they live inside us

[thememening]

FIGHTING YOUR INNER DEMONS

Everybody has them. Some are louder than others. Some are stronger. Some are overwhelming, and sooner or later you just give up fighting. But there are other people around you who want to help you - maybe they're suffering too, either because of your inner monster or their own. Or maybe they're one of the lucky ones with demons that don't howl so much.

You can help each other. It's better than the alternative.

• Leave top levels with your character name and info.
  
• Specify what you're running from, or if you're running at all, or if you just want to help.
  
• Details may be useful, but are certainly not necessary.
  
• Tag around for great drama and profit.

Warning: responses to this meme could potentially contain triggering material.

Comments

[10milliondollars]

As he steps through the door, Rhys feels as though he's stepped back in time. Back to when humans only lived on Earth. Even the ancient Eridian vaults had had more technology than this! The place smells the way he remembers his grandparents' house smelling.

Old.

He sneers at the carpet in disgust, too busy wondering if this man had any capital to start the bookstore to peruse the actual books. He brushes dust off his jacket sleeve, almost as if he's offended. What was a place like this doing on Eden-V? Did anyone actually ever shop here? He couldn't even imagine it.

The moment this Andrew steps out from the back, Rhys's attention is on him. The man definitely doesn't dress like anyone from Eden-V. He doesn't dress like anyone from any of the Edens, or even from this galaxy. Despite this, Rhys tries to soften his face so that he doesn't offend the shop owner.

"What kind of shop is this, anyways? How are you still in business?" As if Rhys has any right to ask. "I can't imagine anyone stays very long, not after they see how disgusting this place is."

[angelic_phale]

"Disgusting? Oh, a little dust never hurt anyone. Anyway, I'm not much of a fan of how technology's progressed. Nothing is real anymore. Everything is so sterile, so planned, so...so fabricated, isn't it, that honestly sometimes I crave a bit of dust to brush away. But, well, I suppose that's all a matter of opinion."

[10milliondollars]

...What a weird thing to say. Rhys tilts his head and furrows his brow. "Well, yeah, things have to be made. Computers don't just grow on trees, you know. Same goes for robots, weapons...all that stuff." Does this guy not know who he's talking to?

"Where are you from, Andrew? Pandora? You seem like you'd fit in around there."

[angelic_phale]

Aziraphale has no idea who he's talking to, no. He smiles and leans against his desk, thinking quickly. "Actually, I spent my younger years in Eden," he says, technically not lying... "And, well...I spent a time on Earth, old Earth, after that, and now here I am."

He crosses his arms, the easy smile still on his face, no lie there.

"Are you from Pandora?"

[10milliondollars]

"I'm from Eden-V, but I live on Pandora now. I run the Atlas Corporation." Rhys is still clearly not interested in giving out his name, or any details other than what will serve to make him seem more important that he really is. He picks up a book to thumb through, curious about what types of books this man is selling.

"If you're really from the Edens, you'd know that no self-respecting person from Eden-V would set foot in this place." He drops the book (rather carelessly) back onto its shelf.

[angelic_phale]

Aziraphale doesn't react to the news of his running Atlas, but...it does give him something of an idea of what the man might be troubled about. In his and Crowley's world, Rhys is nothing more than a very useful tool in something their respective sides consider "fated".

But their respective sides weren't at all sure what to think, now. The development of life on other planets, in other galaxies had thrown everything they had known into question. Did other gods or Gods rule these new planets? What was their territory? But, angels and demons were creatures of habit, so they'd just continued doing what they'd been made to do.

Aziraphale and Crowley had done so as well, sinking ever more comfortably into their human identities. And it was for this reason that Aziraphale just chuckles and says, "Well of course not. These books are my collection."

He admitted it to himself a long time ago. There's little reason to feel guilty about it now. Oh, sure, every now and then, someone would buy one of his books and he'd ship it off, but people rarely bother him these days. Just as he likes it.

[10milliondollars]

"Collection..? Like...Like a library?" Rhys asks, raising a brow. "You know, it might be easier if you cataloged them digitally. You'd get less of this...moldy smell. Though that might just be this ugly carpet you've got..."

For all his complaining, Rhys is still standing in the shop. He tries not to think about that. He feels better trying to figure out what this man's really up to.

"So tell me...Why do you collect kids' books?"

[angelic_phale]

"Oh. Just an old joke... You see, a long time ago, my shop had actually burnt down, and all my rarest books with it. He gave me another collection to try and sell -- all children's books. These are the ones I'm more willing to part with, hence why they're on display. The ones I'm loathe to let go of are in the back room," he explains, still no dishonesty to his actions. He sighs and picks up the book he'd been holding earlier.

"Have you ever read a book? One like this, in the physical, pages and all?"

[10milliondollars]

That sounds like a bummer. But Andrew doesn't seem all that old, and Rhys is more curious about who this "he" is.

"Nah, most everything's digital," he says with a dismissive wave. "Just how long ago did your old shop burn? Was it on Earth? That would explain why you still had access to books, but..." he trails off with a shrug, stepping closer to another shelf to look through more books. He is somewhat fascinated. It doesn't explain how Andrew traveled lightyears away. "And who, exactly, gave you this collection?"

[angelic_phale]

"His name was Adam Young," Aziraphale says, and tilts his head to the side a bit. "But I don't think that you came back here just to ask me questions."

[10milliondollars]

This man grows more odd the more he talks, and that's a great distraction. Still, Rhys isn't volunteering anything. Andrew will have to ask the right questions and push the right buttons if he wants anything out of Rhys.

"I'm home on vacation. You handed me a business card, and I've got nothing better to do today, so I came to check this place out."

[angelic_phale]

"If you say so, dear boy."

It's hard to tell whether "Andrew" is flirting with him or not. His words and tone could be interpreted one way, but he's not trying to make any advances... He picks up a book and opens it to the marker, glancing down to read it.

"Though I'm not sure anything I have out front will interest you."

[10milliondollars]

"What's in the back? Is that where you keep all the tech? Or are you trying to lure me back there just to kill me?" As he says this, Rhys whips his stun baton out, wielding it threateningly. This guy looks easy enough to take down, and Rhys likes to think that he's...made some improvements in his fighting skills.

[angelic_phale]

Aziraphale looks up at that last sentence, looking insulted, his cheeks darkening.

"Excuse me. There's nothing in the back but old books and wine, put that away." He sounds like a scolding mother, but doesn't look particularly threatened at first; no, it's not until the last sentence that he even flinches back, setting the book on his desk.

[10milliondollars]

"I'll put it away when you swear to me this isn't some kind of bandit trap," Rhys grits out. It feels wrong to accuse this man of being a bandit, especially in true civilization like the Edens. Still, he can't be too careful. Not after the last time he misplaced his trust...

[angelic_phale]

"...bandit...trap," he says slowly. Alright. Clearly the man is on edge. Something happened...something deeper than Aziraphale thought. He doesn't need to be able to at this point, but he can feel the fear and paranoia deep within the man.

Aziraphale sighs and raises his hands. "This is no trap. Look, I gave you my card because it seemed to me that you needed someone to talk to. You're carrying something heavy on your shoulders."

[10milliondollars]

Slowly, Rhys lowers the stun baton. His shoulders stay tense, but he does switch his weapon off. "And you could tell that...just from bumping into me on the street?" It sounds plausible. Maybe Rhys had had an odd look on his face or something.

"Go on. Lead the way. But this," he says, waving the baton's handle, "stays out. You try anything, and I'll fry you."

[angelic_phale]

"I'm quite sensitive to such things," he says, lowering his hands to straighten his clothes. He leads him to the back room, where several tomes sit in cases, safe from the outside air and dust. The cases around these books and scrolls are the only technology in the room, preserving precious history. There's a small table here, too, and a kitchenette. There are shelves of books back here along one wall as well, including various holy works and Oscar Wilde first editions, some signed. Catty-corner to the shelves are a wine rack and a small cabinet with glasses inside.

Aziraphale lets him look for a moment before turning to face him...and noticing he's wearing snakeskin shoes. His blue eyes stay there, brow furrowing. "...satisfied?" he asks, looking suspiciously back at Rhys's face. Surely this isn't Crowley playing a joke on him? When had he gotten time to get a new body? Why'd he need one...

[10milliondollars]

Rhys takes his time looking around the room, even activating his EchoEye to scan over the books and scrolls. The scans don't reveal much, other than basic subject matter and author information. Next, he turns his eye on the wine rack. It doesn't detect anything amiss, so he shuts the eye off.

"All right, yeah," he says, tucking the baton back into its holster. Andrew isn't lying. He can afford to let his guard down this much. "So you invited a stranger to your bookshop because he looked...disturbed? What's in this for you? Are you a licensed therapist? Am I gonna get billed if I spill my guts to you?"

[angelic_phale]

"Actually, you reminded me a little of a friend of mine," he says, chuckling and grabbing a pair of stemmed glasses. "And if you are anything like him, you're picky about your reds, so why don't you come select what you like?"

The wine selection ranges from a cheap, bubbly chardonnay to an aged, well-kept Romanee Conti. That one is off-limits until Crowley actually arrives or the end of the world tries to come about again, of course, but Rhys is welcome to try. Aziraphale seems to favor the white wines, but there's a fair selection of reds, and even a bottle or two of sake next to the shelf, and some newfangled stuff they'd made from some fruit he couldn't recall but hadn't liked much.

[10milliondollars]

"Well," Rhys says, glancing closer at the wine selection, "I...actually go for cocktails, or a nice Scotch if I'm trying to impress someone. But this selection is decent." He picks up a bottle, reading over the label, then putting it back down. Rhys doesn't know a lot about wines, but he figures if he leans toward pricier-looking bottles, he'll look like he knows what he's doing.

After some time perusing the selection, Rhys chooses a rose. "This looks good to me."

[angelic_phale]

"Very well," he says, taking the rose and heading back over to the little table. It's been a while since he last had a drinking partner, really. How long is Crowley going to sleep this time...

He pours them each a glass, swirling his wine around idly as he sits. He gives it a sniff. "Mmh...well, it's one of the newer ones, but I suppose that's more to your taste. I never really went for cocktails, myself, but the friend you remind me of seems like the sort who'd like them." It sounds vague as all hell, but he doesn't really want to tell him about Crowley. Still, it might relax Rhys some...

[10milliondollars]

Rhys takes his own glass, sniffing it before taking a sip. It's good, sweet on his tongue...

"You keep mentioning this friend...Does he live here, too? Or did you come alone?" Maybe he can get Andrew on a subject that isn't about Rhys.

[angelic_phale]

"Oh, no, he tends to stay away from the Edens. Old memories, you know. But he visits once in a while..." Aziraphale had been meaning to speak with him about this, of course, but, well...hadn't really had the chance to. Or had, but had chose not to bring it up. Either way.

[10milliondollars]

"Yeah, old memories are why I came to the Edens...I guess." Rhys doesn't realize he's let that slip until it's too late. "Just, y'know, missed home." He chuckles weakly.