Chapter Text
It was tucked away on the desk, behind a stack of books, some bills, a letter from Queen Victoria about how rudely she was kicked out of Aziraphale’s shop and a letter from her grandson about how they had a lovely time at a discreet Gentlemen's club. It was what appeared to be a DVD case.
This was odd for many reasons, one because Aziraphale did not own a TV, two because it had obviously been open and the disk inside was nice and loose which showed it had been pulled out and three he had never heard of Final Fantasy XIV: SHADOWBRINGERS.
Closer inspection then discovered it was a video game, to be more precise an MMORPG. Crowley knew of those, he, in fact, helped invent the idea of them. Now, why would Aziraphale have one? Did someone leave the case in the shop and Aziraphale set it aside just in case the owner returned for it?
But then it would be in the lost and found box under the register, not hidden behind letters from dead royalty. He then looked at the ancient computer Aziraphale had and wondered for a moment- could he?
No.
But the idea was now in the demon’s brain as he sauntered over to the computer and turned it on. Despite its appearance, it booted up quickly and had a modern OS. Because of course, Aziraphale would think once he bought a computer it would stay with the times forever.
The wallpaper was of a group of characters on a blue and gold platform with a bright heavenly light behind them. A wide smile danced across his face as he glued two and two together. Aziraphale played an MMO.
Stuck in the 19th century, calling Velvet Underground ‘bebop’, kindle-hating, cellphone-untrusting because there were no wires attached to anything Aziraphale played an MMO.
Every choice in Crowley’s life had led up to this moment and it was all worth it, if he had known over six thousand years ago that falling would somehow influence a stuffy, fussy, almost technophobic angel to play an MMO and liked it, he would have made it less of a freestyle dive and more of a reverse 4.5 somersault off the cloud and into the boiling pit of sulfur
He looked at the screen trying to figure out which of the characters was Aziraphale. Bunnygirl with a huge sword? Lionman with a staff? Then he noticed it, white-haired with cat-ears, with a halo floating above his head and holding a book near the center and dressed in pale blues and whites.
Crowley would like to thank both God and Satan for this moment.
He took in the sight for a few more moments before cramming the case back where it was and shutting down the computer.
He then threw himself back onto the chaise lounge and started to think about how he could bring this up to Aziraphale.
He wondered if it was only this one or if there were others, did he play other computer games? Did he have a Switch tucked away in a bedside table with a stack of games? How did he get into them? How did he discover them? Did Aziraphale have a mic and let out divine fury at people who didn’t follow mechanics? Hell, was the Angel the one who didn’t follow mechanics?
He thought back to the wallpaper, it was group shot.
Which meant Aziraphale had friends in this game.
The itchy part of Crowley’s brain was activated, he needed to find out more. He needed to discover this hidden part of Aziraphale that he would have never dreamed was a thing.
The Angel entered the shop. Crowley looked up.
“Did any customers come in while I was gone?”
“Nope,” Crowley said, his mind still reeling. His thoughts on that wallpaper. Still, why did they take that screenshot? It must have been a big thing to take a picture of it. He tapped at the back of the lounge a little, legs spread out.
“Well, that’s good,” Aziraphale said easily, flipping the sign to closed because he figured e wanted to look at the word OPEN for the rest of the day and the rest of the world can bask in the CLOSED. “I have a busy night planned.”
Was it reading? Was Aziraphale going to turn on the computer and play this game? Was he going to do his taxes?
“Me too, Angel.” Crowley said, “I got a plan to really generate some low-grade evil tonight, so it is good you won’t be able to thwart it.”
He knew what he was going to do.
“I thought we agreed that taking food from the freezer section of the store and putting it in the warm sections was off-limits.”
He was going to get the Angel to confess to this game.
“I’m going to take down a video game for a night.”
Aziraphale’s expression was calm and schooled. “Well, I guess that means people will spend more time with their families. So it would be a good thing.”
“Yeah, I heard about one called Final Fantasy or other and figured it would need to go down. A DDoS will be plenty easy.”
Crowley saw the flicker in Aziraphale’s eyes, like a flash of lighting, like when it seemed like a customer might actually succeed in buying a book. Like when that goose tried to steal a sandwich from him.
“I read they have dealt with plenty of those, it might just make people think it is from another company. Perhaps another one, I heard there is one that belongs to a company that has been censoring people.”
“Nope, I think this one will be the winner.”
“Perhaps do it tomorrow.” Aziraphale walked to the kitchenette to make himself some tea. “Then they will go to bed early perhaps and be bright-eyed for school.”
So, Aziraphale was going to do something in the game tonight.
“Or, I could just go into the game and start bothering people in it. Get their accounts banned.”
“I am sure people will pick up on a new player causing trouble,” Aziraphale said easily from the kitchen.
“Not really, people in these games can be pretty dumb. Go in, ask how you mine for fish, stuff like that.”
“You might get invited to the novice network for that.” Aziraphale realized he let that slip, that he knew something about the game. Crowley could not see the angel’s eyes widen, but he could taste the sudden shock in the air. “I am sure they have one of those in the game.” He added on quickly, hoping to cover the slip.
“Oh, you know something about this game?” The Demon drawled out.
“Well, I heard the story was good,” Aziraphale admitted. “And sometimes it is nice to meet people who won’t notice you don’t age.”
“So you do play it.”
“...Yes. In passing.”
“Angel, you don’t do anything just in passing. Well, show it to me.”
Aziraphale sighed, realizing this was not worth arguing as he came out of the kitchenette and headed to where his computer was. Crowley climbed over the back of the lounge and followed Aziraphale as the Angel sat down at his computer and turned it on.
Crowley looked at the wallpaper again. “What's this?”
“Oh this, this was after we beat Innocence Extreme for the first time.” There was a hint of pride in his voice. Crowley took note.
“Are you that one?” he pointed to the cat-eared man with the book.
“How did you know?”
“Because it is a guy with a halo and a book! Also, he is in your color scheme.”
Aziraphale pursed his lips together as he clicked on an icon that simply read FFXIV and quickly logged in. In theory, Aziraphale’s computer should have exploded as soon as the game loaded, but it knew better. He saw the cat person on a background of blue.
Then Aziraphale clicked on it and soon the game was really going. There were buttons everywhere it seemed, and the cat person was outside of a house by a giant bird of sorts. Crowley took a moment to appreciate what he saw in front of him, the music was soft and he read the name above the character.
The Hand of Mercy
Ezra Fell
Then he saw in the lower left hand of the screen some text.
Nyasha W: EZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZRA
Sasha N: Isn’t it like- 2 PM there? Did you close down shop early again? How you going to pay your sub?
Aziraphale responded.
Ezra F: And it is 6 AM over there, Sasha, did you not sleep again? You should really sleep some more, it is bad for your health.
Nyasha W: You literally never sleep you fuckkin hypocrate.
Ezra F: *Hypocrite
Crowley smiled as he saw more people jump in to talk to Aziraphale and rag on him a little for closing down his shop early and for never sleeping.
Then he saw the next bit of conversation.
Ezra F: I’m showing a friend the game.
Nyasha W: Is it THE friend? <3
French F: Crooooooowley
Aziraphale quickly shrank the screen before he thought Crowley saw it. Aziraphale talked about him in the game?
“So they are your friends?” Crowley asked after a second.
“Yes, I send them Christmas cards. They are quite a lovely bunch.” Aziraphale kept his eyes on the corner of the screen until he decided to make it a normal-sized again. “I have been friends with them since the game was first introduced, we bonded over…issues the game had.”
French F: LETS SHOW FRIEND THINGS.
Then Crowley saw a small character appear on the screen (French Fries Of the Silver Fuller) and the character waved then hugged Aziraphale’s character. Then a window popped up about asking to join a party. Aziraphale accepted.
“French Fries is the Leader of the Free Company,” Aziraphale explained, happily. “She, in fact, introduced me to the game, we met on a book forum.”
Aziraphale visited book forums? What did they talk about? How did this game come up? Did Aziraphale talk about him there too?
Ezra F: Everyone, Crowley will be watching us. Please let’s be on our best behavior.
Nyasha W: nope.
French F: We’re going to do the Greg fights and some maps.
“I hope you won’t be too bored, dear.” Aziraphale smiled to Crowley, who had now miracled a chair next to Aziraphale.
“Me? Bored? I am watching you play a video game, this is entertainment.” And it was, after 6,000 years he was still learning about Aziraphale. It was actually quite amazing. Something popped up on the screen and Aziraphale clicked on it, then Crowley looked at the characters on the screen- they were the ones on the wallpaper.
“This is my ‘Raid Group’” Aziraphale said with a fond tone to his voice. “Sasha is in Seattle, Nyasha is in Mexico, French Fries is in France actually.” Friends from all around the world.
French F: GET ON VOICE CHAT.
“You do voice chat?”
“Well, yes, I tend to do call-outs for everyone. But we know these so I didn’t think that it would be needed to log in.” he downsized the window and logged into another program. Aziraphale just always thought you talked to the computer to make yourself heard, and the computer accepted it. Like it accepted many odd things about its Owner.
“Hello everyone,” Aziraphale said with a smile. “Say Hi, dear.”
Crowley looked at Aziraphale, about to ask him where his microphone was and decided against it.
“Hello?”
Then there was a flurry of talking as Aziraphale returned the screen back to its full size.
“OK.” Said a woman with an American accent. “Our job here is to get Ezra’s friend to join Fourteen. So for once in your lives look cool.”
“Play like shit got it.” Said a man who sounded like he was from Austria.
“Now, now-” Aziraphale started, “I am not going to force a game on Crowley.”
Crowley wasn’t going to get forced into, he was going to jump right into it. He was going to make a character and learn this new side to Aziraphale.