Open Post: Hooked On A Feeling

[rememberettersberg]

What hobbies have you got? Susan had asked him, and he had to admit to not being sure. At school and for some time after, he played rugby. More recently, he only watched it on the television Peter had set up in the tech cave. Here at the mansion, he has books and research and the beginnings of mentoring, but it occurs to Nightingale that he has been building himself a facsimile of work and very little else. He's survived that way for half a century and been perfectly all right (though others may disagree with that assessment) but here, in this hinterland between realities, he is feeling a growing itch for... whimsy, perhaps.

At this moment, propping up the bar with a pint of bitter and a crochet hook, no one would dare accuse him of being whimsical. Nightingale is scowling fiercely at the hook, the yarn, his pint, and the book sitting open beside it. Company would be more than welcome.

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[wickedwit]

“Let’s,” Claudius agrees. He pushes himself away from the bar with a new-honed purpose. “We’ll have a look at the library first. I believe he nests there for much of his time.” Like a baby chick, which Aziraphale sometimes resembles. Something about fluffy blonde hair and ruffled feathers.

[az_fell]

Well, Aziraphale has never even so much as pretended not to be predictable. One develops habits after millennia on Earth. Crowley likes that, he thinks -- that ninety-nine point nine nine nine repeating percent of the time, he knows where to find Aziraphale.

Anyway. Yes, Aziraphale's in the library, in what he has personally deemed its comfiest (and, crucially, also its coziest) armchair. He's paging, with a skeptical look on his face, through a rather flimsy volume that has Practical Exercises for Young Magicians, by Amelia Popper stamped into its spine.

[rememberettersberg]

"Aziraphale, how have you been?" Nightingale begins, automatically bound to politeness. He regards the title of the book with some interest. "Is this another accident of conjuration or something you meant to be reading?"

[wickedwit]

Naturally, Claudius prefers to start polite, and gives his own mannerly bow from where he stands at Nightingale's side. He tries not to smile too much at Aziraphale nestled in his comfy (and, crucially, cozy) armchair.

[az_fell]

"Mr. Nightingale," says Aziraphale, and then, with a bit more suspicion, "and Claudius. Firstly: believe it or not, I actually found this in the stacks here. You're welcome to borrow it. Secondly: to what do I owe the pleasure?"

[rememberettersberg]

"We've been developing some theories about how we all came to be here." Nightingale pulls up a chair and sits beside him. "And your difficulties in producing works featuring any of the residents came up in conversation." Here he hesitates, unsure how to explain adequately, but braces himself and forges on ahead. "We were hoping you might try to whip up a copy of Les Miserables to test a thought I had."

[wickedwit]

"It will take only a moment of your time," Claudius promises, leaning against the other side of Aziraphale's chair¹. "And it's quite a promising theory. I'm sure you're as curious as anyone else about this particular mystery."

¹ Because he'd never sit when he can lean.

[az_fell]

"I am curious," admits Aziraphale, looking mildly irritated at the encroachment on his personal bubble from Claudius. Not, of course, that he'll say anything. "I can try to miracle up Les Misérables, but I can already tell you that I won't be successful. We've got a secondary character and a minor character from it running around the premises." Still, just to demonstrate, he sets his reading aside and makes a little gesture. No Hugo is in evidence, but he does produce a copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses. He makes a disturbed face and instantly banishes it again.

[rememberettersberg]

"... It should have occurred to me that you would already have read it," Nightingale admits. "So it's true then? Grantaire and Enjolras are also literary characters?" He leans back in his chair, exhaling slowly. "Do you know how many of us are altogether?"

[wickedwit]

“And could you list them?” asks Claudius, producing a slim notepad and pen from a jacket pocket. “I could really use a list.”

[az_fell]

"Grantaire and Enjolras are from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, yes," says Aziraphale with a suppressed sigh. "I can't say how many altogether, because I haven't read every book in existence -- not every book is worth my time. Now, why precisely do you need this list? I overstepped with you, Claudius, but I've been trying to remain polite about the fictional status of anyone else I meet and happen to recognize."

[wickedwit]

“The fictional status of …” Claudius rolls his eyes. “Let’s make one thing clear. It’s entirely likely that we’re all fictional, including you, and you don’t know what book you’re from. Either it didn’t exist where you came from, or it was beneath your notice. Some day, some newcomer may come along, share a bottle of wine with you, then tell you your story was a smashing success, and audiences the world over know your secrets.”

[rememberettersberg]

Nightingale nods along with Claudius, looking entirely nonplussed. He barely waits for Claudius to finish speaking before jumping in. "Don't the implications of it interest you at all? What it says about us? What it says about you as an angel? I've attempted to do the same thing, ignore any other familiarities I might stumble across, but this goes so much further than I'd imagined."

[az_fell]

Verbally assaulted by the villain from Hamlet and by -- well, by a usually pleasant gentleman from, presumably, something. Aziraphale eyes them warily.

"If you must know," he says wearily. "Obviously, Claudius, yourself and Laertes. The Arthurian knights, naturally, are fictional, with multiple sources, even. Susan Pevensie; surely you knew that already, Mr. Nightingale. The unfortunate young French revolutionaries, as you've surmised. That's everyone I recognize, but I have good reason to believe Tress is fictional, as well. I haven't read her source material, and of course she wouldn't have known its name even if I'd asked."

[rememberettersberg]

Nightingale nods. He might not have come across the phrase main character energy in his life, but he knows Tress has it. "We're also aware of several people who have moved between worlds they thought to be fictional or knew were fictional prior to their arrival here," he says crisply, as though reporting to a senior officer. "Which seems unlikely to be coincidental, given the circumstances."

[wickedwit]

It feels, to Claudius, rather rude to describe Sagramore or Galahad as Arthurian, just because they happened to pass through King Arthur's court in their careers. But if Claudius himself is from a play called Hamlet, it more or less fits the pattern. Kings have to have everything important named after them. "We can add Luo Binghe to the list, as well," he says, faithfully writing down each name. "And Lan Wangji, though from the sound of it, the dramatic adaptation of his life is somewhat lacking. There might be more than one work for him, like my play and the Lion King."

[az_fell]

Aziraphale can't help the alarmed little stare he directs at Claudius. "Who told you about The Lion-- yes. There are several adaptations of Hamlet. And of Les Misérables, come to think of it." He smiles. "I cajoled Crowley into seeing the musical adaptation of Les Mis on the West End."

[rememberettersberg]

"There's a Lion King musical on the West End too," Nightingale points out helpfully. "I bet Crowley would love that." He taps at Claudius' growing list. "Janet, queen of a country she'd read about in books," he adds. "Shen Qingqiu and, er, whatever happened there."

[wickedwit]

Claudius is momentarily distracted trying to piece together what a musical is, and whether it was included in any of Crowley's descriptions of the future's entertainments. "Shen Qingqiu told me about The Lion King," he says, answering the simple question. "Is The Lion King a musical, as well as a movie? I suppose Shen Qingqiu did mention there being a song or two. Wait a moment -- does my character sing in this?"

[az_fell]

"Oh, yes. It's a movie musical, which then became a stage musical." Aziraphale glances at Nightingale. He's more than glad for the distraction from thoughts of yet another unknowable and mysterious force that might govern his existence. "The costuming was quite good in that one, wasn't it? Yes, Claudius, your character sings. It's a very good song," he's forced to admit.

[rememberettersberg]

Nightingale, the pop culture black hole, sighs and shakes his head. "I couldn't tell you. I've walked past the theatre often enough to know that it exists, nothing more." He senses that Aziraphale won't be pressed much further on the subject of their investigation. "I don't recall seeing any Disney films after the first one. That must have been quite a while back." Yes, he does mean Snow White. In the 1930s.

[wickedwit]

Well, it's gratifying that the lion version of Claudius sang a very good song, at least. Claudius tries to recall the last play he saw -- the plot against his brother took up much of his free time. "I don't often find myself in a theater unless someone very charming asks me to go there with them," he says lightly. "How many musicals have you seen with Crowley, Aziraphale?"

[az_fell]

"Several," says Aziraphale breezily, as if whatever Claudius is implying is concurrently being carried away on the wind and can't possibly be any concern of his. "He's actually quite a pushover."

[rememberettersberg]

Nightingale looks between them, calculating the interplay, and barely hides a smile. "Oh, I don't find that to be true at all," he says solemnly. "I suppose you must bring out his softer side."

[wickedwit]

"It's just as I said," Claudius says, in a pleasant, easygoing manner that contrasts the intense flurry of speculation moments before. "If someone who charms and delights you and asks you to a play or a movie or a musical entertainment, you'll go for the sake of the company. Particularly if you've gone some time without seeing each other. Have you talked to Crowley, by the by?"