GOOD OMENS - Garden of Roses

Ridley

'What do you think Principality Aziraphale?' asked Michael with a smug smile on their face. They liked to rub it in for Aziraphale, that he wasn't an archangel like the others. Only a principality. So whenever they had the chance they adressed him as such.
'I still think it's a stupid idea. And that we haven't discussed it properly' Aziraphale snapped back. In his opinion this whole web-conference was longer than it needed to be. And as far as he was concerned there wasn't really a good way to sneak a child down to earth. At least the immaculate conception was off the table this time. Sandalphon really liked the idea, that now, that Aziraphale took over Heaven's directory duties, he should theoritically have to descend from heaven to tell a poor virgin girl, that she is gonna be the mother of the Saviour. Which he can't name. Because even the name of the baby is already chosen. He will be a British baby, named Ridley. But their Eartly parents have to call him Saviour of this World, the One who Cometh from God, The second son of the Almighty, and Bringer of Salvation, Messiah of Humanity. Or Buddy for short. Because why would anybody call him anything else?
Aziraphale wasn't fond of the idea to restrict the parent's opportunity to excersise free will. They were the good guys. They couldn't just swap children, they couldn't raise the saviour themselves, and they couldn't force him to any human. That would just be inappropriate.
'We could wrap him up, put him in a box, and maybe someone would bring him home. Humans do that with kitties and puppies. Just take them from from the streets.' Uriel tried to enforce his "put in a box and leave it all to the humans"-plan.
He certainly fit his name, which meant light of the lord. He was the brightest bulb in the conference room at the moment. At least in Aziraphale's eyes. But the solution wasn't any good anyways.
They didn't need to get to an agreement at that conference anyway, but Aziraphale felt like nobody was hearing his voice. The others didn't care, that he knew the humans better than anyone, and that as an angel, he was chosen to lead heaven through this affair precisely for that reason.
'We should continue this discussion on another occasion.' Saraqael suggested, and immediately suspended her broadcasting.
Everyone stayed scilent for a moment, and then without any goodbyes and anything, Uriel and Sandalphon stopped their broadcast too.
'It seems like there are only the two of us left here Michael.' said Aziraphale smiling, trying to hide how intimidated he was because of Michael.
'Indeed it seems.' nodded the archange, and stopped broadcasting.
Now Aziraphale was the only one left in the video call. He sighed in relief and diappointment. Nothing was decided. Another day in heaven, when nothing changed. He knew that changing everything won't be easy. And he knew that the others can't do anything without his approval, which made his plans easier. But he also couldn't enforce everyting to the other angels. He needed someone other than his assistant to be on his side. As any great strategist he knew, that the way things are going he won't be able to accomplish anything. He would have needed Crowley. He was even better at understanding the humans than Aziraphale. But he was away, who knew where.
Aziraphale left the call, and decided to go for a stroll in Heaven. Somewhere in the suburbs of Heaven, maybe take a peek downstairs. It's not like he was gonna be spotted anyway.

~

Crowley slept through most of the day. He wasn't dreaming. In his opinion sleep was one of the biggest pleasures humanity was able to enjoy, and he even though didn't need any was a daily participant of sleeping. He didn't give it up for armageddon, and he most definately didn't give it up for the 14th century. Maybe the 21th will be the same.
This time he wasn't sleeping too heavily though. He was waiting for the night. He was gonna go and see the fireworks from up close. He somehow missed the fire.  Not the fire that scorched his wings back, and most definetly not the hellfire, that was down. He missed the warmth it gave. The comforting heat that came from a fireplace, like the one, he used to have at his apartment in London. Or the one people have at the Ritz, when food is cooking. He was a serpent after all, and a heat lamp or a real fire wouldn't have been too bad anyways. The first time he saw the fireworks on the sky, he was suprised, and maybe a bit spooked, because the image of a war came to his mind. The war, that was gonna be carried out in the air. Demons vs Angels. But then he realised that he liked spooky. Not the scare it gave to him, but the atmosphere it left behind.
The first pop of a firework was echoing through the air, and he opened his yellow serpent eyes. He shot up and out the window in an instant, and up to the sky. He wasn't gonna miss any sparkle.
He wasn't looking where he was flying. His eyes were used to dark, given he was a demon, and he spent most of his life in dark glasses anyways, but this time he wasn't seeing anything but the colours and the stars. It took him back. Almost intinctively he murmurred under his breath:
'Let there be light.'
And there was light. The light of heaven shining down on him, which only he could have seen, and no human eye would have been to comprehend it. He found a backdoor.
And in the backdoor, he was seeing a familiar figure, and white feathers.

Hello my candied apples! I hope my writing is enjoyable. And that it is funny. I try to lighten the mood as much as possible. But it is hard to write funny things since I am not a particularly funny person, and English isn't my first language anyways.
Next time comes the first reunion, which I am thrilled about. I can't wait to know what will happen. For you see, I only planned in my little notebook this far. So from now on, both of us will be just as clueless as what to come.
Until next time! Bye!