apocalypsehowcomm | (Open Log) You gotta know when to hold 'em

Who: George Milton, Nick Valentine, and anybody who shows up
When: April 22, starting around 6 PM until
Where: Apartment A-3
Summary: A night for playing cards, drinking beer or b.y.o.b. if harder, snacks and unwinding. Feel free to thread jack and jump all around, at least in my threads. This is just for some relaxed down time and catching up or introductions in a smaller, casual space.
Warnings: None expected. If your characters get to discussing anything triggery or get up to anything spicy, please CW in your individual threads.

Over the past week or so, hand printed signs drawn in sharpie on plain paper have shown up taped to walls around the apartment complex and on any easily accessible bulletin boards at ADI. A couple of them were also delivered to the flophouse with the request they be displayed somewhere the residents might see them.

They read:
Cards and Beer
Friday April 22 6 PM
Apartment A 3
George and Nick's place
You want more than beer
or chips and popcorn
bring your own.
Extra decks appreciated.

The night of, the door to A 3 is propped open. In addition to the dining table, a couple of card tables and cheap folding chairs are set up for games. Two bowls on the coffee table contain chips and popcorn respectively. There's a cooler on the floor in the kitchen filled with ice and cheap beer.

George or Nick will greet people as they come in and tell them to make themselves at home.

((OOC: Feel free to top level with your own character and make whatever prompts you like. George is generally easy-going, but if he catches anyone stealing, getting too hot and heavy in a bedroom, or otherwise being a general jerk about the apartment or the other guests, he will try to throw the offender out. If you want that kind of thread or want to succeed at something nefarious, let me know so we can work it out.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{It might be a rather dry sense of humor, but it is there. If Jaeger couldn't laugh about things now and then, he's pretty sure he'd crack right down the middle. As it is, he's come close enough at times.

His eyebrow rises slightly as he listens to Crowley, but there's the slightest amusement there, too.]

I'm not American, either, I've just lived here a very long time. I'd say you get used to it, but if you do, that's probably a bad sign.

[He takes a sip of his drink, with a small hum of appreciation. There's a lot to be said for a little bit of culture, in the midst of the whole thing.]

I'm used to doing this sort of work, I suppose that makes it a bit easier on me.

[It's always appreciated when someone doesn't take his ranting too seriously. He just likes to get worked up about things, there's no need for anyone to make a fuss about it.]

If I get used to it, I'll have someone take me out back and shoot me.

[He's spent decades in America at a time, but it takes longer than that for him to get used to anything. He's not as bad as Aziraphale, when it comes to adapting, but that's a low bar.]

M'used to a lot more... [He waves a hand in another vague gesture, unsure what word to use.] Variety? Control? Had a lot more freedom with my own schedule, none of this nine to five bollocks. I've no idea how people do it.

[Jaeger has dealt with a lot of crazy in his life. Certainly more than his share of extreme privilege. He can deal with it just fine, rolling with the rant with calm bemusement.

And the drink is really very good. That doesn't hurt, either.]

Freelancer hours aren't always better, unless you like strange days and long nights, but everyone has their preference. Some people like structure and reliability, especially when they've been pulled into a completely new world.

[He shrugs, even though he's sort of one of those people. It's a balance between being able to adapt, and knowing what's expected of you and when.]

Nothing wrong with strange days and long nights.

[Not that he especially liked Hell being able to pop in at any moment to give him an assignment, but it was a lot better than having to haul himself out of bed at the same time five days a week.]

I take it your one of those... structure people.

[He's played roles before, where he had to follow a routine, but it's always been tempered by the knowledge it was temporary, and the fact he always had his powers.]

[Jaeger gives a small snort of laughter because, yeah, he's kind of obvious about it.]

I spent a very long time in a very structured environment. It's the way I was raised, but I've been...adapting. For the past few years I've been operating on my own, and that's been a change.

Now, I'm not sure how to feel about it. It's good to be doing something familiar, at least, knowing that I'm good at my job.

[It's almost a little funny, when he thinks about how easily Heaven could be described as a very structed environment, but Gabriel would never talk about it the way Jaeger is.]

Oh, I did that for a bit until I annoyed 'em so much they kicked me out. [:D

That's certainly one way to explain what happened.] Maybe you ought to shake things up a little. Do something wild and reckless. Really break outta that structure to see if you like it on the other side.

[This is good advice. Definitely.]

[It gets another small huff of laughter from the big man. He might be a reserved sort most of the time, but he can appreciate a character, and Crowley is...certainly that. It might take him a while to really form an opinion, but so far? He makes for lively company and that's something to be appreciated.

The comment about "shaking things up" though? that gets a snort of laughter from him that's close to a choke.]

I, ah. Made some very drastic changes six years ago, I'm still working through it if I'm totally honest. Deciding what I really want to do with myself, but I haven't had the luxury of really...breaking free.

[He pauses, because that sounds a little flat, even to him. An excuse to keep to old patterns? Perhaps. It bears thinking about, and he tilts his head slightly as that thought settles on him.]

Some changes are definitely worth making, though. Especially in a new place like this, so far from my old life.

[He takes another sip of his drink. See? He's totally being a wild man, drinking hard liquor someplace other than home. Woo.]

[Sometimes there are moments in life where someone says something that's a slight punch in the gut, just because it hits far too close to home. Jaeger talking about changes and deciding what to do with himself and freedom is exactly what Crowley's been reaching for, maybe forever.

And he's never really had the opportunity, not in any meaningful way, until coming here.

It takes some self-control not to drain his drink in one go, though he can't quite stop himself from a quick glance back towards the living room, where he left Aziraphale building a ridiculous house of cards.]

Funny how this place works, isn't it? More trapped than you've ever been and a hell of a lot more free at the same time.

I think there's a sort of comfort in parts of it being familiar. Even the worst parts, being familiar with that, able to adapt.

[Is it any worse here than it was running from Easterbrook's Conservators? Jaeger isn't sure. At least here, he isn't on his own. He doesn't have his magic, which is a harsh blow, but at least there's some kind of support structure. As twisted as it all is.]

But there's also something to be said for being literally worlds away from where you were. I won't say it's always a good thing, it's a lot of strain, but...we do the best with it that we can.

[He nearly makes a comment about the familiarity being humans, before deciding to keep that to himself for now. He knows he's not exactly doing a perfect job of passing as normal, but there's no need to say too much.]

Some more than others, I'd reckon. About doing their best. [It's not a potshot at anyone in particular, he's just sure it's true.] But they still have reruns of Golden Girls, so that's a comfort.

[Things started hitting too close to home so now he has to make dumb jokes.]

[Jaeger has a pretty loose definition of "normal" himself, but angels and demons is a bit out of his experience. Not that he wouldn't take it in stride, but it is a lot, no matter how good behind the bar Crowley is.

For now, he'll take as close to normal as he can get.

The latter does get a chuckle from him, a ghost of memory watching re-runs while sitting up with a pregnant wife, and then a sick child.]

It seems to be a universal constant, and that's reassuring. Whatever else there might be, at least there's late-night TV.

(Open Log) You gotta know when to hold 'em

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