Shaky Hands

[mekachu04]

Friday, 1 November
Prompt:	Shaky Hands	3120	WordCount:	3222

"The air whistled; and Aziraphale found his bookshop invaded once again by a member of Heaven's Host. Unlike Gabriel's last visit though, with enterough in tow, this Archangel came alone.

Once the Agnel given charge over Tuesdays, Chameal was not to unlike in earthly fasade as her replacement Uriel. Slender and unremarkable in height, with dark skin and warm brown eyes. Unlike uriel, who wore their hair short, Chamelas was long and straight. At some point, they also seemed to embrace some of the more creative human's hair techniches, and the ends faded into a soft unfading pink. Ans wearas Uriel's face looked more like the orignal humans of edan, chameals was narrower after the style of the humans she had been sent to watch over in the americas.

Cassiel, Chamiel, Sachiel and Anael had been scarce in heaven during Azirahales few visits over the last few millinum; in fact, he wasn't sure he'd actually seen any of them since humans had left the garden. Chameal herself had been the one to assign him to the wall as a responce to his actions during the Great War; Had stood next to him when he was first assigned his sowrd.

She was one fo the few who knew him from before the war. Maybe the only one outside the Almighty herself.

She stands just in the threshold of his shop now, not dressed in the soft colours of heaven, but in the bright greens and pinks he remembered assossiating with her battle armour; but now in cloth instead. Aziraphale watches his customers find themselfs late for meatings, and start tricking out, a rare moemnt of wishing they would want to come back flicering though his thoughts.

""Aziraphale"" the Archangel prompted, and he started in place, words spilling out before he could stop himself, ""Chameal, please, please come in. Its been a while, yes?""

She smiles, and it almost seems kind, but her smile is too close to Gabriels and he shudders., ""iuh.. Tea?"" he offers warily, ""wit, you've been in the americas, right? coffee then?""

Her laugh seems sincer at least, and the smile seems to reach her eyes finally, corners creasing,, ""Coffee would be lovely, thank you Aziraphale. Do you take it the human way?""

""I.. i do."" /The human way/ he cant help but fidgit, hoping she would not be upset. he asumed by the way she brought it up that she wasn't opposed to it being made instead of miricled. ""I don't drink coffee othen, but a few of my regulars do,"" /they tend to jsut stay and read instead of trying to buy anything/ he thinks defensavly. But Sandalphone and Gabrial had nevr undestood that, and he didn't feel like trying to explain that to yet another Archangel.

what he was most definatly /not/ prepared for was for her next question, ""I do hope you giving them propper cofee then,a nd none of that powered instant sludge, if you want them to keep comeing back."" her own words seem to catch up with her, ""unless that's actually how y'all drink it on this side...""

He isn't sure what is more startleing, hearing an archangel of the lord using 'yall' or that said archangel has /optionons/ and /preferances/ on a human drink. ""No, i use grounds..."" Crowley sometimes thought he liked coffee, and aziraphale has a small selection escpeccially for the demon, until he came to his sences and realised that y the time he found it palitable, it was more cream and sugar then coffee.

With a wave to lock and close up front door, Aziraphale gestures to the bac of the shop, and the Archangel follows along unhurried. Tahnkfully, she, unlike Gabrial, makes no attempt to touch any of his books,a nd, if she does sence anything 'evil' in his improbptue office space in the back of his earthly home, she says nothing at all about it. their might have been a twitch to her face, but she's quick to smooth over any judgement before it can show on her face.

Any attmept at small talk is met with silance, but thankfully, untile with gabriel, Chamael is compainainable instead of stiffling.

she does not crowd him as he prepps the grounds, but does hold up a hand for his attention before he stettles the pot under the drip, ""uh, um, yes, chamael, uh, sir?""

Here /she/ looks awkward, and they both look at each other awkwardly before both choosing to ignore the awkwardness of his quesyion, ""Will you be drinking the coffee to?"" she asks fianlly.

it could be taken /very/ poorly for him to offer a drink he would /not/ be drinking, but he would actually prefer somehting softer than coffee right now, and while he's trying to deside, Chamael waves off his line of thought, ""I only ment, I've learned soemthing.. new, sort of, with coffee, and i would like to ... drink it that way, but... well. i don't want to offend.""

""Offend?""

""You are, essentially... brisitsh... aziraphale. I've come to learn the english have some strong options on drinks that... americans .... dont share""

At this point, aziraphale wonders if he could feel anymore off balance, and steps aside from his own coffee maker, winging his hands uncertainly.

This lasts asong as it takes for CHameal to produce a little red packet - a tea bag packet proudly reading 'english breakfast', and he watches in absolute horror as she ties the tags string around coffee pots handle,a nd then starts the coffee bewing into the same pot.

""What??? What are you doing?""

""one of my humans tought me this last decade. she uses the coffee to brew the tea. calls it her 'get shit done' drink. she also then usually adds one fo those creamer pods of pure caffeinee but those don't travel so well.""

Aziraphale stars at her in mortification, unsure to which part of that startment to start with, before turning indead to watch the hot fresh cofee start to soak into the tea bag.

""she was a dear."" chameals tone was hushed, and azirpahle lets the conversation move to the first part of her previos statement.

""I hadn't realised you where here on earth so recently.""

""It's... come and gone over the last few centuries. Heaven doesn't understand, really. How hard it is to stay, and just... watch.""

Aziraphale had jsut stood and watched himself for a very very long time. He had at leeast had Crowley their to intercepad on his behalf when he'd been too aftaring that heaven had been watching him to act himself.

""How long have you been in the Americas, Chamael?"" he asked softly, mirically a deep forest green mug with pink petals decorating it into existance for the Achangels drink.

""Since the first man walked aross the ice. It wasnt.... it wasn't so bad until the last half of this millinua. Never was something I could not accept as part of Her plan until.""

""Until erope found you?""

she taps her mug to the cup of cocoa he'd made himself in the meantime, with a soft 'cheers'

""Asia's been trading.. or shipwreaking themselves... on the west shores for ages, and was never a /real/ issues. and the vikings ans the irish had been visiting the est side too, and it was always faily civil, ""

""Irish?""

""St. Brendan. Lovely man. He and i talked for along time. it was nice. I blessed his trip home.""

They drank silanctly for a moment, Aziraphal e realising the Archangel had something more to say, and let her cometo it on her own time. ""I was very ready for all this to end already, mind you. Been more then ready. the last hundred years of infighting, and i was done. When gabrial sent to message out that the anichrist had been delivered, i rejoyed. not more watching my humans murder each other with guns and passsitivy alike. left that very day, and fucked off the planet for the next deace. i new they where all about to be slughtered, and it wouldn't do to start to care about any new ones now.

""When to mars, hung out with ROVER once he showed up. Didn't plan to come back. figured it was just me a Curiosity for a while."" She was quiet for a long moment, ""Might have raged at the Almighty that She could have stepped in anytime before - that there was no reason to have ever let it get so bad.""

It was a 'mic drop' as the humans now called it, such an admission like that. Aziraphale motioned for the Archangel to set herself on one of his chairs, worry starting to set in his face. It was one thing for Crowley to rage at the Almighty, he was fallen after all. But not even Aziraphale had ever voiced his distress at his creators choice. For an Archangel to do so, and then to admit it, turned his essense cold intime his human corperation.

""I watched that little blue speck on the horizon for almost six (mars) years. I'd heard it was to be a nuecualr war. I wondered if i'd be able to tell from there. That last year, I started to look for the Almighty. I needed Her to reasure me that all of this was a for a reason.""

She sipped her caffinated drink, combosing her thoughts. Aziraphale settled in the couch across from her. He didn't now if she shoudl reassure her, or if he would be the last being she would want sollince in.

""I sought her, and found only my thoughts. When the messangers arrived, i was sure they where heraolding me to the front lines, a new war to loose my brothers to. Instead, I was told the war was on pause again, that Heaven and Hell where still arming themselves, but no shots had yet been fired. When I asked of earth, she still turned, and the humans still reiegned over their ihearatance.

""I found.... i found i was relieved by this. I hadn't realised until then just how sad i was, at the thought that humanity had been eraed."" Chameal was a warrior, as was Azirpahale. once. It looked like maybe they both had found that voloiuce no longer suited them. ""I went home first; my city was celebrating. they had no idea the world almost ended, but instead had broken a long loosing streak in one of their sporting matches. more than 50 years, and they'd won, and when the earth should of ended, instead the humans filled the streats and joy and jubilation. Humans that will assult and murder each other had come together over something so small and celebrated the victory of a sporting match that only aa handful of them personally had anything to do with. yet they where so happy. for each other. it had been so so long since i'd seen such passion, and this came of the coattails of no tragity.

""I was watching a parade of them, and realised, that i had run away. that i had missed the struggles that lead here, and deserved none of the love they showered each other. I've not been hugged by so many strangers, much less in a single afternoon.

""I imagine I must have been quite a sight when Gabriel called a council in Heaven.""

Gabriels name brought the room into focus, the here and now invading Chamaels mussings.

""He didn't seem... pleased... last i saw him,"" Aziraphale mused, thinking back to the airfield, and turning over Crowley's report of his own attmpted execution in his mind.

""I doubt his feelings have changed much sicne then,"" Chameal smiled warily. this one again did not reach her eyes. ""I caught Uriel in private afterward. Michael and Gabriel where not the angels i had remebered from before, and I do not care much for Sandaphon. I've always been amused the humans rarely list him as one of the seven, and I think he resents me for encouraging their misbelieves. Uriel confessed things had ... escalated .. in the last days, and Cassiel, Sachiel and Anael had not been included in many of the Mettatron's annocements of the Great Plan. She ... she admitted that she had overheard Gabriel and Michael talking about you. that you had questioned if the great plan was indead God's plan at all. afterall. how can the ineffable be written?""

Aziraphale looked at Chameal with equal parts hope and dread. If the Great Plan really had only included half of the seven archanges, than surely it had not been God's Plan. And it sounded like Uriel might be questioning things too.

Questioning. that was a very dangerous thing for an agnel, something Crowley had been warning him to be careful of for amost six thoughsand years. While Crowley very much encrouraged him to stop accepting things at face value, he was also quick to remind Aziraphale that voicing those thoughts was all it took for a fickle God to start casing things away. Azirpahale had his own thoughts about that, but wisely understood Crowley was not usually in the mood to be more sharing anything more on his downward saunter.

""You agree then, "" he hedged, ""That this very well might not of been the Amightly will at all?""

""I agree that it is not for me to know. And that perhaps i was too ready to turn away from the humans in my charge.""

Azirpahale nodded; England might be stabler as whole right now than other places on earth, but even he was aware of pockets of his own city where dispare and heartache could not be waved away with a simple miricale. Sometimes he felt to more secure a place seemed on the outside, the harder it was to fix the darkness growing inside. When one of the horsepersonas had been near, Heaven was more understanding of miricles to ease human sufferaning (even if they still turned up noses at theought of preventing the pain to begin with) but otherwise exact same miricles became labled at frivilouse and waseful. The United States must look much the same to Heaven in that regards, even if a closer look showed the careful balancing act needed to hold such an illusion up.

""I do not know Heavens plan moving forward. While I am no longer one of the seven, and my voice in such matters means little, I feel like I cannot trust Michal and Gabrail the way i once would. Cassiel is furious that this all happned on his day with out being consulted, and the teansion in Heaven right now was many spheares worries about a new rebellion.""

She set the mug down ont he side table, facing Azirpahale solomnly, ""Do not trust Heaven right now Azirphale. the archangels haven't been split since the Morningstar was in our ranks, and I fear that if pushed, Micheal with caste you out as she did with him. I never questioned Lucifer's fall, but those caste aside with him... too many i do not feel belonged."" He knods.Durnign the war itself, he did not allow himself to question, but afterwards, before the garden, when looing ofther filds of the first deaths, he wondered if the action Heaven had taken had been just.

""After the trial, I'm failry certain Heaven is closed to me regardless.""

""Trial?""

""Perhaps that is being to kind.""

Looking up, he ralised it wasn't semantics that she was questioning. ""My... execution. attmepted . exectsuin?""

""When was this?""

""....Sunday?"" it seemed a lifetime ago. when had time moved so slow. decades used to pass without him really notting them, and now only a few days had drawn out to feel like centuries.

""I was not told of this? Who was a this trial?!"" She was sitting straighter, upset, and Azirpahale thought oddly that she seemed more upset then he was.

""Gabiral. Sandalphon and Uriel.""

and her protoege' name, chamels face clsoed off again. ""She didn;t say anyhting to me about it. no one said anything.""

""I don;t think gabriel wants it getting out. it didn't work after all.""

""You said ... execution.""

he nodded, feelign wary. chamael had been on earth for far longer than gabriel. would she figure it out? maybe gabrials shame was best left unnown, fewer people trying to untagle the trick. they were both quiet for a long moment, before the still ness became to much, ""More coffee?"" azirphale asked, anything to do but be trapped in his thoughts.

however, she shook her head. ""actually, i think you have someone wasiting on you, and i wish to reward his patience ont he matter. I think i understand his anxiety more, in light of this new infermation.""

alwarmed, azirpahel reached out, and sure enough, the could feel crowley sitting ni the bentley across the street, fretting.

""there actually was a reason i came today, prinipality,"" chameal said, straightening with an air or buisness. ""I did enjoy this chat, and maybe, in light of current events, it might do us both well to keep an ear out for each other. but. there was favour i had come here to ask of you?""

""To as of me?""

""Yes. While on the one hand, I was ready for the world to end, I did abbandon my post, as it where. Not just my city, but my heaven;y post. thankfully, it seems the antichrist was not interested in opening the gate."" She miricled a famolour postal box. ""It was waiting for me when i returned. I don't know where the other itmes went, but when i opened it, i knew immediatly it was the one i had approved of for your garden post.""

His sword lay in the box. he hadn't heard a whisper of it for more than five thousdand years, and now he had it in ahnd for the thrid time in a week. the flames did not birst forth, no threat around, but the blade sung with the warmth of holy fire. it also weighted heavy in his hand, the wight of chameals words sinking into his mind. ""It was War's sword,a nd maybe always was ment to be, but it's something more too, isnt it?""

she nodded. ""It was to be my sword, for i was assigned the gate in the beginign. But I was not ready to take up arms again. Just as I knew that one of my generals was not ready to lead again. So I but you on the wall instead, adn sought out our mother. I didn't turn my gaze back to earth until..""

""I was a better general than i was a sentry""

""Maybe. but you where happier after the guardian then you where was a warrior.""

They both very carefully did not talk about how badly that assignment had gone. He had failled, quiet spectacularly so, and had paid a very price for it. But, Chameal was right; even in the aftermath, even after the dmotion, he was still far happier as a guardian of humanity than he had been a warrior of heaven. The blood spilt from his own angelic essance to become a prinicpality had washed the blood of others that had stained him as a chearub.

""In my city, there is a gate. The humans call it the gateway to the west, but in the waters before it is celestial gate holding back the forever hungry, and the blade of eden is the key.""

In hands steadier than they had anyright to be, Azirpahale studied his blade in a new light.

""Do not let it cross the ocean. It cannot be opened before the end times, but i do not know /whos/ end times the gate follows.""

""The forever hungry?""

""yes. The levathan."