1 // Temptation - Video

[serpentinthegarden]

[ The magic mirror displayed a scene of total chaos. A horse’s cart was halfway up a tree, in flames, and the horse that was meant to be the engine for the thing was running around loose sending people scattering off the sidewalks as it thundered by. Crowley held the mirror and looked back at the scene before walking away. ]

That could have gone better. Probably goes without saying I’m not going to be a carriage driver...

[ A small pause while the cart exploded and someone in the background screamed. ]

Anyone heard of--

[ He was suddenly interrupted by a little angry man who shouted after the demon, something about a wrecked cart, but it was difficult to hear anything but Crowley’s replies. ]

Pay you? You ought to be paying me! Like it’s my fault the horse doesn’t like demons! You never once said the horse doesn’t like demons!

[ Crowley waved the man off with a less-than-polite gesture and crash landed grumpily onto the nearest free bench, though with the panicked horse running wild most of the benches were empty. Most of the street too. People had piled into the nearest building which just so happened to be a candy shop. ]

As I was trying to ask before I was interrupted, anyone else heard of any other job openings? Not having the best of luck with it... I would have done fine as a driver but that horse--

[ He was interrupted again before he could continue. Crowley snarled as he turned to glare at this new distraction but in doing so he ended up dropping his magic mirror. ]

-- Hours Passed before the Mirror flared to life again --

[ Unsurprisingly it was to bear witness to another scene of chaos this time one of children and their parents frantically snatching up every boxed or bagged candy they could lay their hands on while one demon clad in uncharacteristically in white and sporting a lovely red striped bandanna carefully watched over their every action from behind the counter. ]

Everybody in here better be buying something or you are going back outside and trust me you don’t want to be out there with that horse still on the loose!

Comments

[takeitsleazy]

[Michael, clad in his own uniform for the Emporium, is stationed at the counter by the shop windows, enjoying a bag of caramel corn and the show. it's the perfect balm after that disastrous first new moon]

I have to give you props for how far up the tree it got. That's skill.

[serpentinthegarden]

[ Glad to be of some entertainment. ]

The you really should be congratulating the horse. It was her idea.

[takeitsleazy]

Really! I didn't think horses really had that much going on between the ears. Impressive.

[as questionably pleasant as this conversation may turn out to be, he's still trolling you later with his roomies. sorry not sorry]

[serpentinthegarden]

Humans aren't the only ones who are clever. Whales, you have seen them? Big clever buggers whales.

[ Demons aren't to be trusted. :P ]

[bigbadrose]

Horses don't like snakes. I don't know about demons.

[serpentinthegarden]

I wasn't exactly slithering up to her... made that mistake only once several centuries ago.

[ Eyeroll. There was a mess, horses stampeding everywhere.]

I've never had much trouble with horses. Not usually. But some of them are more flighty than others and this one must have a thing against demons. All I did was sit in the carriage and off she went! You'd think the devil himself was after her.

[bigbadrose]

Maybe you smell like sulfur and she doesn't like having you behind her.

[serpentinthegarden]

I do NOT smell like sulfur! I haven't been to check in for months! I smell like Après L'Amour No. 4 and... cheap hotel bath soap.

[guitar_hero]

[when he appears in the mirror, he's looking put out, petting the gentle mare who still looks frightened and is pressing her head to his as if he's one of the herd]

First of all, her name is Moonchild, not 'that horse'. Secondly, she thinks you smell terrible and your manners are worse and you should never approach a strange horse from the back where they can't see you. Predators are a very real danger.

[Moonchild snorts and he shushes her gently] If you ask me, that job suits you better. I feel like we almost looked like Gene Wilder once. [he doesn't expect Crowley to understand what he means, but then again that's why he said it]

[bigbadrose]

[So much laughing.] Did you really? You know I could see that.

[serpentinthegarden]

I know how to deal with horses! I had to deal with them for centuries before humans finally came up with the brilliant idea to replace them with better and more efficient cars!

Moonchild...

[ The horse was given a disgruntled glare through the screen. ]

... is just fussy! I suppose its my fault she doesn't like my cologne? I can tell you this... after all that hay, oats and other things she's been into... I smell so much better than a horse! She should take care of her own odor before casting stones at others!

[ Oh he knew Gene Wilder so that bit of the reference wasn't lost on him but the Doctor's 'we' did seem misplaced. ]

I didn't ask you.

[ Weird... person who uses 'we' wrong. ]

And I'm not handing out any golden tickets.

[guitar_hero]

[Then he got an idea. An awful idea. The Doctor had a wonderful, awful idea. He grins at the mirror]

Miss Tyler, if you could meet me by the stables~

action

[bigbadrose]

Bam. You call me, I come. That probably says something about me.

[mal_contented]

Buying something? Yeah right. Well, just enough to cover the fact that she was pocketing even more. So she had some peanut butter cups in her shopping basket, and blue and purple gumballs in one pocket and jelly beans and licorice whips in the other. She was studying the caramel apples and candy apples when he snapped about the horse being on the loose. She let her lips twitch into a hint of a smile. "An errant horse?" she asked, an amused sharp edge to her voice. "Is that really the best you've got?"

[serpentinthegarden]

"As I keep telling everyone, that was the horse's idea not mine!"

Crowley practically slithered closer to the girl to force a smile at her over the countertop.

"If you are hoping for something more violent I could grab you by the ankles and shake until all your money fell out."

He watched the girl carefully, lightly swaying back and forth as if in time to some silent rhythm.

"But I wonder what else I might find if I did?"

[mal_contented]

"Mmmm, my fist in your face, most likely," she said, unfazed. She even held up a fist that was still somewhat purple as a warning. But she looked far more amused than cowed.

[serpentinthegarden]

"You're like fifteen and you are going around threatening adults?"

He barked a laugh through an impressed sneer.

"Well done!"

Demons at least appreciated young hoodlums.

"I did notice you were looking at the apples, tempted by one?"

[blessedarethebookmakers]

[it is decidedly odd to see Crowley working. He had somehow managed to slip in when his back was turned and lurked... well... inhabited a place hidden behind a display of unicorn horn lollipops, just to observe him in action. How he treated the customers, the children, how bored he must be-- or maybe a part of him enjoyed it? Certainly he had no use for the horses, but then, neither of them had ever been particularly fond of the beasts.

It's a bit sad really. This minimum wage life. All too human life. For someone who hadn't had to work in six thousand years. Aziraphale wondered if he should go and leave him to it when a particularly loud woman with a stormy face began to charge up to the counter. Aziraphale hastily miracled her shoe-- well he'd meant to have it come off, not for both of them to disappear- but never mind. She squawked in surprise and in the spare moment, Aziraphale slipped between her and the counter and smiled at Crowley]

I wonder if you could help me with a few purchases.

[serpentinthegarden]

[ Crowley was just finishing with a sale, handing a small boy a package of gum that he really hoped he wouldn't be stepping in later... it better not end up chewed on the sidewalk later, k, thanks kid... when those cheerfully spoken words brightened his day entirely. ]

Aziraphale! I didn't see you come in.

[ Slippery angel. Oh! He briefly looked past those lovely white wings to the woman who was looking down at her bare feet and dancing across the floor, holding up a 'be right with you' hand to Aziraphale as he did so. ]

Ma'am I'm sorry, but we do have a strict no shirt, no shoes, no service rule. You might find something you could wear at the Emporium.

[ The woman scowled but she did apparently need a pair of shoes. Only when she was safely hotfooting it across the street to the Emporium was Crowley finally able to give the angel his full attention. ]

You wouldn't believe how many strange people like that you run into in retail.

So Aziraphale.

[ Crowley smiled like he had just turned on the high-beams. ]

Tempt you to some chocolate? We do have some handmade Artisan Truffles.

[blessedarethebookmakers]

[he knew he ought to be more concerned with Crowley smiling and being pleased with himself, but the expression on the demon's face is just making him a little giddy. Besides which it was so nice to be the center of his attention. Well, almost. But he was pleased--in a quite terrible way, he admonished himself, as Crowley went and turned the woman from the store. But then on the other hand! She might well think twice about coming to abuse the poor service workers who could do nothing but listen to her complaints.

And then! Well! There was an even brighter smile that had the blood rushing right to his cheeks and the offer]

I would adore that, thank you. I'll take a sample or three. I do love a good truffle. Also... [he leaned forward to murmur across the din] I may have miracled her shoes off.

[and beamed himself, hoping Crowley would be just as amused and maybe even pleased]

[serpentinthegarden]

HA!

[ The barked laugh drew the attention of those milling about in the candy store but when there was nothing strange going on they went back to their shopping. ]

I was wondering what she was doing walking around without shoes. That's brilliant angel.

[ And deserving of a reward. Let's see... He moved over to the glass case filled with all those wonderful little hand dipped treats and picked something truly angelic. The small treat was retrieved from the case with a set of tongs and placed on a delicate piece of serving foil. ]

Raspberry cordial, it's... to use a phrase I can't believe I'm about to use, heavenly.

[king_of_egypt]

[Excuse him for a few moments while he just stares at the carriage suspended in a tree. Atem's thoughts did turn to the horse which thankfully seemed to have the survived the experience]

.... Do I even want to know how you managed that? [To be voicing it was an affirmation that he did] Horses usually aren't difficult to control if they're used to being handled.

[Then the explosion followed-] By the gods, what was so flammable in that carriage?! [It's not as if it needed gasoline]

[serpentinthegarden]

What?

[ Crowley glanced back at the exploding carriage like it was an after thought. ]

Oh that, it's got to be the hot dog cart we got caught up with... or the tank from the balloon vendor... Horse really didn't like demons.

[king_of_egypt]

[This man was certainly taking it all rather casually given how dramatic the circumstances]

.................... Oh is that all? [Asked more in jest, and not requiring an answer] It's a wonder that no one was hurt in the process.

[It was a little peculiar that the stranger had no qualms calling himself a demon, but perhaps with his black wings exposed he figured there was no real point in trying to explain them away] When you say... demon- what is your definition of what a demon is? [They could vary.]

[serpentinthegarden]

Hellspawn.

[ That was exactly the reasoning. He didn't mince any words over his being a demon because one look and people would know. It wasn't like he could hide his appearance and blend in as he had always done before. ]

Straight from Hell and meant to tempt souls into signing up for the downstairs army.

[ More or less. ]

That's why I think the horse was only trying to get rid of me really. Mind you, if anyone had been slow about diving out of it's way... Could have been messy.