#backchannels

I was just answering a very sweet anon ask about M/H/L headcanons, but I accidentally posted it before finishing it, so I went to edit it, but then I accidentally deleted it instead. Wow. I’m pretty amazing at this tumblr thing.

I’m sorry, anon! On the bright side, I had copied and can now paste some of what I wrote, and maybe the person who sent the ask can find this even though the ask itself is gone forever?

Thank you for the ask! :hearteyes: I did not expect to fall so hard for this ship, and yet here we are. It's awesome to know that you're enjoying it too! I have two sets of mutually exclusive headcanons, because I like thinking about them in different ways, and I'm not strongly attached to any of these, so I'd be delighted if other folks want to add on with their own ideas! The first set:

Michael and Ligur were close before the Fall. They didn't fight each other in the war, because Michael was a big deal general tasked with casting Lucifer down, and Ligur was more like infantry. They were both quietly grateful not to have to face each other, but also heartbroken they didn't even get to say good-bye. Michael nurses a grudge against Lucifer for twisting the minds of so many angels to his cause, most especially Ligur. And Ligur regrets that he couldn't convince Michael to join the rebellion--he's sure that it would have succeeded, with her on their side.

Ligur and Hastur became close soon after the Fall, in the early days of Hell. They understand each other on a deep and mostly wordless level, and they've always got each other's backs.

I think Michael established the backchannels even before Aziraphale and Crowley came to the Arrangement. She is nothing if not practical, and she plays a long game. I don't think she was specifically trying to get back in touch with Ligur--she'd walled off her emotions pretty well, and making a connection Downstairs was purely business.

Ligur similarly had completely buried his memories of spending time with Michael in Heaven. Until this message arrives from Heaven, smelling like her. He gets Hastur to write back, and after some cautious letter exchanges, a meeting is set up in neutral territory on Earth.

Michael shows up at the rendezvous, cool and calm and ready to exchange information . . . and there’s Ligur. It’s an emotional kick to the gut. And he’s with this tall empty-eyed Duke who is clearly protective as hell, and . . . it’s kind of sweet, really. She’s happy that Ligur has found someone. And she’s not wistful at all, and it’s good that Hastur is here, because it will keep things strictly business, and she and Ligur won’t be tempted to revisit their age-old feelings for each other.

Of course, we know how that goes.

Alternatively...

Ligur and Hastur were already an item when they were angels in Heaven. During the war, Michael was the one to throw them out (along with a bunch of other rebelling angels, including the Big Guy).

When Michael began reaching out to form the backchannels, she couldn't get any responses from Hell at first. Demons don't trust each other, and they're certainly not going to trust any angel. But Michael kept patiently reaching out every few centuries.

Finally Beelzebub gives one of Michael’s messages to Hastur and tells him to do something about it. The Lord of the Flies doesn’t have the time and interest for this themself, but they’ve decided it might be worth delegating. And hey, if Michael ends up betraying and killing Hastur, well, they never liked him much anyway.

Hastur brings the invitation to Ligur to discuss. The two of them have a relationship that goes beyond trust, they simply know where the other will be and what the other is thinking, and it gives them a bit more courage and a bit more conviction than a lot of other demons have. They decide to write back to Michael.

Cautious correspondence, eventual meetings on Earth, etc. etc.

Michael is surprised to realize that when she meets with Ligur and Hastur, she feels something extraordinary between them that she’d never expect from demons. Love. But when she brings it up, they act like they have no idea what she’s talking about.

Nobody question the demon/demon/angel thing 

(These will all be addressed in fanfic later, but here’s a sneak peek)

Hastur/Ligur/Michael AKA BackChannels (coined by the lovely @mega-ringsandthings-world):

- Michael and Ligur met for the first time in 64 AD when Christians were being burned as retribution for the Great Fire of Rome. Ligur was assigned while Michael volunteered to get to the bottom of this. They acted as humans but noticed each other for what they were right away. At first they ignored each other, but as unraveling the mystery grew more and more difficult, they met to compare notes. The best they could figure out was their respective secondary agents (i.e. not Aziraphale or Crowley) were overzealous in their influences on Nero and the Roman people, which resulted in contradictory accounts by the populace and Nero's polar opposite behaviors          - Since both sides shared the blame, they agreed to make sure both good and bad reports survived for future history books. Disgusted by how much of a disaster this became, Michael made an offhand comment that this could have been avoided altogether had both sides been aware of the other’s influence. To her shock Ligur agreed, and the two forged a tentative truce, purely in the interest of Balance. Hastur secretly followed Ligur for the first official meeting, because why wouldn’t an Archangel use this as a chance to smite Ligur? Hastur lashed out prematurely, and it was only thanks to Michael's lightning-fast reflexes that she avoided smiting him. She could see Hastur was acting out of fear and concern for Ligur, not hatred toward her. Hastur insisted on being present for the next few meetings, and once it was clear Michael had no ill intentions, he backed off          - Ligur didn't mean to get as close to Michael as he did, but it happened and he was too greedy to choose one over the other. After each meeting, he did what he could to make it up to Hastur: going out for shakes/sundaes, sunbathing, gentle touches, "not-cuddles" (but totally cuddles), occasional making out, etc. He didn't feel guilty for loving both of them, though he secretly wished they'd get along better. Michael and Hastur were only civil because they recognized they both made Ligur happy, and that was more important than their indifference toward each other. It took Ligur being gone for them to make an effort

- When Ligur is supposedly dead, Michael retrieves his coat from Crowley's flat and gifts it to Hastur. In his first act of kindness to her, he gives her a button from the coat. Michael turns it into a necklace, using a miracle so it changes colors like Ligur's chameleon/eyes

- As Michael and Hastur search for Ligur post-Apocalypse, Michael cracks up at a dirty joke they overhear. Both are shocked but Hastur is intrigued. He starts learning and telling dirty jokes around Michael who, to her horror, can't help but laugh every time. Hastur uses the excuse he's corrupting an Archangel to justify his actions, but in reality he likes her laugh. It's warm, genuine, and loud, which is a lovely contrast to Ligur's deep, rumbling ones

- While searching for Ligur, they run into a dangerous situation with an angel desperate to stop the fraternizing that is becoming more and more common (courtesy of the Ineffable Idiots), and through it Hastur and Michael learn they actually care about each other outside of their love for Ligur. It’s the turning point in their relationship

- When they eventually find Ligur, they’re heartbroken to learn [redacted]. They both react to the news poorly; Hastur especially, who in his desperation to fix [redacted] terrifies Ligur and is rejected. Both Hastur and Michael receive help and support to deal with this from Crowley and Aziraphale (who are shocked to learn there’s a lot more to Hastur and Michael than they initially thought). Over time [redacted] is resolved and the three of them are able to move forward

- Michael unknowingly mimicked Ligur's chameleon with her hairdo. When Aziraphale makes the connection, Michael is mortified with embarrassment, Hastur and Crowley hurt themselves laughing, while Ligur is deeply touched

- Ligur and Hastur like playing with Michael's hair and prefer she wear it down. It reminds them of their hair before they Fell. In response, Michael is allowed to pet the creature on their heads. They teach her about chameleons and frogs and go on dates to reptile houses.           - As a Master in all forms of combat, Michael will teach them different forms and they enjoy sparring from time to time. It’s not often a demon gets to tussle with an angel after all. Hastur can give Michael a run for her money with hand-to-hand fighting (his style is undisciplined but powerful and deadly) while Ligur is dangerous with a knife, knowing exactly where to cut and fast enough to do it before a person can block

- The three of them like to hang out around lakes and rivers, quietly sitting among the grass. (inspired by this) At first it’s awkward, trying to figure out how to function as a trio. They eventually transition to a cuddle pile, and at one point Hastur decides to splash the others with water when he goes wading, just to be annoying. To his horror the other two gang up on him, shoving him down playfully and it’s one of the rare moments he laughs

- As far as intimacy goes, Ligur and Hastur are more gentle than one would expect of demons. They welcomed the chance to be contrary to their "natures," though Ligur is more secure about it than Hastur. They'd occasionally have sex and make out, but prefer "not-cuddles" and feather-light kisses all over           - It took a while, but Ligur and Michael would lean on the other, bump knees, or hold hands. On rare occasions Ligur would run his fingers through Michael's hair or she'd gently scratch his back. As Armageddon drew closer they alternated between no touching and actual snuggling, unable to make up their mind if they should treasure the time they had left or move apart to make the inevitable war easier          - Once they’re together, they spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to work as a three-person unit. They progress to snuggling/cuddling, then experiment with sex many years down the road, but that doesn't happen too often. They prefer cuddles/soft touches and take turns pairing up to spoil the third. Ligur was the easiest to spoil, since he's the one who drew them all together, then Michael, and finally Hastur. Hastur has the hardest time accepting it not because he doesn't appreciate the attention, but because it was overwhelming enough back when it was just Ligur. Having two people lovingly dote on him at once? Ligur and Michael have to restrain themselves from going too fast

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Okay, here ya go:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20384170