(no subject)

[last_adam]

*There aren't any customers today. There haven't been many at all of late; Adam's been quite good about seeing to that. But he's too nervous to work on his books, and all he can do is watch the time drag by on the clock until he can go - back to the flat, back to the bar, back to Alanna.

He's sure she's doing fine.

She can take care of herself.




He just wants to make sure.*

Comments

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

Something about the trill of the phone in Aziraphael's shop is far more annoying than it has any right to be. One finds oneself tempted to cut the wire carefully in two, but one also gets the impression that this wouldn't, in actual fact, do any good at all.

[last_adam]

*Adam winces against the sound, miraculously picking up before the third ring, if only to save his hearing. He's gotten quite good at it, really.*

Hallo?

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

His voice is rather dry.

"You know, Adam, I'm the one whose example you're supposed to be following."

[last_adam]

*Adam's own is pained.*

I hadn't intended to end up in the cells.

*Because intention is all that matters, obviously.*

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Yes, but you're a foolish child with extraordinarily little in the way of forethought and an aptitude for picking precisely the most idiotic fights." He sounds exasperated, worried and amused, all at once.

It could be that Adam reminds him of someone.

[last_adam]

*Adam rests his head on the counter, face down. He'd be embarrassed of anybody seeing him like that, if he thought anybody actually would.*

It wasn't an idiotic fight. And I didn't pick it.

*Well, it could be argued that he did, but that's semantics, really.*

I just reacted poorly.

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

There's a long sigh, and the creaking of what sounds like a prehistoric chair, as Aziraphael sits.

"Go on, then. Have at it. Reacted poorly to what, precisely?"

[last_adam]

*Adam takes a deep breath; he's not really sure where to start.*

Alanna and Thom-

*No, that's not it.*

They have this-

*Too complicated for a first explanation.*

There's somebody trying to kill Alanna. And Thom-

*Is helping him? is sleeping with him?*

I hit him.

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Adam, I don't want to have to sing the Sound of Music at you."

By the sounds of it, he's settling more comfortably into his chair.

"From the beginning, please."

[last_adam]

*Adam takes a few more deep breaths, and hangs the "closed" door on the sign. Just in case.*

Alanna-

back in Tortall, there was a man she killed. Twice. Once, and then he- Thom brought him back, and she had to kill him again. He's at the bar.

*More deep breathes, he can do this. He can.*

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Would this be that boy that I gave Shakespeare to? The one that's - "

He trails off, quite incapable of thinking of a polite euphemism for 'having sex with your father, presumably'.

[last_adam]

Thom? I don't know about the Shakespeare, but yes, he's the one who's fucking my father.

*A pause, as Adam tries to remember who he's talking to, and curb his speech.*

The other man, too.


Roger.

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Mind your language."

It's all he says, just for the moment, as he processes this.

"Well he does seem to have quite admirably bad taste for one so young. At least - " his voice is careful now, "one assumes that there were extenuating circumstances for young Alanna's actions?"

He can't quite hide the censure in his voice. He's an angel. Extenuating circumstances don't hold all that much weight, really.

[last_adam]

Alanna? Roger would have killed her instead.

And he's going to.

I mean, he's not, we're not going to let him, but he wants to, he's going to try-

*Adam's upset and rambling, and as he realizes this, shuts up and takes a few more deep breaths.*

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Which would explain your reaction. Can I help?"

[last_adam]

I don't know.

*He says to Aziraphael the one thing he hasn't been able to say to Alanna.*

I don't know what we're going to do.

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Well you have excellent resources at your disposal. Beginning with the security team at Milliways, who will no doubt find a way to apply the no-business rule to any situation, and moving along the ranks until you come to... well. You do have connections, although I confess you rather asked for my help than his."

[last_adam]

*Adam flushes. He thinks it's a compliment, but doesn't really know what to say.*

They're going to look for-

there's another aspect involved.

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"It gets worse? Marvellous."

[last_adam]

Roger has a box. And there are people, and he's using it to-


they'll disappear.

*Adam's not entirely aware that he's not making sense.*

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Adam, dear, if you're not sitting, sit. If you are sitting, try taking a couple of deep breaths, or holding your head behind your knees, or something. There's tea in the kitchen. Take a moment to calm yourself and what say we try again?"

[last_adam]

*There's a long pause on the phone. He tries the head between the knees thing, and it only makes him dizzy. Deep breaths and sitting were par for the course, and so he's left with only one option.


He gets a cup of tea.*

Roger- the one she killed - made a box, and put figures in it. And he said that if she didn't cooperate and such, it would disappear, and the figures are some sort of magic, and the people would disappear as well.

*That sound right there is the sound of a very long sip of tea.*

We're going to ask for help finding it.

*Whether or not the help will be at all helpful is another question entirely.*

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"And this. This would be people close to her, would it?"

His voice is rather strained.

[last_adam]

*He nods, forgetting that Aziraphael can't see him through the telephone.*

Ingress and George - her friend from home.






and me.

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"And you. Of course."

There's a very. Long. Silence.

"And what's being done? Presumably action is being taken?"

[last_adam]

*He nods again, almost on autopilot now. Nod, tea, speak.*

It is. Soon.

*It has to be soon.*

Please don't tell anybody. We're- we've told who needs to be told, and action is being taken, and George and Ingress don't know, and Tom and Door don't know and please don't say anything. I wasn't goign to say anything, but I couldn't-

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Calm down, Adam, for Heaven's... of course I won't tell anyone. Not if you don't want me to."

He doesn't sound happy about it.

[last_adam]

Not-


Not yet.

*Adam sounds relieved, despite Aziraphael's reluctance.*


I just- God, I had to talk to someone.

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"No blasphemy, please, I'm an angel. I know you have no regard for such things, but a little concern for my delicated sensibilities would be appreciated, you know."

The chair creaks again as he gets to his feet, pacing out the limited confines of a phone cord.

"You know you're always welcome to speak to me about anything, but now you have me worried and I'm not sure what on earth I could do to help. Promise you'll be careful?"

[last_adam]

*This makes Adam smile, thinking of all of his similar admonitions to Alanna.*

I promise. And I'll try not to hit Thom again.

*Won't promise he'll be successful, though.*

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

He sounds weary.

"Yes, I'd appreciate your trying, at least. I'd rather a promise, but we take what we can get, of course."

[last_adam]

I promise to try?

*Adam sighs.*

Um. And I thought you should know. I'll be moving back to the bar for a while.

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

"Oh? Already?"

[last_adam]

*He leans back in his chair, and sips some of the tea. He'd have to make a note of the br-

he stops himself short. What on earth am I thinking?*

With all this going on, and well, with Alanna, and I spend more time there than at the flat right now...

[a-fell.livejournal.com]

There's another of those terribly long silences.

"...We will talk about this, Adam. But not just now, since there is a sheep spiritedly attempting to eat the - will you sod off! - jumper I left outside. Be careful."

[last_adam]

*Adam can't help but laugh lightly.*

Thank you, Aziraphael. I will.

*After he's hung up, he sits there for a long while, staring at the phone. Maybe things might just turn out okay after all.


Maybe.*