voidtreckerexpress | [Open] May Catch- All

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[Open] May Catch- All

Who: Aziraphale & you
Where: All along the train
When: Llama 1st - 12th
What: New month, new mission, but Aziraphale isn't really much for being in the fray, if he can help it. Plus he's got a couple of new things keeping him busy, like new living quarters in need of decorating, and a new cookbook full of baking recipes he wants to try. So, as usual, he's staying in during a mission week, running about, doing his own thing.
Warnings: A dangerous amount of baked goods

General/Sleeper car
New fortnight means new station stop. It also means the hustle and bustle of new passengers, departing souls, package deliveries, and who knows what else. With how the last stop day had gone for him, he was already hesitant in greeting the new one, but didn't quite make any plans to avoid it.

However, when the day came, he was, for the most part, nowhere to be seen.

Non-new passengers might be more keen in spotting the angel's lack in presence around the train for the first few days. No early tea just after the reset in the morning. No post-breakfast walks across the train, politely greeting other passengers. Not even any haunting about the library, although his little writing practice encouragement corner is still there.

But they mustn't fret - those who do find themselves quite friendly with the angel, at least - for his name never even threatens to leave the roster. Although they might suffer a small scare or some vague worry when his and Crowley's names are no longer outside their usual sleeper car room plaque, but they might find them now placed outside a room in the new double room sleeper car.

More noticeable, however, is perhaps the smell, even more days in - starting on the day just before the mission starts, a persistent smell of fresh baked goods permeates the sleeper cars, far, far from the train kitchen. In fact, it somehow seems to seep through several cars. somehow, despite how much that defies the logic and physicality of the several passageways between the cars, easily enough traced back to one of the doors in the new car.

Those bold (or hungry) enough may approach the door, if they so please. Surely there's nothing strange going on behind it.

Library
The mission's already underway by the time the angel seems to come out from whatever hole he's been hiding in. Back to one of his usual posts - the top floor of the library, in this case.

He's sat at the one table he's previously stocked with towers of notebooks and piles of pens, in hopes that other passengers might be so inclined to take on creative endeavors and to similarly take on the task of de-emptifying the library shelves in their own hands. He did leave out the part where he's also interested in partaking in any new form of literature at this point, settling for any kind of contribution, but he does genuinely believe there might be some hidden talent hidden in the passenger population. And, even if there isn't, perhaps some would benefit with a new hobby, or outlet.

He seems quite immersed in one of the notebooks, round spectacles perched dutifully atop of his nose, as he looks as undisturbingly focused as a stone gargoyle watching over a catedral.

Perhaps one might still be able to get his attention, if they try hard enough.

Over the city
It's during some evening sometime midway through the week long mission when the angel can be found in the garden car, staring down at the city below. Arms crossed behind his back, he seems very focused on the buildings, and the hustle and bustle far too far away to be seen.

He's quite clearly lost in thought, whatever that thought might be, and could easily be missed if you weren't looking properly.

--

[ Got your own prompt or wanna plot or ask something? Reply OOCly, message this account, or find me at

skree!]

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[ Alice does worry.

Sure, the angel and demon she knows tend to be a little more elusive than most, seeming like the types who prefer to have some time to themselves from time to time, but it's never been like this before. It feels like it's been so much harder to spot them during the beginning of the month, and it's starting to bother Alice.

She isn't used to using the roster, but she tries to figure it out just to check if they aren't really gone from the train. But no, their names are there - listed the same as ever.

Which means that in the end, once Alice hears about people having visions and knowing it means that they'll soon have another mission to attend to, she decides to do something that makes her feel desperate and dumb.

But she knows that if she won't do it, she'll feel even more worried during the entire mission, and she can't have that.

So she looks over the nameplates sitting next to all of the cabins, until she arrives at the new double rooms - and only then realises that's where their names are listed now.

She's been so worried that she doesn't even quite notice the smell coming from the cabin. Isntead she just knows. ]

.. Crowley? Aziraphale? Are.. either of you there..?

[ Ugh, she kind of feels like a child looking for attention, but what else is she supposed to do with this fussy feeling bothering her in her chest? ]

[Rich certainly doesn't mind the smell of baked goods at all. He's been experimenting with cooking himself, so he's interested if those are new recipes, but he is a bit confused when he starts walking towards the kitchen and the smell gets fainter.

He backtracks until he finds the sleeper car, and frowns at the closed door for a moment, weighing his options before finally pounding against the surface.]

Hey! Did you sneak an oven in there somehow? I don't know if that's a fire hazard...

[ There's a few moments of silence before the familiar posh voice calls out, from somewhere perhaps strangely further away from the door that should be possible in one of the rooms. ]

Just a minute!

[ Soon enough, the door opens slightly and there stands Aziraphale, sporting a pair of nifty little round spectacles and a tartan apron on his person. ]

Oh, hello. Did you need something?

Oh! Uh, not exactly? I just thought I smelled something good. Was wondering who was doing baking around here besides me. Especially since I usually do it in the kitchen...

[Rich isn't exactly surprised to see Aziraphale, though. He had given off some... strange vibes the first time they had interacted, not that Rich thought that was a bad thing.]

Soldat figured out the new room thing pretty early on, especially given Crowley's disappearance, as well. And really, in what universe would Crowley and Aziraphale not get their own room as soon as it was available?

So they take a moment out of mission prep one evening and swing by, finding the one with their names on the door, and knock. There's a plate in hand of cookies ("biscuits", a recipe their own Aziraphale had taught them, so they know it's one he likes) and origami animals at the ready when Aziraphale opens it. "Housewarming gift?" they offer with a hopeful little smile.

Aziraphale's been in quite the pleasant mood ever since he and Crowley got their own room. Not only did they finally have a shared space utterly their own, they had also made sure to turn it into just that, with the help of a miracle or twenty. The angel had even entirely lost track of time, spending several days in without even noticing it, not that that was that much time for someone like him.

He's fixing himself some tea when he hears the knocking. When he opens the door, just enough to look through, there's a very clear distinction between the normal rooms and whatever is going on in theirs. There's also the sound of classical music playing from somewhere in there.

"Oh! Soldat. Pleasure to see you." He greets them with a smile, all the brighter when he notices the gifts.

"Oh,you really shouldn't have. Do come in, dear fellow, I've just put the kettle on."

He opens the door the rest of the way and welcomes them in - and the room, well... Soldat might well think they stepped into an entirely different world. The room is roughly the side of the entire train car (regardless of whether or not the placement of the door makes sense), all tasteful classical wood panelling and vintage-looking furniture, with a small kitchen and lofts on either end. To the left, there's a closed off room, with the loft space a bit harder to take a look at. To the right, a main sitting area, and what looks like a bedroom sleeping area above a series of bookshelves, that seem to lead into a smaller office-like section.

[ Aziraphale is known for giving off strange vibes, not that he's quite aware of the fact. The different impressions he's left on people over them millennia vary quite dramatically. ]

Oh! Well, that would be the orange upside-down cake. It's not quite done baking yet,I'm afraid.

[ Aziraphale looks into the room as if to check, and in the moment he does, Rich may catch a glance of what definitely does not look like a normal train car. The colors are different, for one - instead of the white and neutral colored plastic, it seems to mostly be tasteful wood panelling. It also seems to be impossibly large, much, much bigger than several rooms combined. ]

Oh, that's okay! I was just surprised to smell it over here and...

[Yeah, he's definitely noticing the design of the room now, not to mention the size. He raises an eyebrow but gives a soft smile.]

Looks like someone's been redecorating. You did this all yourself?

[ Aziraphale looks at Rich and back into the room, and offers the young man a sheepish smile. ]

Oh, not quite. It was, hum, my partner's idea to do it in the first place. Although it did come out quite nice, if I may say so.

[ The angel considers his options for a moment, then figures it might be a tad rude to leave the young man standing outside. He seems nice enough. ]

Say, would you like to come in for a minute? I certainly can't eat this entire cake by myself, and you can tell me what you think of it, if you'd like.

Partner, huh? Have I seen them around?

[Rich raises an eyebrow and gives a bit of a teasing smirk. Forgive him, but he's a horny and newly out teen. He wants to know what everyone is getting up to!]

Oh, uh, if you don't mind! I don't mean to interrupt... I'm just a bit of a cook myself, and I like finding new ideas.

Oh, you might have. Red hair, dressed in black? Often with sunglasses on.

[ At the part about the cooking, he smiles. ]

Even better. I've just began to venture into cooking myself - mostly baking - but it really is quite interesting what you can make with just a handful of ingredients.

Ah, do come in.

[ He opens the door the rest of the way. ]

Looking around as the follow Aziraphale inside, Soldat can feel their mouth fall open. It's very fancy, it's very big, and frankly doesn't look like it should even remotely fit in the train. "Is this what all the double rooms look like?"

They kind of doubt it, but this is magic on a scale well beyond what Soldat thought the two of them could do.

"Oh, I wouldn't think so. Crowley and I have had quite the couple of days putting it together. Much cozier than the drab cold rooms." Which he would have handled just fine, even if it wasn't his taste, but he's so very glad Crowley had the idea of changing theirs. He feels so much more at home.

He leads Soldat to the sofa and sitting area in the middle of the room, and gestures towards the small coffee table. "You can put your things there. Would you like some tea? Maybe something stronger?"

[ Time is a funny thing. The more of it you go through, the less you notice it. And the two of them, having existed well before time was a thing that existed, have a much different way of seeing it. In fact, a couple of days are nothing but half of a blink of an eye, and Aziraphale has not notice any of it gone by, preoccupied as he's been with settling into their new room, and leaning deeper towards his baking ventures.

When he hears the knock, effectively pulling him from the previously mentioned baking ventures, he does find it odd only because he wouldn't think Crowley would be knocking on their own door. But when he gets to it, and notices the young girl, he greets her with a pleasant smile.]

Alice! Hello, dear girl. Did you need anything?

"Well. They're your things. I brought them here for you. And Crowley, of course." But they do set the plate down on the coffee table. It's a good, central spot for cookies. They're still looking around with interest, though, as they answer, "Don't bother with anything stronger. I can't really appreciate it. Can't get drunk, you know."

[ Alice feels two emotions come over her at the same time when she spots the angel in the doorway. First there's relief, but there's also a feeling that she's really, really dumb to have worried as much.

Ugh, why do emotions have to be so exhausting? ]

I-- I was--

[ She seems to not even be sure of what to say here, just sputtering words a few times before shaking her head and gathering herself enough to speak. It's hard to determine whether to be honest here or not, since her honest feelings feel kind of dumb, but she suddenly can't stop them from slipping out. ]

I thought you two were gone! I hadn't seen you in days!

Huh. I don't know if I've seen them around, but I'll keep an eye out!

[Even if Rich doesn't have a lot of information to go off of, he's curious to meet new people always, especially secret romantic partners, snoop that he is.]

Baking is more fun, huh? I usually tend to just focus on what's filling, but sweets give you way more of a chance to be creative.

The best spot for cookies and treats is always either in the central place in a room, or within arms reach of a sitting area. That's only logical.

"Well, it's not always about getting inebriated. But tea it is." He moves toward the small kitchenette by the wall.

"So how have you been? Surprising how easy it is to miss people in such a small space sometimes." Although that might be due to Aziraphale's tendency to hide out in search of privacy.

[ Well, hardly secret, nowadays. After a few millennia of having to hide the fact they even knew each other from several people, they stopped being quite as subtle when they didn't have to do it. Not that they ever stopped human assumptions. ]

Well, I'm only starting out, so I'm mostly just sticking to the recipes. Thought I'd try my chances ordering a book about baking, and I do think I lucked out. Never know what exactly will end up in your mail.

Yeah, I know that. I ordered soda from them before, and got a bunch of weird spin off flavours I never tried before. Lucky you got a good cookbook, though! I'm mostly self-taught, so I wouldn't mind taking a look at it!

[Especially if this cake tastes as good as it looks.]

Suppose I've had some luck with the ordering system. Can't say it's been one hundred percent the case, however.

[ His book orders have mostly been unspecific - which, one time, granted him a strange novel that isn't quite to his tastes. But that hasn't stopped him from reading through it a couple of times or six. There's a strange soothing familiarity to it now. ]

Right- yes! [ Far more excited now as they head toward the small kitchenette, with a freshly baked cake resting on the counter. ]

I've decided to go through each recipe on the book, and today I thought I'd start with this delightful almond lemon cake.

[ Aziraphale simply looks at her with growing curiosity as she first struggles to get her words out, but the expression is then replaced by confusion.

Time is a funny thing, when you have a lot of it. And the more time you go through, the less you notice it pass you by, by and large. One could imagine, then, how proportional it is for creatures that have existed since before time ever did. ]

Oh, do forgive me, my dear. We may have lost track of time.

[ They most definitely did, enraptured as they were in decorating their new living space in the train. ]

Crowley's away right now, but I assure you, we're both doing just fine.

Well..

[ The confusion and surprise slowly slip away from her - which are the strongest emotions in this situation, so it just leaves a remainder of something more pathetic, a kind of shame. Her shoulders sag a little as it comes over her. ]

That is.. good, I suppose. [ Thankfully they are alright, and thankfully they're still here. Even though no one should be stuck on this train, there's no doubt that Alice would feel bad if they were just suddenly gone. ]

Sorry if I.. [ Her voice trails off, like she's looking for the right words. A hint of the shame appears in the colouring on ehr cheeks. ] If I overreacted.

[ Ugh, now she feels dumb for worrying while they were just fine!! ]

It's definitely hit or miss. It gives you half the stuff you want, and then half things you never would have thought of wanting.

[At least in his opinion. That doesn't mean he doesn't like the system, though. At least they can order more clothes and things to keep them entertained. Plus, it had given him quite a few bottles of the most important type of Mountain Dew...

He sniffs the air again as they get closer to the cake.]

Well, it sure smells good! Definitely something that belongs at a tea party.

[Not that it means he won't gladly take a piece!]

"Especially if you're spending all day in your room. Suite. Thing." Soldat is still pretty impressed, to be honest. It's very fancy in here. They might be a little jealous at the pair of them having their own space-- they would love to get one of these, even if it wasn't like this. Just a room with one other person. Heaven.

Well, not like they could even decide on a person here, really. It's not like it matters. "I'm okay. Getting ready for the mission. There's a lot of cooking to do."

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[Open] May Catch- All

sleeper car, pre-mission

Sleeper car

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Sleeper car, pre-mission

Re: Sleeper car, pre-mission

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Re: Sleeper car, pre-mission

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Sorry for taking so long! I kept meaning to get to this tag and utterly failing

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it's ok!

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