward his doom.

One hand gently caressed the kids rough, golden hair.

No father, hm? That had to be hard. Their two factions were as divided as anything, and Crowley wasn't particularly fond of angels either.

"I see. I'd say sorry, but... I don't think it's my place to apologise."

He barely knew Odd after all. Nor did he know this angel he was supposedly with. Or had been with? Were they still...? It didn't matter. There was no reason to question it. Odd was not his, never would be, and he wouldn't want him to be... right?

He wanted to beg the demon, plead for him to remember him. What they had. He wanted to tell him that he always had a place in Odd's heart. That Odd loved him.

He wanted to laugh, really did, but somehow the laugh got stuck in his throat. Like a blade, it slit through, bleeding into his mouth, shutting him up. Was there something he had wanted to say instead? Was there something unspoken preventing him from just enjoying his usual sarcasm?

It was the easiest way to cope, after all. Humour. Pretend it all away.

And yet, in the quiet darkness that settled over the town, with a barely sleeping child in his arms, the demon couldn't help but feel as if humour wasn't... appropriate. He felt sad.

Sadness was the only thing that fit. Perhaps desperation. A feeling so deep-rooted in his mind that he could no longer cut it out. It belonged, somehow.

What was it he had forgotten to say?

"But would you want that? Why would you even ask? I mean, it's not like we- like we... ngk."

Know each other.

That's what he'd wanted to say, but he did not dare say it out loud. It wasn't something he wanted to admit.

The knot hardened.

"Didn't you wanna hide 'er from us? I mean... what if I tell?"

He paused, almost as if he wanted to continue, ask to invite the other demon to a drink, but... with a child, it may not be the safest activity. Lord only knows what he got up to when drunk sometimes.

"And I'm not the type for a kidnappin'. She's innocent. I mean. Look at her. Sleeping so peacefully. She's got your face." the demon added with a smile.

"Pretty little thing. Make sure you don't trouble yer dad, ya hear?"

It was weird to talk this way about a child he had no authority over, or a demon he barely knew, but in his mind, it felt like the right thing to do, and that had always mattered more than anything... the right thing. Whatever it was. Whether it meant doing bad, or doing good. Right always mattered more to him.

It was easier to run off than it was to lie to his new found demon. So he moved to a quaint little town where he was a single father. It was all good until he heard movement in the house. His first thought was to check on his baby Audrey. He rushed into the room to find a dark shape standing over the crib.

His fall hadn't been too long ago, and no matter how hard he tried to remember how it even got this far, it never ended in anything productive. His only proper recollection was of a meeting with Gabriel... something hot burning on his cheek. A declaration, no, a scream, and then solemn acceptance, right before the fire and brimstone greeted him down below.

Now, he spent his time alone, doing a job about as thankless as any other, and yet... he'd hoped to find some sort of hope when he laid eyes on another lonely demon. They were an odd one, that was for sure, cat like, always on their toes, skittish even, yet so eerily familiar that the snake demon couldn't help but feel drawn to them. Like a moth to the flame, he had followed their scent all throughout hell and up to Earth.

He wasn't supposed to be here, no, but the day Crowley took orders without his own agenda, would be the day he died. And so, Crowley had followed the demon to a small town near the sea. The air here was thinner than most places he had been, but it was nice.

Nice.

What a strange word.

It meant so much, yet so little at the same time. So did the little movement in the crib the demon was staring down at. He'd been watching the tiny thing wriggle inside of it for hours now. It was weird how enamoured he found himself by the miracle of life. It shouldn't really be all that wondrous to him any more, should it? How many lives had he seen born, how many created, how many snuffed out?

But it was confusing to see Crowley stood there in the moonlight like a memory flickering in the back of his mind. His demon watching the baby like a... Well.. A new father looking at their child for the very first time.. Because that was exactly what it was.

Of course, he'd come here to see them, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to run into Odd, but somehow... the actual sight of them took him out for just long enough to lose any thought he could have had.

Golden-yellow eyes wandered from the crib all the way to the blonde demon in the door frame. Something about the way they looked like in the fading light of dusk made the snake demon take a sharp breath. He could feel his heart skip a beat ever so fervently, before finally finding his voice.

"Sorry, no warning this time." was all he managed to say at first, his hands still curled around the crib.

"Who is she?" he asked quietly, his gaze once more focusing on the child. He'd never been sure why the innocence of newborn life drew him in so much. Especially now, as a demon, he really shouldn't care all that much, should he? It would definitely for the better if he didn't, but... looking at her, Crowley couldn't help but feel a strange sense of... responsibility.

It felt wrong to lie to Crowley about this. Even if that was the only option he was allowed to do.

The demon's voice faltered ever so slightly as he spoke. Finding the right words to say had never been this strangely complicated.

Why?

There was no reason to be upset. Nothing would justify being emotional at all. Not that Crowley was emotional often, at least not outwardly. Some could call this a flaw, considering the depiction of many demons being so full of rage and spite all the time. But at this moment, Crowley did not feel any rage, no, if anything... it was melancholy that drowned the thoughts inside his head and pulled his gaze away from the other demon and out the window.

"It's beautiful here." he said quietly, observing the waves crashing against rock and sand. He could smell the salt water even from here, a distinct smell he'd experienced many times before... but today, it felt especially overpowering, spreading a sense of déjà vu that made him sick to the stomach.

"A nice place to raise a child. Even if it's... a life on the run. It might be better than whatever life she could have had somewhere else."

There was an intense desire to question the other demon. To ask them who this child belonged to beside him. But something held him back, a deep, uncomfortable feeling that sunk to his stomach and twisted it into knots.

Fear.

That's what it was.

Intense fear.

What a word. Awful, really, to have it used so much when it wasn't ever supposed to leave his lips. No. It really shouldn't, but looking at Odd like this, seeing the child... seeing them together like this... it... it hurt.

So, when they extended their arms to give him the child to hold, Crowley took a deep breath, which was immediately pushed out of his chest in a desperate attempt to suppress the surprise that hit him like a truck.

Him? Hold this child? Why would he entrust something like this to him? He shouldn't. No. This was wrong... so wrong.

So why did he readily hold up his hands to receive the tiny child?

"I... yes. I would."

Why did he say that? Why? WHY? He shouldn't. No. Stop.

"I'm.... sure her father wouldn't... appreciate this. Letting a stranger hold onto her. But. I've always liked children. Can't really put my finger on why. Got to be somethin' stupid, haha."

Crowley hoisted the child up into his arms and stepped toward the window.

Odd tried to shake the thoughts from his head, no point worrying over the impossible. Crowley as he knew him was dead. Raphael was dead. At least, he might as well have been.

What else was he supposed to do after all? He couldn't make the thoughts go away, nor could he tame the anxiety in his chest. It was painful, but nothing was more painful than hearing Odd's voice at this moment.

Something had always pulled Crowley toward them, like an irresistible push and pull, a magnetic field he could not escape from, no... the gravity of a crashing, beautiful star, endlessly dragging him closer toward his doom.

One hand gently caressed the kids rough, golden hair.

No father, hm? That had to be hard. Their two factions were as divided as anything, and Crowley wasn't particularly fond of angels either.

"I see. I'd say sorry, but... I don't think it's my place to apologise."

He barely knew Odd after all. Nor did he know this angel he was supposedly with. Or had been with? Were they still...? It didn't matter. There was no reason to question it. Odd was not his, never would be, and he wouldn't want him to be... right?

He wanted to beg the demon, plead for him to remember him. What they had. He wanted to tell him that he always had a place in Odd's heart. That Odd loved him.

He wanted to laugh, really did, but somehow the laugh got stuck in his throat. Like a blade, it slit through, bleeding into his mouth, shutting him up. Was there something he had wanted to say instead? Was there something unspoken preventing him from just enjoying his usual sarcasm?

It was the easiest way to cope, after all. Humour. Pretend it all away.

And yet, in the quiet darkness that settled over the town, with a barely sleeping child in his arms, the demon couldn't help but feel as if humour wasn't... appropriate. He felt sad.

Sadness was the only thing that fit. Perhaps desperation. A feeling so deep-rooted in his mind that he could no longer cut it out. It belonged, somehow.

What was it he had forgotten to say?

"But would you want that? Why would you even ask? I mean, it's not like we- like we... ngk."

Know each other.

That's what he'd wanted to say, but he did not dare say it out loud. It wasn't something he wanted to admit.

The knot hardened.

"Didn't you wanna hide 'er from us? I mean... what if I tell?"

It was easier to run off than it was to lie to his new found demon. So he moved to a quaint little town where he was a single father. It was all good until he heard movement in the house. His first thought was to check on his baby Audrey. He rushed into the room to find a dark shape standing over the crib.

His fall hadn't been too long ago, and no matter how hard he tried to remember how it even got this far, it never ended in anything productive. His only proper recollection was of a meeting with Gabriel... something hot burning on his cheek. A declaration, no, a scream, and then solemn acceptance, right before the fire and brimstone greeted him down below.

Now, he spent his time alone, doing a job about as thankless as any other, and yet... he'd hoped to find some sort of hope when he laid eyes on another lonely demon. They were an odd one, that was for sure, cat like, always on their toes, skittish even, yet so eerily familiar that the snake demon couldn't help but feel drawn to them. Like a moth to the flame, he had followed their scent all throughout hell and up to Earth.

He wasn't supposed to be here, no, but the day Crowley took orders without his own agenda, would be the day he died. And so, Crowley had followed the demon to a small town near the sea. The air here was thinner than most places he had been, but it was nice.

Nice.

What a strange word.

It meant so much, yet so little at the same time. So did the little movement in the crib the demon was staring down at. He'd been watching the tiny thing wriggle inside of it for hours now. It was weird how enamoured he found himself by the miracle of life. It shouldn't really be all that wondrous to him any more, should it? How many lives had he seen born, how many created, how many snuffed out?

But it was confusing to see Crowley stood there in the moonlight like a memory flickering in the back of his mind. His demon watching the baby like a... Well.. A new father looking at their child for the very first time.. Because that was exactly what it was.

Of course, he'd come here to see them, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to run into Odd, but somehow... the actual sight of them took him out for just long enough to lose any thought he could have had.

Golden-yellow eyes wandered from the crib all the way to the blonde demon in the door frame. Something about the way they looked like in the fading light of dusk made the snake demon take a sharp breath. He could feel his heart skip a beat ever so fervently, before finally finding his voice.

"Sorry, no warning this time." was all he managed to say at first, his hands still curled around the crib.

"Who is she?" he asked quietly, his gaze once more focusing on the child. He'd never been sure why the innocence of newborn life drew him in so much. Especially now, as a demon, he really shouldn't care all that much, should he? It would definitely for the better if he didn't, but... looking at her, Crowley couldn't help but feel a strange sense of... responsibility.

It felt wrong to lie to Crowley about this. Even if that was the only option he was allowed to do.

The demon's voice faltered ever so slightly as he spoke. Finding the right words to say had never been this strangely complicated.

Why?

There was no reason to be upset. Nothing would justify being emotional at all. Not that Crowley was emotional often, at least not outwardly. Some could call this a flaw, considering the depiction of many demons being so full of rage and spite all the time. But at this moment, Crowley did not feel any rage, no, if anything... it was melancholy that drowned the thoughts inside his head and pulled his gaze away from the other demon and out the window.

"It's beautiful here." he said quietly, observing the waves crashing against rock and sand. He could smell the salt water even from here, a distinct smell he'd experienced many times before... but today, it felt especially overpowering, spreading a sense of déjà vu that made him sick to the stomach.

"A nice place to raise a child. Even if it's... a life on the run. It might be better than whatever life she could have had somewhere else."

There was an intense desire to question the other demon. To ask them who this child belonged to beside him. But something held him back, a deep, uncomfortable feeling that sunk to his stomach and twisted it into knots.

Fear.

That's what it was.

Intense fear.

What a word. Awful, really, to have it used so much when it wasn't ever supposed to leave his lips. No. It really shouldn't, but looking at Odd like this, seeing the child... seeing them together like this... it... it hurt.

So, when they extended their arms to give him the child to hold, Crowley took a deep breath, which was immediately pushed out of his chest in a desperate attempt to suppress the surprise that hit him like a truck.

Him? Hold this child? Why would he entrust something like this to him? He shouldn't. No. This was wrong... so wrong.

So why did he readily hold up his hands to receive the tiny child?

"I... yes. I would."

Why did he say that? Why? WHY? He shouldn't. No. Stop.

"I'm.... sure her father wouldn't... appreciate this. Letting a stranger hold onto her. But. I've always liked children. Can't really put my finger on why. Got to be somethin' stupid, haha."

Crowley hoisted the child up into his arms and stepped toward the window.

Odd tried to shake the thoughts from his head, no point worrying over the impossible. Crowley as he knew him was dead. Raphael was dead. At least, he might as well have been.

What else was he supposed to do after all? He couldn't make the thoughts go away, nor could he tame the anxiety in his chest. It was painful, but nothing was more painful than hearing Odd's voice at this moment.

Something had always pulled Crowley toward them, like an irresistible push and pull, a magnetic field he could not escape from, no... the gravity of a crashing, beautiful star, endlessly dragging him closer toward his doom.

One hand gently caressed the kids rough, golden hair.

No father, hm? That had to be hard. Their two factions were as divided as anything, and Crowley wasn't particularly fond of angels either.

"I see. I'd say sorry, but... I don't think it's my place to apologise."

He barely knew Odd after all. Nor did he know this angel he was supposedly with. Or had been with? Were they still...? It didn't matter. There was no reason to question it. Odd was not his, never would be, and he wouldn't want him to be... right?

It was easier to run off than it was to lie to his new found demon. So he moved to a quaint little town where he was a single father. It was all good until he heard movement in the house. His first thought was to check on his baby Audrey. He rushed into the room to find a dark shape standing over the crib.

His fall hadn't been too long ago, and no matter how hard he tried to remember how it even got this far, it never ended in anything productive. His only proper recollection was of a meeting with Gabriel... something hot burning on his cheek. A declaration, no, a scream, and then solemn acceptance, right before the fire and brimstone greeted him down below.

Now, he spent his time alone, doing a job about as thankless as any other, and yet... he'd hoped to find some sort of hope when he laid eyes on another lonely demon. They were an odd one, that was for sure, cat like, always on their toes, skittish even, yet so eerily familiar that the snake demon couldn't help but feel drawn to them. Like a moth to the flame, he had followed their scent all throughout hell and up to Earth.

He wasn't supposed to be here, no, but the day Crowley took orders without his own agenda, would be the day he died. And so, Crowley had followed the demon to a small town near the sea. The air here was thinner than most places he had been, but it was nice.

Nice.

What a strange word.

It meant so much, yet so little at the same time. So did the little movement in the crib the demon was staring down at. He'd been watching the tiny thing wriggle inside of it for hours now. It was weird how enamoured he found himself by the miracle of life. It shouldn't really be all that wondrous to him any more, should it? How many lives had he seen born, how many created, how many snuffed out?

But it was confusing to see Crowley stood there in the moonlight like a memory flickering in the back of his mind. His demon watching the baby like a... Well.. A new father looking at their child for the very first time.. Because that was exactly what it was.

Of course, he'd come here to see them, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to run into Odd, but somehow... the actual sight of them took him out for just long enough to lose any thought he could have had.

Golden-yellow eyes wandered from the crib all the way to the blonde demon in the door frame. Something about the way they looked like in the fading light of dusk made the snake demon take a sharp breath. He could feel his heart skip a beat ever so fervently, before finally finding his voice.

"Sorry, no warning this time." was all he managed to say at first, his hands still curled around the crib.

"Who is she?" he asked quietly, his gaze once more focusing on the child. He'd never been sure why the innocence of newborn life drew him in so much. Especially now, as a demon, he really shouldn't care all that much, should he? It would definitely for the better if he didn't, but... looking at her, Crowley couldn't help but feel a strange sense of... responsibility.

It felt wrong to lie to Crowley about this. Even if that was the only option he was allowed to do.

The demon's voice faltered ever so slightly as he spoke. Finding the right words to say had never been this strangely complicated.

Why?

There was no reason to be upset. Nothing would justify being emotional at all. Not that Crowley was emotional often, at least not outwardly. Some could call this a flaw, considering the depiction of many demons being so full of rage and spite all the time. But at this moment, Crowley did not feel any rage, no, if anything... it was melancholy that drowned the thoughts inside his head and pulled his gaze away from the other demon and out the window.

"It's beautiful here." he said quietly, observing the waves crashing against rock and sand. He could smell the salt water even from here, a distinct smell he'd experienced many times before... but today, it felt especially overpowering, spreading a sense of déjà vu that made him sick to the stomach.

"A nice place to raise a child. Even if it's... a life on the run. It might be better than whatever life she could have had somewhere else."

There was an intense desire to question the other demon. To ask them who this child belonged to beside him. But something held him back, a deep, uncomfortable feeling that sunk to his stomach and twisted it into knots.

Fear.

That's what it was.

Intense fear.

What a word. Awful, really, to have it used so much when it wasn't ever supposed to leave his lips. No. It really shouldn't, but looking at Odd like this, seeing the child... seeing them together like this... it... it hurt.

So, when they extended their arms to give him the child to hold, Crowley took a deep breath, which was immediately pushed out of his chest in a desperate attempt to suppress the surprise that hit him like a truck.

Him? Hold this child? Why would he entrust something like this to him? He shouldn't. No. This was wrong... so wrong.

So why did he readily hold up his hands to receive the tiny child?

"I... yes. I would."

Why did he say that? Why? WHY? He shouldn't. No. Stop.

"I'm.... sure her father wouldn't... appreciate this. Letting a stranger hold onto her. But. I've always liked children. Can't really put my finger on why. Got to be somethin' stupid, haha."

Crowley hoisted the child up into his arms and stepped toward the window.

It was easier to run off than it was to lie to his new found demon. So he moved to a quaint little town where he was a single father. It was all good until he heard movement in the house. His first thought was to check on his baby Audrey. He rushed into the room to find a dark shape standing over the crib.

His fall hadn't been too long ago, and no matter how hard he tried to remember how it even got this far, it never ended in anything productive. His only proper recollection was of a meeting with Gabriel... something hot burning on his cheek. A declaration, no, a scream, and then solemn acceptance, right before the fire and brimstone greeted him down below.

Now, he spent his time alone, doing a job about as thankless as any other, and yet... he'd hoped to find some sort of hope when he laid eyes on another lonely demon. They were an odd one, that was for sure, cat like, always on their toes, skittish even, yet so eerily familiar that the snake demon couldn't help but feel drawn to them. Like a moth to the flame, he had followed their scent all throughout hell and up to Earth.

He wasn't supposed to be here, no, but the day Crowley took orders without his own agenda, would be the day he died. And so, Crowley had followed the demon to a small town near the sea. The air here was thinner than most places he had been, but it was nice.

Nice.

What a strange word.

It meant so much, yet so little at the same time. So did the little movement in the crib the demon was staring down at. He'd been watching the tiny thing wriggle inside of it for hours now. It was weird how enamoured he found himself by the miracle of life. It shouldn't really be all that wondrous to him any more, should it? How many lives had he seen born, how many created, how many snuffed out?

But it was confusing to see Crowley stood there in the moonlight like a memory flickering in the back of his mind. His demon watching the baby like a... Well.. A new father looking at their child for the very first time.. Because that was exactly what it was.

Of course, he'd come here to see them, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to run into Odd, but somehow... the actual sight of them took him out for just long enough to lose any thought he could have had.

Golden-yellow eyes wandered from the crib all the way to the blonde demon in the door frame. Something about the way they looked like in the fading light of dusk made the snake demon take a sharp breath. He could feel his heart skip a beat ever so fervently, before finally finding his voice.

"Sorry, no warning this time." was all he managed to say at first, his hands still curled around the crib.

"Who is she?" he asked quietly, his gaze once more focusing on the child. He'd never been sure why the innocence of newborn life drew him in so much. Especially now, as a demon, he really shouldn't care all that much, should he? It would definitely for the better if he didn't, but... looking at her, Crowley couldn't help but feel a strange sense of... responsibility.

It felt wrong to lie to Crowley about this. Even if that was the only option he was allowed to do.

The demon's voice faltered ever so slightly as he spoke. Finding the right words to say had never been this strangely complicated.

Why?

There was no reason to be upset. Nothing would justify being emotional at all. Not that Crowley was emotional often, at least not outwardly. Some could call this a flaw, considering the depiction of many demons being so full of rage and spite all the time. But at this moment, Crowley did not feel any rage, no, if anything... it was melancholy that drowned the thoughts inside his head and pulled his gaze away from the other demon and out the window.

"It's beautiful here." he said quietly, observing the waves crashing against rock and sand. He could smell the salt water even from here, a distinct smell he'd experienced many times before... but today, it felt especially overpowering, spreading a sense of déjà vu that made him sick to the stomach.

"A nice place to raise a child. Even if it's... a life on the run. It might be better than whatever life she could have had somewhere else."

There was an intense desire to question the other demon. To ask them who this child belonged to beside him. But something held him back, a deep, uncomfortable feeling that sunk to his stomach and twisted it into knots.

Fear.

That's what it was.

Intense fear.

It was easier to run off than it was to lie to his new found demon. So he moved to a quaint little town where he was a single father. It was all good until he heard movement in the house. His first thought was to check on his baby Audrey. He rushed into the room to find a dark shape standing over the crib.

His fall hadn't been too long ago, and no matter how hard he tried to remember how it even got this far, it never ended in anything productive. His only proper recollection was of a meeting with Gabriel... something hot burning on his cheek. A declaration, no, a scream, and then solemn acceptance, right before the fire and brimstone greeted him down below.

Now, he spent his time alone, doing a job about as thankless as any other, and yet... he'd hoped to find some sort of hope when he laid eyes on another lonely demon. They were an odd one, that was for sure, cat like, always on their toes, skittish even, yet so eerily familiar that the snake demon couldn't help but feel drawn to them. Like a moth to the flame, he had followed their scent all throughout hell and up to Earth.

He wasn't supposed to be here, no, but the day Crowley took orders without his own agenda, would be the day he died. And so, Crowley had followed the demon to a small town near the sea. The air here was thinner than most places he had been, but it was nice.

Nice.

What a strange word.

It meant so much, yet so little at the same time. So did the little movement in the crib the demon was staring down at. He'd been watching the tiny thing wriggle inside of it for hours now. It was weird how enamoured he found himself by the miracle of life. It shouldn't really be all that wondrous to him any more, should it? How many lives had he seen born, how many created, how many snuffed out?

But it was confusing to see Crowley stood there in the moonlight like a memory flickering in the back of his mind. His demon watching the baby like a... Well.. A new father looking at their child for the very first time.. Because that was exactly what it was.

Of course, he'd come here to see them, so it shouldn't have been a surprise to run into Odd, but somehow... the actual sight of them took him out for just long enough to lose any thought he could have had.

Golden-yellow eyes wandered from the crib all the way to the blonde demon in the door frame. Something about the way they looked like in the fading light of dusk made the snake demon take a sharp breath. He could feel his heart skip a beat ever so fervently, before finally finding his voice.

"Sorry, no warning this time." was all he managed to say at first, his hands still curled around the crib.

"Who is she?" he asked quietly, his gaze once more focusing on the child. He'd never been sure why the innocence of newborn life drew him in so much. Especially now, as a demon, he really shouldn't care all that much, should he? It would definitely for the better if he didn't, but... looking at her, Crowley couldn't help but feel a strange sense of... responsibility.

It was easier to run off than it was to lie to his new found demon. So he moved to a quaint little town where he was a single father. It was all good until he heard movement in the house. His first thought was to check on his baby Audrey. He rushed into the room to find a dark shape standing over the crib.

His fall hadn't been too long ago, and no matter how hard he tried to remember how it even got this far, it never ended in anything productive. His only proper recollection was of a meeting with Gabriel... something hot burning on his cheek. A declaration, no, a scream, and then solemn acceptance, right before the fire and brimstone greeted him down below.

Now, he spent his time alone, doing a job about as thankless as any other, and yet... he'd hoped to find some sort of hope when he laid eyes on another lonely demon. They were an odd one, that was for sure, cat like, always on their toes, skittish even, yet so eerily familiar that the snake demon couldn't help but feel drawn to them. Like a moth to the flame, he had followed their scent all throughout hell and up to Earth.

He wasn't supposed to be here, no, but the day Crowley took orders without his own agenda, would be the day he died. And so, Crowley had followed the demon to a small town near the sea. The air here was thinner than most places he had been, but it was nice.

Nice.

What a strange word.

It meant so much, yet so little at the same time. So did the little movement in the crib the demon was staring down at. He'd been watching the tiny thing wriggle inside of it for hours now. It was weird how enamoured he found himself by the miracle of life. It shouldn't really be all that wondrous to him any more, should it? How many lives had he seen born, how many created, how many snuffed out?

There are whisperings that you most likely caused strings of Christmas lights to go out thanks to the flaw of one bulb going out, which means that the entire strand goes out with it. Those are just rumors, though. Thankfully, that problem has been solved due to advancements and innovation. What hasn't been solved is power outages lasting hours on end.

I know you're mischievous, but now is not the time. I live in the South where there are tornadoes. It would have been funny yesterday, but today? Please, I'd rather not fall down the stairs in the dark.

Well- I didn't realise that not wantin' to sit in the dark myself was a crime these days. Not that I wouldn't commit crimes. I mean, clearly, I do.

Err... look, I won't tell anyone if you won't, but Aziraphale is scared of the dark, and we ain't allowed to mess with the weather again, somethin' somethin' miracle limit due to recent meddlin'.

If ya want it back I'll bring it back... err... soon.

The cats weren't happy to be put in their carriers. They see it as prison. We see it as safety so they don't run and hide under beds. Loki thought digging his way out was a solution. In the end, he just buried himself under blankets and went to sleep rather angrily. Loki reminds me of you. He really does. And Böda is sweet like Aziraphale. She loves pets. She also drools everywhere. I don't know if Aziraphale does that....unless it's a first edition copy of a very rare book. Of which we may have in a box of dusty old stuff in my grandmother's attic.

My great aunt has stuff like that. But what do great aunts *not* have already? Yearbooks from the 1930s? Yeah, she has that. An old and frankly creepy black and white photograph of some ancestors? Yep. Got that, too. Almost every VHS movie in existence from the 80s and 90s plus old cookbooks from the 50s and up? Got that, too.

Okay maybe disregard that last one.

...