Xayah makes sure to drop by the house where Crowley lives to leave him a... thank you gift. She's never good with words and from what she gathered, he's not that good off either. She found an envelope with Postmaster General and scrawled Crowley's name on the front of it. Inside of it, she had left one of her prized possessions, properly sharpened in case he ever needs to use it and tied with a purple ribbon at the bottom, with a small note that has only "Thank you" on it.
After sealing the envelope, she puts it in the little mailbox in front of the house and flees the "scene of the crime" before she gets caught.
Crowley, for his part, is especially surprised to receive anything. Not a lot of people in the town like him. So, if it's not from Aziraphale or Bucky who live with him----well, the list of people it could be isn't very long. He pulls out the sharp purple feather, gently touching the tip with his forefinger.
This is supposed to be a thank you, but Crowley feels like he's the one who should be saying thanks.
He tucks the feather dagger into his breast pocket, the one opposite where he keeps Aziraphale's feather. He's not being sentimental, he tells himself. Just good sense to remain armed in a crazy place like this one.
She didn't even set a step properly over the porch when it happened.
It was a pain, all too familiar, never forgotten, always in the back of her mind. It returned, searing, piercing through her abdomen and surging up as the creature lifted her all too easily off the ground. Back then, she stared Zed dead in the eyes with burning hatred; now she stares into the cold, dark November sky as the creature drags her away from the Inn, leaving a trail of her blood along the way.
She couldn't move- she tried to get off, but the more she squirmed, the further the cut went up her torso. All she could hope for is for the creature to drop her somewhere on the path so she can try and crawl back. And the creature did drop her- but not where she hoped.
Her scream now rang through empty woods as the spikes pierced her- one through the already made wound, one through the shoulder and third one through her thigh. He coughed and choked up on her blood as she still tried to move and reach for her device. She was a fighter, she didn't want to go out like this, not like this-
Her fingers are slippery from the blood as she turned on the device- she didn't even try to type and instantly went to voice message.
"C...Crowly..." speaking was hard with all this blood in her mouth but she forced herself to cough and take a breath so she can speak. "c-come... f-find me... th..ey... got...me..." heavy coughing interrupts her speech and a sob rises up to her throat, "p-ple...ase... I...don't... don't wanna... don't wanna die... not- not like........ th...is..."
The sound that follows was her dropping the device down on the ground next to her, but the message is still recording. Soft gasps and coughs as the light in her lantern becomes weaker and weaker each second. The last thing the device records is a quiet "...it's...cold..."
"Xayah?" Crowley doesn't even hesitate. He steps away from everything, flipping his tablet to video. She's only on audio, but he taps at the screen, as if he can make it show him where she is.
"Xayah, where are you? Tell me where you are! I can come to you, I can find you."
What's happened? Has she been attacked? She was just at the Invincible, he just saw her. He turns and starts towards the woods, then turns and rushes back towards the Invincible. He needs light. He needs backup.
She wants to tell him, but she doesn't know. She has no idea where she is. Did they go to the west or east? North or south? Does it even matter?
Turning head to look around is impossible. Her neck is stiff, her hands, legs, face growing colder and colder every minute. She wants to speak- let her speak- but her voice fails her. All she can do is cough again. And again. And again.
Last time, she had Rakan next to her. She had his voice ringing in her ears. Now she has cold wind and sound of her own blood dripping everywhere, the rustle of the forest. She was cold for another few moments and then- it stopped. It stopped being cold, it stopped hurting. A numbness like no other overflowed her as she stared at the night sky.
Crowley stands, staring at his tablet. She's not responding. She's not responding and he has no idea where she is. She could be anywhere. She could be absolutely anywhere. He looks out to the darkness of the woods, where all of the vicious monsters are. She was out there for some reason, and now she's---
Well, now she's----
And the last thing they did was fight. Crowley didn't even get a chance to buy her a drink and tell her she was probably wrong.
He turns his head and looks out to the Lighthouse. This has to stop. He's going to stop it.
Edited (There is no video feature---my mistake!) Date: 2019-12-02 03:31 am (UTC)
No. No, no, dear, please disregard-- please disregard that last message I'm not angry, I just need you to come home. You and Lunafreya. Just turn back now.
Please call me back so I know you've gotten this message.
I'm not-- I swear-- I swear I'm not cross with you.
I can only assume that you are on your way and that you have received my messages but I am leaving them when you are trying to return my call, so please leave a message.
Or -- I won't call again, just so we don't miss each other. Please.
You said you wouldn't leave! You great catastrophic bastard!
I should've never trusted you! And Luna! If you don't come back, at the very least have some decency and return her, you ruinous fool! You absolute worm of a snake, you, you--
[ A day later, voice hoarse, hitching every few seconds from dry sobbing: ]
Crowley. I've come to understand the inevitable. But I'll be - I'm waiting for you. If you get these, wherever you are. I'll be at the church. I'm so sorry, my dear, but they tell me you'll be brought back here. I won't let you burn again, that you can be certain, though if you receive this, please remember to have your wings out in case I don't manage to catch you in time.
[ On the morning of Christmas, Crowley might find a nice parcel wrapped in naked Santa paper on Aziraphale's side of the bed. There's a card attached that simply reads "Open Me," but it's in a very familiar-looking script.
Inside, Crowley might find this sweater but also underneath, a slinky floor-length black dress. It seems to be embellished all over with tiny beads that have been, perhaps, miracled into looking slightly nicer. It almost appears to be cut out of night sky. ]
She really didn't have any idea what to give him for this holiday they have. There was a thought of giving him one bottle of that invisibility potion but... hm. She's smarter than that.
So, instead, there's a big bottle of tequila at the porch, with a necklace looking thing wrapped around it. It looks kind of rough, both the leather of the necklace and the rock- she spent a good amount of time trying to make the shiny stone she found look smooth. Apologies if it isn't. There's a note tied to it too, that said. "Happy holidays. Don't get too wasted. X"
This necklace is 10000% Crowley's style. Please consider him permanently wearing it from here on out, especially if it goes well with the dress Aziraphale got him for Christmas (which he's sure it will).
He grins at the bottle of tequila. He knows exactly who he's sharing this with---even if she is the one who gave it to him.
[ Come the morning of December 25th, Crowley will awaken to a gift! A light blue tin, filled with eight homemade pastries, along with a note that has Lunafreya's ridiculously neat handwriting scrawled across the paper.
It simply reads:
'To my dear friend Crowley. While I am not entirely sure this is to your taste, I do hope that you manage to enjoy them and that they find you in good spirits and health. We've not known each other long, but you are one of my dearest friends and I am so glad to know you. I would ask your forgiveness, dear, this holiday is not one I've heard of, though we do have something very similar during the winter solstice at home.
Just in case you find yourself disliking the pastries, I've put another little treat underneath them. Something I happen to know you will enjoy.
Yours,
Lunafreya'
Underneath the pastries? A little bottle of rum. Go nuts with it, Crowley. ]
[Crowley opens the pastries and positively melts at the sight of them. It's such an incredibly sweet gesture that he looks around to make sure no one sees him before having a dopey, happy smile on his face. Can't ruin his reputation, after all.
He tries to eat one, but the curse from the Hint-O-Matic is still in full effect, and he can't keep any food down at all. Shame. He'll share them with Aziraphale before they go stale.
The rum, however, will be saved until his stomach is more cooperative.]
My Dearest Crowley, You have been now asleep for several weeks; please do not be alarmed if I am not present when you wake. Be home soon. Love always, Aziraphale. ]
[Whenever Crowley wakes, he will find next to Aziraphale's note a little origami fox folded up from orange paper. One ear has a little black star drawn on it, just in case Crowley has somehow missed that his housemate makes paper animals as a calming activity, and needs their "signature" to say who left it.]
@hello, text
Date: 2019-09-02 03:48 pm (UTC)🆘✅🖼️🚫📝😥👼
🆘🐍🛠️
text
Date: 2019-09-02 03:50 pm (UTC)Re: text
Date: 2019-09-02 03:53 pm (UTC)text
Date: 2019-09-02 03:58 pm (UTC)Re: text
Date: 2019-09-02 04:01 pm (UTC)📲🚫📝⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️
text
Date: 2019-09-02 04:03 pm (UTC)You can't write. You want the snake to fix it?
What did you do that you can't write?
Re: text
Date: 2019-09-02 04:04 pm (UTC)text
Date: 2019-09-02 04:06 pm (UTC)Re: text
Date: 2019-09-02 04:09 pm (UTC)🙏🐍👿🛠️
text
Date: 2019-09-02 04:10 pm (UTC)Re: text
Date: 2019-09-02 04:11 pm (UTC)Re: text
Date: 2019-09-02 09:48 pm (UTC)Re: text
Date: 2019-09-03 03:43 am (UTC)👼📝🐍
👼👉🖼️
📲🚫📝
Re: text
Date: 2019-09-03 10:43 pm (UTC)Re: text
Date: 2019-09-04 12:38 am (UTC)Re: text
Date: 2019-09-04 12:41 am (UTC)Re: text
Date: 2019-09-04 01:10 am (UTC)🙏🐍🛠️🛠️🛠️
Re: text
Date: 2019-09-04 01:18 am (UTC)All right, angel.
Go down to the bottom of the screen, there should be a little button that says "ABC". Press on that.
Re: text
Date: 2019-09-04 02:22 am (UTC)Thank you.
Yours,
Aziraphale.
After the flying lesson;
Date: 2019-10-31 02:06 am (UTC)Inside of it, she had left one of her prized possessions, properly sharpened in case he ever needs to use it and tied with a purple ribbon at the bottom, with a small note that has only "Thank you" on it.
After sealing the envelope, she puts it in the little mailbox in front of the house and flees the "scene of the crime" before she gets caught.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-31 02:13 am (UTC)This is supposed to be a thank you, but Crowley feels like he's the one who should be saying thanks.
He tucks the feather dagger into his breast pocket, the one opposite where he keeps Aziraphale's feather. He's not being sentimental, he tells himself. Just good sense to remain armed in a crazy place like this one.
CW: blood, gore, impending death; 28th of November
Date: 2019-12-01 04:47 am (UTC)It was a pain, all too familiar, never forgotten, always in the back of her mind. It returned, searing, piercing through her abdomen and surging up as the creature lifted her all too easily off the ground. Back then, she stared Zed dead in the eyes with burning hatred; now she stares into the cold, dark November sky as the creature drags her away from the Inn, leaving a trail of her blood along the way.
She couldn't move- she tried to get off, but the more she squirmed, the further the cut went up her torso. All she could hope for is for the creature to drop her somewhere on the path so she can try and crawl back. And the creature did drop her- but not where she hoped.
Her scream now rang through empty woods as the spikes pierced her- one through the already made wound, one through the shoulder and third one through her thigh. He coughed and choked up on her blood as she still tried to move and reach for her device. She was a fighter, she didn't want to go out like this, not like this-
Her fingers are slippery from the blood as she turned on the device- she didn't even try to type and instantly went to voice message.
"C...Crowly..." speaking was hard with all this blood in her mouth but she forced herself to cough and take a breath so she can speak. "c-come... f-find me... th..ey... got...me..." heavy coughing interrupts her speech and a sob rises up to her throat, "p-ple...ase... I...don't... don't wanna... don't wanna die... not- not like........ th...is..."
The sound that follows was her dropping the device down on the ground next to her, but the message is still recording. Soft gasps and coughs as the light in her lantern becomes weaker and weaker each second. The last thing the device records is a quiet "...it's...cold..."
video
Date: 2019-12-01 04:56 am (UTC)"Xayah, where are you? Tell me where you are! I can come to you, I can find you."
What's happened? Has she been attacked? She was just at the Invincible, he just saw her. He turns and starts towards the woods, then turns and rushes back towards the Invincible. He needs light. He needs backup.
audio
Date: 2019-12-01 05:06 am (UTC)Turning head to look around is impossible. Her neck is stiff, her hands, legs, face growing colder and colder every minute. She wants to speak- let her speak- but her voice fails her. All she can do is cough again. And again. And again.
Last time, she had Rakan next to her. She had his voice ringing in her ears. Now she has cold wind and sound of her own blood dripping everywhere, the rustle of the forest. She was cold for another few moments and then- it stopped. It stopped being cold, it stopped hurting. A numbness like no other overflowed her as she stared at the night sky.
He's not coming... no one is coming.
She's alone. She always was.
audio
Date: 2019-12-01 05:15 am (UTC)Crowley stands, staring at his tablet. She's not responding. She's not responding and he has no idea where she is. She could be anywhere. She could be absolutely anywhere. He looks out to the darkness of the woods, where all of the vicious monsters are. She was out there for some reason, and now she's---
Well, now she's----
And the last thing they did was fight. Crowley didn't even get a chance to buy her a drink and tell her she was probably wrong.
He turns his head and looks out to the Lighthouse. This has to stop. He's going to stop it.
November 30th 1/? voice
Date: 2019-12-02 03:08 am (UTC)2/?
Date: 2019-12-02 03:08 am (UTC)And how dare you bring Luna into this!
3/?
Date: 2019-12-02 03:10 am (UTC)Please call me back so I know you've gotten this message.
I'm not-- I swear-- I swear I'm not cross with you.
4/?
Date: 2019-12-02 03:12 am (UTC)Or -- I won't call again, just so we don't miss each other. Please.
5/? 3 minutes later
Date: 2019-12-02 03:15 am (UTC)I don't see you in the sky, are you flying quite close to the tree line?
6/7
Date: 2019-12-02 03:21 am (UTC)I should've never trusted you! And Luna! If you don't come back, at the very least have some decency and return her, you ruinous fool! You absolute worm of a snake, you, you--
DONE
Date: 2019-12-02 03:28 am (UTC)Crowley. I've come to understand the inevitable. But I'll be - I'm waiting for you. If you get these, wherever you are. I'll be at the church. I'm so sorry, my dear, but they tell me you'll be brought back here. I won't let you burn again, that you can be certain, though if you receive this, please remember to have your wings out in case I don't manage to catch you in time.
Will you - just, please - forget what I've said.
Just.
[ There's a pause for crying, sniffles. ]
Oh, listen to me, I'm a mess.
Please come home. I miss you quite terribly.
no subject
Date: 2019-12-17 04:59 am (UTC)THANK YOU FOR PURCHASING two (2) HINT(S) FROM DR. SCHICKSAL'S HINT-O-MATIC. YOUR PAYMENT HAS BEEN PROCESSED.
[1. All his fingernails fall off.
2. He can't keep any food down until the next full moon.]
IN PERSON
Date: 2019-12-23 10:27 pm (UTC)Inside, Crowley might find this sweater but also underneath, a slinky floor-length black dress. It seems to be embellished all over with tiny beads that have been, perhaps, miracled into looking slightly nicer. It almost appears to be cut out of night sky. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-12-24 12:22 am (UTC)As for the sweater----oh, he must love Aziraphale, because he's going to figure out some time to wear this hideous thing, too.]
On 25th
Date: 2019-12-26 12:55 pm (UTC)So, instead, there's a big bottle of tequila at the porch, with a necklace looking thing wrapped around it. It looks kind of rough, both the leather of the necklace and the rock- she spent a good amount of time trying to make the shiny stone she found look smooth. Apologies if it isn't. There's a note tied to it too, that said. "Happy holidays. Don't get too wasted. X"
no subject
Date: 2019-12-27 02:02 am (UTC)He grins at the bottle of tequila. He knows exactly who he's sharing this with---even if she is the one who gave it to him.
Backdated to the 25th
Date: 2019-12-27 05:06 am (UTC)It simply reads:
'To my dear friend Crowley. While I am not entirely sure this is to your taste, I do hope that you manage to enjoy them and that they find you in good spirits and health. We've not known each other long, but you are one of my dearest friends and I am so glad to know you. I would ask your forgiveness, dear, this holiday is not one I've heard of, though we do have something very similar during the winter solstice at home.
Just in case you find yourself disliking the pastries, I've put another little treat underneath them. Something I happen to know you will enjoy.
Yours,
Lunafreya'
Underneath the pastries? A little bottle of rum. Go nuts with it, Crowley. ]
no subject
Date: 2019-12-30 11:48 pm (UTC)He tries to eat one, but the curse from the Hint-O-Matic is still in full effect, and he can't keep any food down at all. Shame. He'll share them with Aziraphale before they go stale.
The rum, however, will be saved until his stomach is more cooperative.]
left on his pillow for when you get back like next month
Date: 2020-01-29 12:43 am (UTC)My Dearest Crowley,
You have been now asleep for several weeks; please do not be alarmed if I am not present when you wake. Be home soon.
Love always,
Aziraphale. ]
As of February 5
Date: 2020-02-04 08:14 am (UTC)