"Is it? I dunno. He doesn't have morality, does he? The monster, I mean. He did those things, but he doesn't know right from wrong. I reckon if you don't know that what you're doing is wrong, it's not truly evil. Bad, but not evil. So Frankenstein is the truly monstrous one." Crowley finished his thought, then looked around suspiciously, just in case someone caught him waxing on philosophically about morality. With the Christian nerd, no less.
"I'll just walk you home, it's on my way." Why not. "We can walk together tomorrow too."
"Are you sure? I don't wish to take up your time..." Also he saw the way he looked around, making sure no one saw him. He probably didn't want to be seen with him. He understood that, he wasn't exactly a feather in anyone's cap - he was quite the embarrassment and not exactly a popularity helper. "Though I welcome anyone who wishes to discuss books with me. I don't often get to do that. Not many people talk to me and those that do, they don't read much. Or a very limited selection."
So the bible and books on God. Basically. All very dry and very dull. "But please, don't feel like you have to." For whatever reason he might. "I don't want to make you a target."
"I'm not a target. People don't target me." Which, Crowley figured, didn't strictly speaking have to be true and wasn't really either, but it kind of seemed to be working for him. That belief in no longer being a target. There were probably a lot of factors at work, such as how tall he'd gotten recently and the persistent rumour that some of his fellow goths really did sacrifice virgins and maybe even just some boys who couldn't last more than a quick handjob, but whatever it was, he didn't get targeted these days.
How true that would hold once he regularly walked home someone everyone called a faggot, time would tell. But he didn't care that much. He'd just keep on believing he'd be fine. "I don't care about people that much. Just don't need anyone thinking I read, right? Do I look like I read books?"
"Certainly not, no. You look like a right rowdy ol' rascal! No books in sight." Aziraphale cheered on, punching the air lightly, wanting to assure him that he didn't look like a reader. Oh no, he looked like a bad boy goth. Not that he thought a goth couldn't read but apparently, Crowley needed people to think that so he'd keep mum about whatever they discussed. "I won't exactly tell people what we talk about. No one really talks to me anyway. Unless it's exam week and they need to understand something."
Then people randomly came and sat with him, asked him things, got some free tutoring. He didn't mind. "If anyone asks, you're positively illiterate." With a bright smile, he almost bounced in his step as he walked beside the vastly cooler young man. "Though I still disagree. The monster is a monster. Even if Victor is a problematic fellow, the monster does more damage from spite and revenge than his maker ever did."
"Does he do it from spite or revenge or does he just lash out because he's cornered? Does he just copy the only behaviour he's been shown? He's nothing but kind before all of that happens. For months." Crowley was not sure why he found himself arguing morality with the church boy, but here he was. Maybe not the worst, he figured, showing someone like that a less black and white view. "Seems like there are at the very least a couple monsters in that book. Or maybe humanity is the monstrous concept."
Stood to reason. "Is the monster a monster because it's monstrous or because it's human? And where's the difference? Because revenge and spite are human emotion. Don't think snakes go around biting people because they insulted their mother."
"I suppose not. I just -- well, I guess I didn't think on it too much." Of course he didn't, he had a very simple view of life, drilled into him since his youth. There was one good thing to do and one bad thing to do. And he always did the good thing. Anyone who didn't do the good thing and did the bad thing was, therefore, bad.
Though he knew it wasn't that simple now he was older and breaking the rules himself. He, much like Crowley, saw the shades of grey but it was still very tricky to understand it all. "We did teach the monster badly. As a race. Humans have a lot of options and we always seem to pick the worst ones. Wonder why that is." Why, as a race, were they determined to rush towards mutual destruction together.
"Because we like to cock it up, I guess." Damn, now Aziraphale looked quite put out. Maybe it wasn't as fun to teach him all about how the world was dark grey at best after all, he felt the urge to fix it. Not that he could. "You aren't really like that though. Maybe you are more like an angel than human, huh?"
Well. He kind of looked the part, with the blond curls and with the way the sun was shining right at them at the moment. Crowley knew how much that would hurt if he looked at him without his glasses on. It was actually a little painful even so. "Don't worry, angel. I'm sure you'll pick better options."
"I'm not an angel. Don't be silly. I would like to think I make the right decisions but -- I don't know if I do." After all, he was walking home with a goth boy, talking about forbidden literature and he was pretty sure Crowley was likely infatuated with the devil so how good were his decisions really? "I never know what is right and what is wrong. I mean the basic stuff, yes, it's all very simple but it's those pesky little things that I..."
He trailed off, knowing that he probably shouldn't bore the first person his own age willing to be near him for an extended period of time. He likely didn't want to listen to Aziraphale's boring moral crisis. Then again, he did bring it up! So who knows? He wasn't sure so he stopped, it seemed safer. "I, uh, I like your glasses. They're rather... top-notch."
"I got like ten pairs of them." That wasn't even an exaggeration. "They were on sale. With those thingies on the side, had to get them." What were those thingies even called? Blinders? Maybe something that made him sound less like a horse? He'd stick with thiniges until he could think of a better word.
"I gotta wear them." Talk about boring topics. He had no idea whether Aziraphale knew that he had to wear glasses or not. It wasn't really all that important. Not as important as a good Christian boy with a moral crisis, anyway. "You can talk to me, y'know. About your decisions. I'll be your shoulder devil."
"I remember being told in assembly." Way back when, he had very vague memories of being told to not tease or steal the sunglasses. He didn't quite know what was wrong, he didn't understand then and now he was older, he wasn't brave enough to ask but he assumed something to do with sunlight intolerance. Perhaps lupus? He wasn't certain. "I think of all the issues you could have, it's nice to have one that makes you look cool. The only corrective things I ever had was an eye patch and it wasn't half as cool." It did fix his lazy eye as a child but it didn't win him any cool points.
"It's a very kind offer. I-I don't know if I have that much to talk about. In regards to my decisions. I just make them. That's the beauty of being a person in our wonderful world - all those choices." And if God was giving him them, who was he to ignore all those opportunities. He smiled softly at Crowley, however, quite taken with his friendly nature. "But I'm always happy to talk. I don't often get to with people my own age."
"Yeah, it's all right now. Got these glasses." The cool ones. Not the ones before that made him look like one of the blind mice. "I don't know, eye patches can be pretty cool. Pirates. Arrgh!"
He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. All right, that had been dorky. Thankfully, no one was here to overhear. Just Aziraphale, who was smiling again. Good. "I wish we had more choices. Maybe that comes with age." Though he remained unconvinced of that. Maybe he could find a way though.
"You live here, right?" He gestured at the house as he came to a halt. "I'll stop here, then your family won't spot me."
"Probably for the best. They'd be concerned. They're not very open minded when it comes to alternative dressing." Aziraphale clarified as he looked ahead to his home and let out an almost lamenting sigh at the idea of heading inside. He was enjoying time with Crowley and besides, he didn't fancy an evening of listening to what wonderful things Gabriel achieved today while he was there, paling in comparison.
"Thank you for the walk. It was a pleasure." He held out his hand to shake Crowley's in thanks, unable to help himself. In some respects, he was an old man at heart. "Perhaps tomorrow we can discuss Dracula. I have some strong issues with that book, let me tell you."
"Can't wait to hear them. Not that I've read it." Crowley was amused, but he'd taken Aziraphale's hand anyway, because he hadn't even thought about it. So very formal. Which was maybe why he couldn't help the cheeky grin, bending down and lifting his hand up, so he could kiss his hand. Ever so formally.
He straightened up, in one sense of the word, and tipped his non-existent hat. "See you tomorrow. I'll escort you again."
"Oh, Crowley!" Aziraphale scolded as he pulled his hand away, giving him a very stern expression. "None of that. Come now." Rolling his eyes, he turned away and shook his head, tutting over the pushy goth who kissed his hand. Such a silly man. Strange man too.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
"I'll just walk you home, it's on my way." Why not. "We can walk together tomorrow too."
no subject
So the bible and books on God. Basically. All very dry and very dull. "But please, don't feel like you have to." For whatever reason he might. "I don't want to make you a target."
no subject
How true that would hold once he regularly walked home someone everyone called a faggot, time would tell. But he didn't care that much. He'd just keep on believing he'd be fine. "I don't care about people that much. Just don't need anyone thinking I read, right? Do I look like I read books?"
no subject
Then people randomly came and sat with him, asked him things, got some free tutoring. He didn't mind. "If anyone asks, you're positively illiterate." With a bright smile, he almost bounced in his step as he walked beside the vastly cooler young man. "Though I still disagree. The monster is a monster. Even if Victor is a problematic fellow, the monster does more damage from spite and revenge than his maker ever did."
no subject
Stood to reason. "Is the monster a monster because it's monstrous or because it's human? And where's the difference? Because revenge and spite are human emotion. Don't think snakes go around biting people because they insulted their mother."
no subject
Though he knew it wasn't that simple now he was older and breaking the rules himself. He, much like Crowley, saw the shades of grey but it was still very tricky to understand it all. "We did teach the monster badly. As a race. Humans have a lot of options and we always seem to pick the worst ones. Wonder why that is." Why, as a race, were they determined to rush towards mutual destruction together.
no subject
Well. He kind of looked the part, with the blond curls and with the way the sun was shining right at them at the moment. Crowley knew how much that would hurt if he looked at him without his glasses on. It was actually a little painful even so. "Don't worry, angel. I'm sure you'll pick better options."
no subject
He trailed off, knowing that he probably shouldn't bore the first person his own age willing to be near him for an extended period of time. He likely didn't want to listen to Aziraphale's boring moral crisis. Then again, he did bring it up! So who knows? He wasn't sure so he stopped, it seemed safer. "I, uh, I like your glasses. They're rather... top-notch."
no subject
"I gotta wear them." Talk about boring topics. He had no idea whether Aziraphale knew that he had to wear glasses or not. It wasn't really all that important. Not as important as a good Christian boy with a moral crisis, anyway. "You can talk to me, y'know. About your decisions. I'll be your shoulder devil."
He smiled, hoping it'd be taken as a joke.
no subject
"It's a very kind offer. I-I don't know if I have that much to talk about. In regards to my decisions. I just make them. That's the beauty of being a person in our wonderful world - all those choices." And if God was giving him them, who was he to ignore all those opportunities. He smiled softly at Crowley, however, quite taken with his friendly nature. "But I'm always happy to talk. I don't often get to with people my own age."
no subject
He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. All right, that had been dorky. Thankfully, no one was here to overhear. Just Aziraphale, who was smiling again. Good. "I wish we had more choices. Maybe that comes with age." Though he remained unconvinced of that. Maybe he could find a way though.
"You live here, right?" He gestured at the house as he came to a halt. "I'll stop here, then your family won't spot me."
no subject
"Thank you for the walk. It was a pleasure." He held out his hand to shake Crowley's in thanks, unable to help himself. In some respects, he was an old man at heart. "Perhaps tomorrow we can discuss Dracula. I have some strong issues with that book, let me tell you."
no subject
He straightened up, in one sense of the word, and tipped his non-existent hat. "See you tomorrow. I'll escort you again."
no subject
Still. It was nice. He hadn't hated it at all.