irrationally | Ω voidtrecker inbox/side threads

( continuation from this! )

There's no way a conversation with her mother or even the television still on in the background can distract Alice from the sound of the door opening. That can only mean one thing - unless there's a sudden Voidtrecker invasion, but please, there's no way a bunch of a rude other-worldly people are going to bother opening the door like a regular person instead of kicking it in.

So that leaves only one option, and Alice's face lights up as she realises it, smiling at her mother. "Dad's home."

Perhaps she looks a little happier about it than most teenagers her age would be. But, come on, what reason does Alice have to dislike her parents when they're nothing but kind to her? Of course she's going to be happy to be around them after a day of school.

Alice may not be getting up from her spot on the sofa, but she's already leaning over the side, as if to catch a glimpse of her dad in the hallway.

"Daaad, we're here!"

Edited 2021-08-02 20:03 (UTC)

It's been a long, long day of bookshop keeping, dusting, and not selling any books. There were a couple of gentlemen who almost made themselves a good enough case to walk out with a couple of first editions in hand by promising a trade for a tome of exquisite rarity and value, but if there's something Aziraphale has learned ever since he took hold of his shop, is that you never show your hand too early. Even if he was quite tempted to see this so very promising offer, that they happened to not have brought with them in that point in time.

Oh well. Nothing gained, nothing lost. He was happy enough to get back to his inventory and his tea, and to try and remember to not stay in too late. He does so lose track when he's in the shop all day, perusing his shelves in the dim light, and he's been late to dinner a couple of times, much to his wive's frustration.

Putting away his coat and his nice hat, he follows the call and heads into the room with a bright familiar smile. " Hullo, my dear. You're quite chipper today."

Alice getting home from school early had it's benefits. The two of them had curled up on the couch together to watch the trashy sort of television that Aziraphale didn’t enjoy, which was a luxury for Crowley. Her expression visibly brightens when her husband enters the room, an arm outstretched to welcome him closer.

"Everything in town closed up early, except for your bookstore." she teases, "I would have thought you'd jump at the chance to lock those doors."

"That's why I'm so happy too," Alice chimes in. "School got out very early."

And please, why would she want to be at school when she can instead do something fun, like sit here and watch television with her mom? Of course she's going to be more cheery in this case than after spending a full day at school.

And.. well, she's also just glad to see Aziraphale here because it means that there's really nothing going on out there yet, despite all the warnings. The three of them are fine, just like usually. It's a relief.

Aziraphale's smile brightens all the more when he sees the two most special people in his life just sitting comfortably on their sofa. It's a sight that never gets old, specially when the worries of the world as safely kept outside of their home.

"I did." He leans in to give Crowley a peck on the lips, and kisses the top of Alice's head in greeting.

"Must've gotten distracted checking in the new deliveries."

Crowley hums happily as she returns the kiss, then shifts to make room on the sofa for Aziraphale to have a seat. It's not likely that he'll enjoy what's on the television at the moment, but Crowley will concede on that matter if argued. Besides, it would be time for supper soon enough.

"In that case, we're lucky to see you tonight at all." she teases, because if Aziraphale has new books to mess with, it's a miracle he let them out of his sight at all.

Alice definitely smiles at that little kiss on top of her head, and then she's shifting right along to make some room for a third person on the couch. Dad can sit in the middle for now, especially when Alice and her mom have been lounging here for a while already now.

"Aw, mom," Alice says. There's a tone that's almost like laughter in her voice, because she's totally catching on to the fact that it's just teasing, but she can't help but say this either way. "At least we are still more important to him than his books."

Though they might be the only things that are higher up on the list than those, knowing how much Aziraphale loves his books.

Aziraphale sits between the two of them, shifting and wiggling in his very prim and proper way to make himself nice and comfortable.

Though he does have enough standards to gape his mouth in mild shock at the comment. "Of course you're more important than my books. Why, I'd never dream of anything else."

Crowley instinctively curls herself against him once he's seated, cuddling close until she can rest her head upon his shoulder.

"We're just teasing, dove." he sighs, tipping her chin up to peck him on the cheek, "Now... would you like me to put that baking show on? I know you like that one..." She asks, but what she means is, you seem to tolerate it.

Crowley does all the explaining, which means Alice doesn't have to say a thing. It's true, after all - it's just teasing. Alice doesn't doubt even for a moment just how much her parents care about her.

.. nor does she doubt how amusing it is to see her mother trying to have some sort of negotiation going on about what's going to be on TV. Alice herself honestly doesn't care, not being too picky about these things, so she just stares on in amusement at them as she waits for Aziraphale to answer.

"Well, it's hardly nice to tease about that." He responds, with no bite to it at all. "Could have well stayed a bit longer, there were some mighty interesting books in that delivery, but I do think family's important." Now with a twinge of teasing.

But the does consider the show. It's been one of those things the two of them have conceded on since who knows when, allowing them to actually watch television together. It doesn't give him too much to fuss about, and it does keep his attention a lot better than most films. And often gives him ideas for future desserts...

"Oh, alright. But I don't much care for the last couple of guests."

"Oh, stop it," she waves him off, typical married folk bickering.

Crowley is already fussing with the remote before he even agrees to it, flipping through the options until settling on the agreed upon show.

"You don't like anyone, that's hardly new."

It's definitely the usual bickering for her parents. It's to a point where Alice knows it's absolutely nothing important, which means she's just making herself comfortable on her side of the couch, casting a half-amused glance at her parents as they talk back and forth like that.

"We would be lucky either way if we got to see much of the show at all," Alice gently points out to the two of them. "They have been interrupting absolutely every single program on television with those emergency broadcasts."

Even the trashy shows she was watching with her mom! Can you believe it. Apparently even people who watch those must be informed about these eeevil Voidtreckers.

Aziraphale rolls his eyes a bit over Crowley's comment, but does decide to keep the fussing to a minimum - for now, anyway. It's been a long day, even if he does so love his bookshop, and he's happy to relax on the sofa for a little bit. And to maybe learn a thing or two to help perfect his tarts.

"Has it gotten that bad?" As the TV watching often depends on the two of them coaxing him into watching, he's not as aware.

Crowley sighs, resting against him, just a bit cuddly. "Yeah. I guess..." she mutters, "I was outside in the garden most of the day. so I haven't really been paying attention."

Enough of the neighbors were talking about it though, and then Alice's school closed...

"Everyone was talking about it at school."

Maybe it's just on her mind the most since she's also heard about it the most - it's what happens when you're stuck in the most social situation out of all three of them. With the sheer amount of students going around, and then school closing down early for the day on top of it, of course everyone would be gossiping about it.

Including Alice.

"Not that they gave us many details. But everyone was wondering if maybe one of those Voidtreckers snuck into our school, for them to shut things down so early. Or perhaps they were just being paranoid."

"In the school?" There's very clear concern in his voice over the idea, and in the way he gives Crowley a glance before face Alice again. "That can't be right, can it?"

Crowley's eyes roll back in her head, her hand snaking forward to take Aziraphale’s. She squeezes it in an attempt to comfort him.

"Told you he'd worry." she mutters to Alice with a half-smile, then focuses back on Aziraphale with a sigh.

"It's probably nothing, dove. Relax. We're all together and safe..."

There's a similar half-smile on Alice's face at Crowley's comment. It's true, she totally was right on that one - but then again, who knows her dad better than her mom? Those two could predict each other's behaviour in any situation, she'd bet.

"Yes, and you didn't see anything suspicious on the way home, right? I did not see anything at school either, even though they were making such a huge fuss. They are probably just making it seem worse than it really is, for some reason."

Half smiles and all of that, but he isn't so sure he likes the idea of those rumors. Children are meant to be safe at their schools, and he will take no less for his little girl.

"Well...if you think so. But are you sure you didn't hear anything else?"

"Just neighborhood drama... what's new." she answers lazily. "Do you want me to start dinner? I'm sure I can scrounge up something..."

It should be enough to cheer Aziraphale up, anyway. Instead of dwelling on something outside of their control.

Alice gives a slight nod too. She didn't hear anything else either - and when Crowley speaks up, she knows that her mother is definitely doing that to try and keep her dad from worrying.

So she might as well contribute a little as well here, right? If not just in trying to steer away the conversation to something else.

"Right, I am getting slightly hungry as well.. Is there anything you really want to eat, dad?"

He's still rightfully concerned about the news, and he can kind of spot their attempts at a distraction, but Alice is sitting there, safe and sound, and he is quite peckish, so he may well let himself be pulled along.

"Well...I could eat." He answers, reluctantly.

Crowley looks pointedly around the kitchen, inspecting what ingredients await them. "I should have started a roast a lot earlier..." she muses with a sigh, "Time got away from me. I suppose I could always magic it up faster."

She pokes into the pantry and pulls out some vegitables and such, carrying them over to the counter. She huffs, "Martha across the street thinks she makes the best roast in town~" Crowley says, mockingly with a little obnoxious voice toward the end, "Bet she can't whip one up in a half-hour."

A smile appears on Alice's face when she hears her mother start on one of the usual rants, and she leans closer to her father instead, her smile almost turning into a mischievous grin at this point. Like a cat.

"Mom's got a rivalry going on, huh?"

The sort of grin Aziraphale's seen on Crowley's face for years before they ever had Alice. It may cause him nerves sometimes, but it mostly gives him fuzzy feelings of fondness.

"Oh, yes." He answers quietly. "Ever since the two of them have met, she can't stand her. I'm not sure Martha herself is aware of his rivalry."

"Ohh, Martha knows." she hisses, preheating the oven with a snap of her fingers. She begins to prepare a casserole dish, then fetches the meat from the fridge.

"When Alice was in grade school, every bake fair was a blessed competition."

Crowley fetches a knife to begin cutting up vegetables, doing to with heated and thinly-veiled rage. "I know she threw my lemon squares out that year. There is no other explanation."

"Should I ask my current school if they are interested in organizing bake fairs as well, mom?"

Is it teasing? Is she fully serious? Who knows, considering it could be either with Alice's current tone - and with the way she leans over the arm rest for a moment to be able to call out better in the direction of the kitchen.

Though she leans back over to her father afterwards, lowering her tone as she asks him: "Do you think she really knows?"

Look, she trusts his judgement on that a little more, especially considering how heated her mother is becoming over this topic. It might just be one-sided - and imagined two-sided - rivalry!

Aziraphale rolls his eyes as the rant keeps sounding from the kitchen, but there's a great deal of fondness and amusement to the whole thing.

But he knows enough to be quiet and purse his lips when Alice addresses him again, shrugging his shoulders but not doing much to mask the small smile on his face.

"I do suppose someone must be some kind of heathen to throw away perfectly good lemon squares." Is what he actually says, although his tone is not entirely free from certain tones.

"Absolutely not." Crowley responds rather firmly, scooping up any veggies and tossing them in the casserole dish flippantly. "I don't need lemon squares to prove I'm a good parent."

After assembling the rest of the roast, it's popped in the oven for an unreasonably short amount of time. Crowley rests her hands on the counter and sighs, trying to calm herself.

"It's fine... let's just set the table."

That's Alice's cue to get up - considering she's doing so, moving over to help setting the table, especially when her mother is using that tone of all tones. She's grabbing the plates from a cupboard, holding them in her arms, but then turns towards Crowley for a moment.

"Mom.. It's okay. You know we love you, right?"

She figures she can easily use that 'we', considering there's not a doubt about whether her parents love each other. It's entirely obvious.

Momentarily saved from the frustration of watching people fussing about barely eloquent quips thrown rudely at each other as a means of distraction from the somewhat interesting dishes they are supposedly preparing (which he takes several mental notes about), he gets off the couch and steps into the question to help - with his wife's disposition, first.

"Dearest, you know she can't hold a candle to anything you do." He approaches her, resting his hands on her shoulders and leaning in to kiss her cheek. "And your lemon squares are the best in town."

Ω voidtrecker inbox/side threads

backdated to during the mission;

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