fandomtownies | Caritas - Saturday evening [Open]

Entry tags:

$caritas

Caritas - Saturday evening [Open]

It had only been one day and GOB was already sick of the Christmas music. Unfortunately, once you set zombies to a certain goal - being hungry, eating brains, spreading undeath and mayhem in a viral pattern, or playing jolly songs of the season - they tended to stick to it until it was all done.

That would be why one of the zombies hit him when he tried to steal their Santa hats.

And that's why GOB was drinking tonight.

[OOC: Yo. Here.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"You're not another witch or wizard or anything like that, are you?" GOB asked. He was having unpleasant flashbacks to a certain British former journalism professor who had made life rather unpleasant for him on a few occasions.

Aziraphale blinked.

"I, er...no...no, I'm not a witch or a wizard. Do you have something against witches? I've found them to be rather nice people, actually."

"Yeah, well, in my experience they're jerks who don't appreciate the art of... illusion!" On that last word, GOB raised his arms. A burst of smoke came from his ~~sleeves~~ hands and a shower of pennies rained down onto the bar. "But don't tell any of them that I said that."

The angel grinned broadly and applauded.

"Oh, that was excellent! I didn't know you were a stage magician, my dear. Tell me, do you ever find you have difficulty with the dove from a handkerchief trick?"

"I'm not a magician. Magicians are hacks who don't understand the art. I'm an illusionist," GOB said. "But the dove thing's pretty easy. The hardest part is getting the dove into the handkerchief and making it flat without using a hammer."

"Er..."

Aziraphale looked a bit ill at the thought of how a trick where he had to flatten a dove might turn out.

"I meant the one where you've got the dove up your sleeve, and you make it appear from an empty handkerchief. Do you ever, you know...have trouble with the dove...expiring?"

"It was a joke," GOB explained. "I've accidentally killed a few doves, sure, but that's why you use doves and not people for these kinds of tricks, right?"

"Oh! Oh no, certainly, you'd never use people for that sort of thing. Good heavens, that would be an awful mess," Aziraphale agreed. "I do have to admit, that's the one I'm always getting myself stuck on. Just isn't quite the same when you produce a dead dove from a handkerchief, you know. Tell me, how did you get started, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Sorry. I can't share. I've already been blacklisted from one Alliance of Magicians," GOB explained. "If I tell how a trick is done and the Northern Virginia League of Magicians finds out, I'll never win an award from them."

"The...Northern Virginia League of Magicians..." Aziraphale repeated. "Er, quite. Wouldn't want that to happen, of course. Well then...how is that you got interested in mag- er, in illusions?"

"People love illusionists," GOB said. "We do things that normal people are too stupid to realize they can do. It's great. So they look up to us with amazement because we can make a freaking bunny come out of a hidden section of our hats."

"It's nice to have people admire you like that. Not that my father ever did." GOB made a poor attempt at laughing that last bit off.

"It is...a lovely thing, to see that look of wonder, isn't it?" Aziraphale agreed, nodding. Although he did frown a little in concern at GOB's last words.

"That's a shame, my dear. Perhaps...he just wasn't ready yet to let himself understand. People...they sometimes don't want to admit a thing, because they're afraid it will make them look foolish, or less than they hope to be. So they hide what they really think, and hope that will fool everyone into not noticing whatever it is that frightens them. And then really, all that happens is that they're unhappy, and start regretting what they've done."

"That dxoesn't sound like him at all. He's just a manipulative jerk who always liked my little brother more than me," GOB said. And he would still fall for any manipulations his father tried despite knowing that. The Bluth family had a few quirks.

Since arguing about one's father was probably not the best sort of conversation to be having with a new acquaintance, Aziraphale didn't try to convince GOB to think any differently. Instead, he smiled at the man and picked up one of the pennies that had fallen on the counter.

"Then you should be proud that you've excelled at your interest, despite that," he replied. "Since you were kind enough to do a trick for me, I'll do something for you. Although it's not an illusion," he warned.

Setting the penny down again, Aziraphale folded one of the napkins into the shape of a duck, then gave it a little nudge with his finger, so that it fluttered a bit and then began to waddle along the bar.

GOB glared at the paper duck. He then ran his hand above the duck to check for strings. "How'd you do that?"

"Er..."

The glare wasn't quite what Aziraphale had been expecting, and he instinctively scooped up the bird before it met with an accident. "I told you, my dear, it's not an illusion," he answered brightly. "Made a whole flock of them last time I was drunk. Not that I usually do that sort of thing, but this was a special case."

"Huh. That's really weird," GOB said. "I need to figure out how to do that." GOB started to ponder the possibilities, none of which would actually work.

"Very good idea," Aziraphale assured him, quickly pocketing the duck and making a mental note to stop doing things like that in front of people he didn't know very well. "Of course, it doesn't have to be a duck. I just happen to have a fondness for them, you know."

Noticing Wilson's arrival, he took a sip of scotch and smiled at GOB. "My date has finally arrived," he said. "It's really been lovely talking with you. Do you ever perform your illusions? I'll be certain to come and watch if you do."

"I was the official club entertainer before I bought the place," GOB said. "I haven't done any actual performances since then, though. I'm been too busy working my illusions on the books."

"Oh, that's too bad, though. You ought to set yourself a spot on the schedule once in a while. You know, just to keep in practice." Aziraphale smiled encouragingly.

"Maybe I will," GOB said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe I will." After all, it wasn't like that guy from The Devil's Nest could put on a show of illusions. That's another advantage GOB had.

For the record, GOB still had no clue who he was messing with on that front.

Since Aziraphale hadn't yet met any of the town's newest residents, he felt perfectly comfortable in encouraging GOB's sense of competition.

"Of course you should!" he replied cheerfully. "It would make a nice treat for your patrons, something unexpected for them."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Caritas - Saturday evening [Open]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]

Re: The Bar [11/25]