Open Post: What a yarn

[sporesprouter]

There's still quite a bit of winter yet, according to the calendar, not to mention whatever Dark is, and Tress got an idea for a project fairly recently. It's appropriate and it gives her a chance to stretch out a skill she hasn't really gotten an opportunity to use in a while.

So she's in a cozy parlor, sitting curled up in a big comfy armchair right by the window, a basket of yarn at her feet, and she's knitting. It's still too early to be immediately obvious what it is she's knitting, but she's moving with the easy confidence that indicates it's definitely not a new craft she's just now decided to take up.

Sometimes, after all, it's nice to go back to something old and familiar.

Comments

[az_fell]

"Does the language you speak have a name?" Aziraphale asks curiously. "I've noticed that the library here produces, seemingly at random, books from several different worlds. I wonder if we could find one from yours."

[sporesprouter]

"Oh, it's Verani¹. But yes, I've seen books from my world in the library."

¹ On the infinitesimal chance that her author ever makes actual canon about this, she said that instead.

[az_fell]

He brightens with even more interest. "Do you have any recommendations?" With the number of worlds represented here, there could be essentially an infinite reading list unfurling before him.

[sporesprouter]

"I mean... what sorts of things do you like to read?"

[az_fell]

"Well, I'm particularly interested in books of prophecy," Aziraphale says, in a bit of a conspiratory tone as if this is somehow scandalous or secret.

[sporesprouter]

"Oh." She shakes her head. "Prophecy isn't really... I don't think it's much of a thing, on my world."

[az_fell]

"No?" says Aziraphale with surprise. "Nobody ever comes along and predicts the end times? No ominous premonitions of fire and brimstone that coincidentally happen to make the predictor quite popular?"

[sporesprouter]

She blinks. "Not that I've heard of, anyway? I mean, I come from a very small island, though, so maybe they just never got to me?"

[az_fell]

"What a shame," says Aziraphale, brightly. "They're almost always utter bunk, but they're anthropologically fascinating."

[sporesprouter]

"Well, maybe not having any means something, too."

[az_fell]

"Oh?" A cup of tea seems appropriate for Tress' entire cozy situation here, so he miracles himself one. "What's your theory? And would you like some tea, too?"

[sporesprouter]

"Tea would be nice, thank you. I don't know if I really have a theory? But if prophecies have something to say anthropologically, it would make sense that the lack of them would say something too."

[az_fell]

Magnanimously, Aziraphale produces a cup of tea out of the air and offers it to Tress. He doesn't know how she takes it, so it's a bog standard cuppa, black tea with milk and sugar. "The generous interpretation would be that your people don't fear the future."

[sporesprouter]

Tress takes the cup. "Thank you." She looks thoughtful for a moment. "That could be. Or it could mean that we don't consider the future as much as we should."

[az_fell]

"You're the expert on your own people," he points out, mild enough. "Which do you think it is?"

[sporesprouter]

"I'm only an expert by comparison. I really don't know if I'd count. But I... actually, I'm not sure you can draw a blanket conclusion. People are different, and there are ones that fall into either category."

[az_fell]

"That's true enough." And it makes him smile a little as he sips his tea. "Humans are impressively unpredictable, I've found."

[sporesprouter]

"At least sometimes," she agrees with a nod. "And good thing or it would get kind of boring."

[az_fell]

"Dreadfully." For someone who's quite attached to his own staid routine, Aziraphale's equally attached to the chaos of humanity. He doesn't necessarily want it to touch him, but it's comforting to know it's there. Like sitting inside during a rainstorm. "And Crowley and I would be out of a job, I suppose."

[sporesprouter]

She looks somewhat curious. "Do you really have your jobs here anyway?"

[az_fell]

"Well, no," he admits. "Heaven and Hell don't seem able to reach us here. I suppose Crowley's been up to some light tempting, but that's force of habit."

[sporesprouter]

She nods. "Is there anything you've been doing out of force of habit even if you don't need to?"

[az_fell]

"I've tried several times to organize the library," says Aziraphale a bit peevishly, "but it resists all my efforts." He manages to perform the act of sipping tea as cattily as possible, as if the library is a sentient entity and they're locked in combat. "It worked much better back in my shop."

[sporesprouter]

Tress manages not to laugh, but only just. "Oh, yes, I can imagine that would be a nightmare."

[az_fell]

"It is!" He sighs, although there's at least a tiny bit of self-awareness in his put-upon huffiness. "I'll pose the same question to you."