IC contact: Sirenspull

[paterelohim]

Uh, hi! This is Ca- I mean Chuck Shurley, just- Chuck, sorry. [Indistinct fumbling noises] Leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks?

Comments

[paterelohim]

Oh- come on. [Bitchfacing.] That's not what I meant. You know that.

[He's speaking to the larger issues at work here. It's not even remotely about the damn bird, as much as he'd prefer to dwell on that instead of the big picture.]

[thelightbringer]

[He does. He looks down, drumming his fingers lightly, smiling just a little.]

I didn't know Michael liked birds. When we were new, he ignored all the creatures of the earth unless I made him do otherwise.

[paterelohim]

Really? [He can remember. They were beautiful days.]

Maybe it's not... really about the bird.

[thelightbringer]

I'd be glad if it wasn't.

[It's a rare confession from him, but he's working under the assumption that Chuck will assume wrong if he doesn't tell him. This is one of the very rare things he actually cares about people getting right.]

[paterelohim]

[A rare confession; a rare moment of weakness willingly exposed. Chuck looks at him a little wonderingly, though he keeps his surprise to Himself.]

I know.

[Pause.] Michael could have picked anything as a phrase to teach it.

[thelightbringer]

I expected him to say almost anything, but--

That's really why you're here. You said that if there could be some reality where he goes with me, it would take years. But this is what you meant, wasn't it?

[paterelohim]

Um... [Nngh. Chuck isn't sure how to answer, at first. As surprising as this all is, it's still happening in almost a vacuum- it doesn't mean what Lucifer wants it to mean, that Michael would still change his mind about the Plan at home. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, finally looking at Lucifer again.] I don't know, maybe? At the time, I was talking about back home- whether he would walk away from the actual Plan. Siren's Port, this place is such an unusual situation, it's really hard to tell whether he's honestly changing or just taking advantage of a natural ceasefire.

If I could give you a better answer, I would, but I just don't know.

[thelightbringer]

It's better that you don't. It means I have a chance that I didn't before. [And it makes up his mind about what he plans to do, with Aslan's help.]

Field trip, then? If you still want to see the bird.

[paterelohim]

[That's a worryingly mentally healthy answer, but it's probably best to drop it for now.]

Uh, at the risk of agreeing to go into the archangels' den, sure.

[thelightbringer]

[And zap, they're in the archangels' shared apartment. As one might imagine it has no decoration except that which came with it. But in spite of that it feels like a 'home'.]

Michael.

[servingfather]

[Michael's chilling on the couch with a book in one hand and a banana in the other while the majestic Scarlet Macaw sits on his shoulder. She's preening - yes isn't it a weird sight - his vessel's hair. When they zap into the apartment he looks up at the both of them.]

Lucifer. Chuck.

[paterelohim]

[Wow, bachelor pad. Really overly-large, underdecorated bachelor pad.]

Oh, guys, at least get some wallpaper or something. [Because wallpaper is the height of design, yes.

Oh. Parrot. Parrot... preening an archangel's hair. Huh.

Have Chuck's very first Angel Headtilt™.]

Hi.

[thelightbringer]

[Lucifer and Michael do spend enough time there to justify decorating, but no, Chuck. Wallpaper gets a skeptical 'ew, gross' borderline-Valley Girl look.]

He wanted to see your new accessory.

[servingfather]

[Who needs to decorate with gaudy wallpaper when they've got very large windows that have views with nothing but sky or sea from any room in the house. Michael may have gotten rid of or moved windows in order to accomplish that.]

It's better without wallpaper.

[With a soft thunk he closes the book and stands so he can move closer to the pair. He offers out the banana to Chuck.]

[paterelohim]

It looks like a bachelor pad.

[Then Chuck takes the banana, thoroughly bemused, and starts sort of... holding it out to the macaw. The parrot looks him up and down (literally, head bobbing cartoonishly as she side-eyes him) skeptically before leaning in, bracing one foot on the banana, and taking a honkin' bite.]

Damn. [Softly.] It looks a little like a bird one of my old girlfriends had- except this one isn't evil.

[thelightbringer]

Shocking, isn't it. [His tone isn't harsh enough to be sarcastic. Amused, maybe.] But I didn't want it taking chunks out of our vessels' faces.

[servingfather]

What should it look like if not a bachelor pad?

[They were bachelors and would probably always be bachelors so Michael thought the apartment was suitable. He watches as Chuck feeds the bird.]

She's a well-behaved bird.

[paterelohim]

[How is his life so surreal. How did he get here. What do.

...Chuck just blinks bemusedly at the animal, smiling a little when it makes a noise at him.]

What's her name? ...His.