logsinthenight | EVENT LOG: BURY A FRIEND

EVENT LOG: BURY A FRIEND

characters: everyone.
location: around town.
date/time: october 9-17.
content: the hallucinations begin...
warnings: psychological horror. please cw tags appropriately.

it's probably something that shouldn't be said out loud

October 9 feels like a normal day at first, save for the red lighthouse beam cutting through the darkness overhead. You know by now—or you've heard—that the lighthouse is only active during ferry arrivals and events... And there's definitely no ferry docked at the, er. Beach. The town is quiet, the forest spirits behave business-as-usual, Rastus doesn't know what's up. Whatever's going on, you'll have to figure it out for yourself.

And you will, though the hallucinations are subtle at first: objects moving when they shouldn't, people's proportions looking just a bit off, voices in an empty room, and so on. Is it just your mind playing tricks in the darkness? Might be! Will did warn you all about the effects of living without a sun and a proper day/night cycle.

As the days go on, the hallucinations are harder to ignore, no matter how much you may wish to wave them off as flukes. What's wrong with everyone's faces? When did all the howling start? Who do you hold onto when the world drops out from under you? And those hands...

While you might know it can't be real, it certainly feels real. But at least it can't last forever!

...Right?

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BEGINNING
[ At first it's just whispers, shadows of things. He whips his head around only to find nothing there. He blinks owlishly when he reaches for something that he spots in the corner of his vision, only to have it disappear.

He must be tired, he thinks. It's the stress. He shouldn't be going around trying to do any work like this; he needs a nap. He hates this body, with all its weaknesses. Distracted, he thinks he hears someone calling for him. ]

--Yes? Can I... who was that?

MIDDLE
--Unhand me!

[ He swats away at a hand trying to take his coat. And then one trying to ruffle up his hair. Two of them wave behind his back pretending to be wings, but then flick him on his shoulders. ]

Euugh--!

[ He starts walking faster, but while looking back over his shoulder, one of the hands comes out to trip him. He tumbles into the nearest person, pole, or thing. ]

END
[ Let's just say Aziraphale isn't going into boatmaking anytime soon, but he's been at the docks for the better part of the month trying to put something together. Anything together, like two pieces of a particularly large puzzle. A shadow falls over him, which is odd, because there's hardly any light. ]

Yes, can I help you--

[ He turns around and scrambles to his feet when he sees Gabriel standing in front of him with a sour expression on his face. Aziraphale, the apparition says. She put you here to give you one last test, and.... well, you failed it! ]

Gabriel, I can explain.

[ No, it continues. No you can't, Sunshine. Aziraphale barely has the time to grab his lantern before he starts moving backwards as the apparition of Gabriel accusingly pokes him in the chest. I always knew you were a problem. Not fit to be an angel, it spits, giving Aziraphale less and less shoreline. Soft. Lazy. Useless. Can't leave you alone for two minutes before you start relying on the enemy. And for what? You died to delay the war eleven years, Aziraphale. You died for nothing. You're as stupid as you are weak, but She wanted to give you another shot. You're Her biggest disappointment yet. You know, there haven't been any Fallen since the first crowd? But congratu-fucking-lations Aziraphale, you're always the exception--

He trips on a piece of driftwood, and stumbles back into the water, lantern precariously wetting at the bottom. ]

[All right, Crowley really needs to stop doing this to his leg. He's taken a piece of driftwood and has fashioned it into a sort of crutch and he's limping around the town, over towards the dock. He spends far too much time there, really. It's where his first and last plan in this town failed spectacularly and, like a serial killer returning to his last kill for a high, Crowley returns to the dock to remind himself of his failure.

There are definitely healthier ways to deal with his problems. It's time he started working on his next plan. He figures he can start working on building a boat, getting just himself, the human soldier person, and Aziraphale out of here.

He arrives just in time to see Aziraphale fall back into the water]

Aziraphale!

[he hobbles over towards him, stepping into the water]

Crowley--? No, Crowley, stay back!

[ Oh, here he is. The demon Crowley. Unlucky for you, he stays here.

Actually, jury's out on what we're going to do with this place. And all the people on it. ]

--No.

[ Haven't you wondered why everyone here has unfinished business? Let me answer that for you: no. They're here for judgment too, but She's done with all of you. ]

No, no, that's not how it's supposed to be, it's not fair--

[ Don't talk to me about fair. You know what would be fair? Not having to do any of this. You know, I could bless this water right now. The apparition cups a handful of it and takes a look at Crowley. ]

No, no no-- Crowley, get back! Leave!

[ He gets further into the water to try and push Gabriel back. ]

[It's not hard to work out what's happening. Aziraphale is having a vision of some sort. Crowley's been there, and they're terrifying, so he normally wouldn't even think about stepping towards him except---

Except his lantern. It's right there, right above the water, bottom getting wet.]

All right, angel. I'm staying here. But just---hand over your lantern. Hand it over to me and I'll stay back.

[ It's not real, Aziraphale. The lanterns are just a prop, you idiot.

But you know what is real?, the vision of Gabriel states, miracling a spray mister. I don't know what a Tesco's is, or what 99 pence is supposed to mean, but apparently your demon friend over here's real proud of that deal. Wonder how he'll feel about it on the receiving end. ]

--No, Crowley, don't come any closer. Please. Please, I'm begging you.

[ He doesn't know what's real and what's not, but he can't take a chance on this.

Oh. That's cute. ]

[Crowley doesn't step forward, but his eyes are pinned on Aziraphale's lantern. He can probably still levitate it, he thinks. He could just snap his fingers and bring it over to him. But he has to get Aziraphale out of whatever he's seeing, too.]

Tell me what you're seeing, angel.

Tell me what they're trying to do to you, I won't let it happen. I'd never let anything happen to you, you know that.

You don't-- you don't see him?

[ No, I won't show myself to him. ]

But-- he'd be able to smell you.

[ Not here, Aziraphale. Do you really want to take that chance? ]

--No! No, Crowley, it's--

[ The vision of Gabriel lifts the gun, and draws Aziraphale into the water to block the spray with his form. ]

--It's!

[ Tell him, and I shoot. Stop relying on him, Aziraphale. ]

--Just. Something I don't want you to see, Crowley!

Aziraphale, your lantern! Keep it out of the fucking water!

[he takes a step forward then, soaking his leg as he tries to move forward to snatch the lantern out of Aziraphale's hand]

Remember the fire, remember me seeing you Falling? It didn't happen, but I was seeing it like it was there. That's what's happening to you right now.

What if it isn't!

[ He shouts, tears stinging the corner of his eyes. ]

[ Look at how pathetic the two of you are. Tell him, Aziraphale. Tell him it was all a test. The lantern isn't real, Aziraphale. ]

It-- it was just a test, Crowley. This was all a set up. They've been watching. The lanterns aren't real, now get back. Please.

[ Show him. ]

What?

[ Place it down, Aziraphale. Into the water. It won't hurt you, so show him. Or I'll kill him, and get a commendation for it. Barely worth one, he doesn't even rank. Are you really going to risk his life for this? You really are faithless, Aziraphale. ]

Stop it!

[Oh, shit. Now, Aziraphale thinks the lanterns aren't real. Which, fair, could be a possibility that Crowley has definitely considered, but he's never once considered putting his lantern out in a great big body of water. And most certainly not Aziraphale's.

He holds his hands up, his own lantern firmly in one of his hands]

Is that what they're telling you? Telling you that this is all fake? Funny, my broken leg didn't feel all that fake, but all right.

[Shitshitshitshitshit]

So I can just put my lantern out then?

[He lowers his lantern towards the water]

[ Oh, Gabriel says, and he laughs. This is good. This is great. No matter who's right, he's going to die. For you. ]

Crowley, don't--!

[ Drop the lantern, Aziraphale. It's the only way to save him now. Or did you change your mind? He is a demon after all. And you've won. Look at him, at your mercy. You could let him die. Do you think that'd be enough to grant you a pardon? ]

I don't care about that!

[ Alright, I'm done this game. ]

And you're wrong!

[ 1... 2... ]

Crowley, I'm sorry.

[ He lets go. ]

[Crowley doesn't even hesitate. He tosses his own lantern behind himself without looking----which lands on the beach with a small thud----and dives for Aziraphale's lantern. He doesn't have more than a second to catch it, and he dives for it, landing directly onto his broken leg as he does. He cries out in pain, but his arms stay straight up, keeping the lantern above the water]

If this goes out, you die, Aziraphale! You know this! We can't risk this! I'm not going to lose you!

Whatever your visions are telling you, they are lies!

Crowley!

[ Like this, all I have to do is shoot the water. ]

No, no no-- Just drop it, drop it in the water--

[ You've chosen badly, Aziraphale. ]

A stream of water comes towards Crowley anyway, and he sees it-- lasting not even the second it takes the vision haunting over Crowley to explode, but it seems to go on for ages. There's a shout of anguish as ghosts of Crowley's watery form slip through his fingers and his vision blurs so hard that he can barely see his own lantern still being held up right next to his nose. ]

--Crowley?

[ He asks, softly. ]

--Crowley--!

[ He reaches down to lift Crowley up, and pulls him in for an embrace. ]

Oh, thank Go-- thank-- thank someone!

aziraphale | good omens | ota

End

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