InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Will you permit it?"

Aziraphale (softangel) wrote in snapthread,
@ 2019-12-14 12:01:00

Entry tags:

anthony j crowley, aziraphale

Who: Aziraphale and Crowley
What: Hallmark Movie Mayhem
Where: A Small Town TM
When: Today

The doors did not interest Aziraphale all that much, true he and Crowley had some nice times through, their picnic after setting the flamingos free had been particularly nice, and of course he knew that much of what was in the town came through the doors, but as an angel he had very little need of something like that for anything he might have needed, it was more an experience really than anything else.

So it was truly only when he thought the doors might hold some new and interesting experience for them that he felt the desire to try go to through them. Which was how they'd ended up through the doors earlier that day.

When he arrived in the town, Zira pulled his coat up higher around his ears, he should have worn something a little thicker the cold winder air blowing right through him and he found himself seeking shelter in the first shop front he saw, stepping through the door and out of the wind. He'd come to town because he had been looking to do a little research on small towns for a new book, and what better way to research than in person? At least that's what he'd told himself when he'd made the trip. The reality was a little bit less than convincing immediately.

But inside the shop Zira felt warm and comfortable, enough to allow his shoulders to come down from around his ears and even let his coat hang open. And he realized he'd stepped into a florist's shop. The flowers all looked beautiful, warm and brilliant colors perfect for this time of year and all so healthy and vibrant. The care taken in nurturing these plants was obvious even to him, a man who knew nothing about plants.

"Hello?" He called out as he began to wander through the shop admiring everything he saw.

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_crowley_
2019-12-15 02:40 am UTC (link)

"Let me guess," called a voice from the back of the shop -- a little set of swinging doors behind the counter and register. That was where Anthony kept the finished arrangements, all cut neat and tidy, arranged lovingly in vases and bouquets behind cool refrigerated doors. Flower shops in small towns didn't do particularly well monetarily during some parts of the year, but the holiday season was a good one, everyone out for a perfectly made wreathe or --

"Poinsettias?" A head popped through the doors -- auburn hair, expressive eyebrows and a smile that looked a little bit like it'd be twitchy if it wasn't also kind of soft. "Oh," he said, slightly surprised even while his body followed his head out from the back. It was always something of a shock to see someone he'd never laid eyes on before. In a town like this, well, strangers didn't pop up all too often, particularly not in this shop -- Garden of Delight. Sure, maybe in the diner now and again, or at the gas station. Those were people passing through sorts of places. But this wasn't. "Maybe not, then. Hullo."

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softangel
2019-12-15 04:30 pm UTC (link)

His head turned immediately in the direction of the answering voice, and he had to take just a moment, the man that appeared from somewhere in the back of the shop was not exactly the type he might have guessed ran a flower shop and yet there he was offering him that season's traditional flower, so he must actually work here. And as surprised as Zira was about that much it seemed that his appearance as well had surprised the man in turn. So they were even for the moment it seemed.

"No, no - not at the moment, the pointsettias, I mean." He was quick to assure the man a flustered sort of smile on his face as he stepped just a little bit closer, out from between a row of greenery and toward the shop owner, he suspected. "I just ran in to get out of the cold." He admitted rather sheepishly, "I didn't expect the wind to be quite so biting." Or the cold to be quite so cold for that matter. Certainly it was cold in the city, they had snow and long and dreary winters as well, but this felt like something else, like he'd been driven from where he'd stood on the street and into this shop in particular.

As if such a thing was even possible.

"This is your shop?" He asked, attempting to be at least of a little more use than just a stranger looking for a bit of warmth. "It all looks so nice, you wouldn't even know it's freezing out there." He said tipping his head back in the directio of the door.

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_crowley_
2019-12-17 03:48 am UTC (link)

"It's extra cold this year," he said, sounding sympathetic to the concept of having to be out there -- particularly since the shop was heated well -- in the balmy 70's, just to keep the plants and flowers happy and healthy. It made the windows foggy a lot, but it was worth it for the best greenery.

It was also why Anthony worked in t-shirts even in the coldest parts of the season. He smiled at the flustered expression that this stranger was giving him. Cute. Very cute. "Don't worry," he reassured, "I'd have ducked into a building myself, if I had to be out in that cold. Take your time." He gestured at the whole of the shop, like he was encouraging the other man to look around.

"Oh yeah, definitely my shop. I've put blood, sweat, tears and a great deal of fertilizer into this place." And he certainly hoped it showed. "Are you new in town?" Rare, but not unheard of.

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softangel
2019-12-18 04:36 am UTC (link)

"I'm sure I've heard that already, but for some reason that didn't seem to factor into my choice of outerwear today." He said with a soft tut over himself and his poor planning. He had always been a simple man in terms of dress, having chosen a few pieces that he quite liked and sticking with them, it made things easier when he didn't have to think about what he would wear each and every day. However on days like this? Well he might have done better had he taken a little extra time.

Zira began to move again, admiring the beautiful plants and flowers on display. It was a wonderful counterpoint to the cold just on the other side of the shop windows. "All of your hard work is evident," He assured him, even a man like him with absolutely now green thumb to speak of could see the care and attention that was paid to these plants.

"Temporarily," He agreed of being new to town. "I'm not quite certain how long I'll be here for, but I'm in town doing a little research." He explained, "Trying to get a little first hand experience with life in a small town." He added. "How long have you lived here?" Curiosity pushing him to get to know this man a little bit more.

"I'm Zira," He introduced himself/

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_crowley_
2019-12-19 02:33 am UTC (link)

"You do look like you could use a little extra for warming up," Anthony agreed, taking in Zira's pink, pink cheeks as well as the way the tips of his ears looked a bit red. It was a good look, like he was flushed and maybe a little breathless, but those sorts of looks usually looked better with reasons other than cold. "I've got some hot chocolate, if you like? So long as you don't mind the instant sort." It was the best he could do in his shop -- powered stuff and hot water.

He rose his eyebrow over the concept of someone needing to do research on a small town, and how life went in places like that. "Are you a writer?" He asked, because he couldn't possibly think of any other reason someone would be looking for information like that. And even looking for it, observing it was probably quite a bit different than living it. "I've been here -- oh. Nearly twelve years now? I don't keep track these days. Might as well be forever."

He slipped past his counter area to stand in front of Zira, offering his hand for a proper greeting. "Anthony Crowley. Welcome to town. Temporarily."

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softangel
2019-12-19 04:49 am UTC (link)

"Yes, I'll have to see what I can do about that a little later." He agreed as well - but for now he was warming up nicely in the heat of the shop. "Oh," Surprised by the offer of hot chocolate? Well how could he turn that down? "If it's not too much trouble? I wouldn't want to cause you any trouble." Because the last thing he wanted was his attempt at finding a little warmth to turn into putting any one out, there was probably some sort of coffee shop or something near by, there always was one somewhere, right?

He smiled bright and pleased when he'd guessed at his profession, "Indeed, I am." He nodded, "I've only ever had a sort of imagined understanding of smaller towns, and I thought perhaps I'd have a better idea of it all if I actually spent a little time in one myself." He laughed just a little at how he felt about how long he'd been in town, "So you like it here?" He asked, "You certainly seem to have created something very special here."

Zira took the extended hand in greeting, "It's a pleasure to meet you Anthony, and thank you truly, for allowing me to blunder into your shop like this."

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_crowley_
2019-12-26 06:40 pm UTC (link)

"No trouble at all," Anthony said smoothly, cutting off the idea of it with a well timed eyebrow lifting. It wasn't as if he was overly busy -- no one else was in the shop and he'd done all of his deliveries before he'd opened this morning. So now was the time to make some hot chocolate and then wait out the rest of the day. A little company certainly never hurt. So he clicked the down button on his electric kettle over the length of the counter.

He shook hands and then smiled. "You've picked a decent town for it, considering size. I like it just fine. Most people mind their own, but everyone's friendly enough." He paused, considering -- and, well, looking. Because Zira was cute. He had a nice smile and his hair was remarkably blond. It wasn't often that color came naturally on people. "It was no blunder at all. What's your book about? Maybe I could help."

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softangel
2019-12-28 01:30 am UTC (link)

It was exactly the sort of response he would not have gotten had he stayed in the city, of that much he was entirely certain. No one had time to just chat these days, there was always something to do, some thing to check off a to do list, some call to make, an email to send. But here it seemed that Anthony had plenty of time to just spend chatting with a stranger who had wandered into his shop to get out of the cold, it was a thought that warmed him almost as well as Anthony's shop had done.

"That was the hope," He admitted with a small chuckle, the town wasn't so small that he wouldn't be able to meet anyone, but not so large that it would lose that sort of small town charm that he imagined this place had. And if his interaction with Anthony was anything to go by then he was quite certain that this place had plenty of that to go around. "See that is exactly what I'd hoped to hear," He grinned as Anthony told him more, it seemed this all had a touch of kismet to it, Anthony was welcoming and charming, and of course it had not escaped Zira's notice that he was also devilishly handsome as well.

"Well it's about a family," He started, trying to decide how best to describe it, "A boy really, and his family and friends, and their life in the small town where they live, I picture it as a sort of coming of age story as our hero comes into his own and realizes his true strength, and where it comes from."

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