It's so stimulating being your hat.

[temptationaccomplished]

🧙 WHO: Aziraphale, Crowley, and Alec.
⚔️️ WHAT: 🌌🗡️ The Libryrinth, part 1. - In which the Angel goes exploring and gets himself into a tight spot.
🕒 WHEN: Idk February
🗺️ WHERE: The LIBRARY
⚠️ WARNINGS: Alec will probably say the F word at least once. Crowley might too. The Angel might kiss the demon. They're terribly ill-prepared for a battle and incredibly incompetent, but they're living their best lives and living out not-so-secret hero and damsel-in-distress fantasies. You've been warned.



"I shouldn't be gone long, but if I'm not back by...say, midnight, I suppose you'd best let Crowley know."

It was now only half 'til ten. The angel had been gone since nine, with his notes and his ridiculous thrill at playing sleuth. He was intelligent, so whatever puzzle he had in mind to solve, Lamassu expected Aziraphale to have solved it by now. Which meant he had probably gotten himself in over his head and, since he rarely practiced his magic, he was likely very defenseless. There was nothing for it. Lamassu couldn't very well go in after him; They would alert the Librarian. Lamassu were regal guards. They did not enter establishments unlawfully. Nor had They been designed for stealth and lurking or breaking curfew. (For that matter, neither had the Angel...)

So someone would have to alert the Demon.

Well, it certainly wasn't going to be Lamassu. Then someone might get ideas about Them being being a messenger service. Or worse, concerned. So They went to the being most suited for the task...

"We were hoping you might bring this matter to the attention of your human counterpart and the Demon Crowley," Lamassu finished explaining drolly to the grim whippet, "in the hope that they might rescue Our counterpart from the Library. We highly suggest you encourage them to bring a snack and perhaps a light sweater for the Principality. He was...ill-prepared."

They turned to go.

"Oh. And We suggest they exercise prudence. Do not allow them to be disruptive. We know this will be difficult for creatures of their nature. But the Librarian does not take kindly to intruders."

---

The librarian passed by underneath and he held his breath, stilled his motion and waited. She continued on, her candle lantern flickering into the distance once again along the circuit of her patrol. With her out of earshot, Aziraphale drew an arrow in chalk at the split between path options (this was definitely not his first labyrinth and likely wouldn't be his last), doodled the path and the odd markings into his notes, and carefully continued along the tops of the shelves.

Comments

[temptationaccomplished]

"Right, yes."

Alec now on sure footing beside them, Aziraphale was focused back to the matter at hand, completely oblivious to the red ears that were not happening or the warm, happy cousin bonding. He was on a quest, a mission, and he hadn't invited them because they would have been a distraction--as they were being, each in their own way.

He was giddy with the prospect of adventure, following the pathway of the shelving as it skimmed the edge of the room, keeping his eyes out for more symbols, caught up in the fantasy of it. So focused, he nearly ran face first into a hanging light fixture.

[serpentinthegarden]

Crowley watched after both of them as they walked past and continued on the mad journey across the book shelves. He took up the rear, just to keep an eye on both of them, to smirk at those red tipped ears, and to spy on that Librarian one last time before the mission carried them on out of viewing range. She had quite the stack of books there, all returns, some of them late, which she was sorting into piles to return to the shelves they belonged on. It her own little world then... maybe she wouldn't have heard the clatter of crystal beads singing off each other like a windchime as Aziraphale nearly whacked that light fixture off the ceiling.

"Angel," this said in a hissed whisper as like radar the Librarian's head snapped up, "Watch your step also means what's hanging in front of you too. You nearly got that lady stirred up again."

He sauntered after the pair, still speaking as he skirted around a stack of books but just missed seeing the rounded bookend concealed behind them. This was ever so lightly kicked with the tip of a snakeskin boot and sent rolling across the stacks. It teetered once on the very edge before gravity forced it right over and sent it to smash into a million pieces on the floor. Glass shards... everywhere...

All Crowley could do was gap at the mess.

"Think she heard that?"

[scotch_egg]

He may have snickered a bit involuntarily when Fell smacked his head, only to drag his hand over his face a moment later when the bookend fell. The librarian was looking up, he could see it from here. He didn't know why they were hiding from her either other than it seemed like a good idea--

Thinking fast he scooped up a fat tome and threw it in the opposite direction as hard as he could. It hit something in the dark and there was an impressive avalanche sound that he assumed were tumbling book and more than one breakable object he hoped wasn't valuable.

"Let's go."