#sardis

Okay so, I've been dealing with Life. I'm busy almost all the time right now, and when I'm not, I'm busy recovering from being busy. I also have this pesky rule for myself that Real Life Comes First. I was also lowkey worried that no one would be interested in my silly story after the finale.

Turns out, after crying a lot, working through my feelings, and talking to my friends about all of their takes, I want to write again. Honestly, it's because I'm angry and hurt, and I want everyone to be friends again, and I don't want my Favourite Thing to make me sad.

And so, I take a page from all of my writer friends (the people who, like, actually write fanfic more regularly and reliably than me), and I write.

Just so you know, MY ending doesn't have them dissolving. But we gotta get there first.

Okay! Let's try this again! Here we go!

Beginning || Previous || Next

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It took a total of three sherries, two glasses of red wine, a cosmopolitan, and nearly two strawberry daiquiris for the look of disgust to leave Aziraphale's face. The angel was now cleaning out the bottom of his second daiquiri, while Crowley watched closely with a smile on his face.

"'Nother one for you, Angel?" He asks gleefully, rising from his seat.

"So now what?" You ask Anathema and Sardis, "How do you think we'll know if it works?"

"Oh, it'll work," Aziraphale says from across the table, his speech slurring just a smidge, "Sure as I'm an angel, it'll be vermal in no time."

"Viral," Crowley corrects, sitting down next to him and placing another sweet strawberry daiquiri within his reach.

Anathema raises a questioning eyebrow in his direction, and Crowley returns it with a sneer. This interaction reads to you as "Should you really be giving him that," and "You can't tell me what to do, you're not my mom." Which leaves you desperately trying to hide your giggles.

"I sure hope so," Sardis says, "Might actually be the only way to get him on our side. Good job back there, by the way."

"I went to a private school with a bunch of kids just like him," Anathema replies with a shrug, "Not that hard. Kids his age are pretty simple."

"Yeah," you say, "Just so long as the person they're talking to is simply pretty." The table goes silent. It’s a silence that feels like it’s staring at you and listening, even while the crowd around you continues about their business, unaware. It’s smothering. So, you do the only thing you can think of, and punctuate your statement with a wink and double finger guns – tiny “pew pew” sound effects included, and you feel the atmosphere relax. The whole ordeal was only a few seconds, but it feels like it lasted a month.

“Anyway, I wonder why there are so many people here tonight,” Anathema starts, changing the subject, “I thought it was a weeknight.”

“Open Mic,” says Sardis, “I saw the sign when I came in the door. Might sign up myself, if you’re all lucky.” He winks at you, sending a friendly finger gun your way. It’s a gesture, you note, to try and make you feel less embarrassed about your compliment-that-hit-weird.

“I’d like to see that,” Anathema answers, turning her attention to Sardis “Hidden talent, or trying something new?”

The question makes a lightbulb go on in your brain, and you start searching through your stuff.

“Oh,” Sardis answers, “I’m an angel of many talents, you know. I wasn’t just hanging out at those karaoke bars to watch people make fools of themselves.”

“Aha!” You shout, triumphantly holding aloft the miracle punch card. You do a quick count on your fingers before you start tearing away four numbers. You’ll need to make a new one of these soon.

“What are you doing now?” Crowley groans. Aziraphale gives him a small, drunken smack on the arm – there’s not force to it, just a gentle correction.

“Oh! Maybe our dear Moth is contemplating a repeat performance?” Silas suggests, eyes twinkling at the thought.

“Sort of,” You say, picking up your ukulele that has now appeared out of nowhere and we’re not going to address how please and thank YOU.

“More experimenting?” Anathema asks, clever as always, putting the pieces together.

“Basically yeah,” You reply, “Making objects that don’t exist is fine, but I also need to know if I can make objects that DO exist,” you hold up the ukulele as evidence and place the card on the table, “And I also need to see if I can do things that I normally can’t. Temporarily, I mean.” One square at a time, you go through your torn numbers. “For the anxiety to bugger off for a bit, for the confidence of Taylor Swift, for a ukulele, and one for the ability to play the ukulele well – one song in particular.”

“What’s the song?” Anathema asks. Sardis leans closer. You shake your head.

“No, sorry. If I tell you now, Crowley might actually smite me.”

“Ooooooh!” Sardis says, “Is it one from Hozier? I’ve heard that Eden song. And while I’ve never met Crowley before all this, a song about the serpent of Eden is hard not to notice.”

“A what?!” Crowley asks, turning to Sardis.

“No, sorry,” You say with a chuckle, “You’re just gonna have to wait.” After a moment, you pull one more number, making sure you go next – before the other miracles wear off. You’re called up to the stage (you decided to use the pseudonym Little Moth, since it’s honestly kind of grown on you as a pet name), and you take a breath before getting up and approaching the stage.

Thankfully, the miracles seem to be holding. The anxiety that would normally have kept you from doing this is quiet; the crushing self-consciousness that would normally have you shaking is gone and replaced by steady calm. You reach for the microphone, and you speak.

“Um, hi. This song isn’t mine. It was written by a very talented person named Charlotte, but with an x where the ‘a’ should be. It’s about two good friends of mine, and I know one of them at least is a big fan of forgiveness so...forgive me.”

The crowd gives a quiet chuckle. You look into their faces and see that Aziraphale has sobered up now, and is watching intently. Crowley is trying to play nonchalant. Anathema and Sardis are sat, full attention on you. A deep breath, and you begin to play.

Now, dear reader, you may be thinking to yourself that I will be fast-tracking through this song as I did with our last performance. However, this particular scene has been firmly embedded in my brain for well over a year now, and I finally get to make you sit and share in it with me...that being said, we have a story to get to, so I’ll only have you sit through the important part.

After a few bars, you begin to sing.

“On the day Heaven tried to take my soul,” You notice Crowley stiffen.

“You came down like in fairytales of old.

I said open your white wings for me,

And you said close your eyes and just believe.

You’re made of darkness and fire my friend,

I think the world may be coming to an end.

But if Heaven and Hell do collide,

Know that I’ll always be by your side,” At this point, Crowley has gone back to playing nonchalant, but you know better. Just wait till you get to the chorus.

You notice that suddenly there’s backup music, in your momentary confusion, you see Sardis give you a thumbs up. Oh. Suddenly it’s as if you’re singing along to the actual track itself. You continue with a smile.

“You know I’d follow you through Hell

And fight demons as well,

You beat your wings, and cast a spell,

I’ll run away with you,”

Pause

“And I say Hallelujah!

Runnin’ to ya,

They won’t find us, you and I

Can watch the stars fall from the sky,

All clothed in white,

My shard of light,

Let’s go together, we’ll be free

The world ends eventually so come with me.”

Crowley’s blushing, Aziraphale pats his arm affectionately. Unlike his demon partner, Aziraphale is clearly delighted. As you play and sing, you become more confident, and start to actually enjoy yourself. Not only are the miracles all holding, the positive feedback from the audience (which may or may not have been further encouraged by Sardis) gives you a boost that allows you to finish the song to a very loud round of applause, including a few standing ovations from your friends. Crowley, red in the face, also stands, but turns and goes to the bar. He returns to the table the same time as you do with an enormous bottle of Talisker whiskey. Your ukulele has disappeared to places unknown and unasked about, and you sit back with a smile on your face as Sardis pushes a strawberry daquiri towards you.

“That was charming,” Aziraphale says with a smile, nudging Crowley with his elbow, “Wasn’t it now?”

“Ngk,” says Crowley.

“Is that a song from your dimension?” Anathema asks, and points a thumb towards the Ineffables, “It seems very specifically about these two.”

“Yeah,” You reply, taking a sip of your cocktail, “It has a really great video for in on youtube and everything. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was here too, actually, since Good Omens exists here.” You turn to Sardis with a grateful smile. “Thanks for the backup, by the way.”

“Always,” he says with a grin, before taking a sip of his own drink. “H’okay,” Sardis sighs as he drains his drink down to the ice, “My turn.”

As it turns out, Sardis can sing. Anathema, just for fun, does a few cold-reads of people’s auras on stage. Aziraphale continues to watch the show cheerfully, viral video completely forgotten. Crowley remains silent, red, and pouting all night.

Everyone is so busy having a good time, that it isn’t until you all return to the hotel that Anathema notices the text from Jeremy.

It worked. He's in.

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 🖤

Here's a link to the song, in case you want to hear it: Come With Me by Chxrlotte

Very shocked to see Nero’s first wife turn up in a lot of unattributed coins I just got…

Roman Province - Lydia

AE19 - 5.65g

Claudia Octavia c. 60 AD

Sardis Mint

Obverse ΘEAN OKTAOYIAN

Bust of Claudia Octavia right, draped, corn ear wreath

Reverse ΣAPΔIANΩN EΠI MINΔIOY ΣTPA TO B

Veiled female standing right, holding sceptre.

More photos from sardi's celebrating Jonathan Groff's portrait unveiling!

Eddie and Daniel (Newton and Harry) were there!!